Interesting possibilities

Joaquim Chissano School

[Stan] This week has been a week of possibilities.  We have visited 3 schools; 2 of them with the community members.  At the Joaquim Chissano school the women sang a song welcoming us.  It was really nice and very interesting as one woman chanted and the others responded.  They are in need of more classrooms and thought we were there to build them more buildings.  But we had to tell them we do not build buildings; but we can help fix up what they already have.  A storm took off the roof and we can help with that as well as other materials needed for fix up; also, desks.  Well, they did not seem so happy now.  There was a big discussion about how they were going to get the money to do it.  I told them they needed to sacrifice for their children if they expected them to get an education.  The average number of students per classroom is 50.  We often see 80.  Anyway, the school and community leaders reminded them that this was their chance to get some help and they needed to step up and do their part.  We will go back to speak just with the leadership and formulate a plan.

Ricatla School

The Ricatla school experience was almost identical.  The difference at this school is that they have already started the foundation for 3 more classrooms; but have stalled for lack of funds from the community.  (The government is supposed to provide, but simply cannot keep up.)  They also were disappointed to learn we will not build buildings.  But they have a good start and after the meeting today we believe they will make it happen.  We assured them if they build them we can furnish them with everything they need inside, desks, cabinets, blackboards, etc.  When some complained about the plea for more donations a member of the community leadership asked them how much they spent on a beer.  If they would just for go a few beers they could help build the school.  (Great idea!) Again, we will meet again soon with the leaders and put a plan together.  They think they cannot do it, but they have the resources.  They just need to believe.  Our mission president said something in the zone conference that has given me courage.  (We usually do not go to these conferences as welfare services missionaries, but the couple that does was out of town and we needed to fill in to take care of food and other arrangements.)  He said we should not be afraid to ask people to sacrifice.  We are inviting them to demonstrate their faith and the blessings come by faith.  So now I do not hesitate to ask and expect the people to do their part.  It is so important for them if they are to grow and get stronger.

Machaa KM 15 School

The third school we visited was Machava KM15.  A few years ago the church built flushing latrines for this school, but the well you see here was vandalized and the pump stolen before the water supply could be installed in the latrine and it has never been used.  We have tried to get the city to respond and help to no avail.  Now the well still does not work (no pump) and a storm took the tank from off the top of the tower.  This school has 7500 students, grades 1 - 7.  19 classes can use the existing classrooms; the others meet outdoors under the trees.  I cannot comprehend 7500 students!  They meet in 3 sessions with a staff of 86.  They do not have water at the school.  We will probably expect the community to get the well up and working and we will get the water to the latrine and get them refurbished and working properly.  At least, this is the plan.  We still need to see what our supervisor in Johannesburg counsels us to do with this.  It is a complicated situation.  We have to get  the right people involved and on board to make this work.  We will see.

Talking to the printer for MNC

Holding a darling baby Daniel

We are working on a major initiative called Mothers and Newborn Care.  It will be in Beira (a one hour flight away) and we have been tasked to follow through on the printing of training materials.  Not sure when this project will actually take place.  Still working on that part.  The printer showed some interest in the church that came from reading the Liahona.  He was given a copy a few years ago and wanted to know if we could get him more.  We gave him several that we had in our apartment and showed him how he could go online to get them as well.  We said he really liked Mr. Monson's words. 
The next picture is Teril holding little Daniel.  He is the baby of a young couple that worked with a previous missionary couple in welfare services.  They are interested in making their own organization bigger and stronger; so they have asked if they could help us with our work.  It is an interesting arrangement.  Not sure how things will work, but they are very nice people and gives us an opportunity to share gospel principles with them.
Love all of you and appreciate your prayers in our behalf.
Elder and Sister Petersen, Stan and Teril, Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma

Mateque School continues to grow!

Tin room after project completion

We closed Mateque School refurbish several weeks ago at the closing ceremony.  At that time, the school administrator shook our hands and promised he would keep working on the upkeep and improvement of his school as we had been teaching.

There is no better "thank you" than to see what you have been teaching applied.  We are so proud of Izidro Magaia and his community.  They are following thru.  They continue to work at improving the school.

Door the community bought

2nd door the community bought

These door were purchased by the community without our assistance.  The community had promised to secure the desks we had given them.  These two rooms did not have doors on them and so could not secure the desks.  There had been no desks put in these rooms because of that.  Now they have locking metal doors that match the doors we did provide them and secured the rooms.






Look at the happy teacher and students that get a desk to work from.  The teachers are so grateful to teach students from a desk rather from the floor.  They can walk among their students and see what they are doing and help them much easier.

Happy Teacher

The teachers have been standing the whole time, unable to sit down during their shift with no teacher's desk available until now.  They are also very happy with the cabinet, locking cabinet now provided to secure the textbooks supplied to them.

Cabinet to store books

Happy children in their desks

We are so privileged to be called to this great country to serve the Lord on this mission.  We are so grateful for the principles of the gospel here (Welfare Principles) that have been applied and we have been a part of this great plan.  We hope and pray these principles continue to be adhered to  and that growth can continue to happen.

Week of March 1-6

Africa South East area mission

2nd Stake Conference after Elder Andersen

Out of water again---Mission Office Thank goodness

Traditional Dance program See facebook video

Natural Museum of Maputo

 

 

Natural Museum

Natural Museum

Inhagoia B new gate

 [Stan] Teril posted a some pics here and I will comment on our week.  The first pic was taken at the area office in Johannesburg in January at our area welfare training.  This are the humanitarian couples in Africa Southeast Area.   The couple in the middle (she is standing just over my left shoulder and her husband behind her) are Walt and Susan Peterson.  They are our supervisors there and they have been assigned to work as the office couple for the mission in Zimbabwe.  They are in dire need there.  That leaves us short-staffed as well.  We will miss them.  PLEASE!!  We need more senior missionaries!  Our mission used to have 6 couples; we are down to 4.  There are also less humanitarian couples and it is making things difficult.  The area office is having to say no to possible projects because we do not have the people to get it done. 
We had our regularly scheduled stake conference today 2 weeks after Elder Andersen's visit.  Stressed temple attendance and the importance of sacrifice.  They are so looking forward to having a temple here.  Teril and I sing in the stake choir.  I am not an enthusiastic participant, but I go.
We have been out of water most of the week; our back up supply lasts us about 2 1/2 days.  We had to take a drive to the mission office where they had water at the time and fill our containers.  It has become a regular exercise to expect water shortages; so we rely on our back up.  When the water returns it is the number 1 thing we do to get every container filled because we never know when we will need it.  For sure we will. 
The next picture is of a street performance of some African cultural dance.  They started performance on the street next to the place we were eating.  The picture is not good, but Teril has posted a video on facebook that turned out pretty well.  I would like to learn more about the culture behind the dance.
As welfare services missionaries, we do not have a regularly scheduled P-day (preparation day).  So we schedule things around our projects when we can.  We decided to visit the museum of natural history here in Maputo.  It was very interesting; along with wildlife displays they had arts and crafts from the culture of the area.  Many of the things we saw reminded me of the American Indian culture; using bark for canoes, pottery, carvings, beadwork, etc.  Fascinating place. 
This last picture doesn't look like much; but it has a great deal of meaning for us.  We just finished a project at Inhagoia school.  When we returned just to see how things were going we found they had continued to do improvements and followed through on what they had promised.  The community paid for and installed 2 gates to the school so they can control who comes and goes and the vandalism has dropped significantly.  When we sat down in the office and discussed it, one of the staff members told me that my analogy of a bucket with holes in it made an impression on them.  They talked about it and decided they really did need to do something to "fill the holes" so they could move forward on the improvement of the school.  It was great to see them using the welfare principles we taught and witness the progress.  Our desire is to see every project reach this level of community involvement and understanding of the principles. 
We are so grateful for the opportunity to serve here.  We plead with all of you to seriously consider your situation and ask the Lord if He can help you serve a mission.  We could sure use you here.  If some other place and assignment comes you way, that is fine.  But find a way.  I cannot tell you how wonderful this experience has been so far and we expect it to just get better.  Love, Elder and Sister Petersen,  Stan and Teril, Grandma and Grandpa

Joaquim School

Joaquim Chissano

[Teril]We visited another school today.  We are considering partnering with them on a project.  This little school has 4 classrooms three built by the government.  Their foundation is up off the ground to control flooding and they have desks for about two rooms.  The community has come together to build a classroom to add to this knowing it a little hard to house 2200 students in 3 sessions in 3 classrooms.  (Oh!  They do have an office that has two rooms too!)

Community built classroom

We were impressed that the community built classroom uses the model of the government built classrooms in that the foundation is good and high and the windows are up out of reach of children.  They let in the light but you can't see distracting things outside them. [Stan] I would like to see better material used for the roof.  They need metal doors and windows that can be locked.  We will meet with the community leaders again to hear their plans and see how we might work together.

classroom under the tree

[Teril] There are 18 classrooms held under the trees during their 3 sessions per day.  I don't yet know what they do when it rains. Kids sit on their capulanas and write on their backpacks the lessons they copy from this chalkboard they move in and out of the lockable classroom.

Roofing problems

[Stan] When it rains they do not have class.





A big storm came thru last November.  It blew off the roof to two of the Government build classrooms.  The community put up a makeshift roof hoping it would work that blew off too.
As you can see, they do have desks that they carefully move to the corner with a roof for protection.

collecting blocks

The community has been involved as you see this pile of blocks they have been collecting.  Hopes are waning in their ability to solve their classroom problems.  Maybe we can help.

What do you think?