Baboon Poop/10 Things I'm Thankful For

I'm currently listening to Hanson's "What Christmas Means to Me" and other Christmas favorites getting so excited about coming home in 14 days!!!! I'm trying not to count down the days and fully live in each moment here but it's impossible not to think about home and smile because I WILL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!!! Yes, I said Hanson- I always had a thing for that Taylor:) But I'm getting ahead of myself- before I reflect on Christmas, I need to conclude my "thanksgiving thoughts" which are way past due. Although I am longing for home, I am still remarkably thankful that God has brought me to Africa to serve and am daily reminded of His love for me and of His blessings. I began my "thankful list" in the last entry by mentioning the two things that everyone seems to say they are thankful for: friends and family and although it sounds cliche, I am soooo thankful for them. Here is my continued list of things I praise God for:

3. Health and safety. Isn't that usually the third thing people typically list in things they are thankful for? I'm really not trying to sound completely unoriginal but for the first time in my life, I am genuinely thankful for my health and safety. Past years I have taken it for granted- it's hard to worry about safety when living in Brea and I've never had serious health worries. Moving to Maputo however, makes me suddenly aware of God's provision in this area. I hope that in heaven one day we are allowed to see ways God answered prayers without us even knowing. I was walking just a few blocks home at night the other night and found myself literally asking God to send an angel to walk with me- I've never prayed that before. I don't think about angels that much but for a moment I was frightened on the dark streets of Maputo where people are mugged every night and I knew that if I asked, God would send one. I can't say that I saw an angel with me but after praying, I felt so much safer and made it home with no incidents, laughing to myself at how my prayers have changed since being here and how much my faith is increasing. Besides God's angels, I am also thankful for others who keep me safe: namely Gizmo, Wilson and really, really old guard. (yeah, still don't know his name but speaking of the devil- he just walked by my window) Wilson and really, really old guard rotate staying overnight at our house to prevent potential robberies. This can be a dangerous job considering the other night 2 guards were shot right by Lindsay's house. I am very thankful for the sense of peace these guards bring although I may doubt how much damage really, really old guard would do against actual robbers-especially considering he is partially blind- I guess the robbers don't know that though:) He usually wears the same giant green overcoat and pink beanie but one day he showed up in a suit and so I took his picture because he looked so cute. I am also very thankful that I've had no health issues while over here; no malaria, no major spouts of diarrhea (sorry to use the D word again mom but I thought I would be struggling with this more than I am) no fevers, not even a stuffy nose- that is definitely a huge blessing- especially being a teacher and around "snotty-nosed kids.

4. CAM. I am so thankful for my students and for the school. It is a radically different teaching experience than what I'm used to but I love it. I am thankful that the dress code is lax so although the kids wear their neat and tidy uniforms, I wear my filthy running shoes every day. (I have stomped through muddy puddles in these shoes, been dragged by Gizmo into the ocean while wearing them, and I have stepped in cow poop and baboon poop in them.) I love that I get to know each of my kids on a personal level and give them all plenty of attention. I am thankful for the other teachers and the directors (the ones you may have prayed for in the past- Dr. Meyers is the one who had cancer and thus had to come late to Mozambique.) Such a small school fosters more intimate relationships among teachers and students and fellow teachers. Lindsay lives with the Meyers so on Thursday nights I have dinner with them and sleep over and walk to school with them on Fridays. Quick story about the Meyers: this amazing couple has been married over 50 years and are super feisty- a few Fridays ago as they walked to school in the morning, a man tried to rob Dr. Meyers by sticking his hand into Dr. Meyer's pants pocket where his wallet was. Mrs. Meyers was a few feet behind and saw it happening and yelled, "Claude!!!" and Dr. Meyers grabbed the young man's wrist and together the Meyers frightened him away. (if you didn't figure it out, the picture is baboon poop)

5. SKYPE. My great Uncle Nick was a missionary in Nigeria and my mom talked about how they would get a letter from him once or twice a year. I applaud him and my grandparents for going to the mission field with so little possible communication with their families- I don't think I could have done it. For all the ranting and raving I do about my computer and Internet connection, I am extremely thankful for today's technology and especially for Skype. With Skype I can talk to others who have the free program (hint hint) via computers and since i have a web cam and my parents and Heidi do as well, we can see each other as we talk. This has been especially helpful in watching Vander grow. As a very proud auntie, I have to take pictures of my adorable nephew but unfortunately I can only do that while watching him on the web cam so here are a few:
Can you tell that he was watching me as Heidi changed his diaper? I can't wait to see this little guy!!!!

6. MY SUPPORTERS. I've wanted to teach overseas for a long time but thought I wanted to teach at an International School so I wouldn't have to raise support. I really dreaded the support-raising and it turned out to be an amazing blessing. Knowing that people are praying for me and genuinely interested in what is happening over here has created a special bond with my supporters that I didn't have before. If I wasn't relying on others to make it possible for me to teach here, I probably wouldn't be as motivated to update people and reflect as much on my experiences. I have loved e-mailing with many of you and have been so encouraged by you which has been an amazing blessing which I am so thankful for.

7. SHIPARANGO. This is the village I go to every other week for church. I love this community and although there is a language barrier, I have loved getting to know the adults and children and have appreciated learning life lessons from them: lessons about choosing joy and being grateful. This is how I pictured Africa: grass huts in the middle of nowhere- it's a always a great break from the hustle and bustle of Maputo. I'm actually going to Shiparango tomorrow so I need to hurry and finish so I can go to bed and not fall asleep during the service- nothing worse than fighting sleep when people are staring at you. I actually did this (the eyes closing and head bobbing in and out of sleep) at a faculty meeting which I felt awful about since there were only 10 of us, I think the others MIGHT have noticed. 8. AWKWARD MOMENTS. I love experiencing these and I love hearing about your awkward moments (please send them my way) and I am truly thankful for them. OK one quick awkward story: For a half hour each day I read with Mayalla, an 8Th grade Brazilian girl who speaks very little English. We've been going through a book of funny poems (Where the Sidewalk Ends- please tell me you've read these) and I explain about every other word to her. Of course she chose a poem that was about a boy peeing in the bushes. I was hoping no one was in the library to hear my explanation of what "peeing" is but of course Dr. Meyers just happened to be walking through to hear my explanation. (at least he didn't see me trying to act it out) He later asked me what I was teaching Mayalla.

9. MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS IN MOZAMBIQUE. (I take back what I said about the word "rhythm," miscellaneous is harder to spell- no wonder everyone abbreviates it) Fanta ananas, mosquito nets, Mimo's buy one get one free pizza Tuesdays, fresh bread on every corner, tuna melts, Gelatin ice cream, pirated movies, top deck chocolate bars, indoor plumbing and hot water, air conditioners, 10 different flavors of Doritos, samosas (triangle egg-rolls but with only meat and way better) spring rolls (giant pigs in a blanket), cheap coke, and Choco-kit cookies. I hadn't intended for that list to be all about food but apparently I am hungry right now and I really am thankful for the new junk food I've discovered.

10. GOD'S FAITHFULNESS. (despite my unfaithfulness, complacency, and tendencies to doubt his promises) I always find such comfort in Philippians 1:6 "being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." He won't give up on me- I feel sometimes like He should- if I were Him I would give up on me- but He doesn't. I'm bumbling along on this path, trying so hard to live a life that will please Him but continually failing and continually having to relearn the same lessons over and over again. I could try to blame it on my American culture that has taught me to be self-reliant but I need to take the blame as well. I can't make myself righteous despite all my measly attempts- this is a lesson God has to keep reteaching me and I am so thankful that He doesn't give up on teaching me although I can be remarkably thick-skulled.

In When God Writes Your Life Story, it says, "Many of us are confident in ourselves. We feel, if given the chance, we can prove our quality and scale God's Everest on our own. But as long as we have faith in ourselves, we can't have faith in God. So ask God to help you lose confidence in your own ability to imitate Him. Allow Him to prove to you how desperately you need a Savior and a Helper to complete His course. The sooner you stop trusting in your own ability, the sooner God will be able to begin working in and through your life."

I read that and thought, "OK, stop relying on your own strength Katie- you can't live like Jesus by your own might and need to start relying more on Him to work in you." but then a few days went by and I forgot and still had a self-reliant mind-set. God knows that I can be a bit forgetful so the next book I picked up was Lee Strobel's God's Outrageous Claims, and I read the following: " My first reaction in a crisis is to try to get through it by myself, because I don't like to depend on anyone else. But here's the thing: we can't be filled with the power of God until we first empty ourselves of the pretense that we can get by on our own. We need to admit that we can't get through this tragedy, we can't resist this temptation, we can't mold our character, without some outside intervention. So often in Scripture- from Moses to Paul- we see people humbly admitting their weakness first and then God filling them with his power. In fact, Paul said, "But the Lord said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.' The longer we stubbornly resist the obvious- that we're ultimately powerless by ourselves- the deeper we sink into the mire. After all, we we can't reach out and cling to God's strength if we're too busy straining to clutch our own self-sufficiency. ' Nothing so furthers our prayer life as the feeling of our own helplessness. It is only when we are helpless that we really open our hearts to God.' "

After reading this I felt like saying, "Dope" in my best Homer Simpson voice and hitting my forehead- "Duh Katie! How many times do you have to learn this lesson?" I confess that part of the appeal of moving to Africa was knowing that I would have trials which would force me to rely less on myself. I know it sounds a bit strange but I haven't had many tough trials in recent years and although I should have been counting my blessings and rejoicing in God's goodness, instead I grew more self-reliant and and convinced of my own abilities. God has continually been showing me how pathetic my own abilities are and I've been so thankful that He is patient with me and will teach me this lesson again and again. It has been a humbling experience but so great to have a better understanding of my intense need for the Holy Spirit to work in me.

Diarrhea for Five Years/Thanksgiving in Maputo

Thanksgiving has been one of my favorite days in Mozambique so far. Seems odd I realize since holidays are a time of being with family and if you’re not with your family, you should be sad. (assuming you like your family) Let me be very clear: I LOVE MY FAMILY!!! I hate to brag but I really do have the coolest family ever and I love our Thanksgiving traditions. So it seems that I should have woken up a bit gloomy and wrought with homesickness on Thanksgiving. However, whether it was because I knew I would be home soon for Christmas or it was a sweet gift from Jesus, instead I was filled with joy and gratitude on this Thanksgiving and fell asleep fully content, at peace, and with a smile on my face.

I didn’t have any life-changing experiences on this day: No incredible adventures, no jaw-dropping tales, no stories to write home about. (you may be wondering why on earth I am “writing home” then- I’ll get to it I promise) What I did have however, was an “attitude of gratitude.” (gotta love the cheesy rhythms- my least favorite word to spell by the way) The entire day God was constantly reminding me of the many ways He has blessed my life and continues to bless me over here in Africa. Makes it tough to mope around missing my family when every corner I turned, there was God saying, “Tada….remember how I’ve done this for you?” (I don’t actually think God says, ‘Tada' sounds a little too informal for Him)

The OC team came over in the morning for our weekly prayer meeting and I was reminded how fortunate I am to be a part of team that cares for each other and uplifts each other. I would have had such a different experience if I had come to Africa to teach at an International School as I had originally desired. (I REALLY didn't want to raise support) This team has cared for me as a family and made it possible for me to feel at home here. Next I went for a run to the beach with Gizmo and was reminded how fortunate I am to live near such natural beauty to run by and to have my very own bodyguard. We both collapsed when we got back since it was over 100 degrees and I had made Gizmo sprint with me playing, “pretend we’re being chased by muggers.” (he loves that game and yes, I still play pretend and you should too) After a pleasant afternoon nap, I awoke to the familiar, delicious scent of a turkey roasting in the oven and was reminded how blessed I am to have Madalena/Martha Stewart as a roommate. We prepared the house for our evening Thanksgiving meal and friends began to trickle in bringing incredible side dishes with them. (I think my favorite was the orange jello with mango in it- I had 3 large helpings) Of course I am thankful for the food here!! I had eaten a decent size lunch to stretch my stomach so I would have the maximum room for Thanksgiving dishes and wore shorts with an elastic band (stole the idea from Joey Tribiani) to ensure nothing would hinder me from stuffing my face. It was a joyous occasion:)

I will award myself with "quote of the night," from a conversation I was having with a German missionary. You know those great awkward moments when it suddenly gets silent in a room that was previously full of conversation at the exact moment someone is saying something totally bizarre if you hadn't heard the conversation? Example: sudden silence just as I ask Mattheus, "So you had diarrhea for FIVE years?" I don't know who should have been more embarrassed in that moment but Mattheus was blushing as I explained he had lived in a rural village for 5 years drinking the lake water. Here's a picture of our Thanksgiving group. Apparently I am playing "peek-a-boo" from behind the chair. Why am I always such an awkward poser pictures? (only in pictures- not in life)

I don’t know why but I decided to take pictures of everyone during the prayer but Henrik, our crazy Swedish neighbor and Gizmo’s owner, noticed the camera and tried to look extra “holy.” If you recall from a past entry, I talked about how I always pictured missionaries as these very holy and ultra-conservative people who rarely sinned...then I met Henrik:) He definitely keeps us laughing.

Being in Africa on Thanksgiving made it easier to be overcome with gratitude as I compared everything I have to the very little that most Mozambicans have. When I first arrived, I felt very guilty for having so much, but I’ve realized that I shouldn’t feel guilty for God’s blessings but rather, need to be even more aware of these blessings and be careful that I don’t feel a sense of entitlement. I don’t deserve the amazing gifts He has showered on me and I need constant reminders that His blessings truly are GIFTS, nothing that I have earned by my measly attempts to “be good.” It seems only fitting that on Thanksgiving I would record some of the many gifts God has given me recently and praise Him for these gifts that I am so thankful for.

1. FAMILY. As previously mentioned, my family pretty much is the coolest. Being continents apart has forced me to appreciate them in new ways this year and being away from them has been the hardest part about being in Mozambique. Instead of being sad on this day that I can't stuff my face with them, I will reflect on why I am so thankful for them and what I miss. I am so thankful that I have parents who are so much fun and such great examples for me. I miss moving-hopping with them and going out to dinner with them. I miss all our conversations and eating giant bowls of ice cream while watching our favorite shows and laughing when my mom starts snoring during the late shows. (If I'm still hanging out with my parents so much in 10 years, someone please make me move out and set me up on a date) I am so thankful that I have the best big sister ever. I had no idea when I was an obnoxious junior-higher and Heidi was a cool high schooler that she would one day become my best friend. I miss running with her, watching basketball with her (yelling at refs with her) eating Golden Spoon with her, laughing with her, sharing clothes with her. (I did however steal a few things from her to wear here) I miss her 47 calls a day to talk about nothing. I am so thankful that she married such an incredible man who fits so perfectly into our family. I miss playing "guess that tune" as Dan plays the piano and Heidi and I try to sing and I miss coaching with Dan and "talking strategy" with him. I am so thankful that they brought the most incredible nephew into my life. I miss holding Vander, making him laugh, and watching him grow. I can't wait to high-five him for real and teach him how to say "auntie Katie" and squeeze him so much that I will ingrain myself into his memory. I am so thankful God blessed me with 2 hilarious, wonderful brothers. I miss late-night-chats when they'd come in my room while I was working just to talk and make me laugh. I miss fighting for the remote and shotgun with them, giving them grave-diggers, laughing with them during church, watching sports and cartoons with them, chasing them up the stairs, hiding the last dessert from them, and playing games with them. (I don't however miss dodging the boogers they spit at me or screaming when they hide throughout the house to scare me) One of my standards for my future husband is that he must make me pee my pants from laughing so hard and both of my brothers have accomplished this- I miss how much I laugh with them. I am so thankful that God has blessed me with an amazing future sister-in-law. I miss watching b-ball games and our favorite shows with Emma, I miss talking about celebrities and eating her amazing desserts. I miss how she would always come in my room to chat when I was about to go to bed. I'm so glad I got to know her so well before she becomes an official Hardeman!

2. FRIENDS. One huge blessing in being single is the ability to invest in friendships and God has spared no expense in showering me with amazing friends- I really do feel spoiled. I have incredible friends which I've bonded with in different stages of life but another hard part about leaving America was leaving these friendships. These amazing women who have encouraged, molded, uplifted, challenged, inspired, and sharpened me are no longer just a phone call away. As the song says, "You give and take away," and for this stage of my life, these dear friends have been in a way "taken away" from me since I can't see them or talk to them whenever I want. I’m not the best at making new friends. I’ve relied for too long on the “instant friendships” which come from basketball teams and in college I clung to Jenny for dear life and relied on her to make friends for me. Pathetic I know but I’ve never claimed to have excessive social skills. I have been overwhelmed by the friendships God has brought my way here in Mozambique. Friends that I can be real with, that I can be my quirky self around and not grow self-conscious; friends that I can laugh with “go deep” with; friends who are in similar situations and understand my worries and problems and the cultural stresses of Mozambique; friends to rejoice with, watch Grey’s Anatomy with, have adventures with, go out to eat with, run with, babysit with, go to church with, pray with; friends at work, at home, and at Bible study who I can trust and who I enjoy. Truly friendships here in Africa have been one of the largest, most appreciated gifts from God. Friends to have adventures with. (seen here "hunting" the large spotted genet in our backyard)

Friends to eat ice cream with.
Friends to look ridiculous with. While trying to take this timer shot, we spit all over ourselves.

OK so I've made it to # 2 on my long list of things I am thankful for but I realize this is getting a bit lengthy so I'll pause and continue my list of thankfulness in the next entry. I have so much to praise and thank God for! He has been so good to me! My prayer is that I would be daily reminded of how blessed I am.

Favorite Things

Rain drops on roses and whiskers on kittens...that Fraulein Maria must not have gotten out much if those really were her "favorite things." (being a nun perhaps restricted her trips to the beach) I guess I'm not much of a flower person (unless of course it is a chocolate flower) and although I do love cats, I've never been enamored by their whiskers. Some of my favorite things are as follows: kids, basketball and the beach. God has been showering down His blessings on me lately with my "favorite things" and as the song says, "every blessing You pour out, I'll turn back to praise" so needless to say, I am full of praise and very thankful as the big "day of thanks" approaches.Being around kids is one of my favorite things and the kids in the village of Shiparango really are some of my favorite people in the world. They are filled with such innocence, wonder and joy and are so easily excited. The last Sunday we went, one of the young girls kept playing with my hair so I pulled out a strand and gave it to her and she acted as if it were a prized possession. During the service I played, "pick the hand with the coin in it" and they acted like it was the most ingenious game ever invented. (they're great confidence-boosters) I felt a tiny bit bad distracting them during the sermon but I am a big kid and since I couldn't understand the message, I played with my friends, trying to shush their giggles so we weren't too obvious. (not much as changed since I was little in the "big church service" playing tic tac toe and eating candy since I didn't understand. Hey, at least I wasn't painting my nails like Heidi once did. In retrospect, I am so bummed that I couldn't appreciate the teaching since Chuck Swindoll was the pastor at that time.)

In the middle of the service I looked towards the men's side and saw two faces I hadn't seen in months- Bernardo and Andre!!! These are the brothers whom I first fell in love with in Shiparango but they've been going to school in the city so I haven't seen them for ages. I don't know if I've ever been so excited to see people unexpectedly. A gianormous smile was permanently smeared across my face as I waved with enthusiasm. When the offering bowl was placed in the center, I gave all the little girls around me coins to bring to give for offering and I saw Bernardo and Andre, both holding babies, looking at me expectantly. I motioned for them to come over and get coins and they bounded over smiling and and proudly went to the front to give their offering. I had a flashback to my parents giving us money during "big church" to give for offering and feeling the same pride that shone in these children as they dropped the coins. I've grown so accustomed to seeing begging children on the streets who are so jaded and whose faces are so hardened, they don't smile or show signs of appreciation when given money- but these joyful kids where thrilled to have money to offer to God. What an eye-opener for me- to be so excited to have money because they could give it away- wow. I am constantly learning from these young ones.

After the service, I soaked up every second hanging out with my friends. of course we made our customary "ugly faces" and Andre had learned a few English words so I worked with the kids on saying, "My name is....." I feel such a bond with these children although we can't really talk. This past trip I started thinking about seeing them in heaven and got excited about the prospect of speaking with them in the future. The following is my favorite picture from Mozambique so far. Christina is the girl looking right at the camera, Andre is the boy who only has one hand and is rolling back his eyes, Lucia is looking up at me and a new friend is trying to get into the picture. (did you pick up on the fact that I can't remember her name?)
Another of my "favorites things" is basketball. I love playing it, I love watching it, and I love coaching it as well. The only time I've actually played since being here was the other day after church when the Bower family had a group of us "young American girls" over for a Brazilian lunch. Lisa and played in our long skirts against Cory (one of my students) and his parents. (Yes, I succumbed to the pressure and wear the long skirts I previously mocked but as I've mentioned, showing your knees is very promiscuous here. It did make the defensive stance a bit more challenging however.) I may have frightened the group a bit with my competitiveness- we nearly skunked them the first game and I couldn't control my beastly facial expressions when I would stuff Cory and Mr. Bowers.

The CAM teams have had 2 games so far and I confess I thought our teams would get pummeled by the competition- we aren't exactly "skilled." However, whether it was our home court advantage (the court is about 2/3 the size of a normal court) or our prayers or the fact that there are other teams just as "raw" as we, the boys actually won their first game and the girls....the girls actually scored quite a few baskets and had fun:) If she didn't get into teaching, Lindsay probably could have worked for the paparazzi. Perhaps I was "in the zone" (pun intended) but I didn't even notice her scurrying about, taking pictures and leaving a fanta ananas (aka "nectar from heaven") by my seat. What a true friend! Here are some of the pictures she took that made me laugh- I love candid shots because you can catch great facial expressions and awkward motions.
Below are some of our crazy fans. I love how I know all the kids at the school since CAM is so small. Luke, the little blond boy in the picture on the left, is in Lindsay's class and I have his older brother Coleson in class. He wrote me the cutest "thank-you" note for Thanksgiving that said thanks for being "nise" and "please come back after Christmas." Does he know something that I don't? Punit is also one of Lindsay's and though he can be a little terror and uses inappropriate "potty humor," he is sweet and quite entertaining- I have his older sister Canon and his brother Neel in class. Stephen is the boy screaming into the cone and I have his brother Andrew in class. Quick random story about Andrew: On Friday I noticed Fredy looking at Andrew's scalp and I saw a glimpse of red. Wandering why he had drawn with red marker on his scalp, I meandered over and saw dripping blood on his scalp!!! "What on earth?" were my words. "Oh, Fredy threw a brick at my head last period," Andrew calmly said. Ummmm...they didn't train us for dealing with head wounds at Westmont. I looked at Fredy in shock and horror and he said, "Don't worry Miss Katie, he asked me to throw him a brick but then he wasn't looking when I threw it. You think he'll need stitches?" I love this job- you never know what will happen:)

Next you'll see me showing Coleson how to be a bear and showing off my "man hands" at time out.I love the pony tail in the following picture. Also, please notice that the parents are sitting right behind the bench taking pictures. The game went into overtime so of course I was intense and calling time outs but then felt every single parents' eyes on me, listening intently to my "words of wisdom." Am I coaching or performing a rap? (notice my hands. I'm trying to point out all my awkwardness before Katie Butler does)
Next, here are my sweet and hilarious girls. Miria is a beautiful Brazilian 10Th grader who loves to box out and although she's sugary sweet off the court, she can be vicious on the court. (no wonder I like her so much)


I love how much both teams laugh during the game. These kids crack me up. During the game I had a "little helper" who sat on my lap and covered her ears when I yelled to "box out!" Lauren is Cory's little sister and her mom is also our ref. Apparently I am playing the "vegetable game" during timeout. For the unfortunate who've never played, everyone chooses a vegetable and then you say your vegetable name and then someone else's name such as "tomato to carrot" and then carrot says, "carrot to squash" and so on. The trick is if you show your teeth, you are out. We used to play this game in....are you thinking elementary school? No, we played it at Westmont when recruits came. (we knew they would only fit in on our squad if they were strange enough to enjoy this game) I highly recommend playing but word of caution- it can be painful. We played at the Bowers while sitting by the street, but we all started laughing too hard thus, showing our teeth, when their 2 year old girl walked towards the neighbor's guard and then dropped her pants and diaper.

In our second match we played against teams from the Iris orphanage. I've never been so excited for the opposing team to score:) These kids have been playing for years at the orphanage and were really good. We got creamed but I was OK with it- it doesn't hurt as badly to get creamed by orphans for some reason. Our girls played against a young boys team who, though not very skilled and only 11 and 12 years old, ran and ran and ran and could jump "out of the gym." The following pictures are of the competition.
Apparently I was feeling constipated in the picture on the left. Please note how high the boy is jumping compared to our girls.
We've got two more games next week against the International School and American School which could be interesting. I'll let you know how they go.

Another one of my "favorite things" is the beach. I love the beauty and wonder of the ocean and appreciate the splendor of God's creation, but I'm a Califonian and thus love laying in the sand, baking under the scorching sun. Lindsay truly is a kindred spirit since, although she is a Texan, she too can sit under the sun for hours and never get bored. The beach by our house is dirty and unsafe so I don't hang out there although I did once take off my shoes and frolicked in the water with Gizmo. Yes, frolicked. Lindsay and I have been yearning to get to a beach and Heldio, a fellow Mozambican teacher at CAM, offered to drive us to a beach about an hour away. Here we are on the ferry going across the river to get to the beach. You may recall that I mentioned Heldio in the past- he's the one who said I look like Kevin Bacon.

When we rounded the corner and first saw the ocean, my jaw dropped. A beautiful strip of white sand stretched out before us with glassy, green and aqua waves crashing on the shore. Remember, I'm used to seeing dirty concrete so this was literally a breath of fresh air. I almost cried. For a few hours, the other cultural stressors of living in Mozambican were forgotten and I was on a beach in Hawaii with a good friend, reading magazines, tanning, wading in the water; perfectly content. The water was warm and I made it warmer:) I wanted to be able to say I that I have peed in 3 different oceans- check that off of my "list of things to do while on earth." Heldio was a bit concerned when I told him I've been rescued by life guards several times- not only are there no lifeguards, the ocean floor suddenly drops so deep that whales have been seen swimming very close to shore- I secretly thought that would be amazing to swim with whales (totally trumps swimming with dolphins) but a fear of jelly-fish like creatures that congregate in the area, kept me in the clear water. You can see that Lindsay gets artsy with her picture taking and if you know me very well (or have taken notice of my bare feet) you could guess those were definitely not my toes- those are way to normal looking. However, in my defense, I have the most normal toes compared to my siblings- look at Trav's or Heidi's toes and you might gag.
So when the dog bites or the bee stings or when I'm feeling sad, I'll simply remember the kids, basketball and beach, and then I won't feeeeeeeeeel sooooo bad. I was so sad on November 17 because I couldn't be at Vander's first birthday party. I left a rolly polly baby who could hardly roll and now see a little boy crawling with fury and nearly walking and it breaks my heart that I've missed so many different stages in his life. It is so amazing to be here in Mozambique and I am so grateful that God called me here but it's not always easy and does require sacrifice, the biggest is being apart from my amazing family. Luckily Vander won't remember that his auntie was absent his first year of life but I'm afraid that right now he may think I live in the computer.

Did Jesus Get Homesick?

I am told by veteran missionaries that I am currently going through the stage of "culture shock." Don't worry, I haven't been electrocuted (well, that's a lie, I have- I still haven't figured out this whole "different power wattage" concept and have blown up every appliance I brought which helps explain my frizzy hairy-dos and numerous french braids) but that's besides the point. Culture shock is an unseen force that silently seeps in after 2 to 4 months and slowly sucks the life out of you- much like dementors and junior highers. Naive and idealistic Katie pompously assumed she would not go through this stage because well, I'm Katie, I'll never get hurt, I don't need any one's help, and I certainly won't experience this so-called "culture shock" because I am too strong and too smart to succumb to it. Ha! I must give God some good laughs. Really, if He wore pants, I think he’d pee them seeing my thoughts. (sorry if that was blasphemous but I truly do believe our almighty, most holy God has a great sense of humor) I had thought that culture shock meant you start to resent the culture and country you are living in and I have definitely not experienced this, nor do I think I will. However, I was recently enlightened that being surrounded by the unfamiliar and by unseen stressors, I have been drained merely by living in a new culture since Mozambique really is my home now and not a place I'm visiting. For some time I was feeling down and not sure why and then feeling even worse about feeling down because I'm so blessed and have no reason to complain. Now that I know that what I'm experiencing is normal, I am immensely encouraged. Unfortunately, the veterans have yet to enlighten me on how to get out of culture shock but just knowing that "this too will pass" enables me to laugh when I want to cry. Just this week Fredy asked why I was so happy when in reality, I was having a tough day and wasn't feeling very joyful. They didn't believe my lie that, "I am always happy" so, (I have no idea why I said this) I said, "I took a huge happy pill at lunch." Why, Katie? Why? This of course turned into, "Miss Katie is on drugs!! We're telling our parents!" Whoops.

In the midst of the "unfamiliar," God continues to bless me with "familiar" things which rejuvenate and encourage me. It's amazing how comforting coke, (not the drug!) Fruit Loops, and Gilmore Girls can be. The other huge comfort and true gift from God has been my experiences with children. I've found that children in India, the Philippines, the States, and Mozambique are all incredibly similar and thus, an immense comfort to me wherever I am.

I recently downloaded a Third Day song which included part of the old song, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” which I’ve had on replay for about 3 days and will probably be sick of next week since I’ve played it so often. But for now, these simple words have also been a sweet encouragement to me:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in his wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and his grace

Going to the Iris orphanage, my attention was immediately taken off of myself and my perspective was readjusted so the things of this earth grew dim. Lindsay had talked about this orphanage a lot since she had been to Mozambique 3 times prior to visit the orphanage so I was excited to go meet the people I had heard about. When I was younger I had always dreamed of starting an orphanage in Africa. (Well it was a toss-up between that and opening “Katie’s Coffee and Cookies.” I don’t understand the latter desire since I hate coffee and business; I think I just liked the alliteration. Don’t laugh at my dreams, Katie Butler had high aspirations of becoming a grocery bagger.) I was very disappointed in high school when I took an aptitude test which told me I should become a librarian or a historian because I thought the test was saying I have no social skills and should stick to books. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have been so upset- I do love to read and I love history and can be anti-social at times so I guess it wasn’t that far off. However, I was really hoping the test would say, “You should open an orphanage in Africa.” Perhaps that wasn’t one of the options. My point is, my dreams have come true and I get to be in Africa and visit orphanages and I loved every second of it. The picture of above is of Lindsay and myself (duh) in front of a wall at the orphanage. I'm going to beat Katie to the punch and point out my awkward fist on Lindsay's shoulder- my only explanation is that I have to try to hide these "man hands."

When we first arrived at Iris, I met some of the high school orphan boys and immediately felt at home at Iris. The boys speak English and are good friends with Lindsay so they trusted me and we walked with a group of the older orphan boys to the local pool. Vogner and Adrian wanted to hear all about the girls at CAM (the school I teach at) and I had a great time giggling with them about which girls they wanted to date and what good qualities the boys had that I could relay to my female students. Adrian wanted me to be sure to mention that he can do back flips. Apparently a common pasttime at the orphanage involves getting out an old tire, sprinting to it and doing flips off of it. You will soon find out that Lindsay is great at taking "candid" pictures and here she took one of us walking to the pool.

Back at the orphanage, the younger kids were let out to play on the playground and somehow I ended up carrying them and spinning as fast I could until they screamed to stop. (this was in Portuguese so I didn't know what they were saying at first until I saw a very panicked face and nearly was puked on- that would have made for a great story:) After spinning for quite some time, I was sweaty and dizzy and ended up collapsing (luckily not while I was carrying any kids) and found myself covered in sand and cracking up as the little boys jumped on me, insisting on more. Why is it that spinning is so much fun at that age? Actually, I do know the appeal- it’s the same reason one of my favorite pasttimes is rolling down grassy hills.

One of the boys, Israel, managed to crawl onto my shoulders while I was collapsed in the sand catching my breath and then refused to get down. The younger ones didn’t speak English but you really don’t have to talk much to play at that age. Something about having a laughing kid on my shoulders made me forget about all this "culture shock" nonsense. He gave me a tour of the orphanage although I only understood a few words as he bossed me around pointing at different places to "trot" to- yes, I was being a horse.

Lindsay and I joined the boys in the mess hall for dinner which was giant helpings of rice with some sort of “topping.” The kids at the orphanage get plenty of food but I think I would lose weight if I stayed there. "You were so lucky to get mono....I know- that was like the best diet ever." If you know what movie this is from you are a kindred spirit. If you are male and know the quote, I am worried for you. Oh and for the record, Lindsay and I did not plan to dress alike- it just keeps happening that we end up dressing like twins. This used to happen with my roommate Lesley all the time (although sometimes I waited to see what she put on in the morning and then copied her-not sure why I found this so amusing but considering Heidi and I still wore matching Easter dresses until she got married, I think I just like dressing like others)

After dinner I had a wonderful time sitting and chatting with Pie and Adrian and trying to determine who made a better monkey face and trying to convince Adrian to be ugly.

Iris houses over a thousand short-term visitors each year so they had nice visiting quarters where we slept and the following morning we went to church at the orphanage. There are over 300 kids at the orphanage and people from town also come to the service. The worship entailed the most joyful singing and dancing that I have ever seen in church. These kids are orphans; they have so little compared to me and to many children in America, but play some loud music and they dance, clap and sing like their world is free of worries. We stood in the front in the "mosh pit," if you will, amongst the wild youngsters eager to be held, hold hands and dance with us. Those of you who have seen me dance (which luckily is a small number) may be thinking, "Oh no, she probably frightened the poor orphans." They however, didn't seem to mind my lack of rhythm. I noticed one boy who I nicknamed "cowboy" in my head because of his flannel shirt who wasn't dancing as freely and carelessly as the others. He caught my eye and then did some odd footwork which I later learned is part of the way native Mozambicans dance. He was dirtier than the other children and looked sad and burdened which made him stick out in the midst of singing and laughing children from Iris. I took his little hand and tried to copy his dance moves and we became fast friends without ever speaking a word. I later discovered that my lil cowboy wasn't one of the orphans which explains why he was dirtier and more reserved. However, when we went to catch the bus to leave that afternoon, I saw him across the road with a group of children and he yelled and waved with such enthusiasm I nearly cried. I waved so much I scared the locals with my flapping, grandma-esqe arms jiggling wildly. The little girl in the picture with her arm around me was one of the orphans who insisted I dance while carrying her which was wonderful- for the first two songs. By song number three, my arms were shaking- she was definitely not malnourished. My cowboy stuck by my side hand-in-hand, the whole time though rarely smiling. Lindsay snuck a picture of us listening to the message. (or rather, him playing with my watch and me pretending to listen but not understanding Portuguese so day-dreaming instead. I do a great "fake listener" face.)

Click here to watch a video clip of the singing at dancing at the church service.

There were numerous performances before the sermon which included an interpretive dance by a group of precious girls. Who doesn't love a good interpretive dance? It was awesome.

After church, Lindsay and I hung out with some boys who were fascinated by our giant sunglasses and insistant that they get to wear them. Aren't they adorable? My friend Jenny's husband wants to have a black child (not sure how that's gonna happen since Jenny is as white as they come) and looking at these precious faces, I can relate with Chris' desire:)
God is so merciful to me and He truly has "gone before me" as He promised to and I am consistantly delighted and surprised by His timing and provision. He knew exactly when I would go through "culture shock" and knew that during that very week, I would be playing with these beatiful children who reminded me to "turn my eyes upon Jesus." God also answered a prayer that many of you prayed for me- to supply a true friend here in Mozambique. Some of you may have been praying that God bring to CAM my future husband and though that certainly didn't happen, he did bring a life-long friend. Lindsay is the only person who truly can understand everything I'm experiencing right now because she is experiencing it too! I love how God does that- how He brings people into our path who have been through similar struggles or experiences so we can encourage and uplift each other. I was marveling on this blessing during one of my daily walks and God brought to mind the passage we are studying right now in Bible study in Hebrews about how Jesus is the Great High Priest. I love the following verses:

Hebrews 4: 14-16

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

I am so grateful that God brought Lindsay since she can relate, understand and encourage, but I haven't been grateful enough that Jesus does the same and more (no offense Lindsay) I don't think about this enough. I hate that it doesn't daily blow me away that Jesus came to earth for me- it really is so radical and I am not nearly grateful enough. I've read the above verses before and thought to myself, "Yes, Jesus understands what it means to be human but does he really understand MY problems? He dealt with much larger issues than my stresses and worries so does he truly understand my problems or are mine too small?" As I ponder this question again, God has answered and must be thinking, "You moron Katie." Well- I don't know if He thinks like that but I can be quite moronic and dense at times.

So Jesus, sometimes I'm lonely over here in Mozambique; you can't really relate with loniless can you? Hmmmm...let's see, he came to a planet where not a single soul could fully relate with him and understand his burdens. His family didn't believe him, he was constantly criticized by Pharisees, and he knew his friends would all betray him. I think he may know a thing or two about being lonely.

Well Jesus, you didn't experience culture shock like I am. Hmmmm...He left heaven and moved to earth. I'm no scholar but I think that qualifies for a pretty significant change in culture.

Ok, but do you have any idea what it is like to be homesick? Ha!!! I can only imagine the homesickness Jesus must have felt. He left the PERFECT, LOVING FATHER. He left the glory of reigning as king in heaven to wander through the muck of this earth. Yeah, I think he was probably a little homesick.

Praise the Lord! I have a Savior who has experienced my burdens (times a thousand) and can truly understand and sympathize with me. He really does understand what I'm going through and doesn't negate my worries as petty and small- he understands. Jesus understands. He went through it. Why didn't I see it before? Or rather, why didn't I believe it? So I look to Jesus for wisdom in how to deal with my culture shock and missing my family. What did he do? He spent much time alone praying and then he poured himself out; healing, comforting, teaching and loving on the world. I will spend the rest of my life striving to imitate Him.