cell phones and street vendors

So today is the day I got a cell phone, yay!! Now I can call ... hmm... who can I call...my uncle.. my aunt.. and my cousin... haha. Hope to see that contact list blow up soon ;-) Well, I think it's a funny story on how I got my cell phone activated... Aunt Janetta gave me an extra cell phone she has, she won it in a raffle lol! So I am completely grateful and as it turns out, it's the very first phone I ever got when I was 17! Kinda funny, my first phone in the States and in Moz are the same... but five years apart ;-) After Jason came home from school he and I headed out to buy my cell phone minutes and a sim card. Here in Moz there are no "plans" or "providers/servers," nope, it's all prepaid/pay as you go. Well, Jason and I are walking through the city and then we stop at a street vendor and Jason starts buying something... So I ask him, "What are you trying to buy?" thinking he was trying to get some knock off brand item or whatever.. I was kind of confused because I couldn't figure out what Jason could possibly need from a sketchy "don't know how they got what they are selling" street vendor. As it turns out... this is where everyone buys their minutes and sims... yeaaahhh....!! The same guys that sell stolen movies, food that is likely to make you sick for days, and handicrafts are the ones selling you minutes for your precious, irreplaceable cell phone! Haha, I love it :o)

I spent 600mets on my phone today... it's something like 3 mets = 1min, or maybe its the other way around? and 1 text = 1met. The conversion here is about 27 to 1. So it's something like 27 texts= $1 USD. Haha, aka: cheap! Also, I get ten free texts per DAY that are pre-set "please call me" messages. Jason explained that these are annoying and only the super cheap use them ... I will be of the "super cheap." no room for shame in this budget! lol :o) I also get 45 texts for every 100mets you buy... so 270 texts, is that right? (me and math are NOT friends). I also get 10 numbers to call any time that don't count as minutes. You can change these ten numbers about once a month. And finally, receiving phone calls is always free. So you text people and tell them to call you lol. All this for about $22 USD... not bad, my friends, not bad :o)

hmm... thoughts on faith...

It was March 4th when I had the conversation with my mom that went something like "you're invited to Mozambique, if that's what you'd like to do after graduation." Panic set in soon after this, because many months before you could have easily caught me day dreaming of living with my Aunt and Uncle in Mozambique and working with little kids! ....only God can pull something like this together.... When that initial conversation happened with my mother my mind exploded. I kept thinking, "What?!?! This can actually work out? Why had I been so confirmed in believing it couldn't happen? I was so silly for dismissing the idea, but thank you Lord for bringing it back up!" Another dream I dismissed early in life was to live in Africa and never need shoes again. I can remember having this dream vividly when I was 12 years old. It's pretty crazy, I know. Anyways, my point is that God made this work out for me. When I said "I guess there's no way..." He said, "uhm, you just wait and see. ::chuckle::"

So I set my sights on Mozambique. And I have no idea how I'll get there or what I'll do once I'm there... and as my plans progress and dates are being set, I still have no idea!! I'm getting to the point where I'm telling everyone I'm leaving, which to me is the point of no return, but I still have no money or job. Haha! Well, once again, God steps in and sends me off to Houston. Where I not only spend quality time with my grandmother and make irreplaceable new friends, but I get enough money to fly me to Moz! And then I start getting checks from church, friends, family, and complete strangers and I somehow find myself with a bank account filled with enough money to last me a month in Moz!

What I'm trying to get at is that I am only on the cusps of understanding what faith really is... faith isn't (always) knowing why you're doing something. Sometimes it's not about the details, but I love details... God often sets a desire in your heart and then provides a way for that desire to work out in your life. Of course, it's not always this simple --but I think it more often than not, is. In this trip, for me right now, it is just that simple. God said "Go." a long time ago in my heart, and after battling a lot of fears and voices saying "You can't." I just decided to go for it. If it's a God-given desire then it will work out. This has been my mantra for many months. ***along with a lyric from a Miley Cyrus song: strength is something you choose*** Many months following were filled with "How?" and "Why?" It's not about why I'm here, that's not my motivation for leaving Richmond. It's about God showing me His way. This entire experience (thus far!) has been the most explicit example in my life of seeing and going God's way instead of my own. Faith is just going. In this capacity, faith is just saying "Ok, Lord, You're clearly opening the path for me in this direction... so I'm going to go. And I hope, one day, you'll show me all the reasons why you placed me here." I like this. It means I'm a character in a mystery.

test test? testing...1..2..3..

Am I actually blogging from Maputo? Wow. I made it! I'm actually standing on African soil and loving every view in front of me :o) It's beautiful here!

A picture pretty far from my house looking into downtown Maputo.














This is so cute! It's how they decorate cars for newly wed couples, on Saturdays & Sundays there are weddings all over the place!















mmm.. pretty fascinating...
This is the Indian Ocean at low tide. Some of these boats are wrecked but others are left there purposefully by the fisherman until the next day's fishing! There are hundreds!













I got here safely (and with all my luggage! untouched!) Friday morning. Jet lag really never hit me because the whole "traveling for two days straight" messed with my head and body so much! I got here Friday, went with my uncle for a walk to get ice cream (sorvete!) down the street, went to my cousin Jason's basketball game Friday night and then fell asleep around midnight. All in all, pretty normal --just in Mozambique! :o) I've spent the weekend attempting to get acclimated and learn my way around, but it's proving quite difficult because I can't pronounce the street names and I keep thinking I'm getting into the driver's seat but really it's the passenger side!! *they drive on the right side lol* I went to church with my family Sunday night and loved it, met some girls that are my age who I look forward to getting to know :o) And on Thursday morning I head out to IRIS! Thus far my internet has been wonderful and available, but I think that will all change when I'm at the orphanage. I can't wait to get there! Hopefully my next blog will be all about the kids I meet!! :o)