We are a matter of days from the start of classes at our Maputo Biblical and Theological seminary. In this first photograph, you see seminary director, Don Hulsey with his staff, Xavier and Daniel. The white board shows the 30 students we are accepting into this first year of our bachelor-level program. The other photos are of some of the books and materials as we move closer and closer. We have enough desks in one classroom for the 30 students. It was exciting to watch the staff call the students who were accepted and say to them "see you on the 15th!" Everyone is so excited to see this happening, staff, students, all of us!
We pleaded with headquarters about our severe financial concerns but the answer is that we're basically on our own - so we are all taking a big leap of faith because it takes about 5000 US 
dollars a month to keep this seminary building open, protected, lights on, water running, staff paid, books bought, and the like and being a developing country, people are unable to pay any kind of tuition; in fact many need help with transportation costs to even get to classes. So, we will be operating in the red in a few short months and the way it works, our organization will take the money out of our support accounts if our deficit gets too large, assessing it a second time. So, we have all agreed to take the big step of faith to proceed (gulp) but the only way we can get scholarship money is to have students, so we must move forward. For someone used to a more structured business environment, it is incredibly unsettling and 
borders on fool-hardy.
dollars a month to keep this seminary building open, protected, lights on, water running, staff paid, books bought, and the like and being a developing country, people are unable to pay any kind of tuition; in fact many need help with transportation costs to even get to classes. So, we will be operating in the red in a few short months and the way it works, our organization will take the money out of our support accounts if our deficit gets too large, assessing it a second time. So, we have all agreed to take the big step of faith to proceed (gulp) but the only way we can get scholarship money is to have students, so we must move forward. For someone used to a more structured business environment, it is incredibly unsettling and 
borders on fool-hardy. So, we will run for a semester and see where it takes us. It is really important work - creating Christian leaders for tomorrow, but we have found it isn't as attractive a draw financially in today's world of short-term trips, short-term projects, and short-term deliverables. (Can't the most complex of problems be solved in a 30-minute sitcom??) But, through this seminary, we are building the foundations for the very future and growth of the church in Mozambique. It is so very important. This is an investment in the future, a long-term commitment that is like a pebble sending ripples through a pond as one life intersects with life after life.
Pray with us for this big leap of faith we have made; we are truly trusting God as we believe and are trusting that He will finish what He has started.
Exciting times. We'll be sure to take pictures of the first day of class! Pray for the wonderful men in the picture above and our dear 30 students.
Dave & Ann
"Being confident of this very thing, that he He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." Phillipians 1:6
Post Script - this verse speaks to God finish the work 'IN US' which speaks to the real priority God places on things. 
He is working on us, on our relationship to Him, to becoming the men and women He wants us to be in relationship with Him. The rest falls out of that as what we think is important and what God thinks is important are so often so very different - I'm not sure we can ever truly grasp this. He wants to know us; He wants to change us; He wants relationship with us. I want to be molded into who He wants me to be and it seems that one life-time just isn't enough as the raw material is so flawed! Thank you for loving me Lord.
He is working on us, on our relationship to Him, to becoming the men and women He wants us to be in relationship with Him. The rest falls out of that as what we think is important and what God thinks is important are so often so very different - I'm not sure we can ever truly grasp this. He wants to know us; He wants to change us; He wants relationship with us. I want to be molded into who He wants me to be and it seems that one life-time just isn't enough as the raw material is so flawed! Thank you for loving me Lord.
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