Weekend trip to Gaza

Weeks before my trip, Mom and Dad had informed me that we were going to travel up into Gaza Province as they had been invited to the installation of a new pastor up in the tiny town of Mavengane, just south of the slightly larger town of Manjacaze. Umfundisi Sitoe (pronounced "Sitoy") recently graduated and returned to his home near Manjacaze. The Mavengane Church of the Nazarene invited him to serve as their pastor.

I was SO excited for the opportunity to travel up into Gaza again! My first trip up into Gaza was years ago, back in 1993 when the Mozambican government handed over the old Nazarene mission station, Tavane, back to the Church (FRELIMO, the governing political party had taken over the mission and used it as a barracks during the civil war years). I will readily confess that I have a really romanticized view of Gaza. Please don't get me wrong though, I know the reality of it too -- I've stayed up there, slept on the ground, bathed with freezing cold water at 5am out of a basin and teetered precariously over a pit toilet. Yet...this is in many ways still the old Africa and where the Church of the Nazarene first entered Mozambique back in 1922 and I confess images of donkey carts, ox wagons and the stories of the early missionaries fill my mind. 

Gaza - late afternoon - floodplains near the Limpopo River.

Gaza is beautiful country and the landscape almost has its own personality. The soil is generally sandy (well, nearer to the ocean) and the landscape is filled with cashew trees, large, lush trees with green and orange leaves. Dotted in and amongst those are Marula trees and Masala bushes, bearing their own delicious fruit.  Tucked away in among the trees are neat little homesteads, generally several mud or grass huts, with a small granary or two, the sandy area that serves as living area/kitchen is always impeccably swept clean and there might be a couple of ducks waddling through. People are friendly and often look up from their work in their 'machambas' (gardens) to wave as you drive past.

The roads are still largely sand -- or dark red soil brought in, which the hopes of it being more compact than the deep sand. Driving along these roads, one occasionally passed the crumbling remains of an old Portuguese 'fazenda' (farm/ranch) or store. These ghostly, melancholy buildings are relics of a by-gone time, when Portugal was in control of the country and much of the land nearer the coast was carved into large farms. Most are abandoned, though sometimes they've been turned into a shop or home. I know there was extreme persecution and racism at that time, part of me wonders what these buildings must have looked like in their prime.

I could go on and on talking about Gaza, but I'll stick to our trip. The plan was to drive from Maputo early on Saturday morning, heading north to Xai-xai and beyond that, to then turn off on a road heading north-west so that we would reach Mavengane, just south of Manjacaze, for the installation service. Following that, we would drop off some of the students we were bringing along, so that they could visit family. We would then drive on back to Xai-xai to spend the night. The next morning, Sunday, we would drive back to Manjacaze and then take a road north-east, up to Chicuatso, a village (if it can even be called that!) where one of the former Seminary students was pastoring, along with his family. Following the service and lunch there, we were to head south, picking up one more student in Chibuto and heading on back to Maputo.

Here's a map of our travels (you'll have to click on it to see the whole thing)

 More to follow tomorrow....   ;o)

First days at the Seminary...

Well, here it is,  11:15pm here on Sunday night and I'm just settling into bed. We arrived home about 8pm or so after a weekend trip up into Gaza Province, but more about that a bit later... tomorrow, perhaps, when I'm more awake. Needless to say, it was a lovely trip! Will plan to post photos tomorrow.

Anyway, just wanted to catch up on the last few days --before I launch into great detail about our trip. Already, I'm finding that the days are slipping by like sand through my fingers. I wish I could slow time down --freeze it even-- for the rest of the world so that I be able to take everything in to my heart's content.

Thursday and Friday were spent on campus -- I've still not made it into Maputo city yet!! I was given some odd jobs to do, such as preparing various items for sale at the bookstore. I was shown a collection of well-used hymnals that I need to rebind (probably this week) and was asked to do several other things, also for the week ahead. 

I spent quite a bit of time wandering around the campus, chatting with folks. Of course, the only problem is that I'm on holiday and they are not! That will change, once I'm put to work too, ha!  But it has been so nice just chatting with folks, catching up and laughing together. Meeting old friends and making new ones.

There are a number of changes on campus. Most noticeable is the guesthouse, across the way from our driveway, it's less than 4 years old, but looks like it has been here for a while now. There is also a "cantina" (tuck shop)  further down, nearer the campus. It's actually in a huge metal container that forms the side of the campus workshop/storage shed. It has a window and counter, and two of the ladies from the dining hall, Mama Lidia and Mama Lina, work to manage it. They sell a variety of things, including coffee cakes, freshly baked the night before by Mom. You can buy a slice for real cheap -- which high-school students do -- and the proceeds go towards the seminary.  From what I can tell, it's in high demand!

Speaking of high school students, that is the other big change on campus-- there is a high school here now too! The very first building on the campus houses both the Africa-Lusophone Field Office for the Church of the Nazarene, but it also houses the high school with 6 large classrooms. It is ideal for Seminary students who want to finish their high school degree in addition to Seminary classes. There is also, I discovered, a new Catholic primary school just across from the Seminary main entrance, so the Seminary students' children are able to attend there - it can't get more convenient than that!

There are also the beginnings of a basketball court, the cement foundations laid out and poured by a Work and Witness team not so long ago. It still needs hoops added, but will be a welcome place for the single students who live in the dorm close by.

The campus is looking beautiful, trees are growing and flowers are blooming. One of the things I love here is that we have flowers blooming all year round - different kinds perhaps, but whether it is winter or summer, there are flowers and leaves and well... color!  I awaken to birdsong here in the mornings too! I need to start putting my bird sighting list together too.... there are a good number of birds here on the campus, which is somewhat surprising since there are so many people, but I think the campus serves as a haven for them. Each day I discover new species either in the bird bath or perched in the trees around. It's lovely!!!

Our house...

the "new" guesthouse

Spent an hour or so in the library with Mama Uate and Papa Lisone

Sérgio and Mama Lidia at the Cantina.

Backyard Sunset through the Cashew and thorn tree leaves.

No matter the season, there are always flowers blooming here...

First Day Back in Africa...

Here I am at the end of my first full day back in Mozambique. Hard to believe a whole day has gone by - they are much shorter here of course as it's winter time. I've been walking around in a skirt and t-shirt with flip flops and everyone else is bundled up - pretty funny. It was beautiful weather out today though.

The journey was a good one, and for the most part was pretty uneventful. The Boston flight left on time and I found my second flight in D.C. with no problems and time to spare. The 17 hour flight was rather tedious and almost unbearably long. I did have nice "row-mates" to talk to though, so that helped the time go by. The first one was flying as far as Dakar, Senegal. A guy from Texas now living in DC and working for the World Bank, he was going to their West African office for training and meetings. We arrived in Dakar in darkness (it was 5am there), but by the time we left, the sun was rising over a fascinating landscape... turrets on mosques lined the horizon and almost everywhere I looked there were 2-3 story cement block buildings. Far off in the distance loomed the controversial African Renaissance Monument. I wish I'd had my camera at the ready to take a picture of it as we taxied down the runway.

We got a bit of a late start leaving Dakar, waiting for passengers. One of them sat next to me, a Dutch lady teaching in Bamako, Mali and whose husband, a Zimbabwean, worked as an administrator for a mine. Interesting conversation! As we got underway, I tried to sleep, but wasn't very successful as the dry air hurt my sinuses and gave me a headache (should've brought Tylenol).

We finally landed in Johannesburg (Joburg) in the evening and we were treated to that characteristic African winter sunset. It was exciting to be back on familiar turf, but I was tired and really anxious to push on and get to Maputo. There was some problem with my ticket when I went to check-in. I'm not sure what it was exactly, but after a short wait, they handed me my boarding pass. The last leg of the trip was in an old Boeing plane, lights were shut off for take-off and landing, plunging us into almost complete darkness -that was new!

We arrived at the fancy, brand new international section of the airport - I didn't recognize the place! I saw Dad waving as I walked the concourse in. Made it through as far as immigration and customs, when officials decided to open my suitcases... and discovered all of the yarn I'd brought with me. (Audrey, my dear friend and landlady, passed away last November and I was given several boxes full of her yarn, to bring with me for the ladies at the Bible College to use for knitting, etc.)  The immigration official, decided I needed to pay and would I please give him the cost of the yarn. I tried to explain my situation, that it was given to me, I didn't know the value and I was not selling it. This went on for a few minutes and we were at an impasse. Mom and Dad were waving excitedly from behind a glass window over the official's shoulder and after a few minutes, Dad somehow managed to get in to the immigration area. With he and I both protesting the official, he asked us into an office, where again, we recounted the story of where the yarn came from and where it was going. There was a woman official who rolled her eyes at the guy giving me a hassle and said, "let them go". The guy huffed and said, "okay go, go". We hesitated and said we were willing to pay something if it was the law and he just said, again "go on".... makes me think he was only out for an extra buck.

Anyway, we were at the house in short order and I got to see Timmy, our little dog, and Oddie ("Odd" for his one white paw) who I met for the first time. After a light snack it was off to bed for a sound night's sleep.

I was up at 7:30AM this morning, with golden sunshine pouring in and the sound of birds chattering and roosters crowing. Oh--it is SO good to be back! I felt well-rested and refreshed. After some oatmeal, Mom and I wandered around the campus and I got to meet the students' kids at the "escolinha" ("little school" or creche) and meet old friends, the ladies who care for the kids and the ladies down at the dining-hall. After that it was over to the chapel service, where I got to see more friends and meet the college students. It was an uneventful day really... I wandered around our yard and got some great pictures of birds, played with the dogs, sat and chatted for a couple hours with Majka, a gal volunteering here from Slovakia and staying on campus. It feels funny not having worked or accomplished anything today, but I feel so relaxed and just at peace.

Here are some photos taken today in our yard....

Laughing Doves on the roof of our house

Oddie, wanting to play!

Beautiful bouganvillea

Female masked weaver, checking out her new digs

Weaver birds at work on their nests. There's a whole colony in the backyard!

Red-eyed Dove

Masked weaver and a Bulbul, enjoying the birdbath.

Brown-Hooded Kingfisher in the backyard.