Down came the rain...

The long awaited "rainy season" appears to have begun in earnest in Quelimane--a few weeks late.  Streets are flooded and so was our living room--I will climb upon the roof tomorrow and explore the source of the leaks in the roof.

The following series of pictures focuses on personal security.  We have been told of the rampant crime here and the pervasive dishonesty of the Mozambican people.  But in truth, we have seen nothing of it.  We have had a number of people help us out--returning lost things and generally appearing kind and generous.  I'm not saying that it ain't so--but we have been blessed thus far to have escaped the ravages of crime.  That being said--we still do live with a guard, sleep behind steel bars and tall walls topped by sharp glass.

Since Debbie began carrying the machete on her hip, we have felt considerably safer and fewer beggars seem inclined to trouble us as well.

This is a picture of a rural "hospital" waiting "room".  It's interesting to note that for the slightest of maladies, a cold or sore throat for example, everyone goes to the hospital to get medicine.  No one just suffers in silence at home.  Visits to the doctors there are free and medicine is close to free as well.  I personally think that there is a lesson to be learned here about human nature and the cost, availabilty, quality and utilization of health care--but that would be another discussion.

Everybody loves mangoes here.  Me as well.

Debbie bought these interesting little vegetables in the market.  They are called guiba and are supposed to be good chopped up in shrimp.  Who knows if we are brave enough to try them!  

Pictured here are two investigators Abel and Adozinda.  He came over this week to talk to me (I feared a painful confession of some sort).  Instead he invited us to have a "little lunch" with him and his wife on New Year's Day.  We arrived, along with the six young missionaries to find this catered huge meal that is far and away the best food that we have had since our arrival  Excellent beef, fish, hors d'ouvres, chicken, american potato salad, fresh fruit, chocolate cake and glory of all glories, fresh plums that taste just like the ones I picked from our trees when growing up in California.  We were all delighted.  Abel and Adozinda are a rarity among investigators in that they are already married.  Good people that  Debbie and I enjoy.  They are both professionals and this is the nicest house we have been in.    They have kids in Maputo who are members of the church and are progressing toward joining themselves before too long.  I note that there are principles of phisics and photography with which I am not yet fully versed related to successfully capturing the images of very dark people.  I really ought to get this figured out.