The Fun Things We Get To Do

We have quite a list of Mozambican friends we wanted to reconnect with and haven't had the time to do so as of yet.  So today, we set aside the urgent and the foolish, for the important.

We were able to spend some time with Reggie and Melita, a precious couple that just enter into your heart.  Many missionaries have invested in this couple, including the Shacklefords, the Theissens, the Glancys, to mention a few.  This couple married during our last term and they live far north of Maputo, but Reggie commutes by the dangerous mini-buses each day to work in administration at Central Hospital in town-down Maputo - a commute of about 2 hours each way.  On the weekends, he is leading a church near his home; a church they started and that now has about 90 people attending on a given Sunday.   He is a layman, leading a successful church.

We were able to visit with them in their home today and bring greetings and a gift from Mike and Sarah Theissen, which was such a blessing to them.   We looked through their photograph album, and it was clear the importance that all of the above mentioned people were in their lives.  We were greatly encouraged by our time with them and it is always a reminder to me of why we are here: to invest in the lives of Mozambicans who want to reach their nation for Christ.  So often we get distracted by things that just don't matter in the time-line of eternity.

Melita has had some surgery that could impact her ability to have children, which is something they desire. Pray with us that God would do a miracle in their life.  Also, they live in an area that is difficult, with much drug activity, drinking, and the like, and it makes it difficult for them to minister there.  They asked for us to pray for a moving of God's Spirit across their Bairro (neighborhood).  In addition, they are trying to get a small store going in front of their house as there is no nearby store for food and the like.  It is a great dream, and thanks to Gene and Francis, they have this nice container to use as a store; they just need a bit more work on it.  The cover provides protection from the heat and the rain - as the roof of the container isn't all that good.

It's a challenging thing - here is a case where strategic investing in a couple did not build dependency, but they have continued to be self-sufficient in the face of considerable challenges, to serve Christ where they live.  There was great wisdom by those who came before us to invest in this wonderful couple.

We found some new roads today, and several times were very thankful for the 4-wheel drive - used it much today.  Even went over to a small island today north of Maputo by ferry to check out some potential sites for the annual team retreat held each February.  We prefer something close to Maputo if possible.  We held our breath on the ferry, sure that we were way overloaded with six cars and 50 plus people on a boat designed for two cars, but it went well!  The photo shows the one life jacket we could all share 'in-community'.


On the way back, we were able to connect with a young lady from our home church, Sam Peat, who has been working at Arco-Iris orphanage the entire time we were on furlough.  We were so concerned we wouldn't connect with her before she left.  It was  great to spend a little time with a friend from home.  She was friends with a couple of our daughters.

Blessings this day.

Dave and Ann


"But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain."  Titus 3:9

Heartbreak and Culture

In my earlier blog, I mentioned the Brazilian team.  While they were here and occupied with another activity, one evening we went by the main hospital in Maputo to visit the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit).   One of our Mozambican friends who has helped us very much over the years with translations and general assistance in circumnavigating the difficult bureaucracy here had married while we were on furlough and his wife had just had twins.  However, one of them was quite small and in the NICU.  The custom here is that the doctors don't tell you much unless you really insist and no one questions them or asks questions.  So, we see things like people with high blood pressure taking arthritis medicine and no one is asking questions.

Anyway, we couldn't get information from the family and Ann (and our dear team-mate Sharon - who has twins) were concerned that perhaps there was something more we could be doing.  So, Ann and I with one of the leaders of one of our churches went up to the unit before visiting hours and were to meet the father there.  We arrived first and even though we weren't supposed to be there, we are those ugly Americans who will talk to anyone.  Fortunately we had a Pastor with us to help us with the cultural things.  The first clue was that the baby's name was not posted on the hand-written list on the window by the door into the unit.  The second clue was that we kept getting the run-around (indirect culture) in the folks we talked to (no HIPA here).  Finally we connected nurse (Ann) to nurse and learned that the baby had passed away around 1 in the morning (it was about 1630 when we climbed the four flights of worn stairs).  The family hadn't been notified yet as the visiting hours didn't start until 1730.

In the culture, they won't tell the parents this information - you must go through an intermediary.  Had the father come up first, they would have told him nothing until an intermediary came.  This may seem odd but in a culture where conflict is resolved through intermediaries, it is consistent.  In our time here, we have seen how intermediaries can often deflect and disarm conflict much better than the directly involve parties, so we can see merit in this as we learn a new normal.  So, because we were there, we became the intermediary and it was our job to tell the parents.  Very very difficult and certainly a glimpse of cultural differences.  The parents had no clue.  The Pastor helped us with the clues and cues, but felt it was culturally our job and we have long learned to trust him.  We thank God for this precious man who loved us through this experience knowing our hearts were heavy yet full of love.

We were waiting in our car when our friend came up and we had to tell him this heart-breaking news.  He entered our car for the privacy it provided in a busy place.  The grief was consuming and after a time of crying and praying together, we went to his car where the mother was waiting with the other twin, who is healthy and beautiful.  Ann sat with her and told her this news.  Then we all cried and prayed together again.  After a time, the Pastor took them home where the family was assembling as notifications were made through text messaging.

In the culture, the next decision is whether to have a funeral / memorial service or to let the hospital "take care of things".   A memorial service was scheduled, but then canceled at the last minute, as the hospital did indeed take care of things.  It is different but in a culture where infant mortality is very high, and baby's are often not named for some time, to be sure they are 'ok', it is not so unusual and we've seen this before.  It is different, it is hard, but can it be anything but hard?  I pray our words were enough for that horrible moment in time, but more importantly that God's peace and comfort reigned in this deepest valley.

A very hard day and the parents will be expected to suck it up and not speak of it again.  Very difficult, very different, but it speaks of cultural difference.  It is important we don't judge - it is not wrong nor is another culture right, it is just different.  The grief is real, it is huge, it is oppressing, and we must put our trust in the God of Hope, for there can sometimes be no words, no answers, and just our love for one another that overflows over a grief that is so strong.

Give them your presence and strength precious Lord.  Accept this child into your arms and shower your peace, love and presence on this precious couple and their surviving baby.   For it is only in you can we place our trust, even in the darkest of places.  Amen.

Dave and Ann

"Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." 1 Corinthians 13:11


"Finally brothers,...comfort one another, agree with one another....and the God of love and peace will be with you." 2 Corinthians 13:11

Radical Thinking

Two things I’ve been pondering the last few weeks.  First, while we were at Avon Park, I heard a story about a new missionary couple who had spent the time and expense to visit 20 churches in the Eastern US to explain their call to missionary service and invite the churches and people to partner with them.  They spent the time and expenses in these 20 churches and no one responded, no one...  This just grieved my Spirit so deeply and I have 10’s of questions I wish I could ask; but I find it simply incredible that this could happen.  There is a tendency to want to blame the missionary for not doing something right, but on the other hand, if you speak with conviction about the love God has placed in your heart for that field He has called you to, how can this be even possible?  My heart just grieves for we know the needs overseas are so great and the workers so very few and the urgency so.....well.....URGENT.  Eternity hangs in the balance.  So I just ponder this and give such incredible thanksgiving for all the dear people who make it possible for us to serve Christ in Mozambique.  It is humbling.

This then brings me to the next thing as we get so incredibly distracted in our hedonistic society.  While we were in Avon Park, we heard about a book called “Radical” by a fellow named David Platt.  It was one of those books that was guaranteed to ‘rock our world’.  I downloaded it on my Kindel and have almost finished it; and indeed it is one of those books that has the potential to ‘rock your world’.  

It is written by a Pastor of a church in Birmingham who pretty much ‘calls it like it is’.  He is strong on the mission of the church as assigned by Jesus in Matthew 28:  Go and make disciples.   If we really are transformed by the power of Christ and really believe, then why don’t our lives reflect it?  The author challenges us to do the following things for one year, guaranteeing it will change your life.  Those things are:

1. Pray - truly, diligently, faithfully
2. Read through the Bible in one year (we’ve been be proponents of this for years!)
3. Commit your life to a specific community of believers (i.e. a local church)
4. Sacrifice your money for a specific purpose 
5. Spend your time in another context

You will have to read the book to get the details and although the first item is not specifically called out, it is included and I believe it has to start there.  We should certainly be more about doing and a lot less about the talking....

But, then again, the most radical book that I know will rock your world, is to read God’s word from cover to cover (we recommend reading it chronologically over the course of a year), allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to you as you fill your life with the wisdom and beauty of the Bible; by far the truly radical book that so many know about, but don’t really know...It will change you - guaranteed.

And then tonight, in the house where we are staying, they have this small little book called “The Greatest Thing in the Whole World” by Henry Drummond.  There is no copy right but this little pocket book is clearly worn, tattered, and very old yet so profound.  I would like to memorize this little book and its wisdom.  The greatest thing is Love - but the explanation is so wonderful.  Jesus said he would show us a simpler way, that if we do one thing (love), then we will fulfill the law without even thinking.  For example, if you take any of the 10 commandments, at its base is Love.  For example, the commandment “thou shalt have no other gods before me”....if we truly love God, we wouldn’t even consider such a thing.  Or, if we truly loved our neighbor, why would we covet whatever he might have, and so on.  

Then it takes the gifts of the spirit (Patience, kindness, generosity, humility, etc.) and compares them to what the Bible says about love (love suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not) using those beautiful words from Corinthians so often read at weddings.  It calls these spiritual gifts the “Spectrum of Love”.  So beautiful.....Every couple should read this little book together!

As we watch the hate playing across the world’s stages today - why are we surprised?  It is what we get when there is not love.  

And then the little book, ends with:  “And who are Christ’s?  Everyone that loveth is born of God.”

May it be so.  May we reflect the love of our Creator to the world around us.   May we examine our lives daily to see if we are loving as we should if we truly believe what we say we believe.... Our love most flow outwardly as it is received inwardly from on high!

As a prayer request this night; we have learned that our Mozambican friends Carlos Jango and his wife Tina, have lost their first baby.  We counseled this couple before they got married and they actually spent their wedding night in our house in Mozambique.  The baby apparently had jaundice from what we understand and this is something that pulls hard at Ann,...had we just been there....  She worked in labor and delivery for many years.   They are a dear couple and we love them dearly - May God give them peace in this time of tragedy.  Infant mortality is so high in Mozambique and this makes our hearts so heavy.  But we can trust God with everything, the good and the terribly bad.  He will sustain us.  Sustain Carlos and Tina dear Lord.  (Photo is from their wedding).

Dave and Ann

“On Christ the solid rock I stand,

All other ground is sinking sand, 

All other ground is sinking sand....”

“And in the end, the love we take [receive] is equal to the love we make [give to others].”  Beatles song

Couples

One of the things we really enjoy doing is meeting with young couples who are trying to get through the cultural hurtles so they can marry. We typically have them over for dinner and a Bible study and then have follow-up meetings. In some cases we know them both very well in others, we might only know one of them. We have gotten quite comfortable in this roll and have worked up a kind of lesson series that we do. The Bible has much to say about marriage and relationships and we enjoy this roll. I guess that is an advantage of our age, no one can argue with the fact that we have been married a long time and that we still love each other very deeply.

It is a such a joy, and yet such a responsibility as often times we fly in the face of culture when it comes to marriage. The Bible is clear and marriage is a covenant before God; it is to be taken seriously in any culture. We try to prepare our young friends as it doesn't solve all your problems (to get married) as we have discovered some think here. For example, what does it mean for the husband to love his wife as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her? What does it mean when it says that the wife should submit to her husband? We also ask them things like "how many kids would you like" and "what dreams to you have" and often they are very surprised to see how each other answer, and what great discussion starters. We ask questions about family, jobs, money, and all that jazz for these marriage problems are common to all cultures, they just manifest themselves differently. And at the heart of it all is putting the other first....

God created this relationship (marriage) and when it is working right, there is nothing sweeter; it is truly a blessed gift from God.

We thought you might enjoy this photo of our dear friends Carlos and Tina. Pray for them as they prepare for their upcoming wedding.

"Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." Genesis 2:24