Always An Adventure

In Moz, almost any road trip becomes an off-road adventure, at least for part of the ride. On Friday, we traveled north to Inhambane Province to allow Caelyn to complete her four open-water dives required for scuba certification.

On our way, we encountered many items of interest. One in particular was a procession of people marching in honor of "Chama", or "The Call", which refers to a call to unity. I don't have any more information than that, but we learned that these folks were marching all the way to Maputo.

A little over half-way to our destination (normally a six-hour drive), we ran into a road block. Some construction trucks had been abandoned at the end of the work day, leaving the road impassable to vehicles without four-wheel-drive capability. Our only recourse was to take a detour, which is no small undertaking on this continent. The queue of vehicles had grown considerably as we sat at the roadside contemplating how best to handle the situation; so we followed behind several other adventurers and headed into the bush. The lead vehicle suffered a flat tire, which brought our line to a halt temporarily.

Sitting in a vehicle in the middle of the Moçambican bush at night, having heard countless stories of car-jackings by bandits, I pondered our vulnerable state and was reminded of God's sovereignty. As I tried to imagine the worst-case scenario and my own helplessness, I experienced the peace that can only come from knowing that God is indeed in control.

"You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"

even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you."

Psalm 139:3, 5-12

Thankfully, we were soon on our way and reached our destination unscathed. The next morning, I was anxious to get out onto the veranda to bask in the glorious view of the valley leading to the beach, before heading there for Caelyn's dives. After a cup of coffee and some breakfast bean cookies, we were all ready to pile into the van to get her to the dive shop in time to suit up.

Graham, too, was awed by the spectacular view.

We found that the van couldn't maneuver the deep soil of the steep driveway, so we managed to push it to the lower, flat portion.

Caelyn is so funny.

Our second attempt at moving the van was unsuccessful, as well. In situations like this, I console myself with thoughts like, "Nothing lasts forever" and "We won't still be in this spot next week". I busied myself by watching a butterfly while the guys tried putting stones beneath the tires for traction.

I took a peek to see how the guys were coming along. They had to first dig some of the dirt from around the tires. I'm so glad that I'm a girl.

Gabriela was laughing at me, saying, "Mom! We're stuck in the dirt and you're looking at a butterfly!" Everyone must have a "happy place" in times like these.

At last, help arrived to pull us out, which also wasn't without difficulty. Caelyn was in danger of being late, so our "help" took some of us ahead to the dive shop while most of the guys stayed behind and waited for a tractor. It was some time before they eventually joined us at the beach, where we waited... and waited... and waited for Caelyn to dive.

Morgan was first on the beach when we arrived.

People watching in Moçambique is an interesting pastime. This family was so fun to watch. The children splashed and played while the mother collected water. I'm told that salt water is used just as we use fresh water -- even for coffee!

Can you see our baby girl? She's third from the right, heading down the beach to meet the boat. With the peace only God can grant (Philippians 4:6-7), I was not anxious about this.

Finally, the guys arrived at the beach, just in time for Craig to join Caelyn on her second dive. This really meant a lot to him. He was amazed that I was able to be so calm. Although he has dived before, he was somewhat apprehensive about Caelyn's diving. What a special treat it was for them to do it together.

While we waited, Sheri and I enjoyed some girl talk while the boys and Morgan amused themselves and Kenyon sat and talked with Gabriela. During our time of leisure, I looked up at the water just in time to see a water spout from a whale. I sat, stunned, momentarily before speaking up. No one else had seen it, and I wanted to be sure. I've never seen a whale in my entire life. (Sea World doesn't count.) When I again saw it surface, I mentioned it to the others. Kenyon, being a natural skeptic, insisted that I was mistaken. I just sat quietly until all had the opportunity to see for themselves. This was a really big deal for me. I'm so thankful to have witnessed it.

The divers reported later that they had seen humpback whales on their outing, so I'm assuming that this may have been the same kind. I really don't know. This is as far as it came out of the water.

Here are Henrik, Caelyn, and Craig returning with the rest of the group from Dive #2.

Our lodge

Back at the lodge, we ate egg-salad sandwiches that the children prepared for our trip, and I had one of Gabriela's fabulous Greek salads. She has been Caelyn's salad dressing apprentice, and I wonder how many eleven-year-old girls make salad dressing that is this good! Honestly, it should be bottled and sold.

After dinner, we played a few games, including Balderdash. I like to think of myself as reigning champion of this game, but alas! Craig has taken my title. The look on Caelyn's face was priceless when she, in the role of "dasher", read my definition for "googol". It was somewhat disappointing, however, to learn that of our entire group of ten, I was the only one who remembered what this is. I thought this was universally taught. In fact, I remember when some of my children learned this term in math.

On Sunday morning, we again headed to the dive shop so that Caelyn could complete her last two dives. When we arrived, the hot topic was the whale shark that was very close to shore. It is somewhat visible in this photo, but it's the best that I could do. There was a man snorkeling nearby, and he swam over and grabbed onto the tail fin. This got me thinking about what others call a "bucket list". I've never seen that movie, so I prefer to call it my "Scavenger Hunt of Life" list. I'm not sure if I really want to grab the tail fin of a whale shark, but I certainly have a new longing to do some sea kayaking after seeing several people doing that over the weekend.

While we hung out at the dive shop, eating lunch and chatting with another family from Maputo, Gabriela befriended their Jack Russell Terrier, Freckles. Normally, this would bother me, but hey! I'm a dog owner now! Not only that, but I'm also now the mother of a certified scuba diver. Congratulations, Caelyn!

(If you'd like to see more photos of our weekend, click here.)

For several weeks, I've been participating in Bits of My Weekend with Michelle and friends. With our upcoming move back to the States, my time will be very limited, and it'll be all I can do just to maintain my own blogs and the sewing group that I join online each Friday. So, please do visit Michelle and her friends. They have many interesting things to share. For now, at least, I must take my leave from it, but it has been great fun to participate.

A Very Full Weekend

We had quite a few bits this weekend. Our "baby", Gabriela, turned eleven on Friday. Time does fly. I cherish every moment that I see her playing with dolls or coloring or building a Playmobil town.

With a little help from the Master Manipulator (no need to mention any names), she settled on going out for a sushi dinner. (Score!) After dinner, we returned home for an old Carey Grant movie a la download.

On Saturday, Henrik came to give Craig Grayson and Caelyn a scuba lesson. He's getting them ready for the upcoming open-water dive. Sadly, we learned on Sunday that Craig Grayson's asthma will prevent him from continuing. This was very disappointing news for him. It actually made me cry, as I know that this is a big goal of his. He has worked very hard preparing, and he does really well.

I can't imagine what it's like for him when he has an attack and can't get enough air. The thought of this happening 18 meters underwater -- and the danger of ascent under such conditions -- is really frightening. I'm sad that he'll be unable to reach his goal, but as Craig said, "It wouldn't be right for us to say, 'He died doing something he loves.'" It's just not worth the risk. Maybe he can become my mountain biking buddy when we return to the States...

Doesn't he look cool in his get-up?

Caelyn, too, is really doing a fantastic job. Some of the things they have to do would scare me, but she's handling it all very calmly, keeping her goal in sight.

On Saturday evening, we had a farewell dinner for Mindy and her family. We've said good-bye to five families in one week. Very sad days these are.

The children and I prepared French dip sandwiches, carrot salad, Greek salad, roasted brussels sprouts, and the best part of the meal: chocolate chip brownie pillows. What would life be like if Southern Living had never been published? Really? I talk a lot about eating nutritious food -- and I mean it! Still, it's nice to get naughty with food occasionally, and southern people really know how to make that happen. Who else would think to squish brownie pieces into the middle of chocolate chip cookies?

After dinner, we watched the US vs England "football" match. I must say that I certainly hope that no American spectators in Johannesburg will take the vuvuzela back home and start a trend there. It would change sports as we know it in the Mother Land. Imagine constantly feeling as if you're being attacked by a giant swarm of killer bees. I don't think the commentators would stand for having to compete with such an awful sound. It distracted me for the entire game and made me want to leave the room. Please do click the above link and prepare to lobby against it.

Gabriela wore the World Cup shirt that Henrik gave her for her birthday... all weekend long!

Was Craig praying here? If so, I wonder if he mentioned the screaming tantrum he had already performed.

I will miss Mindy so much. She has helped me through my times of culture shock, assisted in the red tape of crossing the border, loved my family, prayed with me, translated for me, shown me where to get the best deals, and reminded me of the importance of accessorizing even when the environment seemed to suggest otherwise. She's been a good friend. And her tortilla soup is the best ever!

The most exciting part of the weekend for me was celebrating 18 years of holy matrimony with the best person I know. Sunday was our anniversary, and although we didn't do anything out of the ordinary to celebrate, I felt every bit as excited to be Craig's wife! Sharing life with him has been the biggest blessing, and I look forward to as many more years as the Lord will give us together.

See how others spent the weekend here.

Bittersweet Weekend

I thought I'd start this post off with a reality-check. This is the kind of yuckiness I live with since being converted to Dog Owner. Rhodes was so good during his visit to the vet on Friday, that I thought I'd start my weekend review with this photo of him and his best bud, Graham.

Our children never officially learned to dance (they'll be so mad at me for this). But when we caught wind of a particular dance, we got curious. A google search led us to a lesson, and we had a spontaneous bit of family fun. The dining room in our rental serves as many things: sewing room, office, school room, and the latest, dance hall. Craig had a long, busy week at work, so we staged a way to give him a lift when he arrived at home on Friday. First, the Cha-Cha Slide, followed by this dance to which I refuse to own up. We all danced together (except Graham), but in this photo, I had resumed my internet browsing in the background, and I'm not sure where Craig was.

Later that evening, we revived one of our family traditions: drawing together, which we did while listening to the audio version of O, Jerusalem. This time, though, rather than drawing, I updated my nature journal with a list of the birds I've seen so far in Moçambique, South Africa, and Swaziland.

Morgan has inherited Craig's artistic gift. Neither of them ever produces anything that satisfies his or her perfectionism. I, on the other hand, admire every jot and tittle from them both.

My man's skilled hands

Concentration...

This cutie loves to draw her own fashion designs. I'm amazed at the amount of detail she includes in her drawings of ladies' boutiques. She's a perfect balance of the two of us: Craig's talent and my passion for retail.

I'm cherishing every moment with this young lady. This fall will be marked by her temporary absence, and that's a sobering truth to accept. I was supposed to be that mommy of all of those toddlers and preschoolers...

I think Graham was still contemplating what to draw. By the way, in our house, the guys like to go shirtless. Don't worry, though. They always keep a shirt nearby, just in case company shows up.

Craig Grayson is looking more and more manly as the days go by.

My friend, Sue, says that we're raising our children to be foodies. She may be right. While Craig and I checked email on Saturday morning, the children were fixing breakfast for us. I'm so glad to have these people!! This colorful display was transformed into...

zucchini and spinach quiche:

Now I come to the "bittersweet" part of our weekend. On Saturday night, we attended the graduation of some friends of our children. These teens hail from all over the globe, and we are thankful to have had the time to get to know them. I can't wait to see how they make their mark on the world. The ceremony went very well. We thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

Until very recently, I proudly purported myself as one who doesn't cry easily. Well, the Lord has given me a tender heart these days, and I was the sap in the back of the banquet room crying over the graduation of someone else's children! In truth, though, I've come to love these guys, as they have been very good friends to our children. We've enjoyed sharing memorable times with them. Starting today, one by one, they are going to different parts of the world to begin the next chapter in their lives, and we will miss them.

We're going to miss Jason and Tyler so much. They are remarkable young men of godly character, who possess leadership qualities that are rare among today's youth. (Of my six family members, someone could have warned me that my hair was sticking out on the side.)

Our family has thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Arun. He has a big heart and a dedicated focus on his future goals.

Last night, we met with two other families to pray for our three graduates. The lesson I learned during our time together was that mascara is inappropriate for such an occasion -- especially if we're having dinner out at a nice restaurant afterward. (Vain, but true.) In all seriousness, though, my heart was truly blessed by the prayers offered by each member of our three families on behalf of Jason, Tyler, and Caelyn. Their friendship has been one of the things that has made our time in Moz so special, and now they're all going in separate directions. This is both the saddest time and the most exciting time.

I'm off now to see how Michelle and her friends spent their weekend. Thanks for reading!

Bits of My Weekend -- A Swazi Adventure & Other Tidbits

If you read my Sew & Tell entry on Friday, you already know that I lost my Grandma on Thursday. Having made all of her arrangements in advance, the service was quickly planned and executed two days later, and that's that. Here I am in Moçambique trying to process it all.

I'm not one to escape reality, but I'll admit that it was nice to have several diversions over the weekend. On Friday, we received a kind invitation to enjoy hospitality from friends. A couple of mothers, whose teens occasionally hang out at our house, decided to have us for mid-morning refreshments to show their gratitude for our welcoming their boys into our home. I really enjoyed getting to know these ladies, and of course, spend time with my children and their friends.

No game has ever caused me more stress than Risk, but the children love it. They can have it.

While running errands on Friday afternoon, we saw this in the bay. It was just something new and interesting to see. Kudos to Morgan for capturing it while enduring my crazy Moz driving.

On Saturday morning we headed to Swaziland. A brief incident at the border caused us a bit of angst, but we got past it. I was afraid that Craig was going to practice some of what he learned in the military, but he's a patient man -- even when provoked by a fool.

The scenery in Swazi is so beautiful, but of our four visits to that country, only one brought sunshine. This was not the one.

One of our favorite places to visit in Swazi is near Manzini. The Sambane Coffee Shop hasn't let us down yet, and it's a popular spot for ex-pats. Also included in the little plaza is the Swazi Candles shop, as well as various other places for souvenirs and crafts by local artisans. Just outside is a crafts market, where I went slap-happy buying jewelry. I was in that kind of mood. (But really, is a mood necessary to buy accessories? I'm a girl. It's what we do.)

We weren't prepared for how cool it was -- it is nearly winter in this hemisphere -- so my sweet husband bought me this scarf to wrap around my shoulders. I love that guy for so many reasons.

The bracelet in this photo is one long strand, but some of the beads are magnetic, which keeps it wound around my wrist. Nice, eh? I was afraid this big, chunky necklace might make me look a bit like someone's favorite great-aunt (which, in fact, I aspire to be; but I don't necessarily want to look the part). Still, it is a perfect match for a particular dress that I bought in South Africa, so I couldn't pass it up. I like the flag bracelet, and in fact, wore it today with jeans and a white shirt. The earrings are self-explanatory. Who could resist?

For me, this Butternut & Feta Quiche was the pinnacle of the entire trip. The filo crust just did it for me. My quiches may never be the same again. And you simply must love a restaurant that adds avocado to the salad.

On our return trip to Moz, we stopped at Hlane Game Park so that our friends, Sheri and Kenyon, could have a small sampling of safari adventure. We arrived just before closing time, but we still had enough time to let them at least see a few animals. It ended up being quite the adventure, as we had a dangerously close encounter with a pachyderm matriarch who mistook us for potential baby snatchers. Have you ever had a mother elephant count to three before? We did. And we were glad to make it out of the park unscathed. (I'm pretty sure that my mother never remembers to read my blog, so it's probably safe to share this information.) If you'd like to see photos of our visit, click here. (Previous safari photos can be viewed here and here.)

On Sunday morning, I woke up motivated to bless my family. I needed to make bread, so I added cinnamon swirl to the batch, as well as some buns for dinner. (Thanks for the Black Bean Burgers, Caelyn and Morgan!) It brought me great satisfaction to see family members trickle down the stairs in search of the source of the aroma that finally tempted them from their beds. They came. They saw. They devoured. It was such a welcome treat.

Craig and the boys had a little testosterone moment. They're such fun guys! Before long, Dad won't be able to hang with his young warriors.

I added this for fun. Sunday was an upside-down day for me, as it was the first time in YEARS that I've spent the entire day in my pajamas. (And wouldn't you know: I received unexpected company. Remember Murphy?) Craig Grayson took this photo of me -- no make-up, hair undone, wearing a sleep cami. Upside-down seemed the best way to display it.

How was your weekend? Stop over at Michelle's and read about the adventures of others who play along.