First week...I feel like a greenie again

Well this first week in Mozambique has been a great experience so far!  Surprisingly, my portuguese has come back at an incredible pace.  I've remembered lots, but lots of words I have had to learn again. So just like I did on my mission, I carry around my little notebook and jot down those words that I'm unfamiliar with.  It's been a good learning opportunity....again.

It's been a difficult week, mostly for the fact that getting into a routine takes a while to get used to.  Lots of team preparation has been going on so that when the other volunteers arrive on June 1st everything will be organized and flow smoothly (we can hope-but we all know that nothing generally runs according to plan!)  But I would have to say that I'm now comfortable being back in the place that I love.

It's a very humble experience being back where I served my mission.  On Wednesday night we had 6 of the local missionaries over for dinner and my mind was instantly swept back to memories I had as I served in Mozambique.  The elders left a message of "remembering".  We read in Helaman Chapter 5 about Nephi and Lehi and how they remembered the words of Helaman their father.  It's so important to remember the blessings the Lord has given each of us and to remember the Lord in times of doubt or fear.  I was really able to feel the spirit as they shared this short, but simple message.

You wanna know the best feeling I had today?  Sweating my face off as I walked down a dusty road from one Mozambican village (Subida) to another (Jean Piaget).  The sun beating on my face.  I just love it.  Adilson is the coordinator that will be helping with our projects when the volunteers come in June and I was able to be with him all day to learn a thing or two about the various projects that are going on in the villages.  The families that participate in the Family Preservation Program make certain goals that will allow them to live healthier lives.  They can start by making a "latrine" which is a bathroom, followed by making a garden and sanitizing their water with bleach.  These simple goals help families live healthier lives and make them more capable of accomplishing even greater goals.  I'm glad to be a part of these great projects!

I hope you like the pics of that crazy tree with its big roots! Also the other pic is what we call a Latrine here in Mozambique, which is basically a form of bathroom