While I was enjoying my time in the States, I found a new roommate to bring back with me. His name is Ted E. Bear and he is from North Carolina just like me! He'll be traveling with me to see the sights and work in Mozambique.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
A New Roommate....
While I was enjoying my time in the States, I found a new roommate to bring back with me. His name is Ted E. Bear and he is from North Carolina just like me! He'll be traveling with me to see the sights and work in Mozambique.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Transitions
Missionary life involves a lot of transitions and saying hello and goodbye. This week I said goodbye to some fellow missionaries. Here’s a family picture of them at the airport as they were leaving. It’s interesting to think that I’ve been here long enough to see the youngest child from birth to now. I’ve watched him grow from a small baby to an active and cute little boy.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Thoughts from Carol....
October 21, 2006
This is a different type of blogspot than the ones I have been writing recently. It’s not going to tell you what I’ve been doing but it will tell you something which is on my heart right now.
Earlier in the week I helped someone. During the past few weeks we had gone on several daytrips together. On the day of our last trip I was going to say it’s been enjoyable going with you, etc. As we arrived at this person’s house he said what are your plans for tomorrow? I simply said why. I know my mind was thinking what do you want now? (We had left home about 9 hours earlier and I was ready to go home) He wanted me to help him the next day, he needed my transport help. I said no I’m staying at my house and waiting at the house for the telephone repairman to come so he can fix the phone.
By the way, the phone repair guy did come.
Later as I was driving away I was reminded of how Jesus must have felt when he healed the 10 Lepers and only one came back to say thank you. I thought thank you is all I wanted to hear.
A few days later I found the story in Luke 19 about the lepers. I reread it. This time God showed me the situation in a new light. He said how many times have I helped or healed you and you haven’t said thank you? I thought God wants to hear us say thank you and to be thankful for what we do have and what we are able to do.
Today I’ve been challenged and convicted with the thought of how many times did I not share Jesus with others when I had the opportunity to share in my heart language of English? Now that I’m in a culture that is completely different to me with a language that is not my heart language, I am convicted with the times that I missed the opportunity to share with others. Not so I could say this person accepted Christ because of me or that person, etc.; but to save them from death and to give them a hope for the future. How many people are missing out on having hope for the future? A question which I’ve been asking myself lately is how do people make it without having a hope?
I’ve been doing the Beth Moore Believing God study. In it is talking about the spiritual heritage you leave with your descendents. What kind of heritage will you be leaving? Will it be one based on Christian foundations and beliefs? Will it be one they can pass to their descendents? Is it one based on loving God? As many of you know I don’t have children who will be my physical descendents. But I am responsible for spiritual descendents. I am responsible to pass along my spiritual heritage to other generations.
Deuteronomy continually talks about the greatest commandment, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and strength. Is that something I’m doing each day? Is that something you are doing each day?
I’ve been blessed to have a spiritual foundation based on Jesus Christ passed down to me. Will your descendents be able to say the same? Will my descendents say the same? Will the children who are always glad to see the missionary Carol arrive be able to say the same?
The other day another colleague and myself were working on job requests for this area. A question which came up was how do you decide which job is top priority? Is it more important to send workers to the area where no one has heard before or to send workers to an area where people have heard but need discipleship/education? Is that something we can decide? Or do we write the requests and trust God to lead the workers here? I don’t know that there is a right or wrong answer to the question, there may be a better and best answer.
As I write this I reminded of the conviction I felt as I was on a mission trip to Brazil. We were showing the Jesus film in different villages every couple of days. At the end of the trip there were many who had come to know the Lord which is great. But the conviction which I was overwhelmed with was how was one missionary going to visit and disciple all these people?
As I look back over this writing I think were my thoughts really conveyed on paper? Can you see the conviction and questions I am faced with as I write this? I encourage you to ask yourself some of these questions? I’m not writing this to make you feel guilty about anything you might or might not be doing but just to share with you things that are going with me.
Carol
This is a different type of blogspot than the ones I have been writing recently. It’s not going to tell you what I’ve been doing but it will tell you something which is on my heart right now.
Earlier in the week I helped someone. During the past few weeks we had gone on several daytrips together. On the day of our last trip I was going to say it’s been enjoyable going with you, etc. As we arrived at this person’s house he said what are your plans for tomorrow? I simply said why. I know my mind was thinking what do you want now? (We had left home about 9 hours earlier and I was ready to go home) He wanted me to help him the next day, he needed my transport help. I said no I’m staying at my house and waiting at the house for the telephone repairman to come so he can fix the phone.
By the way, the phone repair guy did come.
Later as I was driving away I was reminded of how Jesus must have felt when he healed the 10 Lepers and only one came back to say thank you. I thought thank you is all I wanted to hear.
A few days later I found the story in Luke 19 about the lepers. I reread it. This time God showed me the situation in a new light. He said how many times have I helped or healed you and you haven’t said thank you? I thought God wants to hear us say thank you and to be thankful for what we do have and what we are able to do.
Today I’ve been challenged and convicted with the thought of how many times did I not share Jesus with others when I had the opportunity to share in my heart language of English? Now that I’m in a culture that is completely different to me with a language that is not my heart language, I am convicted with the times that I missed the opportunity to share with others. Not so I could say this person accepted Christ because of me or that person, etc.; but to save them from death and to give them a hope for the future. How many people are missing out on having hope for the future? A question which I’ve been asking myself lately is how do people make it without having a hope?
I’ve been doing the Beth Moore Believing God study. In it is talking about the spiritual heritage you leave with your descendents. What kind of heritage will you be leaving? Will it be one based on Christian foundations and beliefs? Will it be one they can pass to their descendents? Is it one based on loving God? As many of you know I don’t have children who will be my physical descendents. But I am responsible for spiritual descendents. I am responsible to pass along my spiritual heritage to other generations.
Deuteronomy continually talks about the greatest commandment, to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and strength. Is that something I’m doing each day? Is that something you are doing each day?
I’ve been blessed to have a spiritual foundation based on Jesus Christ passed down to me. Will your descendents be able to say the same? Will my descendents say the same? Will the children who are always glad to see the missionary Carol arrive be able to say the same?
The other day another colleague and myself were working on job requests for this area. A question which came up was how do you decide which job is top priority? Is it more important to send workers to the area where no one has heard before or to send workers to an area where people have heard but need discipleship/education? Is that something we can decide? Or do we write the requests and trust God to lead the workers here? I don’t know that there is a right or wrong answer to the question, there may be a better and best answer.
As I write this I reminded of the conviction I felt as I was on a mission trip to Brazil. We were showing the Jesus film in different villages every couple of days. At the end of the trip there were many who had come to know the Lord which is great. But the conviction which I was overwhelmed with was how was one missionary going to visit and disciple all these people?
As I look back over this writing I think were my thoughts really conveyed on paper? Can you see the conviction and questions I am faced with as I write this? I encourage you to ask yourself some of these questions? I’m not writing this to make you feel guilty about anything you might or might not be doing but just to share with you things that are going with me.
Carol
Literacy Training Helper
This is Abel's wife (Abel is one of the workers at my house). She was able to go with me and help with the teaching during the last three trips. She is a good helper because she isn't afraid to speak up.
(Abel is on the left and Arlindo is on the right)
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
A Typical Day for Carol
Lest we think it's all smiles for Carol....Read her rundown of a typical day in Mozambique and if you ever wonder how to pray, maybe this will give you some ideas.
Relax today....That was the plan...Then things happened. I was so tired when I got home last night from the church day. This morning I got up and went walking. Then I was expecting Fernando at 7 am to pick up some of his money. He's a good guy, I don't mind it when he comes by (most of the time). I could tell I've been at my breaking point the past few days. I thought I have some things I have to do but I also have to have some time. I prayed and I read Psalms 140 where it says and it says when my spirit grows faint w/in me it is you who know my path. I said that is me, I am there!
I went to the store to get a few groceries. Then I stopped at the Duncan's house to pick up my pots and pans which I use to take to the different churches when I go for cooking purposes. That was Saturday's question/dilemma where are the dishes? The pastor was supposed to have brought them back three weeks ago but I'm still waiting. Come to find out the person had dropped them at the Duncan's house b/c that is the Baptist house and they knew where that was at. The Duncan's had no idea that they were mine and that I had been waiting for them. Anyway....
I got those and I came back around 12 ready to fix salmon patties brought to me from a friend who went to S.Africa and to eat them while I watched Grey's Anatomy. I fixed them and ate and started watching the show. Then I heard a voice outside and I thought no...But it was, it was the pastor who came to town yesterday with us. He is going back on Wednesday with us when we got out to that area again.
I thought okay he doesn't know what time it is. I greeted him and we did all that mumbo jumbo. Then he said the reason I came. He said we are buying 5 bags of cement for our church, we want you to go with us and pick them up tomorrow afternoon. He said the bags cost more than they thought they would be so they didn't have money to pay for someone to transport them to the house where they are staying; and then Wednesday morning I could just pick them up there.
I said I can't go tomorrow afternoon in what I thought was very clear and simple Portuguese, I can't go. The other guy said maybe she didn't understand. So the pastor repeated the story again. I kept saying yes b/c I actually did understand it all. By that time my frustration level was about at the highest limit which I have. I was so frustrated that I could feel the tears of frustration coming. I raised my voice and said I cannot go tomorrow afternoon, I have another program. They said oh, what are we going to do. By this time my fleshly side was coming out and I thought you should have thought of that earlier, I don't know what you are going to do.
Then they asked for a drink of water. I said okay and I went inside to get the water. While I was inside I was able to breath and calm down a little. I took the water out to them. They continued talking for a few minutes saying what are we going to do?
I sat there and listened. And after God convicted my heart I said I can meet you tomorrow morning and we can get the cement then. That started a long conversation of where do we meet. When the pastor said you meet us at another pastor's house and we'll go from there I said no. That is going the opposite way of where the store is, I knew kind of where the store is but not really.
By this time it was about 12:35 and I was still thinking about Grey's Anatomy. Finally I said let's go this afternoon at 2 when the stores open up again. So we went at 2.
In the meantime I said you can wait outside with my worker and talk to him. I went back inside. Guess what? The electricity went off. I said okay God you didn't want for me to see G.Anatomy today.
After going with the pastor and then dropping him off I came back home a different way. I thought it would be the route where I see less people. Well I saw one of the English teachers and he said can I come by tomorrow morning? I said sure. When my evening guard got here today he said I saw you this afternoon b/c the different way went close to his house. I said I can't hide can I? He said well when you are in the car and on the road it's hard for you to hide. I said yes it is. Then I clarified that I didn't want to hide from him, my other guard and Fernando. Then I just left it at that b/c I didn't want him to feel like I wanted to hide from everybody. Plus that would be a different mindset from what the Africans have where you are supposed to be in community and they don't believe in privacy.
When I got home around 4 pm I started baking b/c that is a good outlet for me. I enjoy doing it. Speaking of which I better go check on the chocolate cake. Then I was able to watch the last quarter and half of Cowboys-Redskins game. I know you were happy.
So how was your day???
The heat is back here now. It's about 8:30 and sweat is starting to drop off of me from the heat....Take care, Carol
(Before we get judgemental and say "But she's a missionary!" Remember that she's just a regular person who like us struggles with too many demands on our time!)
Relax today....That was the plan...Then things happened. I was so tired when I got home last night from the church day. This morning I got up and went walking. Then I was expecting Fernando at 7 am to pick up some of his money. He's a good guy, I don't mind it when he comes by (most of the time). I could tell I've been at my breaking point the past few days. I thought I have some things I have to do but I also have to have some time. I prayed and I read Psalms 140 where it says and it says when my spirit grows faint w/in me it is you who know my path. I said that is me, I am there!
I went to the store to get a few groceries. Then I stopped at the Duncan's house to pick up my pots and pans which I use to take to the different churches when I go for cooking purposes. That was Saturday's question/dilemma where are the dishes? The pastor was supposed to have brought them back three weeks ago but I'm still waiting. Come to find out the person had dropped them at the Duncan's house b/c that is the Baptist house and they knew where that was at. The Duncan's had no idea that they were mine and that I had been waiting for them. Anyway....
I got those and I came back around 12 ready to fix salmon patties brought to me from a friend who went to S.Africa and to eat them while I watched Grey's Anatomy. I fixed them and ate and started watching the show. Then I heard a voice outside and I thought no...But it was, it was the pastor who came to town yesterday with us. He is going back on Wednesday with us when we got out to that area again.
I thought okay he doesn't know what time it is. I greeted him and we did all that mumbo jumbo. Then he said the reason I came. He said we are buying 5 bags of cement for our church, we want you to go with us and pick them up tomorrow afternoon. He said the bags cost more than they thought they would be so they didn't have money to pay for someone to transport them to the house where they are staying; and then Wednesday morning I could just pick them up there.
I said I can't go tomorrow afternoon in what I thought was very clear and simple Portuguese, I can't go. The other guy said maybe she didn't understand. So the pastor repeated the story again. I kept saying yes b/c I actually did understand it all. By that time my frustration level was about at the highest limit which I have. I was so frustrated that I could feel the tears of frustration coming. I raised my voice and said I cannot go tomorrow afternoon, I have another program. They said oh, what are we going to do. By this time my fleshly side was coming out and I thought you should have thought of that earlier, I don't know what you are going to do.
Then they asked for a drink of water. I said okay and I went inside to get the water. While I was inside I was able to breath and calm down a little. I took the water out to them. They continued talking for a few minutes saying what are we going to do?
I sat there and listened. And after God convicted my heart I said I can meet you tomorrow morning and we can get the cement then. That started a long conversation of where do we meet. When the pastor said you meet us at another pastor's house and we'll go from there I said no. That is going the opposite way of where the store is, I knew kind of where the store is but not really.
By this time it was about 12:35 and I was still thinking about Grey's Anatomy. Finally I said let's go this afternoon at 2 when the stores open up again. So we went at 2.
In the meantime I said you can wait outside with my worker and talk to him. I went back inside. Guess what? The electricity went off. I said okay God you didn't want for me to see G.Anatomy today.
After going with the pastor and then dropping him off I came back home a different way. I thought it would be the route where I see less people. Well I saw one of the English teachers and he said can I come by tomorrow morning? I said sure. When my evening guard got here today he said I saw you this afternoon b/c the different way went close to his house. I said I can't hide can I? He said well when you are in the car and on the road it's hard for you to hide. I said yes it is. Then I clarified that I didn't want to hide from him, my other guard and Fernando. Then I just left it at that b/c I didn't want him to feel like I wanted to hide from everybody. Plus that would be a different mindset from what the Africans have where you are supposed to be in community and they don't believe in privacy.
When I got home around 4 pm I started baking b/c that is a good outlet for me. I enjoy doing it. Speaking of which I better go check on the chocolate cake. Then I was able to watch the last quarter and half of Cowboys-Redskins game. I know you were happy.
So how was your day???
The heat is back here now. It's about 8:30 and sweat is starting to drop off of me from the heat....Take care, Carol
(Before we get judgemental and say "But she's a missionary!" Remember that she's just a regular person who like us struggles with too many demands on our time!)
Monday, September 18, 2006
Trains, Trains!
Trains are a major form of transportation for people from one city to another but also vehicles.
What is Carol up to???
I just thought you would enjoy some photos of Carol chilling and smiling! The past several weeks for her have been stressful so pray that she will have some "relaxing" time soon.
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Waiting, Waiting....
Waiting…
What do you do when you are waiting for the program to start? Or waiting for the participants to arrive? Well you either sit in the shade on a log or you pose for the camera!
Chalkboards!!
I must say that before I came to Mozambique I had never thought about making chalkboards. I just thought you went to the store and bought them. But now I know how to make them. One item which the workshop participants love to receive is a chalkboard. It is just a special piece of wood with two coats of black paint. Then they can use either side of the board.
Literacy Workshop
What is a literacy workshop? A literacy workshop is when I go out to one of the Baptist churches and I train the church members who desire to teach literacy. Usually this is done at a centrally located church and then the missions of that church send 2 people who want to teach in the literacy program. I take the books with me and then once the training is completed the teachers take the material with them to their church and they begin using it.
The picture is the most recent group of participants in the literacy workshop training.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
My Weekend Travels
Hey,I thought I might send a short report about my weekendtravels. It was a good trip. It was good to see somemissionary friends and visit with them. I went toMilangewhich is on the Malawi border.The weekend trip was fairly uneventful. No pigs in thebathroom. This bathroom was a little brick building,very little and not very tall. It was definitelydesigned by a short Mozambican. It was still a hole inthe ground but it had the fancy brick building aroundand roof on top of it. Actually the ones w/out a roofare better b/c the sun can help dry out the remainswhich don't make it into the hole...Anyway...We arrived at our friends house on Thursday eveningafter a 600 kilometer ride on bumpy roads. Then the nextmorning we left for the bush trip, the church was about40 k's away but it took about an hour and half to getthere b/c of the bumps/holes in the road. When we arrived the other missionary made the comment that thereweren't many ladies there, not like last year. They fed us lunch and then we waited.....We waited b/c there wasa mixup on the dates. According to what we knew it was to start Friday at lunchtime which is when we arrived.Then end on Saturday at lunch. According to what theysaid it was to start Saturday lunch and continue toafter Sunday service. Friday night we ended up singing for about an hour and that was all. The next morning the women's conference started. 7 of the ladies took 30 minute slots of teaching the material. We told them that we needed to leave after lunch onSaturday. At 12 we went to the little gazebo where theyhad been giving us our meals. Again we waited...Theybrought us Cokes, we drank those and waited....Usuallythey brought our food first and then the other ladies ate. This day they were really slow. Finally thepastor who was sitting with us went and asked about ourfood. They had forgotten about us. So we just left.We had been waiting about an hour and it would have been another hour for the food after they realized we didn'thave any.It is hard to get used to it when they want to feed us separate and have us sit in separate places b/c we arethe white person/missionary. They see it as honoring us. It's hard to remember that it is an honor. For instance at the Friday night music time they had the 3 of us, missionary ladies sit at the front of the church at a table facing the others. I felt like I was a governing body over them. We didn't like that. The next day we said we want to sit with the ladies in the congregation and just be a part of the conference. It was much more enjoyable like that.
Today turned out to be a longer trip than I expected.We left at 8 and I got home at 3 pm. It was a good trip, though. We went about 76 k's on good roads andthen about 30 k's on small, "cornfield" roads. Each place I went they gave me some food to eat whether I wanted it or not. One interesting thing that we ate was beans. The beans were cooked in the shell and then you just open the shell and eat the beans out of the inside.They were actually good...Take care, Carol
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Translation workshop
For two weeks in July, Carol has been participating in a translation workshop. In this workshop, the participants translate Bible stories and other small pamphlets into the language which they are working with. There are 5 different language groups represented and each group is translating the material into theirappropriate language.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Top of the mountain
On Sunday, June 25th, Mozambique celebrated their independence day. Since the holiday fell on a Sunday, the schools and other businesses had Monday off so we went on a hike with some friends of Carol's. The day started off with a misting of rain but we climbed anyway. The view from the top was AWESOME! As we reached the top of the mountain, one of the kids with us said, "Now you can see all the things our Lord has made." I guess that sums it up!
Above the pulpit
In Carol's church this is painted on the wall above the pulpit. Translated it says: Jesus is the Way.
Carol's church
This is Carol's church. Kim had the privilege of visiting Carol's church and hearing her preach. Carol spoke about the characteristics of God and while she was speaking, Kim said she couldn't help but think how faithful God has been to help her with the language. Only last year when Kim was visiting, Carol was still becoming comfortable with the language and was learning how to hold a conversation. Now Carol is able to preach a sermon in Portuguese. Kim said it has been interesting to hear Carol converse with others and notice how comfortable Carol is with the language.
"Good eats" in Pemba
While in Pemba, Carol enjoyed shrimp and french fries. Notice the size of the shrimp!!!!
Time to Recharge
Even missionaries need time to recharge their batteries and that's just what Kim and Carol did for several nights in Pemba. Pemba is a coastal town, (in fact, it's where Carol first thought she would be living). While in Pemba, they enjoyed the beach, eating shrimp and wonderful service at the hotel.
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Thoughts on the village trips
1. It feels awkward to eat away from the group with "servants" waiting on you. The Mozambicans do this as a sign of respect, but it's hard to adjust to having someone wait on you and watch you eat.
2. Kids love attention no matter where you are. I picked up one little girl and sat her on my lap. At first she was "holding on with all her might", then she relaxed enough to fall asleep in my arms.
3. Some of the ladies walked several days to get to the meeting. I can't imagine that! I love to hear "The Hoppers" sing, but I don't know if I would be dedicated enough to walk days to hear them.
4. God loves each of us!!! I overheard one of Carol's friends singing this song to her children after we had enjoyed supper with them. "Jesus DIED for all the children. All the children of the world. Red and yellow black and white, they are precious in His sight. Jesus DIED for all the children in the world. Cultures and languages are different. Skin colors are different. Yet EVERYONE deserves to know about the love of Jesus Christ.
2. Kids love attention no matter where you are. I picked up one little girl and sat her on my lap. At first she was "holding on with all her might", then she relaxed enough to fall asleep in my arms.
3. Some of the ladies walked several days to get to the meeting. I can't imagine that! I love to hear "The Hoppers" sing, but I don't know if I would be dedicated enough to walk days to hear them.
4. God loves each of us!!! I overheard one of Carol's friends singing this song to her children after we had enjoyed supper with them. "Jesus DIED for all the children. All the children of the world. Red and yellow black and white, they are precious in His sight. Jesus DIED for all the children in the world. Cultures and languages are different. Skin colors are different. Yet EVERYONE deserves to know about the love of Jesus Christ.
Kids are kids
Kids are kids no matter where you are and they help break down language and culture barriers.At Monapo, a group of 50 ladies gathered and most had a child by the hand and one on their back. Most of the children enjoyed playing with us. We played catch and dodgeball with tiny watermelon balls. Then Carol broke out the soccer ball and we all had a great time. I think I only scared one little boy. He was passing by on his way to school and when I tried to look at his schoolbook, he ran away from me. By this time we had played enough with the other kids they just laughed.
Monapo Church
This shows the inside of the church. Notice what they are sitting on.Here we also were served a meal- lunch. Many of the ladies either brought their own lunch or brought money (5,000 meticais, about 40 cents) to have lunch provided. Carol and the pastor left to get lunch at Peixe from Mama's which is Fish from Mama's House. I couldn't believe we were getting to eat from there because this type of house is all over Mozambique and I had been kidding about wanting to eat at one. Well, let me tell you the fish was great EVEN if it still had its head, eyes, and tail. We also had rice and some beans that were much like pintos, just better.
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