Camp 2000

A couple of days ago I had the chance of a life time. In 2000 floods covered Mozambique. Many peoples homes were destroyed. A refugee camp called camp 2000 was started for them and I got to visit the area this past week. The boys (Justin, Pedro, and Luis) and I left as the sun was rising to take one of our little boys Idrussi to his village in camp 2000 to visit his grandmother. We took a Chapa for three hours to find the pastor and his wife who had found and helped Idrussi. I loved the long ride though. I loved seeing the country...I got to see the Africa that I dreamed about; the red sand and the flat landscape spotted with reed shacks and brush.

Once we found them we were led by another woman in the village on a one and a half hour walk to Idrussi's home village. His grandmother started wailing when we got there. Tears of happiness. She had not seen Idrussi since she had given him up over a year ago and he had been dying then. It was so hard for her to believe that chubbie Idrussi was the HIV infected, malnourished, bone of a dying baby that she let go. It was such an incredible moment...I'll never forget it. The whole village then came to see him, talk to him, hold him, and sing to him. They speak Shagaan in this village, so I didn't understand a word that they were saying...luckily Luis, the ever amazing translator, was with us! I also did my first hitch-hiking ever! We hitch-hiked back into Benefica from the village! I love these kind of adventures.

Traveling in Africa is insane. There is no time in Africa. Everything is always late and uncertain. After a crazy few days of travel I am now safe in Cape Town, South Africa for a short Holiday. I am staying with some people that I met in Mozambique! They are amazing Zurk and Charne. So I am taking a little bit of rest before my last month in Africa. It is wonderful to take a warm shower from a shower head and to drink water from a tap...things that we take for granted in America every day.

I am so sorry that I have not been able to do pictures...I promise to create a page for them when I get home....the Internet is just too slow here. BUT click on the MY HOME IN AFRICA link at the top of my page. It has pictures of all of our kids at the orphanage and stories as well.

I love you all.