Dan and I have been living in Mozambique for one full year!
These past twelve months have been, more than anything else, a time of discovery and tremendous personal growth. Sometimes I feel like I am here just to observe-- to watch and to take in the things that I see.
"I become a transparent eyeball; I am nothing; I see all..."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Through watching, I have learned a great deal. I have learned that-
- Little boys and little girls are the same, all over the world
- Mozambicans are very, very social and are rarely alone
- This country is generally optimistic, cheerful, and full of hope
During this past year, I have also learned a lot about myself. As an American girl living as a foreigner in a new country, I have started to see myself through the eyes of the people that I have met.
Let's take a look at the things that I have learned about myself and my country in the past year:
A Profile of Lisa Jo Spencer
Profile of Mozambique
It's been a big year: a year of pictures, of friendships, and of challenges. This is the year that I learned Portuguese. This is the year that I learned how to be a teacher. This is the year that I set out to change the world and I changed myself, instead.
Successes:
- Learning Portuguese
- Becoming well-known in the community
- Getting published
- Completing my first year as a teacher
Challenges:
- Class discipline
- Loneliness/Homesickness
Photos: One Year in Mozambique |
Finally, I'd like to close out with a few statistics. It's hard to encapsulate an entire year in just one blog entry, but I hope that these numbers will help define the scope of my first year in Mozambique and paint a picture of my daily life. Enjoy! Here's to another twelve months in Africa.
Communication
In the Classroom
On the Home Front
And in Closing...
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