Washington DC, Airport

I'm sitting in the South African plane waiting for, as the captain says, "zee engines to begin".  I'm on row 70 which is almost the very last row, and the crew has just informed us that the air conditioning isn't working back here. That's ok. This plane seems huge and luxurious compared to plane we came from.  The first flight went smoothly (except for having to sit with my feet and knees on the seat because there wasn't room for my carryon and my feet on the floor).  I loved flying through the clouds.  They were like giant cotton balls stranded in space.

Well the plane is finally starting to move and I'm preparing myself for a very long flight. [it ends up being about 18 hours or so]  But compared to traveling by ship like the Pilgrims this is nothing. 

map of southern Africa. 

Maputo, Mozambique

It's past 11 pm local time, and I'm sitting on the window sill of the Hotel Terminus on the third floor with my legs swinging and my heart soaring.  I can hear the sounds of Jeeps and excited Africans through the palm trees from the night club below.  This is magical.

We drove through Maputo to get to the hotel and saw literally hundreds or thousands of people out walking through the trash-covered streets.  People drive crazy here.  All over the place are "slums"-- run down buildings or makeshift tents.  I forgot how poor these people are.  When we were carrying our bags to the cars from the airport, men from all over begged us to let them earn a little money by serving us.  It's hard to turn them away.

Coming from the fabulous Joburg airport, where we had a delicious African dinner, the airport in Maputo is pitiful.  Our little plane bumped down into Mozambique in the middle of the night, and we shuffled into a very unimpressive airport. It's basically one big room.  We were afraid the computers and supplies that we are taking into the village would be taken away from us, but God was faithful. We walked right by all the officials without having to show them or telling them a thing. Everyone was amazed.  And Lucinda, because she had joined the team so late, didn't have the required visa... but was able to get it in the Maputo airport with no real trouble. 

The night wind (mozambiqan wind!) is blowing on my face, life is beautiful, and I do believe I'm in love with Africa.  I can't wait to see what tomorrow will hold.  We leave early to start our drive out to the village.

This precious child followed me around all week.  I don't remember her ever saying anything, but by the end of the trip she would walk next to me and slowly slip her hand into mine. May the Lord bless her and keep her.  

Sunday morning, Mucatine

There's nothing quite like sleeping in a bungalow in an African village in the middle of nowhere.  I was fine the first part of the night, but then woke up to sounds that could scare the yawns out of you: hundreds of dogs, mysterious cars, loud bangs, a gunshot, and a bunch of who-knows-whats kept me awake.  [most of these noises were not actually what I thought they were... dozens, not hundreds, of dogs, and we had the only vehicles in the village so that rules out the cars.  I thought that most of it must have been my imagination, but later found out that there is an incredible amount of spiritual warfare that goes on at night.  More about that later...]  I don't know how to explain it, and it seems silly now, but I really was scared. I realized that things weren't right between me and God, but as I started to pray for myself and for the village and as I confessed sins, He gave me such peace.  Praise God for His forgiveness!

I was determined to see my first African sunrise (since I had already been awake for hours, and they said it comes up around 5:00 am) but somehow I missed it.  Last night we walked out to see the stars.  I spent way too long looking for the North Star (strangely enough it doesn't show up in the southern hemisphere) but really the sky was beautiful.  The heavens declare the glory of God.

There is a girl outside my window and I want so badly to talk to her.  Just playing with the kids yesterday it was frustrating not to be able to communicate. [It really is incredibly how much you can say with a smile, but not knowing the language is frustrating.  So many times I just wished I could just kneel down, grab their little hands, and say "I love you.  And Jesus loves you.  Let me tell you about Him..."  The kids knew a few words in English.  As we were walking through the village late one night (it was pitch black) some children ran up next to us and said the only thing they knew in English: "good morning!"  We smiled and said good morning right back to them!]

Lord, what do you have for this day?

The church leaders sat us outside and everyone coming to church greeted us before entering. If you look closely you can see that I'm breaking two rules of village culture at once: crossing my legs, and showing my knees.  Apparently those are signs of pride and immodesty, respectively. One day I was sitting like I normally do, and a village woman actually came over and tugged on my skirt until it covered my knees!

Sunday evening, Mucatine

This afternoon I planned to relax, go down to the river, and try to find the python that lives down there.  Little did I know that God had other plans....

One by one, women from the village came to greet us, and pretty soon there was a group of 20-30 of us sitting outside the bungalows.  We talked about everything from knitting to salvation.  It was incredible.  These people are so real, so strong, and so needy.  I loved meeting them and hearing them call my name.  I smile and greet everyone I see now, and most are thrilled to respond.  I was playing with the children right outside the compound.  About 40 kids were there and we played soccer and tag.  Villagers would walk by and just stare at me... made me kind of nervous sometimes. It's amazing to see how much can be communicated with a smile.

One girl, Ademire, has been hanging around here taking care of Dixon since we came.  She will not respond to my wave or smile-- and that frustrates me.  So today, when I saw her watching me play with the kids, I went up to her and introduced myself in Shangaan and gave her a chocolate.  It was the beginning of a beautiful cross-cultural friendship.  She wanted the ring on my finger and I gladly gave it to her.

That was only the beginning...

Right when the team was about to start eating dinner, men and women began showing up to watch the Jesus film in Tsonga.  At first there were only a few villagers, but soon the number grew to over 200!  It was unbelievable.  The villagers watched in fascination, and I sat on the top of a Land Rover (cause there wasn't any room anywhere else) and stared at the incredible stars.  What an amazing God I serve!  The witchdoctors danced and beat their drums way into the night, but it didn't matter... the village was over here hearing the Truth in their own language.  It was truly one of the most amazing and beautiful things I have ever seen-- I felt like I was on holy ground and in the center of God's will.  It was like being on the frontline of His advancing Kingdom and watching the Lord at work!  Wow!

The American portion of our team.  Once in Mozambique, we were joined by many Africans who will be described later.

Somewhere over the Atlantic

This is magical.  The clouds form a beautiful landscape and we are flying from the sunset into the night.  I finally found some good music to listen to, and dinner smells wonderful.

Over the desert of Namibia

In all honesty, I've never heard of Namibia, but the dessert is pretty.  It's the beginning of the afternoon (SA time) and we are just now allowed to open our windows.  I confess I had mine open earlier.  At night the stars were all around us, and in the early morning I watched as we flew into the light.  The night was long, but breakfast should be served soon and it is an absolutely gorgeous day!

Johannesburg, Airport

Well I'm in Africa! I really don't know what to say.  When we first touched down everything looked hot and dusty and flat.  But when I saw the purple and white wildflowers growing in the tall grass, I knew I was going to love it here.  And I do!  We have a four hour layover in this airport and I've gladly spent most of the time walking around looking at all the cool shops.  Everything is so African! You see the neatest people here, too.  I love being surrounded by black people and the white people who are here look like the adventurous type.  I guess I just like feeling un-American... thinking in terms of measurements I don't understand: rand, kilometers, hectares, etc.  I love listening to those around me speak another language.  I love having a pilot who says "cheerio!" instead of "please exit safely and patiently".  Man, I love South Africa!

African carvings made from a single piece of wood.  They aren't painted-- the wood is actually dark on the inside and light on the outside.  This was at the hotel in Maputo.

Mucatine, Mozambique

Today I finally felt like I was in Africa.  I think reality dawned on me as we drove from the crowded, crazy streets of Maputo to the hot bumpy roads into Mucatine. [just driving through the city was quite an experience-- people that look so different from you are everywhere.  You stop for just a second and desperate merchants run up to your Land Cruiser, waving their merchandise in the windows and trying to shout louder than the other hopeful sellers.  Everyone seems to notice you, and it's a weird uncomfortable feeling to be stared at by so many eyes.  Kids and teenagers try to act American by flashing thumbs-up, you wave at them and they wave back until you are completely out of sight.  I also noticed a fair amount of soldiers hanging around.]  What a place Africa is.

The village is awesome; it was great to meet some of the World Relief volunteers that I've heard so much about... and to see a little of what their lives are like.  "Hard", as Beliya said.

I saw about a dozen children clinging to the fence watching me, so I went over and said the only thing I knew in Shangaan: "Rixile, hi mina Elise" (hello, my name is Elise). They all laughed at me. What beautiful children, I love the smiles!  Pretty soon we had a game involving a ball and a tire going. So much fun!  It's going to be great to spend time with these wonderful kids this week.

The leader of the villages from this area joined us for dinner and that was interesting. [He had a really weird African name that Donna told me to remember.  I definitely forgot it within the hour].
Spiritually today has been hard.  I do not feel close to God and that scares me.

Sunday afternoon, Mucatine

This time of day most people of the village try to find shade somewhere.  It is so hot! (and this is their winter).

This morning I took a wonderful shower-- thanks to the big tank of water above us.  [The shower was actually warm every other day; it was weird].  Then I went with some of the team to the Old Apostles "Church".  As we walked through the village we could see the witchdoctors in the distance beating their drums and dancing.  The same rhythm on and on... it can give you chills!  At the "church" we were greeted with handshakes and beautiful lifeless singing.  The melody was gorgeous and I loved listening to them, but they sang as if they had no hope.  And they didn't.  It was so sad.  [what we visited was really a cult.  There is one true church in the village, but we thought it would be better not to show favoritism and decided to visit the cults in hopes of opening doors for the gospel.]  As special guests, we were seated right behind the pastor, facing the congregation.  We extended greetings from our church in Knoxville.  They wanted us to speak, so dad talked some about the audio Bibles we had brought and shared a little about the true Lord.  They seemed pretty interested.

As time went on, they prepared to have "Holy Communion", which apparently had nothing to do with Christ and a lot to do with animal sacrifices and other tribal traditions.  By refusing to participate, we risked offending them and closing doors to the gospel-- at the same time, how could we participate in cultic activities.  We were all praying about it and things were getting more and more uncomfortable, when the pastor asked us (for the fourth time) if we wanted to leave.  It was a polite way of saying "get out".  So we did.  Gladly.

Village children... so eager to play with you

Showing the Jesus Film to two hundred hungery souls!

Monday evening, Mucatine

I spent almost all of today helping the women and playing with the kids.  And it was incredibly fulfilling!  Just to see the villagers run towards you and to hear them call my name makes me smile.  I've also spent quite a bit of Caleb (Lucky and Sonnet's son).  He is one of my favorite people in the world!

This morning we attended the National Woman's Day celebration at the request of the village women.  The district leader asked us to speak so we had a wonderful opportunity to present the gospel.

I'm not looking forward to the night.  During the day the spiritual battle seems non-threatening, but at night the witchdoctors come to life (I met several of them today at the ceremony and except for their strange ornaments they seemed relatively normal.  Relatively.)  Bill said that last night the witchdoctors were circling the compound.  That definitely explains the intensity of last night.  But no fear!  Jesus is stronger.  To Him be all glory.

Sybil's Story

Sybil is a lover of the Lord. You know that as soon as you meet her.  She has enough personality for about three people, and no one can keep from loving her. She has started over 100 kids clubs in the Chokwe area and her ministry affects litterally thousands of children.  To her, they are "diamonds buried in the dust".  Sybil is a single woman who lives by faith providing for at least three adopted daughters .  She recently started a preschool to provide meals, education, and the hope of the Lord to many more children. Sybil is the hands and feet of Christ.  (above, Sybil eating a worm)

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Wednesday evening, Mucatine

Let me report.  No, there is too much, let me sum up!  How time flies!  It's hard to believe that we only have one more full day in the village.  Some of the team leaves tomorrow and we will meet up with them in Maputo on Friday.

Yesterday and today we did childrens teaching in the morning and afternoon.  I've been working with Sybil and it has just been amazing to watch her. She tells the gospel and all the children watch in fascination.  Really I have gotten to know and love her.  She leaves tomorrow and we were just talking about how much we will miss each other.  But as she said, "always keep your eyes on Jesus, and we will meet in Heaven soon."  I pray all of God's blessings on her and her ministry.

Last night we showed an evangelistic film and 200+ people showed up to watch it again.  Before we had even begun to eat people were showing up.  We showed the same film again tonight and all the people came back!

I just feel so blessed to be here.  You get used to being sweaty all the time, you get used to having bugs around all the time, you even get used to not speaking the language, but I can't get over how God feels so much closer and stronger!  Of course so does the devil, but as Sonnet quoted, "greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world!"  What a great honor to serve the Lord!  And this team is so neat... I love the body of Christ!

Ps. 104:1 -- Bless the Lord, O my soul!  O Lord my God You are very great!

Dancing with the women... I'm sure I looked like an idiot, but it was fun!

Thursday night, Mucatine

Early this morning, one of the women came from the fields to tell us that Lucinda (a dear woman with a beautiful smile that I had met just a few days earlier) had just had her 5th miscarriage while working in the fields. As part of the group prepared to leave, some of us ran after a small procession of weeping villagers in hopes of finding and praying with Lucinda.  She was lying in a wheelbarrow, barely conscious, and she looked terrible. She didn't even moved as we silently hugged her, tears steaming down everyone's face.  The "bus" was too full to take her to the hospital, so the poor woman was going back to her hut to die.  Thank God that the part of our team who was leaving was able to take to the hospital in Chokwe.  Life is so hard here.

This afternoon I went with a few others walking through the village doing home visits. Perhaps more than ever I was struck by the poverty the sickness and the lack of hope.  I met another woman named Elise: she is old and blind and helpless, but she asked us to pray that she would receive her sight.  Life is hard here.

My heart goes out to every villager.  I was passing out balloons to the children I came across, and it was incredible to see how much joy such a small thing brought them.  If only they had the joy of the Lord!

I was out talking with Jim and Pieter at about 10:00 tonight when Maria came by to tell us that two men had been stabbed and that the nurse is out of the village.  Pieter is trying to decide if he should take them to Chokwe or Massingir tonight. I'm sitting on Diane's bed listening to the voices outside in the dark.

I went to the river (walking the path the women used to walk everyday to get water). When we got back after dark, some African women started singing and dancing around me.  The village leader's wife (whose name is Elise) wrapped a cappalano (?) around me and put a head wrap on my head.  Pieter translated as she told me to remember her. I hugged all the women and it was such a sweet time.  It was amazing to see that they really did love me.  And it was the third cappalano I have received! God is so good!

Still waiting on the decision about the wounded men.  I can hear the drunks yelling outside.  It's a hard life here.  May God be glorified.

Tuesday morning, Mucatine

All things are bright and beautiful.  For the first time I was not woken by the drums. Maybe they didn't even play them.  When I was asked last night what the high and low was for me so far on the trip, the low was the spiritual warfare with the witchdoctors and the high was seeing how many people came for the Jesus film (or, as Pieter would say, "fill-um").  I think we are going to try and show another evangelistic film tonight.

Yesterday I met Sybil who will be my translator this week.  She is a great woman with a great heart and a contagious laugh.  I'm looking forward to teaching the children... I've already gotten to "know" some of them and they are so dear.  They ruin my clothes trying to touch white skin and brown hair, but I don't care.  Really I feel so blessed to be in a little village in the middle of southern Africa to tell people how much Jesus loves them.  The presence of God is so strong here!

Shangaan phrases I've picked up so far:             Rixile (re-she'-lay) : good morning                       Hi mina (he meena) : my name is ______         Kanimambo :  thank you                          Reperhile (reep-ay-lee'-lay) : good evening         Mi njani (meen-jah'-nee) : how are you?             Ina (ee'-nuh) : yes                               Xikwembu (she-quem'-boo) : God                    

Sybil calling the children to hear the gospel.  She reminds me of John the Baptist here --  a voice crying in the wilderness...

Thursday morning, Mucatine

It's hard to believe this is my last full day in Mucatine!  I really do love this place: the sounds, the people, the culture.  Lord willing some day I will come back.

The volunteers put on a farewell ceremony yesterday afternoon (because part of the team leaves today), and when I heard how much we mean to them and realized how much they mean to us, I couldn't help crying!  Ahh!  I always do that.  They sang and danced and did a skit for us.  Then they wanted us to sing and dance.  Finally we all sang "Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow" in English and Shangaan.  It was worship.  And it was beautiful.

Lucinda before her tragedy.  I didn't even recognize her when I saw her lying in the wheelbarrow.

Here I am with Elise (the blind woman).

 

Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance.  The Lord be with you all!

~ 2 Thess. 3:16

Saturday morning, Maputo

It's early. The sun comes up around five here; the light is pouring in through open windows, and I can see the rooftops of Maputo.  I'm ready to start the day-- the trip is not over yet and I want to make the most of every minute. Seeing how the Lord works in so may ways has really given me a desire to know Him more.  I want Him to use me in any way, though honestly, at this point, I would love for Him to use me in Africa. :)

Last night we went to a nice sea food place, Costa do Sol, and sat right across from the Indian Ocean. It was good to feel real wind and hear the waves and smell the salt.  It was good to be a little cold again.  The food was a treat but I was distracted by a million thoughts and all the desperate people partying on the beach. 

Half a dozen men stood next to our table trying to sell us their wooden carvings. "Please friend..."  The South African game hunters right behind me haggled and cheated until they had two tables full of the souvenirs.  I heard one say to the other "Ha!  I can resell this junk in South Africa for 100 time what I just paid!"

As we drove away some of us wanted to go wading in the Indian Ocean (just to say that we had), so Lucky pulled off and we did. It was awesome.  It was dark and the ocean stretched on forever.  The water was warm and the waves crashed on my legs.  The sky was filled with stars and the Lord was so real.

Then we saw a large group of people--hundreds, I would guess--walking down the beach singing and holding candles in their hands.  I was so distracted by the mysterious ceremony that I didn't notice the young african guy standing behind me until he started hissing in my ear.  He was crazy and every step I took he got closer and kept hissing.  I think he was demonic.  Finally I got in the Land Rover only to have him knock on my window, point at me, and keep hissing.  It was really strange.

Saturday morning, Maputo airport

I have an hour and a half to kill before the plane leaves.  It's hot in here but interesting. I have spent the time looking at the few shabby shops filled with random postcards and oversized tee shirts, but right now it's much more interesting to watch the people around me.  A man just came by trying to sell something. "Please friend", he says.  Everyone says that. All this trip there have been so many people begging us to buy stuff.  They run up to your car on the streets and hold their items up to the window.  Just now a little boy (I'd guess he was about seven) came up holding his stomach and begging for money.  He was dressed in rags, but who knows if he is really hungry.  It's just so hard.  There is so much need.

So this is goodbye Mozambique and on to South Africa.  I'm sorry to leave.  My life is forever  changed.  Perhaps someday the Lord will call me back here.  Until then, here are a few images that will stay in my heart and in my prayers. 

May God bless Mozambique!

Honestly this is going to take some getting used to.  Having just come from a village where the people live with nothing, everything seems very fancy... the chef who mixes french words in with his South African accent... the several-course dinner... the fancy wines... the incredible lodge.  For a second I feel like a rich white tourist.  But this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I'm so excited to be here!  I can't wait to get outside and enjoy South Africa!