moving the mill

this is a little late because the internet has not been preforming all that well......so, last week the mill was moved! the big blue machine on the back of the truck is the mill that is used to grind the maze the women bring. they carry this sacks of maze on their head and many of them have to travel great distances to do so. the decision was made that the mill would be better accessible if it was at the ASAM school rather than the farm. (about a 20 min driving distance!) but as things go in Africa, just because a action is decided upon by no means that action will be executed immediately. you see many unexpected events can happen that will prevent you from accomplishing tasks as soon as you would like. i don't know how long these women have been waiting but i do know that the sight of the blue machine on the truck brought many shouts of joy and dancing along the road! the men are shoveling sand and rocks onto the truck so they can make cement to secure the mill at the school.

So one this trip I decided it was time to join the workers in the back of the truck for the trip up to the farm; I had to of course because this is illegal in Canada and we always want to do what we are not aloud. Here, when there is a ride, and there seldom is, you sit were ever you can and hold on!

Today I helped Fernando serve lunch. Feeding 150+ kids is a big job for this man who says he is getting old. Every time I come to the school he asks if I will be staying to help him and until today I have always had to leave with the truck. Now I understand why he appreciates getting help. First we dish up sudsa which is corn ground up and cooked in water to make a pasty substance that resembles Portuguese. Then I topped it off with bean and fish soup. Yep! I said fish. And just to clarify I don’t mean the yummy fish we buy at the local Safeway…I’m talk’n little tiny fish about the length of your thumb nail….heads and all. Fernando offered me some and I politely declined. I was happy to let my stomach grumble for the afternoon.

since hardly anyone owns a vehicle the locals will take a ride when they can get one. before you could even offer a ride the kids were piling into the back!

well the two teams are here now and it has been an absolute blast! there is a lot of hard work being done with so many willing hearts to give and it makes for great recreation at the end of the day (just a added bonus!) i am encouraged by the talk at the campsite about the days events and what everyone saw and felt as they were offering their hearts and hands to the Mozambicans. i know they are making a difference in the lives of so many. my first team has been going to one of the large schools in the area to teach basic health along with a few english classes. by the third day, when we were pulling up to the school the children were running after the van with a burst of excitement that could not carry their legs fast enough. it was a moment i will never forget.