Two Weeks Left at YA

We are a little less than two weeks away from leaving YA Beira and starting our journey home. On the way we will be passing through the north of Mozambique to Tete, a small city that borders Zimbabwe and Malawi that I lived in while serving my mission in 2010. We will stay with an amazing family that always took really good care of us. We will then meet up with Emma's parents at the border of Malawi and will be touring through Malawi and Zambia eventually making it back to Lusaka to spend a couple weeks with them. We are excited about all that is coming up but obviously already making plans to get back to Mozambique as soon as we can. As I was reflecting a bit on our stay I came across something that I wrote when we were six weeks into our internship. I thought I would share it here.

May 27, 2014

-Emma and I have been in Mozambique for six weeks now. The things we are seeing, learning and experiencing daily are often strange and foreign but are fitting into our lives very well. Our eyes have been opened and we have been able to see our classroom learning being applied to real life experiences and opportunities. 

We love our little home. It is more than what we could have asked for, we have hot water in our shower, electricity, and two twin beds to sleep on that we have pushed together. Everything that we could have needed we have. Our bedroom is full of blue, our curtains, door, sheets, mosquito net, window frames. The curtains give it a special blue hue in the afternoon as the sun shines through that reminds me of the ocean…or a fish bowl. The pillow and folded blanket under my mattress help to keep the foam pad from sinking into the mismatched slats of the bed. Its our home, for now.

One of our main tasks is to work with the 21 teenage girls that live in the hostel next door. Our friendship and love for them has grown as quick as the covey in the garden outside our front door. They were quick to accept us and we are learning new things from our lively neighbors daily. The nightly activities we do has created a space for us to understand their needs, dreams, desires, and difficulties. 

For me coming back was strange because it felt so familiar. The smells resonated of a time of great change and growth in my own life. The green scenery constantly surrounding us reminded me of the natural beauty that Mozambique holds in her culture and landscape. The people reminded me of why the always present and persistent desire to come back only grew stronger with time. Mozambique and its people had truly been holding a piece of me. But I feel complete and at peace now as I grasp Emma’s hand as we walk upon the beaten ground through the small market near our home. Sharing this experience with her has changed me, has changed us.