"Welcome to Mocuba, where all roads cross and Mozambique embraces itself." Great sign!!
We've been catching up on a few things since we returned - it is a period of high administration with the end of a month and the end of a fiscal year plus the construction project.
We just sent the 1/2 payment for the well in Mocuba. That work will begin on Monday; Praise the Lord! We had a short window of opportunity as the people doing the well have to move their equipment to another province. Our treasurer here was able to do some magic Friday even with the banking system not working and somehow we we're able to get the money transferred so the work could begin Monday. It's only a few days work for them, but a very important part for us! Otherwise, we would be waiting for months and hauling water in wheel barrows by hand quite a distance to make cement and mortar! So, we are thankful, plus the tremendous contribution it will be to the community at large.
Back to the trip, when we first arrived in Mocuba at the Guest House we stay at - run by a local Pastor we have grown to love, he asked us if we knew anything about sewing! Well, we mentioned our sewing center in Intaka and our CMED project proposal about a sewing center, and the fact that Ann can sew quite well actually, and we ended up in an imprompto meeting with a lady named Elina, who works for the government in Mocuba but is also administratively helping Pastor Antonio set up a sewing center next to his church. As it turned out, it was a very loose idea but they had a little money for some machines but no one involved knew the first thing about sewing or how to go about setting up something like this. Ann was able to talk a little about the machines, our experiences in Maputo with our sewing center, and by just asking lots of 
questions, help them think through this project intended to help members of their church. It was clear why Pastor Antonio enlisted Elina to help with this as she clearly had the gift of administration and could quickly put together the steps that needed to be done. We felt like it was a God-ordained meeting and Ann was able to visit with Elina a few more times during the days we were at the Guest House.
We just sent the 1/2 payment for the well in Mocuba. That work will begin on Monday; Praise the Lord! We had a short window of opportunity as the people doing the well have to move their equipment to another province. Our treasurer here was able to do some magic Friday even with the banking system not working and somehow we we're able to get the money transferred so the work could begin Monday. It's only a few days work for them, but a very important part for us! Otherwise, we would be waiting for months and hauling water in wheel barrows by hand quite a distance to make cement and mortar! So, we are thankful, plus the tremendous contribution it will be to the community at large.
Back to the trip, when we first arrived in Mocuba at the Guest House we stay at - run by a local Pastor we have grown to love, he asked us if we knew anything about sewing! Well, we mentioned our sewing center in Intaka and our CMED project proposal about a sewing center, and the fact that Ann can sew quite well actually, and we ended up in an imprompto meeting with a lady named Elina, who works for the government in Mocuba but is also administratively helping Pastor Antonio set up a sewing center next to his church. As it turned out, it was a very loose idea but they had a little money for some machines but no one involved knew the first thing about sewing or how to go about setting up something like this. Ann was able to talk a little about the machines, our experiences in Maputo with our sewing center, and by just asking lots of 
questions, help them think through this project intended to help members of their church. It was clear why Pastor Antonio enlisted Elina to help with this as she clearly had the gift of administration and could quickly put together the steps that needed to be done. We felt like it was a God-ordained meeting and Ann was able to visit with Elina a few more times during the days we were at the Guest House.(This photo at the new church shows the reed structure in the background).
As a part of our time there, we had to fix the toilet - it wasn't working very well but we found the parts in Mocuba and it was quite simple to fix. In addition, there was a significant electrical problem with a outlet / switch hooked to a stove that was arcing and smoking. We were able to fix that also, after clearing out the dead mice and lizards that had been electrocuted behind the switch! It seems we doing something to improve the guest house every time we come, which they appreciate very much and makes us feel like we are part of the family.
We kept getting all these bites while we were staying there and knew they couldn't be mosquitos, although we had those also, but in the end, we determined they were bed bugs. And we also had a resident rat that visited Aimee in the night in her bedroom and another night in the bathroom!! So, we just made sure all our food items were tightly inside of our plastic travel containers! We enjoyed two special evening meals with Pastor Antonio and his lovely family and always consider it a priviledge to stay with them. The minor inconveniences of the SMALL things (heh heh!) paled in comparison to the blessing to be able to stay at this place of peace with this family we have grown to love. We are quite comfortable there and the location is safe and convenient.
Since our last visit, he had completed construction of a new church, moving from the previous reed structure. We went and visited his new church and I really enjoy his energy and enthusiasm. They are planning to make a few changes to the old reed structure so it can be the sewing center. He is quite an influential individual in the community and has been helping Juka with his work as well. Actually, Juka accepted Christ years ago after hearing a teaching by Pastor Antonio, but that is another story for another time....a part of how God works things!And as it would happen, the government was using his church in the mornings to register the various church work going on in the Mocuba district and we found out about it on our tour of his church when he showed us the desk and area for the government Department of Religious Affairs workers. Our guys had not heard about this, and with a day to spare, Juka was able to get to the church the following morning and get us all registered with the government as required. Another divine appointment..... They had only made the announcement on the radio (no TV in the area) and our guys hadn't heard about it. Thank you Lord!
As we were leaving his church, a young boy came out of a side street with a big old brick and heaved it hard at the car - and it hit just above the rear side window, putting a huge dent in the side of the car near the roof but I was SO thankful it wasn't the window, that the dent seems like a minor thing! If we'd lost the window, that would have been quite a problem for the security of the car, the ministry items we were always carrying, etc. And, it seems every trip, something on the car gets smashed....God has taught me how to let those things go better than I used to! The little fellow disappeared into the side alley but I think he'll be hearing from the Pastor! I just pray that little fellow ends up at the church!
Short note for now. Next I'll be writing about some of the churches we visited and some of the things our Trainers are doing.
Blessings.
Dave & Ann
"For their rock is not like our Rock..." De 32:31
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