TGIF

Just as I have always loved going to school, I have also always LOVED the weekends. The hands on the clock on Friday afternoons have always seemed to crawl as I have longingly stared at them, eager for the weekend to begin. As a student, I never realized that teachers look forward to the weekends as much or more than the kids. Growing up, weekends meant pool parties, bbqs, slumber parties, church, movies, basketball games, KFC lunches, Saturday morning cartoons, and of course TGIF on Friday nights. Every kid growing up in the early nineties should be well-acquainted with Urkel, the Tanner family, and curly-haired Cory Matthews. (side note: when my family went to Mexico this past summer, we were on the same plane as Pauly Shore and Ben Savage- they were not travelling together for the record- and after debating if it truly was the infamous "Cory Matthews" grown-up, we heard another group of girls in their twenties giggling and talking about Topanga and we knew it was him. And yes, that is how you spell her name, I looked it up.) Those of you who have no idea what I am talking about- I am sorry but you have been deprived of some high quality television and I didn't even mention the golden goose of shows growing up: Saved By the Bell.

In thinking about my weekends here in Mozambique, I came to the realization that lately they have been surprisingly similar to my weekends growing up.

Weekends here have often consisted of BBQs and pool parties. Just tonight we had yet another "Brazilian style BBQ" which includes incredibly salty steak which is delicious.
When I hear "pool party," I assume everyone will be swimming. Wrong. Apparently in grown-up language, pool party means, "kids can swim but grown-ups just stand by the pool." Still very unfamiliar with this foreign language, I wore my suit or "swimming costume" as it is referred to over here, and was very disappointed to find only children in the pool. Since it was over 100 degrees, of course I couldn't resist jumping in and teaching all the kids my favorite pool games. Then I went and pushed off the wall too hard during a round of "colors" and my bottoms were at my ankles. Excellent. One of the girls in the pool is a student of mine and I'm pretty positive she saw my white rear- teacher/student relationship forever changed.

The following is a list of things to expect at a typical slumber party at the Hardeman household when I was growing up: movies, junk food, frozen undies, toilet papering, sleeping bag game and chocolate whirlpool game (don't ask), giggling, and a terrifying lecture from my tired, grumpy dad in the middle of the night. There were no frozen undergarments or toilet papering trips at last weeks' slumber party at Lisa and Sabina's, but there was plenty of giggling, junk food, and movie watching. (Granted the "junk food" was banana bread instead of banana splits but it was still sweet. I highly recommend Juno by the way- hilarious.) I am so thankful for Lisa and Sabina because we can all act very grown-up at times but when we're alone, we can get a bit well...I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.















































Some things I would like to point out before you can: 1- the rat tail was intentional. 2- apparently my chin disappears into my neck when I sleep. Lisa looks quite angelic while I was drooling and catching flies- thanks a lot Sabina.

Of course church was always an essential part of weekends growing up. I have so many fond memories from Super book Olympics and years of Sunday School at EV Free. I also have vivid memories of squirming and suffering through "big church" during second service. ( I still regret that I was too young to appreciate Chuck Swindoll's preaching) Unfortunately, when I listen to the sermons at the International Church, those same feelings of being trapped in big church resurface. Although they are speaking English, I have to use every ounce of concentration to understand the words they are say and even then, I usually don't understand the point of their message. I confess that I often zone out and read the Bible so I won't fall asleep. How I wish there was a 7 11 across the street so I could come better prepared like I used to!
I don't mean to sound so negative about church here- I love the worship and the time of fellowship. I've finally stopped giggling at the worship leader who opens his eyes way too wide when he sings and have greatly appreciated the worship. Natasha, one of my seniors, is the female lead and has an incredible voice but shares the mic with a girl who may in fact be tone deaf. The other day she was so off that even I, who am pretty tone deaf myself, cringed and then couldn't suppress my laughter when I looked at Natasha's face who couldn't hide her look of surprise and confusion.

Feeling deprived of "spiritual food," I have been listening to the podcasts from Francis Chan and learning and growing from these amazing messages about grace and a right view of God. I highly recommend you listen to his message from February 24 about having a heart for worship. He talks about how all our problems can be solved if we have the right view of God and goes into the passages where prophets have seen God and attempted to describe Him. If we caught just a glimpse of Him, our lives would be radically different: our priorities would shift, our attitudes would change, our problems would shrink. I am praying now for glimpses of God so that I might have a larger view of Him and more reverence for Him. That being said, here is my latest theme song:

I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk
By your side

I can only imagine
What my eyes will see
When your face
Is before me
I can only imagine

[Chorus:]
Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine

I can only imagine
When that day comes
And I find myself
Standing in the Son

I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever
Forever worship You
I can only imagine

I realize this song is so overplayed on the radio that it sadly has lost some of it's power but reading the lyrics, I am again reminded of the day when I will meet God face to face and that blows me away. I am trying to imagine this future encounter every morning as I wake up to help me live in a way that will please this great, holy, awesome God we serve.

I also have been attending a worship service on Sunday nights at the US ambassador's home. (OK he's actually the Chargé d'Affaires but I didn't know what that was beforehand and assume most people don't and didn't want to sound like know-it-all throwing in that term and pretending like everyone should know what it is. When Sabina first met him, she asked him what he did at the US Embassy and he said, "Well, I run it." Ha- I'm glad she asked instead of me.) I love these informal services because many of my students attend with their families and the worship is wonderful and I feel like the early Church meeting in a home. However, last Sunday they sang a song a bit too high and knowing my limits, I quit trying right away but Lisa kept going and finally stopped when she saw my shoulders shaking from laughing so hard at her try to hit the incredibly high notes. I also often find myself chuckling during songs because we often sing "Awesome God" by Rich Mullins and I can't help but picture Heidi and I singing it when we were little, thinking we were rapping. ("For the Lord wasn't jokin when he kicked him out of Eden. It wasn't for no reason that He shed His blood..." Gosh we were cool Heid.)

Movies will forever be a part of my weekends and I hope my future husband loves them as much as I do and is willing to "movie-hop" with me. We may not have a Blockbuster here, but Isaac is even better. Isaac is the guy who sells me pirated DVDs which are excellent quality. However, I went against my better judgement and bought, "There Will be Blood" since it was nominated for an Oscar and getting great reviews. Not only was it a terribly boring movie in my opinion, it was quite dark and I watched it with a bunch of missionaries who seemed quite offended when the movie mocked the Church. When it was over Henrik looked at me and said, "Are you embarrassed that you just subjected a bunch of missionaries to that?" Thanks Henrik. Now I am. If you are tempted to debate with me about the merits of this movie and it's central message about greed, the cinematography, yada yada yada, I don't want to hear it- it sucked. Period. However, I have also had great movie experiences- Isaac recommended the movie Once to me and I LOVED it! It's a musical set in Ireland and although a bit slow, the music is amazing and it has a great story.

Instead of watching Saturday morning cartoons, I woke up a few weekends ago and watched Benchwarmers which was on TV A missionary couple was staying in Madalena's room since she had been gone for a few weeks and they joined me in front of the tube. It must have made for an odd site when Henrik walked in to see me sprawled out on the couch in my PJ's watching a somewhat crude comedy with a highly-respected elderly missionary couple, all of us laughing hysterically at David Spade and Napoleon Dynamite. (who knows his real name?) If you haven't seen it, this is another recommendation if you enjoy stupid humor. Trent and Travis are my brothers so of course I have aacquired an appreciation for this type of humor.

The basketball games on the weekends growing up were either mine, Heidi's, the boys', or my dads' teams'. So basically, we spent thousands of hours inside of gyms. The basketball played here a few Friday's ago was quite different. One of my students suggested a "teachers vs. students" game and it finally came together although the teachers only had 5 participants. (remember- we only have 13 teachers total) We took on about 15 kids and barely won, but yes, we won- that's all that matters. Our star player was our librarian from Kenya who is literally blind in one eye and has uglier shooting form than my mom. (sorry mom) She got a blister and said she couldn't continue to run so we parked her under the basket we were shooting at and would chuck the ball to her once Heldio or I got the ball on defense. She actually made about one out of every 10 shots from right under the basket and considering she took about 50 shots, she racked up the points for us. It was pretty hilarious and yes, of course I got competitive and even snapped at Heldio who tried to give me incorrect advice. I need to work on not becoming Dr. Jeckle on the court. (or is the bad one Mr. Hide?) Besides the blind librarian, we also had Xeniaon the teachers' squad. She is the school secretary and pretty much keeps the school running and I love her because she can be totally random and she is Russian! Those of you know me well, know that I ooccasionallyspeak in a Russian accent and to be able to hear a real one every day is so fun for me. Heldio is in front to the right and although he's very "Americanized" he still makes English errors and says funny things like "humping the horn" instead of "honking the horn" and he does wonderful imitations of the other teachers. Golden is to the left and I've never before met someone who is as chipper and hyper as this man is every single day. I have a theory that his wife slips speed into his morning coffee. It was such a fun match and the kids are already demanding a rematch.

After church growing up, we used to beg our parents for KFC. I'm not sure why we loved that chicken so much but we did and ironically KFC is the only fast food in Maputo. (it does not taste the same though) Last weekend we went out to lunch with the whole OC team to a seafood restaurant right on the beach. The fish I ordered had some mondo chompers and stared at me the whole meal. (See picture) A bit different from KFC but equally delicious. We were celebrating the arrival of our newest teamates, the Franks! I met Tony and Leila back in June during training and a long and frustrating process, they have finally arrived. I enjoy them both so much and am thrilled they are finally here. We had a game night last weekend and I realized Tony and I have something in common: we are both gamers. Definition of a gamer: one who loves games and is overly competitive in ALL types of games. Competent players who are determined to win at all costs. We played a rousing rendition of "Cin-QUE!" in which you have to describe and act out celebrities. The highlight was when a very animated Doug tried to act out Winnie the Pooh by skipping, getting stuck in a hole, floating away with an umbrella, winning a race and finally- using the toilet. They never guessed it and we let the time go past just so we could watch him continue on the pot.

Weekends here also mean plenty of long runs with Gizmo, naps in the hammock, grading papers, and trips to the icecream shop. (I was recently mocked because the only times I use Portuguese are to say, "I don't speak Portuguese. All is well with me, thank you- Is all well with you? and I would like 2 scoops in a cup of Cookies and Straciatella, please.") Dinners out with friends are also a regular occurance on the weekends. In the picture I am at the Thai restaurant down the street with 3 fellow teachers.

Sometimes I feel guilty for longing for the weekends like I do. I love teaching but I think it would be impossible to teach with energy and patience without a weekend of rest. Good thinking God:)

The Beach and Death

I think it's safe to say that almost all White, middle-class kids growing up in Orange County have spent countless summer days exploring the infamous California coast. With a dad who loves to surf and a mom who loves to tan, the Hardeman's made many memories frolicking on the beaches throughout So Cal. One of the best feelings in the world: to be run out of the icy ocean and roll in the hot sand. One of the worst feelings in the world: to get a giant ball of sand stuck in your one-piece that feels like a poopy diaper. (girls- you know what I'm talking about- why doesn't that happen any more?) What I loved about beaches as a kid: Huntington Beach: soft sand stretching for what seemed like miles from the parking lot to the water with a snack shack stocked with junk food. Newport Beach: excellent boogie-boarding waves and frozen bananas on the pier. Bolsa Chica: although a bit dirty, great waves to learn to surf and usually empty life-guard stations to play on. Corona Del Mar: fun jetties to walk on, huge rock formations to play hide-n-seek and the infamous "bouncing tree." Doheny Beach and Dana Point: great camping spots and spots to learn to surf.

Ok, I'll stop now- forgive me for continually using my blog as a chance to walk down memory lane. I have so many fond memories from growing up and when I start reflecting about my experiences here, I can't help but compare them to past experiences. As you may have guessed, the theme of this entry is the beach. I just returned from running along the coast, getting splashed by the waves crashing on the wall and have beach on the brain. Sadly, the beach in Maputo is a little bit disgusting. "The world is our trashcan" philosophy has so polluted the waters that they are a murky bluish-brown tint and the shore is littered with all sorts of debris. Don't get me wrong, the ocean is still beautiful, especially when the sun sets over it and the water sparkles. I was however, thrilled to be able to go to a beach about an hour away which feels like Maui.

To get to this heavenly beach, one must have a 4 x 4 since the dirt roads can get deep at parts. On Saturday Henrik drove Lisa, Sabina and myself to the beach accompanied by 2 other cars of friends. The adventure began when we had to cross the possibly hippo and croc invested river. We rode on a ferry across a bunch of "floating grass" with all the cars and even a tractor on board. (please take note of the tractor driver in the background-love his hat; little did we know we would be getting help from him later in the day. And for those of you who have missed seeing the "awkward fist on shoulder," I brought it back for you)












Here you'll see a bunch of locals existing the ferry and going about their merry ways with all their belongings on their heads. I wish I could pick up this skill! Quick question: would you rather be able to balance anything on your head OR be an incredible juggler? Just wondering. After making it across the ferry, we began the trek through the pot-holed, dirt road when the car in front of us, filled with Henrik's Swedish friends grinded (ground?) to a stop. Sarah's car had died in what literally may be the middle-of-nowhere. The only businesses near by are 2 small restaurants and there are only a few coastal villages. Henrik assessed the situation while Lisa, Sabina and I contributed by singing songs in Shangana and taking pictures of cows. A truck packed with Mozambicans squashed in the back, soon passed by us and stopped. The driver exited and said, "How can I help?" Really? I guess I am used to the highways of Southern California where it is every man for himself and this gesture blew me away. Turns out he wasn't actually able to help, but hey- it's the thought that counts. The next car to pass by was the tractor which had been on the ferry with several kids riding on top. They too immediately stopped to offer help and gave us a giant rope which we used to pull Sarah's car to the beach and later all the way back to Maputo.











I had been to this beach a few months back with Lindsay but I still had "drop-jaw-reflex" when we walked past the brush onto the white sand beach with the turquoise waves leisurely crashing on the shore. Here's a picture of all the girls from our little outing. The ripped woman next to me is Cassia and works for the US government. Don't ask me why but we were talking politics over lunch one day and when I asked her for her opinion about Hillary, she started with, "Well in all the meetings I've been in with her...." Crap Katie! Abort conversation! You're about to look like a moron if you continue. I managed to survive without making a total fool of myself and had a very interesting conversation. Cassia's children were also there whom I know fairly well and it was wonderful because with them playing in the water, I had a perfect excuse to act like a kid in the water without raising eyebrows. Not being "OC kids" they knew little about ocean games so I enlightened them to the 47 different ways to jump over a wave, how to have sand fights, get pummeled by waves and do cartwheels into the water. Pretty sure I had more fun than they did.












We ate an amazing seafood lunch at the one restaurant nearby and headed home. One the way home, I saw an image that will probably never leave me. A few seconds before we arrived on the scene, a man on a bicycle had been hit by car and was lying in the middle of the street. Dead. There were no police yet or even a crowd, just a few people looking at the man in his thirties, lying in the road with blood running from his mouth. I've never witnessed something like this. Suddenly we were all faced with our own immortality and it was a very sobering ride home. I couldn't stop thinking about this man's family and how this day that had been such a fun one for me, would be one of the worst days of their lives. Life is so fleeting. We all know it but it is not something we like to think about- or at least I don't. Life is so precious- it's such a gift and there is such sorrow when it ends. My prayer is that I would have the attitude of David who wrote:

" ' Show me , O LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath. Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it. But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you." Psalm 39: 4-7

I confess that I have a much too lofty opinion of myself and when I read passages like the one above, I am reminded how small I am. Yes I am dearly loved by the Creator but in the grand scheme of things, my life on earth is just a breath. If I remembered this every day and lived like it, I would live differently- and I hate admitting that. I wish it weren't true. So I continue to pray; I pray like David did that God would show me my life's end and let me know how fleeting is my life. I know He hears me and will answer and I will slowly learn to live with the mindset that my life here is so short compared to eternity. My days are fleeting. Am I making the most of them? Am I daily surrendering to Christ and living to please Him?

As usual, I have a theme song that I have been listening to non-stop for the past few weeks. You country fans may be assuming I am referring to Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were Dying" and although the message is similar to the lesson I am learning, you are wrong. I highly recommend you throw 99 cents to I-tunes and purchase Laura Story's version of "Mighty to Save." When I run past the ocean, I sing the chorus as loud as I can (don't worry- no one is close enough to suffer except for Gizmo) because it is such a visual reminder to me of how big and mighty my God is.

Mighty To Save

Everyone needs compassion
Love that's never failing
Let mercy fall on me
Everyone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Saviour
The hope of nations

Saviour
He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever
Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

So take me as You find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
Now I surrender

Shine Your light and let the whole world see
We're singing
For the glory of the risen King

Backpacking with My Brother

Opening scene of the video: The year is 1986. We are in our living room. I am 4 years old. Trent is 2, wearing only a diaper, smiling sheepishly in front of the camera while my Dad coxes him to say his name. I intervene and spank Trent hard on his rear and giggle, "Say it Trent! Say it!" Trent responds by giggling shyly and watches me as I continue to hit his diaper and laugh myself silly. (admittedly I was a bit of an odd child but Trent was too) Flash forward 21 years. We are in our backyard at the ping-pong table. I am 25 years old. Trent is 23, wearing only his basketball shorts, smiling mischievously as he calls out the score. I interrupt and say, "Wait, I'm winning aren't I?" Trent responds by laughing obnoxiously and begins to taunt, mock, and talk trash as I begin to fume. I hate losing. I end up throwing the ping-pong paddle at Trent's face and storming inside. Next scene. Again we are in the backyard, this time with a basketball. I am determined to defeat him in one-on-one. I fake right and step left, past his leg and he shoves me hard- straight to the cement ground. Hands bloodied and stinging, I look at him with fury and yell, "I CAN'T FEEL MY HANDS!!!"

We have reenacted two of our infamous fights. The video is for the Amazing Race application. Surely CBS would eat it up. Competitive brother and sister who know how to laugh and how to push each others' buttons and go for each others' throats under pressure. Isn't that the essence of reality television? We've never actually made the video. I've always been a bit hesitant to allow the world to see me lose my cool with Trent and the timing has never been right. It still isn't. However, the timing is perfect for both of us to backpack through Europe this summer.

Heidi is married, busy chasing our little busy-bee Vander, and isn't exactly the "back-packing" type. Travis is finishing up school and about to tie the knot with our dear Emma. So the single Hardeman siblings, blessed with few responsibilities and obligations, will be strapping on the backpacks and trekking through Europe on an unforgettable adventure. (I used to think singleness was a curse. When will it be my turn God??? I've often asked. But in recent years He has revealed that just as marriage is a gift, so too, being single is a gift. Not only could I up and move to Africa, now I get to embark on an incredible journey with my brother. Sometimes I am overwhelmed by how blessed I am.)

Neither Trent nor I have been to Europe before (unless you count my whirlwind tour of London on my layover) so we are flying into the "unknown" which makes this adventure even more exciting. However, it also makes us both completely naive: how exactly does one backpack through Europe? We've begun researching which is quite a fun process but we would love to hear any and all tips you have if you've been to Europe. Our only definite plans are to meet in Germany on June 8 and leave from London on July 8. Trent will already be in Latvia visiting his roommate from Biola and I will drop my suitcases off in London and we will meet in either Frankfurt or Munich and begin the journey. We plan on using the Eurorail to see Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Italy, and France and spend the remaining days in England. Our skeletal plans will involve lots of improvising and "flying by the seat of our tails" (is that the right expression? Odd.) but we will decide on cities and places to put on our itinerary. This is where you come in. Recommendations??? I know I teach history and probably should know tons of cool historical sites to see but I admittedly don't know a ton about places to see in Europe. We are traveling on a tight budget (don't worry supporters- I saved money from teaching at Rowland and won't be traveling on your dime) so if you happen to know anyone in any of the mentioned countries who could provide beds and a toilet for Trent and I, that would be awesome.

As long as there is no competition involved on the trip, I don't anticipate any fights or hurled objects. Traveling through Europe is something I have wanted to do for quite some time and I am so excited to be able to share this adventure with my brother. Trent and I have a lot in common, including a love for awkward moments and ugly faces- I'm sure we'll have hilarious stories and disgusting pictures to share when we get home. The pictures by the way are from two different photo shoots in which Trent and I explored new ways to contort our faces and look as mortifying as possible.

"Sweet or Sour" or "My February 12th" or "Orange Cat Attitude"

I used to have a giant poster hanging in my bedroom of a fat, scowling, orange cat and the words, "attitude is everything." I loved that poster. I really thought it was cool and that I was cool. Why didn't anyone tell me? I had a weird flashback the other day and I envisioned that silly poster as I pondered my attitude- it really does have a gianormous affect on my perspective. The first few weeks I was back in Maputo, I did not have the best attitude. Actually, it was a downright "bad attitude" because I was longing to be home so badly. I especially noticed this sour attitude of mine as I walked home. Suddenly I was disgusted by the filth, constantly coughing as I tried to breath the polluted air, annoyed by the boys saying, "Hello my sista," annoyed by all the stares and people trying to sell me things, realized for the first time that my walk is all slightly up-hill, and I didn't feel love for the Mozambicans as I passed them. It sucked. Once God finally threw water on my face and made me wake up, I realized the consequences of my "orange, cat attitude"- I was missing out on the abundant life He has promised me because I was choosing to wallow in my pity parties and negativity. I know there is a time for everything and certainly a time to mourn and be sad, but I took it too far and was just plain grumpy. I have begun a morning prayer as I wait for my ride that God would work on my attitude that day- that He would alert me to my tendencies to be negative and snap me out of it. I believe my God will answer the "big prayers" concerning Maputo but He also answers the "small prayers" concerning my attitude.

Today was such a wonderful day- start to finish- and I know it is because God had totally answered my prayer and let me see the world from a heavenly perspective and worked on my attitude. (Please don't think that I'm some moody, tudy, fresh and fruity girl. I don't think I have major attitude problems but I know I can be negative when He wouldn't want me to be.) Nothing spectacular happened on this terrific Tuesday, no major voting took place, but God intervened and gave me a good attitude which enabled me to thoroughly enjoy every hour of my day. I found myself smiling and chuckling to myself throughout the day and knew that every day could be like this if I have the right attitude. The following is my schedule from Tuesday, February 12, which is what a typical Tuesday is like.

6:00- Alarm went off. Hit snooze 8 times.

6:40- Kicked the mosquito net out of my way and and rolled out of bed.

7:00- Caught my ride to school with three of my students. Rolled the window down to let the mosquitoes out but mainly because I like a breeze in the morning and enjoy pretending to be a dog riding in a car with my head out the window.

7:15- Prayed for the school and for 4 students with other teachers. Love this tradition and would love to start it with fellow Christians at Rowland.

7:30- Hung out in the computer lab and wrote the test I would be administering a few hours later. I confess that I am a total hypocrite when it comes to procrastination. I thought it would pass after college but it's only gotten worse.

8:15- Taught my 9th/10th English class. Today I finally realized that I am actually enjoying teaching grammar! This in itself is a small miracle because I was dreading it so much but I am a student-at-heart and love learning new things so I really am enjoying learning how to diagram sentences and recognize predicate nomatives, appositives, verbals, gerands, etc. There was a moment when I was explaining how to recognize an indirect and direct object when Peter, who has flunked every grammar test, exclaimed, "I think I actually understand this!" Ahhh- this is why I love teaching- getting to watch the moment when the light bulb turns on, such precious moments.

9:15- Taught my 9th/10th Economics class. Yet another subject that I dreaded like getting Malaria but it hasn't been too painful. However, a parent asked me what we learned about in econ that day and I said, "Ummm...chapter 3." Real comforting I'm sure- since when are parents allowed to quiz the teachers?? I was not prepared:)

10:00- Had "break" aka- "snack" as I always called it. Was starving for lunch already and ate stale cookies. Looked at the clock and realized it was midnight at home which meant Lesley Miller just turned 26! Thanked the Lord for amazing friends like Lesley and chuckled to myself picturing Lesley speaking in her man voice, playing "lava-monster," doing awkward/awesome dance moves, clapping at weddings, and singing "Crucified" quite sacreligiously. Love you Lesley! (fyi- for a few months our junior year we decided to take all pictures with the double thumbs up- can't remember why. )

10:15- Taught my 11th/12th US History class. We're learning about the Depression and my three boys have started to get "TC" for school but were all super interested in the Depression. (TC means "too cool") They asked tons of very inquisitive questions about what happened to the banks and stock market and laughed way too hard when I made them pull out their pockets and explained that empty pockets were called, "Hoover Flags." I didn't intend for this to be funny so I was pleasantly surprised that they were so entertained by random historical trivia. We've also been watching clips from Cinderella Man and they/I am loving it! Ok, that was a small lie but I'll fess up- we're not watching "clips." We watched the whole thing and I tried to do it somewhat secretively because the school is so conservative I wasn't sure if they would allow boxing scenes and I think they frown on showing whole movies but it's such a great one and it stimulated even more questions about the Depression. Of course, the movie made me cry as it always does which created an awkward moment when Neel asked me something about the movie right as I was crying and I tried to answer but was clearly choked up.

11:00- Relaxed during my prep period. Couldn't fight the hunger any longer and did my daily "BP run" to grab juice and my favorite chocolate. (I was ridiculed the other day when I said BP is my favorite spot for lunch. Who doesn't enjoy lunch an elegant meal at the gas station?) I also stopped by the "fresh popcorn" stand where a man on the corner sells hot bags of kettle corn for about 10 cents. If teaching doesn't work out, I may need to open one of these on a corner in Brea.

11:45- Taught 7th/8th World History. This was a simple day since they took the test on the Reformation and Thirty Years' War but we reviewed a bit beforehand and the kids were actually prepared for the test! Another simple joy of teaching. Mauricio is learning English this year and couldn't hold a conversation at the beginning of the year, yet he was able to write a half-page explaining what Martin Luther believed. It is so fun to watch kids progress! I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching this unit since I know the bare minimum about the Reformation and have decided Martin Luther is my new hero. I considered naming my son "Martin" but then I immediately think of that obnoxious show called "Martin" and realize that option is out. If that just sounded like a birth announcement, I apologize, but yes, I think about my future children and their possible names. (I'm obviously hurting for visuals on this entry that I have resorted to taking a picture of Mauricio's test)

12:30- Left on the bus with the 5th/6th graders to go to the pool. Before leaving, the icecream man walked by the school and I made one of the kids sneak and buy me an popsicle. I'm not 100% sure this is against school rules but it wouldn't surprise me, hence the "sneaking." The kids cracked up when Mocha, our guard dog, jumped on the bus- I don't blame her for wanting to cool off- it was pretty warm today. Rode through town on the bus in my normal "dog out the window" posture, enjoying the sites and sounds of Maputo in the afternoon. This class loves playing "sweet and sour" on these bus rides and smile at the people on the streets to see if they will be sweet or sour. Thumbs up and/or a smile makes them sweet but every other response is "sour." I am thoroughly entertained by these kids.

12:50- Arrived at the Oasis pool to teach the 5th/6th class and then the 3rd/4th class. Today I taught many of them how to dive for the first time. I have never seen so many belly flops in my life! Of course I had to laugh after every one and I got some weird looks from the other people at the pool but come on, belly flopping is funny. My great words of wisdom as they prepared to jump in head-first: "Pretend God has a string tied to your butt and He pulls it up every time you jump." Verita was especially excited to learn to dive and when she finally got it down, her look of pride and sheer joy was enough to make me tear up. I of course had flashbacks to when my dad taught us all how to dive. I have a vivid memory of Heidi standing on the diving board and with my dad holding a giant pole out in front of her, forcing her to jump over it and she was nearly in tears.

We also learned how to flip under the water and push off the wall. I was quite fearful that when I tried to demonstrate I would be unable to do this but it turned out alright. Stephen is an awesome swimmer and he quickly perfected the flip. He told me, "I've always wanted to learn how to do that!" and I was reminded again why I love teaching. We played our usual rendition of freeze tag and then sang and made silly faces on the bus ride home.
2:30- Arrived back at school and hung out in computer lab, checking e-mails and finishing lesson plans. My only Mozambican friend also uses this time right after school to use the internet and we've had some great conversations. We had an awesome talk about God's mercy verses His justice and who would be in heaven. We then talked about his struggles of being an African man who is single- and I thought I had pressure to get married!

3:30- Tried to leave campus but some kids convinced me to play a 2 on 2 basketball game with them. So for my second time here, I hiked up my skirt and played and it was so much fun. Of course I got competitive and "talked sternly" to my teammate about getting to the right spot on defense. Yes, Andrew and I won. Domingos and Orlando were the competition- they are in the center in the picture. Domingos is the one who looks like he's ready to kill someone. He usually has that expression but he and I get along great although he will sometimes ask me to flex during class which is not cool. 4:30- Walked home. With my new, improved attitude, I didn't notice the incline, the trash, or the dirty air. I also wasn't annoyed by the "hey sista" and "hola mi amiga" comments and gave them sas by answering back, mimicing their tone of voice. I played my own version of "sweet or sour" and passed mostly "sweet" people. A man tried to sell me a painting of a lion which did not even look like an animal but he mistook my friendly laugh and, "Nao obrigada" to mean "I might buy your ugly painting if you follow me and repeat 'cheap price' thirty-three times." I didn't want to have to use my stern voice which scares away venders so I switched to my passive-aggresive tactics and watched on the edge of the sidewalk. Then I ran across the main highway in front of a bunch of speeding cars so he couldn't follow. I know they say being passive aggressive is wrong but sometimes it so much easier and much more entertaining. (yes, my stern voice is quite frightening and I can assure you that most of you have never heard it and hopefully never will)

5:oo Stopped by my favorite bakery for bread (duh) and avoided awkward come-ons from the baker, Ernesto, then stopped by the fruit/vegetable stand on the corner for mangos and potatos. (cock roach free this time!) The woman selling was having a very animated conversation in Shanghan (local language) but it sounded like she was saying, "Ooga, booga, boooga!" which of course made me giggle.

5:10 Collapsed in my hammock and read and watched a huge storm roll in. The thunder was out-of-control crazy and it suddenly was pouring with flashes of lightening but I remained totally warm laying in my hammock. Poor Gizmo was a terrified by the thunder sounding like God's stomach growling and he hid underneath the hammock.

6:00 Made my weekly baked potato and frozen vegetables. Confession: it took me three times to finally figure out how to defrost frozen vegetables and I ended up cheating and calling for help. Apparently it is such an obvious task that they don't write directions for defrosting in a microwave but I DESTROYED two helpings of frozen pees without any directions. Common sense and cooking are two things that do not go hand in hand for me.

7:00 Talked to my family via skype. My mom just had her gall bladder removed and now she is doing wonderfully!!! I guess we don't need it all that much anyways which I'm glad to hear since I will probably have to have mine removed one day. I love when I get a good connection and am able to get updates on home.

8:00 Power went out because of storm so I borrowed an oil lamp from my neighbor, Henrik, and really felt like Laura Ingles. I lit the house up with candles which was so easy feat for me since I struggling lighting matches- I always end up burning my finger before I get the wick to catch. I worked on my computer until the battery died and then the power came back on just as I was getting ready for bed.

In a perfect world my devotions today would be about attitude, but living in Mozambique, I am daily reminded that we most certainly do NOT live in a perfect world. However, I was reading an exerpt from writings from Ignatius Loyola (founder of the Jesuits) since we just learned about him in class and found his words so insightful that I must share them for my "Danny Tanner moment." Loyola wrote about 3 reasons we are in "desolation" and don't feel God's presence. It was amazing to me that this man who lived in the 16th century and was a devout Catholic in the Counter-Reformation, would write words that I could relate with so much.

"There are three reasons why we are in desolation. The first is because we have been tepids, slothful, or negligent in our Spiritual Exercises, and so through our own fault spiritual consolation is withdrawn from us. (Indeed the days when I am not spending time in prayer and reading God's word, I obviously don't feel His closeness.)

The second is that God may try to test our worth, and the progress that we have made in his service and praise when we are without such generous rewards of consolation and special graces. (I went through this in college when God withdrew His presence for seemingly no reason but it is only through that experience that I truly began to understand faith and choosing to serve God even when I don't feel or see Him merely because He is worthy and not because it makes me feel good.)

The third is that he may wish to give us a true knowledge and understanding so that we may truly perceive that it is not within our power to acquire or retain great devotion, ardent love, tears, or any other spiritual consolation, but that all of this is a gift and a grace of God our Lord. Nor does God wish us to claim as our own what belongs to another, allowing our intellect to rise up in a spirit of pride or vainglory, attributing to ourselves the devotion or other aspects of spiritual consolation. (I've experienced this in more recent years and even here on the mission field when God has withdrawn and I learned that it was not by my strength and my works or my discipline that I was close to God. Yes, I am supposed to draw near to God but I also must realize that His drawing near to me is a gift and it is done by His works- I can't manipulate Him and I can't feel proud of "my accomplishment" when I do feel His presence.)

My February 12th, 2008 was a day when I was blessed with God's sweet and amazing gift of His presence. He also answered my prayer and adjusted my attitude and I realized that I can be a grumpy jerk with an "orange cat attitude" without Him.