travels in africa

so i'm happily back in the land of broadband staying with thelma in pretoria. very sorry as despite the broadband i still can't get you more pictures?! in two days i head off again on my own into the beautiful land of namibia, but for now i will just tell you about my time since mozambique.
blantyre was so lovely. definitely a lot of reverse culture-shock getting used to the waste of water with every flush of the loo and not believing the difference in worlds considering we were only half a days journey away from something so different. i'm sad to say the shock is quickly wearing off and the strength of my memories is gently fading but the strength of my determination to return to mozambique when i can is not.
highlight of blantyre was palm sunday. we went to a disappointing service in the morning - too many expats for me and the sermon was about pentecost (?!) not palm sunday at all so i was not happy. then walking home in the afternoon we heard some amazing singing coming from a church so went in and enjoyed over an hour of choir after choir singing amazingly. it was heaven to me. i mean seriously i am sure that will be how praises in heaven sound to me. i was in need of some refreshing that day and i definitely got it - the voices were pure, rich, beautiful and so joyful. it was true worship as if they just couldn't resist.
other than that it was just a time for enjoying the company of bernadette and her lovely friends arrived from holland, and allowing my mind and heart to settle down. pretty much all they heard out of me the first couple of days was innocence this, alexandra that.. but by the end of think i had talked about other things!
then they went back to mocuba one day before i left for pretoria, so i had very little time on my own but as with travelling to mozambique i did feel a bit unsettled and anxious. i guess every time i move on is a bit difficult as i leave what i know and love and step out into the unknown alone. but the journey was fine really, i mean probably the most uncomfortable journey i've ever had but i arrived safely even if it was 5 hours late, meaning a total 29 hour journey. it was a coach that seemed fine from the outside but it had 5 seats in each row instead of 4 which meant there wasn't enough room to sit back if your neighbour was also sitting back. my neighbour was a nice man called john but he wasn't small and in future i will remember to choose my seat according to my neighbour's size! our stop in harare was a mad moment as i got out to eat my sandwiches thinking i'd avoid making a mess inside and a group of kids just immediately gathered round me assuming i was giving them the food. i chatted with them for a few minutes trying to work out what was going on as it was a shock to me and in the end gave them my food as they seemed to really need it. i had got used to people asking for money but seeing people that desperate just for food was pretty haunting. zimbabwe is clearly in a bad way.
then pretoria has been lovely. you'll know i've felt very at home when you hear we rented 7 videos on my first day - result! its just been a lovely time for resting and catching up with friends. highlight was easter sunday. again i wasn't impressed with the sermon as it was on the transfiguration (i mean whats wrong with sticking with the season?!) so i read my bible instead of listening and rediscovered the joy of the story in john when mary meets jesus outside the tomb. it was a realisation that this journey and my life are taking me nearer and nearer to that place where i might be a bit lost and confused but then i hear my name called "Hannah" and i recognise my Lord.