Beira Pictures November 25, 2007

Care For Life, Manga and downtown Beira

Beira Trip, November 2007

Wow! We really had a fun time in Beira. The chapel was gorgeous, the weather was lovely and we loved the slower-paced city with much less traffic. The famous coke bottles were something of an oddity.

We had some great dinning experiences--great food and good company, and yes we did do some work too. I taught two members several piano lessons and was able to help them learn to play and read with their left hand. It wasn't as hard as they thought. We set up the district's little distribution/family history center and got the computer set up for the FH.

We spent some time touring Mbatwe, one of Care For Life's community projects that has been very successful and then visited a local wood carver who lives in manga and arranged for some purchases the next day. Walking down the middle of the village to Vasco's house and taking pictures of all the cute kids on the way was really fun. We were able to see all six branches in Beira district. Inhumizua was lovely but it was too dark to get a picture. It is all outdoors, even the chapel. The fence is going up around the property in Manga which will have a new chapel just like the Beira chapel by next year. It's exciting!!

Mozambique Piano Recital

back row: Elder Dow, Kabe, Lourena, e Celso. front row: Sister Allred, Alice, Bina, Mércia, Suny, Lizi, Joaquina, Herménio, e Francisco.














Suny, Sister Allred, Joaquina, Lizi, Lourena, Francisco, e Kabe
Sister Allred, Lourena, Joaquina, e Alice

October 20, 2007 Recital Day

What I really love about my mission is teaching members to play the piano! I have always loved teaching music and this is such a joy to see and hear them learn to play the hymns and to then play for their sacrament meetings and the baptisms. On Saturday the 20th, Elder Dow, who also teaches some members in the Magoanine branch, and I held a recital for our students so that they could play for each other. Some are just beginning and others are playing the simplified hymns with two hands, but all are working hard and practicing to learn the skills needed to succeed. Some were unable to attend because of work, school or other obligations but we had a great time and all those who participated earned a certificate of acheivement and participation. Hope you enjoy the pictures!

Maputo English class

September 24, 2007

Tomorrow is a huge holiday in mozambique! It's like their Independence Day. All of the stores were very crowded as people stocked up on food for their celebrations. There wasn't much left at Shoprite. Sister Wick and I had the delightful task of taking the Elders to their homes in T3 and Magoanine. It took us 3 hours to accomplish this because of the horrific traffic and because the Elders were about 45 minutes late. It's the last time for that! Anyway, the huge rain clouds that looked so threatening have not materialized and we merely got a few sprinkles.

I am posting a picture that we just got from Elder Bowler, who is the Elder in it and who helps teach the English class. This is a picture of Sister Wick's surprise birthday party. These are all of our friends from the Maputo English class. Under Elder Bowler's arms is my student Emanual who loves to play the piano. Behind me is Lara who is in the primary presidency.

Sister Wick is holding a picture that was drawn by Sarita, Lara's daughter who is kneeling and next to Lara. Nilsa, who came here 13 years ago from Brazil, is on my right. The picture is a very cool pastel of a Mozambican map and has many fun African designs drawn into the map. Elder Bowler and I loved it so much that two weeks later she brought one that she had made for each of us. We have a lot of fun in the class and love these people alot.

Namaacha Pictures

Here are a few more pictures of our illustrious missionaries. Pres. Packard is the photograher. Elder McBride is on the tower, looking like the Assistant to the Pres. that he is and
Elder and Sister Reghin are an adorable couple who are converting all of Matola City, and Sister Davis and Sister Wick are enjoying their lunch.

Freedom from the Smog!!! Aug. 21, 2007

Hi,

It has been a whole month since I last wrote. I can't believe how fast the time is going by. Last Monday was a very fun P-day. We went to the border of Mozambique and Swaziland to a place called Namaacha where there are supposed to be beautiful waterfalls. In fact I often buy water that is bottled from Namaacha and it is very delicious. This is the dry season, however, and it is unusually dry right now, so I was not surprised to find just a trickle for the water fall! We called it an "airfall!" Still, it was lovely and was a very fun place to explore and have a little picnic. Breathing clean air was wonderful and the weather was beautiful. We really had a great time getting out of the city for a few hours. Here we are, a happy bunch of great missionaries!

PIANO STUDENTS

Joaquina
Charles
Suny
Artemisa

Nelia

Hi,

It has been a while since the last post. Since I just got home from Matola, where I was doing my favorite thing teaching piano, I thought I would post a few pictures of these wonderful students who are progressing really well. Last month we received 10 new keyboards from a Grant called the Harman Grant and I am excited that now many of the students are able to have keyboards in their homes to practice. They will really be able to progress now! Suny is going to play in his branch sacrament meeting this next Sunday and Charles has already been playing for a few months. Joaquina is thrilled to be learning We Thank Thee Oh God For A Prophet. In October they will all play on a little recital with about 15 other students. It is exciting to have some young students who have the time to practice and many years ahead of them to be of service to their branches and later to their wards. They are true pioneers here in Africa!! This is the beginning of wonderful things to come.

Jana

Francisco's Casa Nova

July 13, 2007

Hi there todos! I just wanted to tell you about my friend and piano student Francisco. He is in the Maputo 1 ramo and is the janitor at the church. He loves music and I am teaching him to play the piano. His house was falling down and the Abdos saw that he really needed something more adequate for his wife and three little girls to live in so they undertook a project to build him a new house. Now they will be protected from the rain (not that we have had very much lately!). They still have no running water nor any electricity, but it is a much nicer place than before and they are very happy! Elder Abdo took the before and after pictures and sent them to me. The Abdos are leaving to go home to Brazil and we will miss them so much. They have really kept the mission running and in topnotch shape for the past two years. I will post a picture of them mais tarde. Tchau.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SYDNEY!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SYDNEY!!! I hope it is a great 12th birthday and I hope you enjoy seeing a few of the Elders here in Maputo, Mozambique, Africa. We had a BarBQue on Monday, P-Day, to celebrate the 4th of July. Sister Packard had this great idea for her grandchildren's birthdays and so I was able to get a fun picture for you too, Sydney. Tenha um bom aniversário!

Moças Acampamento

Hi, This weekend was the very first ever young women's camp in Maputo, Mozambique, Africa. Sister Wick and I went to lend our support and enjoy visiting with some of our moça friends. It was held at the T3 branch where there is a lot of room and good security. The additional house in the back yard was a great place for all of the moças to sleep and have their fun activities. Elder and Sister Reghin are the wonderful pioneers who have helped these young women grow and learn how to plan and carry out this historic activity.

my new blog

whatever..qualquer coisa