In Honor of Jim

I my last blog entry, I reported on my trip to Xavier's graduation and then went on to visit friends and family in Idaho as a part of that trip.  The main reason for stopping in Idaho was to visit my friend Jim (photo).  Jim is one of the finest men I have every had the privilege of knowing and he has been battling an aggressive brain cancer for quite some time.  We have been friends for thirty plus years as have Ann and his wife Marcie. They were big encouragers for us on our journey to and from Mozambique.

On June 28, Ann and my Anniversary, Jim went to be with the Lord.  In that one last visit at his home in Idaho, we agreed to meet again and sit and talk more on the other side of the River Jordan.  I will see you again then my friend.

We just returned from his internment in Mount Union, PA - one of the most beautiful places in the Nation.  A lovely service, a lovely and full but too-short life, a loving family, and glorious assurance of eternity.  Jim was faithful and an inspiration to all who knew him and I will miss him very much.

It is the journey we all must make one day, or the other, and may it be hand-in-hand with the One who has placed a bit of Himself in our souls.  May we all be as faithful.... Come Lord Jesus come....

Seek Him while you can.  He knows your name - but do you know His?

WIth love,

Dave and Ann

"So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God.  Now it is required that those who have been give a trust must prove faithful."  
1 Corinthians 4:1 & 2

God's Arms and Baby Blankets

While we were in Pittsburgh, we spent an evening with a group of ladies who call themselves "God's Arms".  These precious ladies from a variety of churches get together regularly and crochet baby blankets, hats, socks, etc. and distribute them free of charge to hospitals, the crisis-pregnancy center, and other organizations who assist families.  It is a labor of love and they have a great time doing it.  They provided us with a large number of beautiful baby blankets to take back to Mozambique.   Each blanket is covered by prayer for those destined to receive it.

Blankets are expensive and difficult to obtain in Mozambique.  In their winter, the temperatures can drop into the 50's which is very cold when you have no source of heat.  We had the privilege of providing blankets to new mothers during our first term and they were greatly appreciated.  We are very thankful for the opportunity to continue this ministry, demonstrating God's love in a unique way from a group in Bethel Park, Pennsylvania to the dear ladies of Mozambique.

Blessings.

Dave & Ann

"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."  Matthew 25:45-46

Travels

The first half of March has been a busy but blessed time for us.  We left the cabin for an appointment in Trenton, Missouri, stopping for the night in Nashville, where we enjoyed our Grandson Caleb - it is going to be extremely hard to leave the States with this precious little guy being here.

Watching the incredible changes from birth to now, we know what we will miss over the next few years.  Plus, his parents are pretty special also!

From Nashville, we traveled to Trenton Missouri where we had the privilege to speak and worship at the First Baptist Church.  The Pastor of this church had visited us in Mozambique with a team and we had stayed in touch with him after the visit.  We stayed at Pastor Chestnut's house and had a wonderful time of catching up.  The only clitch was that my power point presentation didn't work for some reason - something to do with switching from their system to my computer - it worked in 'practice' before the service but wouldn't cooperate at the time.  But, in all the times we've spoken, this was the first 'glitch' and it really didn't affect much of anything!  We were cared for very well and enjoyed an incredible lunch after the service.  We gave a mini-talk to the kitchen staff who worked hard to prepare the church-wide lunch but missed the service!  We are putting on weight because we are fed so well everywhere we go!

The drive through Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri was relaxing; beautiful farms.  We know that if God ever allows us to retire, it will be in a small town somewhere in a rural setting. That is where we are the most comfortable.  Beautiful states.

On Sunday, we did a 'two-fer', being in Trenton, Mo, which is in the northwest corner of the state, high-tailing it to Belleville, Illinois for an evening service with Men for Missions International (MFMI) Director Warren Hardig.  As you know, our first trips to Mozambique were through MFMI and we initiated the MFMI world-wide prayer ministry for Mozambique, now so wonderfully administered by our dear friend Karlene.

Ann working at Our Lady of the Snows

Our time at Saint Matthews United Methodist Church was wonderful, meeting up with Warren and his wife Velma, and speaking to one of the several services Sunday night.  This church is a very mission oriented church and we had many wonderful conversations with people after the service.  We also ran in to some people we had met at Avon Park, Florida, once again demonstrating how small this world of ours really is!  The church put us up at a nearby Catholic retreat center (Our Lady of the Snows Shrine) which was beautiful and peaceful.  Monday, we just stayed there most of the day doing office work and reports and taking advantage of their fast Internet and the beautiful surroundings.  That night, we went to a supporter's house in St. Louis, Missouri, some friends from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, who relocated to St. Louis many years ago.  Again, a wonderful time to reconnect and catch up.

From there, we traveled to Evansville, Indiana where we reconnected with David and Faith Clark.  David is a childhood friend of mine (we played Cowboys and Indians when we lived in Idaho at the age of 5 or 6) who God brought back together in our early 20's in Idaho through a church.  David introduced us to OMS when he went to Haiti for a year to work on the radio station.  That is when we began supporting OMS missionaries all those years ago.  Again, a wonderful time to reconnect.

Next, back to OMS headquarters for meetings and an inexpensive place to stay before going back to Olney, Illinois, where we participated in a MFMI weekend at Grace Evangelical Church.  Olney is know as the home of the white squirrel.  We heard people talking about it, but then discovered that in-deed, the sign says and people talked about the white (albino) squirrels that are seen throughout the city!

The Olney white squirrel!

We spoke Saturday night at the MFMI banquet (lots of amazing food!) and I preached at the Sunday service.  This church is solidly behind OMS missionaries and it was a privilege to be there.   We were hosted so very well by Pastor Boostrom's parents and through their little duplex house was exactly the floor-plan we'd like to retire to some day, God willing.  After church, we went to an incredible local restaurant with an incredible buffet with lots of my favorite - fried okra!

A highlight of this trip was meeting Millie.  When I put a picture of Juka on the wall in the banquet, I could see that she was visibly moved by the photograph, with tears running down her face.  Afterwards, she talked with me and explained how she had been a part of the Prayer Initiative for Mozambique for many years and had been praying daily for Juka and his family for many years but she had never seen his face.  She asked many questions, clearly involved through prayer and totally knowledgeable of all the work that is going on in Mozambique.  A real prayer warrior, making a difference in Mozambique, living in the central US with a heart for a precious family on the other side of the world.  Only God can do this!

Ann with Millie

So, we find ourselves back at OMS before heading back to the Pittsburgh area for this coming weekend. This weekend, we will be at a church near Grove City - one of the first ones we ever visited and one we have always felt especially connected to.  When there last time, we stayed with our friends the Townsends, who are now in Japan with OMS.  That's another story for another blog....

Today they are running tornado drills all around the area and we have this constant sound of emergency vehicle sirens and tornado sirens.  With the world events today, one can understand the value of emergency drills.

Tomorrow we are headed back to the Pittsburgh area.  We should receive approval from OMS within the next couple of days to purchase our return tickets to Mozambique.  We have delayed our return to represent the field at Headquarters for the June meetings that happen every year.  Pray for us as we make our plans for return to Mozambique.

Sorry for the long post - my intention is more frequent smaller posts but this month got away from us!

30,000 miles by auto and continuing!

Dave & Ann


"...each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him.  This is the rule I lay down in all the churches...."  1 Corinthians 7:17

Sunday

Today I am writing from Destin, Florida, where we are staying with a dear couple that we count as good friends.  Berry had visited us in Mozambique and we drug him and a team around northern Mozambique and this team actually started a church along the side of a road that is still meeting - I wrote about that some time ago.   But I digress yet again...

They invited us to their church where we had the privilege to speak this morning in their Sunday School class.  We were so blessed to be with this group of people - And then the service - it reminded us so much of our dear home church in Pittsburgh that we miss so much - from the music to the preaching style to the facility and we found ourselves singing with tears streaming down our face as God's spirit moved through the song, the scripture, and the message.  It never ceases to amaze me how God can reach down from eternity into time and reach you right where you are at the time.  We serve an amazing God.

This afternoon, we were able to hook up with another couple who also visited us in Mozambique with a team and have started a ministry of missionary care; reaching out to missionaries serving overseas.  (They are counselors by profession).  They had some scary statistics:  47% of missionaries don't survive their first term (either leave before that term is over or don't return for a second term) and that over 70% leave for reasons that could have been prevented through good missionary care, including counseling.   It was good to see them again and to hear the amazing stories of what God has been doing in their lives since we last saw them.  More of seeing how God 'connects the dots' as he moves His work forward.

Berry and Lois have many years of experience working overseas - in fact Lois returned today from a 10-day trip to Guatemala.   They have links to Mozambique going back into the 1990s and listening to their stories today helped us fill some gaps in our understanding of the history of our mission's work in Mozambique.  They are a great inspiration and encouragement to us along with being wonderful hosts for the past couple of days!

Blessings this day.  May the God of peace fill you with His presence!

Dave & Ann

Reporting In

Last weekend, we were privileged to speak at Jonesboro UMC church in Sanford, NC.  It had been something like 5 years since visiting this church and as before we were warmly welcomed.  It is the only church we have visited with two concurrent services, a contemporary service and a traditional service.  So, how can you be two places at the same time?  - you preach early in one and late in the other, but it really does focus you on your times - got to finish on time to not keep the other services waiting.  This would never work in Mozambique where time is, well, relative (I think Einstein established that also!)

  In addition a spanish speaking church meets concurrent with the third service and we were able to speak in all four services!  Pastor Preston really has his work cut out for him on Sundays!  We were so comfortable in our host's home, we had to pry ourselves out of there to continue on travels.  We always leave so encouraged as we try to challenge people in their own Christian walk and encourage them through what amazing things God is doing across the world.

Sunday night we were in Clinton, NC, where we stayed with a couple who served in Brazil for many years with OMS.  We call them Uncle Bill and Aunt Dorothy and Bill traveled with us on our very first trip to Mozambique back in 2004.  We are very attached to them and enjoyed getting reacquainted and practicing a bit of Portuguese as well.  Dorothy pastors a nearby church.  I especially enjoyed listening to Bill's reminiscing about the exploits in the mission field; trying to learn from his experiences.

On the way up, we visited with Ann's cousin Stephanie in Florence, South Carolina.  We enjoyed spending most of a day with them and I thought you might enjoy the photograph to see the strong family resemblance.   It turns our that one of her sons is in school at the University of South Carolina an attends the church in Columbia where our daughter Sarah was married and where we've been attending while in South Carolina.  It is a small world.

With a break in the weather, we made a quick run to the cabin to get things we need for our travel schedule.  Calls to our neighbor revealed that indeed the road was pass-able.  We still had a good foot of snow on the driveway and dug a path to the cabin, calling someone with a plow to get us cleared out!  But the weather break was short, so we sceedadled (is there such a word?), getting up and down with our trusty snow-chains.  The fuel oil tank is getting low, which is a concern.  We're on the list to get refilled, but by the time we come back to the top of the list, the roads may not be clear!  We pray that all works out because I'd hate to see the water-lines freeze from lack of heat!

This coming weekend will find us in Nashville for the dedication / baptism of our grandson and then a quick visit to Dave's mother's house in Alabama where he will arrange transport of a player piano back to Idaho.  Dave's mom is moving into an assisted living situation and the contents of her house are being liquidated.  The piano has been in the family for a few generations, works well, and will go back to our Idaho family for passing along.  It's not like we can take it to Mozambique!

We've updated the blog a bit - learning new things.  We've added our schedule on the right and also a listing of the various ministry project numbers that support what we do in Mozambique.  People ask us about these from time to time, and it provides a convenient place to list them.

Our colleague, Larry Weil, has developed a nice video of our seminary in Maputo that I hope to provide a link to in the coming days!

This morning, I was studying Psalms 1 and pondering what it means to have 'delight in the law of the Lord' and how we might 'meditate on it day and night'.  We are blessed if we do so and the Psalm ends with a promise that he will watch over us as a result.  What a great thing to know that the Creator of the Universe actually will watch over us!  But also, we are declared righteous in this last verse, apparently a function of walking in the right path, delighting in the Lord, and the scriptures themselves.  I don't know about you, but I find it very difficult to meditate on something day and night and if I have to 'do something' do be righteous, I find would find that very discouraging.  But, praise God, we have Jesus!  We know that no one is righteous, no not one (Romans 3:10), but yet righteousness comes through faith in Christ (Romans 3:22).  It is through Him and our love for Him that we continue moving towards the prize or as Paul puts it ""I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."  (Philippians 3:14).  But he clarifies in verse 16 that our hearts desire would be to "only let us live up to what we have already attained!"  Through faith in Christ, we attain righteousness.  We already have it and that is the peace we can have, the work is finished, and even in our short-comings, we are declared righteous and our Creator, full of mercy and grace, actually watches over us in a personal and loving way.

I don't know about you, but I find great comfort in that.  We are declared righteous by faith in Christ - we simply ARE, despite our weaknesses and human frailties, and we can know that God watches over us and guides us as we submit to Him.  What peace, what joy that brings in the endless uncertainties of life.

Blessings this day.

Dave & Ann

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.  He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.  Whatever he does prospers.....For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous....." Psalm 1

Open Houses - this week

We have two open houses this week. It will be an opportunity to visit with us and we will go through a presentation of what we've been doing. It is the same thing we might do for a home meeting or Sunday School time. So, if you don't think you'll be hearing us at your local church, it is an opportunity to stop by and ask questions.

Consider this an invitation!

Thursday, October 14, 2010 - 6:30 PM
New Song Community Church
4767 Library Road
Bethel Park, PA 15102


Sunday, October 17, 2010 - 6:30 PM
Peters Creek Baptist Church
6300 Library Road
South Park, PA 15129


Dave & Ann

"I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of god that was given you in christ Jesus...." 1 Corinthians 1:4

Johnstown

This past Saturday, we headed to Johnstown, PA to speak at the last Sunday of the missions conference at Roxbury St. Paul's church. What a beautiful time to drive in Pennsylvania and the tree colors were brilliant and spoke so strongly to the existence of a gracious Creator. As the Bible says, all creation testifies to His existence.

On our way to Johnstown, we saw a turn-off to the Flight 93 memorial in Somerset County. We took the 10 mile detour through the beautiful Pennsylvania countryside to the temporary memorial. The temporary memorial was packed with visitors - we had not expected that. We walked down to a fenced-in area that overlooked where Flight 93 drilled into a field on that fateful September 11 day. There were flags and flowers on the fence and the crowds were very quiet, somber, and respectful of this now hallowed ground.

We learned that the US Park Service has bought 2200 acres to protect this area and a beautiful memorial monument is under construction. An American flag marked the location of the covered crater where the plane hit as passengers fought for control of the plane hijacked by terrorists. A display room presented a time-line of that fateful day and what they know of the events on this flight through the phone calls and recordings. We left very emotionally touched and proud of those who fought back, preventing and even more awful outcome. The event speaks so strongly to the evil man is capable of absent of a personal relationship with Christ - there is no end to the evil that men are capable of doing. We took no pictures, it somehow seemed disrespectful. Hallowed ground....

We had only passed through Johnstown previously and we enjoyed our time there very much. We stayed at a Comfort Inn that was hopping! There was a bus-full of a choir group from Pennsylvania and several hockey teams from a number of colleges. There were vans from the University of Charleston (SC) and other schools and there was lots of noise and activity. We were so tired, we passed out but it must of been bad because in the morning when we checked out, the staff apologized profusely and gave us an additional discount on our bill. Thank you for that! The night manager looked and talked like he had been through a very rough night and if he'd ever been a hockey fan, he clearly wasn't any longer - we gathered it was the hockey teams that had given him trouble most of the night. It even looked like he had blood on his shirt - we didn't have the nerve to ask about that! I wouldn't think you mix it up with hockey players! We felt bad for him but we managed to sleep through it all!

Sunday morning we spoke at both church services and at a breakfast between the two services. They had our name on the marque, which is always a bit un-nerving, but we felt so very welcomed and loved by this church. It was the final Sunday of a three-week missions conference and it was truly a privilege to be there. We got lots of good questions and had a delightful lunch afterwards at Eat-n-Park with two members of the missions committee; breakfast buffets are my favorite. "I just can't lose weight...it must be something I ate and ate and ate and ate....." We have got to get more discipline in this transient life we live!

Johnston is a nice town and I think one of those hidden secret kind-of-places that are so special. It is in and around a valley where a river runs and our GPS (Garmin) took us all sorts of crazy places as we negotiated the town. We left the conference feeling spiritually up-lifted and thankful for this church that truly has a heart for the Great Commission, which is the job description of the church - Go and Make Disciples. (Matt 28). We were blessed to have been there. We pray Your blessing on this precious congregation and its leadership.

Great weekend but have a mountain of paperwork I need to get busy on!

Blessings!

Dave & Ann

"The heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims his handiwork..." Ps 19:1

"Fo his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So, they are without excuse..." Romans 1:20

Speaking

We had the opportunity to speak at New Song Community Church our first Sunday in Pennsylvania. We had a great time and filled in for the Pastor, who was away that Sunday. We know him well and have traded email with him numerous times while we were in Mozambique and will see him later this week. We also received sermon tapes from this church all during our time in Mozambique so it was a little different, in that we felt like we'd been attending services all along! It reminded me of when we arrived in Mozambique - through the prayer initiative, we felt like we knew everyone there and what was happening in the work, but they didn't really know us! We were greatly encouraged by our time at New Song and the questions we received spoke volumes - that the church was following the work in Mozambique and that they were praying for us. Very very encouraging to us! This traveling road-show lifestyle does not come easily to either one of us and this Sunday at New Song was a wonderful way to start our next 8 weeks of engagements. Thank you Lord for this precious and loving church!

And something I have to mention here - it is such a blessing to be attending services and singing songs in my heart language! I have not tired of that yet although I did start to stray into Portuguese a time or two when I was speaking - not sure what that means!

The photo shows our display table that Ann has set up, including our toy truck that speaks to our need to purchase another vehicle when we return. You can also see the small DVD player where we run a continuous 4 to 5 minute loop of church services, travel, and experiences in Mozambique to music we recorded in various church services.

The church is helping us with an open house this Thursday at 630 pm - all are welcome!

Dave & Ann

"Make me to know your ways, O Lord: teach me your paths." Ps 25:4

Tragedy in our Field

We received a text message during the night that the 8-year old daughter of one of our Christian School Teachers had died last night (actually her 8th birthday is today). Our colleague, Larry, was summoned to the hospital where this dear child had been taken. This is a deep tragedy for our team and for this dear single mom who was from another country herself, bravely serving as a missionary teacher. They were a part of our team and she and her daughter attended conferences, meetings and were a daily part of our colleague’s lives through the Christian School. This dear child was sweet and extremely smart – brilliant actually, with incredible potential. She was sick last week but actually feeling better and was in school early this week.

The information is slowly coming in and the doctors are narrowing the cause down to some tragic and aggressive disease. We won’t know cause for a couple of weeks, and it seems that as humans, we want to understand cause as we reach inwardly and heavenly to try and understand; we trust You and Your mercy, but these things are so difficult Lord.

The normal and daily pressure on our colleagues is already monumental; Father in Heaven, strengthen our dear team, draw them together in this horrific time as they sort out all many things that must be done in this situation. Bring the right people to the side of all our colleagues, comfort those who grieve, strength those working in the background, and shower your mercy and grace upon all of them. There really are no words; there is only Your presence.

The funeral will be at our seminary on Saturday.

All of our days are truly numbered. Our hope is in You dear Lord. Amen.

Dave & Ann

“In Christ alone, my hope is found” from the song by Keith Getty and Stuart Townsend

Cheedee & Nauhnee

I can't remember if I've shared this photograph or not. It rates in the top 10 of my favorite photographs here. Meet Milca Mabel. She is all dressed up for her uncle's wedding in a place called Xipamanine. She is being held by a family friend (Amelia) in the small pathway that leads to her Uncle's house and the place where the wedding party was held. If you go sideways, two people can pass in this little passage way.

Milca was born just before we arrived in Mozambique and we have had the great fortune to be a part of her and her parents lives. She comes running to us when we see her and she has given us nick-names that have filtered all through the church, so we are often called these names by others. It is because she couldn't say our names when she was first learning to talk and so 'Duhvee' (David in portuguese) became Cheedee and 'Ana' became Nauhnee. We love her like she was our very own and sometimes I think she is the one who draws us up to Mocuba (where she lives) as much as anything else!

In this picture, you can see the little bit of mischief in her eyes! I took it after we had been kidding each other.

Precious precious girl and my eyes tear to think about not seeing her over furlough!

Cheedee

"Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren,..." De 4:9

Fabio

I think the important part of the work we do is the work that people don’t see and don't have numbers associated with it. I think this is the same in your life as well. We have a relationship with a young man named Fabio who is a ‘grass cutter’ for a living. By a grass cutter, I mean that he takes a hand scythe and swings it back and forth and back and forth all day long. He does a few other things, like trim the incredible thorn hedges that people have here and are constantly puncturing our tire sidewalls, but in general he cuts grass. At the end of the month, he will make something on the order of 2200 mtn, which is equivalent to about $60 dollars US. With this income, he has a small house, a family, and somehow he makes it all work. He is a precious man who is active in his church and has a real love for the Lord.

He came to us the other day needing to go north because the police had summoned him. His sister’s daughter had had a baby in a town north of here and abandoned the baby. His sister is dead, and he is the next of kin. So, the police somehow figured out who went with the baby even though the mother had vanished. The communities here are very strong (see my entry on umbunto) and there really are very few secrets.

So he and his wife go north to get this baby, but wait, there are legal issues involved and his wife must stay in jail (for the family) until this is all worked out. Can you imagine being in jail by proxy!

So, we end up trying to help him think this all through and helping a little with some of the finances involved for travel and the like. After the process grinds through the system, he now has this beautiful baby girl (weeks old) that he is now responsible for. Many here like to say there are no true orphans in Mozambique, and this would be an example of why. The other confusing thing is that if a child has only one parent, they are also considered and called orphans. But of course the reality is that there are a lot of orphans, street kids, and the like, but for the most part, the community has a pretty good handle on who goes with who. I know of one lady who has six or seven ‘orphans’ in her house but in reality they are all children of her children or grandchildren or her brothers and sisters and their extended families. Orphans in a sense, but not in another.

So, here he is with this new baby, making $60 / month, and a can of formula costs about $8 and lasts less than a week. But the community steps in and people help and he is considered actually quite well off because at least he has a job. Other mothers will help nurse the baby, help care for the baby – it all becomes a part of community. So, we pray for God’s provision for this family. We pick up formula when we go to the store to try and help out where we can but not to enslave in some sort of dependent creating post colonial way. Ann helps with health issues, medicines where indicated, and general counsel. We supply some mosquito nets and when we can think of a small job around that he can do for a few extra dollars, we hire him. But we can’t just roll in with physical and financial aid. The system he lives in works well and he is one precious soul of so many who’s lives touch ours. He stood with me this morning praising God for how He is answering his prayers and provision. What a better picture when someone looks to God as their answer, and not the mission, the missionary, the aid agency, or the man with the money. God is able to use all of us to live in community, but what a delicate balance it all is.

I think we are walking in this balance a little better than when we first arrived. Our prayer is that we can turn people’s eyes towards God as their provider and nowhere else. He owns it all anyway no matter how hard we try to hold on to the material things that choke the very life out of us,\; it is all his.

Yesterday as I was in the city, I saw a different young man I know driving a three-wheel cart (small taxi) with a couple in the back and he waved vigorously at me when I passed. We have had a tough relationship with this particular young man because he always wanted handouts but not to work. We have gone around and around with him about how he needs to work to provide for his family, especially considering he had some reasonable qualifications for getting work! Wow, He is actually working – maybe he is really starting to look to God as his provider. Maybe all the counsel, prayer, and in a certain sense, pain that he caused us is paying off. Thank you Lord!

Last week, Fabio twisted his ankle quite badly. He limped to our door in great pain convinced that he had broken his foot. Ann examined him, in conjunction with our friends who serve with the International Mission Board (IMB). Ann determined that it wasn’t broken and we rounded up some crutches we had, gave out the magic ibuprofen tablets for the pain and swelling, wrapped him up, iced it, and our friends drove him to his nearby home. It’s not good when a grass-cutter can’t cut grass.

Of course his ankle swelled up and despite Ann’s instruction, he went to the clinic, where they told him the same thing. He came back today much better and again praising God for how well he was recovering. We had a great theological discussion and we always enjoy his visits. He sells small plants on the side and we have his plants all around the outside of our house.

So, another lesson on our small amount of faith that God grows into a mighty work. This baby is lucky to be in Fabio’s house. She will receive love, care, and careful nurturing by a family who is not distant from their creator. She will learn of Fabio’s humility and trust in God, and see first hand how God truly does provide; because He cares for us.

I will miss Fabio over the next year, along with all the other dear Mozambican friends we have made. The grief cycle is incredible. We grieve our family and friends in the States when we leave there, and we grieve our family and friends when we leave here. This is a crazy way to live and maybe that is part of why statistics say 70% of missionaries returning from Africa are suffering from some sort of post-traumatic stress. Maybe it is just never-ending grief!

With much love this beautiful day.

Dave & Ann

“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” 1 Peter 5: 6-7

More on Language

Lately it seems I've been asked to preach on Sundays. I always squirm with this mainly because of my language. It seems the more I learn and understand Portuguese, the more aware I become of how badly I speak! Yet, somehow, God blesses it and I am able to say things that I wouldn't be able to in normal conversation which to me is a miracle every Sunday morning! It is quite a process as I generally need to type out what I feel God has put on my heart in English, and then after I'm relatively satisfied with that, I prepare the same text in Portuguese. Then, I study the Portuguese, practice pronounciation, and continue to refine it using words I think I'll remember on Sunday. And then there is always the shortening process, which is necessary because I always have someone translating into the local language as well, so any sermon takes twice as long. I'm also aware that the translator will wing it if he doesn't know what I said, and that can be a problem as sometimes what you meant to say gets all scrambled up, as has happened to me in the north a time or two. In the south, there are usually enough multi-language speakers that the translator has to stay on-track because there are enough checkers in the audience.

And then, you pray much, and when it is time to speak, you set the notes aside, and what comes out of your mouth is what comes out of your mouth! I still struggle with wanting to throw in English connecting words and conjunctions, but we've come a long ways. I always watch Ann as I can tell by her expressions how it is going and she always is there to encourage me along.

It was Pentecost Sunday and we had fun walking through the story in Acts and while talking to the children, we again played with matches and candles. I was surprised at the seemingly unfamiliarity with this special day in the history of the church. Some call it the birthday of the church because of the significance of the event. We continued the theme for the morning and I praise God for his graciousness covering my language limitations. This morning, we returned to the same church and a man approached me requesting a meeting with me and the Pastor to talk about what I had said, as he feels he needs to make some changes in his life. If one life is changed, it is all worth it!

But then, we met a young couple Saturday morning in their mid 20's. They were new missionaries here who spoke Portuguese fluently. We asked them where they learned to speak so well, and they said that it took them a long time (they were dead serious!) and had spent 3 months in Portugal taking language 3 hours a day, and that's where they learned. So, here we are at 4 years, not speaking nearly as well as this young couple. Oh to have the gift of language and be young again! How I wish I'd taken language learning more seriously in my 20's!

After church today, we spent the afternoon with a young couple who recently married. We had to miss their wedding and so enjoyed sitting with them and looking at their photographs. We ate together and they returned the wedding dress we had loaned them, thanks to dear supporters who have generously provided them. They are precious people who are making a difference in their community and at their places of employment. And, some friends stopped by while we were there and there was quite a spirited discussion of the upcoming world-cup soccer games in South Africa and which teams are the most favored. People love soccer here and true fans are wearing plastic bracelets in the color of their favorite team.

We also have some dear missionary friends who are leaving to return to the states and who will not be returning to Mozambique on their next term. We have been helping them pack and prepare some, with it bringing back our own memories of leaving the States. They have moved out to where we live, staying in our guest house, and they go in one week. We hate to see them go as they have been faithful friends here. But, that is the world we live in now - people come and people go...

My side project of renovating a guest house on the property where we live has been doing wonders for me. The one photo is of the outside - the left unit is renovated and use and we are working on the right side now. It is a simple block structure with an asbestos roof. I enjoy the physical labor and have been doing various repairs, installing a drop-ceiling, electrical work, fixing cracks in the cement, and generally trying to get it ready for use before we leave. It will provide more housing for teams and guests and needed some updating to make it more live-able. Ann took this photo of working in the space.

"For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has wrought through me to win obedience from the Gentiles, by word and deed..." Ro 15:18 (what a challenge this verse is!)

"...but no human being can tame the tongue - a restless evil,m full of deadly poison" James 3:8

"For he that would live life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile..." 1 Pe 3:10

Message from Home

It's not often you have visitors from home! This photograph is of Ann and Kate, a student at Grove City College, who was serving for a week here in Maputo with another ministry. We had tried repeatedly to try and steal her away for a little bit but they had those students on a very tight schedule and wouldn't let us near. Finally they let Kate know we were trying to contact her and she was allowed to call and we arranged to meet at the Saturday Market in Maputo. We had about five minutes with her, which was precious before the bus full of students was wisked away to their next destination.

Ann didn't want to let go of her hand as she loaded onto the bus and just about lost her hand in the bus door as it drove off! There were some watery eyes on our parts as the bus drove away. Kate is flying back to the States as I write this.

In the background is an old fort (in the few hundreds AD - I don't remember exactly) and you can see a bit of the Saturday Market to the right. You don't see their feet because they were basically standing in trash!!

This dear student is from our home church and it was so good to see her, even if only for a few minutes. It was like a message from home; a hug from PCBC.

Thanks for coming to Mozambique Kate! May God use your experiences here in wonderful ways! You can't know what a joy it was for us to see you again.

Dave & Ann

"A friend loves at all times...." Pr 17:17

Haiti Assistance - Earthquake

While we were traveling back to Mozambique, we learned of the terrible earth quake in Haiti. Regardless of what country this kind of event occurs in, it should move our hearts to compassion as 'except by the grace of God go I....'. But despite that, it especially tugs at our hearts because we first became involved with OMS through a dear friend who went to Haiti to serve for a year, our daughter has served in Haiti, we have missionary friends in Haiti, and our mission has extensive work and many missionaries in Haiti, including a radio station, seminary, hospital, churches and the like. Friends of ours who have been to both countries (Mozambique and Haiti) say that they are very similar, from culture to construction techniques differing mainly in the language spoken.

So, it is with heaviness of heart that we watch these events in Haiti. OMS has established a specific project number for the relief efforts in Haiti. OMS has people on the ground now and is one of the conduits for assisting with this incredible disaster. Every little bit helps, no amount is too little, no amount is too much:

There are fundamentally two ways for you to help the people of Haiti through OMS:

1. Go to www.omsinternational.org. Follow the link on the Haiti Earthquake story and make your donation on the secure link. It connects directly to the Haiti Relief project number: 405120.

2. Write your check to OMS with "Haiti Relief 405120" on the memo line. Mail to:

OMS-Haiti Relief
P.O. Box A
Greenwood, IN 46142-6599

Help.

Dave & Ann
Mozambique

"But you, beloved, .... keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion....." Jude 1:20-22

Mail

Just a short note. Yesterday we received a letter here in Maputo postmarked out of Pittsburgh PA on February 9, 2008. We received it, let's see, that would be about 19 months after it was sent. The envelope is properly addressed with a beautiful 90 cent stamp from the USA and a big sticker that says "United States Postal Service; PAR AVION AIRMAIL". I think it must have ended up in Amelia Earhardt's mail bag, or Gilligan's boat.

It contained Ann's Registered Nurse license renewal form. Opps! However, not to worry, our dear friends who sent it to us had also emailed us so Ann had renewed on-line and we've since received the license - although we did go through some racing heart beats as we checked all this out (do you think we forgot to renew your license!!!). It all turned out ok.

So, if you don't hear from us right away on something, please consider skyping us or emailing us or even coming in person! We're not ignoring you on purpose - heh heh! ;-)

Blessings!

Dave & Ann

"But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." 2 Peter 3:8

"the mail always gets through...." USPS

Rick and Crystal are here

One of the delights we have is when friends come to visit. Today, we picked up Rick and Crystal, friends of ours from Idaho, at the airport. They are here to work with Habitat for Humanity and we are thrilled to have them here a few days before their assignment to show them around. We have done alot of talking tonight trying to catch up. Rick and I worked together for many years and I have always counted him as a good friend. It is our joy to show them the work and have them in our home!

As an aside, we broke down and bought a gas-powered generator for our house. Our power outages seem to becoming more and more frequent and they are lasting for longer and longer times. It seemed prudent so we can continue to function with the things we are responsible for and it will pay for itself quickly at the present rate in food we lose in the freezer. The infrastructure is so fragile here. It's not a huge generator but sufficient for lights, electronics, freezer / fridge.

"Ointment and perfume delight the heart, And the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by hearty counsel." Proverbs 27:9

Projects

There are two projects we are working on that we’ve been consuming our minds with lately. One is the Mocuba Ministry Center and the other the property we are currently living on. I’ll post the words first but then switch computers to try and upload some photographs.

Mocuba Ministry Center

We have bought a nice piece of property outside of Mocuba for a ministry center that will provide classrooms for training Mozambican pastors and church leaders, a well for community water, a small house for our country coordinator as we need a presence on the property, a bath house, and student dormitories as when people come in for training, we need to be able to house them. We have received our construction permits from the local government and they are excited to have us there. It is such a difference from trying to do things in the city here relative to bureaucracy and road-blocks. To date, we have minimized missionary involvement in the project and I think that has been a part of the success as well. Juka gave me copies of the construction permits and we are ready to go. We have about $30,000 for the first phase which should get us the well, the first classroom building, and a small house and I hope a fence of sorts around the property. The classroom building is basically the same as what we built at T-3 for the pre-school (at around $14,000). Belarmino is planning to be our construction supervisor and thinks he can complete the first phase in three to four months. We need additional funding (another $30,000) to finish the overall plan, but we can at least secure the land by building on it and start using the training building. Eventually this will morph into a seminary extension site! This is exciting stuff! Project Number: 407680 - Mocuba Ministry Center

Boa Nova Property

Another idea we have is buying this piece of property we are living on. Rents in Mozambique for missionaries are escalating at an unbelievable rate and the mission has paid so very much out in rent here in Mozambique over the years with nothing to show for it asset-wise. This beautiful piece of property we are living on may be for sale early next year. It has its own electrical sub-station, a good well, six modest houses, a church building, two dormitories with a bath house, a ministry center, a pre-school building, and an out-building. One of the houses has two mirror-image apartment units that we use for guest housing at the current time. We can rent the housing to missionaries (including ourselves) to pay for the property and building assets in-country in the process. We can house teachers, do medical work out-of it, host teams, and use teams to help us re-furbish the buildings and facilities. We can experiment with micro-enterprise projects (animals, chicken farms, agriculture, and the like). We get extremely exited about the possibilities but as in all things, it takes money. We haven’t opened a project for this yet although we are feeling that this is the direction we should go. It’s around $250,000 in price, which is truly a bargain and by charging rent on the six houses, we can easily pay this off on an ongoing basis. In addition, there are basically two roads into the city; one is very good and the other is being re-worked, so this area will continue to grow as access to the city is quite good and for us, access to our rural churches is quite good. It would provide great stability to the OMS work here. Pray with us about this potential opportunity.

As an aside, Bruce and Mabel left on the bus for South Africa early this morning to begin their journey home. We stopped along the side of the road in Matola, waiting for the large buses that are headed to South Africa. First the City Bus stopped, but that was not for us. Then came the Greyhound bus, but that wasn’t it either. Then came the Intercape bus – the right one, but it flew right past us and then disappeared down a side street in front of us. The four of us, suitcases in hand, ran after the bus, following it down a side street to another street, into a parking lot – where we barely made it before they loaded it and headed off. We said a hasty good buy as they headed to the upper level for good seats from which to enjoy the ride to Nelspruit, South Africa. We’ll know for next time where this bus stops.

We will put our car in the body shop on Wednesday to have it repaired. Our neighbor has agreed to ferry us to the shop and back at which time we will sit tight until it is ready. This is finally to get the damage repaired from our accident on June 1, when a man hit us on his first day with a driver’s license. It has taken this long for the insurance carrier to clear everything. The damage is rusting quite a bit so it will be nice to have this all fixed although we really don’t know how long it will take. I’d guess a couple of days, but that might be optimistic….We believe it to be a reputable repair shop and know others who have had repairs done there.

Last night, Raul and Felda came over to visit with Bruce and Mabel and ended up staying for dinner. It was nice to spend some time with them and to hear about all their cultural struggles as they try to finalize their wedding. They have had to put their wedding off once again until May of next year. They are both trying so hard to do the right thing but the cultural barriers are huge. They are a lovely couple with bright futures. Felda is finishing her university thesis. Raul is looking for work because the Non-Government Organization (NGO) he works for replaced their top man and his first action was to fire everybody (how to make friends and influence enemies!). I had to laugh because the Labor Laws here are very much in favor of the employee and this new man has just painted a big bulls-eye on himself and the Ministry of Labor will come quite quickly as soon as the first employee complains. In the mean-time, Raul is trying to get work with other NGOs and we are confident he will land something quickly - he has several interviews lined up already. He has lots of experience, a good education, and God's hand is on his life. As it turns out, Raul was the only one who did not complain to the Ministry of Labor and the new manager was impressed by this and called to ask him to please come re-apply. Raul isn't so sure....

Tomorrow is a baby dedication at the Picoco church.

Dave & Ann

“The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and a good report makes the bones healthy.” Proverbs 15:30

Diary Entry

Our Village Church Planting coordinator (Abel) just returned from a week in Gaza and Inhambane provinces where he was working with the fledgling young churches in that area. He visited each church planter/pastor to encourage them and the church, conduct training, and do baptisms. It was a challenge because there were a series of deaths that diverted a couple of the churches he needed to meet with; a sad comment on what is reality here. He came back encouraged and we continue to pray about who we might send from our National church to further the work in this area. Pastor Abel is so faithful to travel back and forth each month to train and encourage the churches in that area.

Late last night we received a text from one of our Pastor/Trainers, Nelio, that he was a proud papa of a baby girl. Mom and daughter are doing very well for which we are thankful. We look forward to seeing this precious new life in a very few days.

Today, Ann took Aimee out to the Khongolote women's meeting and that gave Aimee an opportunity to explain her passion for minstry and her plans to eventually relocate into a community in the northern provinces. In the interim, she is hoping to live with a family from one of the churches to accelerate her language learning (she already speaks excellent Portuguese) and accelerate her cultural learning. Our plan is to take her north on a survey trip in early October to introduce her to the work and church leaders in the northern provinces as well as introduce her to the various contacts and "how to's" of travel into that area. We really look forward to it as it will have been quite a few months since our last trip north and we feel strongly that it is our job to help her get where God has called her to work. I've actually lost track but this will be our fifth or sixth trip north.

I stayed home while Ann and Aimee went to Khongolote to work on the mountain of admin that has been accumulating, making some progress. I was also working on a report I need to complete and that is always an encouraging process because it causes me to look back and to look forward and through that process we cannot help but be reminded that it is God's work, not ours, and that he has been faithful in so many things. As they traveled, Ann was giving directions on the twists and turns on the sand roads and apparently missed one. (She forgot the right turn past the big tree with the big knobby growth on the trunk). She took what we call "kentucky windage" and found her way to the church a new way. Way to go girl! She's acclimated. The only difference is that she did ask for directions at one point, something a guy would never do! But that is also probably why I've been lost for longer periods of time than her! ;-)

Two nights ago, we were surprised by a call from a young missionary couple we know from the Xai-Xai area who were passing through and needed a place to stay. We absolutely love this young couple and their two-year old son and they are always so encouraging for us to be around - you know, the kind of friends where you can let your guard down and relax. We have alot in common relative to our love for Mozambique, interests, and what strategies make sense to us - we just have fun when we are together. We have also watched how God has so blessed the things they are doing in Xai Xai and we love their common sense approach to life. I'm also just crazy about their little guy - he calls us Grandma and Grandpa. We were actually feeling a little discouraged about some things and it was as if God said, "not to worry, I'm sending the Helms to you" and after one evening and morning with them we were back on track. Because of some road construction near us, we are having to use alternate routes and so we guided them from our house across the sand track roads to the national highway, waving goodbye as they headed north and we headed south to the city. We feel very connected to this couple because of being able to see them in the hospital in South Africa literally hours after their baby was born, but that is a "whole other story". I write all this to just thank God for the blessings He provides at those times when we most need it. But, you would have to have heard our heart-felt prayers that morning to truly understand...He does answer.

Tomorrow we need to run in to pay for a sign we're having put on the seminary so people know what it is. Xavier has arranged for some graphic students to do it - pretty cool. However, I'm wondering if we have the right permit! Gulp! And, we need to work on our field plan update - I started today but just didn't make quite the progress I'd expected. That happens.

Love to all of you.

Dave & Ann

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." Pr 17:17