September update - Zaccheaus was a wee little man....

We haven't done an update because our Internet, that we continue to pay for, (ooh, I'm detecting some frustration here) has not worked since we arrived except at random times for maybe an hour here or there - I would estimate 10% of the time.  We keep trying to sort it out, but frankly it is very frustrating as we can't SKYPE, can't email, can't do basic business, such as banking.  We have even talked to the owner of the company trying to get some sort of assistance but as the saying goes, TIA (This is Africa).  So - that is the primary reason we have not written for a while.

We have returned to language study and are focusing mainly on pronunciation and better use of what we know already for starters.  While we were in the States, I really think our brains re-wired for our understanding and reading has improved quite a bit, but our speaking; well, there is this disconnect between my brain to a tongue that isn't used to moving that way!  It will be something I imagine we will always need to devote time to as long as we serve here.

Our time thus far has been mostly focused on getting settled back into life here and getting all the details taken care of.   Car shopping has also been interesting.  We have visited many places and the used market is a bit too scary for me.  The horror stories abound with people buying old vehicles for big dollars that breakdown a few days later, requiring thousands in repair.  We have narrowed our search down to either a Nissan Hardbody pickup or a Mazda BT-50 pickup.  They are roughly equivalent and similar in price and should do us fine here.  We hope to make that decision next week as we wait on their final 'best price'.  The Mazda people seem a little more ready to deal and the vehicle is much more comfortable - so we lean that way, but ultimately it comes down to price.  We've pretty much ruled out the Mahindra.  They don't have any right now and anything I can find on reliability and longevity is spotty or poor, so it is probably a case of "you get what you pay for..." It seemed reasonably made, but the fit wasn't great and they used lower quality metal on things I thought needed to be stronger, for example.  I wanted to drive one, but they didn't have one available.

We are trying to minimize driving the vehicle loaned to us by close friends and so we've been attending the same church in T-3 since we arrived (for that reason) and have enjoyed that as opposed to our traveling around like we did our first term.  We need to get around more soon, but want our own vehicle to go the places we need to go, which typically require 4-wheel drive.

Our shipment is still somewhere on the ocean between the US and here - the shipper calls us from time to time but basically to say 'it's not here yet.'  We'll be glad when it arrives.  All of our needed paperwork is in place, including our resident visas - so we don't expect any problems bringing the shipment into the country once it arrives.  We brought a couple of wedding dresses with us and shipped the others - we will be distributing the ones we have with us next week to support several weddings coming up in the next few weeks.  That is such a blessing to the people here and we are so thankful for the wonderful support from our friends in the States who donated their dresses.

Our Christian School that is now on the property where we have lived the last few years, and the grand opening ceremony was yesterday with speeches and performances by the children; and of course - eating cake.  Everyone had a good time.  Our part was to pick up one of our OMS advisors who participated in the ceremonies and who we count as a dear friend.  He lives quite distant but it gave us an opportunity to sit and visit with him and his family.  We know one of his sons and wife (and children) quite well and were pleased to find out that the son had entered our seminary program this year.   He is a young man with tremendous potential who went through a time of rebellion that God has miraculously brought him through.  We must remember to pray (and never give up!) for those who may seem to be on the wrong path, for the God of Peace can turn the hearts towards Him.

In the early days, we lived in an apartment in the city with Wally the dog; we've written about him in the past.  Our interim seminary director this year and his family are living in the same place and we visited there this past week and poor Wally.  The big scary black dog (with a sweet heart) has aged tremendously and could barely walk, see and all those things.  They are considering putting him down, which was sad for me.  I was always so fond of him, even though he did chew the mud flaps off our car when we lived there - until I coated them with Mozambican hot sauce.

We have been quite busy with administrative duties as it is that time of year but most of that is now behind us and we have started meeting with our National church leaders, one-by-one, to hear their hearts and understand the changes over the past year.  There remains much to do but the direction here has changed and we are quietly observing and trying to understand where God is taking the work here.

Mosquitos are unusually bad right now and we are spraying much (better living through chemistry).  Tomorrow, me and a worker are taking off the eve of our roof to install new screening as I think our mosquitos are coming in through the eve where heat excapes.  With malaria an ever present worry, one must take these kinds of things seriously.

Our health remains good.  The doctors in South Africa concurred with the doctor here in Maputo that I had experienced a vitreous detachment and my retina is good although we will need to return in a few months for a follow-up.  The visual disturbance from this in my peripheral vision is wearing but I'm getting used to it.  Our lives full as we engage into life here in Mozambique.

Our hearts are quite heavy for our family in the States.  That has been especially hard this time and compounded by the poor Internet - we feel like we are in a time of testing for this and other reasons, which is what the experts say is normal at the start of a second term.

This morning's sermon focused on a well known story - Zaccheaus was a wee-little man and a wee-little man was he.....(you know the children's song!) from Luke 19:1-10.  But as God so often does, he brought out something new in this very well-known story.  When Jesus told him to come down out of the tree (he had climbed up to see Jesus for he was a short man) and when he told Zaccheaus he was staying at his house that day, the Bible records how Zaccheaus responded in some detail.  Pastor Daniel emphasized this with great drama and action - the Bible says he came down AT ONCE and welcomed him GLADLY.  That was his response to the very King of Kings.  That should be our response as well, for we are daily distracted by the things of life, as was Zaccheaus, but we can respond, for Jesus is always there with His hand extended to us.

May you walk with joy this week.  May our response to Jesus this week be "com alegria" (with joy/gladness) as we respond to His leading this week.  He knows your comings and your goings, He knows your heart, but more importantly, as in the case of Zaccheaus, He knows your very name.

"For He's going to your house today, for He's going to your house to stay!"  (from the song).

Thank you for standing with us.

Blessings this Sunday. (No pictures - not enough Internet!)

Dave and Ann

"When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately.  I must stay at your house today."  So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly."  Luke 19:1-10

"Teach us to number our days aright; that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Psalm 90:12