About a week ago, a fiber optic cable in the ocean off the coast of Inhambane Province in Mozambique was severed. That minor news thing is causing quite a bit of disruption here. The cable is linked to cell phone service and banking services in the northern parts of Mozambique and has even impacted us down in Maputo. Hard to imagine that a single cable can disrupt and entire country, but it has. The cable is in 30 meters of water and beyond the ability of Mozambique to repair, so with International help, they are estimating at least 30 more days before it can be repaired. That is 30 Mozambican days, so.......
Finally we were able to get through on the phone today and talk for a few minutes to Juka and Belarmino in the north. The training center construction project is going well but we need to transfer some funds and there is some concern that the banking is going to work with the cable problems. We will see what tomorrow brings. He is ready to put the roof on the training center and they are putting up the walls on the small house. We still have not received our returned money on the deposit for the well and the company (Afrodril) is blaming the fiber optic cable problem, but that problem occurred AFTER they were to return the money, but we will test that theory when we send money to the construction account tomorrow. Please continue to pray about the water situation at our land and that we are treated fairly.
Juka reported that he took his driver license test Friday, and passed, but then didn't pass because the director (this is a government official), told him he didn't pay a fee to him (a bribe) and that is why he didn't pass the test. That's quite brazen and is so disappointing and we keep thinking the government is really trying to straighten up the corruption in their midst, we see signs of it, but then we face into things like this. Very disappointing - the director has to be making many times his salary in these bribes - and the culture accepts it as normal, so the cycle continues. So, the lesson learned is to not try to get a driver's license in Mocuba. We had the same problem here in Maputo with people trying to get licenses but that seems to have improved finally. He has a meeting with the director again before he takes the test in mid-May - probably with the expectation of money passing hands. It was the same thing in the schools here until they went to standardized testing, which has helped greatly.
Our embassy has issued a travel warning because of the communication issues in the north. They are expecting additional problems because of this in the coming days and recommend not traveling until the problem has been resolved. That comes on the heels of some unsolved violent crimes at vacation areas in the Inhambane Province that is unusual for Mozambique. And then, someone was recently picked up driving towards Maputo with $400,000 USD (or at least that is the amount that was reported) in some sort of investigation and after the lead investigator's second press conference about it, he was shot and killed. That raises more questions that will likely never be answered. So, danger always is lurking and we thank God for His protection. It is also why we try to always carry very little money - never carry more than you are willing to lose!
The car starter problems continue - the car is in South Africa with Toyota, who sub-ed it out to another shop, who didn't finish it, and we will have to make another border crossing this week to get the car. They are tearing out the alarm system which they think is causing the problem as they inspected the starter internals (and I watched) and it appeared to be in pretty good shape. It is a mystery. We knew we had an alarm system but thought it had been disconnected by a previous owner because we didn't have the gizmos to turn it on and off - but it was still there lurking in the background! I've not had very good luck with these alarm systems here in the cars that I've been around - they seem to cause all sorts of problems and there are few who can work on them when they act up. But, if they stopped the theft of your vehicle one time, it would be work it, wouldn't it!
We were hearing all this pitter pattering of little feet in the ceiling over our kitchen. I lifted the ceiling and was relieved to find it was a blue-head lizard instead of a rat or mouse. I found where he got in and repaired that and the mosquito netting around the roof vent, but I couldn't get the fellow out - so we have left a ceiling tile up, hoping he will come down to live with us and eventually find his way out. These little fellows are in and out of the house all the time (he is a rather large male), and they are voracious mosquito-eaters so we don't mind so much. They grow on you and I guess are like pets......we have slid so far!
Sad news - Pastor Abel's brother in Xai-Xai was killed last night in an automobile accident. Abel was close to him and is quite devastated. He left early this morning for Xai Xai and the responsibility for this funeral and possibly for his brother's affairs could fall to him. Pray for Abel.
Dave & Ann
" Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to Your word to Your servant." Ps 119:76
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