salena's view

Move'n to a new location!

2008-07-23T07:31:00.000-07:00

To continue following the adventurous life of Salena who has now joined forces with Nat Zook please go to commitedtoyou.blogspot.com and you can read of our introduction in Africa, our gun shot wedding (with out the pregnancy part!) in Canada, our current lives in Pennsylvania USA, and our future plans for the mission field of Africa!!!

this whorl wind we call life

2008-02-24T19:00:00.000-08:00

so i promised i would continue publishing posts and as you can see by the sudden gaps in entry dates i haven't exactly kept my promise. i guess the bustling life of the western world hit me between the eyes and rendered me ineffective to ward it off it's demands of appointments, commitments, and social events. it has been three month since i arrived home from Africa and i finally have the time and energy to sit in front of my laptop and give an update. i am simply amazed how i haven't gone into the loonie bin after experiencing seven months submerged in the simplicity of the Mozambican life style. a life style that allowed these children's school class to be put on hold because they were intrigued with their teachers ability to play a real guitar..... not a cheep home made one, crafted together with an old tin can and some fishing line. a life style that was not about making a million dollars or climbing the corporate ladder but was rather about just being, enjoying life.......enjoying time. a lifestyle i so desperately miss.

aaaww! now my heart wrenches because as much as i miss Africa who in their right mind wouldn't want to come home to this!!!

i can't tell you how much i have missed my family and i am so glade to be back here to see everyone again.

here is a brief update of my travels since leaving Africa.

took a short, one week, trip home to see my family. then traveled down to Ohio to met Nat's family. aaahhh, and what to say about the United States of America....... there are three things this country has way to much of.....highway tole booths (over five tole boots in the stretch of one day each charging 50 cents to a dollar......could some one please explain the logic here?), semi trucks, and all country radio stations.

i must say i loved Nat's family and i did love the Amish ambiance of Pennsylvania. also met some great friends of Nat's who have warmly excepted this wild Canadian.

during our two months in the States, where we drove back and forth from Pennsylvania to Ohio more times than i would like to remember; Nat and i spoke at a few churches to share what we experienced in Africa and the ever growing need for willing hearts to step in and help the needy families we personally encountered. i don't particularly enjoy public speaking but every cent raised was worth the quivering knees and sweaty palms!

ok, so a crazy thing happened on December 9th. Nat and i got engaged! our wedding is in three weeks! (hence the reason my blogspot has been collecting dust) if you would like to hear the full story of how we met, pictures of Africa, and Nat's proposal visit our wedding sit at committedtoyou.blogspot.com

so this is where i leave you. i just had the trip of a life time and met some wonderful people with beautiful spirits half way across the world. and in the midst of that i found a man i am honored to spend the rest of my life with. i am truly living a dream and i hope to never wake up!

short and sweet....for once!

2007-11-05T03:20:00.000-08:00

this is against my nature to not publish photo's and a descriptive (maybe to descriptive for some!) update of the happenings of my journey but i am living the life of a tourist who has to pay outrageous amounts for a hours time on a computer that runs slower than grandma crossing the street, from a company that is paranoid about foreign devices, such as a camera, being plugged into their equipment.

but please don't be put off by my rather bland post and check in the near future for photo's of KRUGER PARK!!!! can you tell i'm a little excited?

the blind leading the blind

2007-10-21T09:25:00.000-07:00

so i though it was about time i blogged about my English classes. it has been a bit of a challenge to teach basic English to Portuguese speaking people when i don't know a lick of Portuguese. let me tell you i have learned a few phrases pretty fast. with the help of Lynn i come to each class armed with some new words and phrases for them to write in their work books which they are to take home and study. the next class we run though the words, with each student getting a turn, to see if they remember. we are often overrun by side-splitting laughter when someone, very confidently, blurts out the wrong answer. i am always amazed at how well they do remember in such a short time and then my amazement is closely followed with shame that i didn't retain as much as they have. each week i struggled to find words and phrases that would be beneficial as well as personally interesting to them. i finally got smart and told them they where welcome, and highly encouraged, to write in their work books words that they would like to learn. the results where unbelievable; i was given enough material to cover my lessons for the rest of my stay here on the farm! and not to mention the amusement Lynn and i gained over some of the interesting, and some down right hysterical, requests that where made. words such as spit, lazy, and hygiene (hhhmmm, wonder where he was going with that one?) and phrases like "that old man is already old" or "you are a scoundrel". and less funny words that once again had me wishing i could hear the thoughts that occupy their minds. poor, war, shame, deny, envy, truth, rescue, win, accept, laugh, peace, and in love.
no class is complete without one thing we all dreaded about school....a test. only with these guys there was no dreading involved. in fact it was requested! the test was in English so they could translate to their own language.....actually, Portuguese would be there second language and English being a third! as i waited for them to work through the test i stared at a extra test sitting in my hand. i thought maybe i should have a go at this test......MAN it was hard!!
on one of our bike rides to Penna we stopped to get nat's bike fixed which, i might add for nat's sake, just goes to show that Taiwan doesn't make products any better than China. as i stood waiting a group of kids slowly gathered around me, a strange yet regular occurrence that i am growing accustomed to. the composure of this young girl captured me in a trance. as we stood looking at each other i was, for the first time, completely comfortable with the fact that staring is not rude or socially unwelcome to the bush living Africans like it is to those of us who live in a more developed society. i simply did not want to take my eyes of the beauty that stood before me. i studied her dress and i couldn't help imagining the young girl who most likely ware that dress to some fancy wedding in the western world. i wanted to tell her she looked like Cinderella. i know that doesn't sound like genuine statement, but she truly did poses a beauty that surpassed the tattered, dirt spotted dress and made her look like a princess. as she stared at me i wondered if she was as curious about where i came from as i was about hers.

i am always amazed at the strength possessed by the Africans. how do they hold all that weigh on their heads?! today my question was answered. how old are you child? look! she has bigger pipes than i do!

found my place in the world

2007-10-09T09:47:00.000-07:00

I think I can honestly say the events over the last few weeks have been the biggest contribution to my personal growth in the area of self awareness and self worth. I tackled a task that I feel has help me discover the perfect environment that revels my true mental maturity as a person. I believe I was faced with possibly the most important subject in life and I tackled it with a sense of integrity and confidence I never knew I had. The intensity of this job, without a doubt, has reviled my strengths as a individual and showed me where I truly belong...... Doing arts and crafts with children!!!!

I know it’s only September but if we want all these 150 students to complete a letter and Christmas cards to their sponsors across the world we need to get a move on it now! Of course I took on this task thinking it would be relatively easy. I first started with a school list of names and I.D numbers that I soon realized was very out dated. No problem. I just contacted Carole, our sponsor representative in Edmonton, for the updated list. What I wasn’t prepared for was the response to this request being tagged with a counter request. You see, Carole was also missing some vital information and I was now her avenue to this information. Child ages, grades, correct spelling of names and school photo’s where needed. Plus some children on the list who are no longer attendance to this school and children who are attendance are not yet on the list.
I’d like to say that in this photo I am enjoying the freedom of artistic self expression with the colors blue, red and green but I am actually trying to find each child's name and I.D#, which is most likely not there, and label their letters appropriately so they don’t get lost in confusion. In this culture the child's last name is the first name of their father which, I have learned, can sometimes change from one year to the next. And since the child doesn’t have a government document, such as a birth certificate, with date of birth and correct spelling of the name, this information is often left up to guesstimation. I had children who gave me their age and I was pretty certain they added a few years. 10 seems to be the most desired age. In the western hemisphere, parents are often harassed for giving all their six children names that start with the same letter making the world wide mistake of running though all your children's names, before landing on the one intend, more probable. but try this on for size. how about naming your children Maria Jose and Mario Jose! in the Portuguese language the same name can be given to a boy or girl but the letter at the end "a" or "o" will determine if it is masculine or feminine.

You can leave it to me to make sure that even the adults don’t walk away without taking a least a few moments to jump back in time to the glorious days of childhood.

After traveling around the classroom to each student that had completed their task I finally learned a very important word. “linha”. though I had formed a line to make my job a little easier, eagerness and curiosity caused the children to fall out of this method of order and into more of a hovering crowd. At this point I would practice my new word…..and let me tell you I certainly used it more than a few times!
I can't tell you how much joy i received watching these beautiful children color their picture for the sponsors. A small enjoyment we had as children that we most defiantly took for granted.

I would also like to take this time to thank Carole who has been helping me get this job done. I often get praise for giving up my job and being out here on the mission field but truthfully the people back home are just as important, if not more important, than the ones on the field. We simple could not do our job without the support and assistance of those in the western world. Whether you are donating your time/money, writing a detailed e-mail about the events in your life or even writing a small quick comment on the bottom of our blog posts, letting us know that you are thinking of us, it is all supporting and encouraging us a larger way that you think.

Sleeping in quick sand.

2007-09-17T11:24:00.000-07:00

I was lured out of a blissful slumber at 1:00 this morning by the ever growing awareness that my body weigh was not perfectly centered. The ground had sunk slightly in one corner at the head of my bed. It’s amazing how our bodies can pick up the slightest discomfort in a state of unconsciousness. when the attempt to ignore it only resulted in more tossing and turning then I was willing to endure, I grudgingly got out of bed and tried to fix the problem with a chunk of scrap wood. Satisfied with my efforts I slid back into bed and dozed off. It didn't take long for my body to notify me that my ability to level my bed with a sleepy eye was severely lacking. I spent the rest of the morning readjusting these wood ends a number of times. After one of the small wood chunks slid from it’s position, sending my bed to the ground with a loud thump, I gave up and got up to start my day. Besides, it was already 5:00 and there wasn't much hope of making up for the sleep that was lost. This is just one of those things that you learn to deal with when you live in a tent.
while others where trying to prevent catastrophes from fire, i was creating my own with a element called water. we have what is called a twin tub for washing our clothes. this handy little machine is the luxurious way have hand washing! all you have to do is fill the tub from the hose, let the machine do the spinning. when everything is clean you wring out the clothes and hang them to dry. on this particular day....my first time using this machine i might add.... the water pressure was extremely low because of complications with the water pump on the farm. i secured the hose in the tub and felt that i had more than enough time to wring out the first load and hang it out to dry. i did, however, check on it a few times...just in case. apparently i wasn't cautious enough. the hose fell out and, oh, look at that! the water pressure is back! this is out side the kitchen. the inside of the kitchen looked more like a wading pool. i had to push the water out with this large squidgy which was this was a bit of a challenge since the floor is not completely level (sounding familiar?) and it slanted down away from the door. Here is another fun moment. 25 Mozambique pastors traveled from afar to attend this years pastor training conference. I didn't have much of a hand in this even other than stamping together these booklets. Sounds like a easy enough but many seemingly simple tasks can be a challenge when liveing in the bush of Africa. The dilemma was that I didn’t have a stapler long enough to staple the middle of the page, or rather, the cress of the booklet. (very high quality pamphlets we make in Mozambique!) and with the lack of a office supply store down the road I was left to improvise using the staple side of one stapler, borrowed from Alta, against the metal guide of the other another stapler, borrowed from Lynn. It had to be done just right to prevent the hole contraption from slipping out from under my hands sending papers and staples flying.

Just a few weeks ago I purchased a top of the line bicycle from Chimoio. With three trips into town serching high and low, negotiating prices, and excepting broken promises to have the bike ready “tomorrow” we finally narrowed it down to what we felt was a quality bicycle that maybe needed only a few adjustments. Those few adjustments turned into the breaks being tweaked, the seat raised, the chain replaced and then later shortened, the gears tightened, several spokes removed to straighten the back wheel, ugly mud guards removed, the front wheel aligned with the handle bar and pretty much every screw on the bike tightened. After all that, the bike still served me well on our 72 km ride to Vanduzie! And the chain only fell off twice. Not bad! This warning on the front of my high quality bike should have been my first clue to what I was getting myself into.

rebuilding

2007-09-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

Lynn and I have been taking frequent visits to Salete’s to see her progress in recovering from the fires that burnt down her home. This is Salete’s temporary abode while she works on building a more sturdy, fire resistant home. Fire resistant, as fire resistant as you can get with the materials available to a typically Mozambican living in the bush.…dirt and water.
Yep! Noth’n but the right amount of dirt and water mixed together, poured into this mold and dried for three days and you got yourself one sturdyish brick for a new house. But if you can bake the bricks, well, then your laughing.

This bucket holds enough water to make ten bricks. Salete has 600 bricks made and she will need another 400. You might think she is well on her way but one thing to keep in mind is that Salete has to walk with this bucket to get her water. Lynn was told that the water pump was far away. Lynn explained to me that when a local tells you that something is close you can expect to walk up to a hour so, if they say it’s far, then it’s far! It is likely that Salete only makes at the most two trips in one day.
All that work and she still finds time to enjoy the day with her grandson who seems to be getting cuter each time I see him. I think I have enough pictures of him to tack one on each of the bricks of their soon to be new home. Since Salete’s son found himself a job and is no longer free to help his mother build ASAM has contracted a young man to haul water and help with the building.

This area may look familiar to some of you. This would be the ASAM farm after encountering a bush fire of our own... and in the back is the wooden hut. (just a little too close for comfort!) With Lynn and Dwight in Chimoio and Francois and Alta in South Africa, Nat and I, along with all the workers, fought a blazing fire for four and a half hours. It started by Francois and Alta’s house and was gaining momentum in the wrong direction. We frantically tried to organize a constant flow of water buckets from two different water taps along with the one garden hose in the front yard. Just as the fire seemed to be subsiding around the house it moved with ferocity towards the wooden hut. I don’t think I have uttered so many prayers as I did in those long, intensity charged fire fighting hours. I couldn't help but think of the big red fire trucks that I have seen in the western world more times than I can count and how handy one of those beautiful trucks would come in very handy at this very moment. Still I believe those brave firefighters would be amazed how twenty men (and one woman J ) with water and tree branches can prevent the entire farm from becoming ashes. Though I don’t think they would have approved of my fire fighting attire…a wrap-around-skirt and flip- flops. Don’t worry, I have already been scolded for that one.

It’s a dinner party in the bush

2007-08-28T08:45:00.001-07:00

I can’t tell you how much fun I had cooking for two local families. Steven and Mathew work here on the farm and speak English well so it has been easy to form a friendship over the last few months, however I was eager to connect with their wives as well. i have quickly learned that building a relationship with the locals is difficult, though not impossible, with the language barrier. To be honest with you, the effects of the inability to communicate on a level I am so accustomed to often has me feeling frustrated and empty. I realize how much I want to know about them when I can’t ask the questions that satisfy my curiosity of who they are and what they think.
Mathews youngest son, Prosper, spent most of the night moving from my arms to his moms and back again. I don’t think he stopped moving until it was time for him to eat. look at those scrumptious chubby cheeks! I was talking about Prospers cheeks but thanks anyway.
Out like a light! Must have been a good nights sleep because Prosper was in full swing the next day. And what a day it was. These three fine ladies and I enjoyed a day at the salon; Steven’s wife, Nora and Mathew’s wife, Pascoa as well as Tafadzwa, the young girl who helps Nora and Steven care for their twins. With no vehicles or strollers, it is very common for mothers with more than one child to have a girl as young as eight around for extra hands….or a extra back, since that is where they carry their babies.

The stylist working on Pascoa’s hair could not get enough of my camera. She had to take off her jacket to pose in her work uniform for this photo. Both Pascoa and Nora had to have their own hair braided flush with their scalp so the new hair could be sown in.
I am trying to decide if Nora is enjoying herself or if she is wishing could run from the ciaos of this bustling salon. Hhhmm, here is were language would come in so handy. I find it very hard to read the locals and how they feel about things. Not just because of the language but also because they are not really used to confidently speaking their minds. You are often left wondering if they just told you how they really felt or just what they thought you wanted to hear.
This is Tafadzwa, the most beautiful girl in all of Mozambique. I don’t think this picture does justice to the purity and gentleness in her eyes every time I see her.
After a few hours on her feet, my hair stylist needed to give her legs a rest. And I got to sit on the floor. Yep. Sit’n on the floor, braiding my own hair, in the high class salon of Chimoio, Mozambique. Actually I was not the only on who assisted in the production of my braids; it felt as though all the women of Chimoio had a hand in my beautification. I had everyone working on my hair; everyone from Pascoa, clients waiting for their stylist, and a few friends of salon employees who stopping by for a short visit. At Antoni’s we used to say that you were a pretty important client if you had two of us working on your hair at once. Well if that is true then I should have a red carpet rolled out when I leave because at one point I had five girls working on this project. we also used to joke that if two of us were working on one client then the client had to pay double so I better keep my mouth shut.
Well after a few hours…two for the girls….five for me, we were finally ready to head home. four hot babes ready to conquer the world......a little too tired for that...maybe tomorrow.

who's got who?

2007-08-25T09:49:00.000-07:00

it may appear that Mr. Snake caught himself some dinner but if you look real close you can see that the gecko has got the snake by the tale! makes me wonder who started this war. i'm think'n the snake has got the upper hand on this one. With the snake season on the horizon i have been extra cautious, scanning the ground any time I hear a noise or see a movement out the corner of my eye. I was relaxing in one of Lynn’s old recliner chairs we brought down to make the wooden hut a little more cozy, enjoying a good book, when I noticed these two battling to the death by the front entrance to the wooden hut.

aaahhhhooo! that's nasty. we enjoyed watching the snake tackle his pray over the last 20min but now it was time for Nat and I to join Lynn and Dwight for dinner. i said we should kill it before we go but Nat was sure it wouldn't be moving after a dinner that large and that we could kill it when we got back. we left. eat some delicious pizza (and Nat's famous cabbage salad!) had some good conversations and headed home.... no snake..... not good.

this little fella has been living live in peace on our screen window for the last few days. he was too grows to touch and i didn't have the heart to kill him so i just left him in peace. you don't bother me and i wont bother you. but today he decided to venture out of the confined space of our 2f by 4f widow to explore the counter top. sorry buddy but this is my turf. you gotta go. i found a long stick and set my friend free.

i've been finding more and more of these as the weather worms. i am really not looking forward to the season of bugs but i guess you have to accept the good, bad and the disgustingly ugly no matter where you live. with all the snakes i have seen, spiders i have killed, rats i have heard, seen and tried to kill (o.k so i did more screaming than swatting but at least i wasn't running for a chair) i would say that i am starting to get used to all of God's beautiful creatures. or at least learning to live with them.

Nat and Lynn don't seem to have a problem with the bug season. they seem to be enjoying scrolling through Lynn's book on sakes to see what kind of snake this one is. unlike the last snake this guy didn't escape death.

o.k, so here are a few this to look forward to this summer. i didn't take these photo's but the birds i have seen defiantly have this vibrancy of color. and there singing is the most pleasant to wake up to in the morning.

leaving on a jet plane

2007-08-14T09:05:00.000-07:00

I think this blog is going to be short and sweet because only pictures can describe this day. (Phew! For once she’s not going to write a book)

this is now officially the smallest plane I have ever flown in! scary? Uh, ya!

Nat was so kind to let me sit in the front because it was my first time in a plane so small. Dwight showed me all the cool gadgets and leavers that were calling out to my curious fingers. He then gave me some instructions to follow if I felt nerves or even down right terrified….“don’t touch anything!!” I was glad for the little handle beside me that I could grab in reaction to some sudden turbulence, or Dwight deciding to change directions. Ever hear of a plane turning on a dime?

This would be the coke a cola factory just outside Chimoio. Did you know that coke has a goal to reach every person in the world with a coke.

This is the school yard. The largest building is the school. The small building below that is the kitchen and below that a little to the left is the teachers house. The big square clearing below all that is where we play soccer. And I say “we” because I have injured myself twice on that field playing soccer so I feel I deserve to be regarded as one of the team.

This is were I am no longer having fun. And trying to keep down my lunch.

Just to give you an idea why.

This is the farm. The big green patch is the leaches, a fruit I have not yet had the privilege of trying but I hope to before I leave. To the right of the leaches is the office where I converse with all of you back home! To the left of the leaches is the wood work shop that is still being constructed. To the far right is Francois and Alta’s house. Just below their house is a clearing where Lynn and Dwight are digging the foundation of their house. Next to it is a small zinc roof that is covering their container. On the left had side a little below the middle of the picture is the new kitchen that was built for the teams. Further to the left is the showers but they didn't make it in the shot. Towards the bottom of the picture bellow the leaches is Lynn and Dwight’s temporary house which will become a guest cottage that short termers, like myself…wink, wink, nudge, nudge….can rent instead of a tent, or friends and family coming to visit the ASAM staff. At the very bottom is Nat’s house that is also still being built.

And just bellow alllll that is the beautiful wooden hut! Right now it serves as a kitchen for Nat and I as well as the current wood shop until the new one is finished. On the top left hand corner, beside the river, is the garden….well, some of it. And the top right hand corner is Nat's house...again.

Well this is a birds eye view of where I live.

All of Africa burns.

2007-08-06T09:42:00.000-07:00

It takes one day for the sky to be filled as far as the eye can see with thick smoke from the bush fires of Africa. When the smell first hid my nostrils I wondered who on earth was barbecuing in the middle of the day. By the end of the day I smelt like a chimney sweeper. The reason behind this age old tradition is simple though maybe not logical. Some simply want to clear the tall grass on their land and, well, lighting a match is easier than coping a few acres with a slasher. I really don’t know how to describe what a slasher is other than it sort of looks like a machete only longer and the blade is curved. (gee why don’t I have a photo of this?) others who want to hunt for game find it easier to find their prey with less bush to block their view. Other than that it boils down to “that’s just the way we have always done it”.

Though each home owner burns their own border around their homes to control the fires and prevent the flames from reaching their valuables, it’s inevitable that a bush fire will slip from the grip of precaution. Salete, who was is caring for her three grandchildren that were abandoned by their parents, is now left with no home. She is living with her 18year old, newly married, son until she can rebuild. Salete is among the many who came to the ASAM farm seeking help in their own disaster.

The remains of house Salete's house.

And her maze. In the back is a man from the local church who has already begun helping rebuild a storage deck for her maze. Her 18 year old son is going to begin making mud bricks to build his mom a new home. With the assistance of her son, the church, and ASAM this woman will luckily be able to recover from this catastrophe. What impresses on my heart are the many who don’t have the help they need in a hopeless situation.

A few strange things!

2007-07-24T10:12:00.000-07:00

As I drove with Lynn and Dwight down the main highway of Mozambique from Chimoio to the ASAM Farm, one my first day in this beautiful country, I noticed these bags dispersed at various points on the road. I could tell they were on display to be sold but what in the world are they? Dry grass sold to locals for starting a cooking fire. There was no shop keeper in sight but you better believe that he is some where close, and on the look out for a potential buyer.

This is a donkey! Yes, I said donkey and no I am not going blind. Why they call this apparatus a donkey I have no clue but I would never want to live in the bush without one! This, friends, is what warms the water I shower with. Every day a fire must be lit a hour or so before you wish to cleans yourself of the elements of the great outdoors. If you forget, or like I have done a few to many times, make the fire too small then lets just say it’s a very fast shower! A cold shower might be welcoming when the temperature climes to 4o over the next few months but in the winter months of Africa….not so much fun.

You ever tried carrying a heavy load….on your head? These crazy people will walk literally for hours with sakes as heavy as the largest flour bag you can find at Safeway…and then some! O.k. so your probably asking “ have YOU tried it?” this is me we are talking about…of course it tried it. I carried two chairs from the office to the campsite, got a few looks a long the way, got the best arm workout I have had in years, and nearly killed my back. How long did I walk? Five minutes. Ya, I’m a little envious of their physic.

This is our little box of power! This generator goes on from 8:00am to 12:00pm and then again at 5:00pm until 9:00pm and during those times we have electricity!!!!

Don’t see that on a Sunday stroll through the park, but here you do.

With the animals being tucked away at the back of the farm I don’t usually see them so I was a little quizzical when I saw these guys on my way to the showers on the weekend. The pastors are here this week for a training seminar and this is there dinner for the week. Come on people…it’s no different than what you buy at the grocery store except those vacuum sealed packets don’t look cute enough to pet.

Track and Field day

2007-07-18T01:05:00.000-07:00

so in case you are interested, here is the full name of the primary school founded and run by the ASAM missions team. Mucombezi Interior Primary School (a.k.a MIPS or ASAM school) this is where i get all the beautiful pictures of the children i want to smuggle home with me! it is also on the top of the list of places the teams will visit as a way to submerge into the culture.

the Stellenbosch team form South Africa brought two bikes, as they did last year, to donate to the school for the highest achieving student. i think this bike is a little too small for this young fella but he can have a stab at earning the small red one.

the school was in a buzz with laughter and cheering as all the students competed in various games which included: long jump, high jump, short distance running, shot putt, tug-of-war, and my favourite, an intense game of soccer, where i end up feeling humbled by my inability to out run the fourth and fifth graders.

the preschoolers show off their strength in a game of tug-of -war.

after seeing the little one have a go at tug-of-war, it is just a given that the adults have to try as well. we had a all out game of girls against guys! use girls though we would be smart by tricking the guys and letting go of the rope on the count of three so they would tumble to the ground in embarrassment. the whole idea was a flop when the rope just fell to the ground because of the fact that the guys had the exact same idea! we all just sortof stood there perplexed for a moment wondering why the other team didn't fall. we had a good laugh and picked up the rope to try again. for real. i think we were all extra motivated to beat the other team because the flag lingered in the middle for some time. and then our strength was reviled when the rope broke! this photo is just seconds before the rope snapped and hit me with a incredible force. i sat on the ground stunned trying to analyze just how bad was this injury. luckily with a little ice the swelling went down and the healing was speedy.

team number three!

2007-07-04T01:41:00.000-07:00

well the Stellinbosch team hit the ground running. on there first full day at the farm we needed to take the truck to transport Fred's maze from his corn crop (mashamba) to his house. there was one minor problem that prevented us from completing this task. the truck just got back from South Africa and it had a 3 ton block machine on the back of it. this of course needed to be dealt with first. why was this not taken care of before the team arrived? well that was the plan but Nat and Domingo got stuck in costumes, in Maputo, awaiting import papers for, get this, three days!welcome to mozambique! so the Stellinbosch's first job was a little unexpected but they excepted the sudden change of planes. you pretty much have to be overly flexible if you want to stay sane in a world that is not controlled by schedule. i have to admit that i quite enjoy not knowing what each day brings and the challenge of dealing these minor set backs.

the first challenge was finding a way to level the back of the truck with the ground so we could drive the block machine off the truck.

bags of maze has been purchased by ASAM to store during the famine season. November becomes a difficult time here as most local run out of food. i'm reminded of a famous story that was read to me back in elementary about the chipmunk who worked hard to store up food for the winter while the other foolishly played all day living in the moment and not planing for the future. it seems like it would be common sense to save a little food when you know a dry season is coming and you may not have food. the temptation to live in the moment and get the money now over rides the sensibility of planing ahead. as i ponder this thought i realize that we are no different in the western world. Calgary in itself is riddled with people who spend their last paycheck on a pair of jeans that they really don't need but we have credit waiting at our front step for the chance to find it's way into our pockets. so what drives a person who does not have easy access to "until-next-pay-day-loan" to sell the last of their food for some money? some out the desperate situation of a sick loved one i'm sure but some just can't escape the drive to have more stuff. this simple truth sheds light on the fact that black or white, poor or rich we all humanisticaly live in the moment.

with 40 people and only two small baskets we were left throwing the corn in one my one but unloading was a lot easier....and a lot more fun too. with this seemingly simple task taking us most of the day we were all pretty tired when it was all said and done.

all in a days work.....make that two months!

2007-06-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

cement is being made for the office walls in this old run down wheel barrel and mixed with a shovel. a glob of this concoction is put on a smooth slab of wood and thrown on the wall. (i have a video that i will see if i can post....apparently it can be done!)

while the substance is still soft the excess is scraped off with a level (you need to improvise a little in the bush) more water is splashed on and the wall is smoothed out. when the cement dries, before it is painted, the ruff surface needs to be soothed a little more. the problem is, sand paper would last about three strokes. if you look real close you can see the object of my choosing to do this tedious task. a little hunk of left over wood! no i could not have used the level because i didn't think of it until now and yes i could have found a bigger piece of wood......if i had taken the time, but i was eager to get the job started. it proved to be a senseless decision when the wood slipped from my grip and i smoothed the wall with my knuckles. "did i learn from my mistake and take the time to get a bigger piece of wood?"....mmmm nope! i just opted to be more careful......didn't work. i can honestly say i put my heart into these walls.

besides i had to keep moving, Albertino is a fast painter and he was gaining on me.

after the room had one day to dry we set out to put the office back together again. that means organizing a lot of junk! i think people in the bush collect more junk than the city of Calgary ..... o.k maybe just Ardrie.

the best part about rubbishing through old junk is falling upon a hilariously old and useless item. in this case we found a BAG a them! old and ridiculously ugly glasses. but hey one mans junk is another mans treasure. Gabriel took them home! i was baffled that someone would actually want them.

from left to right is Gabriel, Matthew, Francois and myself posing with our new found accessories!

and who could leave out this handsome face! it a Mozambique Earkel!

o.k that's enough about that. so i have been sitting the office for most of the day trying to get some much needed e-mail catch-up done, since the weather is not that great and the farm is exceptionally quiet this weekend as half the missionary team is in South Africa, and i felt a walk was in order. unfortunately i forgot my camera but when technology fails us we are left with imagination.....

i began my walk down the dusty road that lead from the main highway to the ASAM farm with a hacky sack (in case i found some kids eager for a new game) and a flashlight (just in case my walk is longer than planed). as i was walking Steven, who is featured above in the stunning purple glasses, noticed me wandering about. we went to visit Gabriel and i got to meet his wife and son. then we walked further down the road to visit two of the orphans i had met on numerous occasions. along the way i was admiring the beauty of trees upon trees and expressed my awe to Steven when a noticed a herd of cows coming my way....and then a cluster of goats....even a man riding a donkey! people were sitting outside their huts catting with the neighbours while kids ran unchecked.

we stopped to play hacky sack with Mibia and Francisco and then headed back. but not before stopping to meet Stevens wife and twin boys. they are six months old but they had the figure of a new born. ooohhh they are so tiny! by this time there is a slew of kids who are following me and touching my hand. as i left they began to chant "chow, chow, chow!" the chants grew louder and louder and my turning periodically and tickling their bellies didn't help much. as i walked past Gabriel's house the commotion drew his attention and i shrugged my shoulders. he said something in a strong but calm voice and the chanting stopped. i carried on to the highway were i met with three ladies who spoke Portuguese. (women this educated is a rarity) using what little Portuguese i know, i found out that one of the women's name was Isabella. Isabella proceeded to ask me for the hacky sack in my hand and the sweater wrapped around my waist. i think she would have asked for the shirt on my back if i hadn't turned down that dusty road to go home. i would have loved to give her my jacket because honestly i don't need it that much and she undoubtedly has much less than i do but giving it to her really doesn't help at all. a free gift to a poor uneducated person makes a beggar out of them. no...we need to give them much more than just a few clothes and a meal to eat; we need to teach them. teach them how to irrigate their land so they can have a more nutritional diet; teach them skills such as sowing and wood working that they can use for a job; teach them basic hygiene so they can avoid diseases. suddenly this task of serving Mozambique has me feeling inadequate.

wolves dressed in sheeps clothing

2007-06-12T23:38:00.000-07:00

meet the Prairie Bible Collage team from Three Hills who came to serve with SAM Ministries here in Mozambique Africa. these girls may have the impression of innocents but spend two weeks with them and their true colours are soon revealed. it all started with the second night of their stay at the farm; due to lack of better things to do after the sun went down a few of the nurses though it would be great fun hiding in the darkness of the trees to scare the rest of their team. i fell victim to this plan of attack.....twice! also i had the joy of retrieving my bedding from the trees one late night before retiring for the evening.....but sweet revenge was to be had. i will tell you of that in moment but first let me explain how the pranking escalated. on their second last night at the farm, the Jortosh team decided they wanted to get in on the fun as well. they came to our site late in the night to steal our shower curtains and all our utensils. naturally they suspected myself (i can't imagine why) they then turned their blame to Lynn and Dwight because they also had reason for revenge on the girls. i believe it had something to do with their front door being duck taped shut..... and maybe some corn syrup plastered on their door handle and garbage lid. the conclusion was finally made that the Jortosh team was to blame. the girls waved good bye to the Jortosh team as they headed out to visit one of the local churches......then the wolves were unleashed. these girls were were relentless!! they strung Nat's clothes on a line through the trees. they duck taped a bunch of stuff to the branches in the trees. they hoisted a tent into the air with string between the trees down the path that they would have to drive down. they stole a bunch of things (some of which is still being found) they put hot sauce in their jam and stole their dinner meat. oh, they also hung Nat's bed in the air on string and duck taped it. the came site looked like a tornado ran through. after their evil deed was done for the day we all left to visit a local church as well. to confess their sins maybe. many more pranks were executed though out the rest of the Prairie teams stay but the one i enjoyed the most was getting up early on the last day to seek revenge on the bandits responsible for my bedding finding it's way to the trees out side my tent. after locking the girls in their tent with a suitcase size lock i proceeded to remove the tent poles allowing the entire tent to fall upon them. i felt my mission was accomplished when one of the team members out side the tent attempted to bring the girls comfort my shoving pancakes through the small opening so the girls could eat.....it was loads of fun.....however....the last laugh was on me. after returning from saying good bye to the nurses at the air port i was welcomed home by a dead furry animal tied to the zipper of my tent....complements of Nat Zook. you may, in the near future, find a picture of my friend on Nat's blog. if you are really interested (in his ministry on the farm of course) the link can be found under "my friends" on this blog.
meet the Jortosh team! aside from all the pranking the two teams really did make some positive impact in the community. I spent most of my time with the team of nurses taking them on home visits to the orphans and widows supported by ASAM, however I often joined the Jortosh team on some of their leisurely activities. the Jortosh team specializes in children's ministry which involved skits and games done at the schools and churches. they also spent some time helping Nat work on his house. if you are interested in learning more about their ministry visit http://www.jortosh.com/

we are now on our way back from showing the Jesus film. one the way there, Amber and i stood in the back of the truck, with no hands, to see who could last the the longest without falling down. (we called it truck surfing) on the way back our only concern was keeping warm! so you might be asking "what is the Jesus Film all about?" well a projector and screen are hauled to a requested location to show the movie of Jesus's life and death of the cross. the movie has been translated into the mother language, showna. because very few locals get the chance to see t.v, let alone a movie, this events can draw up quite a large crowd. at the end of the movie the audience is welcomed to come for prayer for either the acceptance of what Christ did for them or simply a sickness they are struggling with. it seems unfair to categorize the request of prayer for sickness as 'simple' but i have come to except that this is, unfortunately, life for the Mozambican people.

Spending time with the nurses and watching them interact and give medical attention made me question my adamancy against becoming a nurse. I know I told many of you that I wanted to do something in the medical field but didn't feel that nursing would be my venue. Well I may be wrong. I felt very charged up when the nurses were teaching the locals basic sickness prevention and what to do in the event of a accident. We also went to visit a man who was bed ridden and I felt the sing of the need for medical attention; a need that is evident in many parts of the world. who knows what the future hold but i guess this was my reason for coming here

so i finally got to do something i have been waiting to do since i arrived in Mozambique two months ago. you can not truly experience the culture until you ride the shoppa. the shoppa is a communal taxi that is often in the back of a pick-up truck or a over stuffed van. Matthew, Nat and myself got up at 6:00am to catch the next shoppa which never runs on a fixed schedule. we could have waited for a van but chose to settle for a truck since we had been waiting for twenty minutes and there was no guarantee for another one any time soon. everything was fine until it started to rain. Nat and were fine because when the rain came the driver offered us the front seat but poor Matthew was not thrilled with the idea. to appease our good friend we stoped in Vanduzie to switch to a van.

this is were i became a object of this sweet child's curiosity. most young babies see a white person and shriek with fear as though they have seen a ghost. this little one could not contain her desire to explore my face! i honestly can't say i minded much.

curiosity

2007-05-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

this is Bebe. i don't know if i am spelling it right. it might need a thingy above the e's like they do in french but i don't know how to put one on. basically it sounds like baby but with a accent. i found it very interesting to know that many children are called bebe and when they get old enough they can choose their own name. i think they do this when ever they feel they are ready and want to change it. bebe is Milicina's grandson. this was a very exciting day as we were giving Millicina and Bebe some clothes, a warm blanket, a mat to sleep on, and some food. their is also a man in millicina's area who has been hired to build her a platform that is raised from the ground so their food can be better protected from the rats.

i am helping lynn and gorge show millicina and bebe what they will be taking home with them. i put bebe's new sweater on him and continued holding up some other clothes to see if i picked the right sizes. bebe is sort of confused with the whole thing and i'm not sure that he has had much interaction with a white person. i thoroughly enjoyed myself.

one thing i have noticed is that the Mozambique people don't show much emotion. it was hard to read millicina and to get a sense of her appreciation; however it was defiantly there. gorge informed us after that millicina was very happy and that she would probably go home and dip the corner of her new blanket in a class of water and drink it to show how grateful she was for this gift.

the other thing that amazes me is the amount that these people carry on their backs and heads. millicina raps up the clothes and blanket on her back like she would if carrying a baby. (i might add that the blanket in of it's self was not that light) then she carried the food on her head. bebe carried the mats on his head and they were off. if you read my blog before you might remember that this walk took gorge and i one hour to complete..... with nothing but the heat to slow us down. never mind having around 20 to 40 ponds on my head. i'm not kidding you! i put a bag half the size of millicina's on my head and it took all the strength in my neck and back to keep from tipping over. i couldn't even last five minutes and i was standing still! i marvel in wide-eyed-wonder at what these men and women do. survival has a way of pushing you to your limits.

i don't know that i will ever understand how glorious this walk was for a widow and her grandson.

moving the mill

2007-05-16T09:26:00.000-07:00

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.

just some thoughts

2007-05-04T11:08:00.000-07:00

we went to town today so i don't have much time to write what i was planing. yes, ben, the grass would be fun to play hide-and-seek in.....IF there were no snakes in this county!!!! i have only seen one so far and he couldn't get away from me fast enough. that's how i would like to keep it. i'm not going to go around stomping on their ground....that's just asking for trouble.

i would like to clarify a issue that may be stirring in your heads. many of you seem to think i am going to get married and never come back to Canada (or what we in the bush call...civilization) and this has been insinuated again, in one of the comments (Taylor!!!) because of the fact there are 20 local men working here. first, and most important, most, if not all, of these men are married. second...i can't even speak their language! not to mention the culture difference, which is huge! and besides, Ruth has got me covered on this one...she is going to have me married off before i get back to Canada and it won't be anyone from Mozambique!

things have been a little difficult here between living in the bush and being away from my family and friends, whom i miss so much, but all in all i love being here. (thank you to so many of you who have been praying for me) things are different here..very sad sometimes, but i feel so honoured to be apart of the good that is happening here. this world is so underdeveloped that the task to make a difference seems daunting and you really have no idea were to start or what need is the most prevalent. there is a huge lack of jobs and the health and education system is severely lacking. then you throw in human error, which we are all guilty of, and you get people who are left somewhat desperate. in Canada if a girl drops out of school or gets pregnant too young, then realizes in later years that she made a few bad choices, there is still hope for her; it may be difficult but with the governments help she can get back on her feet and go back to school, get a better job and find a man who will love her child/children. i recently heard a story that makes my heart sink. there are three orphans that ASAM sponsors, which includes food, clothing and schooling. the eldest of these three took a wrong turn. before finishing school she got married and move to Chimoio. for some reason, the word is, she got caught in adultery and her husband kicked her out. she found another man but he has since left her...with child. she is 15 and pregnant. in this culture women are on earth for the sole purpose of having children and fulfilling the desires of her husband. they haven't learned yet that an education will give them more options. this young lady is now back living with the widow who was taking care of her in the first place along with the widows daughter and son in law. Lynn, George and i just delivered food and clothes to them. the son in law showed Lynn some blisters that were forming on his skin. though it is not confirmed Lynn is positive he has AIDS. if this disease were to take this mans life in the near future, this would leave the widow with three orphans, two small one's who should stay in school, one that is pregnant with only a grade four education who will find it very difficult to find a man who will except her mistakes, and a widowed daughter with two kids who most likely have AIDS as well. this is only one family that needs a helping hand. don't get me wrong, these people are still providing for themselves; every women has her own piece of land that will feed her kids and herself but you get one bad season, and there are many, and the lack of knowledge on how to preserve their soil and it makes mere surviving difficult to say the least. i take my hat off to those like Lynn and Dwight, Francois and Alta, and many others across the globe who have dedicated their lives to making a difference.

i didn't intend on this all being said but it must have needed to come out. it would appear that i have a lot to process in my mind. thank you for taking the time to read.

Milicia

2007-05-01T09:55:00.000-07:00

Today I had the privilege of following Gorge through the bush to visit a women named Milicia and her grandson who are seeking help from the mission in Mozambique. Gorge is in charge of visiting the homes of those requesting help so the situation can be properly accessed.
We started our visit with a long walk through the forest and tall grass.

The grass is getting taller; if there ever is going to be a time that I might face my fear of running into a snake, this is going to be the most likely place. To my relief, I found out latter, that this season is too cold for the snakes and most of them will be in hibernation. I’m not going to ask when they are coming out or I might me tempted to change my dispatcher date.
As we approached the women’s land Gorge tried to communicate, with next to no English, that the dead looking corn plants were this woman’s source of food.

When we arrived Milicia wormy welcomed us with a log to sit on and a glass of water, to share, in undoubtedly her finest china; the same cup her and her grandson use every day. She graciously allows me to photograph her, approximately 8by 6, home. The sticks Milicia has fashioned into a wall are so far apart you can stick two fingers through. They have some smoldering coals, next to were they sleep, to cook on and one shelf to keep the few belongings they own. I’m finding it hard to get a good picture simply because there is no room. I stand at the door holding the camera above my head and settle with having to cut Milicia’s head from the shot.
Gorge then shows me the hard bamboo they sleep on and the torn blanket, they have to cover from the night. Around the back of the hut they store the corn that they will peel and grind up to make maze. There is a small structure that is for the chickens but I am unclear if the chickens running around are hers.
After visiting for a few moments Milicia gives Gorge a sugar cane as a gift and with that we embark on our journey home.

Back at the Farm ASAM is working on putting Milicia’s story together with the cost of a new home, a blanket, food, clothing and some other essentials that will be added to form a project that can be picked up by a group or individual. These projects are put together so the participants can identify with were there money is going and see with their own eyes the difference they are making. Of course we are already in the process of providing for Milicia and her grandson. I will be going with gorge to deliver a blanket, food and some clothes. I believe Lynn’s mom has a church group that is taking on this project and will soon begin raising money so we can build Milicia a home.

lov'n Israel

2007-04-26T23:32:00.000-07:00

Hey friends! I’m in Africa now but there are some things I wanted to share about Israel so lets go back in time a week or two. On our first day ruth and I went to the shouk and the benya huda. Both are basically the same in the fact that you can buy pretty much anything. I think this was my favorite thing to do, and not so much because I enjoyed purchasing new things but more for the endless entertainment. You see, the price is never fixed and, in fact, the price is guaranteed to be far above what they are willing to sell it for. So you barter. And boy did I love it! I would start 40% off and they would look at me as though I was out of my mind. Then they would offer 5%- 10% off. The more time I wasted, and the closer I got to walking out the door, the closer they got to my offering price. before you know it i got what i asked for even after they clamed they could not give it to me at the price five minutes ago. Their famous line was “special offer…..just for you”.
We also took a trip to the dead sea. The dead sea is so full of minerals that you float! You can’t really do much else but read a book; swimming is impossible due to the fact that you can’t keep your feet in the water. You can dig mud from the rock cave and have yourself a luxury spa experience for fee.
We went to other historic sites such as the old city, the wailing wall, the mount of olives, and Capharnaum, the town of Jesus.

I would like you to meet some friends of mine. Elton, Dave (not Don) and Gorge. Elton started Jaffa Gates Ministries to feed people living on the streets and in recovery housing, much like our Calgary Dream Center, though not nearly as nice. In fact the worst run down building in Calgary would seem like a five star hotel in comparison to most buildings in Jerusalem. These men visit a handful of kitchens, For Zion’s Sake being one of them, around Jerusalem who have offered to cook a hot meal. We are bagging crackers, pita bread, and cookie while Stuart is cooking rice and burgers. i will add their website to my favorite links so you should check it out!

Holocaust Memorial

2007-04-16T01:48:00.000-07:00

on this day many in Israel, and undoubtedly those around the world who keep this memorial, stand to remember those who suffered in the Holocaust with one minute of silence.......

Seder

2007-04-03T21:36:00.000-07:00

most of you have spent this Easter hiding chocolate eggs for children (or maybe yourself!) or you are taking this time to reflect on Jesus and having a sunday service with Communion and thanks giving. i'm sure you all know my easter was definitely touched with Christ and not a bunny but it was completely different than any easter i have celebrated. at the Schonegg we celebrated the Seder! the Antolovich family have been living in Jerusalem for the last 12 years. every year they have a seder, or passover celebration, which is a Jewish tradition that has been maintained since before Christ, to remember God bringing His people, the Jews, out of exile from Egypt. it was the most powerful celebration i have ever had the privilege to partake in. i invite you to follow along as i try to recapture the evenings events.

[FYI:this blog post is extremely late. we had the seder on the second of march, the Monday after arriving switzerland. that was umm...three weeks ago. one week before easter was celebrated at home.]

first, all seders begin with 7 days of cleaning the house (it's possible this is where spring cleaning originated) to get rid of any leaven that may be in the house. also for seven days you are not to eat leaven; leaven is a representation of sin. "purge out the old leaven that you might be a new lump- unleavened. The Messiah, our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old leaven, not with leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." (1 cor 5:7-8)

most churches that practice communion will have one very small cup of grape juice. in a seder you take 4 cups and each represents something different. the first cup is the cup of sanctification. it is to unite with all Jews to celebrate the eternal story their people, the Exodus from Egypt. this night we thanked God for freedom.

after drinking the first cup we washed our hands in water. this was to remember what the priests would do a ceremonial cleansing called a mikva before sacrificing for the congregation. next we dipped parsley, which is new life, in salt water, which represents the tears shed in Egypt while they were still slaves. we eat the parsley......i wasn't as bad as i thought it was going to be.

next the host would bring out a Matza-tashe (Matza is the cracker that is broken up and taken during communion) which will have an unbroken matza in a linen covering with three compartments. it is said that the Jews believe they represent the temple priests, the singers of the temple, and the congregation of Israel; others say they represent Abraham, Issac and Jacob. Christians would suggest the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. the middle matza is broken, which would be the Son. as Christians we would understand it represents Christ's body which was broken for us. One of these pieces is wrapped in linen and hidden for the children to find later. it is unclear according to Jewish tradition why the middle matzah is broken and the others are not. They don't know why they keep this tradition for certain and as Christians we believe that it represents our Messiah who was sent to be the our sacrifice (Isaiah 48:16-18, John 3:16) broken on our behalf and wrapped in linen. when one of the children found the hidden piece, it is rejoined with the other piece and the child to find it is rewarded. The reuniting of the broken pieces represents Christ's resurrection.

next the second cup, the cup of affliction, is filled. at this time there are four questions asked by the children that will cause the guests to consider the affliction of the Jews while in slavery. the first question reflects on the reason for the matza. on the night God brought them out of Egypt they had no time to let the dough rise so the bread they made had to have no yeast, which is leaven. matza has no leaven in it (Exodus 12:39). second the bitter herbs was a reminder that the Egyptians "made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service and all of their service was terribly severe" (Exodus 1:14) third, we dip matza in mortar which is bitter and would bring tears to your eyes, if you took enough of it. i took enough of it! i'll let you guess if it was on purpose or not :). this would also be the tears of the slaves. then we would dip matza in a sweet mixture to remember that it was the service in Egypt that strengthened Israel for her journey out of Egypt. fourth they reclined at ease to remember that this night God set them free. by the sacrifice of Jesus, we have been set free from sin. the Jews of course do not believe Jesus is the Son of God so they would say they recline to remember that they are free from bondage.(are you still with me?) at this time we dip our finger in the cup seven times, each time allowing a drop of juice to land on our plate. each drop represents the seven plagues.(found in Exodus somewhere). now we drink the second cup.

lots of prayer are said and then we eat a meal together! after the meal the children are allowed to search for the matza wrapped in linen.

now the third cup, the cup of redemption, is filled. more prayers are recited and the host holds up the two matza pieces that were broken putting them together. he shares.."what is broken shall be made whole. what is shattered shall be restored..." and he continues to describe the Seder meal Jesus had with the disciples right before His crucifixion. on this night Jesus did not have the fourth cup and said to the disciples he would not drink again until His believers are with Him in heaven. At this time we drink the third cup.

the fourth cup is filled and we do communion just the same as you would do in the church.

this would be the end of the Seder. it was a long night but extremely fascinating. it was hard to digest all the symbolism but i quite enjoyed myself. i have left out a lot of details because there is so much to explain so if you are interested in the FULL version i would be happy to oblige. just be forewarned it may look more like a novel that an e-mail!

many of you know i began studying the bible in the last few years and recently i became very intrigued with the old testament. i'm so glad i felt pressed to study the first five books of the old testament because the Jews study these five books, which they call the Torah. i was able to understand many of these symbols because of the writings i have been studying.

ok, so if your wondering about the plate in the picture here is what each item represents. the red stuff is the bitter herb, that makes you cry. the green is the parsley. the brown is the sweet mixture. the egg reminds us of the morning and evening sacrifices each day (these have not been done since the destruction of the temple) and the bone reminds us of the Passover sacrifice. to Christians that would be Jesus.

well i hope you found that as interesting as i did. i am learning a lot in Israel; the culture is very different here and i can't wait to come home to share more.

simplicity

2007-04-02T14:29:00.000-07:00

in the big cities of Switzerland, so i'm told, life is not much different than that of our cities in Canada (except all the vehicles look like life size toys), but when you enter into the country side you begin to experience the tranquility of living life more simply. the houses are large and have most likely not had any remodeling since it's foundation was first laid. this may sound diveish but the truth is the weathered look of these old houses is exactly the character that would deem them worthy to be called beautiful. these houses are dotted thought out the lush green hills positioned right between mountains that are much like our Rocky Mountains. in Canada, i would assume, this type of landscape would be inhabited with people who would have so many valuables that each room would have it's own security. o.k, i'm exaggerating, but the point is in Canada we, simply put, protect our stuff.

my first day at the Schonegg house, Lirit took me to the neighbours (about one block) to get milk. she showed me the cows and the donkey in the yard and then proceeded to get the milk from a shed like structure with a trough inside were the milk was being kept in cool water. she pulled out two containers of milk and we headed home. keep in mind we did not see the farmer. i'm not sure i would call him a farmer because it's not like how we farm. here, their houses are closer together than those of a traditional Canadian farmer and they only have a few animals. (goats are a big thing.) Lirit informed me that they pay him once a month depending on how much milk they take. honest. simple.

saying more good byes

2007-03-28T00:14:00.000-07:00

so i guess i sort of lied in my last entry; it took me twenty minutes just to upload a picture from my computer because i am using a dial-up connection for internet, which is slower and more annoying than 5:00 traffic when your 10 minutes late. to add to my frustrations, the picture was in the wrong spot and i spent three days trying to get it off or move it to the right spot. i'm not kidding- i worked on it, for what seemed like hours,the first night and when it was getting late i saved it to work on the next day; on the second day, after half an hour and feeling the urge to rip out my hair, i put it away again for another day. third lucks a charm!

my first weekend in Calmar, or as i say Edmonton since very few people have heard of of this town with a "down town" that stretches four whole blocks, we celebrated Chase's (the cutest nephew EVER) first birthday! ohhhh, how am i going to bring my self to say good bye to that face?

grandma brown's car only sat for five hours and look at all that snow! my aunt helen watched from her store as i dusted off grandmas car. hearing a yelp from the other side of the car i realized i had dusted some snow on grandmas head! it was nice to be in manning alberta for a few days- it was a chance to breath and collect myself again. i also had my fill of grandma's famous buns, strawberry freezer jam, and brown bread! (all my cousins are burning with envy right about now) our family feuds are over who got more of grandma's home made goodies.

saying good bye

2007-03-24T21:39:00.000-07:00

well i finally found some time to put an entry into my blog. i'm a little behind; i have about three post that i'm going to cram into one so this might be a little longer than expected. i have to say that i am overwhelmed by the love, support, and encouragement i received from all of you ( and by you i mean my family and friends, my coworkers at Anton's and their family,all my brothers and sisters at Maranatha and my church family at RMCC.) before i left for this amazing adventure. i feel so blessed. When they say you don't know what you have until it's gone, and though i know my "in person" connection with you is not forever gone but rather put on hold by distance, i still feel enough of a loss to realize what i have always had. so i extend a large Thank you for the large impact you have had in my life.

practice run!!

2007-03-02T21:54:00.000-08:00

hey friends,

this will be my first official posting!! most of this is just for fun as i am learning for the first time how this hole blog world works. i wanted to get this stuff figured out before i am miles away!!

http://www.myspace.com/jonbrower. sorry this seems so random but i am testing out every possible tool available to me on this fascinating post outlet!!

who is that?