A Golden Perspective

There are many bright spots to living here in Mozambique. Some of them are obvious, others take some digging to find, and still others only God can show you the gold of the moment. 

Obvious gold:

1. A toddler running up to me excitedly, "Mana Gloria! I'm going home!" (He was going to visit his dad over the Christmas holidays)

2. A first grader showing me his leg after the cast was removed. He was so happy he could now walk and play with his friends.

3. A preschooler driving a stationary play car. I asked where we were going, to which he replied, "South Africa, to visit Mana __________!" The missionary who oversees his dorm was in South Africa for a break. I guess he missed her and wanted to visit.

4. Lost in translation. The children having been watching the movie, Frozen. One Saturday morning as I was getting ready, I heard out my window, "Where'd it go, where'd it go?" Their understanding to the lyrics, "Let it go, let it go!" It brought a smile to my face.

5. Watching the toddlers open their Christmas presents. Each child receives a new outfit complete with underwear. One 3 year old was so excited to see that he had not one, but two new pairs of underwear. The joy on his face was contagious.

6. Meeting with fellow missionaries this past Wednesday evening for our weekly small-group meeting and sharing bible verses that have been meaningful to us in our lives. I loved seeing glimpses into the lives of those I live with and to know what encourages them to keep going or what has helped them in certain seasons of their lives.

7. Being able to communicate with a store employee to ask if they sold batteries. Sure I used the wrong word for battery but I was able to get my point across.

Digging for gold:

1. Learning the gifts and abilities that I have and gaining confidence in myself by overseeing a clinic and the health needs of 250 children in a country where I do not speak the language.

2. We have had a few babies come to us at 2-4 weeks of age severely malnourished or on their way to being there. Thankfully by their parents or grandmothers bringing them to the milk program their health and weight have improved with being given formula.

Gold only God can see:

1. I received a call from a fellow missionary saying that a child had been brought to the centre, dead. He was the son of one of our workers. The mom was working that day and received a call from her sister who was looking after him saying her son was not doing well. It being holiday season, traffic was bad so it was thought best to bring him to the centre clinic and be assessed there instead of her going home and then bringing him to hospital. Within the time it took to come to the centre, he died. He was still warm to touch and looked to be sleeping but vital signs were absent. We wrapped him in a blanket and made arrangements for him to go to the hospital mortuary. 

God's gold of this moment - "you did well, receive My peace", through the counsel and prayer of a trusted friend.

2. At the end of a busy and frustrating day, feeling that I did not measure up to my standards, that I disappointed people, that I did not fix the problems presented to me, that children are still sick and we don't have answers for them. 

God's gold - "you did so well today, I am proud of you." 

These are the words that I hold on to and encourage me to keep going forward. His words are what matter and are gold to me always and forever.

Dads and Daughters

One of my roles here is being involved in the milk program. Here, babies are brought in from the community by a concerned family member, often the mother, looking for assistance with feeding their child. For either medical or social reasons, the mother is not able to breastfeed. I work with the Mozambican nurses to determine the nutritional needs of the baby. In most cases it is the mother who brings in her baby. At times it is an aunt, grandmother, or female neighbour. On the rare occasion a father or uncle will bring in their baby. You can read one such story of a concerned uncle here. A few weeks ago we had one of these rare moments. A concerned father brought his newly born two week old daughter. She was tiny and had not eaten for almost 24 hours. Her mother was in hospital severely ill. You could see the concern this father had for his daughter. Her weight which had been healthy two weeks earlier at her birth, was already beginning to show the signs of nutritional neglect. Our numbers on the program were already at the max but we could not turn this little one away. We gladly accepted her and she and her father have since been coming consistently. Even though it has only been a few weeks, you can already see the improvement in her weight as it steadily climbs upward. You can see the tenderness that this father has for his daughter. In a culture that does not value women as equal, it is heartwarming to see that to some fathers, daughters are treasures.

My own Dad treasures the three daughters that he has. We have a picture of my dad with us three girls when we were young, wrapped in his arms after a Sunday afternoon hike. Then there is the picture of me, at two years old, assisting my dad in building the backyard shed. Not to mention the countless times he has taken us on canoe adventures, remained calm teaching us how to drive (which also includes how to drive out of the ditch), or the little things like bringing us home a surprise gift at the end of his busy work day or his sparkling eyes when we come home for a visit. All these things speak to the love which he has for us, his daughters.

I am also reminded of stories from the bible that show the value and esteem of women. Like the story where the five daughters of an Israelite man are given the same right as the Israelite men to own land so that their father's name is not forgotten (Numbers 27). Or how in Nehemiah it includes in the list of workers the father and his daughters who helped to build the wall (Nehemiah 3:12). And then there is Jesus, who affirmed women and taught them, who gave his life for them along with their male counterparts, who was sent by the Father who loves His daughters, in order to be reconciled to them. They are included in the gift of salvation. They are included, they are not less than. They are treasures to their Father. They are loved. They are valued. They are chosen.

Sabe meu nome? (Do you know my name?)

One of the things that touches my heart since returning to Zimpeto, is having children come up to me and greet me by name. I especially love the times when those who I didn't think would remember me will come up to me and timidly say, "Olá Mana Gloria". It's great to be remembered.

The other week I was walking to Thursday night children's church and a boy came up to me and asked in Portuguese, "Sabe meu nome (do you know my name)?". There was a pause on my end because I didn't fully hear his question. I repeated back "sua nome (your name)?" to which he nodded. "Si, sua nome é _____*" (Yes, your name is _____). He nodded. I continued, "Você tem irmãos, _____, _____, e _____ (You have brothers, and I listed them). He nodded again and I smiled. Proud of myself for remembering but also touched that it mattered to him that I knew his name. I think it matters to all of us to know that we are known and remembered. I'm glad he knows I remembered him and I'm glad he also remembered me. Most of all I pray that he knows God knows him and that he knows God.

I have arrived!

I arrived back to Zimpeto's Children Centre this past Thursday afternoon, exhausted after travel but happy to be back. I had enough energy to attend children's church in the evening and these two girls were especially happy to see me back.

My mistakes and His faithfulness

I applied for my Mozambican visa a couple weeks ago. I read through the requirements but did not include a return self-addressed pre-paid envelope. I was nervous bringing all the papers and my passport to the fedex desk, hoping that I had everything and that it would all work out smoothly. I sensed God say to me as the employee arranged the proper envelope and forms, that He had this. This process was in His hands. The following Monday, I woke up wondering about the fact that I had not included a return envelope with my application. I messaged a fellow missionary and asked what she had done that when she applied for her visa. Her response, "yes you need to include an envelope, that's how they return your passport and visa to you". Then it dawned on me with an intense fear that I had messed up and that my passport could be lost. I was furious at myself for not following the instructions. I was also afraid because I did not know how to fix my mistake. I had heard of other stories from other missionaries on the base of them trying to reach the embassy when visas were not coming through or being yelled at on the phone when speaking to the embassy. I was afraid that there was no solution. I went back to the embassy website and saw their email address and phone number. I emailed immediately asking how to fix my mistake. I saw also that the phone number was only available from 3-5pm. So I had to wait. 3pm came and I called the numbers listed. No answer so voicemail messages were left. Once that was done I got the thought from God to call back again at 4pm. I called the numbers again when that time came. Before this I had asked God that I would have favor with the embassy and that it would be a kind person on the other end of the line. On the third call, as the ringing continued, I prayed again, "please God let me talk to a person, let them be kind, let me not be yelled at". A lady answered as soon as I finished my prayer. I explained my situation to her asking how to resolve my mistake. She kindly stated, "just email an envelope to the same address". I was shocked. That's it? That simple? I was so happy. I clarified that was all I needed to do to which she said yes. I was amazed. I thanked her and hung up. God is so good. He is so kind to answer my prayers and fix the mistakes I make. I am so thankful for His kindness and goodness to me especially in situations like this.

Three shifts!

Three shifts to go and then I am officially finished working at my current job. So bizarre. It doesn't feel real yet. I worked last night, and my line partner - the nurse who works the exact same schedule as me - and I realized that this would be our last shift working together due to both of us taking holidays in the next few weeks. It was a sad moment and sadder that it snuck up on us so quickly. I guess we both assumed we would have more time working together. I have worked with this particular nurse for almost 4 years. She has seen the worst side of me when I am frustrated and sleep deprived and continues to support me in my work. I wish I could somehow repay the favor. We don't even have a picture together. Strange how something that takes so much of your time and people that spend more time with you than family don't get the recognition they deserve. 

Thank you to all the nurses I have worked with in the past few years. You do great work and deserve to be recognized for all the hardwork that you do!

what does "o pa tima" mean?

"O pa tima" means "see me shine" in one of the local languages in Maputo, Mozambique. I want to see the moms and babies in Mozambique, specifically in Maputo, thrive and live life well. I want to see them shine with life.