Update and another New Address

Hello everyone!  Well, it’s been a while since the last update, we know, but we’ve been busy okay!  Let me see, the last big post was about our travels with Mom and Dad Turner, but we’ve had a few more adventures since then.  Shortly after they left to head back to the states, Brian and I headed north to visit our friends Vonnie and Esther in Monapo just outside of Nampula.  After spending a night at their site, we went to Ilha de Mocambique which is a small island off the coast of Nampula province that was one of the sites most populated by the Portuguese when they were here.  It’s full of old Portuguese buildings that have since deteriorated quite a bit but are absolutely charming now.  We stayed at a really cute backpackers place and celebrated Brian’s birthday there.  Esther planned a lasagna dinner that was SO GOOD!  And Dov had the fabulous idea of “roasting” Brian.  He put together a monologue full of Brian jokes, I led a game titled “Third Grader or Brian Mills?”, and there was a skit acting out many of the ridiculous things that Brian has become famous for.  You’ll see a picture of the roast below.  The guy in it is named Pete.  He’s not actually in the Peace Corps.  In fact, he’s English and is here in Africa riding his bike around doing a malaria project.  He’s absolutely hilarious and if Brian ever leaves me, it will be for Pete.  I think they’re really in love!

Ilha Bridge

Pete Roasting Brian

After our travels up north, we went back to Gorongosa to just relax for the holidays.  We were lucky to host all the new volunteers in Manica and Sofala, as well as Dov and Tim.  We spent the long weekend mostly just cooking and eating.  The menu included pancakes, tuna salad, fried rice, nachos, and pasta with breadsticks.  It was really a fun Christmas, but pretty hot.  The problem this time of year is the flies.  It’s cooler to sit outside, but being mango season, the flies are out of control.  You can’t sit outside without getting swarmed!  So we packed the whole team inside our teenie little house. Good bonding time with the new people!

During our time at home over the holidays, pineapples also came into season.  They’re everywhere right now and we eat them all the time!  In the market one day I found a little guy that was just too cute not to buy.  There’s a picture below of it next to my hand.  Remember the picture a few months back of the giant snail?  The pineapple is the same size!  Crazy!

Moz Pineapple

Our major drama shortly after the holidays was that Thika went missing.  He was gone for two full weeks.  We were sure he was toast.  He just doesn’t disappear for that long!  But one afternoon I stepped outside and saw a little dog trotting along the street outside ouf our house.  I yelled, “Thika?” He turned his head.  So I yelled again, “Thika!” and he paused, looked at me, then came bounding up to the house as if to say, “Oh ya!  I live here!  I almost forgot!” Needless to say, that was a very happy moment for us since we could not have imagined living a whole year without our puppy! It has been great to have him back.

Thika's Chair

Last weekend we took a trip down to Massinga to watch the Super Bowl. It was very exciting to finally get to see a football game. It has been way too long. It definitely was an interesting experience though. We had to watch the game in a 24 hour gas station that has probably never seen that amount of people inside it at one time. It was hilarious because the game kicked off at 1:30 a.m. local time here so we spent the night leading up to it having our super bowl party and eating snacks including little smokies and chips with guacamole. We then all walked to the gas station and just hung out for the duration of the game, which as you all know, is probably the longest sporting event on T.V.!! Luckily we were able to see the national anthem and the halftime show but were not able to see the commercials. Of course Christina Aguilera had to botch the only live rendition of the national anthem I will probably ever here this year but nonetheless it was a pretty cool experience to see all the volunteers standing up and really taking in the moment. When you don’t get to hear it ever, you really appreciate it. Awesome experience. We tried to document it as best as we could but as you will see in the photos, it was a pretty small and cramped space and it was difficult to take some good photos.  However, someone did manage to snap a good one of a very sleepy volunteer who just couldn’t make it through the game!  Guess I get to check “sleeping on a gas station floor” off my list!  You will notice though that even in my sleepiness, I somehow found my way to the cookie aisle!

National Anthem

Super Bowl Party

Super Bowl Sleeping

Well I hope that you guys enjoy the photos that we have attached and everyone is doing well back home. We miss you guys and will talk to you soon.

Brian and Jordan

Also, this is our new and final address for packages and letters.

Brian and Jordan Mills

Corpo da Paz

CP 331

Chimoio, Mozambique

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