Closing the year of 2016

Silvestre Langa, Paula Jacude, Sister Petersen, Benildo Ujembe (our interpreter), Rosa Baraca, me.

Merry Christmas!  It is a bit late. But here nonetheless.  I will start with an update on our projects.  We are now working with the City of Matola with 2 of their clinics; one is a women's clinic in the Malhampswene bairro and the other is a general clinic in the bairro of Lingamo. (The accent is on the first syllable, but I have not found the insert options for this type.)  These are the city officials and the provincial health people that we are working directly with to furnish these 2 clinics with the equipment and furniture they need to open them.  We are hopeful that the women's clinic will be up and running by the middle of February and the other should be ready to go sometime in March. 

Malhampswene Clinic with Phillip Moatlhodi, Area Welfare Manager

We also have a school we hope to work with that needs several things.  (All the schools need something.  It is not about finding needs.  There will never be enough money to "fix" everything.  It is about finding people who are willing to learn and follow welfare principles.)  This is the Primary School of Eduardo Mondlane in the district of Marracuene in the bairro of Mali.  We are not sure if we can get this one approved and completed in the time we have left.  If we find a community ready to work with us, then it could happen soon.

I few weeks ago we also had a visit from the Maternal and Neonatal Care specialists trying to get a project going here in Mozambique.  Heidi McSweeney and Lisa Anjerwierden were here about 5 days.  We hosted them and we feel like some good contacts were made and it may come about before we leave.  We also had some time to enjoy some good food and a short visit to the beautiful beach at Macaneta. 

Macaneta Beach

bargaining

 

 

  

 

 

Benildo and his girlfriend by our Christmas tree

Stake Christmas program

Sister de Souza and Sister Johnson at Pres. and Sister Koch's home for Christmas Eve Dinner.  Teril cooked and cooked for 4 days helping put this together.  We had a wonderful meal and good times together.
This Christmas season has been a more reflective time for me.  Pondering on the events of the First Christmas and enjoying the read of The Stone Manger.  I recommend it.  It tells the real events of what happened and why. 
I have also been pondering on the many titles for Christ in the scriptures.  Each has a unique meaning and has a way of reaching us in a different aspect or angle.  I have especially been touched by the title of Advocate.  The idea that there is a celestial being that knows me intimately and loves me, that will plead my case in my behalf!  It is most humbling and inspires peace and confidence. 
We will be in Johannesburg Jan. 9th thru the 16th.  It is our annual welfare training.  We also will have the opportunity to attend the temple. 
Thanks for all your prayers in our behalf.  We pray for you as well.  The work continues to move forward.  It is wonderful being a part of it here in Mozambique. 
Love,
Elder Petersen, Stan, DAD, Grandpa

Lingamo Clinic

Lingamo Clinic

Community built classrooms, Eduardo Mondlane School

Roof blown off in a storm

This is a picture of 3 giraffes and a zebra we found at a safari parque near Maputo.  Fascinating to us!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Miracles, miracles and more miracles

Community Built classroom windows being finished

November 20, 2016
What an amazing week we have had.  The Lord has a hand in our lives.

We have had some big concerns with a contractor we hired at one of the schools we are working with.  He did not seem to be concentrating on doing a quality job or finishing the project at all.  Even though we were still holding his last payment and a inflation bonus too.  We were worried we would have to fire them.  The community was concerned too.

The school principle called a meeting of the school administration, the school committee, the contractor and us.  We happened to have our supervisor visiting us from Johannesburg so we took him with us.  What a wonderful surprise we had when we got there.

Metal doors attached

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holes were patched

The contractors had really been busy doing exactly what they contracted to do.  We were pleased.  The school was pleased.  The community was pleased.  We are hopeful the work will be complete soon.

New tin replaced the rusty one

electrical was being put in, paint, amazing

This picture shows so much of what was improved.  Here, shows the top cap on the tin put in place, the metal beams or joyces painted, the wall smoothed and painted, and the connections of the tin to the walls completed.

 

 

New desks were able to be delivered.

We got a bonus of wall treatment because of our supervisor's suggestion.

We were very happy with what we saw.  What a relief to know we can keep our end of the contract and they are keeping theirs.  A real miracle.  Whew!














The second miracle was just as amazing!  We had an Open House the Missionary Activities Committee had combined with the Young Men and Young Women.  The YMYW had prepared an all day event every hour planned for this open house of a new church building in Maputo.  They had been meeting at this building for the past 2 months without water and electricity.  Water and Electricity had just been provided the day before the open house.  Miracles!!The Stake Choir had been practicing for weeks for the open house.  All was set.

We got to the church building at 8 am.  We did not know what was going on.  There were hords of people swarming into this fair grounds of sorts from all directions.  We got behind a truck to plow our way thru the crowd to get into the church parking lot.  The road to the church winds thru this fair like area anyway but with this activity, it was nearly impossible.  That was going in.  Trying to get out later was truly impossible.  They had build a temporary building right on the road designed to give us access to the outside world.  We had to plow thru another way to get out and there were about 5 times more people than I have shown here.

We thought this event would be a detriment to our open house.  However, a new convert came to the open house and said he had an idea.  He went out into the crowd and invited them in to see the open house, anyone and everyone that would come.

Non members came in by the droves.  The missionaries tried to stay up with them.  They said they stopped counting after 1000 visitors.  Everyone changed the way they presented the open house but the missionaries got an amazing amount of referrals.  Miracles.  The Lord is really blessing us.  What a week!!  Amazing!!

Choir

crowds rushing to the fair grounds outside Sommerschield 

crowds at the fairgrounds (sound systems)

Kruger, Swaziland, Beira, and Gorongosa

adolescence at play

In our last blog we talked about our project in Swaziland with Helping Babies Breathe.  It was a great project and we were very blessed throughout the week.  On our drive to Swazi, we got permission to see Kruger Park, which is right on the Mozambique border.  Here are some pictures of Kruger.  We saw many elephants, impalas, and giraffes.  In addition, we saw hippos, cape buffalo, rhino, several fascinating birds, and a lion.  Seeing these creatures in the wild is so different than a zoo.  We loved it!!

Eagle scavaging

lonely giraffe

hippos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

female Kudu

The hippos were further away from the road, so we could not get a good picture.  But there were many.  The Kudu (above) is a big animal; the male being even larger with large horns.
The warthogs were plentiful; as were the impalas.   

We stayed here after exiting the park.  The next day we drove into Swaziland and spent the week working on the Helping Babies Breathe. 

 Sheri Smith, a nurse from SLC who is specialist with the project is here training hospital staff.

The hotel we stayed at while in Swaziland for the project.  

 One night while in Swaziland there was a thunderstorm and heavy winds.  Nests of a species of weavers were blown out of a large tree in the parking lot.  Amazing how they can weave.  The entrance is at the bottom.

Swazi Village

Helping Babies Breathe crew at our Swazi Village visit after a long day at the training.
Dr. Mike and Joan Madsen, us, Sheri Smith, Elder and Sister Blake (area office), and Dr. Tracey Frandsen.    

 Our next assignment was just 10 days away as the wheelchair specialists from CA John and Marcia Dow arrived in Maputo for a development trip.  They served as humanitarian missionaries here in Mozambique 10 years ago and wanted to visit the same branch where they attended church.  So we took them there.  They had a great visit.  This is the Magoanine Ward now that has split into the Mahotas Ward as well.

We also had a visit with the Ministry of Health representatives over physical disabilities.  From here we were directed to make a visit to Beira.  We had arranged for that ahead of time.  So we flew out of Maputo to Beira Monday morning and spent a couple of days there making contacts with the provincial government to see if they were interested and ready to work with us on a wheelchair project.  It looks good so far.  We will see.

 John and Marcia Dow with Priscilla at the provincial government of Sofala. 

Lunch on the windy beach in Beira at Biques restaurant.  Dows, us, and Sister Wilkins.  She and her husband are the senior couple in Beira.  They are leaving in March.  No one to replace them yet.  Not good!!  We need more senior missionaries!  
The Dows left Wednesday and we took a couple of days to visit Gorongosa National Park.  Wow!  In my humble opinion, it beats Kruger!  You really are out in the wild; just you, your guide and nature.  A great experience!  Here are just a few pics.  Teril has posted some on facebook.

Our guides, Montinho and Castro

Belbill tree.  Huge!

 The food was good there, too.

The area was thick with several palm varieties

Impala

 I may be wrong, but I believe these are Oribi antelope

 Nice pool at the lodging area.

 We crossed this river one afternoon, to visit a small village.  The water was low because of drought.  When the rains come and the water goes up, crocodiles will be here.  For now, they stay in other areas.  So they tell us!  We did see some big crocs in other areas of the park.

Yellow Fever Trees.  Green bark.  Beautiful

This picture did not turn out too well.  There were several species of antelope, warthogs, birds in this landscape. 

If I ever come back to Mozambique (which is unlikely) I will want to visit Gorongosa again. 

We are now working in 2 other projects; another school that needs help with latrines, and a clinic in Matola that we will be furnishing beds, equipment, furniture, etc. for them.  We love this work.  And we love all of you. 
Elder and Sister Petersen