Landmines, machine guns and more...

Pictures (4) April 2007

A waterfall in Gorongosa National Park

Deforestation in Gorongosa National Park due burning.

One of Alexis's Students at Science Fair 2006

One of my students at the 2006 regional science fair pretending to do something important.

Supposedly this mural is promoting condoms. However, I would say it appears to be promoting big butts and big condoms.

Alexis, Kory and two of our JOMA (boys club) kids.

Pictures (3) April 2007

Have no words to describe the pure Mozambicaness of this fountain

Mural painting training group at JOMA

Alexis with her girls club

Women marching on Mozambican Women's Day

Alexis enjoys a little grading, while spreading sunshine wherever she looks.

Pictures (2) April 2007

Kids in the trash pit.

Mud Bricks being fired.

Kory's students after winning a prize at the 2006 science fair.

A mural we painted in our living room.

Day beds we built in our living room.

Pictures (1) April 2007

AAAAh, he's so cute.

On the summit of Mt. Domwe

One of our seasoned guides navigates some exposure on Mt. Domwe

Our bucket shower

Our Kitchen

Bombs!

Sorry it's been so long since we've written anything. Life's been busy here as we're preparing for conferences and wrapping up our 2 years in Mozambique.

This year Kory and I both have 3 classes of 9th grade (which is a relief for me after having 6 classes last year). We are almost finished with the 1st trimester of school and getting ready for the boy's and girl's conferences in April. Kory's been working with the boy's group to paint murals about preventing HIV/AIDS. My girls group is getting ready to perform songs and dances at the celebration of Mozambican Women's Day on April 7Th. I've been helping to organize the national conference on the provincial level for the girl's conference and am doing the accounting and communications for the boys conference. I'm tired. Kory's also been very busy organizing the Science Fair and English Theatre Competition. All these things take up a lot of time, require a lot of traveling, and your patience is severely tested. I'd love to be able to predict the outcome of something because of consistent service and availability, but that's just not going to happen.

We've been in Maputo for over a week now because we've not been able to return to our site in Manica due to bombs exploding. There was an armoury near the airport that housed old bombs left over from the war that began exploding due to the "heat and pressures". I don't believe that crap. Regardless, the official statistics (which i again don't believe these numbers, i think they are higher. i know the way they calculate these things and it's not in a way my Stats professor would approve) state that around 100 people were killed and approx. 300 were injured. It was scary. At first we didn't know what was going on and then we saw a big mushroom cloud of smoke coming from the city. There was broken glass everywhere and people were flipping out. I was out running errands in the city with a friend, Kory was taking a nap at the hotel (even he woke up from the shaking!). Luckily, we weren't injured, but I feel terrible for the people who lost family members or were injured.

Also, the situation in Zimbabwe is going downhill fast. We are concerned because we live 15 km from the border and an illegal crossing path is about 2 km from our back door. Many people are leaving Zim because the economy is falling apart (inflation rate of 1700%) and political problems are getting out of hand. We're not scared, but have to be practical and recognize that at some point, we may need to be evacuated. We're praying it doesn't come to that, but if it does, we'll be ready. If this happens before the end of our 2 years, we'll have to move sites and start all over again. I don't want to do that, but I don't want to just give up. Both of us feel committed to staying here and fulfilling our contracts. I requested that if we had to be moved, that it be to the beach. Ha! I think we deserve that after all we've been doing at our current home.

I'm headed to South Africa next month to have my wisdom teeth removed. I'm not looking forward to this trip. It will make me miss more classes and who wants to have their face cut open??? I don't! It needs to be done and I'd rather have it done soon. This will provide an opportunity to travel during our next break before Science Fair. We're hoping to travel to Malawi and through the northern provinces of Moz.

Ok, I've gotta run. I need to pack things up so we can get on the early flight tomorrow. We leave here at 5:15! You know how i love the morning...

We'd love to hear from you and get more regular email access this year, so please write!
~Alexis

IN AMERICA!

so i've been back in america for 6 days...more or less. i'm still adjusting to the time change and the food and the convenience of everything, but it's been great.

a personal update that needs to be addressed is the Lester Dinsmore (my pop pop) died on November 26, 2006 at 5:05 a.m. while we were in Delaware for Thanksgiving. i was there in the hospital with him all night and was holding his hand when he passed on. it's been a rough start to my experience home. please keep Grace (his wife) in your prayers. she's obviously having a hard time and it's going to be a big transition for her. she lives alone now far from her family and friends.

ok...on a bright note, i made it back safely. i did have a little of a rough start when i burnt my hand in the bathroom at the airport in jo-burg. i turned the hot water on (obviously not expecting it to work) and burnt myself. later i ordered a regal sandwich (some thai chicken thing with alfalfa sprouts and peanuts and a sesame dressing) and almost missed my flight because i was overwhelmed by the whole thing. i had to throw money at the waiter and get a to-go box because i needed to take it with me on the plane. i also was talking to people in portuguese when i was in the airport. not on purpose (i'm not meredith), but because i had just left mozambique and was still adjusting to the idea that i no longer had to speak anything but english!

i'm going to chicago for a few days to see my ladies! i can't wait. it's been so long and i can't wait to catch up and hang out with them. i've already seen a few of my friends from home, including Lisa, so it's been great. i can't believe people told me nothing's changed or been going on since i've been gone, they've been lying. so much is different!

while i'm home i'm using my dad's cell phone so you can call that or our home number. it's the same. or you can always email me. i don't have a job so i've got a lot of free time. for example, i'm at work with Lisa right now because i can be. i'm using her super fast internet and taking advantage of the comfortable chairs. God Bless America....ha!

Google earth image of where we live

End of School Year One!

Ok, so it has been a while since we updated the blog. Sorry. Anyway, here is all the news that is new and Peace Corps approved. School is finishing for the year, we are turning in our grades and warding of the hoards of students trying to bribe us for better grades. This last trimester has been a busy one. Jecua and Chinhamapere both held science fairs and competed in the regional science fair. We are heading up the regional science fair for next year. Jecua (Kory’s school) also competed in the Provincial English Theater Competition, where one student one a best actor award. We are also in charge of the English Theater next year. In addition, Alexis is running Girls clubs for both Jecua and Chinhamapere while I’m doing Boys clubs. Needless to say there are students at our house almost constantly. I woke up the other day to Alexis’s Girls group sing “malaria, cholera, SIDA (AIDS) OOOOHHH.” Yeah, that was a special moment. I have been doing a fair amount of climbing whenever possible. I recently made a trip down to help train this years new volunteers near Maputo. It was really interesting to see how far we have come in a year and how far we still have to go.
Funny story: The trainees first session in the country was with a supposed security expert from the US embassy. Anyway, this guy obviously has no idea what Mozambique is really like, because he told them that “everyone has AK-47’s and will use them.” Yeah, that scared the snot out of them. Just for clarification, that statement is not true.
I’ve posted a few more pictures and an image or two from google earth of our site.
Alexis will be coming back to States during the break to visit Maryland. I will be wondering about Mozambique and trying to stay out of trouble. Thank you all for you thoughts and prayers. We love you all.
Kory and Alexis

Picture set 6

Local market vendors

The view from above our house

A little critter I picked up along the road

Sunset from the front porch of our house

Ancient paintings on rock mountain above our house

Picture set 5

School where Kory teaches

The well we get our water from

Local village huts

Kory giving his students a test in his "Teacher's Robe"

With Kory's mom and Mozambique friends

A visit with the kids and new pics from Moz

We just got back from a one week visit with Kory and Alexis. We had a great time experiencing a little of what their lives are like living and working in Mozambique. We were quite impressed with how well they are doing. In many ways it is a more difficult living situation then we dealt with when we were serving as missionaries in Papua New Guinea. For one they do not have expat neighbors surrounding them who they can talk to in English whenever they want to. They have to do their work in the national language. And their living conditions (no running water in the house) are more difficult. We were also quite impressed with how well they speak the national language of Portuguese. We were very thankful they were there to communicate for us as we encountered various situations. Like riding in a public motor vehicle crowded with local people or trying to figure out what the items on a menu were. As you might have picked up on what we have written we are very proud of what Kory and Alexis are doing and their perserverance and grit to try and make a difference in a part of the world where people do not have the advantages that we take for granted in the States. God bless you kids, we love you.
Dad and Mom
PS: check out the new pics

2 down one to go

Ok so the second trimester is ending here in a week. That leaves one trimester before the end of the first year. My parents (Kory) were just here. In fact they left today. Had a great time and they got to see the most efficiently inefficient country around. Anyway, things are going well. We are health and most of the time happy. Our schools just had science fairs and we will be taking students from our respective schools to a regional fair in Tete during third trimester. We are also helping with english theater competitions and those will be done in september. My dad took a ton of pictures and I sent him home with some so he should be posting some new visual aids soon. We are hoping to do some more traveling this break and see some of northern moz. Well, there you have it, life just keeps rolling. Thanks for all your support and e-mails.
Kory and Alexis