02/12/09

Mozambique hasn't had an ambassador since 2006. In 2006 the former ambassador stepped down and the Bush administration appointed a new ambassador. But all ambassadors must be approved by the senate and in 2006 the senate changed from republican to democratic and the slightly controversial appointment was never approved. The Obama administration has recently made a new appointment so, if approved, Mozambique will have am ambassador again in January. Todd Chapman, the American in charge (the highest ranking American) while there has been no ambassador in Mozambique, came to talk to us today. He is such am intelligent and knowledgeable person and spoke so candidly with us, it was a pleasure to listen to him talk about Mozambique. He first came here in 1993, the year after the awful 17 civil war ended. It was interesting to hear him talk about how much things have improved since then. Things in Mozambique may not be great now, but only 17 years ago the country emerged from civil war all but completely demolished. If talked about not being able to stop and pee at the side of the road while driving because only the roads had been demined, but there were landmines all along the roads. I will never understand why anyone would ever use landmines in a civil was. Some trainees' host parents have opened up to them about some of the horrors of the war. Some saw schools bombed, some say their families killed. And these are memories that half the current population still has. Sometimes it seems that progress here is measured in inches here, but progress is progress, especially when one remembers what we have come from.