Cooking with Celestina and Suzana

When I first started going to Temane I met the family that first asked our pastor to come and start a church in their community. From the first day that I went back in October, the wife, Celestina, has been ill. She has received 3 liters of blood, spent 9 days in the hospital, and taken many medicines. She struggles with constant anemia. Then, she got a wound that would not heal and then developed these abscesses in her leg. We have helped them with transportation to the hospital when she was too weak to ride on the back of her husband's bicycle. We helped them purchase some blood when they didn't have enough to buy all that she needed. We have visited them and given them some food. And we have prayed for the Lord to show Himself as healer for these believers whom everyone in their village is watching.

Celestina's leg this past Thursday

This family has nothing but a small house of sticks that they rent and a bicycle. Our family has helped them in their time of need as the Lord has led us to help. 

Then I prayed, "Lord what is a more long term solution for this family?" 

In the process of talking with Suzana about this, who also has had trouble with anemia most of her life, we decided that Celestina and her family do not know how to use what they have access to to cook well. Suzana does a great job of this. She loved the idea of helping someone else so, she and I (and Meghan) set out for the market Friday afternoon. We spent about $10 buying flour, onions, tomatoes, fish, peanuts, coconuts, and LOTS of fresh greens. Then we set out for Temane.

Suzana chopping greens

Celestina, Euzebiu, Suzana, I visiting

Meghan has this little chubby friend that shows up every time she is there.

She yawned and yawned 

Suzana talking about how the secret to the greens is mixing different types

According to Suzana this is the best plant for good health.
(Sorry can't remember what it is called.)

They took the plant and pounded it into a powder.
Then, Suzana mixed it into a cup of water.

Then she made Celestina drink it....ooooh!

They finished getting the greens mixed and washed.

The oldest daughter got the fire ready.

This is what it looked like before it started cooking.

Meghan and her friend sit and wait

After a little while it cooked down and was done.
The family will take the corn flour and make xima with it and eat it all together for dinner.

Me and Celestina before we left

Then, this family that who has nothing gave us some rice and their chicken

Then, he pooped in my car :(

Continue to pray for this family and their health. Pray for the husband to find work so that their needs will be met. Pray for them to know the Father in an intimate way.

Tracy

Trip to the Border

On Monday we set off for our first long journey in the big car. We were excited, yet a little anxious about the real purpose for our trip. We needed to get a new VISA for Sheldon. We did research and asked other people and the consensus was that we much go to the boarder to obtain a new VISA. So off we set!

The truck did great and so did the girls. It took about 5 hours to reach the border town and everyone was in good spirits the whole time.

Dad and his dream car!

Hey back there Flora!

Lilly laying in the floor in the back of the truck

The idea was that Lee would drop us off near the border crossing and then stay with the girls in the town. (We did not want for Sheldon to have to pay for the car tax and the insurance that is required when going into Malawi.) Meanwhile Sheldon, me and Flora would walk on foot into the office and ask for passage into Malawi to visit for a few hours then return to Mozambique. At the point we would get a new VISA for her. The immigration officer wanted no part of help us do any of this. He had issues with some of my paper work and told us that Sheldon would first have to spend the night in Malawi and come back through tomorrow to get her VISA. All of this was nonsense and we think he just wanted money.

The building in the middle of the picture is immigration

Flora had never been outside of Mozambique and I think they felt sorry for her because they told us we could walk across the bridge into Malawi so that she could say she had been in Malawi.

Sheldon and Flora standing in Malawi.
That is as far as we got.

After the disappointment at the border we drove around the town of Milange. It is a beautiful town.

Praise the Lord that He had another way for Sheldon to stay with us. We were able to go to the immigration office in Quelimane and secure a VISA, despite everyone telling us that that would be impossible. Sheldon, God really wants you to stay with us and so do we!

Tracy

Another Thursday in Temane

This past Thursday we had a great time in Temane.

The girls blew bubbles until their lungs could take no more.

Sheldon took a turn at pounding rice.

Look at her swing that pillar

It works better when the national kids do it and we look on

Oh my goodness....I could eat her with a spoon.
This little thing had a baby doll on her back....just like mom!

How precious!!

Time to get started with the teaching

The group singing

The kids playing in the dirt

I had to help her get tied again.

I was so proud of Lilly.
After contemplating all of her options for where to sit,
she sat down in the dirt with the other kids. And, she actually made some friends.

The teaching is almost completely in Chwabo so it is hard to follow along.
But, we are happy to be there none the less.

One of Lilly's friends

Playing and talking

Beautiful

Lilly and some of her friends

Tracy

Faces -- By Meg

Here are some faces around Mozambique. I will let them explain themselves.

OOPS! Didn't mean to put those faces in there! HA HA! 

They have great faces for taking pictures! 

Hugs,

Meg

Various Happenings -- By Meg

We have had many things happening since I last blogged. 

I made the most delicious cake in the universe today, 

we got fish, and Emma and Lilly's chicken died. 

Here are some pictures of what we have done!

WOW!!!!! 

Dad went out to an area near the beach today with some pastors.
He came back with these!
It smelled REALLY bad! 

I had no part of this...I took the pictures!!! :) 

Gloria's foot.
Gloria was E & L's favorite chicken. Because, all of the other chickens pecked her neck. So they took her under their wing and let her have special privileges. Notice how they made a tag for her. Also, Gloria had her own room.  The room is very hot so we think that Gloria got over heated. We had no tears...which was good.
We gave Gloria to our guard. He already has it cooked.  

This was Gloria. 

Hopefully you get an idea of what we have been doing!

Hugs,

Meg