Everything is Bigger in Africa

Post from Josh: I have heard the saying that everything is bigger in Africa and I believe it to be true in many cases. Being here in Mozambique has been unforgettable so far and I am utterly thankful to the One who is the One for bringing us here. He has truly blessed us!! I am so in love with Jesus that I could burst. I’ve put together a list of things that are bigger here in Africa. Enjoy!

Bugs – Yes, the bugs are definitely bigger. From the crazy biting ants which inflict a good wound to the very, very large grasshoppers (aka locusts) to the massive banana spiders, they really are bigger here. There are ants that are 2 inches long and very aggressive. We don’t have too many around but I’ve heard enough stories to know I don’t need to see more.

We were sitting at an outdoor restaurant at night and I saw this thing flying around. It looked like a small bird, maybe a hummingbird, but not as fluid in flight. It turned out to be a flying grasshopper. What? The family was having a lazy afternoon after class one day when one of the single guys came around with the largest spider I’ve seen in the wild. It was a banana spider that was VERY large. The body was literally 4-5 inches long and the legs were a good 4 inches more. It was crawling all over him. Apparently, they are deadly poisonous but can’t bite us because their mouths are too small. Hmmmm…… One Sunday, Gracie had to go #2 during church so I took her home to take care of it (no bathrooms at church only latrines – aka holes in the ground). I took her in and reached down to grab a roll of TP to get her some. As I lifted the roll, I saw something fall from the inside of the roll. It hit the ground and immediately coiled up. It was a very large black millipede. I let out a mini scream like a little girl. The funny thing is it didn’t bother Gracie at all. I didn’t smash it but got something to get it out of there.

I have seen more types of beetles, roaches, ugly things, moths, and butterflies than anywhere else I’ve been. The mozzies (the Australian/UK way to say mosquito….yes with a funny accent) are the only bug that’s not bigger. They are small and only come out at night. These disease carrying menaces are the least threatening looking bugs here. In fact, I’ve killed more mozzies than any other bug. They don’t fly as fast as the ones at home and are way smaller. Easy prey!! I’m on the hunt for mozzies in Mozambique!

Rain – The rain is crazy here! It is so amazing to listen to and watch. It can rain for 1 minute and I guess the accumulation is more than 1 inch. The rain drops are HUGE and when they come down hard, it’s really cool. It’s rained a few times at night and it sounds like a tornado coming through. The kids sleep right through it. For those that know the song, “Let it Rain”, we always sing it in class or church when it rains. If you’ve never heard it, fire up your fast internet machine and give it a listen.

Fish – My son Ethan (miss you buddy!!!!) and I like to fish together but we’ve never caught anything like the fish I’ve seen at the roadside fish market. Jade and I walked to get some bananas and stopped to look at the fresh fish. There was a parrot fish (I think). It was about 2 feet long and was bright blue and orange. Very cool looking! They also have really big lobster here. Some friends bought some to cook at their house and I was shocked at how big they were. They were cheap too! Every day I’ve been out I’ve seen fresh squid, snapper, swordfish, and many more. It’s one of those things us Idahoans get excited about.

Smiles – No matter where we go, the smiles on the Mozambicans’ faces are large, ear-to-ear grins with bright white teeth showing through. They aren’t asking for anything or expecting a handout. They are genuinely happy to see us. I am overwhelmed at the cheerfulness and authenticity they show us even when we don’t know them. What if we did that back home? Just an authentic smile without expecting something in return. WOW!! Everyone could learn how to smile from these people.

Hearts – I can honestly say that my heart capacity, the ability to love, has been increased here. God has used this beautiful, broken land to change me. The people here know what love is. They know WHO love is!!!!!! They know that without Jesus they would die, some literally! I greet a grandmamma every week in the village named Sofia. She exudes love. The way she greets me knowing very little English melts my heart every time. She kisses each one of my cheeks and greets me in her native language, Makuwa, but then saying Papa Josh with it. I can’t really even explain how awesome it is. We don’t say any other words to each other but our connection is on the heart level. It makes me really think about a simple greeting and how much we take that for granted.

I am teaching English to a group of boys in a village. There is one in particular named Angelo. He speaks very little English, but is learning, and needs so much love. He has no parents, no siblings, no family. He runs to me when he sees me coming. He smiles constantly in church when he is with us. He is so in need of love but gives so much love to our family. I am astounded at how big his heart is. I want to be more like Angelo!! Why?? Simply because he is the face of Jesus. Angelo knows Jesus. I mean he really knows Jesus and he has been taught to love like Jesus did. My prayer is that God continues to expand my heart to love like Jesus did. That’s really all that life is about. Being away from the Western culture has really made that crystal clear to me. I hope I can bring that revelation back from those of you that want it!

God has made things in Africa bigger for a reason! I am thankful for experiencing a small part of the beauty of Mozambique!

Blessings to all of you today!

Josh Mason