Random

We had a day today that made us feel like missionaries.

• We started by teaching Lourdes (a very common name among women here), a very traditionally-built African woman here who has really impressed me at church. She has great wit and wisdom in her eyes and attends our services without fail but none of the missionaries had really succeeded in beginning to teach her. Well, we met with her this morning and visited and taught her a lesson--and then invited her to be baptized which she happily accepted.
• We taught Raul and Clara in the afternoon and had a great lesson with them--they were highly engaged and grasping things well as is usual for them. We taught them the second half of a lesson that we had begun a few days ago--covering "why on earth are we here and where the heck are we going". It was actually a great lesson. The 2nd to last picture below is of me trying out Raul's bicycle in front of their home. A couple of laps convinced me that I am glad to have a truck. I should add that Raul, though trembling from fear, gave a great talk in church on Sunday, and his wife Clara, though scowling at me when I called on her, prayed for the first time ever in public.
• Debbie taught her keyboard students in the late afternoon (we are actively trying to get an African playing in our services before too long),while I taught a lesson on the veranda to Ignacio and Mimi with Elders Brogan and Barlow. Mimi is an active catholic who was at first reluctant but then quite engaged and enthusiastic about the concepts we taught. I had met her a couple of nights ago and simply asked her if we could teach her the gospel.
• After the keyboard lesson, Debbie brought me her students who had gospel questions that needed answers. As usual, I took and hour and explained to them how to build a clock when all they wanted to know was what time it was. I do enjoy teaching.

We call this man the "tie guy". He wanders the city carrying his ties--with new ones appearing daily They cost $2 apiece and I have restrained myself until now. But today, I spotted the tie below and purchased it (believing that it would go ok with a white shirt of mine that I wear occasionally). To my surprise I found that it, like most of the ties in my closet is a Jerry Garcia tie. I am curious to know the circuitous route that brought this tie to my doorstep in Quelimane. By the way, I think this tie costs about $35 or so in the states.

In the states, a man would never be seen on a woman's model pink bicycle. Never would anyone here in Mozambique even think that such a thing was an issue--it is a bike that works. It gets Raul the ten miles into the city every day. he rides Clara on the back or front into the city to come to church. It is by far his most valuable possession.

Raul and Clara