FALL UPDATE

 'Where's Sis Dille?'      26 Sept 2014 Beira Zone Conference.  This picture is our version of "Seek and Find Waldo"  

A better view of our whole group here in the Beira Zone.  Pres and Sis Kretly, Elder and Sister Snelson and us.  We sure enjoy working with these wonderful young men.

What a weekend!!   Three marriages and then their whole families baptized.  This is Palmeiras Ramo.

A really cute picture of this family. The man 'Johnny' is sewing a typical African dress for me and this is his wife and 4 children.  

This is is back room with all his supplies and where we try on the articles he is making for us.  This s also part of the kitchen.  I'm sorry about the extra stuff on the picture below, but I just had to put her in this entry.  Isn't she just precious?

beautiful Africa

Our beaches here in Mozambique are really quite beautiful.  The sand is very fine and wonderful to walk in and the water is warm.  As you can see, Mom and our daughter Melissa are having a wonderful time chillin' at the beach just across from our apartment while I had other responsibilities to take care of.  Love our work here, but I was a bit jealous that I couldn't be sitting in the sun with them!

Melissa taking a "selfie" with her Dad at another beach area northwest about 5 miles.  This is a very large beautiful convention resort that has been built by the Chinese here in Beira.  They have put this lovely walkway along their beach front.  We hope this works for them, but there is not anything else here in Beira right now...they do have a big casino there so maybe it will be all anyone needs right there.

We were able to go to Kruger National Park for 2 days.  If was really fantastic to see all these animals in their natural habitat.  What an unforgettable experience.

This is a group of hippos just chillin in the river watching us motor by on our boat.  We were glad we stayed out of their part of the river.  They are very territorial animals and are HUGE!!!  Below is what we saw for 2 nights - gorgeous sunset!!!

No rhyme or reason - just pictures

 This cute little girl and her mother were waiting at the church house in Palmeira.  

 Typical street scene throughout our area.

 Shopping is along the side of the roads.  The wares are placed out every morning and most close shop around 8 in the evening.  Some have plastic overhead in case of rain, some do not.

 These handcarts are used for everything, as you can see.

 Had to throw this one in...our mission van us usually full of Elders going somewhere from something.  Elders Lynn, Ensolado, Cummings, Bender, Stubbs, Galland,  Ebmeyer ,Stubbs and Allen.

 This is Zone Conference the 28th of March at the Palmeiras Chapel.

 Are these two little ones so cute?

 The little boys play with tires and  bicycle rims.

 We see everything tied to the top of the chapella (the bus system) and off they go.

This is President Kretly.  We were at the Matola (in the Maputo area) chapel for an open house and he spent at least 20 minutes with these children.  They are so cute.

Church Garden

When we first saw the grounds around the Manga chapel, we were a little dismayed.  The space on each side and the back looked unkempt and over-grown.  We wondered about it because the rest of the grounds were lovely and well manicured.  

We have posted pictures of the rest of the grounds before (with the chameleon) in older posts.  

In another post I showed this spot with a woman from one of the branches who was pulling rice from this area.  The rice was growing throughout and just after the rainy season.  Now it has these wonderful garden greens growing.

We see members leaving every Sunday (that we are there)  with their hands full of produce.  It is really great!  I think it is a great use of the area.  

Scenes

Couldn't resist taking this shot.  I have had several items sewn here.  The tailors (alfaiate) or seamstress (costureira) I've used have a small tiny shops, but many are just set up under the trees where they have a little shade and oft as not, it is in a different spot next time.

We buy our tangerines and oranges from sellers like this along the streets.  This is Sister Snelson and look at those cute little girls sitting on the wall.

When we arrived at church on Sunday, I went ahead and Larry got stopped by this little girl.  She came right up and hugged his arm and talked and talked.  

I'm not a huge shrimp fan, but I do eat then.  This is called a Camarao Azul (Blue shrimp).  They are huge and have these long blue front legs.  They are fresh water shrimp and are caught in the rivers up between us and Chimoio.  It looked terrible to me and we paid Paulo to clean them for us.  I broiled them in garlic butter and they were really good.  A lighter taste than our other shrimp from the ocean here.

Variety in Life

 As we drove by one day - Wow this home on the corner had been given a face-lift!   It is so bright and eye-catching.  I love the color, just not sure about a home dressed it it.  

   This street is along the coast and just a block from us.  We pass by every time we leave, except if we go to the airport.  You can see what the house used to look like.  I love passing this corner.

 This woman lives in Manga. She is grinding and mashing  peanuts.  The put this into many of their foods and always in "couve".  

 These two pictures are our typical shops.  Along the street and under the shade of the trees.  Some shops have built the dirt up in places to keep their wares out of the mud during the rainy season.  This is a bicycle shop.  The bikes for sale are hanging from the trees and the repair takes place under another tree, on the road side or against a building wall along the street.

This woman belongs to one of the Manga branches.  The chapel has a large yard area that we thought was pretty unkempt.  But there are large garden plots all around and the them. This sister is pulling up rice shoots that were growing in the muddy water during the rainy season.  I will get pictures of the gardens and post them as soon as I can.  They really look nice now.

Sand

 This is the street in front of our apartment.  The woman is using a bundle of dried grass to sweep up the sand.  This is a common sight along all the roadways.  They take it home and use it there ( many make their own bricks to build with) or sell it.  

The task is finished and she is on her way home.  She lives in the neighborhood behind us.  There are always young men selling sand along our street.  During the early morning hours they carry heavy bags of sand from the beach to our street.  It must be illegal because they bring it in with the sun and change places along the street each day.  They and the piles are no where to be seen when a police truck drives through.