We all have our weird perceptions about Mondays!  I don’t have any – never had …. until this morning.  Today is suppose to be the beginning of 2011 – and we were so ready to start it off with a bang.  Well, come to think of it we did start off with a bang.  Mozambique (bush life I must add) is always a story of total opposites.  Complete joy the one minute and complete sadness the next.  Let me share the day as it went on:

08:00  Due to torrential rains ….. due to some bad driving I think, I got stuck in the mud on my way to our School opening.  Needless to say …. I dare not waste a minute as parents were waiting anxiously for me to arrive.  Well … I wasted half an hour – thanks to the tractor following me.

09:00  After picking up all the important guests and directors for the school opening 5 km away I arrived  at the bush bridge that was suppose to take me to the school.  Driving halfway on the bridge it
started tilting and breaking up – with the river flowing nicely underneath.  Did I mention the    bridge is quite high?  No crossing the bridge as I managed to very quickly backtrack with a load full of
screaming kids on the back.

10:00  As I entered our base I was stopped anxiously by someone in the community.  A baby was born during the early morning hours and there is complications.  Our health post is unable to assist, he
tries to get out with tears and shaking his head.

10:15  We transport the baby and weak mother to the local clinic about 40 km away.

10:25  The baby dies in the car.

10:45  Arrive at the clinic.  The mother gets a blood transfusion and makes it – just in time.

11:00  The rest of the team runs around to get food supplies to local orphan houses and get the more than 60 external students into their different houses to start the school year.

12:00  I am tired!

13:00  I will now attempt to cross the falling bridge with my motorbike to get messages across to our
 bush school who is also waiting for their monthly food allowance on the other side of the river.

16:00  Made it back in one peace with a lot of mud behind my ears!

17:00  I think I shall retire for the day ……. or as we say here in the bush:  “Ate amanha” – until
tomorrow!

20:00  Oh yes ….. and the buck off course …… he had a good sleep through all the commotion!