One perfect day!

Today was just one of those days, where you couldn't stop praising the Lord for His perfectness!

I got to cook with our embrigadas and learn how things are done here in Mozambique. It was terrific! I love these ladies!

Then after lunch the sound of their laughter got our attention. Our embrigada's had finished their lunch and were talking and laughing with each other.  So we went out to join them we got to listen to them share about their life and their families. It was such a unique and personal glimpse into their lives, lives we really know very little about.

We had made plans to visit with one of our dear friends, Louisa at Centro Emmisor. We asked Zito, one of the church leaders (who also happens to speak Sena) to come with us. 

We had a nice visit and as we were getting ready to leave a young women came by and asked for our help. She said that she was ready to accept the Lord into her life!

She had attended the service at church, a while ago and now was ready to accept Him into her life.

It was so incredible that God would plan for us to be there at that exact moment!

So Kathy shared the gospel with this young women named Fatima. She had a small child with her, maybe a year old. It was disturbing for me to see the strings around this little girl's neck. The strings are a sign that the baby was dedicated to evil spirits and the witch doctor. 

So we will continue to pray that as this young women seeks after the Lord she will no longer desire to trust in anyone other than our Savior.

It was a gift from God to be present in that place, at that moment. 

As we were getting ready to leave, a young girl came running up to Louisa to say that a women who had been in labor since last night was ready to go to the hospital. 

This women lives more than 6 kilometers from the hospital. So once again God and His perfect timing.... there we were exactly where we were suppose to be!

We piled Louisa, the pregnant girl and her sister in the back seat, along with Zito. At least the first half of the ride would have been enough for anyone to have a baby, ready or not!

But Mozambican's are tough and the ride didn't seem to phase anyone except maybe Kathy and I!

We finally got on the paved road, but we needed to stop and buy cashews from the boys.

I forgot to mention the cashew boys.

Just before you turn off the main road to head into the bush there are boys who wait there to sell their cashews. They're delicious and fresh and it's how the boys support themselves. So we always buy some, but we never buy them until we are headed back to town. Today was no different. So as we were racing to get this girl to the hospital, we stopped long enough to keep our word to our boys. 

Not to worry we made it, with time to spare:) The young women walked into the hospital with the help of the other women and we were on our way.

We shared with Zito the sweet potatoes Lousia had given us,  then dropped him home and thanked him for his help.

It was just a great Jesus filled day!!

Deus Sabe....God knows

Once again I find myself in a position of humbly seeking God's wisdom.  

Most every day here in Mozambique is spent giving someone something. Whether it's our time and prayers or a ride, or money, or food, or clothes it's always something.

My role here this year is to 'assist', to 'help as needed'. I love what God has me doing here, yet at the same time I have struggled with thoughts of self.  Of being 'second' so to speak, will anyone know that I too was part of that gift of food, or money? Will I get any recognition?  Will my works be appreciated?  Will anyone even know? Will they like me as much as they seem to like those who actually give the gift? 

Today God allowed me to understand what really matters, HIM. 

He knows, He sees, He understands my heart and my motivation, that's all that really matters, Him!

Do I want people to love me, or do I want them to see and love God because of our deeds and actions?

So as I sit here watching another perfect sunset over the village of Dondo, I am thanking God for His many provisions and praising Him for always hearing our prayers no matter how big or small.

Thank you Jesus for knowing me and loving me in spite of my faults.

God's Plan

It's good to make plans, take certain precautions and follow sound advise. Yet when it all comes down to it, God's plan is what will be.

As I sit here recovering from my bout with malaria, I think about the plans I had, the precautions I took, the advise I followed and still I got malaria.

I take Malarone daily ( an anti-malarial medication taken daily to lessen the symptoms and risk of acquiring malaria) 

I used my DEET faithfully morning and night since I arrived and I sleep under my mosquito net.

So, according to my plan, I should not have contracted malaria. I had things to do, I had my plans....

I am told I could have died, I received the medication I needed and people literally all over the world were praying for my recovery. All part of God's plan.

I am so grateful that God is in charge of my life and holds everything firmly in His hands.

I need to continue to be still and hear what He is trying to tell me through all of this.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in  Christ Jesus.

A Mozambican funeral

 

The funeral began in the mortuary behind the hospital. The man who died was only 26 years old. Family and friends entered the room, sang a song and then the casket was loaded onto the back of a pickup truck.

 

 A man stands in the back of the truck holding a large wooded cross, family members pile onto the truck, and additional family and friends fill any other available cars or trucks. In this case there were 3 vehicles, the truck with the casket, the car I was driving and Noemia’s car. Everyone else walked, about 60-70 people.

 

We then processed to the young man’s home, the casket was carried to the home, more singing and someone prayed. Once again the casket was retuned to the truck, everyone got back into the vehicles and now there were approximately 100-150 people walking, all headed to the cemetery. 

 

It's hard to describe the cemetery, you see random mounds of earth, some covered with small shrubs and flowering branches. We carefully walked around these gravesites until we ended up deep in this forest of trees. It was overgrown with many hanging vines and dead branches everywhere you looked. Eventually we saw where the people had gathered and found a spot to watch the burial. After the Pastor spoke there was more singing. 

 

One person will start a song with a strong clear voice, and before you know it everyone has joined in and the music is always perfectly wonderful! 

Today’s music was quiet and reserved, there were no smiles. They sang in Sena, a local dialect, although I had no idea what the words meant, you just knew it was reverent and comforting.

 

While the women sang, a few men began to dig the grave.

Once the casket was placed in the ground you could hear the sound of hands hitting the earth. The family members all patted the ground over the casket, then walked away. The ceremony was over.