First Year
One year in and still alive to tell about it! That is what some people think, but the reality is that life here is getting very normal for us. The idea of buying all of your groceries from guys who transport them on carts made from spare car parts is just not strange anymore. Realizing that we will only understand 70% of most conversations here is not as challenging as it was before. Seeing garbage and a run down city, unfortunately, is becoming normal as well. Having no water past 7:00 most nights is getting to be less frustrating. However, it is exciting to drive or walk by a building or a park that is getting renovated and feel excited about the changes happening right in front of us.
We have spent some time reflecting these past couple of weeks about the relationships that we have developed here. It is incredible to realize the diversity of people who come through our house and the different environments that we put ourselves into everyday. For instance, recently I asked one of our guards if he could help us buy cooking gas for our stove. (We went without gas for 3 days because there were no shipments from South Africa, thus the lines were 3-4 hours long to get the 12-15 available bottles.) I decided to come home around 4:00 in the afternoon when he finished the day shift and then drive to his area of the city to see if we could find any. We drove through areas that were not really areas and over roads that are only roads in Africa. We stopped 10 or more people carrying cans through the streets to see if they would sell one to us. We followed a truck that had two bottles in the back for fifteen minutes then Nelson ran after the truck to ask if they would sell us a bottle. After two hours of looking and driving, the outcome was another night of cooking outside. The highlight of the evening however was taking Nelson to his house. It was 20 miles off of the main road and it was necessary to have our 4x4. As we entered his community we quickly realized that we really do live in AFRICA. He navigated us through twisting and winding roads that seemed to lead to nowhere, but then we came to his very simple cement home. He had a very tall green hedge in he front and the dirt in the yard had just been swept. We saw his outside toilet and trash barrel, but it was so clean and inviting. He apologized that he could not show us the inside of his house because he did not have electricity and it was just too dark. So in the light of my headlights and spotlights we greeted his young wife and 2 children. I promised them that one day we would come and bring our kids to play with them. Their smiles lit up the dark sky.
It was also incredible to talk with a local driving school instructor; by the way our road is the training ground for Maputo driving schools. We have at least 20 cars and trucks practicing everyday. He asked me why we are so different than the other white families in the neighborhood. I was puzzled and asked him to explain. He told me that our guards and embregada always laugh when they leave and tell everyone on the street how grateful they are to work with such a great family. He told me that white people don’t laugh and play games with the “HELP”, and that everybody asks what is up with us. I told him why we were here and what we are hoping to do here. I had the chance to tell a guy that I don’t know on an obscure street corner that it is because of God that we are here and it was because we LOVE this country and it’s people that we are different. I was able to talk to him about Jesus and why we live the way we do.
We got a basketball hoop from some missionaries who went home so we have it chained to our front wall. Everyday we have street kids playing, other neighbor’s guards and even the military police that are attending driving school play. I also made a back yard game here that you play with golf balls and a wooden ladder configuration. It is now a landmark in our area. It is amazing how just playing a game allows you to build relationships with strangers and tell them about Jesus.
We are thrilled at the work that we are doing and are excited by the 28 hectares of cash crops that will be planted in September. I continue to work with the 150 volunteers who are involved with our small-scale chicken project. We are getting ready to start a feed distribution facility two hours north of Maputo that will allow for more growth of the chicken project.
We want to thank you all for your continued support and prayers. We promise to be 1000% better about our blog postings. Thanks for being engaged with us in this incredible work. If you did not receive our one-year update letter please email us and let us know. We will send one to you straight away.
We continue to pray that you will all be richly blessed and that the favorable light of the Lord Jesus Christ will continue to shine upon you.
Ate’ proxima. Separado mas junto!
The Snider's
We have spent some time reflecting these past couple of weeks about the relationships that we have developed here. It is incredible to realize the diversity of people who come through our house and the different environments that we put ourselves into everyday. For instance, recently I asked one of our guards if he could help us buy cooking gas for our stove. (We went without gas for 3 days because there were no shipments from South Africa, thus the lines were 3-4 hours long to get the 12-15 available bottles.) I decided to come home around 4:00 in the afternoon when he finished the day shift and then drive to his area of the city to see if we could find any. We drove through areas that were not really areas and over roads that are only roads in Africa. We stopped 10 or more people carrying cans through the streets to see if they would sell one to us. We followed a truck that had two bottles in the back for fifteen minutes then Nelson ran after the truck to ask if they would sell us a bottle. After two hours of looking and driving, the outcome was another night of cooking outside. The highlight of the evening however was taking Nelson to his house. It was 20 miles off of the main road and it was necessary to have our 4x4. As we entered his community we quickly realized that we really do live in AFRICA. He navigated us through twisting and winding roads that seemed to lead to nowhere, but then we came to his very simple cement home. He had a very tall green hedge in he front and the dirt in the yard had just been swept. We saw his outside toilet and trash barrel, but it was so clean and inviting. He apologized that he could not show us the inside of his house because he did not have electricity and it was just too dark. So in the light of my headlights and spotlights we greeted his young wife and 2 children. I promised them that one day we would come and bring our kids to play with them. Their smiles lit up the dark sky.
It was also incredible to talk with a local driving school instructor; by the way our road is the training ground for Maputo driving schools. We have at least 20 cars and trucks practicing everyday. He asked me why we are so different than the other white families in the neighborhood. I was puzzled and asked him to explain. He told me that our guards and embregada always laugh when they leave and tell everyone on the street how grateful they are to work with such a great family. He told me that white people don’t laugh and play games with the “HELP”, and that everybody asks what is up with us. I told him why we were here and what we are hoping to do here. I had the chance to tell a guy that I don’t know on an obscure street corner that it is because of God that we are here and it was because we LOVE this country and it’s people that we are different. I was able to talk to him about Jesus and why we live the way we do.
We got a basketball hoop from some missionaries who went home so we have it chained to our front wall. Everyday we have street kids playing, other neighbor’s guards and even the military police that are attending driving school play. I also made a back yard game here that you play with golf balls and a wooden ladder configuration. It is now a landmark in our area. It is amazing how just playing a game allows you to build relationships with strangers and tell them about Jesus.
We are thrilled at the work that we are doing and are excited by the 28 hectares of cash crops that will be planted in September. I continue to work with the 150 volunteers who are involved with our small-scale chicken project. We are getting ready to start a feed distribution facility two hours north of Maputo that will allow for more growth of the chicken project.
We want to thank you all for your continued support and prayers. We promise to be 1000% better about our blog postings. Thanks for being engaged with us in this incredible work. If you did not receive our one-year update letter please email us and let us know. We will send one to you straight away.
We continue to pray that you will all be richly blessed and that the favorable light of the Lord Jesus Christ will continue to shine upon you.
Ate’ proxima. Separado mas junto!
The Snider's
posted by Sniders in Africa at 8/09/2006 10:52:00 PM
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