Ben's home!!

We’ll always have room for Ben! Even though he’s basically his own man now, heading into his gap year and with university decisions pending, we will forever feel that our home is more complete with him in it. We know that our parents have always felt the same, and now we understand why. You never stop being someone’s son or daughter – the blood ties cannot be broken, whatever other ties are formed.

During the week before Ben’s arrival in Mozambique, we prepared for him. My dear South African friend Isabella, whose home is a treasure trove of colonial antiques, and whose artistic skills extend to interior design, rolled up one morning loaded down with exciting things to decorate Ben’s room. Bed-spreads, cane chairs, animal skin rugs, tassels and cushions made their way up to the space which we have always called ‘Ben’s room’, even without him here.

Quickly the room started to take shape, and soon it looked like we had stepped back in time to the days of the colonial hunters and their trophies.

Kudu skin painting

A painting of elephants on a kudu skin canvas with a stunning wooden frame graces one wall, a drum made with stretched giraffe skin hangs on the chair, and a rug made from South Africa’s largest antelope, the eland, almost covers the floor of the room.

Elephant foot

Most startling of all is the enormous elephant foot stool, a trophy which fills one with a mixture of awe and sadness at the thought of what a magnificent creature this bull elephant must have been.

Ben is now comfortably installed in his African-themed room, and, although he’s missing Jess a lot, he’s certainly enjoying the sunshine, the swimming pool, and the well-deserved rest after a trying exam period.

Since Ben has arrived, Will has been so happy, playing with his brother in the pool at every opportunity, and it’s such a joy to hear their laughter again. Having Ben here has even got Lee out of the office at lunch-times and home much earlier in the evenings, and as for mum, well, she’s been baking chocolate pecan bars and making curries and just enjoying having her older son lounging around the house again. It’s good to have you back with us, Ben.

Ben's colonial retreat - with many thanks to Isabella

Over the past few months, students involved in community service at William’s school have been visiting the local village, meeting the elders, examining the local environment and, most importantly, helping to build a new school for the village children.

The school already existed, with a number of very committed teachers, and several hundred children. But the facilities were woefully inadequate.

Original structure beside classroom

This was the assembly area for the school with one of the classrooms to the left. It was decided to convert this open structure into a new classroom. Firstly the ground was cleared and the foundations dug for the new building.

Cleared ground in foreground with classrooms behind

New building on the way

While William was in Swaziland last October on his exciting class trip, many of the older children and teachers were spending their ‘Week Without Walls’ building walls! A huge amount of work went on during that week, and by the end of it the main structure of the building was up, with windows already in place.

New school with windows

Taken from the same angle as the ‘Cleared ground’ picture, this clearly shows how far the building had come in a short time. Of course, there were many parts of the job (initial design, structural foundations and so on) that required adults’ knowledge and expertise. Co-ordinated by Clare Diederichs, the school’s Community Service Coordinator, a team of workers (including at times the teachers from the school) have been guiding the children throughout the build.

Clare and helpers

School with roof and helpers

By the time we became part of the team, during the school holidays, the roof was on and it was time to put the floor in place and cement the walls.

While I collected water from the nearby stream to help make cement, Will and his friends helped with carrying the water, smoothing sand on to the floor and cementing the walls. But Will also spent a lot of time getting to know the local kids and playing games with them, which they loved.

Collecting water, with onlookers!

Will cementing walls inside

Will playing with the locals

We felt really privileged to be part of such a committed team of workers doing such a worthwhile job, and it makes you realise that helping the community does not have to be on a grand scale. It’s the enthusiasm and commitment that matters, and I’ve been so impressed by these qualities in everyone involved in the project.  Thank you to Claire for letting us be part of it all. I will post more photos of the classroom when it is finished – and when work is started on the other classrooms!

Maputo - 'Floody Place'

When Ben was very little, we had a wonderful map of Winnie the Pooh’s Hundred Acre Wood on the wall of his room, and before bed every night, he would insist on looking at it in detail.

The map included Christopher Robin’s labels, with such delights as ‘Pooh Trap for Heffalumps’ and ‘Where the Woozle Wasn’t', and in the bottom left-hand corner there was an area simply called ‘Floody Place’. We always left this till last, and Ben would wait for it with bated breath. We would finally point to it, look into Ben’s eyes and say seriously, ‘Floody Place, Ben, Floody Place,’ at which point he would break into hysterical giggles. We still don’t know why!

So this entry is for Ben, as our home became a real ‘floody place‘ two days ago when the Mozambican rains decided to unleash themselves on the country. Ten centimetres of rain fell in one morning. The soil here is not at all porous, and the drainage systems disastrous, so most of the water simply sits on the surface, causing widespread flooding. On Wednesday both homes and businesses were under water all over Maputo, and there was traffic chaos everywhere.

Sand-bagging outside Lydia and Lovemore's house

With us, the problems were more domestic, but nonetheless worrying! Would the water rise until the pool overflowed? Would the extra swimming pool forming in the garden go into Lydia and Lovemore’s house? Would the river running down our road decide to alter its route under our gate? All other work was abandoned, and the making of sandbags became the priority.

As the rain continued, all the creatures living in the garden were flushed out – the house and garage became full of cockroaches running for their lives, and Lovemore and I ran around bashing the poor things on the head. Frogs and worms appeared en masse; the ants marched determinedly up the walls and the poor chongololos (millipedes) floated lifeless on the surface of the water. Hobbes took one look outside and retired to the living-room to sleep peacefully on an armchair.

Lovemore in the flood

The whole of Maputo heaved a sigh of relief when the rain stopped in the middle of the day and the waters began to subside, and Will had lots of fun splashing around in the flood water on his return home from school. Actually, so did his mother and her friend Isabella!

So, as you can see, once the worst was over, we rather enjoyed our ‘floody place’. But I’d still like to know why Ben used to find it so hilarious!

Singing in the rain?

Having fun!

Isabella bringing style to the occasion!

5.45 am

Even if not wanting to wake, dogs barking over the road and light streaming through window do the trick. Pray for a while. Peer between curtains – another cloudless blue sky. Heart sinks a little when remembering that forecast said 34° and very humid again. Think of Lee in England, in the cold, with Ben, and sigh.

Head downstairs, unlocking doors. Turn off electric fence and turn on  computer. Let in Hobbes, meowing wide-eyed at the window, and feed her. Sort out Will’s snack-box, water bottle and money. Wake up Will, who grumbles.

Women with baskets

7.15 am

After breakfast, usual walk to school. Already hot and stifling. Down dusty track that is Avenida 1389, past two giant eucalyptus trees, up busy road that leads down to fish market. Mozambicans walking to work, some wrapped up in coats as if it’s cold. Bread delivery has arrived at corner and bread sellers, mainly ladies in brightly coloured capulanas (sarongs), are collecting their bread supply and walking away with it balanced on their heads in large baskets.

Past huge Portuguese School, where parents in 4 x 4s jostle for parking and access, and peacocks call mournfully from the grounds. Up road to the American School. Usual group of ragged boys nearby rush over, barefoot and grinning, to say hello. “Tudo bem?” (“Everything ok?”) we ask, and they nod, forgetting their purpose for a moment. Then they remember and hold their stomachs, saying ‘Fome,” (“Hungry”) in plaintive tones, heads on one side. Shake head and say, “Sorry, not today, boys,” and they shrug and accept it. Sometimes we give them loose change, bananas or loaves of bread – yesterday it was exercise books for school. So they don’t mind today’s refusal.

The school

7.25 am

Drop off Will who trots in to greet his friends quite happily, and head for library to prepare for teaching day next Monday and to do some photocopying. Chat to librarian. Notice flamboyant trees are no longer flowering, but enormous black and white butterflies are hovering around them.  Head back home, wilting from the heat.

8 am

Greet Lydia and Lovemore, who are already hard at work in house and garden. Their smiles are as warm as the day. Sit for a while under  fan at computer, answering emails, preparing yet another personalised letter for another publisher or literary agent, sending off letter, synopsis, sample chapters. Prepare Sunday School lesson.

Phone rings. A chat with Isabella, my South African friend. It rings again. A lunch invitation from Joanna, my English friend. A third call, and it’s a lady asking if I give private English tuition. Agree to do so. Write an email to Lee, telling him about my new work.

9.30 am

Enough time before lunch to do shopping, so drive to ‘O Vosso Supermercado’ (‘Your Supermarket’) where the meat is always fresh, where every shelf has perfectly aligned goods, and where service is good.

Come out and pay 10 metacais to a man who has been watching my car for me and another 10 to the man who has carried out my shopping. Not laziness, honestly. You can’t stop them. Many Mozambicans count on these supplementary tips to boost their small (or non-existent) income.

Miracle woman

11 am

Unpack the foodstuffs, then read BBC news online. Another lady has been pulled from the rubble in Port-au-Prince alive. She appears to be praising God as she is lifted on to the stretcher.  For those rescue workers pulling bodies from beneath buildings all day, this miracle must have made their day – their faces show it. Offer a prayer of thanks for that lady’s life, and for all those tireless rescue workers in Haiti.

Midday

On way out to lunch, gardener calls me to look at a chameleon. He is in a bucket, his skin speckled green and brown. Put my hand in and he opens his mouth fiercely, but it is all for show. Introduce him to a stick and he climbs on, his two-toed feet clinging on firmly, his eyes swivelling separately in his head. He changes to pure green. So beautiful – a miracle of creation.

Swimming pool gleams in the sun. It’s 34° and climbing. Just another day in Africa.

And then there were three...

Rhino Territory

On my trip to Swaziland,
To the park,
I saw a nursery rhyme of rhino.
First I saw two rhinos -
They were huge!
Another water hole,
Another two,
One was tiny, hornless,
And the other was bigger.
We had enough
Of that little show,
So we went to the centre of the park,
and HELLO!
There in the shadows
Another three beasts
With skin like dinosaurs.
They looked quite dangerous,
Their horns like rough and battered swords,
So we carried on.
Another smaller water hole.
Dad thought, “Let’s take a picture,”
So he clambered out of the car.
Then I heard “Oops, rhino!”
So he clambered back in the car!
Five rhinos came to roll in the mud,
Then two more,
So then there were seven rhinos rolling in the mud.
And finally,
There, at the waterhole by the camp,
Marched eight rhinos to come and drink,
They stopped, and turned, and drank…
Then they stopped, and turned and marched
Like a parade,
To stop… and sleep.

Rhino parade

Swaziland

After Christmas we decided to visit a country that only Will had so far visited – the Kingdom of Swaziland. The rains had been and the country was startlingly green.

We arrived at Hlane Game Park just an hour and a half after leaving Maputo. We drove into the Ndlovu Camp (which nestles in the bush beside a large water hole) and liked it so much that we asked if they had any free rondaavels (round clay-walled, thatched huts). They did, so we stayed, in spite of the fact that this was a camp without electricity.

Unlike in Kruger, we couldn’t drive all over Hlane – which is held in trust for the nation by His Majesty King Mswati III – just over a small part of it. At night we heard the lions roaring around us, but in our fenced off area there were no big cats, but there were elephants, hippo, deer, giraffe and an awful lot of white rhino! Here’s a selection of these extraordinary beasts, in all their prehistoric glory:

And here they come!

There’s a story behind the picture above – and Will tells it in his rhino poem.

Mother with tiny, hornless baby

Shaded from the afternoon sun

Will I ever get up again?

Big Daddy (just look at that horn!)

This old man was constantly covered in oxpecker birds – who eat the flies and ticks on the backs of just about every herbivore you see! And finally…

I'm saving this mud for later...

I'm closing the gate on this entry - but look out for my poem to follow!

Here we all are on Christmas Day. We had a quiet but happy time with just the three of us – and Hobbes of course  - and enjoyed our phone calls with Ben and grandparents. We missed you all lots, and especially Ben – it was his first Christmas away from us.

Christmas dinner

Cracker time!

Wearing new T-shirt and holding new Clone Wars figure (thanks, Nanny!)

Will with his new African drum

Hobbes in charge of Christmas Day TV (none!)

Next year we hope to be home with you all (except Hobbes, of course!). Thank you so much for all your presents and kind messages.

As a new year begins, it’s amazing how we look back at the past year and look forward to the next one, and forget to live for today!

I wonder how much of our life is spent regretting the past or wanting to relive it, and how much is spent worrying about what will happen to us next – when really all we actually need to be concerned about is making the best of the present moment.  It’s God’s great gift (or ‘present’, if you’ll excuse the pun) to us. No wonder Jesus said “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will take care of itself.” (Matthew 6:34). He also said (verse 27) “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?“

Hobbes is a wonderful example of how not to worry! Look at how she takes life – totally relaxed, and trusting that the next meal will arrive when it’s due. Even the heat doesn’t stress her out – she simply lies on her back with all her paws in the air. And she certainly likes her new Christmas present (a cane chair) – which was actually my Christmas present from Lee!

Hobbes teaches us a lesson in stress management!

Seriously, though, if we really want to make the most of our lives, we need to live and love in the present moment, and when the present is not happy, but filled with pain or grief, to look forward to a future where there will be no more suffering – in Heaven with Jesus.

God bless you all in 2010 – and Happy New Year!

As Christmas is nearly over for another year and 2010 heralds, I thought I’d change the theme again.

The header photo was taken at a nature reserve in Swaziland. I shouldn’t have got out of the car really, but as there were no big cats in that particular area, I thought it was worth the risk.

Hope it doesn’t confuse you too much.

Lee

Dear All,

Thank you so much to everyone who has been following and commenting on the blog over the past five months (can it really be that long?). You have no idea how comforting it is to come to these pages and see comments from friends and family. It makes us feel so much closer to you all.

We hope you’ve enjoyed what we’ve written. If you have the time, we’d be very grateful to know which entries you’ve enjoyed the most. For example, did you like the blogs about animals in Kruger, or about William, or about life in Mozambique? We want to write for the people who are following us so faithfully, so let us know what you like best!

Today the temperature hit 40°C – which we have discovered is almost (but not quite) unbearable! We are so lucky to be able to get into an air-conditioned car or switch on our bedroom air conditioners at night, and we wonder just how the local people manage, when most of them live in houses with corrugated iron roofs, with no fans and often no running water. I suppose that they have grown up with this heat and lived with it all their lives, but even so, they deserve our prayers.

When we jumped in the swimming pool today, it was like a warm bath! Very definitely not refreshing – in fact, after a very active swim with Will, I had to go and take a cold shower! How strange it is to think of you back there in the UK, with snowy scenes, when we are almost suffocating from the heat. It feels quite unreal to us, actually.

Well, this is probably the last entry of the year (though you never know!), so here are our Christmas greetings:

Will says: “Lucky you’ve got snow. Hope it lasts till Christmas. Have a nice O°C Christmas, and we’ll have a nice 40°C Christmas!!! Love Will.”

Lee says: “Thanks to everyone who’s been following the blog. Have a great Christmas, and we’ll see you all in 2010!”

Fiona says: “May the blessings of the Christ-child, our Emmanuel (God with us), be with you all this Christmas and with all your families. We look forward to sharing more of our adventures with you in the coming year.”

Hobbes says: “Miaow!” (roughly translated as “Save a turkey leg for me!”)

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!