Resident Students Return

Our 54 resident students returned to school a few weeks ago and are doing well. They are very happy with the quality and quantity of food we serve to them. Our menu varies each day from chicken, pork, fish, couve (Spinach), and is served with the staple of the African diet around the continent Massa, ground corn that's boiled similar to cooking grits back home in Louisiana. Of the 54 resident students 25 are orphans from the local area. We now have a long waiting list of students wanting to live in our dorm and we are awaiting funds to begin counstruction in order to expand to 100 students.

Br. Angel entertains even the little ones

Residents organizing supper

A little gravy is always good on Massa

Five hundred meters of fencing is presently being installed around our front farm. This was seen as an urgent need to prevent the local animals from eating anything we tried to grow. The goats, pigs, cows and monkies have loved eating from our farm. Thanks to Manos Unidas in Spain for providing us with this fencing.

New fencing going up around front farm

Pathway to the school

Pathway to the school before

 Random Photos from the area

Storks near the chicken farm

A very large vulture

New Desks Arrive Just in Time

Once again, thanks to Africa Directo and CAM for the donation of new desks for our school in Amatongas. Since last year we have been able to add 225 new desks to the school. The desks actually seat two students, so that's new seating for 450 students. This year we added an 11th grade and the desks were very much needed for the beginning of school. Next year we will continue to expand with the addition of a 12th grade.

Currently we have over 900 students attending school in three different groups, one in the morning (7:00-11:30 AM), one in the afternoon (12:00-4:30 PM), and the night school (5:30-10:00 PM). Needless to say our campus is busy and full of students all day and night. Never a dull moment in Amatongas.

Before the desks some students sat on the floor

...actually most of the students

Some teachers even brought the class outside

 New Desks arrive to save the day

50 new desks arrive stacked on a small truck

Resident students help move desks into new 11th grade classroom

New 11th grade classroom

1st completely finished classroom in school building

2013 Ano Escolar Começa

The school year in Amatongas began with a special treat, textbooks. Sounds simple for a school to have textbooks unless you attend school in Mozambique where very few schools have textbooks as they are not provided by the state. Thanks to our great friends at Africa Directo and CAM in Spain for providing this awesome gift to our students. We are indeed blessed.

A teacher drove his truck 1000 kms back from Maputo with the new books

Br. Lucas, Director of our school, looks through the books

Students are amazed!

Our library now taking shape

One set of textbooks for each class, students don't take the books home though

Looking like a real classroom now

Teachers teaching with textbooks for first time, ever!

Busy in Amatongas

We're back! I know many people believed we were lost in the Mozambican floods, but nope, we are still here and going strong.

It has been a little over a month since my return from R&R in Louisiana and the action hasn't stopped. School began classes in the middle of January and our resident students returned eager to study and eat. I will be posting many pictures here in the next few days.

Many people say they don't see me in the pictures, ok maybe it was just my mom, so I am starting off with a picture of me and Roquito on our new tractor. Thanks to our friends in Spain from Manos Unidas we now have a 75hp John Deere tractor to help us around the farm. Actually, since its arrival last week we have used it everyday helping us harvest the corn and since it has been raining daily we couldn't have done the work without a tractor. The resident students help us out a little on the weekends and as you can see they have fun while working.

Another New Computer lab

Twenty more computers arrived this week from our friends in Spain at Foundation Corazonista. We cannot thank them enough for their friendship and help. The computers are being set up in a classroom that will be used by our new Technical School. The classroom was renovated and the new furniture was provided by our school in Rome, Cristo Rei.

Students will be given an introductory course this week so they may become familiar with the computer and formal computer classes will begin next school year in January. 

Resident students help Br. Angel unload the 20 new computers

Unpacking begins

Then it's time to test

This week the students will get a quick introduction course

More Birthdays & End of Year Celebration

It's hard to believe we are already at the end of the school year. Next week the students will take final exams and then we will be on break until the middle of January. Last night we celebrated the end of the year by honoring our 22 birthday boys from September until December. A great feast was offered by our cooks along with cake and cold drinks. Afterwards the students put on a special thanks for the brothers and then it was time for singing and dancing.

Marcos leads the dancing after the cutting of the cake.

Br. Angel joins in on the line dancing.

The 22 birthday are celebrated in traditional fashion.

The cutting of the cake is an honored tradition

The feast is prepared...

...and then enjoyed by all.

Amatongas Farm Continues to Grow

We had been hearing people talk for over a year about some land the mission could use for farming. Little did we know that it was located in a valley next to a small river which even now after 6 months of no rain still has water. Once we realized its great potential we couldn't hesitate and started clearing and plowing immediately to get it ready for the rainy season. After 6 weeks of hard work we now have planted 5 hectares of corn (12.5 acres) and 1 hectare of beans (2.5 acres). This farm is about 5 kilometers from the mission down a rough dirt road, but well worth the trip. There is a great possibility we could expand more next year to maybe as much as 10-12 hectares. As you see, the importance of acquiring a tractor has increased greatly.

Our farms are an essential means of providing sustainability for our future, both as food for the boarders and income for the mission. Please pray for rain especially during these critical two weeks after planting. Adding these 6 hectares to the 5 hectares near the school, should if all goes well, help us immensely next year.

Standing here with some of the local kids near the new farm. 

We rented a tractor to disc and grade.
It cost a great deal, but much needed.

Our water source we plan to use for irrigation
during the next dry season for year round planting

Br. Fabian with the local children.
They enjoyed running after the tractor and catching mice.
The huts in the background will be used
by a family to provide extra security at the farm.

Our boarders take a Saturday to help plant over 100 Kgs of corn.
They will be eating this corn in about 4 months!!!

Boarders enjoyed lunch cooked out at the farm. A great adventure.

400 Youth Attend Meeting in Amatongas

 A few weeks ago Mission Amatongas was honored to host over 400 young people from around our diocese, the largest diocese in Mozambique. The overnight event began with a rosary walk which lead into a Mass in our Immaculate Conception parish church. The enthusiastic young people were supposed to sleep in the classrooms in our school, but I don't think anyone slept at all. The entire night was filled with prayer and much singing and dancing.

Opening Mass in the church

Skits lasted into the night

Prayer under the stars

Two of our boarders who participated

Closing liturgy the next morning and the kids still have energy