Eesh

When a Mozambican is scared, shocked, or surprised by something, they often say, "Eesh." Some of the synonyms that I would use are wow, dang, and holy moly. I hope I pick up the "eesh" phrase because I realize that saying "holy moly" isn't exactly hip. (In the picture I am saying "eesh") Well today, February 5, 2008, I can guarantee most Mozambicans have said, "EESH!" The price of bread, rice and a chapa ride all went up today without any increase in salaries and needless to say, the people are pissed. Sorry mom, I know you hate when I use that term but saying the people are "really really mad" just doesn't suffice. The public is furious and ready for action and the riots and looting have begun. Chapa (pronounced with the "sh" sound) is the only form of public transportation. I've mentioned them before because it cracks me up how they pile people into these little vans and minibuses like sardines and people are left with their rears hanging out the window as the often-times drunk chapa driver bounces along the pot-holed roads. Pretty much everyone living outside of the city rides a chapa into the city in the morning and back home at night. Now that chapa prices have increased, since gas prices have increased, the chapa-riders are desperate. Below are some pictures of chapas on typical days.
















The mayhem began during my US History class this morning. We heard shouting from outside the school but that's not an unusual occurence so we paid no heed. The voices didn't stop. They got louder and and louder until the tension from the street right outside our school seeped in through the gates and we knew something was wrong. The chapa-riders decided to take matters into their own hands and shut down the entire chapa system by starting a strike. Those chapas that tried to continue running were attacked and as windows shattered, the vans were evacuated and the drivers fled. Currently there are abandoned chapas littering the streets with only shattered windows to tell their story. Against my better judgment I snuck my camera out when I was sitting in the back of the truck to take a picture of one of the chapas with broken windows. See Anderson, I can be brave like you.

Mob mentality has set in and the disgruntled Mozambicans want action. Rioting has started throughout the city. Of course rioting's sister looting has followed right behind. There is a park directly across from our school which is infamous for demonstrations. The strikers met here. As did the police. Shots have been fired but we don't know at whom or by whom just yet although we suspect it was the police firing into the air to clear the mob. During my prep period I gathered some more info from the librarian, cars are burning. The mob has turned over cars in the streets and set them aflame, closing off all streets leading to and from Maputo. During World History students began to leave as their parents picked them up early since it seems chaos is about to break loose in Maputo. I continued class but was interupted by a loud 'BANG!' and then another. "Was that a bomb Miss Hardeman?" No, no, sounded more like a T-Rex walking towards the school to me. And it did. How would I know what a bomb sounds like? Turns out it was just giant dumpsters being tipped over in the street right in front of our school to block the roads. This picture of the front of my school was taken last week right in the spot where the dumpsters are presently residing.Just as I was contemplating how safe my walk home would be today, Doug Miller showed up to pick up his daughter Kimberly and offered me a ride. Transformed into some-sort of chapa driver himself, Doug took 7 of us home. Luckily he had a truck so we could ride in the back; this is called "Amazon style" according to my student Domingos. Doug maneuvered around the dumped dumpsters and we drove through an almost deserted street. Chapas are usually everywhere and their absence leaves Maputo feeling like a ghost town.

Doug dropped me off at home but as I approached the gate, a suspicious fellow wearing hammer pants walked towards me. (hammer as in "MC Hammer" "Hammertime") Never trust a man in hammer-pants. I think I read that somewhere. I pretended just to look at the house and continued walking. This isn't that unusual- I actually do it about once or twice a week when I don't want some character to see where I live. Today however, I was on nerve and did my usual walk around the block extra fast only to find the man had double-backed and so I continued walking and bought some bread. I took a very long route back to my house where I knew I could sneak in without him noticing unless he had parked himself right in front of the house. God knows I was a bit nervous and so He sent me Katie. confused? Katie is a missionary working here who escorted me back to the house and told me about rioting happening throughout "hot spots" in town. She has been acting as a chapa-driver today and praying as she drives throughout Maputo. "I think there is a reason I drove past you right then" she said. I agree. God cracks me up- what a protector.

I know it is no coincidence that just yesterday I read in my devotional the following:

2 Timothy 1: 7 "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love, and of a sound mind."

"The only fear that God encourages in a Christian's life is the fear of God. Fear of people does not come from God....There is no reason to live in fear when you have the mighty presence of the Holy Spirit within you. Fear will enslave you, but Christ has come to set you free."

As I drove in the back of the truck with 4 of my students, witnessing the affects of rioting, I was overcome by a sense of peace. We truly have nothing to fear. FDR almost got it right- he said there is nothing to fear but fear itself. Actually Mr. Roosevelt, we only need to fear God.

Please pray for my city and for the people of Maputo. Pray for order and peace and an end to the rioting. Pray for wisdom for the government. Pray for the Holy Spirit to invade this city.