Along the way

In my "School Daze' post, I mentioned that we had a stop along the road to tie a water drum to the top of the truck we were traveling in. As soon as we stopped, the children of the local area came up to the truck. They thoroughly enjoyed having their pictures taken and seeing the results.







The only language between us was smiles and laughter. It spoke volumes.















One of the things that persists in my memory is the juxtaposition of the ancient with the modern. The tall young man in the background is taking my picture with his cell phone!

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Mozambique Moment

Some things are the same no matter where you are standing on the planet, Earth. This 'girlfriend' moment in Mozambique is a reminder of that for me. God created each of us unique and special, and there is a common thread woven within each of us that binds us to one another and dissolves apparent differences and things that might separate us from one another.
Jesus speaks to us of unity in John 17 when he is praying for "future believers":
May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." (v.22b) We are the future believers Jesus was praying for. How cool is that?

School Daze

As we dropped off the teachers in their communities, we were able to visit two "schools". The first is one that is conducted under a tree. This is one of the last schools that still meet under a tree, but for now...this is it. My group was late getting to this destination because the water drum we were bringing for a distant village came off our roof and we had to stop and tie it back on again. The local kids gathered right away to see us and enjoyed getting their pictures taken and then seeing them in the viewer.


Once the drum was reattached, we were on our way again to join the rest of the group.
We journeyed on toward the second school. It was a long bumpy ride with three of us crammed into the cab and six or seven 3-D volunteers from South Africa loaded into the back. The 3-D volunteers were there to evangelize the kids in the villages. They sang songs, made balloon sculptures, told the story of Jonah and the whale, and played games before passing out some candy(a really big treat!).

The school in the background is the second school we visited. Below, is a picture of the school from the inside out. There is a serious thorn tree in the window which certainly keeps any uninvited folks out of the school. The young people of the village began to gather as soon as the cars arrived and people began to pile out. They pressed to get into the school entry door but were kept out by the older women who "guarded" the door. I am sure they hoped for some of the attention and candy the students were getting. These schools provide a basic (one to two year) education then those who are able can attend a government school. It didn't seem many were able to go on to the government schools from here.


On the way home, I ended up in the back of the truck with several of the young 3-D volunteers. As we settled into the long, bumpy ride home in the dark, I learned that they had made a one- year commitment to mission, and some shared their dreams and plans to continue ministering to the children in Mozambique. It was inspiring.

Early Morning at Bethel

Early in the day

Jet lag is a new concept to me. I suppose this early morning rising is related to "Africa time"; it may just be the time of day when there are no distractions and I can listen to promptings from deep within my being.
Speaking of distractions, one of the things I was most impacted by on this journey into Mozambique was the fact that several of our teachers taught with their children on their backs ~ literally. How spoiled I felt as I remembered the irritation I would feel when the construction outside my classroom would interfere with the learning process! My admiration and respect for the men and women who came to our training continues to grow: there was the young man (17) who walked five hours to be there so he could go back to teach the 60+ children under his care in his village; there was the woman who expressed her concern about the resentment the others in her village may feel about her time away with us. Who was doing her chores? Who was caring for her children? Did they think she had a vacation?
The men and women in our training worked until their" brains hurt". They returned from breaks early and ready to work. They poured themselves into the process and did everything we asked them with diligent effort. In spite of language barriers and cultural differences, they were able to glean and gather all that they could, so that they could go back to their villages and provide more to the children in their care. I am humbled by their commitment and courage.

Sunili's thoughts

The journey to Mozambique was layered with experiences that will take a while to process, to be sure. My favorite memory is from the first night at the Bethel Center when we prayed, sang, and danced together. The sound of each of us praying in our own language will resound in my mind forever. The most difficult moments for me were in Maputo when the "vendors" so desperately wanted to sell us their wares. One young man looked me in the eye and said, "Please Mama; please buy just one from me ~just one." It tore at my heart. I was grateful for our interpreter, Sorau, who knew the best way to handle the situation. I came away from this experience with a new definition of "flexibility" and a renewed trust in the amazing power of God's Holy Spirit to weave all we had prepared into a new and useful form for the teachers who came to the training. The wind that blew through the Bethel Center was a constant reminder of God's presence and His power.