Beaches and the big Primary debut!

  Hey kidlets,

Sandi and I were working at the church this week and decided to take a look at the baptismal clothes. They were in sad shape so we decided to take some home and wash them in our washers.

One day, it was the lowest tide that we've ever seen. We could walk way out on the sandbar and around the seawalls that we usually have to climb over. Here's your dad:

While we were walking, we found a sand-dollar. That was a first and I got excited. Then we found another. A woman, with her 3 kids, noticed us and called us over to give us a sand-dollar. Then she bent down and picked up another one in the water. Dad asked her how she was finding them. She said she felt them and dug them out with her feet. So, we tried it and pretty soon we were master 'sand-dollar finders'. 

We learned how to spot their little breathing holes in the sand too.

Those 4 little bumps are the slits you see on the top of a sand-dollar.

The shrimp sellers came by and this time Larry and Sandi decided to give it a try and they bought some shrimp too. It's so great having home-delivery service!! No more roaming the beach looking for shrimp to buy - although that was kinda fun....;). Here's Pedro showing us the catch of the day:

Saturday we went with the Buenos to a beach that's about an hour away. It's called Rio Savane. On the way there, we stopped to visit a 90 year old blind woman that the Buenos met in a village. 

 

 

 The people were starving her and she was dying. They found the African equivalent of an old folk's home and got her into it. Her name is Fatima and when we talked to her, she held my hand and chattered away to me, but I had no idea what she was saying because she spoke Setswana. Not that I could've understood if it was Portuguese....

Here's the community toilet/shower:

 The toilet. Not quite sure what the purpose of the broken cinder-block is......

The shower - well, more like a spit-bath...

 

Then we were back on the road for the beach! When we got there, the tide was really low and we walked to the island, rather than took a boat. Kelly said this was the first time they've done that in the seven months that they've been here. Here's Buenos, Dilles, and us:

 

The entrance down to the beach

 

Being a 'senior couple' does have its advantages - we can go to the beach and swim!!

 

Kelly's son caught this crab and got it to hold onto a shell

 

Afterwards, we had dinner at the beach's restaurant

 

Here's the whole gang - Buenos, Kelly's 3 sons, Dilles, and us.

 

On the way back, the tide had come in and we had to take a boat back to shore.

 

In case you're thinking "Ooh nice! Caribbean water"...

 

   We passed these guys on the way back home. Pedaling along......

 

Do you see the kickstand? Look on the left side of the bike. They all prop their bikes up with a big stick that they carry with them just for that purpose.

 

Sunday, my kids sang in Sacrament Meeting. I had planned it all out. Dress rehearsal? Check. Reminded Luisa? Check. Electricity working? Check. And then the pianist didn't show up.....big sigh!
So, not only did we not have a pianist, but I ended up playing the piano on the fly for Sacrament Meeting - something that makes me kinda nervous because:

 a. I'm not the best pianist,

 b.I'm a lousy sight-reader and

c. I have no idea what we're singing because I can't read the titles. 

But I muddled through and Luisa was a star. She had all the Primary kids sit on the stand for the whole meeting. I wouldn't have done that because some of them are holy terrors, but they were really good! Usually Sacrament Meeting is pretty chaotic with kids playing and wandering around the chapel, and in and out of the chapel. It was the quietest that it's ever been! So, I did some quick shuffling and had Maria, the quiet one, play the first note to cue us and planned to sing a Capella. She was so nervous. I explained that I would show her the note and she just had to play the one note.
We got the kids lined up there, Maria sat at the piano, and we started to sing. The kids did great!!! However, Maria kept playing the note.....again and again and again. I finally gave her the signal and she stopped. Oh Africa..... I gave whistle suckers to the kids in Primary for doing such a good job. They LOVED it but I'll rethink the whistles next time. I did one last Sharing Time to model for them. I told them the parable of the wise man and the foolish man and had sand from the beach and water for them to pour on it and then on a rock. That kept their attention. Then I taught them the song.
Afterwards, I broke the news to the gals that this was my last Sunday in Beira. Luisa said, "Sista, é foto.", so we took a picture. They're so goofy!

 

and with their kids...

 

I was pooped when we got home, but I had invited the Balanga's to dinner to thank her for buying me the funky pants from S. Africa, so I had to get cooking. We had lasagna, corn, garlic bread, and chocolate cake.

 

Twinners!! Ok, not really, but sort of.....

I slept good that night.
It looks like all we did this week was play, but I'm sure we did a lot of spiritual things. ;). I just don't take pictures of them. :)
We sure love you and pray for you - every day......well, actually lots of times each day.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo, mom