Women stuff

I thought I would share some activities and observations about women this past few weeks.

This woman is pilando, meaning separating the hard outside shell of the rice kernel.

This is actually really hard.  The stick is heavy and I didn't have the right action with my arms.
I provided amusement, if nothing else.



I love this picture as the women are walking back through the fields.
A little while before they were carrying a coffin and singing a song while they walked.



This woman was carrying the husked coconuts to give to the group.
When I took the picture and showed it to her, she smiled with delight
and called her children over to see it.  She was so proud of the picture.

afta


Our first attempt at an RS activity.  I gave a short talk about the temple
and then had each woman glue and decorate a picture for her home.
It is not their custom to really make something for the wall, but they
were interested in trying.  I laughed as only two people are
members and most had never heard of the temple at all, but could
tell it was a sacred building.



Here are the women making a "bolo" or a cake in the kitchen.
Everyone brought one ingredient.  No measuring was ever done.
They threw in 6 eggs and about 1/2 cup of baking soda.  It was
all stirred by hand and they loved it.  The frosting was a bag of
icing sugar and a can of sweetened condensed milk.  No wonder they
love cakes.  Like little kids they all fought over licking the bowl and
the spoon clean. 

This is is another room of the house where we eat and have
district meetings.  All of the women did very nice borders with the
markers around the pictures.  I have tales about the red shirt girl,
but you will have to ask for them personally!



This is the mission president'e wife, Tina Spendlove and myself
in our capulanas.  I had bought them on our trip and told
the women I would wear it to the activity, so we did.  I didn't take my
skirt off underneath, but Tina did and was much cooler.

Yes, there are fabric stores in Quelimane and all through
Africa, what can I say!!  The piece on the right I bought in Beira
and it has African dancers all over it and is really cool.

     I find the women are very hard to read here.  They have a different hairdo every week; with our without braids or beads, etc.  They love to dress up a lot for church.  I have no idea what they think of me.  They are pretty open about correcting my language mistakes, which is good.  They are often on a bike taxi with one baby tied on back and several on their laps and their bags, it is amazing to me.  We are thinking about a study class for the scriptures as most of them seem reticent in the lessons to talk much.  I think many of them have trouble reading.  But when all is said and done, they laughed and enjoyed being together, so that was a good weekend.