Sunday at Sao Damaso

This morning we attended church in Sao Damasco, probably the closest OMS-related church from where we live - it's about a 10-minute drive through on sand roads. It is a strictly Shanghanna speaking church but when we come, they do some translation into Portuguese for us. When Pastor Alfredo speaks, like today, I (Dave) have to be right on top of the message because he loves to ask me questions in the middle of the sermon and then stop to wait for my response. Talk about a pregnant silence - I'm processing the question and thinking about where he might be going with the question while everyone turns and looks to see what the missionary is going to say. And, if I'm lucky, Ann is whispering next to me confirmation of what she thought the question was - two heads are better than one, or as I say to many here, with me you get 1/2 a mind, with Ann you get 1/2 a mind, but together, we equal one mind. It's a part of the marriage covenant, correct?

He did that today a couple of times, but at least I didn't give a goofy answer like I have in the past when I was doing good just to recognize he was asking me a question! Progress.... He asked if I wanted to preach as is what normally happens but we try to take a back-seat roll on Sunday's. He has prayed about and prepared for his message; he should give it. But, we try to always be flexible because there is no telling how God will move on Sunday mornings!

We were pleased to see that the church had combined resources and poured a small concrete 'stage' area in the front of the church as it shows they are taking responsibility for the church and not waiting for the mission to provide something. That speaks huge progress in this society of handouts and I praise God for this. You can see to the right of the picture of Pastor Thomas before the service that they were about one sack short of cement as there is a little bit of dirt left on the right side. During the service, they put a reed matt over the dirt and used it as the place to lay the sleeping children.

It was a birthday for two people and so they had cake and juice after the service with delicious chocolate frosting. It was a part on Sunday in the church, which something I always enjoy about church here - spontaneous and you never know what to expect. ALTHOUGH, somedays we cry for a little more routine, when we leave the church four or five hours after it started!

Today, one of the special older ladies of the church was sick and not attending, which is very unusual. After the cake and part, we were to walk to the house of the sick lady to pray. But, everyone wanted me to drive them. So, a ton of kids piled into the back of our vehicle and a bunch of ladies in the back-seat, and a couple of more kids and Ann in the front and we tried to back out but sinking with the weight into the deep sand. It took four-wheel low and we slowly backed out and headed down the road. The Pastor had walked on to the house with the rest of the church and one of the elder ladies who spoke no Portuguese was assigned to provide directions to the house. The directions consistent of a hand pointed in one direction or the other and a grunt. Finally the kids started translating 'go right' or "straight-ahead" and so one and soon we were at the house at what amounted to an alleyway.

I looked at the alleyway and at the front of the car, thinking there is no way this wide car will go through the narrow space or that tree-stump. But the grunting had gotten more emphatic and the pointing more direct and now the kids were cheering - go go go. So, back to four-wheel low and slowly through the space, sticker bushes slidding along the side of the car, chickens running for their lives, and branches from fruit trees banging the rack on top of the car. We emerged in a courtyard of two houses where everyone piled out (we could have parked on the road!).

We entered the house as we have done so many times in the past and prayed for this dear lady, singing songs for her, praying, and laying hands. Ann laid hands also, but I suspect there was a bit more diagnostic touching going on as well as afterwards she gave me the medical assessment that she thought this dear lady would be fine! We were all reminded that a short year ago, we had done the same thing for dear Pastor Alfredo's wife who we thought might not survive her bout with malaria - she was actually on death's door, but God answered our prayers and she has since had a lovely baby. God hears the prayers of his people.

We gave rides on the way home, with a few kids hanging on the back, but all in all a great day to worship and the extreme heat seeming to not bother us as much as in the past. And, it afforded some special time to talk to and encourage the church leadership. There are two leaders in this church, both who work and work as a team to lead this small village church. God is growing this church; there are always visitors when we visit. Changing Mozambique, one-life at a time.

This last photo is one the way back when we got behind a small truck moving a household. The guys in the back were taking pictures of us with their cell phones, waving, and hooting at us, so Ann whipped out her camera and took their picture. They all started laughing and waving from that point on until we turned off down another little sand road.

Blessings.

Dave & Ann

"Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. yo'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to is leel of immaturity. God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you." Romans 12:2 - The Message version