Day-to-Day Challenges

Today was a day of taking people to the airport. Our colleagues left this morning for the states and we picked them up and got them to the airport. Afterwards, we returned to their house to pick up a short term missionary who had been working at our Christian School and living with them. She was on the afternoon flight.

I parked on the street in front of the house, we went in and talked for a few minutes with Nancy and in the short time we were there, someone stole one of our front lights off the car. Our car has only been vandalized twice in Maputo (we’re lucky) and both were in front of the Weil's house around noon! Last time we lost our mirrors – today a light.

So, on our way to the airport, we cruised through the nearby Thieves market as we knew that someone knew we’d be around. Soon a young man named Antonio flags us over, pointing to our front missing light. I talk with him a few minutes and he sends a runner off. A few minutes later, someone else shows up with my light. I ask them how they are going to put it back since it was wedged out and the bracket broken, but it’s old hat – they use nylon wire ties and everything is all back in place. All of this is going on with a truck full of policemen behind me – this is all a normal thing in Maputo!

So we start negotiating price – they start at 3500 mtn, which is about 150 US dollars – to buy back my light (oh yeah, the broken bracket fits perfectly, so we know it is our light). I’m at a disadvantage because I’m negotiating with one guy in a group of about 12 young guys in the middle of Thieves Market, not the best bargaining situation. We settle on 1800 mtn and I’m just sick about it but this is our life here. They wanted to rivet metal strips over all our lights and acid etch our mirrors and windows with our license number – but I slowly drive through the crowd and leave – glad to have my light back but frustrated at all of this.

In our two trips to the airport today, we spent enough time there to be accosted by the same people for money and actually to see three guys working together to scam people as they wait for their plane. It is how things are here, seems like everything is going ok around you, but is it really! I think it is probably similar to how the spiritual world and our temporal worlds run along together – things are never quite what they seem.

What comfort to know that we are in the hands of a God who cares for His people and who has a plan for each of our lives. All of those people today who crossed our paths need to be in the arms of the living God. Who is going to tell them if we don’t in action, word and deed?

Blessings this Sunday.

Dave & Ann

"How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?" Romans 10:14