Jan 5. I’ve decided one of the reasons we wake up around 4 is because that’s when it gets light. This morning was no different. We were up by 5 and four of us went down brick steps to the beach. Miles of beach and we were the only ones out there. The guys wanted to go scout for lobster but the tide and waves were quite strong so they ended up just swimming. I walked for awhile looking to see if the things that wash up here on the shore are the same as in California. One of the common things to see in the sand here are baby Portuguese man-o-war jellyfish. They are very tiny, bright blueish purple blobs about the size of a thumb nail with what looks like an air bubble and then their 2 inch long tentacle. I was intrigued by them. We didn’t ever get stung but people definitely do and I guess since they’re so small it doesn’t do much except cause exceptional pain for a small time. The guys lit a fire in the outdoor oven and grilled the steaks for breakfast with eggs. We packed up and were on the road by 9. We only had an hour or so drive to our next stop, Tofo Beach. The house we stayed in was a 30 second walk from the ocean and we took advantage of it. The guys spent the day out diving for lobster and Renae and I sat outside on the deck most of the afternoon. I read my first David Baldacci book and enjoyed the breeze. Our bedrooms had a/c here, although it was kind of primitive otherwise. We made quesadillas for supper and I slept clear through the night, another first.

Jan 6. Morgan’s been cooking up a storm, and we had fried potatoes and eggs for breakfast this morning. I looked into going on a dive, but visibility was bad and the man wouldn’t have even taken us out in his boat because of the high waves so…I was disappointed but hey, what can you do? Of course snorkeling was out too. So we swam in the waves and I found urchins and shells on the beach. We saw maybe a handful of people on the beach aways down but we were to ourselves mostly. Its so crazy that there are beaches like this with nobody here. I don’t know how much the virus has contributed to that, or if its mostly because we are not on the beaten path. We made a grocery store run later. It was a small place with surprisingly quality foods, I’m guessing because of the resorts nearby. On the way home we took the scenic route (thats for you Papa Harry’s:) out to the lighthouse. We saw little children on the way out there so we handed out candy to them. I just want to pat their faces and touch their hair because they are so beautiful. Their faces are dark and smooth and their teeth shine at us cuz they’re smiling with all their might. The guys grilled fresh lobster and fish for supper with mashed potatoes and cucumber salad. One of the top 5 meals I’ve eaten, definitely. We relaxed abit and packed up what we could so we can get an early start in the morning. The breeze died down after supper and it became stifling hot, so we’re glad for the wind we had while we were here.

Jan 7. After a quick bite of food, we packed the truck up. It fits better each time since we are eating part of our load at each stop. We were actually on the road by 415 and it was just starting to get light in the east. The bathroom wall was covered with a myriad of bugs that we briefly considered adding to our breakfast but then decided against it. I don’t think it was ever an actual option, but then again I ate pork from a hot roadside bucket so what do I have to lose? All of us have been healthy since we arrived in Mozambique and I’m so thankful! We had a 10-hour day driving and it was mostly uneventful, as much as it could be while driving through Mozambique. We saw all kinds of interesting markets and people and goats, and we also hit two chickens. We also had to drive through a hundred kilometer long area where there have been attacks on busses and trucks in the past. We were all a little tense I think, but we had no problems with terrorists in that stretch of road so we thanked God. We arrived to Codi&Coralee’s house in Dondo this afternoon around 330 and relaxed with them. It is so fun to see them here and we get to spend tomorrow with them as well. It’s quite hot and humid here, and they have a cozy house with a big dirt yard where the guys played soccer with some boys after we arrived. They also have chickens and two monkeys I watched for awhile. Codi’s made delicious tacos for supper. We have just been sitting and listening to them and Dillon’s discuss mission things. We got to spent night outside in the schoolroom and the rest had rooms inside the house.

Jan 8. We slept so good in the a/c last night. After breakfast, we all loaded up with Codi’s and their boys in their Patrol and drove to Beira. It’s an industrial style town on the coast of Mozambique. It was hit by a cyclone in 2019 and hasn’t really recovered so there are alot of shanty houses and lots of places with no roofs. It is very green and bushy and kind of tropical in Dondo where Codi’s are and in Beira. Supposedly in the cyclone Beira lost 80% of its palm trees which is crazy because there are a lot still there to me. With the tropical of course comes humidity but I’ve been doing fine actually. Those of you that know me understand why I’m clarifying I’m okay in the heat because boy do I fight it. Anyways we went to a big market and wandered around looking at shoes and capalanas for awhile. The markets are made up of little wooden framed stalls, sometimes with something on the roof. Most of the sellers are men and I’m not sure where all the women are because the few markets we’ve been in have basically been men. We had lunch on the beach in this thatched hut while we sat at picnic tables and it rained outside. And guess what? We had some of the best wood fired pizza I’ve ever had. It was super thin and absolutely delicious. Then we had a quick shop at the grocery store, mostly for us to pick up more Basil Seed with Passionfruit drinks that we’ve discovered. If anyone knows what I’m talking about and knows where I can get them in the states, please tell me. The guys went to see the church later in the afternoon. We had burgers for supper and had a relaxing evening. I was quite sad to tell codi’s goodbye.