Carolyn went flying

We lost a member of our team today as Clarence went to teach students at the local seminary. The rest of the group went on to Maxie and Chicuque.

The first stop of the day was to a kapalana shop in Maxie, the Tyson's Corner of this area according to Clarence. When we entered we were immediately overwhelmed by all the beautiful choices of fabrics. After much deliberating we finally picked our kapalanas and then continued on to the rest of our busy day.

After the fun shopping we visited the Chicuque Rural Hospital. We were greeted by two missionaries David and Elizabeth McCormick from Texas. David works as the hospital administrator and Elizabeth works with the Creator's Co-op. David took us on a tour of the hospital and we were all just amazed by what they were able to do with the resources provided. They have thought of virtually every thing that the people of Mozambique could need from, maternal wings, emergency care, dentistry, physical therapy, and a gender based violence center. This hospital is known for having really good medical care but if looked at through our American standards it would be considered not up to par. This was important to see because we were able to see what works for Mozambique and how they are able to do so much with a fraction of what American hospitals have.

We then popped over to a local restaurant to devour some delicious chicken and stare at the amazing view of the ocean.

Center of Hope was the next step of the day. They focus on more the preventable aspect of healthcare compared to the hospital which treat the already ill. They do travel clinics into communities that would be otherwise hours from the nearest medical care. They try to teach communities- teachers, pastors, and youth in particular- about malaria, HIV, maternal and child health, and other preventable diseases. Their biggest mission is to educate the public to prevent more people from contracting diseases that are easily preventable.

Creator's Co-op was the last stop on our tour. Creator's Co-op is a business ran by local artists and Elizabeth. The artists create beautiful pieces of designs with backstories and meaning that are then put on t-shirts, bags, and other items. They are then sold to visiting groups and it is a way for these artists to make a living.

All in all it was a long day but a very eye opening day! :)

Ps. Carolyn is okay. On our way back to the house, Salvador hit the gas a little too hard and she had an unexpected departure from her seat.