One does not simply meander into Mozambique.
Nope. It takes no less than three to four flights, an entire day’s shift of a time warp, and a whole lot of patience dealing with airport customs to enter this far away country.
But as with any life-altering journey, the twists and turns are all a part of the adventure.
And what an adventure it was!!
And so worth it.
Not just to see mind-bending sunsets – although those were part of the trip.
Not just to see the incredible Family Preservation Program in action – although that was one of the biggest parts of the trip and wonderful to see it in action.
Not even to see a completely different way of life – although there were plenty of new life-hacks that I learned from seeing how people on the other side of the planet live!
No, the most eye-opening moments came from being half a world away from my own life, and finding so much sameness and connection to humans.
It came in moments of a small child grabbing my hand on a walk, and feeling the connection of physical touch as she snuggled into my lap once we sat down and promptly fell asleep. The common need to feel loved and seen.
It came in moments of seeing, truly seeing, the beauty of the human soul through looking deeply into the beautiful eyes of a complete stranger and allowing her to be fully ‘seen’.
It came in moments of struggling and failing miserably to ‘participate’ in a service project of building a latrine that we had absolutely zero skills to build…prompting much laughter and delight in the local people who could easily do it with their eyes closed. It came in the moments when they came to our rescue and turned our mistakes into a masterpiece as we cheered them on from the *much safer for all involved* sidelines.
It came in aha moments of evening discussions surrounding the day’s events and the principles surrounding how to help without hurting in the humanitarian realm.
The life-changing moments came in tiny pieces, randomly sculpted throughout the week of disengagement from my fast-paced, check-list-filled life and full engagement in being completely present minute by minute in another time, another world, another culture of awe inspiring aha moments of unscripted wonder at the world not only that we live in now, but the potential of what it can become when we all work together to make the possible a reality.
As I boarded the first of many flights back home, exhausted, a bit dingy, and still slightly sweaty, I reflected back on the memories of a lifetime that had been gifted to me by these incredible people in a faraway land who helped me more than I could ever hope to help them.
— Jen Brewer, June 2025 expeditioner
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