In your own words, what is your definition of nutrition? I’m assuming you all came up with a simple response describing healthy foods and good eating habits. This is one of the open ended questions we have been asking outgrowers this week and most cannot give an answer and do not understand. Here is one thing I have learned in Mozambique. Nutrition is a luxury. Hot water is a luxury. A washing machine is a luxury. A shower is a luxury. A toilet is a luxury. Now in the U.S. these are basic goods and luxuries consist more of a fancy car or a big screen t.v. This is where we are WRONG. Are we this way because our standard of living is higher? Where did we loose sight of the big picture? The people here live simply. They live day to day with hardly enough food to get by yet there is a sense of luxury here. A sense of wealth. They love in a way I cannot put into words. Let me tell you what their luxuries are. Family. They measure their wealth in their family. I think we can all learn a little something from this. It is easy to take advantage of the fact that we live in a 1st world country that allows us to live with these basic “luxuries” that are denied to so many people around the world. We think we deserve these things that apparently add value to our life but we don’t. We don’t deserve anything. So instead of counting your blessings as materialistic things look around at your family and feel the richness. Most people in Nampula do not live past 55, 60 if they are lucky. Do not waste the time you are given on this earth to live a comfortable life. Live a life that gives to other people. GIVE YOUR LIFE TO OTHER PEOPLE. Tell me a better way to truly satisfy your soul. We are lucky enough to live in a country like America so lets give our lives to those who were not blessed in the ways we were. This week I had a powerful moment that made me know my dad was with me. Before coming to Mozambique my mom syd and I went to the dollar store to get toys to give away to the kids here. My mom saw a hotwheel car that was a Camaro (My dads favorite car). This may be silly but I had been putting off all week giving away this toy because I had a feeling I was meant to give it to a kid that really touched my heart and I would just know it was meant to be. In honor of my Dad I wanted it to be special. We were in a village this week and I met a boy who was really shy. I told him my name and lucky for me Jessica is a very popular name here and all the kids love to say it! Haha. All the kids were following us from house to house and during the second survey I had a group of kids around me (including the shy boy who wasn’t so shy anymore) and we were drawing pictures in the dirt. This boy who had warmed up to me was drawing different things and pointing to them around the village. It was incredible. Language wise we could not understand each other but looking in his eyes I understood him and he understood me. With out words we were communicating. The next picture he drew was a car and in that instant I knew it was meant to be. After the survey was over I gave him the yellow Camaro and I could tell it made his whole world (little did he know it made mine as well). As we drove away in the truck all the kids chased after us and I saw the boy holding the car high running after us. I left that village with tears in my eyes knowing I would never see him again. Knowing he would never leave that village. I will never forget the friend I made that day sitting there drawing in the dirt that day. I left a piece of my heart there with him and whenever I am having a bad day I will remember that smile and find peace. (He's in the above pictures in the blue shirt) Thanks for listening friends.
Lots of love from the ends of the earth and back, Jess
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HIIIIIIIIIIII. So I know this is REALLY hard to believe but wifi is a rare thing to come by in Mozambique Africa. But if I’m being honest I don’t mind being absent from the social media and technology world. Let me catch you up on the past two weeks (if possible). I’m not even sure where to begin because SOOOOOO much has happened. Two weekends ago we went on our first weekend trip to an Island off the coast called Ilha. Mozambique never fails to surprise me. From mountaintops to ocean waves this place has it all!!!!!! Ilha was about a 3-hour bus ride away from Nampula and when we arrived we were all in for a surprise. The hostel we were staying at was AWESOME!!!!! It was super edgy and each bed had its own mosquito net because all the windows were open and the bathroom didn’t even have a roof on it! Speaking of roofs this place was made out of complete stone and there were benches carved into the roof with pillows and tables. It was the perfect place for everyone to hang out and talk about life. Because here is the thing we have all experienced so much life here. The things I’ve learned from my “classmates” on this trip are things I’ll always hold in my heart. I got to hear my now friend Elliot’s story which was really cool. I think its amazing how we all have our stories. All the parts of our life put together like puzzle pieces to make us into who we are. Elliot and I sat on the roof for along time that night talking about the questions we have for God, our fears, and our thoughts about Mozambique. Elliot’s heart is huge and I am so fortunate to be making friends with someone with such a passion for the world and loving people. So the next morning we went on sailboats to another island and I have never in my life seen water so clear and so beautiful. I saw all my favorite shades of blue in the waves. When we got to the island we all jumped in the water off the boats and all my clothes got wet (I didn’t mind). Unfortunately for me I stepped on coral and it got stuck in my foot haha. Ooops. Don’t worry (I’m talking to you Grandma) I got it out!! Or I should say we because it was defiantly a team effort. All part of the adventure right? After getting the coral out of my foot we all explored the island and collected sea shells, which is like one of my favorite things to do hehe. I actually found a shark tooth wahoo!!! We spent a few hours on the island and then went back to ilha for lunch. After lunch me, Em, Joe, Caleb, Mat, and Dr. Nalley walked around and found this little hut bar on the beach. We sat and listened to the waves and learned more about eachother. I LOVE LEARNING ABOUT PEOPLE. And let me tell yall the people on this trip with me truly change lives including mine!!! That night we went to dinner at a nice restaurant and then went back to the beach to look at the stars. I saw many shooting stars but I can’t tell you what I wished for cause then it won’t come true…. Hehe. We could see the milky way which was truly phenomenal. Ilha was an incredible experience to say the least!!!! Thanks for reading friends and fam. I miss you all!!!! From Nampula to you I send my love mwah!!!
Jess So I have been in Mozambique for almost two weeks now and life here is nothing less than exciting. Last week my team had a bumpy start. If you don't know, I am working on a micronutrient deficiency team to survey the workers of New Horizons, including those who work directly on the farm and the out growers, and the locals in the area to see if being employed at New Horizons has an effect on the micronutrient deficiency of the people. So like I said it was a bumpy start because nothing worked like we had planned. Our project is our team leader, Maggie Jo's, thesis for her graduate degree. Its been a pleasure to be lead by such an encouraging and successful girl. She is constantly believing in me and our team and I admire her love for people and the work we are doing here. The first day of work we found out the scale does not work correctly on the Mozambican dirt so every morning I have to be weighed five times at the farm where there is concrete and then five times at each household we survey and the averages of both of those samples are used to find the margin of error in the scale. I've learned you can't ever prepare yourself for the real world. Out here things go wrong. Wether it be a langue barrier or a picky scale there is no way to fully prepare for the obstacles you will face. But I have also learned to adapt to the situation. I've learned that when things do go wrong you just have to step back and reevaluate another approach to the problem. I've learned to expect the unexpected and think outside of the classroom. The work we are doing here effects lives and thats important. We started with surveying workers on the farm. Thursday was our first day to go out into the villages to start surveying the out growers. We road in the back of a truck which was super exciting and while driving through the village a group of kids came out of no where and started chasing our truck. When we stopped they all were giving us high fives and thumbs up. While interviewing the second family a woman brought me a chair in the shade. I don't think I have ever experienced such generosity before in my life. I was fighting back tears and the same women hands me her baby. The happiness I felt in that moment is indescribable. The picture above is of this moment!!! I cannot explain the love inside these people. My friend Craig keeps saying "they are so alive here" and I couldn't agree with her more. I've seen babies carrying babies, I've seen sisters and brothers taking care of one another to help out their parents. Yesterday we had a worker from New Horizons come and have dinner with us. He is originally from the Congo and his family is living in a refugee camp in Malawi. He told us that he measures richness in the amount of children he has and the life he can provide for them. This reminded me of my dad and the way he always wanted the best for me. I miss him everyday and am so thankful I was given his blessing to go on this trip. I believe in my heart I am meant to be here. Thanks for listening friends! It's getting late here (and by late I mean 8:30 pm) haha oh yeah and the sun sets at 5:15pm and rises and 5 am. So mornings and and nights are early for me. Goodnight from Moz!!!
Hi Friends and Fam!! Sorry its been a few days since I have updated y'all on my adventure in Mozambique. I have really been trying to live in the moment and stay off of technology as much as possible. So let me catch y'all up on what the last few days have looked like. On sunday our day started at six am with a challenging hike up Mount Mojito. When I say challenging I mean there literally was not a path and a local had to guide us along with Wilford, one of Andrews partners in New Horizons. It was mentally and physically exhausting but the view was well worth the amount of times I tripped. I think the only word to describe the peak was peaceful. I could feel my dads presence up there with me and I knew he was proud. On the way up we met a man named Miguel and he defined happiness. He was probably poorer than the poorest person in America but richer in joy than the richest man in America. This made me really think about what quality of life really meant. Is it the amount of money you make? or the mark you leave on the world? Miguel surely left a mark on me and his genuine smile will forever be imbedded in my mind. Along the way up I was lucky enough to steal some of Wilfords time and talk to him about why he joined New Horizons. He told me about how he believed Sustainable business will change the future of Mozambique. By not only making a profit but by making a difference in the lives of others. He explained to me how the word company comes form the meaning of breaking and sharing bread. This is a concept many American "companies' lack. How ironic right. They lack the incentive to share the "bread" or wealth among the entire company. New Horizons is the perfect model of how business and people working together can change the world and end world hunger. When we got back to the bamboo hotel from the hike we found out the whole place was out of water. So no showers for us. I know what your thinking. Ewh. But hey I like to think of this as part of the adventure. The real journey doesn't start until everything goes wrong right? haha we didn't have water for two days but luckily the cold water is working now. I love this place, its grown to become a part of me even in the short amount of time I have spent here. The landscape, language, and people define the word beauty. I have a faith in humanity I had previously doubted. This place shows me love like our God does. I believe he is fiercely present here in the lives of these people. I am really praying I can make a quarter of the difference in this place that it has made in my heart. I will be making a people and photos tab soon so please read and see the people that are changing my life here in Mozambique. Lots and lots of Love from Nampula!!!!! See ya next time friends!!!
Flight itinerary:
Leave DFW at 9:40 Arrive in London 9 hours later Seven-hour layover at Heathrow 11-hour flight to Jburg Two hour flight to Nampula And then the adventures begins. More to come friends !!!!!! |
AuthorHi I'm Jess!!! I have a soul for traveling and loving people. All kinds of people from all conners of the world from all walks of life. I've left pieces of my heart all over the world. This is my safe space to write all the things on my heart. I hope you find some comfort and encouragement in the words on these pages. Thanks for reading friends (: Archives
July 2016
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