Oi!
How is everyone? So it was my first week here in Mozambique. My first area is a city called Beira in the Northern half of the country. It is the more jungle like area and it's really an awesome place, I already love it here! The people are amazing and so kind. Everyone will talk to you here. Our main form of transportation is a thing called chaupa's. They are like the jolly rancher vans but they cram 20 plus people in them. It’s an adventure out here you have no idea. It’s funny when there are 2 chaupa's stopped in the same place and the guys who open the doors start fighting over customers, it gradually goes from yelling, to pushing, to punching, to the customer getting in another chaupa.
I just got done playing football with my zone in an old soccer stadium that was run down and over grown with trees and bushes. We played with the giant African birds with the 5 foot wing span flying over us, it was awesome! The Africans didn't have anything better to do so we had a crowd watching us play. The children here are so cool. Whenever we walk by they yell "oh meu amigos meu amigos!" They will come up and show you their secret handshakes and follow you around just holding you hand. They babies are way cool too. They fall down but they don’t cry or anything, they just stand up and keep going.
My companion is named Elder Okazaki he's from Colorado and he played hockey too so we have a lot in common. Our apartment is very nice for the conditions here. Our floors are wooden blocks not sealed in place so they move around a lot, our shower is just a pipe that comes out of the wall, and everyone's windows and doors are caged in rebar. Along with that we all have baseball bats at our bedsides in case anyone tries to break in. There isn't a lot of crime on the streets just people who try to break in. Everyone's has walls around their houses with broken glass on the top... the 3rd world country way for keeping burglers out! The language is going pretty good, I can say what I want to say but I have problems understanding what people say. But day by day I understand more so I'm improving very fast. The accent here is really cool, its kind of like how the Jamaican accent is to English so it sounds really cool. This country is amazing! It’s something you have to experience to believe and words can’t describe it but I will do my best. There is trash everywhere and people are constantly searching through it for something to eat. Chickens run around like dogs do back home, very few paved roads, poverty everywhere, but it is so beautiful! There are trees everywhere and I walk past the beach every day. It’s amazing, it’s a lot like what the movies are like, women carrying stuff on their heads, guys walking around with AK 47's everywhere, huts made out of palm leaves, tin sheets, and car hoods. The people have almost nothing here, and yet I have not seen a happier people in my whole life. Everyone smiles and says good day, children are always laughing when often the only toy they have is a ping pong ball or a small wooden car with soda cans for wheels. I have yet to be in a home that is bigger than my room back home. And yet everyone seems content... it really is amazing. I have only been here for a week and I already consider this my second home. I love it here already.
My camera is in my backpack so I have it with me but these computers have viruses I guess so I can't plug it in but we can use some other computers sometimes I guess I don't know but I will send some. They found my little carry on bag and it's coming on a bus so I will get it in a few weeks and I don't know about the other ones. That's cool about Kaylee's plays tell her congrats for me! I'm good and my comp Elder Okazaki gave me another change of clothes so I'm good. Better go but I will email everyone again next week! Tchao! Elder Brown Video from Elder and Sister Spendlove