Payday over and done with for another month February 28, 2009

My week ended relatively on a less exhausted note than last week. On Thursday, as I was home, I took a nap in the afternoon, went to cell group and was alert enough to enjoy it. Ida, the Brazilian dentist, had a pastor from Brazil visiting her, and he brought the message – very solid and edifying, for a change! I also got to meet Willemien, the wife of a Dutch doctor who recently moved to Nampula – I had met him, but not spoken to him, and I guess one of them needs to stay home with their kids. I discovered that they had lived in South Africa and so speak Afrikaans, so while there was some delay in starting we happily chatted away. Before and afterwards the visiting pastor talked quite a lot about African politics and international events, it was stretching to listen to him. However, I understood him better than Victor, the brother of Manuela, the lady who hosts the cell. That pure Portuguese accent is often still too much for me…

Yesterday was the day I had been dreading – pay day! I could finally use the laptop I was loaned, although I first needed to load Office onto it again so that I could have Excel, it was so odd that it didn’t have it. As far as the payroll went, I mostly felt useless – I did what I felt I could, then Dr Woodrow checked it and caught a lot of mistakes (still don’t really know what they were) and then I just prepared the payslips and otherwise went on with the mailing for the Adopt a Pastor Project. I think what upsets me about pay day is that I am not naturally good at financial accuracy and always seem to miss something, and then I start dreading talking to Dr Woodrow about the things I did wrong.  Yesterday I just refused to become emotionally involved in the situation and simply expected myself to mess up – I don’t think that’s a way to live, but it helped just to get through the day and concentrate on what I’m good at. I also talked to him about the bookshop finances and stock issues, but then started getting a creeping feeling that turned out to be right – I had never actually gone through the November to February financial sheets, I got so busy with other work that I somehow thought I had… So I was busy with that until quite late – I’m not used to an 8-hour day over there anymore! At least Dr Woodrow and I also talked about some things that needed to be setttled before he leaves on Tuesday. And then it was finally home, food, relaxing and planning what needs to be done this weekend.

Bit of a useless day February 26, 2009

I didn’t have the power source for the laptop on loan yet, so thought I would stay home another day and get a lot done here. Somehow the day passed and I was busy, but I didn’t get nearly as much done as I could have – and then when I was chatting to Allison when fetching the power source, I remembered all this stuff I wanted to do – aargh! Some news, though: the car importation is going ahead as scheduled, so please pray for a safe trip up. Also, Erica Sue obviously needs to raise support, so please pray for her and for the Lord’s continued guidance of us both regarding living together.

And then tomorrow is payday, I am utterly not looking forward to it, may the Lord be gracious!

A bit of this, a bit of that February 25, 2009

Odd day, not entirely unproductive, but not terribly satisfying either. I got the conference brochures mailed, got some money from the bank (always an accomplishment, you never know when the Internet is going to be down or the ATM out of cash…), did some shopping and came back home. I worked on bookshop things, unsatisfactorily, since I still can’t figure out if money is missing, tried to calculate prices for new books we got and are going to get soon, messed up labels I need for the mailing, registered some people for the conference, cooked something… One cool thing is that I’ve been emailing a lot more with Erica Sue, and we are so alike, Lord willing I think the living together really can work! She is also an early riser, from a similiar church background, also describes herself as other people not getting her routine. I will definitely be praying a lot more about the matter, but perhaps the Lord has finally given me someone that will fit in well with me!

Not the most productive day ever February 24, 2009

Things didn’t turn out the way I had planned, so this morning I decided that getting a bit sweaty on the walk wouldn’t be the end of the world, and so went to SIL to get the laptop I was promised I could use. I was a bit upset to get there at 9h00 and to find that Pastor Benedict wasn’t, but luckily he was on his way and arrived about 15 minutes later. He’s not the kind of guy to just deal with a matter in 5 minutes, though, and with him searching for a power source to demonstrate to me that my laptop is truly dead, telling me about the dreadful drama he’s been going through with a Mozambican that has dragged him to the police on a ridiculous charge, and having to talk on the phone, I was there for quite a while. O well, I chatted to Allison and to a very friendly British couple who are just passing through on their way to Angoche and also were waiting for help with something, and could also hear that it seems the Lord has brought Pastor Benedict’s case to the attention of a sympathetic official who will sort it all out, so that’s great. Plus, the timing was actually perfect for me get a ride with my friends BG and Evvie who are centre managers at SIL, and meet up with Dr Woodrow’s driver at the Vodashop in town. His one Bluetooth phone needed to be reconfigured so that it could connect to the Internet again, and after going down there several times unsuccessfully, today, even though they didn’t have Internet, they simply phoned their office in Maputo again and had it all fixed in a matter of minutes – and I had a ride back to the property. There I couldn’t do much, since I still need to get the power source of the loan laptop, but Dr Woodrow and I did get a chance to talk about everything that needs to be done next week and later in March when we receive containers with building materials. It’s all very neatly set out, but I still feel nervous…

I left quite early in order to meet up with our guy Aquiles at the bookshop, so that he could check a radio ad I had written, and then show me where the station’s offices were and who I needed to talk to, since in future I can’t send him to take care of that anymore. We climbed about 7 flights of stairs, and I nearly got a heart attack learning how much their prices have gone up, so hopefully it will all be worth it. The cherry on the cake was that it started raining quite hard. I really wanted to get home, though, so I decided to brave it, but I had forgotten how ineffective the storm drains are – a strip of more than a meter wide of water a few centimetres deep lines almost every street. After searching in vain for a place I wouldn’t have to wade through, I finally decided to just make a go of it – and promptly lost my one flip-flop! I was glad to see that it wasn’t just being carried down the entire street, but it was lodged beneath a car and I couldn’t figure out how I was going to get it. As if sent by the Lord, the driver of the car arrived and moved it, and I could retrieve my shoe and make my damp and uncomfortable way home. Now I really, really need to get these brochures mailed out, I will be so happy when it’s done!

Making some progress February 23, 2009

I started the week with a strong desire to make some progress with the conference publicity so that I can get around to everything that’s been put on the back burner. I went to town this morning, had some more copies made of the brochure and checked out some car prices – o dear, if Dr Woodrow thinks the road will be fine, hassle or no hassle it will be best to import the car, I can’t afford anything here! I got home around 10h30 and after a few hours was finally done printing the envelopes, what a ridiculous amount of time to spend on something so simple. The rest of the afternoon went by with folding brochures and stuffing envelopes while watching a movie, and catching up on some emails. Next I need to sort the envelopes, since many pastors use the same post office box and I can save postage by putting all those together. Dare I hope that they will all be mailed at the end of the week? I hope to get the borrowed laptop tomorrow afternoon or Wednesday morning, and I really need to get to the Woodrows’ tomorrow so that we can talk about things that need to get done before Dr Woodrow leaves for a speaking engagement in South Africa next Tuesday. My nemesis, Payday, is also looming, I had almost forgotten about it… It was a lovely quiet afternoon with some rain and I was glad not to be running around in town. I am getting very excited about the conference now, I just wish that I could devote more energy to everything that I’m doing, instead of feeling that nothing gets done properly because there aren’t enough hours in a day!

A nice quiet weekend February 22, 2009

Yesterday morning my Mozambican friends, Claudia and Rosalina, were supposed to come by for a visit, yet at the last moment they had to cancel. Something always seems to happen to mess up my chances to see them, and consequently I tend to feel that we make no progress in our friendship, never get beyond a certain superficial level. I am feeling quite frustrated about this at the moment! I took care of some stuff at home, and then went over to Allison-Angie-Kelly’s around 12h00. It was good to catch up with Angie, and at one point we were all discussing my issues, and then we somehow never really all shared or prayed with one another – maybe they have just been feeling stressed out with almost being at the point of moving to their new place and lots of stuff going on – but I was disappointed. Afterwards I went by Roland and Susan Seiler’s, and got some long-awaited things of mine that at first nobody could locate and then finally turned out to be with them. They raised some doubts about the condition of the road driving up here, so now once again I am not 100% sure the car should come up with Dr Woodrow, or stay in SA. I hate it when I thought I knew how things were going to go and then I get thrown a curveball again… Church today was good and then I came home, watched a movie and stuffed envelopes. I will be really glad when all these brochures have been mailed out and I can focus on something else again! O yes, and I phoned the pastor that was looking at my work laptop – it’s dead as a doornail. Yet he had the wonderful news that somehow, I don’t know where from, he has a laptop for me that I can use until I get a new one. The Lord is so incredibly good to me! Now I really need to make work of finding a replacement, but in the meantime I hope to get busy on the mailing I need to get out.

Something to truly pray about February 20, 2009

This morning I got an sms from one of the local MAF pilots’ wives, asking me whether I am still looking for a roommate. She then asked the girl concerned, Erica Snyder, a 23-year old from the States, who is coming out in August to teach (I am not sure who for) and is keen on having a roommate, to email me, which she duly did. I then emailed her with some info on myself, my routine and what I am looking for in a roommate, as well as the area and pros and cons of the apartment. Keeping in mind the difficulties of the past, when my personality and Allison’s were really not a good match, I don’t want to get excited too soon and feel we should pray about it carefully. I can’t help feeling a little bit excited though! The week started out emotionally incredibly difficult, and yet the last few days the Lord has shown me his grace in small (the gift of some cooking pots) and big ways and I am once again humbled. Thank you for praying about the anxieties in my life right now, maybe the help is indeed at the door!

Nothing very interesting going on February 20, 2009

I was looking forward to having a profitable meeting with my bookshop staff members yesterday at 11h00, and was very busy here in the flat until I realised I needed to leave, and got there a little bit late. To my great chagrin, 2 of the guys, brothers, weren’t there, something about a family member that they needed to show around in an unknown neighbourhood. The thing is, I had already rescheduled the meeting because of the one guy, Aquiles, who will be leaving for university in another town next month anyway. Therefore, not only do we possibly need to get someone in his place, it almost seems as if there’s no point in having another meeting, though there are things I wanted to ask him. I am so busy with these conference brochures that the thought of taking 2 hours out of another day for a meeting is unbearable. On the plus side, I and the two guys who were there, one of whom has only been working there 3 weeks (but goes to our church and is well known to us) had a good time of prayer about the bookshop and things we would like to see happen there in future.

Last night was one of useless regret and annoyance – I had looked forward to seeing my Mozambican friends again at cell group, and because I hate making people wait while I lock up my house, I was outside waiting for my ride at about 19h20 – which is already quite late if you think that we’re supposed to start at 19h30. I was kicking myself for not taking a nap in the afternoon and feeling immensely tired, and she didn’t come and she didn’t come – eventually at 19h55 I called and decided to stay home, after which my one friend sms’ed and I felt so bad about my decision – but I was in bed and asleep by probably 20h45, I just couldn’t do it. Now I have to schedule another time to see my friends, darn, when I am really busy… I am waiting right now for a really nice Mozambican guy I know to come and fix my bathroom light switch – ever since last year before I left the one light has not been able to turn off. Two Saturdays ago a friend came by and sort of fixed it -he somehow got it wired so that both lights turned off and on with the same switch – but at least it turned off. Unfortunately, it only lasted for 4 days and since then 2 lightbulbs instead of one have been burning 24/7, so I have using a frightening amount of electricity. I need to go to town sometime and pick up conference registration forms from the copy place and go by the market, but other than that it’s me and my printer and envelopes today.

Living with uncertainty February 19, 2009

In the Narnia book Prince Caspian, in a part that was sadly left out of the movie, the dwarfs and other creatures waiting for reinforcements have pretty much all given up, saying that Aslan doesn’t exist and even suggesting that they should rather align themselves with evil forces, since no other help is ever going to come. However, Caspian persists in his belief in Aslan, and says, “The help will come. It may be even now at the door.” And indeed, very soon the Pevensies burst through the door. I think of this often, as in my life and the lives of quite a few of my friends, it seems to be ordained that a lot of the time we are in situations that to us appear insuperable and hopeless, and it doens’t look like the Lord is going to help. As in so many wonderful pictures of the Christian life, CS Lewis was saying in this book that we, too, are in circumstances where we simply don’t know what is around the corner, what is going on behind the scenes. Therefore, I can only keep on reminding myself of this, and asking for the help to truly believe and trust my Saviour. At the moment , I’m rather “in the dwang”, as we say in my family – no other single women seem to be on their way to Nampula soon who could possibly share my place with me, and support that I was depending on never came through. I don’t know whether this all means that I made a mistake, should never have gotten the  apartment and should get out of it as soon as possible, OR, whether the Lord has some hidden plan with all this, has let it all come about and will provide the perfect resolution in the end. That is something that you can please pray for with me!

Back online February 18, 2009

I had been feeling increasingly frustrated with having a blog and never updating it! I knew when I got back to Nampula I wouldn’t have Internet for a little while, but I didn’t anticipate having a lot of urgent things to deal with and therefore a desperate need for Internet! I managed to go and bother my friends at the New Tribes Missions office twice, and also to use Dr Woodrow’s Internet a few times, but I hated having to nag him to move away from his computer each time. And there is nothing worse than getting home and discovering that you forgot something you had wanted to do while online! However, last year I had looked into a company called Intra, who have a mobile modem like Iburst in SA, and after considering my options I decided to sign up with them, and had my connection by late afternoon this past Monday. Yesterday afternoon when I got home, around 15h00, there was no connection, but I think it’s connected with a big problem the whole city is having. It has something to do with the telephone company who are in charge of, if that’s the word, all the fibre-optics that the banks and all the different Internet companies rely on, and recently it has happened quite often thaqt nobody has Internet or can get cash from the ATMs, sometimes for days on end. This morning I had Internet again, which I was very happy about!

When I stop wasting time online , I need to start printing envelopes for sending out brochures for this year’s Fiel conference. It feels so odd to be doing it in the middle of February, but since the Conference is 6 weeks earlier than usual, it definitely needs to be done as soon as possible. I can’t work at the Woodrows’ anyway, since my laptop there, which is on its last legs anyway, is being fixed (hopefully). Hopefully it will be a profitable few days at home, and in the meantime I have a lot of blogs, news etc. to catch up on.