What Am I Doing???

It's the day before I leave and I have just rolled out of bed. I'm wondering what in the world have I got myself into! I have hodge-podge of feelings going on inside of me.
A few of them are:
Anxiousness because I have been waiting so long for the day that I finally leave for Mozambique.
Disbelief because I don't think that I will really believe that I am going until I am on the plane.
Worried because I am realizing that two months is a long time to be gone.
Scared because I honestly don't know what to expect
Excited because I am leaving for Africa!
Inadequate because honestly, who doesn't struggle with feelings of inadequacy.

I was laying in bed, letting my mind mix and stir, with it's figurative spoon, these feelings into a recipe of self-doubt. I realized that I needed to get up because I have too many things to do. I know that I am supposed to spend my summer in Mozambique, with Pieter, Rika, and they 13 wonderful children. I know that I am going to have the experience of a lifetime, and I know that I am going to love every minute of it, not wanting to come home when it is over.
It is just that we as humans, always question major decision. Whether it is when we make major purchases and have buyer’s remorse, decide that we should get married, or choose a new career path. It is natural to second-guess ourselves, wondering if we have made the right choice, and experience these feelings that accompany major life altering decisions.
I just didn't see them coming. These feelings where very sneaky and tiptoed in while I was sleeping. It was almost as if they were trying to throw a surprise party for me when I woke up this morning. We had our fun and I catered to their needs while they were here to visit, but know that I have written this down, they have been escorted to the front door and asked to leave (or maybe it is because I am now awake and coherent).
Anyway, words cannot express how excited I am to be leaving tomorrow. In 24 hours I will be on my way to the airport via my friend Amy G.'s airport transferring services (She seems to really enjoy taking friends to the airport. Especially when they are leaving for Africa).
I am not sure that I will be able to post in the next couple of days. It depends if I can get cheap/free wi-fi in the airports. Check back often and tell your friends about my blog. I really enjoy knowing that people are reading my thoughts, experiencing life through my eyes, and participating in my adventure to Africa on a "Quest for a Hippo."

I Come Bearing Gifts

These last few days, have had no shortage of things to do. I have been keeping really busy with getting things in order, spending time with friends, doing laundry, packing, and buying fun things to take over for Pieter, Rika, and the gang.

I have packed an entire large rolling suitcase full of items just for everyone that is already in Maputo. Hopefully it will be a pleasant surprise for my new friends in Mozambique. The bag contains cake mixes, kool-aid, peanut and plain M&Ms, new games to play, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Uno cards that aren't worn out, soccer balls, lots of items to help make Mexican food, and many other things that will hopefully make everyone's day.

However, I had the most fun buying toys for Pieter and Rika’s three little boys. Squirt guns, a bug zoo, and the most awesome toy known to man. I heard through a reliable source that the boys are really into Spiderman, and I found this:

When I saw him sitting there on that Target shelf, he seemed to be shouting and begging for me to pick it up and put in my cart. Little did Mr. Potatohead know, but he is preparing to travel to Africa to make three little boys day!

Unexploded Weapons in Mozambique

The following article is from the New York Times. I think that it is good for us to be aware of what is going on around the world, and this happening close to the Maputo, where I will be living for the next two months.
For those of you that are not aware, Mozambique had a civil war being fought for close to 20 years, and the two sides finally signed a peace treaty in 1994. The government is still working to clean the country of the after effects of having a war fought on their homeland over 10 years after the war has ended.

Fears Linger in Mozambique Over Unexploded Weapons

MAPUTO, Mozambique — One recent steamy morning, in a field on the outskirts of this capital, seven soldiers under the watchful eye of a military engineer took turns digging a hole deep enough to stand in. A suspicious depression in the sand suggested that a rocket or artillery shell might be buried there.
The team’s only tools were spades and shovels. They had no protective clothing, no special training, no metal or weapon detectors. One soldier worked in blue flip-flops; another puffed on an occasional cigarette.
They uncovered a 330-pound, five-foot-long, unexploded artillery shell, hauled it out of the ground with a chain and loaded it into the back of a four-by-four, cushioning it on a bed of sand. Then, feet propped on the shell’s exterior, they headed back along a bumpy dirt road to a military base. To read more ...

A New Friend in Kansas City

I have previously posted about my friend Mark, who recently returned from Ethiopia. Mark is a college student, who has recently started to get to know more of the international students on his campus. He has a special interest for the students that he has met from Africa. Two weeks ago he met a young man, named Manuel, in the union on campus who was by himself, and Mark found out that he was new to the states, and still didn't feel like he had many people that were close friends. Mark told Manuel that he wasn't ok with him not having many friends, and invited him to The Gathering, who would love to meet him and become his friend. Mark gave him his number, the address of the church, and told him to give him a call if he needed a ride.
Manuel didn't call Mark, but he did show up at the church on Sunday night. After the service, we were hanging around talking, and Mark brought Manuel over to talk to me. We were talking and I found out that he was not only from Africa, but also from Mozambique. I also found out that he wasn't just from Mozambique, but from Maputo, the city that I will be living in for the summer. Our conversation was short, but I was really excited that I was able to meet him. I left the church, to go and eat with friends and while eating, my phone rang, and it was my friend Jordanne, she left a frantic voicemail that I needed to call her back because she had a story that was going to floor me.
After listening to her message on my way across town to my house, I called her back to hear the story. She had the chance to also talk to Manuel. Jordanne spent about two weeks around Christmas time, with her roommate Patty in Maputo at the baby house. As she was talking with Manuel and asking those questions that you ask when you first meet a person, she also found out as I did that Manuel was from Maputo, Mozambique.
As she was talking she asked if he had heard of Iris Ministries. He replied that he had and that he was actually a product of the ministry. He had grown up in their orphanage (Iris Ministries is a ministry that Pieter and Rika worked with before they started the baby house). In their conversation, Jordanne found out not only had he grown up in the orphanage, but also that he know Pieter and Rika, and was friends with Luis (one of the guys at the baby house) when he was living in Maputo. As Jordanne is telling me this over the phone, my mouth was probably hanging open in disbelief, and "It's a Small World After All" was definitely playing in my head.

Mark, Manuel, Jordanne, Me
It has blown us all away, that circumstances would make our path cross. It is impossible for me to believe that it is just mere coincidence, which Manuel ran into Mark, in the Union at JCCC. There is definitely a purpose and a plan that God has in all of this. I'm glad that we can have friendships like the ones that we will hopefully build with Manuel as he does life here in the states.

Larium Dreams -- Part I

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote that I had figured out my malaria preventative medication. The doctor decided that I should take Larium. At the time, I thought it sounded great because it is to be taken only once a week, and it is not an every day pill that you have to remember to take. When I got home from the pharmacy, I was looking through the 4-5-page book of information about the medicine.
Although it is a great medicine because of it's effectiveness, and dosage schedule, I realized that it had many serious possible side effects. A few of them are: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, dizziness, vertigo, sleep disorders, ringing in the ears, headache, muscle cramps, abnormal dreams, emotional instability, insomnia, panic attacks, hallucinations, anxiety, depression, paranoid reactions, convulsions, visual impairment, numbness, rashes, itching, and possible suicide. After reading this list of possible problems, I decided that I should be a bit worried about taking the medicine.
The medicine also requires the user to start taking the pills one week before departure, and yesterday was the one-week mark before I leave for Africa. I put taking the pill off all day. I didn't feel like it would be a good idea to take the pill in the morning, and then have a hallucination in front of my 5th graders on their last day of school. To be honest, I was nervous about the whole ordeal.
I put the medicine off all day long, and forced myself to take it at about 12:30 am, just before I went to bed. My initial response after taking the pill and sitting on the couch, just waiting for it to make me "hulk" out, which it didn't, was a bit of a disappointment.
I felt a bit let down until I went to sleep ... I am here to announce that Quest for a Hippo, will hopefully be having a 14 part series, entitled Larium Dreams. I had a ridiculously "abnormal dream" last night, and I would like to believe that it was caused by my new habit (Larium). I hope to be able to post every Saturday morning with a new "drug induced" dream.

Part I of XIV

As most dreams are a bit foggy after waking up, I will share what I remember and hopefully it will be entertaining for everyone reading.

I found myself in some sort of abandon zoo or maybe it was an old feed lot, but it was quite hilly, and had many rocks and boulders in the area. I remember climbing to the top of one of these mountainous hills, and looking down below and noticed cages that were old and beat up. They had thick metal bars, which were rusted and dirty. The next thing I remember was seeing a big metal storage container sitting in front of one of the cages that was overgrown with vines.
A guy, that looked like he may be a worker from a circus, came out and opened the storage container right in front of the cage. The big doors of the storage container opened with a low rumbling squeak. I noticed that the tattooed worker, with his sun-aged skin had a long rod in his hand. He was using the rod to get something out of the dark shadows of the cage.
As I sat watching his unskilled ways of maneuvering about the outside of the cage, poking and prodding at whatever was lurking in the shadows, I remember thinking that either this old dilapidated zoo is finally closing, or that the circus is leaving town. I was disappointed that the circus was leaving, but relieved that the zoo was closing because I knew that this was not a suitable home for animals.
As the worker struggled from side to side of the semi-truck sized storage container, I caught a glimpse of what he was trying to herd into the large metal box. I also noticed that he had a large gap between the storage container and the door of the old cage. A gap that this animal could easily fit through. As he struggled to get the animal to move, I heard snarling, and saw pacing by the animal, with it's deep orange and black stripes. I don't ever remember thinking this is a "no good" situation, I was just enjoying watching this guy attempt to do his job.
As the guy stopped to catch his breath from the struggle and labor of his work, the large tiger realized that he could escape. The tiger started bounding up the rocky hill that I was perched at the top of, and I decided that I better start to run. The thought of being mauled by a large feline didn't seem all that attractive to me.
The rest of my eventful sleep included running for my life, from a larger than life tiger. I ran and climbed trees, dove through and slammed cage doors, all in an attempt to flee from this evil beast.
There is a point, during sleep, in which you realize that you are dreaming, and you have to decide whether or not you want to wake up (at least this is how it works for me). I know that I realized that this was a dream, far before I actually opened my eyes to escape from the tiger. For some reason I was entertained by the chase, and stayed in the moment a bit longer than necessary. It is interesting how the brain works, and I really wonder what part of my mind stored and created this sleep adventure.

Thanks to Larium for the eventful evening of sleep.
Stay tuned for more dream world adventures in part II of Larium Dreams.

Epic Battle @ Kruger National Park

This video was filmed at Kruger National Park, which is very close to Mozambique. I would like to visit and try a safari while I am there. I can only hope to see something this amazing! Check out the video:

Travel Itinerary

The Simple Things in Life

As the time draws near for me to leave, I continue to prepare and take care of those last minute details. I have been finishing up final grades for my 5th graders for this last quarter, packing up my classroom, and trying to keep my sanity while working with 30 children, who are just as ready for the summer as their teacher.

In the midst of all of these things, I have been in contact with Pieter in Mozambique. I sent an email a couple of weeks ago, asking if there were any comfort foods/items from the U.S. that they would like me to bring to them. I thought that this would be something fun to do for them, and was really excited about being able to bring them over things to enjoy.

In the reply email I received from Pieter was a short list, some of the things that were included: WE LOVE MEXICAN FOOD!, peanut butter cups, and maybe a soccer ball if you can fit it in your bag.

This list was a reminder to me, that joy can be found in the simple things in life. A burrito is something to be enjoyed, and not taken for granted. The taste of a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup can bring joy to a person's life, when they are not always available. This isn't about finding joy or happiness through eating, that is not my point at all. I am simply realizing that I take so many things for granted in my life, and this American mentality of more is better, has made it difficult to find joy in the simple things of life.

This lesson has given me some things to work on, and I am slowly finding joy and amusement in the simple things around me. This morning I woke up to the sound of bird chirping outside of my open bedroom window. I just sat there in bed and enjoyed the sound. The sound of nature is beautiful! I have been at a leadership retreat all weekend, and on Saturday morning, I woke really early and couldn't get back to sleep. Instead of being upset at my lack of sleep, i got up, showered, and went outside to sit with a good book and enjoy the sun coming up over the horizon. These are things that are available to us everyday, but are often overlooked as things to be joyful about. I could go on and on about simple things that are great (swedish fish candy), but I think that I have said enough and my point has been made.

My challenge for those that are reading this, and those that are in my life, is to find things that are small and often overlooked and enjoy them. Find joy in them, take note of them, and realize that we are so fortunate to be alive, and able to enjoy creation.

Also, I just found out that the baby house in Mozambique just received a new baby boy. They think that he is about one year old, he has no papers, they are not sure if either of his parents are living. They have named him Paulo.

Thank You!

The following is a short thank you list of people & places in my life:

- To the Embassy of the Republic of Mozambique.
* I finally have my passport in hand, and it has my visa stamped in it so that I can come into your fine country. Thank you for being prompt in processing my paper work.
- To the Kansas City Public Library (Plaza Branch)
* I am very thankful that you finally found the nine books of children's poetry (5th grade poetry unit) on your shelves that were said to be still checked out on my library account. I no longer have $154.00 fine for books that I returned many months ago.
- To the great community of friends that I have at The Gathering
* I love the fact that I have great friends that care about each other, and will pray for each other when it is needed.

- To everyone who has responded in any way to my upcoming trip to Mozambique, Africa
* I have been blown away by the generosity of people in my life that want to help me out and be a part of what is happening in Mozambique. I have been, and still am penny-pinching to make sure that I have the funds in order to make the trip work.
In the last month, after much encouraging and friends almost forcing me to send out letters to let others participate in Mozambique at the baby house/orphanage. Honestly, I was very hesitant to ask for help financially, but I was told that I need to allow people to be involved. Out of obedience, and pressure from friends, even though I was still not super comfortable with asking for financial help, I went ahead and sent out a few letters to family and friends.
Can I just tell you, it has been so neat to see people step out and volunteer to help. I really didn't know what to expect as a response, and honestly didn't have any expectations of people showing interest. It is so wonderful to know that people in my life are excited to help with a project that I feel so strongly lead to participate in.
I will never be able to describe how touched and moved I have been as I come home and find notes/cards in the mailbox sharing words of encouragement, promises of prayer while I am gone, and financial support. It is very comforting to know that I have a group of people in the States that is interested, concerned, caring, and is praying for me while I travel to work with wonderful people who I'm so excited to be able to support and serve alongside. Thank you for your continued prayer, and support.



In the picture are pictured Pieter, Rika, and some of their wonderful "little" family. These are the people that I have the privilege to work next to all summer.

Nerd Alert!

School/Work is winding down for my 5th graders, and I still am getting the last few details in order for my trip. I was able to get my malaria medicine issues worked out, I am still waiting on my passport with visa to be returned from the Embassy of Mozambique, and I am realizing that I need to start thinking about packing.

I am trying to keep my gear that I am hauling to a minimum, but I am realizing that two months is a long time to be gone. I'm not worried about clothes that I will need, because let's be honest, I would be okay with a pair of jeans, a pair of shorts, and a couple of t-shirts, but it is the other things that need to be packed. Cameras, a laptop (so that I can continue to post while I am gone), a mosquito net, soap and other bathroom things to last for two months, and many other necessary supplies.
How in the world do you pack a sleeping bag with everything else that you need in one suitcase for a trip to Africa? Look no further!!! Through advancements in packing technology there is an answer! (Yes. I took pictures, so that you could partake in the pure and exquisite joy of my upgrade in packing skills) [yes, I know it's nerdy].


That is my sleeping bag in a vacuum bag. I also bought other vacuum bags that will help me compress clothes. They all still weigh the same amount, but take up much less space. brilliant!

I have also started a new book titled A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldierby Ishmael Beah. The book is a firsthand telling from a young man that, as a child growing up in Sierra Leone, Africa, was caught in the country's conflict and forced to fight as a child soldier. Ishmael tells his story in a very personal way, allowing the reader to follow him as he flees his village and goes into hiding from the government's army. He was eventually captured and forced to fight at the age of thirteen. He is now 26 years old, and lives in the United States.
As I read this man's story I can't help but continue to remember that he is about my age. Remembering my biggest concerns at the age of thirteen were zits, and try my hardest to convince myself and others that I was worth hanging out with.
At this same exact time in history, Ishmael was fighting for his life and against his will, in a battle that demolished the majority of the villages in his country. It makes my concerns of whether or not I get invited to the popular kid's weekend middle school party seem quite petty.
The book is thought provoking, has helped me to be more aware of the world around me, and also how fortunate we are to be in a country that we can feel safe for the most part. I would highly suggest that you take the time to pick this book up and follow this man's story. It will change your life.

As I continue to learn more about the continent of Africa, I am more intrigued and long to be in the culture and learning first hand about life outside of the United States. 26 days until I am on my way to a place that is guaranteed to change my life.

I Need Your Help

By the way, I have been trying my hardest to let others know about this blog. It makes it more fun to write when I know that I have people reading. I also want to use this website to increase awareness for Africa, and what is happening while I am there.

If you would just make a simple link from your blog or website to mine, that would be a huge help! I want as many people as possible to be able to participate in reading, while I am gone. If you have friends that might be interested in my trip please share about my website with them. I would be honored! Also, I love to know if you are reading, please post a comment, or send a note to justinberger5@gmail.com .

Thank you so much.

jb