tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44075491213699102602024-03-14T06:15:56.933+02:00The Holders in MozambiqueFollow the Holder family working for BMS World Mission in Beira, Sofala Province.The Holder Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008622470842792852noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4407549121369910260.post-12805763769065370542013-05-28T12:21:00.000+02:002013-05-28T12:21:08.205+02:00UK church dates<div>
After the long haul flight, a little re-acclimatisation, some time to catch up with good friends and family and the all important debrief sessions and medical check-ups, we’re now beginning to look forward to our church partnership speaking engagements. It'll be great to be able to see you all and thank you in person for your support during our first term of service in Mozambique and also to be able to share more of what God's been doing and what life is like.</div>
<div>
<br />
Our schedule is now pretty full, so unfortunately we can't promise any additional visits, but if you can get along to any of the events listed below we'd love to say hello! </div>
<br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="10"><tbody>
<tr> <td><b>2nd June 2013</b></td> <td>Canterbury Baptist Church, Kent</td> </tr>
<tr> <td><b>9th June 2013 </b></td> <td>Arbury Road Baptist Church, Cambridge (morning service)</td> </tr>
<tr> <td><b>9th June 2013</b></td> <td>Christchurch Baptist Church, Welwyn Garden City (evening service)</td> </tr>
<tr> <td><b>15th June - 16th June 2013</b></td> <td>Upminster Baptist Church, Havering</td> </tr>
<tr> <td><b>23rd June 2013</b></td> <td>Colchester Baptist Church, Essex</td> </tr>
<tr> <td><b>29th - 30th June 2013</b></td> <td>Salisbury Baptist Church, Wiltshire</td> </tr>
<tr> <td><b>6th July - 7th July 2013</b></td> <td>Brentwood Baptist Church, Essex (Saturday and Sunday evening)</td> </tr>
<tr> <td><b>7th July 2013</b></td> <td>Pilgrims Hatch Baptist Church, Essex (morning service)</td> </tr>
<tr> <td><b>14th July 2013</b></td> <td>St Peters and St James Churches, Hereford</td> </tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div>
For more detailed information send us an email or get in touch with the respective churches. </div>
The Holder Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008622470842792852noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4407549121369910260.post-42303581224959647282013-04-15T12:44:00.000+02:002013-04-15T12:44:00.125+02:00Ants<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzIXnILi2-Trr2r1rQCiEPU-OfRUyeSjucVZLcJg-O09hG60MkOzHOAQXveGqWZJNmhuckL_sG9jYiDkJsVS90kkzP41d3h7icwAdSthXN56lPSQ-zDrdGJNlZaeg_-H588B3apygY_U/s1600/DSC_0751+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzIXnILi2-Trr2r1rQCiEPU-OfRUyeSjucVZLcJg-O09hG60MkOzHOAQXveGqWZJNmhuckL_sG9jYiDkJsVS90kkzP41d3h7icwAdSthXN56lPSQ-zDrdGJNlZaeg_-H588B3apygY_U/s320/DSC_0751+(2).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A close encounter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We've just come back from a break in St Lucia (South Africa)
followed by the BMS Africa retreat where we all had a great time. We’d caught up with BMS friends and colleagues,
done plenty of safaris (including one in a Kayak and another on a horse). I think we’d eaten more meat in a week than
we’d eaten in the entire time since we left the UK! We’d had time for
ourselves, each other and the children. Throughout the retreat we’d had great
teaching from Haggai and felt ready to take on life in Beira with a fresh
energy before we return to the UK in May.
We realised we’d been ground down by some of the challenges of everyday
life but were determined not to be got down again. No more moaning about potholes, no more only
talking about work and no more of the complaining. More time to be spent with
God, with each other and looking for the positives in every situation. With this new energy we arrived back to our
house. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The following are some of the things that had happened while
we had been away for less than two weeks.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjszyTkBlWH2M6UuWkCbaIEQq6DKmGUB0tVQlgNgfpaY-noUo8g3BCfiQzisDFupm2tscNSxIxp3oDU5EhvsYZy1huyLEGhRyEF0Wa1wwHmmd9r3Bcv3Hw2YaOrQU8qKRwYQkXJDaRvt-s/s1600/P1010681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjszyTkBlWH2M6UuWkCbaIEQq6DKmGUB0tVQlgNgfpaY-noUo8g3BCfiQzisDFupm2tscNSxIxp3oDU5EhvsYZy1huyLEGhRyEF0Wa1wwHmmd9r3Bcv3Hw2YaOrQU8qKRwYQkXJDaRvt-s/s200/P1010681.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isaac, Naomi and Sammy,<br /> not looking very scared at all</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1. One of our guards had been severely ill with a bad bout
of Malaria.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2. A dispute to the south of Sofala Province between the police
and supporters of the ex-rebel group RENAMO led to violence in which seven were
killed including several police officers and tension across the country.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3. A group of organised robbers down a road where some
friends live had systematically stripped parts out of several cars. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Keeping a positive outlook was already looking like a
challenge and then there were the ants…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These tiny housemates have been with us for months and we
had hoped they might vacate the property in our absence but no luck. On the night we got back, we climbed into bed
only to discover that they’d moved in between the covers. We stripped the bed,
sprayed, and sprinkled baby powder around the bed to discourage them from returning
to their new found home. The following
night the same happened in Isaac’s bed and since then the little creatures
decided to make a home of our sofa whilst we were trying to chill out one
evening. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When the children are playing on the floor, the ants are
there. When you cook, they’re there. When you pick up the kids toys, they’re
there. To make it worse, when the ants feel threatened they bite; they may only
be tiny but trust me they hurt! So much for the no complaining and the positive
attitude, we've been talking about! The plan
for a fumigator to come and blight the little creatures is our current
preferred topic of conversation.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzujeEZIZ9Y5MzT6GcjLAVLwOycwzlcirXUx-X0n3F8Q4CBP2WH7V0fQItmycAzLUp-QPCUgded_yhw1Og7ZFdDY-AkzR8s6LPRQUWeIKWYtkyay7CmPY7KZJLjbEcc8SMqJybwvjGZU/s1600/P1010801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLzujeEZIZ9Y5MzT6GcjLAVLwOycwzlcirXUx-X0n3F8Q4CBP2WH7V0fQItmycAzLUp-QPCUgded_yhw1Og7ZFdDY-AkzR8s6LPRQUWeIKWYtkyay7CmPY7KZJLjbEcc8SMqJybwvjGZU/s400/P1010801.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost all of our IMC Africa friends on retreat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However, when we honestly look at things we have plenty to
be thankful for. Beautiful sunshine on a daily basis, food to eat, good friends
and great beaches nearby all help us to carry on with what we’re here to do.
After all, it’s only a few weeks until we get to see UK friends and family and
visit churches for our first home assignment.
Let’s hope the ants will take the hint and go on holiday too!<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
The Holder Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008622470842792852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4407549121369910260.post-24623781375356987992013-02-05T15:44:00.000+02:002013-02-12T18:47:00.595+02:00Prayer letter and home assignment dates<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bmsworldmission.org/sites/default/files/resources/1301%20Holder.pdf" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJnDypMYWilWPHi5AOpDMlJvo5xm8rhggLBFoVCCJZ0i7R7X_BnuwqebRz98G4Kc2uNI-S6GydXMhHP8xfdlcpFI8OLzHKyyrDCar2Vo3ajsfeIc9evAx1BoTtDRil9yeWqnVis_1cyQ/s200/Prayer+Letter+Capture+Jan13.JPG" title="" width="141" /></a></div>
Great news, our first prayer letter of the new year is now available online! You can find it by clicking <a href="http://www.bmsworldmission.org/sites/default/files/resources/1301%20Holder.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Also, we'll be on home assignment in the UK and available to request as BMS Speakers from 6 June to 2 August 2013. Churches wishing to request us as BMS Speakers should use the online speaker request form at <a href="http://www.bmsworldmission.org/speakers" target="_blank">www.bmsworldmission.org/speakers</a> or call the Church Relations Team on 01235 517600.<br />
<br />
Please submit your request before the 18 March 2013.The Holder Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008622470842792852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4407549121369910260.post-6617503163421617442013-02-01T10:03:00.000+02:002013-02-01T10:03:54.252+02:00Mozambique FloodsToday's blog post was written by our colleague <a href="http://www.bmsworldmission.org/fwelsh" target="_blank">Fiona Welsh</a> and was posted on the BMS website earlier this week. The original BMS post can be found <a href="http://www.bmsworldmission.org/news-blogs/blogs/mozambique-floods" target="_blank">here</a>. Since the post was written, the death toll from flooding in the lower Limpopo river now stands at 80 (according to Reuters news agency).<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogs.worldbank.org/nasikiliza/files/nasikiliza/mozambique_floods_jan2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogs.worldbank.org/nasikiliza/files/nasikiliza/mozambique_floods_jan2013.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Photo credit: Phil Hay/UN/Word Bank)</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Intense flooding in Mozambique has displaced at least 150,000 people and killed 40 so far, the United Nations said on Monday, with the figure expected to rise further as fresh rains spread flooding northward.<br />
<br />
BMS worker Fiona Welsh asks for prayer:<br />
<br />
I'd like to ask you to pray for people affected by the recent floods in Mozambique. The rains are due to continue until the end of March so the situation could still get worse:<br />
<br />
The flooding from the Limpopo river, which began on Wednesday, killed around 40 people and forced more than 100,000 others to flee.<br />
<br />
Amid the catastrophe, two babies were born on roofs where their mothers had taken refuge in the southern village of Guija.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bmsworldmission.org/sites/default/files/image/Blogs/WelshF/Mozambique%20displaced%20people.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.bmsworldmission.org/sites/default/files/image/Blogs/WelshF/Mozambique%20displaced%20people.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: start;">(Photo credit: Anna Wallenlind/IRIN)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The mud-filled hospital in Guija is empty, with all the furniture and equipment drying outside, while a nurse distributes painkillers to the sick and ensures the injured are airlifted to hospitals outside the area.<br />
<br />
Local medical staff have already treated around 70 cases of diarrhoea and are keeping an eye out for cholera and other waterborne diseases. Apart from air transport, which is reserved for urgent cases, the only way to access the community of roughly 7,000 residents is by boat.<br />
<br />
Local officials estimate that Guija will remain isolated for at least three months, the time it will take to rebuild the roads and bridges swept away by the Limpopo waters.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.wfp.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/600x400/photos/On%20the%20roof.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://www.wfp.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/600x400/photos/On%20the%20roof.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Photo credit: Leonor Fernandez/WFP)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Four bodies were found in Chokwe, whose flood-ravaged streets were also littered with rotting animal carcasses.<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
A Baptist pastor contacted us on Monday to say that they have had 2.5 metres of rain in a few days in Chokwe.<br />
<br />
Please pray for the local churches as they attempt to help their local communities at this terrible time.<br />
<br />
Thanks<br />
<br />
FionaThe Holder Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008622470842792852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4407549121369910260.post-63553948726501842882012-12-19T15:32:00.001+02:002012-12-19T15:32:04.784+02:00Christmas Card<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1gGEguJ7IUzmaKnlQr-wBDedD5UpW5nkC_chEgSNvv0R2L8gYo3Xe97-OhAHNeJL6qEcyP0OmpkqPsmdiCXr_yI4YHK8Njsmnpbk0V6PvmRZCjxP17JYBntSdICRxMEjYWCSeOaRjLx0/s1600/Christmas+card+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1gGEguJ7IUzmaKnlQr-wBDedD5UpW5nkC_chEgSNvv0R2L8gYo3Xe97-OhAHNeJL6qEcyP0OmpkqPsmdiCXr_yI4YHK8Njsmnpbk0V6PvmRZCjxP17JYBntSdICRxMEjYWCSeOaRjLx0/s1600/Christmas+card+2012.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />The Holder Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008622470842792852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4407549121369910260.post-71833796914259288312012-12-03T20:11:00.001+02:002012-12-03T20:13:38.123+02:00Tuning into the sounds of Mozambique<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bmsworldmission.org/sites/default/files/image/News/Tuning%20in%20to%20the%20sounds%20of%20Mozambique/Logging%20lorry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://www.bmsworldmission.org/sites/default/files/image/News/Tuning%20in%20to%20the%20sounds%20of%20Mozambique/Logging%20lorry.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
This is just to say that we recently had an article published on the BMS World Mission website that tries to describe some of the drama of modern-day Mozambique. You can read it by clicking <a href="http://www.bmsworldmission.org/news-blogs/archive/tuning-the-sounds-mozambique" target="_blank">here</a> or going to <a href="http://www.bmsworldmission.org/" target="_blank">www.bmsworldmission.org</a> and looking in the list of recent articles. Enjoy!The Holder Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008622470842792852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4407549121369910260.post-30834270769993655642012-11-07T12:08:00.000+02:002012-11-07T12:08:18.424+02:00Tradition and responsibility: Life after death in Mozambique. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8dhPi1CViCBN9SilRJ1dTsI-YnV5U0FNHtBLwJy6aqeYLoFuka1dL6nM2sBRvxEuHY-yj4txVEaYOwf1r9jPbTbLDHFJ6f-NTctYE0HMVdkSceFzIqa_69Z4EQ9Rav7WYPlgfNWyf2o/s1600/DSCF3758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8dhPi1CViCBN9SilRJ1dTsI-YnV5U0FNHtBLwJy6aqeYLoFuka1dL6nM2sBRvxEuHY-yj4txVEaYOwf1r9jPbTbLDHFJ6f-NTctYE0HMVdkSceFzIqa_69Z4EQ9Rav7WYPlgfNWyf2o/s640/DSCF3758.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
A few months ago, Mario’s (not his real name) father died. Although he was an old man for Mozambique (life expectancy is 42<sup>1</sup>), the stroke was quite sudden. He was brought from his village to stay near the city not far from our house to be with his extended family, most of whom have migrated to Beira for work. In Beira he was also able to see a nurse<sup>2</sup> but he never recovered and died about a week later.<br />
<br />
The funeral took place on a Tuesday. A short service was held in a catholic church and he was buried in the cemetery. Back in the UK, we tend think about funerals as marking an end of a life, but in traditional Mozambican culture, the funeral is just the beginning of a series of ceremonies intended to help the safe passage of spirit of the deceased into the realm of the ancestors. The village shamans and healers play an important part in this. For example if the ceremonies are not done well enough, the spirit can turn malevolent, wreaking havoc on the family health, crops and livelihoods.<br />
<br />
During one ceremony, the spirit chooses a family member to inhabit, joining the ancestors that live on after death in the living. Although not the eldest son, Mario was chosen to receive the spirit of his father, he said, because his father loved him the most. And with this honour came all the responsibilities due the new head of the family; no small deal for a young guy still studying.<br />
<br />
We first noticed a change in Mario quite soon after his father’s death. He was less cheerful, less talkative and more sullen. We knew that he’d started turning up late for work but we put this all down to stress, mourning or the weight of extra responsibility.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSajUMtVLcuufiVHyonnsGB7slrbdwghXIFi_VzFFUWOCuHryXsCo9hpZIf639pLQ8zcKBK77GVpNuZtU8jqjfbpiRaYqqj3z8Xib4yD6uASen8Si5J5254i3I30w88D7xhILah3Hrt8/s1600/DSCF3324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSajUMtVLcuufiVHyonnsGB7slrbdwghXIFi_VzFFUWOCuHryXsCo9hpZIf639pLQ8zcKBK77GVpNuZtU8jqjfbpiRaYqqj3z8Xib4yD6uASen8Si5J5254i3I30w88D7xhILah3Hrt8/s400/DSCF3324.JPG" width="400" /></a>Then one day he nearly got fired. He’d turned up for work drunk and unable to do his job. In desperation he spoke to us about his problem. Everyone knew that in life his father had liked a beer on a Friday evening, but he told us that in death the spirit of his father was making him drink away every last metical of his small salary. He knew he was in trouble but how could he reject the spirit of his father?<br />
<br />
Whatever you believe about this kind of thing, in Mozambique the physical and the spiritual are believed to be intractably interwoven in the fabric of everyday life. Every action taken in this world is watched, judged and acted on by those that inhabit the spiritual realm. The only way to overcome a problem in this world is to also overcome the spirits who are causing it in the other.<br />
<br />
Whether you believe Mario’s experience is a genuine one, or just put it all down to psychology, he needs to find a way of getting out of this mess whilst feeling that he is honouring his father. But in this culture passages like 1 John 4 really come into their own.<br />
<br />
Test the spirits, writes John. If they’re from God then they’ll acknowledge Jesus, if not they’re false and therefore liers. He tells his readers that because God is in them they can overcome the lying spirits and in a twist of logic he says now that they are from God and the spirits are from the world.<br />
<br />
We believe that through Jesus, there is a way out that both saves Mario’s job and livelihood and honours the memory of his father. Please pray for him as he begins to study his bible and discover this wonderful truth. <br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><sup>1</sup>According to the United Nations, Mozambique has the second lowest life expectancy in the world:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/wpp2006/WPP2006_Highlights_rev.pdf</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><sup>2</sup>Access to rural healthcare is very poor. There is roughly 1 nurse per 5000 people and the vast majority are based in cities and towns:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/WorldStats/HNP-nurses.html#map</span><br />
<div>
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The Holder Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008622470842792852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4407549121369910260.post-4012601387499515282012-10-25T13:45:00.000+02:002012-10-25T13:45:06.047+02:00'Normal'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDm1jLE5vMu9xazBFaLQNosStGBj8BANAvo5QN34OmsmNzCmPps6FB6kZFSTY0NrYSj-wx5JBzuxWriWcjKKvTYSflFmkMRTmU908ZoJrA4QVfoVNEvtNhzoJo31Z8xiFHxWsAWucA5s/s1600/P1050492+copy+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDm1jLE5vMu9xazBFaLQNosStGBj8BANAvo5QN34OmsmNzCmPps6FB6kZFSTY0NrYSj-wx5JBzuxWriWcjKKvTYSflFmkMRTmU908ZoJrA4QVfoVNEvtNhzoJo31Z8xiFHxWsAWucA5s/s640/P1050492+copy+copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18Qtko6hfKdL4TB1iPXDnx5OGXd-QX5JL5ueaPfdyaini5Lr339wIfzXTxL_jNcDxsJX6mEoaGRYl15pNvdMgIr_j0e9t0vzcF47h74Xg_AwwnOFdvn1K8ISR2dY9m5NFgkYlmVgsUJY/s1600/P1050542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj18Qtko6hfKdL4TB1iPXDnx5OGXd-QX5JL5ueaPfdyaini5Lr339wIfzXTxL_jNcDxsJX6mEoaGRYl15pNvdMgIr_j0e9t0vzcF47h74Xg_AwwnOFdvn1K8ISR2dY9m5NFgkYlmVgsUJY/s320/P1050542.JPG" width="320" /></a>As I was driving down the dual carriageway on my way into town the other week, I carefully avoided the motorbike driving at speed the wrong way and very much on the wrong side of the road. A few minutes later what surprised me was my lack of surprise. I realised how I had barely thought about the situation, let alone been shocked by the disregard for road safety laws. It got me thinking about all the things that have become ‘normal’ for us over the last few years. Here are just a few:<br />
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1. Pot holes in roads big enough to swallow a car.<br />
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2. Never ending sunshine... So much so that we often long for rain.<br />
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3. The sight of small children wandering unaccompanied along busy roads.<br />
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4. Watching an incredible amount of development, at a scary rate. For example when we arrived, Beira had one supermarket. It now has four with two of them opening up just the month gone buy.<br />
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5. Having people asking for money when you get out the car in certain zones in town.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg688BlXFlK51POtl2qguiE-IICFdm6etvVADr4M2gg-boRY6skv0bbxMqNP3Y72xrpsyopdh1teR_XJvc7rodM9KRzGbkUZIbmGb5v-Lj0g076PwNAXIeZ3NPxhvTSgWCw2vmcA6bm5l8/s1600/IMG_1379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg688BlXFlK51POtl2qguiE-IICFdm6etvVADr4M2gg-boRY6skv0bbxMqNP3Y72xrpsyopdh1teR_XJvc7rodM9KRzGbkUZIbmGb5v-Lj0g076PwNAXIeZ3NPxhvTSgWCw2vmcA6bm5l8/s320/IMG_1379.JPG" width="320" /></a>6. Seeing all types of vehicles, from bikes to large lorries, overloaded with all sorts of items, people, animals and machinery.<br />
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7. Seeing the countryside alight as people set fire to the old season’s crop in preparation for the new.<br />
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8. Some ‘special’ clothing choices. My favourite being a man who was selling rugs at a local market dressed only in a dressing gown.<br />
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9. Neighbourhood monkeys, some wild, some kept as pets.<br />
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10. People offering to work for me as a nanny when I take the children with me shopping.The Holder Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008622470842792852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4407549121369910260.post-40872667481734435252012-10-10T08:45:00.001+02:002012-10-10T08:47:34.452+02:00New prayer letter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="http://www.bmsworldmission.org/sites/default/files/resources/1209%20Holder,%20Christine%20and%20Geoff%20September%202012%20prayer%20letters.pdf" target="_blank" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5QxzUnbnE4BS6BS1gcWO-akTLaHd33TSvgDeYEKNWYg8aNnhE2oOjJVOBZNYIQQvV2WiXUyhaNBa1CmxfUfbuiQDZqveEMuFThm0lTMWUo5ZpWwymnANXmd0PMltzg6wX2_YJoP9VCc/s200/Prayer+letter+Sep+12+thumbnail.JPG" title="" width="140" /></a>Our most recent prayer/news letter can now be found online on the BMS World Mission website. <a href="http://www.bmsworldmission.org/sites/default/files/resources/1209%20Holder,%20Christine%20and%20Geoff%20September%202012%20prayer%20letters.pdf" target="_blank">Click here</a> to find it if you haven't read it yet! In this letter, Christine has tried to tell the story of the car accident in some detail, sharing how God has been at work through it all.The Holder Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008622470842792852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4407549121369910260.post-60445314489157476522012-09-10T10:44:00.001+02:002012-09-10T10:44:09.142+02:00Six months in two pages<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-3YiXjbYK_JKun5uilwhD9nffj01HWz3Rjg49FwaUHdU5peCUjN6F5yc8nI6soFi6CQptMx3nNFW1dMx7aUCFUEke8s1uQtBbPUFgQttkcCW5G9_ZAm2jAoH11EcQ_R3Xgzyb7uAwlY/s1600/P1000089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-3YiXjbYK_JKun5uilwhD9nffj01HWz3Rjg49FwaUHdU5peCUjN6F5yc8nI6soFi6CQptMx3nNFW1dMx7aUCFUEke8s1uQtBbPUFgQttkcCW5G9_ZAm2jAoH11EcQ_R3Xgzyb7uAwlY/s640/P1000089.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jeremias with his family</td></tr>
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I’ve just looked to see when we last wrote a blog… I’m very embarrassed but not at all surprised! Since the last blog post our world has been a little shaken to say the least. But if I’m honest, I know I’ve been putting off writing about our life here as I’m still taking time to make sense of the country we live in and our recent experiences. Anyway I’ll do my best to fill in some of the details of the last few months.</div>
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I’m sure that many of you who follow us are aware that I (Christine) was involved in a car accident in April. Having driven for nine years without an accident it was pretty terrifying. As is so often the case here, while I was driving on a clear road with no car in front or behind me, a boy (Jeremias) of around nine years ran straight out into the car. Thankfully he is alive and despite serious injuries which originally looked fatal, he seems to be making a full recovery. This happened soon after our last blog post and affected a great portion of our time and lives afterwards.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4oDWkdBwpgSAL8SlvJdND4IeWKz3fdbxzurMA54YQ5eIz8l_7YrRQJFQabX_4P0QCDp_rYCfalJZ5aqCez7mKFC-I-3wz7-1B5xyAINrwDHbIhayqpKAeStbajm50TliaIJH-5b3LmU/s1600/P1000165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4oDWkdBwpgSAL8SlvJdND4IeWKz3fdbxzurMA54YQ5eIz8l_7YrRQJFQabX_4P0QCDp_rYCfalJZ5aqCez7mKFC-I-3wz7-1B5xyAINrwDHbIhayqpKAeStbajm50TliaIJH-5b3LmU/s320/P1000165.JPG" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our language teacher at work</td></tr>
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The time after the accident in some ways went on as normal: we’ve had Portuguese lessons every morning at the language institute and various BMS tasks to do in the afternoons as well as extra informal language on top of bringing up two lively children. But Mozambican culture dictates that we were also expected to regularly visit Jeremias who was staying in Beira hospital with his father recovering from serious injuries and waiting for various surgeries to restore him to health. It also dictates that not only did we need to visit but were also required to provide for all the needs of Jeremias as well as his family while they were staying away from their home. Although officially hospital is free here and food is provided for patients, needs of family members staying with the patient are not. Jeremias’ family had no relatives here so we became providers of food, company and accommodation as they were needed. We made cultural mistakes on the way but the family were gracious in understanding our lack of cultural knowledge.<br />
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At times we found the visiting and expectations very difficult to deal with especially in a society that says the driver of the car, whether at fault or not, has to provide for the injured party’s needs. I’m pleased to say that we have formed good friendships with Jeremias family, especially his father and that Jeremias is back near his home town on his way to a hopefully full recovery.<br />
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As part of the continued sorting out of the accident I was called to a tribunal up in Manica near the Zimbabwe border. We were reassured that this was just a regular procedure to formalise the expectations of the driver towards the injured party and their family. We received a letter telling us to be ready outside the courthouse at 9am and that failure to turn up could lead to a prison sentence! Knowing this we were nervous as to what to expect but safe in the knowledge that the proceedings, however intimidating, were to work out what the insurance company would pay out. Manica is a five hour drive from here but we decided that we could go and come back in a day so as not to have to ask a great deal of the babysitters who were looking after the children. </div>
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Leaving at 4am with a friend, Camica, who had kindly said she would translate for me we started out to Manica. The thick fog on the dark roads did not help my nerves but Camica, happily chatting away despite the hour, was a real blessing. We picked up Jeremias’ father and mother on the way and continued to the courthouse. Arriving early, we handed in our paperwork and waited to be called. Here I got a huge lesson in patience, a seven hour lesson to be precise. Eventually we were called. I think the Judge was as hungry for his lunch as we were by this time and didn’t even open the paperwork provided by ourselves and Jeremias’ family which explained what had happened. He assumed as with most motorists here that I had simply run away and had been caught by the police at a later date. Needless to say, proceedings did not go exactly smoothly: I was refused a translator, told I was a bad person, and then the case was thrown out as we needed to wait for a final report on Jeremias’ health which would be more likely to come along in January 2013. With the insurance company lawyer not even being given permission to speak we decided to go out for a late lunch all together. After a long day we drove back to Beira arriving to find the house still enshrouded in darkness from the longest power cut we’ve had since we’ve been here (over 48 hours). I can’t say it was one of the best days in my life but I was very thankful for all the friends and family both here and back in the UK who supported us with practical help, prayers and messages.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A cafe: the most important stop on a guided tour of Beira</td></tr>
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I could say that since then life has continued as normal and so it has in a manner ‘normal’ to life here. Soon after the accident my Mum came to visit and was amazed at how long everything takes. Getting money out the ATM seems like such a simple task but does rely on the ATM having money in it and working! Sorting out a small issue should just be a short phone call but is often hours spent sitting in an office, followed by collecting of documents that need signing and stamping which then involves sitting in another office for hours waiting for the official person to stamp your papers. So life goes on. <br />
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We have finally finished our formal language studies and are officially fluent in Portuguese at least if not in reality. We still make plenty of mistakes but can generally say what we need to say and understand what needs to be understood. As I’m still learning new words in English I’m sure our informal study of language will never end. We marked the finish of our language study with a visit from Geoff’s parents and my cousin, Jen. We took some well-earned holiday, showing them around Beira cafes as well as going to Savane Beach resort for a few days followed by a visit to Gorongosa National Park where we were privileged to see a lion as well as some elephants pretty close up.<br />
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The last few months have probably been some of the most trialling we’ve been through, however, as formal language is over it’s back to a slightly different type of work. I’m starting to visit some of the church pre-school program as Geoff starts looking at how to practise some of the basic farming techniques he has leant on a<a href="http://www.foundationsforfarming.org/" target="_blank"> ‘Foundations for Farming’</a> course in order to help some orphanages in the local community provide their own food. <br />
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We’ll keep you updated with our progress.<br />
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<br />The Holder Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008622470842792852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4407549121369910260.post-63917548472908929042012-03-28T19:48:00.000+02:002012-03-28T19:56:50.492+02:00A New House and Ancient Customs<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/16294090@N07/7024044811/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Our house (panorama) by gpholder, on Flickr"><img alt="Our house (panorama)" height="198" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6216/7024044811_d3e9e1cd83.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our new house</td></tr>
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Many of you know that over the past 6 months, we’ve been looking hard for new house with space for us as a family, a garden, rooms that could be used as guest accommodation and a little office space. Whilst the search has been going on for what has seemed like ages (we’ve now become self-confessed experts at guessing exactly how ridiculously high the rental price might be for property in Beira) last month, at last, we managed to move into a fantastic new house.<br />
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Discovering that it’s actually cheaper to live in a $100 a night hotel than rent an average 4 bedroom house in good condition in the city, we’d begun to look in an informal residential area on the outskirts called Manga (literally meaning ‘mango’, I’d guess because there’s a lot of mango trees around). Manga has a very different feel to the city and here cultures new and old collide. People commute into the city on the minibus taxi service that run up and down the main tarmac road whilst at the same time filling their gardens with rice or maize to sell and eat.<br />
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It’s a beautiful area and we have a fantastic house with a garden full of fruit trees, bananas and vines. The only slight disadvantage of living here is that mains water is turned off each evening (we have plans to make our garden well water drinkable) and electricity is much more unreliable.<br />
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Although summer is slowly petering out, nights are still pretty hot and sticky so we all sleep in the blast of an electric fan. This overpowers much of the noise from outside, but during a power cut, the night noises reveal something of a hidden side to Mozambican life.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/16294090@N07/6878319796/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Mozambique tree sunset by gpholder, on Flickr"><img alt="Mozambique tree sunset" height="300" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7120/6878319796_50657d9fd8.jpg" width="400" /></a>Without the fans and muted behind the screeching cacophony of crickets and frogs, we sometimes hear drums: fast flowing hypnotic and repetitive rhythms beating out into the dead of night. This is the sound of the <em>Tradição</em> (traditional beliefs) and the drums are one of the tools of the<em> curandeiros</em> (traditional healers) intent on calling a spirit into conversation. His (or her) plan is not to expel the spirit out of the person he is trying to help, we’re told, (after all, where would it go?) but to find out why it is angry and tormenting the person it is residing in, and discuss with it, in its own language, just how it might be appeased.<br />
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The drums are just one aspect of the <em>Traditição </em>that is alive and strong in Mozambican culture. Any exploration around the base of a prominent old tree or termite mound may reveal fetishes (gifts given to the ancestral spirits that live there). These take the form of half buried clay pots that contain the ingredients of mysterious spells: chard cloth, bones, ash etc. This is the work of the<em> fetiseiros</em> (witch doctors); the charms are intended to bring illness, misfortune and even death to the unfortunate victim.<br />
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Mozambicans are a fantastically warm and friendly people, but if you scratch beneath the surface you'll find a deep undercurrent of very real fear. If someone does well for themselves, if their crops or goats do a little better, if they start to make money for themselves, they fear the possibility of being cursed for it by jealous neighbours.<br />
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The challenge for anyone working in development in Mozambique is that before you can have any conversation about improving the quality of local peoples’ lives, you first need to face this atmosphere of fear. We believe this can only be achieved by a loving God who is so much bigger than fear and jealousy.The Holder Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008622470842792852noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4407549121369910260.post-59102541939003297682012-03-24T09:15:00.000+02:002012-03-24T09:15:06.740+02:00The British and the Weather<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/16294090@N07/7010335321/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Manga in the rain 1 by gpholder, on Flickr"><img alt="Manga in the rain 1" height="473" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7228/7010335321_514fbf9fa9_c.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neighbours' children playing after the rain</td></tr>
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It’s been a very long time since our last blog post, but in that time we’ve moved house, passed level 2 Portuguese and had no less than three colleagues staying with us including the intrepid Brad and Ruth Biddulph (BMS Zimbabwe) and our first BMS Mozambique team member, Annet Ttendo. Geoff has travelled as far as Harare in search of a good answer to mulching maize and I (Christine) have discovered that, after days and days of ridiculously hot weather (i.e. a heat index over 50°C), I need a jumper on as soon as I go anywhere with air conditioning!<br />
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Well, this takes me nicely onto the theme of today’s post…<br />
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I thought when I left Britain that the standard conversations about the weather were firmly behind me. After all, what is there to discuss in a country where the weather apparently alters very little beyond day after day of glorious unbroken sunshine?<br />
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So you can imagine my disgust that nearly every day here in Mozambique there is some sort of discussion about the weather. What’s more, the weather is linked to everything: It’s the cold in winter (25°C) that means that you have a cold (of the runny nose variety). Of course, the summer heat causes the same. In winter, people cannot be found outside their houses because of the cold; in summer they’re at home resting because of the heat. And of course, you should all be warned of the dangers of wearing a red top in a thunderstorm (it’s fatal, you know!)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/16294090@N07/7010324079/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Manga in the rain 2 by gpholder, on Flickr"><img alt="Manga in the rain 2" height="225" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7085/7010324079_0af4d6693f_c.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our kids have the same idea!</td></tr>
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However, the ‘hot’ weather topic at the moment is no different from back in the UK: RAIN, RAIN, RAIN! Recent comments include: ‘It’s been too long since the last rain’ (the rains have been very late this year), ‘The amount of rain received is too small’ (i.e. it won’t help the crops), ‘The amount of rain received is too big’ (i.e. the dirt roads are flooded and cars keep getting stuck in mud).<br />
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After our last blog post, far too long ago I apologise, we are pleased to say that actually rain has at last started to arrive and just in time for some of the wilting rice in the fields. And so far not too much flooding! Yes, there is the occasional car stuck in mud but overall things aren’t too bad and I haven’t heard of people sleeping on their dining tables yet (which is what happens when houses flood properly.)<br />
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To finish I feel I must give a short update about the cyclone that affected people that live just a short way from Beira. We were delighted to hear that the local government had given some seed to affected areas near us and although the rains have been late this year I guess it means the late planting of crops was not as disastrous as it could have been. We thank God for the way in which people have begun to rebuild their lives.<br />
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I think that is enough weather talk for now. So what is the weather like there? Is it spring yet? <br />
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P.S. Brad and Ruth’s most recent blog post says a little about our life in Beira, if you’re interested, you can find it by clicking <a href="http://www.bradandruth.co.uk/index.php/component/content/article/2-blog/49-after-the-initial-disappointment" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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</div>The Holder Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008622470842792852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4407549121369910260.post-31376269782970250172012-01-25T11:39:00.000+02:002012-01-25T11:39:31.210+02:00Tropical Storm Hits Mozambique<a href="http://www.netglobers.com/media/image/istock_000012838765xsmall_k11t85bh9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="http://www.netglobers.com/media/image/istock_000012838765xsmall_k11t85bh9.jpg" width="200" /></a>Greetings again from a hot and humid Mozambique. We know that most of you who read and follow our blog live in the Northern Hemisphere and, as your winter drags on, might find yourselves slightly envious of our summer heat. But it’s not all glorious sunshine here. There had been no sign of the rains (which normally start in November) and everyone has been waiting with bated breath for a break in the sweltering heat and some cooling water for their crops. That is until last weekend.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://icons-ak.wunderground.com/data/images/si201208_sat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://icons-ak.wunderground.com/data/images/si201208_sat.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's satelite image of the storm (NASA from wunderground.com)</td></tr>
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Over the weekend, we had our first experience of a tropical cyclone as a category 4 storm, nicknamed ‘Funso’ hit the Mozambican coast. Associated Press say that at least 10 people in Mozambique have been killed, and thousands of people have been driven from their homes. Many crops and homes have been destroyed and roads and bridges are now impassible. Winds have gusted well over 150kph. Here in Beira we’re still cut off from the capital city, Maputo. Today’s ‘Diario de Moçambique’ newspaper reports that 12,000 are currently homeless.<br />
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As the storm skipped past us further out to sea on Sunday night (we were up trying to comfort Isaac as thunder crashed overhead) it was little more than an inconvenient sleepless night. Please pray for our partners, the Convenção Baptista de Moçambique who are currently planning how best to help those who have been left homeless and cropless just the other side of the nearby River Pungue. <br />
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</div>The Holder Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008622470842792852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4407549121369910260.post-52948942694643553102012-01-03T17:44:00.001+02:002012-01-04T09:21:20.042+02:00A Post Christmas Blog Post<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/16294090@N07/6632670957/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_0459 by gpholder, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0459" height="480" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7027/6632670957_37426a4df5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas, Southern Hemisphere style!</td></tr>
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Besides the odd street hawker with a few bits of tacky tinsel and the odd plastic Christmas tree in the super market, the usual build up to Christmas we’re used to just doesn’t exist in Mozambique. There were a few manic days of shopping and we heard reports of ‘Shoprite’ being so overrun that people were opening packets and eating food off the shelves but with Naomi stuck for three days in the clinic we even managed to miss that! Food prices did go up but there was none of the usual manic advertising or cheesy renditions of ‘It’s Chriiiistmas!’ we’re so familiar with.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/16294090@N07/6632893807/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="IMG_0572 by gpholder, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0572" height="150" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7144/6632893807_97c5d25087.jpg" width="200" /></a>We had decided that to avoid too much homesickness we would get together for the Christmas period with our friends and BMS colleagues<a href="http://www.bmsworldmission.org/brbiddulph" target="_blank"> Brad and Ruth Biddulph </a> who are based in Zimbabwe (<a href="http://www.bradandruth.co.uk/" target="_blank">click here</a> to find their blog). After Naomi left the clinic we agreed that a night away from Beira was definitely in order, so on Christmas Eve we packed up a few bits and headed off to the local beach resort of Rio Savane where we booked to stay for one night. Although none of us felt particularly Christmassy, Ruth and I sang cheesy Christmas songs as we bumped down the dirt road in an attempt to invoke a sense of the season… I think we managed to invoke several headaches instead.<br />
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We were staying in a basic thatched ‘cabana’ which consisted of low walls, a thatched roof, a cement floor, a little mosquito netting and a BBQ outside. Shortly after arrival Geoff set about our first ‘braai’ of holiday season: sausages, burgers and fresh pineapple. It was all eaten with a minimum of bread to ensure there was plenty of stomach space for more meat! All fed and watered we headed off to the beach where we found some shade and set about tackling the enormous waves in the warm sea or playing in the sand with the children. The hours flew past and before we knew it, it was time for more food. Tucking into prawns at the restaurant with no mince pies in sight, we watched the sun set behind a palm tree vista as we slapped on the insect repellent. After the kids were tucked into their mosquito tents we sat outside and played games in the balmy heat under a star-filled sky.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/16294090@N07/6632797937/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_0547 by gpholder, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0547" height="400" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6632797937_a4ccdf4849.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/16294090@N07/6632773917/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_0537 by gpholder, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0537" height="400" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7174/6632773917_6f8af1eb10.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />Thinking it might be an early start, we decided to turn in and crawling into our tents (Geoff and I sharing with a child each) we discovered that inside these nice cosy tents it was pretty warm and I think I can safely say we all sweated more than we slept! The advantage of this was that we all saw the Christmas Day sunrise, although through some fairly groggy, grumpy eyes.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/16294090@N07/6632847617/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_0553 by gpholder, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0553" height="400" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6632847617_1ef58e3f03.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/16294090@N07/6632873723/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_0559 by gpholder, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0559" height="400" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7006/6632873723_6b0ddaed9a.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<br />After stockings had been opened and a breakfast of bread and fresh lychees consumed, we were off to the beach again. This time the waves were not so big and the children had a great time running in and out of the sea and playing in the shallow pools which were as warm as a bath. As soon as the children (and possibly Brad and Ruth) went for a nap in the shade, Geoff and I set off up the beach to a fishing village to haggle for some fish we had just watched being brought in. We realised that this rundown ramshackle hamlet with its simple thatched houses was much closer to the reality of Jesus’ birth than the over-stylised, halo-clad, oxen filled nativity images we see so often.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/16294090@N07/6632697639/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_0521 by gpholder, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0521" height="150" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6632697639_6622173a0c.jpg" width="200" /></a>Soon it was time for our turkey (meaning the fish and prawns we’d just got from the fishermen cooked on the fire) and then back to Beira to Skype family. It was strange to be sitting in the sticky heat of our flat watching our families having the type of Christmas day we’re so familiar with, but it was great to feel just a small part of that world. As the children opened their presents from grandparents the day started to feel more familiar...</div>The Holder Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008622470842792852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4407549121369910260.post-27271514114124578362011-12-23T08:59:00.001+02:002011-12-23T08:59:07.626+02:00NaomiWe are pleased to say that Naomi is back home from hospital and just has to continue antibiotics, no one has told her shes ill so she's currently chasing Isaac all over the house.The Holder Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008622470842792852noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4407549121369910260.post-6917258625102399702011-12-21T09:31:00.002+02:002011-12-21T09:31:11.749+02:00Thanks so much for your emails and messages. Naomi is a bit better this morning but still needs to stay in the hospital/clinic for a few more nights. Your prayers are appreciated.The Holder Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008622470842792852noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4407549121369910260.post-79016138308295224802011-11-24T14:43:00.001+02:002011-11-24T15:15:04.158+02:00New prayer letter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<a href="http://www.bmsworldmission.org/sites/default/files/resources/1110%20Holder,%20Christine%20and%20Geoff%20October%202011%20prayer%20letter.pdf" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSLw0JsEf2qYAZNUQybyrfBpaKgMCKvWrryTLbu7gkLn3Bo7GpbVUbBqHwYTqM99Jk_7N3HKGnhyphenhyphenpHJ9_-6WsF_4HawnMJmQ6YuKFerVRWe3LB2QQ7Gul_T7oBM-16SXppLW8jL_dkx0w/s200/Oct+Prayer+Letter.png" width="140" /></a>If you haven't read it already, our October prayer/news letter is now available online at the BMS World Mission website. <a href="http://www.bmsworldmission.org/sites/default/files/resources/1110%20Holder,%20Christine%20and%20Geoff%20October%202011%20prayer%20letter.pdf" target="_blank">Click here</a> to have a read. Many thanks again for all your suport and prayers!<br />
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<br /></div>The Holder Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008622470842792852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4407549121369910260.post-55273074798384303152011-11-10T19:24:00.004+02:002011-11-10T20:50:40.172+02:00Church Party<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yvc_rvUeo7ouSuyK-PgGCbKSWvAURHSd3yoFq0MZbsQpjjcMler29bqPIOH5LYMEZy0YI_IReaykA7O3QTi9FR24KqSavzb5VTTk0IcE4nuQncz_7EnKAhQLQI2d0dk8yZEjed2ygRU/s1600/DSCF0017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yvc_rvUeo7ouSuyK-PgGCbKSWvAURHSd3yoFq0MZbsQpjjcMler29bqPIOH5LYMEZy0YI_IReaykA7O3QTi9FR24KqSavzb5VTTk0IcE4nuQncz_7EnKAhQLQI2d0dk8yZEjed2ygRU/s400/DSCF0017.JPG" width="400" /></a>It started a few weeks ago with instructions after the service: men, women and youths were to get together into their separate groups immediately. While the children continued to play wherever they happened to be, Geoff and I were guided in the correct directions and we sat in our separate groups trying to understand what was going on. For me, the women’s meeting opened and I was aware of a lot of discussion about cows and the best place to buy one, followed by more discussion about different types of food (food words I have somehow picked up more easily than others).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My helpful friend explained that there was to be a big party in a few weeks’ time to celebrate the pre-school PEPE project supported by BMS, the anniversary of the church as well as a celebration for the Pastor. All in all, it was to be a big event. Then, as the women started putting their hands up and saying what they wanted to contribute, all I saw was a cultural minefield ahead of me… Fortunately, I was saved at the last moment as some women were now telling others what was needed and I duly volunteered to buy whatever they wanted me to. After some discussion and amusing miming to explain the word ‘flour’, I was all set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went out to discover that Geoff’s meeting had finished a while beforehand: the guys had done some maths, worked out what money everyone needed to contribute and that was that, they were done.<br />
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A few weeks later, our donations in, it was the day of the party. As it was a three-fold party, each aspect was celebrated in style including traditional Sena (local language) music from the choir, R&B from the youth, dancing and presentations from the children, short Bible messages and so on. At one point, we had a long queue to greet and congratulate Pastor (in which somehow we ended up in the youth section of). At another point in the service, Isaac also ended up in the wrong place, and found himself at the front of the church as part of PEPE. We’d like to say that no one noticed but I’m not sure that’s true!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT88Iu2h7kPVdExqv12xV0w7p15JNhZBaxAl8_FJdDaFOG7VMpZLcUtdpTXlVqSi0v70oy8fHK2ltU08J-HiNPMXRzxNQkp6rg02gLIlyppUrqA6AvArOelIZwVQ9ymzd-LfWXdQ372rE/s1600/DSCF0156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT88Iu2h7kPVdExqv12xV0w7p15JNhZBaxAl8_FJdDaFOG7VMpZLcUtdpTXlVqSi0v70oy8fHK2ltU08J-HiNPMXRzxNQkp6rg02gLIlyppUrqA6AvArOelIZwVQ9ymzd-LfWXdQ372rE/s400/DSCF0156.JPG" width="400" /></a>The few working fans did little if nothing to alleviate the heat in the church as the sun warmed the tin-roof like an oven. Whilst the service was amazing, I must admit I was relieved to have the excuse of the children which allowed me to listen to a lot of it from outside. There, sitting with other mums where there was a gentle breeze now and then and I made the most of the opportunity to dive home and collect another couple of litres of water after we had ran out of the first lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Geoff braved the whole service in the church and is now claiming to be fully acclimatised to the Mozambican summer (40<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">°</span>C plus and 85% humidity). He was especially pleased with himself when the Mozambican next to him left claiming it was too hot!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the four hour service was over we all crossed over the road for a spectacular lunch (in which there was no whole cow to be seen as was my original concern). I sensibly chose to sit outside with the women so that the children could run around whilst Geoff was absolutely delighted to be sat inside again. Fortunately, this was a much cooler building and he did get to sit on a chair and eat from a table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all enjoyed a delicious lunch and Geoff was even part of the cake cutting party because, as we then discovered, the day was also partly to celebrate international missionaries. Having had the cake cutting ceremony we decided to return home with some very happy but tired children. In fact, they were so tired that they didn’t even mind missing out on the enormous cake! We think that’s a first. <o:p></o:p>The Holder Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008622470842792852noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4407549121369910260.post-66515951221545091712011-10-12T20:31:00.000+02:002011-10-13T15:59:32.051+02:00A picture is worth a 1000 words.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzv2DZIqCLxBWUjseTQpcQB1TXUxOg2_Xvfh7Jp3eI0rRKDQ2oTtTiekB833JMeDCAuC4X37cwrCUeLKfZzbWS6ogbEklpSN6CzBENl2lFiSI_0xhCyC2RfKBC79JTq5uA2EksqvKR7jM/s1600/Beira+-landing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzv2DZIqCLxBWUjseTQpcQB1TXUxOg2_Xvfh7Jp3eI0rRKDQ2oTtTiekB833JMeDCAuC4X37cwrCUeLKfZzbWS6ogbEklpSN6CzBENl2lFiSI_0xhCyC2RfKBC79JTq5uA2EksqvKR7jM/s640/Beira+-landing.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A great view of Beira with the city skyline, Mozambique Channel and the mouth of the Rio Pungue clearly visible</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">We realise that this has been the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>biggest gap between blog entries yet, but we
have our reasons, not only has one of our bosses been here but my (Christine’s)
parents came to stay for three weeks which was great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We thought having been here only four months
that our eyes were still open to seeing all the ways of life here that are
different from what we were used to in the UK, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and we are definitely learning new things all
the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, with my parents we
realised that we are starting to take some things to be normal that maybe we
wouldn’t have before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, my
Dad was amazed at the number of people walking down the central reservation of
a dual carriageway, my Mum was astonished by the sheer amount of stuff a woman
here is capable of carrying on her head (whilst having a baby strapped to her
back of course).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things or situations
that we have got used to they both found astonishing, for example the amount of
people that can squeeze onto the back of a lorry, live goats tied to trucks to be
transported and how enterprising people with limited resources can be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather than try to explain what we think they
saw as they stayed here we feel it would be more appropriate to give you a
visual tour of what they saw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
besides, Dad took near to 3000 photos so we might as well use some of them!</span> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKNGZ2zxf_QhQ7ujqsLLlvBR56etzOxrHq5nfIpRO0VtkOmOgktTeEHxgX80iRafVwR_S-K5Ip1DF4ZiYnAIddXBIrbAGSBFxlEorqihUxxoWW88L8IXB2JkXUAwXC7tZeecAo89VgazA/s1600/P1050542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKNGZ2zxf_QhQ7ujqsLLlvBR56etzOxrHq5nfIpRO0VtkOmOgktTeEHxgX80iRafVwR_S-K5Ip1DF4ZiYnAIddXBIrbAGSBFxlEorqihUxxoWW88L8IXB2JkXUAwXC7tZeecAo89VgazA/s320/P1050542.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The Plaza de Municipal in the city centre has strong a Portuguese cafe-culture feel</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mScWMTfYOHpncCJcaecEEHHES1gea5K3Vlq2LqQigjcFccfCy7TxLiDvX3QQRY7qJm4ABvgKEYvGqseIcEagiwbHFYBFdqhEyO1K4M3SKoHoEiR2qTFvbEtBKGZzqcbHtlI9f6Pkhns/s1600/P1050513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mScWMTfYOHpncCJcaecEEHHES1gea5K3Vlq2LqQigjcFccfCy7TxLiDvX3QQRY7qJm4ABvgKEYvGqseIcEagiwbHFYBFdqhEyO1K4M3SKoHoEiR2qTFvbEtBKGZzqcbHtlI9f6Pkhns/s320/P1050513.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A typical streat in downtown Beira</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSCensN73_J-0AyL9UkbXrnxR5xF3cmvTm0IlmOFhSdZcRpgyHLL1-4A-9y47BeBtTWfcK0dM_TOTpAu0vGI-Ts1OwiwCqpILaGs7qoYaoqy6eZiBe7Ae0QYeKwIWZDCnBjoIPF25o8OA/s1600/DSCF0058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSCensN73_J-0AyL9UkbXrnxR5xF3cmvTm0IlmOFhSdZcRpgyHLL1-4A-9y47BeBtTWfcK0dM_TOTpAu0vGI-Ts1OwiwCqpILaGs7qoYaoqy6eZiBe7Ae0QYeKwIWZDCnBjoIPF25o8OA/s320/DSCF0058.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Beira is full of very random sites like this plane in the subburbs. No one seems to really know how it ended up here...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJAGDFnBgSWlWiPNmz475jAJvsVkQv_q6BaYNkoqTaSKNFfsoq5NWOSAv90Y-6kjmMbtadOrzmVwR5dVXxkyT4jSyJJaWvxSoU9Ia7c9Q3xwSChJno0SkRx5rHQu3v_LPi_fypbTFCUAI/s1600/P1050550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJAGDFnBgSWlWiPNmz475jAJvsVkQv_q6BaYNkoqTaSKNFfsoq5NWOSAv90Y-6kjmMbtadOrzmVwR5dVXxkyT4jSyJJaWvxSoU9Ia7c9Q3xwSChJno0SkRx5rHQu3v_LPi_fypbTFCUAI/s320/P1050550.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Central Market is a great place to buy fruit and veg</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2V2G9cLnYBPvDuHWQCI4IL938jrYHSrtFLxQd7nG24Fh9Tt2eqoAMcCbt1aRRdAV_wdNUXnuMnBB5fhUijEs5iTKugGsG2QRl7aRwJRyE2-89f5zr78jz6WmuQ3a9_VQ6oAzEu4bHzoc/s1600/P1050360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2V2G9cLnYBPvDuHWQCI4IL938jrYHSrtFLxQd7nG24Fh9Tt2eqoAMcCbt1aRRdAV_wdNUXnuMnBB5fhUijEs5iTKugGsG2QRl7aRwJRyE2-89f5zr78jz6WmuQ3a9_VQ6oAzEu4bHzoc/s320/P1050360.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The lighthouse at Macuti with the rusting remains of a Portuguese trawler</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSx-zS7tiZb6X1wsufZin3O8F4kTFd4reBp0RPdkC_RmhqtLcXwLgnOYP3V48sTrtkXVmSDOZTGRNzTIcuL9H4VBlcRiTbpLuvfZv8IAP8dkb0TQikR2DnpihJoQ8hhHIac4uVCxhDHI/s1600/DSCF0371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSx-zS7tiZb6X1wsufZin3O8F4kTFd4reBp0RPdkC_RmhqtLcXwLgnOYP3V48sTrtkXVmSDOZTGRNzTIcuL9H4VBlcRiTbpLuvfZv8IAP8dkb0TQikR2DnpihJoQ8hhHIac4uVCxhDHI/s320/DSCF0371.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">One of the very few tarmac roads, the EN6 is Mozabique's M4 and links Beira in the east with Zimbabwe in the west</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDrKycRYqSjT7PhqNJF9HHntX2D7NO41XFQo_iP46fwGxO5zIHsw5GNO0SEPbdV-mgPzKXi0Xp1K86UF1iJSLsquqMFrz9nu9WR72iA0bDmVlKO9ThQMVs9t52FpZxAo9I7WwV2QSEiOY/s1600/P1060113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDrKycRYqSjT7PhqNJF9HHntX2D7NO41XFQo_iP46fwGxO5zIHsw5GNO0SEPbdV-mgPzKXi0Xp1K86UF1iJSLsquqMFrz9nu9WR72iA0bDmVlKO9ThQMVs9t52FpZxAo9I7WwV2QSEiOY/s320/P1060113.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">As soon as you leave one of the very few highways, the vast majority of Mozambique's roads are dirt tracks like this. A 4x4 is an absolute necessity for driving outside the city</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8kSKcZexGpEinE0edf9lJ756FujmVK0fYFu-A1AptsxIq5dkIlmyoljv-QHpIbff1c1WjCQ9LDg4NQ2RcGO-Dp6jVLQmQhABdRo5NOZGs7kmXrs-Ygjsnz0REMivb8LKlkMW1eIZ1po/s1600/P1050492+copy+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8kSKcZexGpEinE0edf9lJ756FujmVK0fYFu-A1AptsxIq5dkIlmyoljv-QHpIbff1c1WjCQ9LDg4NQ2RcGO-Dp6jVLQmQhABdRo5NOZGs7kmXrs-Ygjsnz0REMivb8LKlkMW1eIZ1po/s320/P1050492+copy+copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A 4x4 is well beyond the reach of most Mozambicans so many aspire to own a bike (if they can afford the yearly licence, that is and yes, you did read that correctly!) </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qWkPrOL_JHhbgztYQqGCgi7vInvZFApigRbd85dcPnh0aR6vTYF641QKhNahmwkMdpYlzGBoDzMBLipjr14T_NoScuYTQGPHjoLZmPXS16bIugpLNpaAeB6Mmdvyg787NsqGuxIi09s/s1600/P1050403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qWkPrOL_JHhbgztYQqGCgi7vInvZFApigRbd85dcPnh0aR6vTYF641QKhNahmwkMdpYlzGBoDzMBLipjr14T_NoScuYTQGPHjoLZmPXS16bIugpLNpaAeB6Mmdvyg787NsqGuxIi09s/s320/P1050403.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Sometimes, when the tide is up in the mangroves, not even a 4x4 will help you out!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9s-vjs1ol3en_QptKrrJ3k8d8CY7wocKIMULfF8gQlbEvtToXNhaifzhXMFtESKOwSNSnDTYk0e7ooUPqjGzRF06RceVOlXQjCMJ82gXhqS8Q4IfzYOFNxrZ3syddlbrLFridd-S7K4/s1600/P1060301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9s-vjs1ol3en_QptKrrJ3k8d8CY7wocKIMULfF8gQlbEvtToXNhaifzhXMFtESKOwSNSnDTYk0e7ooUPqjGzRF06RceVOlXQjCMJ82gXhqS8Q4IfzYOFNxrZ3syddlbrLFridd-S7K4/s320/P1060301.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Tropical paradise, Serra da Gorongosa</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-6nSoixw_iPmQt173R1823Fmom6FEotRJh6Q2ylGQldGnTceRPj7LFKDda-gh-hreNRP2oCoPDAV3P814NIDQ7Q52VU27ugs1Em-xn7sYLFGuaoef8aIrdbtX0Mj-iN3dl8GmcDVB0xQ/s1600/P1060082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-6nSoixw_iPmQt173R1823Fmom6FEotRJh6Q2ylGQldGnTceRPj7LFKDda-gh-hreNRP2oCoPDAV3P814NIDQ7Q52VU27ugs1Em-xn7sYLFGuaoef8aIrdbtX0Mj-iN3dl8GmcDVB0xQ/s320/P1060082.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">One for all you travel agents out there!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKeW9-qN_gDnGgcTAq4AG29FCNOWpb9BuAlgbRXESKcqNyRJZSpLS_n17ygqaLzDawjEceN_NKRGo9VTk8Tm9P9Wand7CEtaV76WS1ciPLvkBDZSqn2gD68RDr5YcK3YwqJR4ACP8uCdE/s1600/P1060520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKeW9-qN_gDnGgcTAq4AG29FCNOWpb9BuAlgbRXESKcqNyRJZSpLS_n17ygqaLzDawjEceN_NKRGo9VTk8Tm9P9Wand7CEtaV76WS1ciPLvkBDZSqn2gD68RDr5YcK3YwqJR4ACP8uCdE/s320/P1060520.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A type of Mozambican wildlife we've come quiet familiar with... Mataquene (at the end of the needle point) live in dust. If they get the opportunity, they love to burrow into your feet where they pupate and lay eggs. Digging them out is not for the faint hearted!</span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />The Holder Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008622470842792852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4407549121369910260.post-49391842806837440242011-09-11T16:58:00.001+02:002011-09-11T16:59:21.297+02:00Some lessons of Mozambique (and human nature)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAx2bgc_fgWiNjG0ljfU6o0UxuNE37KT9ErBwUaUZubw9jyEM9gbBH6k4s3CxNfcNWBEG00TwV-Di8qoSBsDZVm3_t5jA13kmOw4HPQTw_bZ8Xw2L0cOaUkLwlaz_bKsLpfHBGhr1hBLk/s1600/DSC_0012-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAx2bgc_fgWiNjG0ljfU6o0UxuNE37KT9ErBwUaUZubw9jyEM9gbBH6k4s3CxNfcNWBEG00TwV-Di8qoSBsDZVm3_t5jA13kmOw4HPQTw_bZ8Xw2L0cOaUkLwlaz_bKsLpfHBGhr1hBLk/s640/DSC_0012-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beira city-centre skyline</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The following are tips we have learnt whilst living in
Mozambique: </div>
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<br /></div>
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1. Men must always wear shoes (not flip flops) to church.</div>
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2. Always give and receive with your right hand.</div>
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3. Always reply to a request with the answer ‘yes’ even if you have no intention of doing it.</div>
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4. Offer any food you have if there are other people around<span style="font-size: small;">.</span> <span style="font-size: small;"></span></div>
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5. Smiling goes a long, long way.</div>
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6. Make sure your thighs don’t show.</div>
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7. Beeping your car horn is a polite way of letting others know you are around. </div>
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8. You're considered 'a youth' until you are 35 years old (a bit strange when life expectancy is 48...)</div>
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9. Despite being a Portuguese colony, you drive on the left... ish.</div>
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10. Forget queuing! When waiting in line, stand as close as possible to the person in front and push in front if you get an opportunity. </div>
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Whilst at times it seems there are endless cultural things
we are yet to learn, occasionally events cut across cultures. Here are two not so serious examples: </div>
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Not that long ago, we were waiting for a driver to reverse
out of a car parking space. The driver was taking ages and doing a very bad job
of it. Nearby was a car park guard and we gestured a shrugged enquiry as to
why the driver was having so much trouble with a simple manoeuvre. Through a hand gesture that was universally recognisable (but slightly awkward to describe in writing), he explained that the only problem with the vehicle was
that it had a woman driver! Maybe a Mozambican Number One Ladies Driving School would go down well here...</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCziXRwMi5OuccOCNa0CRXyWdy9IXDTBitZV0SH371-wROA_BIQw3fkrmfoQBgpIQ0Fh7o0V47LQ5sEIZn3OWx9aCqPUZEdJHpcd4hupI_rjdlCCps030uo8JqVxj3PXJujCQhwRHcaE/s1600/DSCN0525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCziXRwMi5OuccOCNa0CRXyWdy9IXDTBitZV0SH371-wROA_BIQw3fkrmfoQBgpIQ0Fh7o0V47LQ5sEIZn3OWx9aCqPUZEdJHpcd4hupI_rjdlCCps030uo8JqVxj3PXJujCQhwRHcaE/s320/DSCN0525.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isaac helping clear a machamba (field) at a friends house</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
So, having insulted women drivers everywhere, it's probably only
fair to give another story relating to perceived failings of Mozambican men. On another occasion, we were chatting to Dona Louisa, desperately trying to explain the importance of Isaac helping around the house
in order that he understands that household jobs are not just for women. She heartily agreed, but quietly turned to Christine when Geoff wasn’t
listening to point out that although this was a good theory, everyone knew that all men were worse than totally useless when it came to things like this. </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">We're aware these stories are a bit tongue in cheek, but
finding common ground in the little things of life helps to remind us just how much of human life can cut across culture. Pray that we continue to find common ground with others as we get to know our neighbours living in very different circumstances here on the Mozambican coast. </span></div>
The Holder Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008622470842792852noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4407549121369910260.post-11554897371456622922011-09-01T18:06:00.000+02:002011-09-01T18:06:19.692+02:00The important things in life<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHbrXm80uQUw-m7kj6TZ6DuwAck3uxc9zf4nkjLF76kcZlTjLQUElA0XGIXEAzf-5jc-tNYOoSd7jWlIeWa8O8MdW1MeAC0geMv3v9SSOlNkuE-WHXubnHCt_1HPExWmBMJjrCs2Olkgc/s1600/DSC_0073crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHbrXm80uQUw-m7kj6TZ6DuwAck3uxc9zf4nkjLF76kcZlTjLQUElA0XGIXEAzf-5jc-tNYOoSd7jWlIeWa8O8MdW1MeAC0geMv3v9SSOlNkuE-WHXubnHCt_1HPExWmBMJjrCs2Olkgc/s640/DSC_0073crop.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I expected after being in Mozambique for three months and having
acquired an overview of Mozambican life, I would be writing lots of deep and
meaningful things on this blog: wonderfully insightful cultural, ethical
and moral tales and the like. So, I’ve decided that
this week’s post should be a reflection on the big events that have happened in
our lives this week. There have been a
few, after all:</div>
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<b>Big Event number 1:</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXei7FZ_sVbu0cFnZ7gYnYOGZXN8iUB46KA3KxL4jV-vPQMa7rZl3vWGj8cw8DoPGl4uSxI0zneRMhPp_gnG77qXPsHFRLl6HNDISc0eNvg5LjR2YAyS2oh7wotFdKZpVPJ2_UIWfMD9s/s1600/DSC_0027-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXei7FZ_sVbu0cFnZ7gYnYOGZXN8iUB46KA3KxL4jV-vPQMa7rZl3vWGj8cw8DoPGl4uSxI0zneRMhPp_gnG77qXPsHFRLl6HNDISc0eNvg5LjR2YAyS2oh7wotFdKZpVPJ2_UIWfMD9s/s320/DSC_0027-1.JPG" width="320" /></a>Geoff’s news (and I think this is the most significant) is that last week
he reached the ripe old age of 30 and has finally stopped saying that
he’s in his 20’s whilst I’m in my 30’s. (It has been noted that there has been no sign of any maturing in his character since this
particular landmark has been reached.)
Although his birthday in itself was a low key event, the following
Saturday – armed with bucket and spade and accompanied by our friend, Heather – we went to the tropical paradise that
is Rio Savanne, some 30km down a dirt track outside Beira. The secluded beach requires a boat trip to
get to and it was a wonderful day out. Isaac
especially enjoyed it as he learned to eat ‘fish in shells’ (otherwise known as
clams). The day was finished off by
driving home under a beautiful African sunset. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Vh2S93WfwWXxCoiqwvwEnGAKfrU84sLi_n9rbQsnkZMDK4deiLEu_vcs93Hl7VBxMCImStj9MHTBAWdxkZ22lkMnuLmz8u2lDwEeHYc21ABuj6g2k8YPZrlKByiy9520zJhiqvOfb5M/s1600/DSC_0048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Vh2S93WfwWXxCoiqwvwEnGAKfrU84sLi_n9rbQsnkZMDK4deiLEu_vcs93Hl7VBxMCImStj9MHTBAWdxkZ22lkMnuLmz8u2lDwEeHYc21ABuj6g2k8YPZrlKByiy9520zJhiqvOfb5M/s320/DSC_0048.JPG" width="212" /></a><b>Big Event number 2:</b><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Isaac’s news is that after several failed attempts since we
have been here (and lots of clearing up) he has decided to potty-train himself
at last! Now, he knows when to go, how to wash his hands afterwards and the
importance of showing his parents his offering in order to get a coloured star
sticker. The only down fall we’ve had is
that one night, in his eager ness to show us his offering, he picked up the
full potty and, running with it to show us, tripped over, pouring the whole lot
down his front! Well learning is a
process, I suppose…</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Big Event number 3:</b><br />
</div>
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It’s been a huge week in Naomi’s life as she’s quickly turning
from a baby into a toddler. Her first four
teeth have appeared all at once and now she’s enjoying food much more and
testing out which items are good to bite and which aren’t. She has also learnt to walk, not in slow
steady steps as most toddlers, but after months of making us walk beside her holding
her hand, she’s off! And not slowly either; almost running before she can walk!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU5fIlIiz96YlrhpnlIr997-KFVfy1TiCrYkO36L6hFKlAuFmcXYdbA2TgQB93UqYzBcQBEkVncGlUAT2Bl7Z-mZWnNd8p4vZljd_rWxbehkzP7gpCH0vLahwQz24JcnxuE7ZVd71ICLg/s1600/DSC_0047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU5fIlIiz96YlrhpnlIr997-KFVfy1TiCrYkO36L6hFKlAuFmcXYdbA2TgQB93UqYzBcQBEkVncGlUAT2Bl7Z-mZWnNd8p4vZljd_rWxbehkzP7gpCH0vLahwQz24JcnxuE7ZVd71ICLg/s320/DSC_0047.JPG" width="212" /></a><b>Big Event number 4: </b></div>
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Portuguese test number two has been taken and we are
awaiting results.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, okay! This might not exactly be an insightful, thought
provoking look into the complexities of life here or some astute response to the
challenges of Mozambican culture, but it is a reflection on the events that
have affected our lives last week… it’ll have to do until I become more
wise!</div>
The Holder Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008622470842792852noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4407549121369910260.post-78870086268528667472011-08-24T15:16:00.000+02:002011-08-24T15:16:06.408+02:00What Mum and Dad won't tell you...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzPqcXSAhFP9KOnaYGWr84it_kURtlmutIFzBkEwau4jtQMQcikVyck77BhlXHm7tGj4_W43_Em1t5ivsTjYKBsssTDFvBFRcSNMJvVC48kLbdqHfcPJ3ql4M_X15N2iiyiTtMvSnaII/s1600/DSCN0482+Fuse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrzPqcXSAhFP9KOnaYGWr84it_kURtlmutIFzBkEwau4jtQMQcikVyck77BhlXHm7tGj4_W43_Em1t5ivsTjYKBsssTDFvBFRcSNMJvVC48kLbdqHfcPJ3ql4M_X15N2iiyiTtMvSnaII/s400/DSCN0482+Fuse.jpg" width="400" /></a>Mum and Dad have been a bit slow in the blog department so
we are going to write this one, please excuse our mistakes as Naomi can hardly
talk so writing a blog entry is particularly difficult for us. After our party, life has continued as normal so we thought we might tell you how our
days are.</div>
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Every morning we wake up nice and early and act as the most
effective alarm clock Mum and Dad have ever had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just in case the noise we make isn’t enough,
Isaac likes to jump on the bed and generally climb all over them until they get
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great time for making sure that the bath we take each night looks like it never
happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Naomi feeds herself (and her
hair) Weetabix and sometimes Isaac helps her by giving her some of his soggy
cereal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then it’s play time, we run
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Once they manage to
dress us we head off to our nursery in our blue uniform tabards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We both love school as we get to speak and
listen to both English and Portuguese.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We play with other children and get to do drawing, singing and a little
bit of learning numbers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a big
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4seYTj3QH-b-c_EMjbzn8si4hV1fSAttS43aNGDkYi_bo0meqXnnxm5TslolfWPST2ysl4bKVLSgUifCquvjPjgD9yZflxSnirkrrQewoVJ8FwMVYvFuf238MZ75a1qxn5JHqWKata0/s1600/DSCN0507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe4seYTj3QH-b-c_EMjbzn8si4hV1fSAttS43aNGDkYi_bo0meqXnnxm5TslolfWPST2ysl4bKVLSgUifCquvjPjgD9yZflxSnirkrrQewoVJ8FwMVYvFuf238MZ75a1qxn5JHqWKata0/s200/DSCN0507.JPG" width="150" /></a>After nursery we get collected and go home for lunch. Then
it’s nap time (although sometimes Naomi has a late lunch as she often falls
asleep in the car).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we’re nice to
them, Mum and Dad get some free time to do homework and other boring
things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After our nap, we like to play ‘towers’
or go down stairs into the yard outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If Naomi wakes up early, she likes to go for a walk in a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">caplana</i> (Mozambican sling) to buy fruit
and vegetables from the market. After all our playing, we are hungry and generally
want dinner at 5 o’clock (it normally arrives at 5.30 which is really very
late). Both of us love to eat spicy food; if the food isn’t spicy enough we add
spicy peri-peri sauce to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a
bath together with lots of splashing and a little bit of a DVD, it’s time for
bed so that we can get lots of energy to wake up Mum and Dad bright and early the
next day...</div>
The Holder Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008622470842792852noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4407549121369910260.post-87201365934905451102011-08-10T14:39:00.000+02:002011-08-10T14:39:53.821+02:00The best room for a party!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQkOcsyIRLkBfqKSI8d4Uog-tseJIUkzzHzn2CkaEbvG-ilDzssJjjVUaVxYEAzB_MRv0e8ntxp6VRf8LBZHalNyJAEWyhIjuS3cP0lhdKF_ZYhuEltMTp7qW45nzX9MLkLmhaPFvYBMw/s1600/DSCN0463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQkOcsyIRLkBfqKSI8d4Uog-tseJIUkzzHzn2CkaEbvG-ilDzssJjjVUaVxYEAzB_MRv0e8ntxp6VRf8LBZHalNyJAEWyhIjuS3cP0lhdKF_ZYhuEltMTp7qW45nzX9MLkLmhaPFvYBMw/s320/DSCN0463.JPG" width="320" /></a>It might not have been the best cake we’ve ever made, but it
certainly received the biggest response! Birthdays here are definitely to be
celebrated if at all possible and if there are two birthdays in a family, there
is cause for a big celebration. Dona Louisa had birthdays to celebrate this
week: Raulinho had his first birthday on Monday and on Tuesday, Bilão turned three.
As she now has a job, it was definitely time for a party.</div>
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Slowly the requests came: ‘Senhora, what do you need for a
cake?’, ’Senhora, how to you bake a cake?’, ‘Senhora, could you bake a cake for
me?’ The ingredients for the cake arrived one by one as they could be afforded
and carefully stored away in our house so none of her neighbours were tempted
to ‘borrow’ them. A few days later more questions: ‘Senhora, how do you cook
spaghetti?’, ‘Senhora, are you around this weekend?’ and finally, ‘Senhora, could
we hold the party in your garage?’ The spaghetti arrived along with other
various ingredients, we had a practise cake-baking session and all was set and
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMUEuUh5gOKv3m196ERKlRzNLw-Z0WCTLIbBLA3bnodUUTZR0UwWe54NfZtNxM4XDuFrPtKH88FE2nrS7a0STS8cmInieFdpnCQ-aM6o1bcPU-UcsYQ4NlKuFh-uquyiaHxeLweVb3Qc/s1600/DSCN0472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMUEuUh5gOKv3m196ERKlRzNLw-Z0WCTLIbBLA3bnodUUTZR0UwWe54NfZtNxM4XDuFrPtKH88FE2nrS7a0STS8cmInieFdpnCQ-aM6o1bcPU-UcsYQ4NlKuFh-uquyiaHxeLweVb3Qc/s200/DSCN0472.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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It’s Saturday morning, and Louisa and her husband, Abdul,
arrive at our back door having swept and cleaned thoroughly below our apartment
and sorted the garage ready.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The party
is supposed to start at two that afternoon, but this is Africa so we expect it
to start at three.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At around two-thirty,
Dona Louisa arrives at our back door again and asks me to cook spaghetti for 4
adults and 10 children. We hadn’t realised this was part of the deal but it’s a
bit late to say no now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We quickly cook
spaghetti to be ready by three… At four, the first guests and children arrive.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHRCyZ8Z4WCe10GUaxK-SZpvzbtOM4ql4mBeFsIiaMrxAHvOvWvr5L3SG7BCtZI7x07PrLgdMr6Hgx1ZdshGRDNNdPitOhV5iODUqqCxem3OttHo5ESTvltZCz7m2gBo0dO5LNG7DBXQ/s1600/DSCN0461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHRCyZ8Z4WCe10GUaxK-SZpvzbtOM4ql4mBeFsIiaMrxAHvOvWvr5L3SG7BCtZI7x07PrLgdMr6Hgx1ZdshGRDNNdPitOhV5iODUqqCxem3OttHo5ESTvltZCz7m2gBo0dO5LNG7DBXQ/s200/DSCN0461.JPG" width="176" /></a>The garage is decorated with balloons, there is loud party
music and children running, laughing and dancing. Naomi is whisked away by some
of the children and promptly joins in the dancing (though in a proudly British,
uncoordinated way). Isaac eventually realises that if he joins the children he
gets food and he becomes part of the crowd. As dinner is served, a quick head
count shows there are 8 adults and 25 children including us. We quickly pray
for a miracle, something <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>similar to
loaves and fishes, but there seems plenty to go round. Soon it’s time for the
cake: the most important part. Happy birthday is sung and Raulinho and Bilão
get the first pieces. The rest is eagerly shared out and, after a little more
running around and dancing, the majority of children leave allowing Isaac and
Naomi to play balloons with Dona Louisa’s children and to run wild in the yard.</div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvev5e0poC44wJHivPwbvOD8732CQqVsYtmnF8gZRhQaBB7JIJtSLTzRQHWoEELwD8hMw4WSq1mVYPxuRz_7oOVd2zTNBVsokNxBBV7DOvfZlTYRz-p4eiVKZMCALCBL_hP-Im0v9L1-Q/s1600/DSCN0474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvev5e0poC44wJHivPwbvOD8732CQqVsYtmnF8gZRhQaBB7JIJtSLTzRQHWoEELwD8hMw4WSq1mVYPxuRz_7oOVd2zTNBVsokNxBBV7DOvfZlTYRz-p4eiVKZMCALCBL_hP-Im0v9L1-Q/s200/DSCN0474.JPG" width="110" /></a></div>
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Whilst the children were clearly having a great time, we all
felt for Abdul, who carefully avoided the plentiful crisps and biscuits because
of Ramadan. But we’re not sure food was on his mind that afternoon. He was quietly
tucked away in a corner, listening intently to the radio through his mobile
phone. But who can blame him! Clube Ferroviário da Beira were drawing 3-3 away
from home in the capital Maputo with only a few minutes left. Ask any man
anywhere in the world and they’ll give you the same response when it comes to priorities
in that type of situation.</div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
Oh, and last week’s test… We both passed and amazingly got
exactly the same overall percentage. Just as well really, it’s not that we’re
competitive, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but…</div>
The Holder Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008622470842792852noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4407549121369910260.post-17521500840285454712011-08-03T19:56:00.000+02:002011-08-03T19:56:32.387+02:00Sun, sand, surf and immigration...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEg2I2vqWMRn30BVYHkAvSD32m9FPe85DSepoZJ5TXXuGtgpG6mxBd8Xjm1_5Xcoi0GG8VQS4exxyVjWi-3Qc8BHam0OGQXsbVkD8IjFjkAIFav17L9wE1EAJLH-qMEH4vJbeImx8Oe5Y/s1600/View+from+Language+school.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEg2I2vqWMRn30BVYHkAvSD32m9FPe85DSepoZJ5TXXuGtgpG6mxBd8Xjm1_5Xcoi0GG8VQS4exxyVjWi-3Qc8BHam0OGQXsbVkD8IjFjkAIFav17L9wE1EAJLH-qMEH4vJbeImx8Oe5Y/s640/View+from+Language+school.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view over the city from our language school</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This week has already been significant for lots of reasons. Firstly,
we finally managed to get all our paperwork together and apply for a DIRE (<span class="hps">Documento de Identificação</span> <span class="hps">de um Residente</span>
<span class="hps">Estrangeiro) each. This is basically a residence permit for
foreigners, and involved us traipsing up to the local immigration office with
Pastor Moises yesterday to get this important job done. We were fearing the
worst as these things can be a little tricky, but the whole process only took
three hours (that’s really not at all bad) and was all very professional. The
most amusing part involved trying to keep a screaming Naomi’s index fingers
still for long enough for her fingerprints to be scanned!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="hps"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="hps">This Friday we have our first little
language test: just two and quarter hours of speaking, reading, listening,
grammar and writing… Terrific! But, before we dive headlong into last ditch,
late-night cramming sessions, Christine has the very important job of helping
Dona Louisa make a trial-run birthday cake for two of her children, Bil</span><span class="hps">ã</span><span class="hps">o and
Raulinho, who were 3 and 1 this week. This needs to go well because on Saturday
our garage is going to be transformed into children’s party central…</span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57gtr5f4SWBlXwXyFqf3STiNWHQCrgEAjhyLpy5yg58d4C4OE4kOVvHpYPbWr5N8ouDWHXdILYOf71F4VtJOCqAHAXY2Aq2ljQIxZ2VknxssLFfr3za7ueyoVqD-CyFSsYb8J9sdRCE0/s1600/DSCN0455%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57gtr5f4SWBlXwXyFqf3STiNWHQCrgEAjhyLpy5yg58d4C4OE4kOVvHpYPbWr5N8ouDWHXdILYOf71F4VtJOCqAHAXY2Aq2ljQIxZ2VknxssLFfr3za7ueyoVqD-CyFSsYb8J9sdRCE0/s640/DSCN0455%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fishermen unloading fish and prawns at Macuti</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">And there’s more! These things pale into insignificance
compared with Geoff having his first Mozambican haircut. He had toyed with the
idea of embracing the beach-lifestyle scenery and adopting surfer-dude style
golden curls but he couldn’t cope with the constant mocking from his wife. The
verdict? A little on the severe side, but really not that bad!</span>The Holder Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008622470842792852noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4407549121369910260.post-30381095320389606332011-07-27T22:10:00.000+02:002011-07-27T22:10:15.701+02:00When is a Lesson in Portuguese not a Portuguese Lesson?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYBZqD0qJEh0PCZUqPs9nmBjjd352_ArTiz6goT0tWNCHNZ_OfMkfLF2JO9GattInhVJ8AHcecolRIpmbHaUlvu_cTla6-ABjn1e2QESR9jOyKMsmfOJm9gc0lGyKZgyrBl7ZfxKFZAw/s1600/DSCN0446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYBZqD0qJEh0PCZUqPs9nmBjjd352_ArTiz6goT0tWNCHNZ_OfMkfLF2JO9GattInhVJ8AHcecolRIpmbHaUlvu_cTla6-ABjn1e2QESR9jOyKMsmfOJm9gc0lGyKZgyrBl7ZfxKFZAw/s320/DSCN0446.JPG" width="240" /></a>Sorry we haven’t blogged for a while, the last few
weeks have been a bit crazy as we've had intermittent water and lots of people
have been talking to us about electricity, <i>bombas</i>, and things that aren't really covered
in Chapters 1-3 of our exercise book. Language seems to be sinking in, but
takes a lot of our time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whilst we are
learning excellent things in lessons like how to introduce ourselves, explain
directions, or order Portuguese delicacies in a café overlooking the Mediterranean,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it’s in the afternoons that the real lessons
begin as we talk to the people who live and work around our apartment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christine may not have perfect verb endings
but can discuss the day to day activities of the children’s bowel movements as
required and Geoff is getting up to speed talking about water pumps and all
things electrical.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqrZxO_S5ahNeYJY3QcSPV9O5FjYWpQuSOqj0kpknKzUXT88CqFGMJDgNovhcTtGYI5m4-2-WKxpol6u-nDr8rXOnFfDMMl3tqPLY9XzfB1lGMdO5Cgsi1eFNP1ikSgL9u-20J_5cDwNM/s1600/DSC_0007-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqrZxO_S5ahNeYJY3QcSPV9O5FjYWpQuSOqj0kpknKzUXT88CqFGMJDgNovhcTtGYI5m4-2-WKxpol6u-nDr8rXOnFfDMMl3tqPLY9XzfB1lGMdO5Cgsi1eFNP1ikSgL9u-20J_5cDwNM/s320/DSC_0007-1.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Whilst were struggling through language and adapting to the
challenges of a new culture, the children seem to have no such problem. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Isaac, when faced with a child he hasn’t met
starts of by speaking in English and if there is no response reverts to the
Portuguese he is picking up with ease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Naomi
(or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">é</span>mia
</i>as she is often called here) has discovered that she very much likes being
in a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">caplana</i> (see photo) and loves
the attention she receives for saying ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ol</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">á!</span></i>’ to everyone she passes. Strangely,
although she seems to have no problem understanding both languages when she is talked to
about food, she ignores both when it’s about things she shouldn’t be doing...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hopefully the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">bomba</i>
(pump) will be sorted soon and we’ll have a bit more free time to keep you
all updated. Thanks for all the comments, emails and updates, they’re all really
appreciated!</div>The Holder Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07008622470842792852noreply@blogger.com2