Sunday

This morning, we attended church at Intaka, introducing Aimee to this precious congregation. (No pictures - the camera is acting up again so I've pulled in this one when my daughter Sarah and her husband were here during better weather!) This is the church where we installed a well earlier in the year. This has been a vibrant church but it has been having some struggles. Their pastor resigned and the denomination put lay-leaders in place to continue the work. When we arrived Sunday morning, the church was nearly full and the singing had already begun. But, as the worship time continued, the clouds rolled in and a thunderstorm started. As Aimee shared her story, the rain began to pummel the metal roof, the wind rose up, and the lightening was striking all around us. The translator (to the Shanghanna dialect) spoke louder and louder trying to overcome the weather. The storm increased in intensity during the preaching and the roof leaks caused many to move the wood benches all around but the preacher never missed a lick. The dark-sky made it especially dark in the church and I couldn’t read my bible or the small hymnal. Eventually a small oil lantern was lighted at the front so the preacher could see his Bible.

At the end of the service, we were asked to come forward to pray for a sick baby as the people sang and it quickly turned into a special prayer service where many with various needs came forward to receive a touch and a prayer. We moved from spot to spot within the small church, trying to stay out of the water pouring through the open middle eve of the church. We continued for quite some time as so many had needs and perhaps in part, there was certainly no hurry to rush out into the pouring rain, wind, and mud.

One older women who we know asked me for prayer and as she began to speak, I began to hold her hands as I listened and at that instant a lightening bolt hit nearby lighting the church and the instantaneous “crash” made us both jump back away from each other – you could smell the ozone in the air. For a second I wondered how ‘under cover’ we really were with my head about a foot below a metal roof, in a muddy water puddle, and standing next to a reed wall with an window of chicken wire. We both laughed and then continued as she told me her story and health concerns, using a mix of Portuguese, Shanganna, pointing and motions.

Afterward the service, two of the lay-leaders who I know quite well spoke with me for quite a while. They were quite discouraged because the former pastor has been taking some of the people over to his new church and even one of the leaders has gone over. I guess you can say this amounts to a church split and they seemed to think I had the authority or power to do something about it. I tried to encourage them to stay the course and work to evangelize their community and invite new people to come; to make the church a place of joy and encouragement. I also told them that in these cases, some people leave, and others stay; but you must continue the work. They asked us to please return next week when it was a little better conditions and to help them with the service, mainly to help with communion, which we agreed to do.

We gave rides to many through the now flooded roads. The water had gotten so deep in a few places, that once again we saw the water pour up over the hood of the car for a moment. That always makes be nervous since we do not have a snorkel for the engine.The roads were mostly flooded much of the way home.

At one point, we were stopped by a Mozambican who tried to say he knew us (he probably recognized us because we drive the sand track often but he was not familiar to us). He seemed to be quite drunk and we kept trying to ask him what he wanted and he just couldn’t seem to get a clear thought out – not upset so much but having some difficulty in his life because of the weather. Now, let my try to explain. We understood the words he was saying, but it just didn’t make any sense, not because we didn’t understand in this case, but it simply didn’t make sense. In the end we said good-bye and drove away. There was nothing to be done and through my rear-view mirror, he seemed to just stagger down the road behind us. We will have to watch for him in the future, perhaps catching him at a more cognitive moment.

We found our way home to the power being out (it always goes out when it is a little windy) but our gas stove solves that problem. The power was out until the early evening and it made for a slow afternoon. It was too dark to be able to read well, our computer batteries are shot from all the power fluctuations, and it was too wet and cold to do too much. I studied Portuguese by candle-light while Ann worked on the computer until it died. We talked about some things about the work and the upcoming week. Our stove is gas, so we sipped on hot coffee to take away the chill. Yes, those reading this who know us well, coffee continues as our comfort drink! We were disappointed about the power because this is the day we listen to sermon CDs - but we'll reschedule.

Late in the afternoon, Mario called, he was at the airport headed to Nampula for his conference. Shortly later, a former worker for the mission called us a couple of times (call and hang up) wanting us to return the call (our dime, not his). I called him back and we had a nice chat and said he just wanted to see if we had any work he could do. I know he must need the money and I know he is a very good worker but we just don’t have anything right now. He worked for the mission for many years but due to various changes here, he was laid off because the work disappeared. Even knowing it isn’t my fault or really even my problem, it still grieves my heart as I know his need is real and I really like him. Dear Lord, help him find respectable work so he can provide for his family. We have told him we would vouch for him with any potential employer and have talked to our small circle trying to help find him work, but without luck. It is a fact of life here, jobs are few and far between and the fact he is a bit older hurts him.

Finally, the power is back on but the day is done. We'll call daughters on the computer (Skype) and then call it a day.

Tomorrow is our “at the seminary” day where we meet with the workers and we are taking a missionary from another agency who has a bit of interest in our seminary project. That will be followed by our weekly ‘business’ meeting.

Blessings!

Dave & Ann

"For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land’ Deut 15:11