Wow, I don't even know where to begin. I think my mind is on overload right about..now! First, let me just say how much I truly truly do appreciate your prayers. I mean, TRULY. A few difficult times so far, mainly mental overload, I know your prayers were speaking for me when I couldn't, and I thank you!
Second, I suppose I should fill some of you, that I have not yet talked to(which is most of you), in on how the trip over was! Personally, I thought it was a great flight from Atl. to Joberg. LONG, oh so very long, but good. I only slept a total of about 4 1/2 hours, and it seemed everytime i would start to drift someone would walk down the isle and knock into my feet and I would wake up. I think i was too tired to even care though!
I had quite a few great conversations with different people on the plane, which was cool. All of them were held while standing waiting in line for the bathroom. One specific conversation lasted about 15 minutes and we finally looked at the bathroom door and wondered if the person inside was ok or not, due to how long they were "in there". Well, leave it to another man, who just recently got in line, to walk up to the door and open it, only for us all to realize it had been empty the whole time! Oh the stupidity felt and the laughter belted!
The same man that I talked to in line introduced me to his wife, who immediately adopted the idea of helping me in anyway possible. They wanted me to come stay with them in Joberg but I already had other arrangements. They are a christian family with kids all around the world doing different ministries. It was encouraging and comforting meeting christian parents with arms held open for me.(seeing as I can't have my mom and dads at this time..im missing it already!)
Second, I suppose I should fill some of you, that I have not yet talked to(which is most of you), in on how the trip over was! Personally, I thought it was a great flight from Atl. to Joberg. LONG, oh so very long, but good. I only slept a total of about 4 1/2 hours, and it seemed everytime i would start to drift someone would walk down the isle and knock into my feet and I would wake up. I think i was too tired to even care though!
I had quite a few great conversations with different people on the plane, which was cool. All of them were held while standing waiting in line for the bathroom. One specific conversation lasted about 15 minutes and we finally looked at the bathroom door and wondered if the person inside was ok or not, due to how long they were "in there". Well, leave it to another man, who just recently got in line, to walk up to the door and open it, only for us all to realize it had been empty the whole time! Oh the stupidity felt and the laughter belted!
The same man that I talked to in line introduced me to his wife, who immediately adopted the idea of helping me in anyway possible. They wanted me to come stay with them in Joberg but I already had other arrangements. They are a christian family with kids all around the world doing different ministries. It was encouraging and comforting meeting christian parents with arms held open for me.(seeing as I can't have my mom and dads at this time..im missing it already!)
Once I got in Joberg I met up with the 
Reymans who took me to their home to settle in. After getting adjusted I went in to join them for dinner and deser. Then I went to bed! It was so nice to finally lay down(fully) and g
o to sleep! The first thing I remember thinking was "wow, this pillow feels really nice!" I think I also must have woken up atleast 3 or 4 times during the middle of the night worried that I was late to catch my next flight. The whole time change is really weird, and how your body knows it's happening is even weirder, I think! Oh, the sun also comes up around 430am, so once your body sees it, it's hard to tell your body it can still sleep. (As I am writing this there about 11..no..13..ok they keep pouring in, kids sitting all around me and Christina, and on the floor playing with cars and trying to talk to me. I feel bad..all i know how to say is hello-Bom Dia, thank you-Obreegadoo, and I dont understand-Now say)
So then friday came(the next morning) and I had 2 more flights. First one was from Joberg to Maputo. Now THAT was a culture change all in itself. In Joberg I felt like I was just in a different state and their main lagnuage anyways is english. So, not much of a change there. Well, in Maputo, the living status changed drastically to cardboard boxes, mud homes, and huts. Also, english is VERY scarce. I found that out quickly!
Reymans who took me to their home to settle in. After getting adjusted I went in to join them for dinner and deser. Then I went to bed! It was so nice to finally lay down(fully) and g
o to sleep! The first thing I remember thinking was "wow, this pillow feels really nice!" I think I also must have woken up atleast 3 or 4 times during the middle of the night worried that I was late to catch my next flight. The whole time change is really weird, and how your body knows it's happening is even weirder, I think! Oh, the sun also comes up around 430am, so once your body sees it, it's hard to tell your body it can still sleep. (As I am writing this there about 11..no..13..ok they keep pouring in, kids sitting all around me and Christina, and on the floor playing with cars and trying to talk to me. I feel bad..all i know how to say is hello-Bom Dia, thank you-Obreegadoo, and I dont understand-Now say)
So then friday came(the next morning) and I had 2 more flights. First one was from Joberg to Maputo. Now THAT was a culture change all in itself. In Joberg I felt like I was just in a different state and their main lagnuage anyways is english. So, not much of a change there. Well, in Maputo, the living status changed drastically to cardboard boxes, mud homes, and huts. Also, english is VERY scarce. I found that out quickly!When I got to Maputo I went through customs and had to get a visa..that whole experience was..quite an interesting one. To get a visa it cost $35 US dollars, so I gave her $40 because I didn't have smaller bills. Well, she goes away to get change and comes back 15 minutes later, finishes my visa, and then says they do not have the $5 dollars change to give me, and continues on with other work. I kind of stood there for a minute or two verrry confused. Do I leave? Am I done here? Is she saying too bad about the change? Where's my change? Im so confused!! So i looked at her, said "keep the $5 dollars, I'm leaving now. Thank you." And she looked very excited and thanked me so much. This was the start of it all..
Next, because I had a 5 1/2 hour lay over, I went up to the cafe' and sat..and read..and journaled..and sat..and stared..and read..and stared..and journaled. Somewhere in that time I went up and got myself my first good ol' Africa meal for lunch; a hamburger and chips! When it came time to pay(keep in mind I have no idea what the money difference is from american and african) the pay was 85,000 mets(i think that's what it's called). I had no idea what that was in american money so I just gave them a $10, hoping that would be enough. They smiled big and waved me off to sit back down until the food was ready. I never got change and later on came to find out that for every 20,000 met, its $1 dollar in US. My bill would have been $4.50 U.S. Yeah, thats the second time they got me for my money :) Oh well. They definitely needed it more than me! So anyways, as the time neared an end, I only had 30 minutes left, and it was then that I discovered they had free internet access....oh man.So I get inline for checking my bags in and I come to find I am somehow 9 kilos overweight.(I was sure mom and I had the right weight measurement but I guess not) So, I was sent to another counter to pay. The people in Maputo know nothing about customer service.(it's what I'm told and came to see myself) I stood at the window for 15 minutes before the manager came in and told one of the ladies to stop and help me. She was not happy to do so, and it was obviouse. This was a test of patience and kindness on my part for sure! So, then after I pay, I go back and get all checked in and head over to the terminal area to wait. I get over there and end up sitting with a father and his co-worker talking for the next hour. They quickly took me under their wing and I tagged along side of them the rest of the trips. We flew for about an hour and then had to get off so they could refuel, then we got back on and flew another hour and then finally made in to Nampula! I walked out of the plane to be greeted with 3 huge smiles and waving arms. (Victor, Christina, and Clara-pronounced: Calauda) I got my luggage and off we headed.
I ended up staying in a hotel the first night(friday), due to the house I was going to stay in being unfinished. I didn't mind and they said to enjoy it because it would be my last shower, sleep in, and air conditioned room for the next 2 months! After we dropped the luggage off they took me to the orphanage to show me around, meet the kids, and eat dinner. It was all so exciting and the kids were so welcoming and giggley!After that I went back to the hotel and got ready for bed and fell asleep around 1130pm. I ended up waking up a few hours after that thinking I was late for something or that I had overslept, but really is was only like..2am. So I went back to bed and then got up a few hours after that thinking the same thing. This happened so many times before I finally got up at like..10am. After I got all ready for the day, Victor and Christina came and picked me up and we went out to eat. We had chicken(which had amazing flavor) and fries. In american dollars for one plate of that it cost about 2 or 3 dollars(my kind of price!). After lunch we went to the shop rite (grocery store) and picked up a few things like apples, peanut butter, and canned tuna. Then we headed back to the orphanage.
*Let me just add that Nampula has AMAZING scenes. They are surrounded by mountains and hills, and everything is so green and lush. Its beautiful!!!*
So then we came back to the orphanage and hung out, watched the kids practice their music, and then Victor, Christina and I headed off to another village to drop off something for a friend of theirs. The view and scenes for that car ride was..again..amazing.(i didn't have my camera or I would post pictures.) The huge orange sun was setting too which added even more beauty. God is amazing!!!
Once we got back I got ready for bed, and then had my first night sleep in the house. It was awesome laying down and having a full view, from every angle, of the moon and stars all around me. There was a great breeze/wind too which brought it to a nice chill.Around 2:30 am sunday morning I heard music, and singing. The village was starting to..wake up? I don't even know if they sleep! But noise started approaching. Then I fell back asleep and then heard a sirene go off at about 4:40am..that was the wake-up call for the kids in the orphanage. They wake up, do chores, eat, and SING. The next 3 hours, as i was in and out of sleep, all i heard was singing, roosters, and nature. It was great, but it will take a little getting used to!
So then lastly was church. Once a month all the kids pile into the truck and go to the "Mother Church", which is about 3 miles from the orphanage.(I've also added pictures of the church that are of inside, looking from the back to the front after everyone had left, and the 2nd is the outside of it.) It was a total of 4 hours long. The first 3 hours was communion, singing, singing, singing, singing, oh yeah, and singing! I got lot's of video's from it. It was extremely different, but also so awesome to get to see how other fellow brothers and sisters in Christ worship the One True and Living God! Oh, and a 4 hour service is considered really short to them. Talk about different, huh?
Anyways, after getting back from church Victor made lunch for Christina and I. It is part of their custom on sundays to let the women relax while the men do the cooking and cleaning up. This, too, is rather different from what we know! 
After lunch we went over to the main meeting room, for the kids, and watched an english movie called "Mr. Bones". It was really silly and the kids really enjoyed it!(even though they couldn't understand what was being said) Then, after the movie, I introduced the frisbee to the kids. It started out me teaching it to 4 year old Mina, but then kids from out of no where came running and laughing excitedly to see what we were doing. After playing this for a little while, they taught me some of their games! It was really great and fun getting to bond with the kids!(this was the first time I was able to since getting here.) Next, they had devotions. Victors dad came and taught this!Afterwards, while Victor took his dad back home, Christina and I came back to their house and attempted to make pizza, but instead ended up talking for like, an hour! We finally made it into the kitchen and made it, while, of course, talking more! It was a time I greatly appreciated and was encouraged by in getting to know her. So then, to rap things up for the day, I got ready a second night usinging the Mozabiquian way! Which is really not that bad!
Lastly,today(monday) once Victor and Christina return, we will be heading out to price hot plates and refrigerators and other odds and ends of that sort! As for now I will continue to download pictures and try to carry on a conversation with Clara. :) (She just saw her name in the sentance and got really excited!)
Lastly,today(monday) once Victor and Christina return, we will be heading out to price hot plates and refrigerators and other odds and ends of that sort! As for now I will continue to download pictures and try to carry on a conversation with Clara. :) (She just saw her name in the sentance and got really excited!)
I love you all and miss you and hope these entries and pictures help you feel like you are right here with me! I know you are, in my prayers and my thoughts. Thank you again, too, for all your many continued prayers! I appreciate them very much!! Hope your all doing well and look forward to talking soon. Chow!
In Him><>
Ashlie
"Jeremiah 33:3"
p.s. hope this scattered mess is easy to read!
In Him><>
Ashlie
"Jeremiah 33:3"
p.s. hope this scattered mess is easy to read!
9 comments:
wow ! my mind is saying "where do i even begin to picture this in my mind " i look forward to somepictures. i will be praying for communication for you and the children, God speaks all languages continue to look to Him! does your room?house have a roof ? how do you see the stars while sleeping ? how are you feeling ? ove you, always forever.
I just balled tears of joy the entire time I was reading this... i still am! I am so excited for you and what God is going to do there. I am praying for you everyday! I can't wait to read more from you. Though I may have to make sure I don't read this in public if I'm going to cry like this every time! I don't even have the words to describe how moved I am right now. Just know that you are on my heart. Love you girl! -Ami
Hey Baby!! I just had to get some kind of comment to you before momma and me "head up". You are such a fantastic writer that I can almost see the sights you're describing. I wanna know too how you see the stars from your bed, and what is the most overwhelming smell so far. (sorry, but that's the way I think!) I am looking forward to pics and videos, whatever you write or post is good for all. I also know you are there for a purpose and that's not to spend all your time on the net. I do know that you will have time to spend on the computer, so make the most of it. I Love you very much and am more proud of you everyday, but then again, I'm your Daddy!!! You should be up now, so have a wonderful day with the kids. SING!!!!! and have fun playing charades (hehe)! Goodnight Baby, Luv ya!!!
Somehow all your reports and impressions seem the fulfillment of exactly what Mrs Kirker and I had in mind for you -- and all the folks at the church in Summerville. Since Victor captured our hearts years ago, it has been God's plan to capture more heart space by partnering in the grand and mundane tasks of the Gospel. Hallelu! Our prayers are full of praise and gratitude. Love ya! Pastor Cam
while reading this, all my questions, doubts, and fears about doing overseas missions were kind of calmed. seeing you talk about how God has taken care of you and such.. it's awesome. so many times i doubt that i will be able to do it someday because i will not know what to say, how to act, how i will handle certain situations, etc. I will have to fully trust God, and sometimes that is so hard to do because we think we have it all figured out! but thanks so much for confirming God's faithfulness. i know He is going to such a mighty work THROUGH YOU, ashlie. that is so amazing to think.
i know from personal experience in Ecuador that it is truly one of the best feelings in the world to have kids, that might not even know what you are saying, gather around you in absolute awe and laughter. they just want to touch you, to hear you talk, to see you! they appreciate you so much more than the children we are used to. they have nothing, so to see/hear something different means everything. i miss it so much! take advantage of every possible moment you have to spend with these kids, and take LOTS of pictures! you will become attached to a few very easily. i'm so excited for you to experience this :)
love you!
oh my goodness- how exciting!!
and how nice for both you and christina to be able to talk and encourage in a language and culture you both undstand and are familiar with. God is so good!
haha! sooo exciting!
thanks for the pictures, they are great ! they really help me feel like i am there. share your story on the hover crafts that you have experienced. its funny and !!!! to me. was it one of those hugh bugs that Christina wrote about on her blog that the children (boys ) tied a string around and walked ? ove you af
when you get a chance have Christina help you link Evanjafrica.org to your blog page. I seen the pictures of you with the children and for the first time you really look white. haha ove you much. your momma forevvvverr ! haha : )
hey ashlie! i decided to read the biggest blog first, before i went to bed! it was great to follow along and see what God's doing in and through you! i'll be looking forward to reading your updates! :)
<>< kyle
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