Going Native

The style and cut of Debbie's new dress is definitely African dressy (more prosperous local women will wear dresses like this to church or to work--but the fabric is a little less traditional african than most (traditional would have more brown and black).  I thought it looked great. 

Perhaps you had to be here to appreciate the experience.  First of all,  this represents a milestone.  It is the first ever Relief Society Visit in the province of Zambezia, Mozambique.  This is our Relief Society presidency, making their first visit to a sister whose home was surrounded by water from a recent deluvial downpour.  They are trying here to avoid stepping into the rainwater-sewage mixture.  They did not fall in.
 

They look like a relief society presidency don't they?  Adozinda, on the right is the president and she graduated from high school this week.  In Mozambique, adults can always go back and finish school, and she did after a break of 20 years or so.  Adozinda is prosperous--Bendita far less so.  Adozinda is not from here so she does not speak the local dialect of Chuabo.  Bendita does speaks it so much that it overlaps with her portuguese a bit.  They actually make a great team--both women of substance and strength.  Debbie and I took an afternoon and showed them where all the sisters of the branch live--and then waited in the car while they visited.

This is the complete family of Julio and Paula.  Paula who is "with belly" or quite pregnant.  Also featured prominently is the church printer from Marromeu which was broken and about to be thrown out--but I took it to Julio who fixed it for very little cost.  This is actually a great picture of a typical main room of a local mud hut.  Water jugs, little furniture, "Pilao" for pounding rice or crushing grain and reed mat for sitting or sleeping. 

Not all babies here are scrawny and malnourished.

 

I pay tribute today to my dear friend Don who passed away yesterday.  I heard of his illness and called him in hopes of having a last conversation, but missed that by just a few hours I think.  Don was among the finest men I have ever known and someone who quietly taught me a great deal.  We served together in the church and became good friends though at least 20 years separated us.  I would like to have Don's chances at celestial glory.