Hi Everyone,
Wade asked that I pass along the following message:
The internet is currently down in Mozambique, so we have not been able to check emails or update the blog in almost 4 weeks. We are doing well though. Thank you for your continued support and prayers.
Molly
(Wade's sister)
Monday, July 26, 2010
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Local Homes
We have had the opportunity to visit local people's homes. Today we went to one of the Tia's homes who watches the children at Iris Ministries. We were humbled by their living conditions and then their generosity. They cooked a whole chicken with rice, shemma, potatoes, spinach(similar but actually mutapa), and purchased cokes for us.
They had us eat with their finest plates and we sat separately from the women in a place of honor. We knew they had sacrificed much for us.
They live in humble conditions. The homes are made of mud and bamboo with tin roofs if wealthy and grass otherwise. The floors are mud floors. There is no electricity and no running water. They walk to get water in the mornings and evenings. We have walked miles around Iris and these types of homes are all we see.
The language barrier is a problem. Fortunately, portuguese has a lot of overlap with spanish and I am able to get buy with some simple communication.
They had us eat with their finest plates and we sat separately from the women in a place of honor. We knew they had sacrificed much for us.
They live in humble conditions. The homes are made of mud and bamboo with tin roofs if wealthy and grass otherwise. The floors are mud floors. There is no electricity and no running water. They walk to get water in the mornings and evenings. We have walked miles around Iris and these types of homes are all we see.
The language barrier is a problem. Fortunately, portuguese has a lot of overlap with spanish and I am able to get buy with some simple communication.
July 3rd
We are doing well here in Pemba. This next week is a big week as Iris is hosting all its leaders at the base for a meeting. We are going to get to hear from leaders from 15 nations at the school. We are also excited because our home pastor, Bill Johnson will be here too. It will give us a feeling of being closer to home.
We continue to be doing really well. After 5 weeks of eating rice two times a day and bread for breakfast, my (wade) stomach does not seem to want to digest it as much. Pray for this. We could buy more food in town but we enjoy spending time with the Mozambiquans at the dining hall.
Allison is learning about African medicine. She bandaged a young boy's toe this week only to learn that he has no shoes so the wound will stay dirty. She later witnessed how baby bottom's are cleaned with a dirty diaper (dirt is used like baby powder). Then later that day, we were walking to town and a dumptruck went off the road into a brick wall. Hundreds of Africans rushed to the seen. Four men grabbed the driver by each extremity and carried 50 yards to wait for an ambulance. Then when the ambulance arrived, they picked him up and flung him in the back of the ambulance. She is seeing a little bit of difference in our western medicine.
Our housemates have discovered worms in their bodies from putting on wet clothes and Allison has found a number in her rolls. Fortunately, jam helps cover the worms up so you do not see them. It's true, and funny to think about.
We continue to be doing really well. After 5 weeks of eating rice two times a day and bread for breakfast, my (wade) stomach does not seem to want to digest it as much. Pray for this. We could buy more food in town but we enjoy spending time with the Mozambiquans at the dining hall.
Allison is learning about African medicine. She bandaged a young boy's toe this week only to learn that he has no shoes so the wound will stay dirty. She later witnessed how baby bottom's are cleaned with a dirty diaper (dirt is used like baby powder). Then later that day, we were walking to town and a dumptruck went off the road into a brick wall. Hundreds of Africans rushed to the seen. Four men grabbed the driver by each extremity and carried 50 yards to wait for an ambulance. Then when the ambulance arrived, they picked him up and flung him in the back of the ambulance. She is seeing a little bit of difference in our western medicine.
Our housemates have discovered worms in their bodies from putting on wet clothes and Allison has found a number in her rolls. Fortunately, jam helps cover the worms up so you do not see them. It's true, and funny to think about.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
What am I learning? - Allison
As I am here and see all the needs around me and the opportunities, God is reminding me that my identity is not found in what I do for Him. I am already His child and dearly loved. This whole year has been good for me to learn this and I think another layer of the veil is being removed. To see right in front of me the difference in an orphan versus a child adopted is showing me that God has adopted me as a daughter. Therefore, I should not live as an orphan, striving to be loved or noticed, and living as if there might not be enough. Instead I should love as one dearly loved, adopted as God's child, trusting His love never fails, trusting He always has enough for me in His kingdom, and He already has good works prepared for me to do.
There are times that I pray for grace to eat rice for meals and grace with not much privacy, but this experience has been going far beyond my expectations. Classes too have exceeded what I thought. The missionaries from around the world that have come here to teach us have been great models for us to learn from.
There are times that I pray for grace to eat rice for meals and grace with not much privacy, but this experience has been going far beyond my expectations. Classes too have exceeded what I thought. The missionaries from around the world that have come here to teach us have been great models for us to learn from.
Bush Outreach
This weekend we traveled 2 hours to a village in the bush-bush. From our base, we saw homes built of bamboo and mud for the entire drive mixed with wilderness. We partnered with 10 Mozambican pastors and 10 foreign visitors. I was humbled by how little the Mozambican pastors have but how much they served us and watched over us while in the villages. I also gained more appreciation for these pastors seeing the villages where many of them came from.
On the outreach we showed the "Jesus" film in the local Makua language. We then had an altar call and prayed for healings. One man had just been released from prison was saved and baptized the next day. We also baptized 20 others. We had to drive about 2 miles and walk another 1.5 miles to get to a small pond the size of a swimming pool to baptize. The village had no running water or electricity and it is the worst poverty I have seen but the people are so loving and welcoming to us and the children so joyful.
On the outreach we also visited homes, praying for one sick man who confessed having witch craft items. He then brought the items out and the pastors burned them. He had been having headaches for a month and said he felt much better after receiving prayer. We greatly enjoyed this bush outreach and there is much more that happened, just not enough time to share.
On the outreach we showed the "Jesus" film in the local Makua language. We then had an altar call and prayed for healings. One man had just been released from prison was saved and baptized the next day. We also baptized 20 others. We had to drive about 2 miles and walk another 1.5 miles to get to a small pond the size of a swimming pool to baptize. The village had no running water or electricity and it is the worst poverty I have seen but the people are so loving and welcoming to us and the children so joyful.
On the outreach we also visited homes, praying for one sick man who confessed having witch craft items. He then brought the items out and the pastors burned them. He had been having headaches for a month and said he felt much better after receiving prayer. We greatly enjoyed this bush outreach and there is much more that happened, just not enough time to share.
What can one do?
In the U.S. prior to leaving for Mozambique, I frequently got asked what we would be doing while here besides the school. My response was that I knew Allison would be able to help with her nursing skills but I did not know what I would contribute.
Because most short-term missions trips are medical or construction based, my persception of missions caused me to disqualify myself as to what I might contribute based on my skills. I did not see myself doing medical or construction based misssions.
Last week, Allison and I went looking for God's treasures, asking the Lord for divine appointments. I found John, 15 years old, wearing a "tie-die t-shirt" at a "fork in the road" just outside our compound. I explained to John who spoke English that he is God's treasure and asked him how I could pray for him. He asked for prayer for his schooling, specifically Portuguese and Math. I told him I would pray for him but I would also help him with his math. John lives in a nearby village where his mother is muslim and unemployed. His father past away years before. Iris offers him a free education and this is how he became a Christian.
So this past week I have met with John each day for an hour tutoring math. The first day I was thinking I would be tutoring algebra or geometry since John is 15 but I soon discovered the sad reality of education here in Mozambique. John asked me to teach him two digit multiplication which is what he is learning in his 5th grade class. However, he did not know any of his times tables and could not add or subtract anything greater than single digits. I hardly knew where to begin to tutor him to get him caught up. I approached one of the educators to ask hi why John is so poorly educated. He informed me that education here is based on grade and not associated with age. Fifth grade could have ages ranging from 10 to 15. People do not value education here and there are such few jobs requiring it that there is no incentive for the people. As a result, village children skip school often and we are witnessing this often as children sit outside our missions school to stare at the foreigners.
I plan to keep tutoring John feeling strongly this is where the I need to invest my time. I don't know what impact this will be but we are learning that "love looks like something."
Because most short-term missions trips are medical or construction based, my persception of missions caused me to disqualify myself as to what I might contribute based on my skills. I did not see myself doing medical or construction based misssions.
Last week, Allison and I went looking for God's treasures, asking the Lord for divine appointments. I found John, 15 years old, wearing a "tie-die t-shirt" at a "fork in the road" just outside our compound. I explained to John who spoke English that he is God's treasure and asked him how I could pray for him. He asked for prayer for his schooling, specifically Portuguese and Math. I told him I would pray for him but I would also help him with his math. John lives in a nearby village where his mother is muslim and unemployed. His father past away years before. Iris offers him a free education and this is how he became a Christian.
So this past week I have met with John each day for an hour tutoring math. The first day I was thinking I would be tutoring algebra or geometry since John is 15 but I soon discovered the sad reality of education here in Mozambique. John asked me to teach him two digit multiplication which is what he is learning in his 5th grade class. However, he did not know any of his times tables and could not add or subtract anything greater than single digits. I hardly knew where to begin to tutor him to get him caught up. I approached one of the educators to ask hi why John is so poorly educated. He informed me that education here is based on grade and not associated with age. Fifth grade could have ages ranging from 10 to 15. People do not value education here and there are such few jobs requiring it that there is no incentive for the people. As a result, village children skip school often and we are witnessing this often as children sit outside our missions school to stare at the foreigners.
I plan to keep tutoring John feeling strongly this is where the I need to invest my time. I don't know what impact this will be but we are learning that "love looks like something."
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Adventure update- Allison
We are truely enjoying our time here. It is a new way of life, but I feel we are beginning to settle into a schedule (which of course I like). The days start early and end early, which I thankful. I have started daily in the mornings at 5am, helping in the kitchen to count bread. We count 700 rolls for the kids, staff, and students. Its been fun and helps me to learn the language.
We had a nice suprise this week. They have decided to provide jam with our breakfast rolls- this has been an extra bonus.
The children are beautiful and such a blessings. I love playing with them in the ocean, playing tag, and laughing often. The boys truely love Wade and are always excited to see him.
We also spend time at meals, or during outreaches with the Mozambican bible students. Although communication is difficult, I am looking forward to hearing more of their stories and their desire to seek whole heartedly after God. I am truley humbled, how little in the material possessions they compare to us, yet they are overflowing with love and willing to sacrafice even more to seek God. We just walked to town (about an hour walk) with two of them. They helped us get around and learn the language, we are thankful for them.
I am also rotating with a few other nurses to do nursing for our school. No major issues so far, mainly bug bites.
We had exciting testimonies from our village outreach. I will try to post them soon. Much love.
We had a nice suprise this week. They have decided to provide jam with our breakfast rolls- this has been an extra bonus.
The children are beautiful and such a blessings. I love playing with them in the ocean, playing tag, and laughing often. The boys truely love Wade and are always excited to see him.
We also spend time at meals, or during outreaches with the Mozambican bible students. Although communication is difficult, I am looking forward to hearing more of their stories and their desire to seek whole heartedly after God. I am truley humbled, how little in the material possessions they compare to us, yet they are overflowing with love and willing to sacrafice even more to seek God. We just walked to town (about an hour walk) with two of them. They helped us get around and learn the language, we are thankful for them.
I am also rotating with a few other nurses to do nursing for our school. No major issues so far, mainly bug bites.
We had exciting testimonies from our village outreach. I will try to post them soon. Much love.
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