Life after 40 and MORE!

Turning 40 has simply made no difference in my life. I feel more fulfilled, more alive, more knowledgeable, and I am happier than I ever was 20 years ago! I am married to the complete love of my life, have 2 fantastic children, am facing one of the toughest jobs I have ever had, walk/zumba/exercise 5 (well, at least 4) days a week, eat nearly vegetarian (Khaya requires at least 1 meaty meal per week) and couldn’t be happier. Isn’t 40 the new 20?  Or whatever Hollywood /CNN/Internet keep saying? Anyway….I am 40 now and proud of it! Jon says he is 41 and still feels 16 so he doesn’t know what the big deal is! =) Here’s some photos of my 40th celebrations with friends and the kids!

The month of January (well, besides turning 40 that is) has been a month filled with such newness. A new year – 2012! The kids started a new school year here. Khaya is now a 3^rd grader with his new teacher, Ms. Kika. She is from South Africa and pregnant with her first child, due in March. He is loving the new challenges but mostly the new after school activities. He is testing out basketball, chess, speech & drama and board games.  And Aly started 2^nd grade with Ms. Ria. Khaya had Ms. Ria last year and she is also a lovely South African friend by now.  Aly was nervous about having hard math this year, but after the first days she says, “This will be easy, peasy!” Khaya has started a new avenue and is loving gymnastics and Aly’s new venture is horse riding…she is a natural! So they are off to new adventures at the Maputo International School! Here’s the kids pics on the first day of school.

Work has started up again. Africa is all about her holidays! People take the Christmas holidays seriously!! So pretty much from the beginning of December until mid-January it is slow going. Alongside Osvaldo, our helper at our house, we have begun work at the CARAN project (if really interested you can check it out at www.globalministries.org) where there are 35 girls living, between the ages of 6-15 years old. Osvaldo is teaching English and I am doing a bit of English, math, crafts, cooking, and whatever else may come of interest! It is exciting to be with the girls with such a vibe, but challenging as well with my Portuguese!  We have had several meetings about possible projects with churches in the city and it ranges from chickens, to copying shops, to preaching and teaching, from trainings to assertiveness! Jon begins teaching “Church History” and possibly another course next week at Ricatla Seminary (also can be found on www.globalministries.org) and he is excited about this amazing opportunity but also a bit nervous.

Here’s a photo of Osvaldo with the CARAN girls:

We also attended our first Mozambique wedding. Salvador and Esmenia Macule were wed on 28 January! The festivities began at 9:30am on this particular Saturday morning. First, was the civil service where a woman of the court pitched up, performed a quick 30 minute service with vows, rings and the signing of the legal paperwork. Couple exited and 5 minutes later a repeat service, only with all the religious implications and a full 3 hours+ long! The most exciting part was the gift giving was where the couple received a fully assembled bed in the church! They also received a microwave oven, dishes, pots and pans and cash! It was an honor to be there and to be a part of this occasion. They left in a car adorned with flowers to drive on to have celebrations throughout the day and through the weekend! Amazingly enough, they were at church the next morning at 8am!

We also were privileged this past Sunday to witness the installation of Rev. Maria as the new Synod Secretary of the Mozambique Synod with the UCCSA. I have been working with Maria for the last several months with English. She is a strong, capable woman who will lead the Synod over the next 4 years. She is the first woman of the UCCSA to serve in this capacity of leadership. VIVA Mulheres (women)!! Rev. Prince Dibeela, UCCSA General Secretary, gave the sermon and charge and it was a lovely service filled with encouragement, worship and laughter. It is on occasions like these that we are proud to serve in partnership with such amazing people!

Photos of Rev. Maria with Rev. Dibeela extending a hand of congratulations and a photo of Rev. Maria receiving her various gifts!

So that is that for our Mozi Musings…..

Happy Valentine’s Day for next week or as they say here

 “Feliz Dia dos Namorados!!”

Tchau for now!!

Happy 2012!!!

It is 2012. Can you believe it? We are at that point again where we take a good look at the last year and then see how we hope to make the new year ahead better/improved/changed/___________(you fill in the word). I have never been one to “do” New Years Resolutions as I  have never been able to “stick” by them. So I rather like to say that I “reflect” rather than “resolve” at this time of year.

2011 held many things for the Barnes’ Family: We spent January to March in the USA finalizing plans to move to Mozambique & making sure my mom was well & recovered from her cancer surgery. Then in March we made the big move to Maputo, dogs and all. We landed in this big, African city with nothing but our suitcases and without knowing a soul. But in those 9 months we have learned Portuguese, made new friends, the kids have started and completed a grade at the Maputo International School, expanded our African cultural views, tried lots of new fish, explored new places, experienced Xitswa worship, made a new home for ourselves, learned to drive a bit more aggressively (ahem!), and have been challenged in new ways we never expected. It was one of those years that will be marked in my mind as life-changing…it stands out from the rest. Just like 2002 when we first moved from the USA to South Africa. Or 2003 when we adopted Khaya and 2004 when Aly was born. Those kind of years!

And as we look into 2012, who knows what all it will hold! But as I reflect, I don’t remember being so thankful for so many things. My family, my mom’s 1 year cancer free anniversary, my children who are both incredibly great kids and so clever, a husband that is kind, generous & super smart (that Dr. Rev. is now getting his PhD thesis published into a book this year!), for a house that has water & electricity, a car to get us about town, food in the cupboards, ground to grow my veggies, 2 geriatric wienner dogs that are still full of love, great neighbors & friends, and I could just go on and on. But I think one of the lessons learned from 2011 is that we truly have so much to be thankful for, even in the hardship and darkest moments, we have so much!

For me, it is easy to look around my surroundings and see the need, the poverty, hungry, the “lack of” so much. All I have to do is open my gate and look out into the street and it is in your face. That is Mozambique. And it would be so easy for me to keep walking, to keep on driving, and not see any of it. Ignore it and rather just focus on the beauty of the sea that we also drive past everyday. Instead I choose to look people in the eyes as I past by and say “Bom Dia!” I smile at the children as I see them playing in the swampy water. I  buy fruit from the lady on the street that is outside the gate in hopes that it helps with her income for the day. I choose to try my best, day by day, to be the presence of Christ. And sometimes, well…to be honest…often times, it is hard and it is tough work. And even more often, I mess up. I say the wrong thing, or I say nothing at all. I get angry and walk away instead of trying to work through the language & culture & corruption. I cry. Nope, not easy, but that is what my calling (and as people of faith, ‘our’ calling) is and it, too, is a blessing!

Blessings of love, of peace, hope and of joy to you as you reflect and resolve for 2012!!

2011 African Christmas

“Give me an African Christmas, peace & love throughout the land. We need an African Christmas, standing together hand in hand…Let this be the Christmas, let this be the year!”

 I bought this CD last week while visiting Kruger Park in South Africa. It says “favorite Christmas songs to an African beat.” And it is a great CD for The Barnes’ 2011 African Christmas!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration in Hluhlwe, South Africa amongst the animals, wonderful friends and the stunning scenery. And this past weekend we were so fortunate to visit Kruger Park for the first time. This is the largest game park in South Africa. We saw rhino, buffalo, elephants, a lion, hippos, tons of birds, impala, kudu, other buck and so much more. We were with good friends, fellow Global Ministries missionaries, Scott Couper & Susan Valiquette and their friends, along with Scott’s sisters family and kids. There were 12 of us all together and we made loads of great memories together.

We have spent the week before Christmas here in Mozambique and the holidays seem to be in full swing. People are off work, the beaches and roads are busy & crowded, kids laughter and energy are felt everywhere, the weather is hot & steamy, AND there is little gas for cooking, gas for vehicles, food on the shelves disappear quickly and the internet even slows down! The church offices are closed as well. We hosted a lunch at our house last week to celebrate the season and to say thank you to the church leaders. We made the local fare for lunch – flat chickens, woers, and fish on the braai. The offices will only open again mid-January! Holidays are really holidays here in Africa!

We head for Durban, South Africa to celebrate Christmas and ring in 2012. We will again be with Scott and Susan and are thankful that we have “family” on this side of the sea to celebrate together. We have and will miss our families this year as the holidays come and go. This will be my family’s first year without my grandmother, so it will mean creating new traditions and memories and I will certainly miss being a part of that. We will miss our 2 nephews and niece on Christmas Day, eating our favorite Christmas meals & sweets, seeing the magnificient lights & decorations, and worshipping in our home church. But this time last year, we were so fortunate to be there and experience all of these things together. And now….we have our African Christmas!

We have so much to be thankful for this year….my mother is 1 year cancer free, we have transitioned fairly smoothly into a new home & new work, we all have good health, our kids excelled in school and are happy, we have food in our cupboards, our families are well & happy, we have a car to take us where we need to go, and we have hope, love, joy and peace in our lives! However, when I look around on the street where we live I see hunger, poverty, pain, hurt, sadness and then I hear the words of this song…”we all need an African Christmas…. peace & love throughout the land…standing together hand in hand.” Then as I walk down the street…I think how can I stand hand in hand with my African brothers and sisters this season and in 2012. Justice, prayer, empowerment, education, love, hope, healing and the list just goes on in my head. I sometime can’t help but cry when I return from my walks…sometimes the burden is just too much and other times I return laughing filled with joy from a child’s smile I have encountered or a pleasant exchange with a neighbor. Walking hand in hand means walking through the good and the bad times, through the tears and with the smiles. And it means all the year through…not just at Christmas time, nor just in Africa, but around the world.

My hope is that the season of Christmas…the season of hope, love, joy and peace, the season of giving & helping our fellow brothers & sisters…that this season will last all year. “Let this be the Christmas…let this be the year!

From our African Christmas to yours…….Happy, Happy Holidays and Cheers to 2012!!

Happy Turkey Day!!

Do you think the “Indians & Pilgrims” from long ago would have ever imagined celebrating “Thanksgiving” in 2011?

We find ourselves celebrating an American holiday with a $27.00, 6.5 pound Brazilan turkey in Mozambique!

Globalization!

It makes me wonder….

how many people are celebrating this Thansgiving holiday around the world, in many different cultures, in thousands of different traditions, with food that goes well beyond turkey & gravy. It is an American holiday known for stuffing our bellies with food, watching football, cozy snuggle time with warm sweaters sitting by the fire, Charlie Brown, pumpkin pie, enjoying family and friends, relaxing, stories of Pilgrims & Indians,  and often making way to begin the celebrations (and not to mention shopping) of the Christmas season! It gives me that warm, fuzzy feeling when I think of the comforts of Thanksgiving in America.

However….

this year, we will celebrate this holiday in South Africa on a game farm with wonderful South African friends, Rob & Sue Lindsey-Rea, near Uhluhlwe in Kwa Zulu Natal. We plan to have turkey & dressing that will be roasted on their Weber Grill out in the bush with plenty of fresh veggies and I will even attempt the pumpkin pie (also with an imported can of pumpkin from the USA!). The weather will be hot and humid and we will be watching zebra and spingboks while we eat our dinner. There will be no shopping or hustle or bustle, nor TV or internet! It will be an African celebration of Thanksgiving!

But…it also makes me wonder (yes, there’s always more to my wondering!)….

In Mozambique we are in constant surroundings of poverty and need, hunger and hurt. Often times there is literally no food, much less the thought of purchasing a $27 turkey! Children in our neighborhood are dressed in clothes that more resemble rags. And these same children long for education, not a taste of pumpkin pie. Daily, women walk from their houses made of palm leaves to the nearest road to put out their bananas, tomatoes, peanuts and/or recently collected clams from the sea for sell. They are hoping to make enough money to sustain them for the day. There is no room or time for them to spend contemplating football or shopping.

So…what’s all this talk of turkey about? It’s suppose to be about be thankful, it’s suppose to be about giving and sharing with our neighbor, it’s suppose to be about love. What it is that we are doing to share this in 2011? Often times I am ashamed of myself, of my American culture and the lavish and richness that we so often take for granted. I recently watched 2 shows on TV here (of course, imported from America!) that proved just this…The 2 shows? “Hoarders” and “Extreme Couponing.” Amazing how the extreme of the “haves” versus the “have nots” and it actually lands up as a TV show (and that people actually spend thier time watching this nonsense!). I was physically just sickened by this and Jon is sick to death of me ranting and raving about it. If only, we could all learn the joys of giving…of true thankful-giving!

I hope this year I can be one who shares my turkey amongst friends…and friends in need. I hope all this turkey talk can teach me a lesson…that I don’t really NEED the turkey to be thankful, what I need is love and compassion. I envision a picture of the “orginal” Pilgrims & Indians sitting round a table with my fellow African brothers and sisters, and my family and us sharing a meal together and sharing our lives together talking about how to make the world a better place! That would be my picture of “love” this holiday….now…how do I make this happen?

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hello world!

We are attempting to hit the blogging world…..hello world! We hope to replace the Mozi Musings with this blog….we’ll see how it goes!

Peace/Paz