05/06/11

Finally back at home, my dad, brother and I went to church this morning. And it’s so nice to know that, for once, you aren’t the person everyone is staring at!
We were planning to just spend the day hanging out at the mission and joining in the Sunday dance party with the girls, but then Irmã Albertina, my school director, asked if my dad could drive the truck for them. During Lent each class in the school was supposed to plan and present a theater piece or song about, and today she was taking the winning group to the beach for the day. They had arranged for a man to come drive the big flat-bed truck to take everyone out there, but he never showed up. I am glad my dad was able to help because the kids had a really wonderful time at the beach. There were 23 of us in total, 16 students, 3 aspirants, 3 sisters, a brother from across the street, and the 3 of us. An event is not an event in Mozambique without tons of food, so the sisters had packed two large pots of chicken rice, bread rolls and bologna, sodas, and tangerines—more than enough for everyone. And everyone just had a great time until it got so late we were afraid we wouldn’t make it back before dark. They brought and set up a volleyball net and my father remarked to me, “I have never seen people be so bad at something and enjoy it so much!” They definitely don’t practice often. Despite it not being a very warm day, they had a great time playing in the ocean, and at the end of the day had bought tons of fish to bring back to the mission.
When we were at Zavora beach, I was passing through the lodge when I ran into four people I know who work for different facets of the Inharrime government, including the chief of police. She was excited to meet my dad again and then told me that later this month the first lady of Mozambique will be coming here to Inharrime, and that Ann and I should go with her to meet her!