out and about

We spent a few days on the road this last week.  We headed to Nampula in the north where we had scheduled to teach and do training and interview and counsel and do all those other things that somehow fall within our job description.  As I have blogged previously, it is a long but beautiful drive--leaving the province of Zambezia where we live and traversing most of the Nampula province to find the city--about 550 kilometers.  The roads are mostly good but there is a 50km stretch of dirt detour as they reconstruct a large area of the main highway (N1).  Well, on Saturday, in that bad rutted detour stretch we came accross a kilometer long trafic jam.  We drove on the wrong side up to the front to find an overturned logging truck that had dumped its load on the road--entirely blocking traffic.  There were scores of cars and trucks lined up awaiting passage--they had been there all morning when we arrived and it promised to be a very long time before the mess was cleared away.  We noted however, a little side road which lead to the main highway under construction.  That highway was closed and blocked by construciton equipment.  We could not see waiting for two days in the jungle so we went over to the main highway just as an enterprising african jumped into one of the large pavers and managed to get it started.  he moved it forward 20 feet which was just enough for my little truck to squeeze through--escaping from the whole miserable mess.  We felt blessed and very lucky. 

This was the road and the blockage--when we came back three days later, it was cleaned up finally.

 We had a fascinating and productive couple of days working in Nampula.  The people are different there, and the challenges of the church are different--they are at a far different stage of development than Quelimane (teenager rather than infant).  We are always exhausted by time we leave there as it seems that everyone needs to be taught. inspired, instructed, persuaded, or corrected.  We spent Monday on a little exploration--taking the six Nampula missionaries plus the two visiting ZLs to the Ilha de Mozambique--which is among the very first Portugese settlements in Africa and their capital for hundreds of years I believe.  A beautiful day trip it was with perfet weather and 200 km of very pretty country.

This is the island from afar--it is not very big nor very busy and there are no open restaurants on the whole thing.

Yes, all of these fit into my little pick up truck for the 400 km of driving.  They expressed that it was a bit boneshattering and sunblistering in the back.

I cannot go to an island without dipping  my toes a bit in the water.  This is the Indian ocean and as warm or warmer than bath water.

I think that this is a spectacular photo.  Debbie and I walked along the beach looking for shells (found some very interesting ones) and these three girls, freshly released from school for the day, asked if they could walk with us.  One took Debbie's hand and didnt release it for half an hour.  They talked and listened and became Debbie's apt pupils below.

Debbie will never pass up an opportunity to read with kids.

The island has many architectural remenants of the portugues habitation (since about 1500 I think).  The largest of which is the stone fortress on one end of the island.

I thought this a very creative little sail boat--made of a dug-out canoe, a couple sticks and a little rope and plastic sheet.

This is a full herd of goats on this truck--it is underway at full speed and we dont think that they were tied down.

In the rough detour section of the road, we came accross these boys bathing in the pools of water on the road. Excuse the PG13 nature of the photo but Debbie is uncontrollable where handsome young men are concerned.

In the same section of road, we came accross another large truck that had ventured too close to the shoulder.  These men reported that they had been there for a day and would be for another before they expected help to arrive.  People in Africa are a little more philosphical and patient about setbacks than us uptight white folk.

This is really beautiful country we get to travel through.

We ireturned home today to find a package awaiting us.  It contained the first batch of reading glasses sent by readers of this tedious blog.  Right now, we have about four people anxiously awaiting them.  This is the second package that was addressed directly to our address here in Quelimane and the second that arrived safely in just three weeks.  We were told that it would not be so, but it seems to work.  It does seem to help that I tip the post office people and they all know me now so they call when a package arrives.  Many thanks to the several people that helped out with the glasses.  It is a very simple thing but will actually make a big difference to a few people.