Hippo Sighting Update

I have not forgotten about my quest for a hippo, but there is need for an update. I was informed that most of the wildlife in Mozambique was killed off in the civil war. People killed most animals for food because there was such a shortage while the fighting was going on. I was told; that there was a long time that you seldom even saw birds here. No dogs, no cats, but some chickens and a few goats.

My passport's visa for Mozambique has to be renewed every 30 days. This means that we have to leave the country and return to gain a new visa. Molly and I have arranged a trip to Nelspruit, South Africa next week. Nelspruit is the location of Kruger National Park. The park has been ranked as one of the top places to safari in the entire World. It should be a good break, which gives us a chance to relax and recuperate.

How to Get a Passport?

How do you go about getting a passport in Mozambique for a little girl who has been abandon? If anyone has the answer to this question, please let me know. I have been working on figuring this problem out for the last few weeks.

Today, this question took me to the Social Welfare Office of Matola, Mozambique. After a long walk, I was able to talk to the caseworker through my fearless interpreter Luis. The S.W. Office informed us that we first needed to have a birth certificate. We took the long walk home, grabbed Aninha’s paper work, and we were on our way to figure out how to get a birth certificate for an abandon child in Mozambique (Nothing is simple in Africa).

We rode the chappa to the Department of Identification and Certification in Matola. As I walked up to the building, I noticed that there was a really large group/line in front of the building. As we approached, I was estimating in my head that it was going to take approximately all day to stand in this line. As I walked up to take my spot in line, I caught the chief’s eye, and she waved me into her office along with Luis, and who was I to argue with a Government Official. Luis swears that I am his front of the line pass because of my complexion.

After sitting down across the desk from the chief of the office, I explained though Luis, that I was working on getting a passport for a little girl so that she could visit a doctor in South Africa. Automatically she asked Luis if I was trafficking children, which is big business in Africa. He responded by sharing that I was a missionary and helping run an orphanage and we showed her our government documents. I then showed the chief Aninha’s yellow card, which has all of her birth information from recorded by a doctor on it. She then asked to see other paperwork, which showed that she was abandon by her parents. This is where the problem started!

The two documents had conflicting information on them. The documents had two different fathers listed on each of them. After much discussion, I finally convinced her that it didn’t matter if there was a father’s name listed because neither of the men were involved in her life.

The next problem was that one of the documents listed Aninha’s birth year being 2000, which would make her seven years old. The other document listed her correct birth year of 2003, which would make her about 4. The chief made this very difficult; we talked and argued for a long time. I didn’t have the little girl with me to show that she was only three, so I told her that she was very small using my hand to show her approximate height. The chief’s response, which I found hysterical, “Maybe she is just really short!”

I sat there dumbfounded at why this was such a complicated process. I continued in the argument with this African Government Official, who should be respected and admired, by saying, “She still makes Ashe-she in her pants!” This translates into, “She still poops her pants.” I only knew the word “Ashe-she” from having to take some of the kids to the bathroom in the house, but it seemed to get my point across.
The chief gave me a big smile and then a hearty laugh. I instantly knew that I had won her over with my language skills and charm. She sent us over to another desk, where one of her employees quickly filled out all of the paperwork for Aninha’s birth certificate. As this all happened, the chief continued to sit and laugh to herself and shake her head at me, saying “Ashe-she.”

A Brief Update

There is so much to share, but I’m not even sure where to begin with what I have been doing in the last few days. We arrived at the baby house and were all very tired from the traveling. A team from Houston, Texas was here when we arrived and they already had the babies routine somewhat figured out. They have been fun to have around and offer so much help.

Our days consist of bathing the eight babies in the morning, getting them dressed, feeding them breakfast, entertaining and playing for the morning, lunch, and then their nap time offers some relief. After the babies wake up, there is more playing, the babies eat dinner, the baby's nightly bath, and they are dressed for bed. Intermingled within all of this routine, are diaper changes for eight babies, and finding time to go to the market down the street for supplies and food. That doesn’t include fixing dinner for the eight of us that don’t eat with the babies. It has been difficult to find time to sit down and write a new blog post.

While I sit here typing, the boys work on school work with their mother, we are all enjoying some Jon Shirley tunes, and I am loving life. I am going to try and post many pictures on my flickr photo account. These pictures will hopefully give you a better idea of what I am experiencing here in Africa. I am having a hard time putting my thoughts into words, but I think that my pictures will show you what I have been able to enjoy and experience.

Pieter has put me in charge of the large work groups that are coming into help at the baby house. The next two work teams are from Okalahoma and South Africa. I have been working on trying to get some of their visit organized, assigning jobs on a rotating schedule, and setting up visits to the jails, hospitals, and maybe even a soccer game to see Mozambique vs. Senegal. The tickets to the game are pretty steep in price at $1.00. ☺

Many things are happening around the house, they have begun to establish a partnership with a grandma and grandpa that are raising five children. We take food over to them for the week, so we will be running to the market to pick up what they need tomorrow and riding by chappa (van-like taxi that crams 15-20 people inside) to deliver the food to them. We have a long list of things that we are going to try and accomplish at their house. A few of the project include getting running water to the house, starting a vegetable garden, and installing an outdoor kitchen. Pieter and Rika are also working on renting another property to start a 2nd baby house. The property is within walking distance of the current house, and we are probably going to start painting, and doing some work on the house next week with the team from Oklahoma.

We are also working on getting a passport for one of the baby girls, so that she can get in to South Africa to see a doctor for problems that she is having with her ears. Hopefully it will be an easy and quick process. I am finding out quickly that the government is slow in their work and many simple projects take much longer than it seems that it should take.

Check out the pictures on flickr.

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.

Graduate School Almost Finished for the Semester

Tonight I attended my last class for the semester (I still have one final paper to write this weekend). For those of you that don't know, I have been working on earning my Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL). This degree has been preparing me to work more effectively with students who are learning English and from a different culture. The program at UMKC hasn't been the most impressive, but it will give me the ability to graduate with a degree of expertise in the field.

This may also may be a little nugget of new information, but part of the reason for my upcoming trip, is because I want to check out Africa as a place that I may want to move for a more long term stay. I want to teach overseas and hopefully make a difference in social justice. It is all very much up in the air, but I definitely don't want to close any doors prematurely.

As my school year is coming to a close, and the trip continues to approach, I have been keeping busy with many things. Typing many papers for my six hours of graduate credit has been dominating my life, I got more shots yesterday at the health clinic, and I also visited the doctor for my Malaria medicine. I decided to take Larium, which has a very likely side affect of hallucinations, vivid dreams, and possible night terrors. Never a dull moment ... At least I won't get malaria, and it may give me really interesting things to write about. Stay tuned for Larium induced dream stories and possible hallucinations.

I have sent off for my visa into Mozambique, and am waiting patiently that it will show up in a timely manner. Say a little prayer, because without my passport, I'm not going anywhere.

Passport and Vaccinations

It has been a whirlwind the last couple of weeks. I have been hard at work with graduate school, shaping young minds, and preparations for Africa. I have some of the latest happenings are that my passport finally showed up. I had sent it away at the beginning of the year understanding that it would be back no later than March 1st. It finally showed up this last week (almost a month late). I was starting to get a little worried because I still need to send away for my travel visas. I also have taken care of all of my shots and vaccinations. The week of my work's spring break I had slight cases of Hepatitis A&B, Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Typhoid. Sounds like a ton of fun, doesn't it? Yea, for shots!

I also purchased another plane ticket today. It was my first purchase in foreign currency. It cost R925 (Rand). We decided that a 55 minute plane ride on South African Airlines was better than a 10+ hour bus ride across South Africa. I'm a little disappointed because I will miss out on the adventure of the bus ride, but I think that I appreciate at the choice after I have been on a plane or in an airport for the last three days. Kansas City -- Chicago -- New York -- Madrid -- Johannesburg -- Nelspruit -- Maputo. 54 days until I leave.

jb