Time in Mozambique...

Wow,  hard to believe our time here is almost over for this season. It has been such a great blessing to once again have the opportunity to live life here with people I have come to care deeply about.

We have been super busy up until the 14th and so officially we have had only 2 days to pack and say our goodbyes...but God has provided for many situations that have blessed us along the way!

On Thursday we took our last two visitors to the airport then had to go into Beria.

 There are many beggers in Beria, and I think it would be impossible to give to everyone...even if our pockets were full of coins!  So we try to use discernment, and ask God to help us know which ones we should help on any given day. Sometimes there is just a look and you know immediately, this is one I have to help!

 This day I saw a young boy leading an elderly blind man, and I knew! I gave him a coin and he was just so sweet as he thanked me. The children who lead the blind always hand the coin to the blind person, and as soon as he did, the elderly man, started blessing and thanking me. As they were walking away from the car Kathy called for them to stop because she remembered she had a matchbox car in her bag. We called the boy back and gave him the car...you should have seen the look on his face, absolutely priceless, he was grinning from ear to ear, explaining to the blind man what we had given him.

It was such a sweet moment!  Praise God!!

This morning we were able to spend several hours with Zito and his family. We brought over food and drinks and spent time encouraging Zito and praying with him and his children. It was so good that God would allow this time for us.

Zito is getting stronger as he continues to look to the Lord for direction. We thank God for this!

I have been busy balancing the books and getting everything in order...even working on spread sheets! 

Who would have ever guessed I'd be doing this!!???

With what seemed like so little time to get many things done I was thinking we would literally be running around trying to get everything accomplished.

We had prayed that God would multiply our last few days, and not only have we had ample time for  work related meetings, we have also had more than enough time to hug and pray with the people we care about the most!  So we continue to praise God!

This afternoon has been quiet, well sort of. There have been many visitors at our door, as everyone knows we leave tomorrow. Each one has been sweet, wishing us safe travel and asking when we will return. It's impossible to live here and not absolutely love the people!!!

So it turns out we have had plenty of time...Kathy even caught a nap this afternoon and I skyped with my daughter! Bookkeeping is done, bags are packed.... now all we have left to do is drink the rest of our Coke lite and finish the popcorn off!

Grace and peace to all~

A short story about life here...

Ercylio and I were driving into town the other morning and I asked him how his night was last night. I expected that he would tell me about school, instead I got quite a story.
He said he was on the main road waiting for a chappa (a small mini-van/bus) when a friend drove by. Ercylio flagged him down and he stopped to give him a ride. So Ercylio ran up and got in the car. 
Just then he said the car died, it wouldn't move!


I'm thinking... oh no the poor guy was probably late for school.


Then Ercylio explained how the rest of the night went. 
He explained that he couldn't just leave his friend there, so he called his brother to come with their dad's car.
Then they towed his friend's car to Ercylio's dad's garage. 
Ercylio then took his father's car and gave his friend a ride into Beira. He then waited for him to finish his business and drove him back to Dondo! 


 I sat there thinking, you have got to be kidding me!


Not only did he not make it to school, but he spent the entire evening and night helping his friend.
I just loved hearing this story and I knew I needed to share it. What a beautiful example of loving your neighbor and giving everything you have to help.


I have to say it again....I love living life here!!!

Recapping...

Some of you may have heard that I was once again sick with malaria.  I thought I was suffering from hot flashes and chills, and I told myself it was my age and tried to ignore it. Anyway, it got the better of me and I realized I had malaria and I was in bed most of the week.

I'm not 100% but I am so grateful for medicine, and a comfortable place to call home. I am also very grateful for all the beautiful people who God has blessed my life with.

Early Saturday morning I saw our gardener Francisco walking toward the house. I wondered why he was here as it was his day off.

When Kathy asked him why he was here, he said he had come to check on me. 

This dear man had just walked for over 45minutes in 90 degree weather on his day  off, just to see if I was okay!

About an hour or so later, my friend Maria who works in project life was knocking on the door!  She too had walked well over an hour in the heat to see that I was alright!

So here I sat in my house, with everything I need within reach. While these two Godly people put everything aside, on their day off, to walk many miles to check on my health!

I was so humbled and blessed by their unselfish acts of kindness. I asked myself would I have done the same for them? I may have gone to visit them, but I surely would have used a car. I would have taken my waterbottle with me, and when I was done I would have probably come home and collapsed on my bed in front of the fan!

Just no comparrison, really.

This past week I was asked to take one of the men from our church at Centro Emissor to the hospital. He had been getting worse and today needed to be seen by the doctor. So, as I sat outside the hospital waiting I had ample opportunity to observe people as they arrived as well as when they left....

Three young men one steering the bike, the other two on either side walking along holding a very elderly  women steady on the back storage rack. They gingerly lifted her off the back and I could see where they had strapped a small pillow over the metal rack for her comfort. I found myself asking God to bless them for their kindness.

A young boy maybe 5 or 6 years old with most of his right leg wrapped in a fresh clean white roll of gauze. He shuffled as he walked down the ramp, when he got to the one step, I could see him whince in pain as he had to force his knee to bend. 

I thought he must have been burned and I asked God to protect him and heal his little body.

This very old women came out limping, as she used large stick to assist her. Finally I could see she had a big white bandage wrapped around her great toe. She too needed to make her way down that one big step. As she did,  her bandaged toe ended up striking the sand. She stopped, looked down and seeing the sand covered dressing, she shook her foot with all her might and went on her way.

At one point I saw a little girl, I would say she was maybe three, four at the oldest, come strutting down the ramp. She caught my eye as she was this little peanut, just marching down the ramp, dressed pretty and very self assured!

So I sat and continued to watch and pray for people, then I noticed this same little girl return about 10minutes later. In her left hand she had a small bag of "nicy nacks", they're little snack bags, like cheese doddles...the kids here go crazy over them! 

So this girl just needed a snack, while she waited her turn to be seen. 

It's wild, I'm not sure that any of us would let our five or six year old go out of the hospital alone, cross the road and purchase their own snack. Everyone seems to learn at a very young age how to take care of themselves as well as others.

Today, Kathy and I got to keep a promise we had made several months ago, to two of our workers. 

Fransisco and Chico have repeatedly invited us to come to their homes and meet their families. Today was the day we were meant to do this. We were totally blessed by their hospitality! 

Chico had his brother shimmy up a palm tree and drop down three coconuts, which he then proceeded to to hack at with a huge machete. Once they were cleaned, he cut a small opening at the top and we each drank fresh coconut milk! We left gifts for the women in his family, prayed and explained that he needed to leave.

Next, we went to Fransico's home. His yard as well as his stick and stone home were immaculate. You could see the pride and care he takes in what he has been blessed with. His wife joined us as we prayed and thanked God for their lives as well. As we were getting ready to leave, Fransico came out with a bag of cassava for us to take home. We are so very blessed!! We left gifts and made our way home.  

All this before 10am! 

At 10 we had made plans to pick up Zito, the children, his brother, a friend, the friend's sister and cousin.  Zito wanted to bless the children with a day at the beach and he asked if we would help.

So with a stash of cookies, juice and towels we were off.....