Trip to Washington DC

Our whole group (94 men, women, and children) loaded onto buses early this morning headed to our Nation's Capital. This was not just a day of sight seeing. We were given several assignments for our time in the city. We were to find a restaurant from our new country, do different types of observing and interacting internationals as well as navigate the subway. It was a lot of fun! 
One of the first things we did was find this awesome Portuguese/Mozambican restaurant. It is called Nando's Peri-Peri. It was so delicious! The story goes that during the 15th and 16th century Portuguese explorers set up a port on the coast of what is now the African country of Mozambique. When they did the indigenous Africans introduced them to the African Bird's Eye Chili. The locals called their little fiery chili pepper Pili-Pili. Peri-Peri was as close as the explorers could get. This is a pepper still used in Mozambique today (or so I understand). Nando's also had what they called "Portuguese rolls". We understand that this is the main food in Mozambique and that there is a bakery next to the Mission house in Napula. If they taste like what we had at Nando's....which I hardly believe is possible...my mid-section is in trouble!

Here we are in front of Nando's.

The girls really liked it too!

Here we are navigating the Metro.

One of the coolest things we did was to find the Mozambican Embassy. Sadly they were closed for the holiday. We prayed on the steps and had some pictures made. I am sure that whoever watches their surveillance tapes will wonder what those crazy Americans were doing!

Lilly enjoying hot Krispy-Kreme doughnuts in front of the White House.

And Emma feeding the pigeons....

Great fun!

Tracy

Killing Chickens

The leadership here wants to prepare us for our field experience as much as possible. For those of us going to Sub-Saharan Africa, that means learning how to kill chickens and cook bread over the fire. So last weekend....we did both! It was a crazy experience. 

Here we are beginning down by the lake with a fire.

Emma found a farm dog and tied it to herself.

Uncle Robert telling stories to the children....

Here is 1 of the 4 chickens peeking out of her box.

Here Uncle Bob is choosing the best bird!

Cute, isn't she?

 Getting the instructions for the killing.

 Head on the chopping block....

After the headless bird danced and danced, it rested in peace....

 Bird in the boiling water for 10 seconds....

Time to pluck!

 And pluck....

 And pluck...

Time to eviscerate...

We had to leave before the chickens were cooked. But the bread that we cooked over the fire was very good.

Tracy

The 1st of Many Haircuts

I knew the day would come....


Lee got up the nerve and let me cut his hair! 


I will do it all of the time in Africa and it is time that I learn how. My friend Shandra cuts her husband's hair so she encouraged me (and Lee) to just do it after church today.


Here he is telling me how the "barber" does it. 

 Here Meghan and I getting him covered up. (No...I was not styling my Texas hair....the wind was blowing!)

Trying to get up the nerve to put the clippers to his head...

Lee is saying, "Just do it. Have confidence!" I am thinking, "This could go really bad!"

 Hair going everywhere!

Checking progress in his reflection in the window.

Just about finished. Lilly can out of to make sure I didn't need help. 

He received many comments on how well I did. I only butchered 1 side burn. Other than that I was right proud of myself. I think Lee is wishing he had not spent all that $$ all these years on haircuts!

Tracy

Shot Clinic

This is Meghan! I am finally doing my first blog post.

Today we had our shots. I was excited because we only had to have a half day of school!

After mom and dad picked us up we went to lunch and then to check-in. The way it works is you check-in and watch a movie while they are getting our paperwork. We waited and watched veggie-tales. After about 30 min. we went to the clinic. The "clinic"is a separate building where they give you your shots. They call your name and you go back. They let 1 parent and 1 child go in. They always have a party for you afterwards. You get candy and noise makers.

Here we are waiting for them to call our name.

Here this little girl had just got her shots and her dad was getting his. Daddy offered to hold her and she loved him.

A prayer team came and helped take care of children while their parents were getting shots.

We all had to get a TB test and here are our band-aids.

Here are all of us and our shots.

Here are how many needles each person got stuck with:

Lee:3
Tracy:3
Meghan:3
Emma:4
Lilly:3

I am glad we are 2/3 done with getting shots!

I hope you liked my first blog post!

Meghan

The Visas Came!

Now we can officially go to Mozambique! 


Our visas came yesterday!!!!!

Henna

Henna is a temporary artwork drawn on the skin. It is very popular among ladies in South Asia, the Middle East and some parts of Africa. It is made from henna leaves ground into a fine powder which is added to lemon juice or strong tea to make a paste. The paste is then placed into henna cones and then piped onto the skin. After it dries, the paste is wiped off and the design remains on the skin for a week or more.

Believers in these areas are using this art form to share the Good News to these ladies. Whether they are in a home or restaurant, a story from the Bible is told and discussed and then a henna design is used to reinforce the story. 


Each week some of the ladies here are sharing with us how to do this art form. I discovered something unexpected the very first night that I took the girls over to the home where this was going on. While I expected that we would learn a new, cool way for sharing God's word with others, I did not expect for my Lilly to learn the meaning to a story that she hadn't heard very many times. Just another example of how God's word never returns void!


Here she is telling the story of the women with the bleeding disorder...

Here we are at the second week of Henna "class".

Here is the finished design.

This is what it looks like once the paste comes off.