Us doing our thing

Look at the head of hair on Debra here--not my Debra, whose hair was just cut and dyed by her incompetent husband, but little Debra, who has an amazing amount for being just weeks old.  She looks unfortunately like her father.  But I still find her cute (both of them).  We were on babysitting duty as we were taking her parents to get documents to enable their wedding.

Mormons (which, interestingly is an unknown nickname of the church in Mozambique) have the custom and practice of  "naming and blessing" babies on the first sunday of the month.  It is similar in many ways to the Catholic or Protestant christening.  Baby Debra became on Sunday past, the first infant to be blessed in the LDS church in Quelimane--the problem having been a dearth of infants (we have been slow to teach people here that Mormons are to breed like rabbits).  It was great to bless a baby again--and it was fun to show our local members an aspect of the church heretofore unknown to them.

We often notice and remark upon the sorry state of the young missionaries white shirts--many of them not appearing in any way white.  Mozambique is hard on white.  I took a new white shirt from the package today (having kept a couple for the "last days" and here hold it next to an old one.  Yes, the old ones are dingy--but not intolerable bad.  Someone here takes pretty good care of our laundry (you would think that I would return the favor and do a better job on her hair).  Speaking of last days, today completes fifteen months on our mission with three remaining.  We have much that we want to accomplish before we leave and too little time.

These two pictures were of Debbie engaging in our morning activity.  Students are getting ready for school to start in the next week or so.  We, through our little foundation, help some of them with tuition and supplies for school.  Debbie is here in the office supply store buying stuff for Edma and Aissa.  Aissa, is starting technical college so, we are hitting a previously unheard of level of tuition (still a bit of a bargain at about $1200 for an 18 month program).  PEP, shown below is the WalMart clothing store of southern Africa.  I waited in the car as the ladies did their thing within.

We have learned alot about the local school system the last few weeks.  It is common, we understand, for teachers to approach students and demand money for passing grades--failure being the penalty for non-payment.  Tinoca, one of our members, was told that she must attend a school out of town for the next year--and move there--or, as an alternative she can enroll in another local school if she can bribe the principal--the required sum being 900 meticais or about thirty dollars.  The Osborn Literacy Foundation will be picking up the tab for that.

local kids up to no good.  Behind them you can see small plastic sacks of charcoal, which are sold for 5 meticais apiece or about 18 cents.  That is enough to cook a meal or two on a small charcoal stove.