A Report from Mozambique

During our short time here in the States to attend our daughter’s graduation and meetings at OMS headquarters, we have stayed in close contact with our ECC teams in Mozambique through the wonder of text messaging. It is also helpful as it keeps us thinking in Portuguese!

We are finally feeling rested, having really no idea how exhausted we were when we first got back. We knew our pace had been relentless but the toll on our bodies had been greater than we realized. We moved from exhausted to tired and now feel completely rested for which we praise God and those friends and family who have helped us move through this time. We are yearning to return and feeling like it is time and look forward to completing our commitments with OMS and getting back to Mozambique.

One of the routine problems in Mozambique is crime. It is rampant and ever-present and requires constant vigilance. Several of our ECC team personnel have been robbed of all their possessions while attending to church business over the past months with the most recent being yesterday. Our dear friends Paito and wife Maria-Nelsa (with baby Ana) in Nampula were robbed and pretty much everything of value was taken. (Above picture is from January when Paito was licensed as a Pastor. Left to right is Dave, Maria Nelsa, Paito, and Abel) This included a bicycle we had recently purchased to help him with transportation between his seven churches that he has planted in that area. This is also a real burden from a leadership standpoint because how much help do we / can we provide in these situations?

Pray for our ECC country coordinator Juka as he determines a path forward for our friends. Pray that Paito and Maria-Nelsa do not become discouraged in the face of this. Pray for wisdom in how to move forward; for example – do they move, how can they improve security, can their things be found / returned and justice prevail, and how should they respond in the face of the adversity.

We learn in Nehemiah, Chapter 4 when Israel was rebuilding the wall (doing God’s work), that the enemies first ridiculed them. That is usually the first strategy – and the response was to pray and ask for God’s intervention. Next, the ridicule moved to direct threats and the response again was to pray and God revealed the plot and Nehemiah put plans in place, and the Bible uses the phasing that “God had frustrated it [the enemy’s plans]”. Finally, the enemies talked about assembling armies, and again we see a picture of prayer combined with action: guards were posted, and the work was slowed down but not stopped. Half the people were armed with swords and spears and the other half worked. But even the workers were armed, working with a sword in one hand and doing work with the other – but the work of God continued (I think this calculates out to a 75% slowdown). Nehemiah’s instructions were “get back to your post, there is work to be done and God’s timing is not our timing!” (My paraphrase).

That is how we must approach the work, people praying and guarding through prayer the work. And the workers themselves must be vigilant – praying constantly and working. But the work must not stop the prayer and the defense that it provides.

Brings a whole new meaning to ‘working with one hand tied behind your back’!

Pray for protection for our ECC workers, missionaries and churches in Mozambique. Things are destabilizing all around Mozambique and refugees are flooding the country. Needs are huge and people do desperate things in desperate times. The answer remains having a personal relationship with the very Creator of the universe. Pray for the leaders of Mozambique that they would know God, seek His counsel, and make decisions that are wise and support continued spread of the Gospel within this country.

“When our enemies hear that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his own post.” Nehemiah 4:15

“Let’s get back to work” (Dave & Ann)

Cleaning Out Those Dark Places

I have an old Dell laptop that is somewhat of my lifeline to the world. Ann bought it for me many years ago and it has worked like a champ. But for the last several months, it’s not been working well, slowing down and just generally ‘not cooperating’. I have tried all the obvious things and even tried some software that is supposed to “improve performance” and “speed it up” but they have actually caused more problems than they solved (sound familiar?). I’ve never trusted these ‘solutions in a box’ and these programs have simply been more verification that magic pills don’t usually work.

So, as I looked on the Internet I happened along a case where a fellow suggested cleaning the insides of the computer and graciously included step-by-step instructions on how to dismantle the laptop, clean it, and put it back together. At this point, it was working so poorly, that I had nothing to lose.

So, on my daughter’s dining room table, I took it all apart, and found that there is this little radiator-looking thing on the “CPU” or central processing unit that dissipates heat as a cooling fan blows over it. The computer has a self-protecting temperature device that regulates the CPU based on temperature, thus slowing it down to generate less heat when it gets to a certain temperature. There was a decade of dirt, hair, and lint on this little component. Using rubbing alcohol and Q-tips, I cleaned an amazing amount of crude off of this thing and – problem solved.

It reminds me of life – we spend a lifetime accumulating crud in the dark private places of our hearts and lives. God in His rich mercy shows us those dark places, illuminating them with the truth of His word, and at the same time provides us a way to clean out those dark places. It takes a lifetime and a willing, humble, and transparent heart to allow Him to work with us on such an intimate basis. And just the fact that He is willing to work with us is something to be embraced with great joy. There is a song we sing sometimes that expresses this, “how deep the father’s love for us, vast beyond all measure.”

“…God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth…..If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:5 - 9

Furlough Notes - South Carolina

Currently I am writing from Greenville, South Carolina, where daughter number four of four lives and attends nursing school.  She has just moved to a new apartment and we have enjoyed being a part of that process and I have so enjoyed being able to just run to the store and purchase a small thing I need to fix this thing, or repair that thing.  It really brings to mind how difficult the most simple thing is to accomplish in Mozambique and yet here so simple.  We are a blessed nation, that is for sure, and even in the face of the current economic challenges, we must not lose sight of the incredible blessings we have. 

Just before we left Philadelphia (daughter one) to head this way, we received word that Ann’s stepbrother had passed away in Radford, Virginia so we left early and attended his funeral.  He had attended church in the morning, went to lunch with his mother, and then passed away from an apparent heart attack (57 years of age) in his home later that afternoon.  Just another reminder that life on this earth is transient and short.  

Arriving in Greenville, we were invited to attend our daughter’s boyfriend’s graduation from Furman College.  Her fellow is a delightful young man who will spend the summer working in an internship with his home church near Atlanta and next year working with disadvantaged youth in the Greenville area.  We were thrilled to attend the graduation ceremony but then it was especially exciting as the featured speaker was President Bush.  

There was quite a bit of turmoil over his visit from some of the college faculty and from some of the student body so we weren’t sure what to expect.  The security to enter the college stadium was heightened as you would expect and there was much police / secret service presence on the campus.  As we sat in the stands, there was much discussion around us, as in the world of politics, everyone has an opinion and in many cases a passionate opinion.  The beauty of it all is that people can openly debate and discuss those opinions, another one of those things we take so for granted here. 

The Furman orchestra and the Jazz band entertained the crowd and the 650 graduates with a medley of music but most memorable was the Furman Singer’s rendition of “God of Grace and God of Glory”, serving as a reminder in all the pomp and circumstance of who is truly ‘in charge’.  At the designated time, we could see the many motorcycles with flashing lights leading the long line of cars heralding the arrival of the President.  For a brief moment it took me back to Mozambique where we see the motorcades occasionally as the President of that country transits to the airport or other appointments with similar protection.  The stands of people erupted into applause as the presidential limousine arrived and there was an absolute aura of excitement – the President has arrived here to speak to us.  The same people who were a few minutes ago being openly critical of him were in the next breath excited and applauding because despite our feelings, there remains a healthy respect of the position and the office and I was surprised at my own almost giddiness at it all. 

So, more ceremony and everyone is seated, and then the band begins the presidential song and out he comes, walking through the students, waving to the crowd, and proceeding to the platform to a standing rousing ovation – the President is here among us.  What a privilege to be a part and that feeling was clearly how the majority felt.  It was as if political affiliations and opinions were suspended for a short period of time as this one graduating class was honored in this unique fashion. One of the leading class students gave an inspiring speech challenged the class for the future – it was their time to make a difference.  I wondered what she was thinking as she spoke immediately prior to the President of the United States but if she was nervous, or otherwise un-nerved, it was certainly not apparent.  Then the President spoke and challenged the graduates on the need for a “culture of responsibility”.  It was an honor to be there and to see the man I have prayed for nearly daily, as I have for every president since I’ve been a Christian.  The Bible admonishes us to pray for our leaders and I have taken that seriously all my life, not just those in government but also those closer and in authority over me.  God works through those in leadership and what better counselor could we ever hope for our leaders than the One who spoke the very universe into existence?  God can move the hearts of whomever He chooses and the mandate to pray doesn’t have conditions or party affiliations. 

After the speech, he departed the stadium to thunderous applause and then once again a few minutes later as the motorcade departed the stadium area.  We then returned to honoring the Class of 2008 as they walked across the podium and received their well-earned diplomas.  A beautiful campus, a wonderful day, and a reminder of the importance to pray for our leaders.  The future is in our young-people and I pray that some of the brightest and the best in this new class across this nation will rise up to serve, casting aside the hedonistic temptation of the culture to seek self-satisfaction.  In God’s economy, it is more blessed to give than to receive and we are to love others more than we love ourselves – Jesus’ teaching that remains as radical and fulfilling today as it was 2000 years ago.

 “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”  1 Timothy 2:1 - 4