Paradise has its downside

Been an eventful few days. Was in a little church Wednesday night, and afterwards we went back to our #1 eatery in Pemba, the Pemba Dolphin. Had me some prawns. Lovely big ones, that seemed fine.

Next morning, the damage was done, and Thu-Sat I was in great discomfort. It is hard enough having food poisoning, but in a place where medical attention is sparse, it is a problem.

Fortunately, I travel with decent meds, including oral rehydration salts, whicjh I reckon saved my bacon this time. I could have, should have, also travelled with a broad spectrum antibiotic, but didn't - that was a mistake.

The Pemba - Joburg flight was most uncomfortable, and there is a good clinic at the airport. It's all cash up front of course, and plenty of it, but within minutes I had a drip in, some meds for the nausea, and I was starting to recover.

By this morning, I was much better. The tum is a bit sore still, and feels highly bashed around by those demon-prawns! There is more in my Facebook and Twitter.

New Casting Hope podcast

Aubie Banda works with Radio Chiunjota as part of his mission work in Chiconono. Originally from Malawi, Aubie's life changed dramatically when as a young Muslim labourer he heard Christian songs being sung in a language he could understand. His story is worth listening to. Custodio Tivane is the recently appointed Director of Feba Radio Mozambique. He has expansive vision for using radio to reach parts of that enormous country with the hope and love of Jesus Christ. Custodio shares a little about his life, and you can just hear his passion as he talks about Feba's partnership with Radio Chiunjota.

Direct download: Casting_Hope_podcast_4.mp3

Website: http://www.castinghope.blogspot.com/

Photo: Bob Bartz climbing the mast at Radio Chiunjota

Suffering for Jesus in Africa

Just in case anybody thinks that working for a missions charity and travelling to Africa is all about terrible conditions and hard work, and all that ... here is a photo of me having a hard time not showing just how many prawns I had just eaten, before we got our swimming stuff out, hired masks and fins, and went snorkling amongst the coral about 300 meters out in the bay. Tough job, but someone has to do it.

Interviewing Missionary Paul Zimmerman up at Makumia,

Cabo Delgado province, Mozambique

Remember Good Times Here?

Way back in the 1970s, when the world was a simpler place, this building was the heart of a holiday empire. The location is Mozambique, Beira, and this old shell of a building is the Estoril, where I can remember eating in the ground floor restaurant, and visiting friends staying in the rooms above. It was quite a weird feeling standing on the road looking up at this and then across the road at the old lighthouse - unchanged except for the fact that the rotating light does not work anymore, and has been replaced by a much less powerful flashing bulb.

Long Road to Freedom

On the road to Makamia, Cabo Delgado Province, Mozambique

Although there is no single north-south road, from where this photo was taken, a day' driving north would reach Tanzania, and three to four days driving south would reach the capital, Maputo - indicating the vast extent of the beautiful country of Mozambique. This location was about an hour inland from the coastal (and natural harbour) of Pemba. We were on our way to visit the buidling site of a new radio station, intent on reaching the Mwane people, who inhabit the coastal region and islands of northern Mozambique.

Appropriate Technology

Container Studio gets new meaning in Mozambique

Back in the UK after 5 weeks of African adventures, here is an interesting picture of a community radio station we visited in Beira, Mozambique. Look carefully ... the building is simply three 40 foot containers stacked on top of each other. In fact, it is six containers in all. The on-air station is at the top. Middle section is the office on one side and recording studio on the other. Radio Peia is run by a Brazilian missionary and his family, who have been there for 8 years.

In the on-air studio, windows open, street sounds pouring in...