More on Wells; Some Sad News

This week, a three-man team arrived from OMS International to review our Every Community for Christ (ECC) work and talk with our ECC teams. It has been our joy to take them around and introduce them. Their first day here was interesting as the morning we were to go to the airport, the well-drilling people called and said 'we're passing through Maputo and need to see the locations where you want to drill water wells'. We're to go to the airport late morning for our team and wondering how we will do this. But God already had a plan and one of our national Pastors was in down and available to help us, taking the well-drillers to one location while we got the ECC folks at the airport. We later met up with them at Intaka and we have plans to drill two wells the week of the 22nd, one at Picoco and the other at Intaka. The Picoco one is a bit of a challenge because the soil is a bit rock and they took some sames to analyze at their lab to see if they think they can drill there. The rig they are using is simply a big auger and if there is much rock in the soil, you need a type of drill rig that both drills and hammers, which they don't have. So, we are praying that this is going to work out as to hire the special rig is much much more expensive.

The ECC folks who are here are OMS people who have direct responsibilities for oversight of ECC and we have enjoyed taking them around. Ann and I have reviewed all the details with them and will be discussing more with Juka and Xavier and the team tomorrow. That is also when we will receive a full report on Juka's recent trip north.

The ECC program uses a trainer, who gathers around him 12 to 15 people interested in learning more about the Bible and about planting churches. This begins a three-year discipleship program. Our goal is to have teams in all 10 provinces in Mozambique. When Juka went north, last time, he gathered all the trainers and their students and trained them on how to use the training material, and then turned them loose, thinking the trainers would work with their students. When he returned this time, many of the "church planters" (students) thought because they had been trained, they were also to gather 12 to 15 people around them and start training their students and planting churches and they did. So, what has happened in a few short months is that the trainer is now training 12 to 15 people, who are also on their own training another 12 to 15 more. Of course it isn't 100%, but the number of groups that are studying the Bible and church planting materials has grown beyond our wildest imagination. So, we will be talking more about his tomorrow. So instead of five guys with 12 to 15 people, we have potential for something like 5 times 12 times 12 kind of numbers - it is staggering - and only possible because it is God who is doing this and it is a kind of revival sweeping the land in the north. At the same time, it truly emphasizes the need for more of a teaching presence in the north to work with all these new believers and churches. The harvest is ripe but the workers are few.

We're working on improvements to the administration to get our arms better around the numbers of people involved in our ECC program, which would sound easy but in a land where the communication is all by cell phone, computers are rare, gathering the information can be a challenge. We're on it, however!

We went back out to Picoco this morning and one of our visiting Pastors brought the message, which is always appreciated here. We used our friend Timoteo as a translator and he did his normal great job. Afterwards, the church was dividing up some badly needed clothing that we had brought up to the church last week, clothing gathered from a Youth for Christ drive. The church had many new visitors and it is clearly growing. The Pastor has nearly 25 people he is disciplining right now using our church planting materials. Exciting times every day.

On a much sadder note, we receive word that one of our National Adviser's wife died today from Malaria. Of our four advisers, he is probably the one we have seen the most of outside of quarterly meetings, having been to his house a number of times and having seen him in other settings as well. In fact, we feel quite close to him in a way that is hard to explain - a kind of heart to heart link that happens with some of the people in your life. In our meeting a few days ago he advised us that his wife was sick but she was taking medicine so you kind of assume that everything is well and she will recover - but Malaria is a serious disease and sometimes it doesn't go that way, as in this case. A bright, faithful, and vibrant lady taken to be with the Lord.....So we are grieving today and tomorrow we will visit with the family and are seeking advise from other friends on what our roll should be culturally. We are also very good friends with one of his sons and his wife, who helped us when we first arrived in Mozambique and who we have remained close to. Very tough and a wake up call - take precautions, spray the house regularly, use repellents. Malaria is a horrible, insidious, diabolical, and deadly disease that is the number one killer here.

"And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted...."" Mark 5:1-3

Picoco Sunday

We're having a bit of trouble getting photos to upload to our blog - mainly because our Internet speed is just too slow here to accommodate photos very well.  So, unfortunately until we figure it out, we will not be able to post photographs for a while.

Sunday we went out to Picoco for church and did a short video clip that will be used in a DVD being prepared for use at the OMS Northeast Conference.  We only did one-take, which is a concern as in other video's I've done, it always takes many many clips.  I hope it turns out ok - I didn't say all I wanted to say but when you only have 30 seconds to a minute, what can you really say anyway!  We love going to this church which is so full of joy.  This people are very very poor in this area but they worship with a joy that can only come from knowing God.  

Church was great and we had a small time to share with this new congregation and enjoyed introducing Larry and Susan who came along to get the video footage and see where this church was located.   We especially enjoyed two wonderful songs performed by all the children.

When they announced in church that we expected to start drilling a well on September 22, there was a great cheer that w

ent out and the older ladies did their clicking sounds that are common here as a show of appreciation.  It was quite moving and it will make a big impact on life at the church and in the community.

On Monday, we helped Pastor Nelio and his wife move to a small house relatively near the church that will eliminate his three-hour one-way commute that he has been making faithfully for many months now as he has developed this small church and started his training program.  His new house is very very near a large mosque and we pray that this does not prove to be a problem for him.   We also took out quite a bit of clothing that had been gathered by Youth for Christ workers and Nelio will distribute them among the church. 

What a thrill to make a little bit more progress for the Kingdom.   Juka called us yesterday and was overflowing with joy about the work in the north and we look forward to his report.  He returns Friday and our ECC leadership team from the States arrives Saturday as our ECC shepherd turns over his responsibilities to our new ECC shepherd.  It will be a busy week but it is always a pleasure to show off the amazing things God is doing here.

Lastly, we are really being challenged with electrical problems here.  First the power is on and off all the time, enough we had to discard food because of loss of refrigeration.  And when we take a shower, we've had a small tingle from the faucets, which we recently replaced. When the water is flowing, you get a small shock.  We have checked our house and the water heaters and nothing seems to be wrong with them.  However, last night, I got more than a slight jolt in the shower, just a down-right hard shock.  I had to turn the water off with insulated pliers.  Now, I think most of you know that water and electricity don't mix.  I searched around this compound we live on and found a place where an electrical ground rod and been stolen and the ground wire was just hanging.  I fixed this, but got a very strong current going to ground, which doesn't seem right either.  So, we continue to chase this electrical problem but unfortunately, finding a good electrician who really understands is quite a challenge.   So, we will see what tonight's shower brings - one of our African friends had the solution - of course, you simply get some rubber insulated sandals to wear in the shower - that will allow you to live with it - I don't think so!  The photo is of the deadly shower complete with water stains (it is clean, it really is!).  (Late edition - the ground wire fix seemed to resolve the problem! or at least for the past couple of days - I made a late change to add photos!)

Thank you for standing with us!

Dave & Ann

Wells

Great news today - the well drilling folks have given us dates - we will be drilling wells at Picoco and Intaka the weeks of September 22 - 24. We've been delayed for different reasons, such as equipment problems, and so we are getting closer. We are very excited to get these projects going and look forward to seeing what God will do through this project so generously supported by so many of our friends. Thank you! Sorry for the delay, but things just don't always move as fast as we would like here. Every day we have to take a deep breath and say 'we aren't in Kansas any more!' (for your Wizard of Oz fans) as things move differently - not better, or worse, just differently but almost always slowly.

One of our new church planters has run into some governmental bureaucracy problems. We gave him a letter documenting that he was one of our OMS folks and that we were registered with the government. The officials in this new province did not accept this standard letter that has always worked before and want certified copies of all our registration paperwork. We will be sending it up with the family member of one of our church folks who is visiting this weekend (which is a holiday weekend in Mozambique). So, pray for Jose Carlos as he is getting a little bit of push-back from the local officials as he initiates a bible study. This is a 'first' for us and we think it is probably just a particular local official but there will be more to come. Pray with us as this government things can sometimes be quite a challenge, as we found with the T-3 preschool.

The Irish team has come and gone and they built an amazing playground area, complete with a mural at our T-3 church as we continue to work towards re-opening our pre-school. Many from the church turned out to help the team prepare the area, move debris, paint the mural, and install the playground equipment. Even neighborhood people not associated with the church came to help because it was great fun for everyone. We praise God for this wonderful team (called the 'heart-beat team') who came prepared and simply implemented, doing drama, bible teaching, children's ministries, and playground construction. Thank you Lord.

Tonight the wind is just howling and the dust is everywhere - coming into the house through every crack in the doors, windows - I just pray our church people with reed homes can weather this terrible wind storm. One of our leaders came to the house tonight for a meeting with us and told us this was characteristic of wind before a big rain - so we will see. It is very hot some rain would truly be a blessing as it is so very dry. We just today finished repairing some holes in our roof, so a big rain will provide a good 'leak-check'. There has been so much wind and incredible amounts of dust and debris in the air - I checked the air filter on the car and it was way plugged and I hadn't changed it all that long ago. The new filter was about $75.00 USD - that will get your attention but we have to have them. This new one I bought is one I can supposedly wash off and re-use up to three times - what a clever idea! Many people install these snorkel assemblies that pull air from way high about the level of your roof to help reduce the dust intake - it is something I am thinking about because so much of our time is spent on dirt roads. It also helps when you are fording deep streams but if I'm in that deep - something isn't right, now is it! Like Ann would say - it is a car, not a boat!

Yesterday we made a quick run to Nelspruit, South Africa to check our mail drop and purchase some supplies we can't get here. I got a couple more tools as I build my inventory (and I use them often!) so we can keep things going. This has been made possible by a very generous gift from some Sunday Schools at our home church and what a blessing where you have to really use ingenuity sometimes to fix things - but I learned from my nuclear power days, you can fix most anything with tuck tape and plastic! Now, if I could just find that nuclear-grade tape...The border crossing was quite pleasant for the second time in a row as the two countries work to make the process a little more efficient. I always offer the Customs inspectors a coke, as we usually pick up a load of groceries while we are in South Africa. They always enjoy that and it provides an opportunity to talk with them - some of them are starting to remember us for this small act of kindness. It is a way to open a door.

We had a long conversation with a young man today whom we care deeply about. Without going into the very long story, he had been offended by a decision we had to make last year that he did not agree with. The long and the short of it is that what offended him most was that we just didn't spend enough time in relationship with him during that time. It is so important in this culture to just spend time. As we drive back home at night, we see lots and lots of people moving about - and what they are doing is visiting the people they know as it is the networks that people build through relationships that keep things working here. Tremendous networks that people spend incredible amounts of time developing. That is a lot different than the Western "get it done, now" approach we know so well where the relationship is often the last thing that is considered. Our visit by a National leader tonight was just that - building relationships. We continue to learn as God teaches us every day. It is only through Him that we can do anything here - may He alone receive the glory.

Dave & Ann

"And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world." John 12:47

New Church Planting Team

This morning I got up very early to take one of our new church planters to the bus stop.  Over the weekend we had helped three of our new church planters to transport their needed supplies from the city to Khongolote in preparation for the journey north.   So I'm up at 4 am this morning and driving in the dark to Khongolote to get Basilio and take him to the bus-stop, which amounts to a rotunda area with buses crammed in everywhere, each bus an independent operator, and what would appear to be mass pandemonium.  But we've learned the system and we drove into the chaos and found the right bus, unloaded the material, negotiated the tickets, and loaded the bus, and I was home by 645.  Not bad - we will probably be doing it again tomorrow or the next day as we have another fellow going north but he needs to resolve a banking problem today (his new ATM card isn't working and that is how we get money to him in the north).  

So, exciting times for us as we send one more team out to reach the country for Christ.  As we drove in, he told me about the special commissioning service for him Sunday at Khongolote - his sending church.  He is their missionary (like so many of our church planters that seem to come out of this vibrant church), going north to start a new work in the Gaza province.   Basilio is one of the guys I've always had a hard time understanding and he me, but we're getting used to each other and this morning did pretty well.  I would prefer that I adjust to them vice the other way around, but I organize the sentences differently still - I spent some time Saturday helping another missionary from the States with some electrical issues, and found him a good electrician.  He speaks Portuguese quite well and I understood him perfectly and so did the Electrician.  But then he explained to me that the reason I understood him was that most Western folks who learn Portuguese, organize their sentences the same way because Portuguese is not their heart language - and that is a lot of the understanding.    For example instead of saying:

The water pump is not working and we think it is because their is a short to ground, we would need to say something like: "the pump of water is not to work and we think because ground of short to exist".  Or something like that....

I didn't take pictures at the bus stop and probably should have, but it was quite crowded where we were and I was a bit reluctant to whip the camera out in that setting - wouldn't want my camera to 'run away' into the crowd.  

Dave

Update on CAM School Upgrades

Just a short note - last week we had an inspection of the security upgrades at our Christian School.  We've been doing security upgrades under a US Embassy re-imburseable program.  Ann and I had prepared the bid package for this last year and the proposal was approved while we were back in the States at the OMS conference.  I felt bad because although I had done the pre-work, cost-estimates, etc., I dumped the actual work on another missionary as we were Stateside when all of this needed to be started.  

The work has gone very well and the Embassy personnel were very pleased with how far we had stretched the dollars and with the quality of the work (our friend Belarmino did most of the work).  The Embassy folks had a few additional things they thought we should do since we are a tad under budget, but those are small things that should be completed in the next week or two.  The changes aren't real obvious but they are important - a film on the windows to prevent glass from flying around in the event of an explosion near the school, an improved fence that is more difficult to cross, video cameras to monitor the perimeter, improved locks and gates, an intercom system, and immediate communication with the Embassy.  Good things that we praise God we were able to take advantage of for the benefit of our students and staff.

This picture is during the inspection in the parking area / basketball area adjacent to the building.   

Blessings this day.

Dave & Ann