Vacation Days

It is vacation time here in Mozambique. The kids are off from school for two weeks. We have used the time to clean the school and do a few other jobs we can't do while the kids are around. I have taken the opportunity to show a few random pictures from around the school. Hope you enjoy. While the U.S. is suffering a heat wave, it's still cool here in Moz. They say it stays cool until August, so I'm expecting a change soon.

Br. Lucas travels to Maputo this week to meet with the Department of Education. We are submitting our applications to teach and hoping to receive a salary.

Again, thanks to Patrick Young, CHS '84 and my classmate, we have been operating our big saw daily. (see video in previous post)

A weeks worth of wood cut by new saw

  Our future residence is taking shape and looks great with a coat of new paint. FYI: The brothers will live on the 3rd floor. The 2nd floor will be guest rooms on the left and the school computer lab on the right in the picture below. The 2nd floor will also host the infirmary and counseling office. We hope the bottom floor will be a library and teacher work room. Stay tuned.


Brothers residence (3rd floor)  gets new paint

  Here is a sad story, but I thought I would share it with you. In the picture below you will see a very cute monkey on the back of a bike. As I was walking through school one day a crowd was gathering around this bike so I had to check it out. After a brief exchange, I learned this man was trying to sell the monkey for 200 Meticais or about $6. I tried to explain that what he was doing was illegal, but I don't think he understood or didn't care. Just another day in Moz.


He's saying, "send me home".

  One more SSP (Sustainable Support Project) almost complete: After much work we have finally completed the piggery and will be purchasing pigs next week. Our plan is to start with 3 pigs. I have received a few requests to explain the SSP's. The SSP's are a project of the CHS class of 1984, my class. My classmates got together before I left and wanted to do a group project. We thought it would be good to invest the money raised in projects that would help support the school for many years to come. I will have a complete SSP update on the blog soon, but the projects include the farm, piggery, banana plantation, and raising chickens and goats.


Piggery - Finally ready for pigs next week

  The winter months of June and July are ending here, but we are enjoying the beautiful poinsetia trees which grow so big.


Poinsetia tree outside our house - It's winter here!

 I thought this turkey, which walks around the school grounds, was so random yet beautiful. He also doesn't have to worry about Thanksgiving coming up.


Turkey living in the school yard - No worries, No Thanksgiving







Another SSP - Back property being cleared for corn planting in October -
Huge Mangos trees in background



TDM offers up hope for lab

Met with the director of TDM (Telecommunication de Mozambique) yesterday. This was the second meeting with the director and we have had many visits from the TDM technical staff. They informed us that they will install a repeater-booster on our bell tower for "free". Therefore, no need for a very expensive satellite system. This will finally allow us to possibly have a computer lab in the school, one of our goals. Now we just need a computer lab.



Future Computer Lab - Formerly the Franciscans Community Room



New Saw Belts Mean New Life

It may not sound like a big deal, but getting new belts for our big saw here in Amatongas is an incredible improvement. Thanks to Patrick Young and J.A. Young and Associates from Baton Rouge, La for getting the belts and shipping them here, not an easy task. The new belts will allow us to buy wood at a much cheaper price therefore improving our lives here and providing more jobs for the local people. Please check out the video below.

Br. Angel celebrates 25 years of brotherhood

       Sunday, July 3, the community in Amatongas gathered for mass to celebrate Br. Angel's 25th anniversary as a Brother of the Sacred Heart. The ceremony was highlighted by spontaneous applause and much dancing. Br. Angel took the time at the end of mass to thank all those who have impacted his life and especially mentioned the wonderful children and people of Amatongas.

Brs. Angel, Fabian, Chris and Lucas took
the occasion renew their vows together

Br. Angel is congratulated by a student

We would like to take this occasion to thank all of those who have helped us these first 5 months in Amatongas. We realize each day in prayer that we could not do the work here without much help from our communities around the world, our families and many friends. Ametur Cor Jesu

Goodbye & Thanks Michael and Mark

Mark Clements with friends in Amatongas

We said goodbye to our volunteers on Monday. Thanks Michael and Mark for all your work and especially your love and dedication to our children in Amatongas.

Please read their daily blog here http://www.hiabroad.org/mission-amatongas-blog.html

It's a great read!

Mark and Michael with director of Amatongas Clinic

HIA Volunteers in Amatongas

Health Initiatives Abroad (HIA) volunteers, Michael Kline and Mark Clements have been in Amatongas for a week now preparing a report for their organization. HIA is raising funds for a future infirmary at our school here in Amatongas and the report being prepared will help them in their efforts. Please check out the website above.

It has been great having Mark and Michael here this week bringing a breath of fresh air and much energy to our new work. They have interviewed many health officials and school personnel gathering information for their report.

Mark and Michael interviewed 83 year old
retired missionary nurse "Nana" near Amatongas

Amatongas welcomes volunteers

Mark Clements and Michael Kline visit boarding students in Amatongas

Many thanks to our first two volunteers to visit us in Amatongas. Michael Kline and Mark Clements, both graduates of Catholic High in Baton Rouge and students at LSU, arrived Wednesday, June 15 with much needed soccer equipment. Thanks to the efforts of Bo Cassidy, CHS Soccer Coach, and Third Coast Soccer the volunteers delivered 6 bags of soccer balls, jerseys, and other supplies. 

Thanks Bo Cassidy and 3rd Coast Soccer for the new balls and jerseys

The local children in Amatongas with new jersey's from 3rd Coast Soccer

Other news from Amatongas

We finally welcomed the fourth member of our community when Brother Fabian Jongwe arrived from Zimbabwe on Sunday. 

Amatongas Community: Angel, Lucas, Fabian and Chris

The brothers new residence is about two months from completion, but by the time this gets out on the internet the good news is that the roof is finished. Now work continues on the electricity and water.

The 4 brothers will live on the top floor of this old Franciscan residence

After cutting and clearing the large property in front of the school, we found and rented a tractor to disc the land and make it more suitable for planting, quite an accomplishment after 2 months of hard work. We will most likely plant beans and corn here for the students and possibly to sell.

Finally, the little guy below is a Puff Adder killed by one of our workers with a sling shot. It's double the size of one I killed myself. The people say they this one is very big. I agree.

Add caption

From Baton Rouge to Mozambique

HIA, Catholic High, Third Coast team up to send soccer equipment to Amatongas

Catholic High boys’ soccer head coach Bo Cassidy and Third Coast Soccer are working with HIA to send soccer equipment to Amatongas, Mozambique in June, where Michael Kline and fellow HIA member Mark Clements will be spending the first of five planned summers assisting in the development of a new Brothers of the Sacred Heart mission.

Read full article here:

http://digbatonrouge.com/article/from-baton-rouge-to-mozambique-1938/

Changes

Check out the before/after pictures below. Changes are slow in coming here, but there are changes. A huge amount of paint, blood, sweat and a great deal of help from friends in our first three months in Amatongas has resulted in some not so minor changes to the school.

Before

After much paint, sweat and a little help from friends

The picture below shows our future pig house. Believe it or not, you could not even see this building through the vines, trees and bushes growing around and in the buildings. It took over a month to clear and clean. Next week we will put the new roof on and hopefully begin acquiring pigs next month. This Sustainable Support Project will hopefully provide funds and food for the school next year.

Future pig residence

The students are enjoying the new residence hall and study room shown below. We have two study periods. The first from 8:30-10:30 for the afternoon students and the second from 1:30-3:30 for the morning school students. If you haven't heard already, we have three sessions of students attending classes in the morning, afternoon and the evening. There are over 800 students attending this coed school each day from 6:30 AM until 11:00 PM every day.

New study room for resident students

Also, work began last week on the future residence for the brothers. This residence next to the school was the house for the Franciscans who first built the school. Since the civil war, it has been abandoned and in need of much repair. The roof, which had many leaks causing major problems, will be the first project. The residence will house the four brothers assigned to Amatongas as well as volunteers and other guests.

Work begins on future brothers residence

Easter Blessings

It was indeed an Easter Blessing to wake up Sunday morning a take my first shower in more than three weeks, and a hot shower as well.

We had a beautiful Easter Vigil beginning at 8:00 PM with great singing and dancing to celebrate our Lord's resurrection. After the vigil the whole congregation gathered for cake, cookies and mango juice prepared by the Brothers in Amatongas.

One other bit of news was the beginning of the rebuilding of our new/old residence. This residence was formerly used by the Franciscans when they first built the school 50 years ago. Since Independence in 1972, it has been used for teachers for a few years and then basically abandoned for at least the last 10 years or so. Work is expected to take 5-6 months.

We'll be up on the third floor.

Palm Sunday

A few pictures from our Palm Sunday liturgy attended by 1200 young people and celebrated by the great Bishop of Chimoio.

Love the Mitre

Lots going on

        Well, there's so much going on here it's hard to begin. However, I'll start with a very difficult challenge. I have been walking past this huge saw many times a day and have been wondering why it's not working. Come to find out that it does work, but the belts need to be replaced. The problem is they can't find these belts anywhere in South Africa, hard to believe I know. So, I figured if the internet is good for anything it would be this, to try and find these belts. If you know anyone in the lumber business, or big belt business, please let me know. I can send more pictures. The result of an operational saw could mean big money for the school in the future.

Also, scroll down to view latest video!

Section of old belt, very thick

Rumor is this originally came from Switzerland

Our other challenge with running water is still another major problem. We need a new pump and it doesn't look like we will get one anytime real soon.

Takes many men to lift pump and pipes from 50 meters down

Please enjoy our new video below, Amatongas, student interview and Solidarity.

Good and Bad

It's been a crazy week for us here in Amatongas. The good news is that we finally got an internet connection. Unfortunately, it's too slow to do anything other than check e-mail, the reason I am loading this report in Chimoio. It's not fast enough for skype and certainly not a solution for our future computer lab plans.

The bad news for us this week is rain. It's been raining since monday, which also means no electricity and for the past two days no running water. All of this makes for long days and nights. It kinda reminds me of the days after Katrina.

Another bit of good news is that I found a chain saw. Now, I just have to wait for dry weather. The area we are clearing for our future banana plantation is really looking good. We had heard reports of a huge plantation here many years ago and after some clearing came upon the remnants. It was just incredible. We plan on using these plants to start our banana farm.

Old Banana Plantation found in the forest

Also, we purchased 200 more chickens and we are slowly learning the trade with the help of the resident students.

Video Tour

OK, here is our first attempt at a video. Please excuse the narrator, he's the only English speaker in Amatongas. Also, we paid extra for the rooster in the background.

Hopefully, we will have Spanish, French and Portuguese up later. It takes some time to upload videos here.

Two requests: Someone please call Bill Gates for me, we need internet in Amatongas. Also, a chain saw would sure be nice have right about now. I can't even find one in Chimoio.



Spanish version below (Portuguese and French coming soon)


Portuguese version below narrated by Br. Lucas

Settling In

We are slowly settling in to temporary home here in Amatongas. We keep busy cleaning both our temporary home and our future home next to school, tutoring students, repairing basketball backboards and painting. Our future home was used during the long civil war by the military and since then has been abandoned and is in terrible condition. It will take much work to get it ready.

On the weekends, there is regular soccer matches on the two fields next to school and of course Mass on Sunday mornings. It is a beautiful celebration with great singing and dancing. I hope to share a video soon.

Enjoy a few more pictures below.

Mass at Immaculate Conception Parish Church in Amatongas

Br. Lucas with boarding student

Br. Chris with student watching the regular weekend soccer games

For a second I thought I was in the Smokies

Br. Lucas arrives

Br. Lucas finally arrived yesterday bringing our group together for the first time in Amatongas, and only a month after our planned arrival. He made the trip from Brazil with no problems and all of his four pieces of luggage. We travel to Chimoio on Friday to meet with the Bishop, who will officially welcome us to Mozambique.

Br. Chris, Br. Lucas and Br. Angel together in Amatongas

There was even more good news from Moz. today as I received approval for my Residency Visa. I had to travel to Maputo last week to get a stamp for some paperwork. Yes, three days of travel for one lousy stamp, amazing indeed. However, it's all done.

More pics

We decided to spend last weekend painting one of the classrooms in the school. A project we could actually complete and see progress, not an everyday thing. One of the windows had to be completely removed because of termite damage. There's no glass on any windows anyway, so no problem there.

We have been traveling to Chimoio more frequently to work on our resident visa's. Unfortunately, a few roadblocks have been encountered and it has taken longer than expected. Pray we will be successful today.

After a few bad days with stomach issues, we decided to boil all of our water used for consumption. We have had no problems since. 

Br. Angel and his spectators - They sang while we painted

After painting - Notice repaired desk as well

Before painting - Some water damage made scraping walls interesting

Resident students enjoying checkers using bottle caps