Rice harvest....

 A long walk home...

The many faces of Mozambique

Someone remarked this week how "God made so many different faces"! It was funny to hear it said out loud, as I had been noticing the very same thing.
Each one completely unique and special, right down to every freckle and dimple!

When you stop and think about how much God cares about us.
Psalms 139:14 I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are your works. And my soul knows it well.
I often need to remind myself of this....we are wonderfully made and perfectly loved by Our Father in Heaven.
 Each one of us! Fearfully and wonderfully made in the imagine of His Son, Jesus.

Just a couple of the many faces that God wanted me to notice this week.... fearfully and wonderfully made faces!
Please continue to pray for all the faces of our friends here in Mozambique. As you pray ask God how you can help ....what is it that you can do to bless them?
Please visit the CRI website at :     http://www.childrensrelief.org/

Another baby goes to heaven....

When I was 13 my sister Maria died, she was only 10 years old.
I can still remember clearly asking God, why? why would you take the life of a sweet little girl?' She loved to sing and dance, and she loved people...she had a gentle spirit and was wise beyond her years.... why God?

Like many who have experienced death in such a personal way,  I spent many years trying to come to terms with death and dying. Of course, like everything in this world, I couldn't make sense of it without the help of the Holy Spirit.

I am so grateful that finally I am able to rest in the truth of what the Lord has been trying to get me to understand. This life, our time here on earth isn't the 'ultimate gift' that God has for us. Eternal life in Heaven with Him, Our Father and Creator is the 'ultimate gift'.

It's clear to me now that God needed me to do more than understand about out temporary lives here. He needed me to fully embrace the importance of our eternal life with Our Father in Heaven. So that the Holy Spirit within me could share the real truth of eternal life with those that are grieving.

I still do some crying, well actually I do a lot of crying, but that's okay. We're suppose to grieve, and share in each others sorrow. But with that we are called to share in the hope of eternal life. The hope that comes from a personal relationship with the Lord.

Last Saturday, a dear sweet women from our church in Centro Emissor experienced the loss of her child.  Just over a year old, he was the youngest boy in family of 4 older sisters.

You can read Kathy's blog for the rest of Fatima's story...http://dondodancer.blogspot.com/

On the third day following the funeral there is the Day of Consolation.  During the 3 days after the funeral the family is to do no work. Their needs are met by friends and neighbors. Women help with the laundry, prepare meals, wash the dishes and tend to the young children. This help will end today, Tuesday the day of Consolation.

 I picked up Zito our church plant leader and we headed to Fatima's home.
It was the typical scene as we arrived at Fatima's home. The women were all seated on mats and the men were sitting on small stools and benches separate from the women. 'Real' chairs, the best they have, were set out for Zito and I and Lou ( a visitor from Chicago).

I was asked to begin the ceremony with a prayer, and then Zito gave a message. He referenced Moses and the people of Israel, explaining how they were so busy trying to be satisfied with things of this world. He encouraged Fatima and her family to seek the things of Our Heavenly Father, to keep our eyes focused on Him. Repeating often that God is The Only Way, The Only Truth and The Life Eternal.

We then prayed again for the family, their home, and their health. We then shook each one's hand and offered words of comfort. Finally we were asked to lay hands on each one in the family and pray specifically for them. ( This part made me cry, it was very emotional) But also such a blessings to be allowed to pray on their behalf!

Ever since the funeral I had felt a profound need to pray. To pray for protection for Fatima's home, our church at Centro Emissor and specifically to pray for protection from the evil one. I prayed that God would guard their hearts and draw each one nearer to Himself as a result of their grieving.
God had continued to place the need to pray on my heart and so I was blessed to see the peace on Fatima's face when I prayed with her.
I was especially blessed as God allowed me to have the words in Portuguese to be able to speak to her heart. I told her that God loves her and will never leave her alone. I told her that day by day she will feel better as she keeps her eyes on God. That He loves her and that He is loving her child right now in Heaven.

Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. Please pray for the people we know and love in Mozambique. We hear each day that someone's family member or neighbor or friend has died. May God continue to bless those who mourn and may they feel the comfort of the Lord.

Domingos and baby Antonio

This young man is "Domingos, who works at the farm". That's not actually his name of course, but that's how we differentiate one Domingos from the next. Or one Fernando from the next:)

So when we saw him last week with his new little baby, 5 month old Antonio, we were just thrilled!

You see last year, Domingos and his wife were expecting a baby and he couldn't have been more proud.

That was all he ever talked about when we'd go to the farm to pump our water.  Then when his wife was in her 6th or 7th month we got word that the baby had died. Domingos and his wife were of course crushed. I'm sure I was not alone when I asked God, why?

So you can imagine our excitement as we saw him ride by with little Antonio strapped to his back! I had to make him stop so we could get a photo! 

We were all smiling, but our smiles were nothing compared to the smile of a proud papa! 

You very rarely see men carrying or holding their little ones. I have never seen a man with his baby strapped to his back! This picture just blesses me and so I had to share....

So once again we thank Our Lord for His perfect plan for our lives!

Our Empregada's

These are our girls, Maria, and Rita...our cooks, laundry ladies, and all around house keepers. Rita takes care of our house and Maria manages the team house. They willingly do anything we ask them to do, and are always quick with a big smile and polite 'ta bom' (meaning it's good, or okay)

We really care a lot about them and are blessed that God has placed them in our lives.

They cook all our meals from scratch, no box mixes, or frozen bags of anything. They do things like our grandmother's used to. We are blessed to have stoves in our homes, but in their homes they cook over an open fire.They wash all of our clothes by hand and hang them out to dry. Then before the day is over they iron everything they've washed. This is to kill the small bugs that lay their eggs on our clothes.

Kathy and I bought them new uniforms again this year and they were so happy. When they came to work the next morning they were excited to show us how nice they looked. I just had to take a picture.

Please pray for our girls when you think of us. Life is hard here for them, but Our God is good all the time and we know His plan is perfect!

Bible stories...

The team currently visiting from the states was scheduled to teach the children during the Saturday afternoon kids program at church. 

This program was scheduled for 3pm. We had already had a full day, up and out early for a Green Door house dedication and then off to the port city for lunch.  

We had taken the team to Biques, a really cool place to sit and enjoy good food right on the Indian Ocean.  Can you see why I love my job so much?

Anyway, lunch took a little longer than usual and by the time we were finished it was time to head back to Dondo. A quick call to Marissa, the lady in charge of the kids program, to explain our whereabouts.

Now you have to keep in mind that Marissa, is a Brazilian Missionary. She is very sweet, and doing her best to learn English. After a rather questionable phone conversation, we felt assured that we had time to make one quick stop before we headed back to Dondo.

Now when we arrived at the church, unbeknownst to our visitors, the kids program had already finished.

The courtyard at the church was still full of children but they were not kids from our church. They were the street kids that hang out, outside the gates and watch the activities from a distance. These children are poor, dirty, hungry, and often orphans. 

Marissa had explained that the regular program was finished but we could tell our bible story to the children that were there. 

So with the help of our newest translator Caitano, the ladies told the story of Moses. When he was just a baby placed in the basket and sent down the river for safety. Afterwards, they taught the children a song.  Then the children showed us how to dance!

Who knows why God allows the things He does. I am just so grateful that I don't have to figure any of it out. I simply have to walk in faith and trust in God's plan.

These children were suppose to be exactly where they were, when they were. We were suppose to do exactly what God had planned for us to do this day.  God's plan is always perfect!

The best part of the story is when one little boy tried to give us a coin! We didn't understand what he was trying to say.  We thanked him and suggested he bring it to church on Sunday if he wanted to give his coin. Makes me think about the widow and her 2 mite.  Praise God!!!!

Our first taxi ride in Mozambique...

We have recognized some changes in Dondo since last year. One such change would be the presence of taxis. 
They are little three wheeled vehicles about as powerful as a golf cart, but they can get the job done.
So when we needed a lift to the baby dedication on Sunday afternoon, we called Ercilio, our National Team Leader, and he hooked us up.


Our driver Cuarta arrived right on time and off we went. Kathy and I along with Chelye our newest CRI staff member. 
There is exactly enough room for one driver in front and 3 average sized people in the back seat. So off we went...

Praise God for our ever improving Portuguese. It's so great to be able to initiate conversation and begin to build relationships with the Mozambicans we live amongst. 
We were enjoying our ride laughing and having a blast. Cuarta was quick with a smile and had a great laugh, but you could see he was also taking his job seriously.
It was at that moment when we noticed something was not right. So we pulled off the road and saw that the left rear tire was flat. 

Without missing a beat, Cuarta had his "official" taxi driver shirt off and the front seated lifted up. Tools in hand he began to loosen the bolts on the tire.
There we stood, enjoying the moment and taking pictures. 
I wondered how he was going to actually remove the flat and replace it with the good tire. Just then Cuarta stood up and looked around to see who he could flag down for help.
I jokingly said "I'll bet I can lift it up"...so I did, not quite enough to slip the tire off, but then Kathy jumped in and we lifted the taxi up!!! A couple of grandmothers from Iowa..who would have ever thought...
Even Cuarta was impressed! He said in Portuguese, "I thought I needed a man to help but you women can do the work".

This all took under 6 minutes and we were back on the road. Actually, we arrived at the baby dedication about 15 minutes early....and then waited another 2 hours for the celebration to actually begin!
Just another day of life in Mozambique! Thank you Jesus!

Nutrition Center....observations

I spent the last two mornings at the Tessa Grace Nutrition Center. This center officially opened last year as a result of the overwhelming need to help moms and their babies.
Most moms are malnourished, suffering the affects of HIV and can barely sustain themselves so providing sufficient milk for their babies is almost impossible.
The center provides supplemental formula for the babies and small amounts of food for the nursing moms.

As I returned to the center after these months away, I was struck by how little some things have changed.
There is still a long line of moms...waiting to be seen, each with a baby (or two) strapped to their backs. There are still older siblings assisting their moms. There are still babies suspended daily from a hand made "seat sling" attached to a scale. There are still dedicated and caring Mozambican workers at the center spending their days assisting those less fortunate.
There is still plenty of need!

I was also struck by the improvements I observed. The center operates 3 mornings each week seeing a total of 80-85 moms and their babies. This building completely renovated (through generous donations) is being utilized in a big way to impact lives as well as strengthening the community.
Each morning as the mothers arrive, they are first given some general instruction/education. This may include how to safely prepare the formula by boiling the water they use. Or how to adequately wash their hands and prevent the spread of infections.
Before anything else takes place there is prayer. The workers pray for the mothers and their babies, thanking God for His Son Jesus, thanking God for another day of life. And asking God to bless them and keep them safe this day.

There is now a large water tower  outside the building and close to the medical clinic. This tower will enable these two buildings to have running water...inside!
This is an amazing improvement and so very essential!

Over the past several months many people have been awakened and enlightened to the needs at the  nutrition center.
The Lord has truly blessed this ministry at the Ray of Light project.

The increased donations have allowed for more money to be spent each month on formula. (An added blessing, as the prices here give inflation an entirely new meaning!)

So we are all humbly praising God for His grace and bounty.  His word tells us to feed and care for the widows and the orphans, this is done each and every day here in Dondo, thanks to the generosity of all who give and pray for the Mozambicans we love.
Thank you all very much!!
May the God of the universe bless you for blessings others.

It's about time!

The title says 'it's about time', now that could be taken one of two ways. 
Either 'it's about time I'm back in Mozambique', or i't's about time I updated my blog'.... I'll let you decide.


As of right now, both are officially true!


The travel seems to go quicker each time I make the trip. Or should I say 'we' make the trip. Having a traveling companion is really a plus! This trip was uneventful ( Praise God!) all the flights were on time, the layovers were just long enough, and all our luggage made it!


Initially, we didn't have to pay for the extra bags, but as we were boarding the international flight at Dulles it was determined that we needed to pay. 
So we thank God for the generous donation we had received to cover this cost.
We were able to book the luggage through to Beira ( which is a really big deal!)
and it arrived when we did!


We were greeted by a few dear friends, fellow CRI staff and several of the nationals we love! It was such a good feeling to step off the plan and see their smiling faces. The sounds, sights and smells everything felt right.


At the same time, there are so many things to remember...the language, the greetings, driving on the left side of the road....


As we weaved our way down the streets my mind was flooded with memories, had we really been gone for 6 months? It feels as though we never left! 
We exchanged money with the help of Ercilio our national field leader, and then off to Shop Rite for a few groceries. 
The guys who watch out for us and keep an eye on our car were there, hugs all around then in to see what we could find at Shop Rite, one sad note, no popcorn! 


We finally arrived at our house #6 in Lusalite...such a good sight. 
As the van pulled up and came to a stop, we could hear a familiar sound of music! It was the handball team! They came out singing, playing guitars and drumming, all with big smiling faces!
Kathy has some great pics of this (my battery was dead) so check out her blog as well when you get a chance!


First the captain of the team stepped out and officially welcomed us back. Then one by one each young man came up and greeted us with their best English and a big hug! 
It was such a sweet welcome home!! We just pray that God will continue to bless these young men. As they are all striving to follow the Lord.


We were invited to the Johnson's (fellow CRI staff) for dinner, so we walked the 1/4 mile to their house. We didn't see any snakes, the monkeys must have all been asleep, but I did get a closer than I like look at a bat as we walked home. 


Now the work really begins and so we ask that you keep us in your prayers.
We need to get adjusted to the time and weather changes, as well as re acclimate to the culture, language.... I need to start unpacking,I will update again soon.


 God's grace and peace to you all.

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.....

...the last shall be first..

Julia is first now. Julia is the little year old baby girl I wrote about last week. This  fragile little girl weighed less than 8 pounds, and was close to death. We arranged to have her seen at the clinic and also got her signed up at the Nutrition center.

But our efforts were not enough to keep her here, where she was among the last.

Today Julia is first sitting with Our Heavenly Father, and so we Praise God!

Please keep the people of Mozambique in your prayers. 

They face death and hunger and extreme poverty every single day.

Proverb 22:2 The rich and the poor have this in common: the Lord is the maker of them all.

Francisco

Francisco is one of our part time workers. He used to be one of our night guards, but he’s older and had a hard time staying awake.

We knew we needed to replace him, but we also didn’t want him to be without work and money.

So we decided to offer him part time work, mornings only, sweeping up the grounds, watering the garden, and keeping the cars clean.

He was so grateful for the work, even with the cut in pay.

 He is just such a dear sweet man, for the longest time I couldn’t understand a single word he said. He talks like he’s got a mouth full of food, and I think he mixes his Portuguese with Sena.

Anyway, bit by bit I have come to understand him and now we even ‘talk’ with each other, more than just the…. good morning- how are you- how’s your family- kind of talk.

No mater what you might be talking about with him, he never fails to say “Deus e’ grande”! (God is great!)

He says it with such enthusiasm,  with both hands clenched in fists and held up beside his head.  Here it comes….his weathered face turns into a huge smile and then he says it…Deus e’ grande!

The other day he was cleaning the inside of one of the cars and he came to me and gave me a  coin, 10 metacais.  This is like about 3 cents to us, but it here it would buy 3 large rolls, or a big bunch of bananas. Then finally I understood  the word for ‘carpet’ and ‘inside’ as I realized what he was telling me, tears were in my eyes.

He found the coin while cleaning the car and wanted to give it to me.

Praise the Lord!  The man could have easily put the coin in his pocket and no one would have ever known. Well, that’s exactly what I told him as I thanked him and praised God for his honesty!  Then of course I gave him the coinJ ….I just love living life here!

Centro Emissor~ mobile clinic day 2

Wednesday we took some team members to our church plant at Centro Emissor.
Once again the plan was two fold, share about the love of Christ and provide some medical care.
Unlike our trip to Savane, this time the word of God came first.

So after some singing and praising our Lord, Dan and his wife Becky shared a moving testimony of God's faithfulness in their lives.
It was very powerful and generated quite a response from the congregation, then, of course, there was more singing:)

The people were aware that we would be providing some medical care and it wasn't long before we had more people than we could count.
The team members all helped with organizing the crowd, each one was given a number and they waited their turn.
Tony ( the EMT from Minn) and I decided to split up so we could double the number of people we treated as it was getting late. This worked out well.

 Most of the people need to drink more water, especially clean water. So most of their complaints were related to their lack of sufficient nutrition and limited fluid intake.
Fernando, one of the 3 amigos was my translator. He is a young man, only 17 years old, and this is his first year translating for us.There were many situations that were sensitive and personal and he did a marvelous job!! I have certainly come to appreciate just how difficult it is to be a translator, and just how important their work is.
One day I pray and trust that God is going to allow me to communicate without the use of a translator!

We saw one little girl who is a year old and weighs only 4 kg. Her name is Julia, she is precious. She has AIDS and it would appear that her life will be brief.
Arrangements were made for her to be seen by Dr Neve's later in the week and she received some medications that will help.

While I was at the clinic, I actually saw the young boy ( Fernando Joao) that we cared for in Savane. He and his dad had made their way to the clinic as well, to be seen by the doctor. I was so grateful and pleased to see them!

I had opportunity to speak and pray with both Fernando's dad, and Julia's mom and explained that God had arranged for us to meet. That He had a plan for each of our lives.

The needs are just so great here, absolutely everywhere you look.
I have found myself thinking about Matthew 20:16
"So the last shall be first and the first shall be last"

Praise God that one day all things will be made right.

Wooddale team in Savane

Today I traveled to Savane ( one of our church plants in the bush) with 6 team members and Simone our translator.
We had two goals in mind, to present the bible study the team had been working on, and to provide some much needed medical care to the area.

We arrived around 9:30 and set up our 'travel clinic'. The girls were set to play with the kids, having brought some balls and other games. Then the plan was to see people till midafternoon and then have the bible study.
We handed out 32 pieces of paper numbered 1 to 32. Why 32, you may ask, well it was suppose to be 30, but none of us were able to tell the last 2 ladies that walked in...no, so the final number was 32.

 Of course then you need to double or triple that number as every mom had at least 1 if not 2 or 3 children with her.
Past experience has taught us that unless you keep some kind of limit, you could be there well into the night.

First some team members would pray with the people, then they would come over and see Tony ( an EMT from Minn.) and I. With the help of Simone we would treat their problems.

Praise the Lord we were able to give everyone ( this includes every child too!) a small supply of vitamins! Thanks to the generousity of our friends at Maranatha Bible Church!!

So we actually had time to see everyone, that includes the 7 people who arrived at some point, and didn't  have a number.
One 12 years old boy, Fernando, was the next to last to be seen, praise God that we did, as he was one of the sickest ones we treated.
The girls never did get to present their bible study, as we ran out of time and needed to head back before dark.

As I was feeling bad, they were very understanding and said that they were so pleased to have had the opportunity to play and pray with most everyone that came to the church.
It was a great day as everyone was focused on what they could do for someone else.
Praise God it was a great day!

The team of Two

This past week I've had the pleasure of caring for the Litton's, Larry and Peggy.
This godly couple has been married for 37 years, they both barely look 37 years old!!
I can see where God truly does bless those who live their lives for Him! The Litton's are a perfect example!


One day one of the translators asked 'may I ask how long you have been married?' When they answered 37 years, his response was 'oh I thought maybe 3 years, as you are so much in love'. It's true, they are just the sweetest people to be around!


It goes without saying that I have been blessed to be able to spend time with them this week.
Peggy, is our bookkeeper at CRI, and she was a bit anxious about the trip. Larry who has been on the Dallas police force for 32 years was the reason why Peggy came. 
He is also a graduate of Dallas Theologic Seminary and has come to Dondo to train and teach and inspire the young church plant leaders here in the project.


Larry had a pretty full schedule, which got 'fuller' each day.While Peggy was at my mercy, and more than agreeable to doing whatever I suggested.


Knowing that she was a bit anxious, I scheduled things that she and I could do together. It was also great for me to visit the preschool, walk Project Life, serve soup at the hospital, observe and pray at the clinic and Nutrition center and just hang out at the church. We also managed to do some shopping....


Over the course of the week God blessed us both as we were able to accomplish much. It didn't take long for Peggy's anxiety to subside, as the people and especially children of Dondo melted her heart. 


It has been such a pleasure getting to know Peggy. She is a precious godly women and mother of 4 grown children. Hearing the stories of raising her family with that sweet southern accent of hers, has been a joy!  


Larry reminds me a lot of Jim, not only his demeanor and sense of humor, but the way the two of them interacted.

He is a gifted speaker and extremely intelligent man. Yet I doubt he realizes how much he has blessed the young men he has been working with this week.


The first thing you notice about Larry is his humble spirit and willingness to serve others. One of the first things he asked me...'tell me, is there anything I might do or say that would offend the people?'
I just knew it was going to be a blessing having him here after that!


I am thanking God for His perfect plan in bringing the Litton's to Mozambique. For allowing them to come and see and love God's people here in Dondo.

Another week of life in Mozambique...I love it here!

As I mentioned in my last blog entry, last Sunday I was to give the message at Centro Emissor, it actually came out nothing like I thought it would. 
God had another plan and praise the Lord I listened as He directed me to change things up a bit.
As I shared about God's faithfulness and perfect plan for our lives, I could see what God was doing.

Most of you know Zito, and his story. He is the church plant leader at Centro Emissor, whose wife died about 10 months ago. 
His struggles and the pain he is experiencing are so very real, my heart truly aches for him. 
I believe God has called me to walk with Zito at this time. Love him and encourage him, but also speak words of truth into his life.


He is just a young man trying to figure out how to raise his 3 small children while sorting out his own feelings.  
We have had two seperate occasions to talk this week, and I trust that God has directed my words. 
I am grateful for the opportunity to help Zito and the kids.
Please keep them in prayer when you think of them.


I also spent a good deal of time with Simone, one of our translators. 
He is a very smart and sensitive young man who truly loves the Lord.
It has been a blessing getting to know more about him and his heart.


On a lighter note....
I acquired a new nick name this week...I am now referred to as 'grande feijao', it means 'big bean'. 


Each morning we meet with all our workers for a short bible study and a song or two. Then we give instruction for the work that needs to be done for the day.
I have been making every effort to use my Portuguese whenever possible...it's the only way I'll ever get better.
So in the morning I give instruction to the staff, in Portuguese. Now this has been working out just fine, especially because they have come to learn my way of speaking Portuguese:)


So anyway, this one morning I was trying to explain that there was a large container of left over beans in the frig. 
Then everyone started laughing and I couldn't figure out why. So, Ercylio who was laughing the hardest, explained that I said there was a 'large bean' in the frig.
I could say I knew it all along and I just wanted to give them all a good laugh...but that wouldn't be the truth.


So now you all know where the name came from.
I actually like it...big bean...grande fiejao, it works.


On more thing... Kathy officially returns to Moz in 10 days!!! Yippee!!
Her mom is home from the hospital and doing amazingly well. Praise God! It was perfect that she was able to be with her family when they needed her.
We are both praising God for His perfect plan in all of this!

Encouraging words

It's Saturday morning and I am working on the message I will be sharing tomorrow at Centro Emissor. Sharing a message with a group of people....how things have changed in my life!

In the past this would have caused me great turmoil ( I like that word), to say the least. I would have needed many days, if not weeks, to prepare.  The very worst part of all would be how preoccupied my mind would be leading up to the event.

Now don't get me wrong I'm not like "hey, this is no big deal".  But here I am the day before with no idea what God wants me to speak about, and I'm not even a little stressed...at least not yet.

I have a few ideas and I've prayed about them, and so right now I'm waiting to see what God says...I feel like He is telling me to share about how He is sufficient.

As I was reflecting on that, I realized that today is exactly 2 weeks since Kathy left for America, and I headed to the church plant in the bush.

Several things came to mind as I thought about that day.
I was really struggling with the thought of Kathy not being there when I got back.
I was having a super hard time, mostly because I knew my heart was not in the right place.

Not in the right place to be able to share God's love. I was feeling sorry for myself, how could I speak truth into other lives?  How could I shine with the joy of the Lord like we are called to?
I didn't want to go.... if only I could stay back and feel sorry for myself.  That actually sounded like a good idea at the time.

Fortunately, for me the people in my car were quiet as I drove, so I had plenty of time to pray. I asked God to help my attitude. I was feeling lonely and even more my heart was heavy for Kathy and what she may be facing when she got home. I wanted to be with her, no wait I wanted her to be with me.
It was long drive and I prayed.

I prayed for her, her mom, all the family. I prayed that God would give her wisdom and strength and good health. I prayed that God would give me wisdom and skill as I drove on some very treacherous  roads.
I prayed that He would change my heart and give me peace as this was going to be a long weekend.

By the time we arrived at Matundo, I could feel that God had been listening to all my prayers. I was able to jump right in and do what was put before me. My attitude was right and my heart was full of thankfullness to God for being ever faithful!
As Kathy and her family would come to mind, I would again ask God to be with her and strengthen her.
That's all I needed to do...

As I blogged before about the trip, it was a blessed time. I was asked to speak, not once but twice and I didn't even have anything prepared! God is always right on top of things, ya know?
He always provides what we need and we are never alone when we ask Him to be with us!

Well there you have it, that will be my message for tomorrow.
God is always with us...AMEN!

Thanks for reading...Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Chrrist.

Chico, our girls, visas...

The other day I was headed over to Mafranhia to pick up some of the team who were painting at the Nutrition center. As I was leaving the housing complex where we live I saw Chico our gardener . He was dressed in his street clothes and even though I was pretty sure of the answer I asked if he was done for the day.

He said yes, he was headed home. Now Chico understands some English, but at this point I was using my Portuguese.  Chico, like our other workers has come to understand my redition of Portuguese and so I try to practice whenever I can. Like the others he will correct me and help restructure my sentence so it actually makes sense.

I told him I was headed to Maf. and I asked if he wanted a ride. He agreed and jumped in the car and we headed off to the nutrition center.
After a few minutes I got thinking about it and was pretty sure Chico did not live in Maf. I decided to question him about exactly where he lives. He then asks if I know where Manuel lived. I asked which Manuel and once he clarified I said yes, I know. Chico said 'I live near him'.
So now picture this, I'm driving this poor young man in complete opposite direction of his home. There he sits beside me smiling away, happy as ever, he has a grin that just won't quit!
I tried then to explain and apologize for taking him in the wrong direction.
He just kept smiling, saying 'nao, noa, isso nao problemo'.

We picked up the team, and now I 'm trying to explain why we're going to be taking Chico home. It was  the least I could do as I had just taken the guy a good 30 additional minutes from his home!
So off we go, Chico in the front seat just a-smilin away the entire time. I was grateful to be able to take him home, to repay his kindness. After all he only got in the car in the first place to please me!

Yesterday morning was a special time I have to tell you about. I think I've mentioned that we meet with all our Mozambican staff at 7am each morning. We have a time for devotions, or bible study, prayer requests and then a song or two. We also get our business of the day worked in and then the staff head out to begin their work. It's proven to be a truly perfect way to start each day.

So yesterday morning, I could hear that the empregada's were outside, their laughter is quite distinct and contageous I might add. After a few minutes I could hear the ladies, the laughter and talking had turned into singing. There they were coming in dancing in a line, singing as they entered the house!
They had gotten together and planned this little performance, they even had bought matching capalanas with the extra money we gave them to enjoy their holiday!!
I was so blessed by their thoughtfulness...it was just a sweet moment and I so wished that Kathy could have been there to see 'our girls' giving us what they could afford to give, themselves ...singing and dancing songs to the Lord!

Today, Todd, Ercylio, Manuel and I were off to Beria, we had documents in hand, signed by government officials and everything. We are in the process of trying to get our visas stamped and extended for another 60+ days. They did eventually 'accept' the papers, but this is no guarantee that they will extend the visa, this just means....now we wait. It is good news really, because they could have refused to even accept them, to look at and review, so you never know.
We will go back on Monday and see if they have made any decision. Depending on what they decide, we may or maynot be heading to the airport enroute to Joberg for an over night stay, next week.

Prayer requests:
                          * Pray for Chico...he's a good young man and we are blessed to know him.
                          * Pray for our emprigadas, their health and their families.
                          * Pray that they will stamp and extend our visas, without having to fly to Joberg.

Thanks once again for reading this, and for praying!!