Back in the States

Our apologies for not writing.  Much has been happening in our life and in response to some changes in Mozambique, a season of prayer, and an answer to prayer we could not deny, we have returned to the United States.  We had five wonderful years associated with the Mozambique Church Multiplication work but our time in Mozambique has concluded.  It is not what we had expected or planned for, but at the same time, we totally accept this change in direction.

As we noted in our recent email letter, we celebrate the 120 plus churches planted during the five years we were a part of the Village Church Planting (VCP) program in Mozambique.  We rejoice in the 15,000 decisions for Christ coming through that ministry - it was amazing and it was an honor and a privilege to have had a small part in what He is doing in Mozambique.  In March we have 30 village church pastors graduating from the VCP program with others graduating in August.  Our VCP trainers will be moving into new areas under the auspices of the National Church as the cycle of Model, Assist, Watch, and Leave comes to a close for us.

Our national church leaders had a good-bye dinner for us at the seminary before we left, where we were able to share memories with each other.  It was a tearful time for all of us as we have been a part of their lives the last five years; in their homes, praying over their struggles, participating in weddings, funerals, birthday parties, and life in general.  We love them so and it was clear that they loved us.  We have gone knowing full well that they have taught us so much more than we ever brought to them and we rejoice in how God has moved in their lives.  We have learned so much, but the things we have learned were not always the things we expected to learn but rather those things God in His sovereignty knew we needed to learn.  He is good all the time. 

Ann teaching a couple how to monitor their blood pressure

What honored us the most was when the church leaders said that what made us different was that with us they experienced "freedom and liberty".  We felt such joy at that statement - that the trials and tribulations were worth it.  As with our own children - our desire was always to foster independence, not dependence.  We didn't have all the answers but we all had the same Father, who did!  We must seek God alone for the solutions to our difficulties.

Christianity is not a list of rules that you must follow to prove yourself worthy in some fashion.  The Bible teaches us that all of us have fallen short of the glory of God, none of us is righteous, no not one….It is only through His Grace that we are saved, not of works, least any of us might boast.  If it is anything except unmerited favor (Grace), then we would have no hope at all and what we believe would be little more than a clever system of rules that allow some to lord it over others, as the scribes and pharisees did in Jesus‘ time and were called out by him for it.

Yes, our precious church leaders walk with God and hear His voice and who are we to presume we have the answers for their lives?  We can pray together and seek His face together but His counsel will always exceed ours, always.  We firmly believe in the OMS stated vision - to train nationals to evanglize their own country; to equip and release leaders; to plant churches.  We know we leave this vision in the capable hands of the national church leaders.  We remain passionate about the Into-Africa project method for planting church throughout Africa - a model that has generated over 11,000 churches in 10 years.

We have been offered positions in a number of places including other missions, the Into-Africa project, and in our churches.  We are praying over all of this, seeking to know what He would have us do next.   We have targeted the end of the month as the date by which we hope to have clarity as to our ‘what next’.  To that end, we head for OMS headquarters in the morning to review some of the opportunities in front of us.

Thank you for standing with us for this time - we will get back to you very soon on the ‘what next’.  He is in control.

May God continue to bless the church and His work in Mozambique and all those who work to further the gospel in this beautiful country.  May He also bless the seminary students and staff in their new term which began today.

We are currently in Knoxville, Tennessee where one of our daughters lives.  Today we were investigating moving into an apartment - next door to the first apartment we lived in as husband and wife in 1975.  It is a strange world and there is nothing new under the sun.

Blessings all.

“Who among the gods is like you, O Lord?  Who is like you - majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?”  Exodus 15:11

Tropical Storm Dando

  

Mozambique is being challenged by tropical storm Dando.  There has been quite a bit of flooding and the main north - south road (there is only one!) is washed out at the Gaza - Maputo province border.  We have a team from the Wesleyan church trapped here because they were unable to get north to Xai Xai.  The city of Xai Xai is already out of diesel fuel and basic things because the infrastructure of Mozambique is so very fragile.

When we were speaking during our furlough time, I used to say that I could count the times it rained over four years on my two hands.  This year has been quite a bit different!    The good side is the gardens are growing well and we see grass where there has never been grass before.

There is much damage as the sand washes out so easily and roads crumble and cave - disrupting traffic flow.  But people take it in stride, where waiting in a line for hours is, well, just normal.

These photos are of the roads right outside of where we live after the water receded.

This storm is hanging out in the sea between Mozambique and Madagascar and moving so very slowly.  The weather forecasts change hourly.  It reach cyclone speeds for a while but has done lots of damage.  It is a very slight taste of what it must have been like in those terrible floods of 2000 when a series of cyclones whacked Mozambique.

We take weather so much for granted.  But, no matter what happens, we can be sure that God remains on the throne and that nothing happens of which He is not aware.

"You heavens above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; I, the LORD, have created it."  Is 45:8

Into-Africa Year End Summary 2011

The director of the Into-Africa Project, issued the following email summary of the work.  I have a link to this project on the left of our blog.  Mozambique is one of the Into-Africa countries using the Village Church Planting strategy.

I thought you might enjoy his celebratory note of what great things He has done!

"Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Greetings in the Blessed Name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

A year ago, when we sent out the VCP Annual Statistics for 2010, we quoted from Psalm 66 and prayed that the Lord would bring us all to “a place of abundance”.  Indeed, in terms of Village Church Planting, 2011 has seen unprecedented rapidity spring forth in several wildernesses.  The Lord our Redeemer manifests His power, breaks the power of oppressors, and transforms wastelands into harvest fields!

Preliminary reports for the year ending 15^th December 2011 show our VCP Church Registry reporting 1,005,330 members in 16,718 churches across 29 African nations.  The year on year growth in members was 397,503 (65%) while new churches initiated was 7,281 (77%).  Hallelujah!  Our Lord reigns!  It is not by might or power that this disciple making movement occurs, it is the unstinting faithfulness of our God who brings new deliverance attended by an awesome display of His loving kindness. 

   

Yet we must pay tribute to the army of harvesters across Africa who work diligently in these fields; their faith, focus, and faithfulness has made them effective harvesters in the hands of our Heavenly Father.  These labourers have been tested: they know what it is to go hungry, be displaced by war, opposed by fanatics,  have burdens laid on their backs, and men ride over their heads.  Yet they can now claim ‘God is bringing them to a place of abundance’.  (Ps 66:10-12)

We also pay tribute to our many partner denominations who embrace the VCP ministry philosophy; it is primarily the pastoral training component that is central to the church planting and disciple making movements that attracts them to join the VCP movement.  They too help us keep record of the church plants and provide letters verifying our registry statistics.  This verification process has enabled us to weed out errors, and now forms a vital part of our reporting.

To our donors and intercessors, you are vital cogs in these movements, heaven records your faithfulness. God has surely listened and heard your prayers!  Please continue the race with us, you lift our arms up as the battle rages!

Pray with us that 2012 will continue to see an outpouring of God’s Spirit across Africa and indeed to the ends of the earth.  May one million members become as one grain of sand beside God’s ocean of love. 

We look forward in anticipation to what God will do in the year that lies ahead.

In the only cause that counts,

Bruce Bennett,

Executive Director,

OMS South Africa.  " 

Wow and wow!

Dave and Ann

Happy New Year

Church at Sao Damasco

It is amazing that we have passed another New Year’s day in Mozambique.  The years are clicking by way too fast, as I’m sure many of you can attest to in your own lives.  Of course, it really is just an arbitrary day on a man-made calendar not unlike any other, but it provides wonderful opportunity to think about where you have been in the last year and where you might be going in the next!  We are in the midst of such an analysis, proud to have had a small part in the planting of over 120 churches in the past five years and approximately 15,000 decisions for Christ.  What a privilege it has been but there is a change in direction here taking place, and we are sensing that God may soon be moving us in new directions as well.  We look forward to seeing what He will do in the coming year and we seek only to walk in His path for we, like sheep, are far too dense to see the divine picture and plan.

Purchasing Bibles at the Bible League in Maputo

Due to various scheduled times out of our team members, we spent Christmas here in Maputo with two missionaries on short term assignment here (Kyla and Phillip) and with our friends the Brains who are with the International Mission Board (IMB) and preparing to return to the states next week for their own furlough.  Ann hosted Christmas dinner here and everyone pitched in for a traditional meal and my precious wife, who’s love language is ‘gift giving’ had small gifts for all.  

The culture here pretty much closes down mid-December through mid-January, usually due to heat (not so much this year! PTL (so much for global warming)), and many take holiday time.  It is a time of family and friends, but Christmas remains a bit sedate in the churches, where-as ‘all the stops’ are pulled out for Easter.  

Chad, Ann, & Sergio with Solar Jesus Film Equipment

We have re-stocked our church planting supplies, including new Bibles in a newer easy to read Portuguese translation as well as local tribal dialects.  These will eventually find their way to our church planting pastors along with new training materials for children.   In addition, Ann has some translation work in progress translating the OMS human trafficing material into Portuguese for use in our training centers spread throughout the country.  This remains a problem in Mozambique and a South African city right over the border is reported to be a central hub for this kind of activity.  You feel a heaviness when you drive through this town, and it may be because of this horrible sin impacting so many.   In addition, we hope to have the translation of new Village Church Planting Pastor materials underway in the coming weeks.  (Six new manuals have been completed, which will replace the 23 booklets we are currently using and which are difficult for us to obtain and reproduce).  

We are partnering with the Weslyan work in Xai Xai on setting up and using our solar powered Jesus Film equipment.  Chad, shown in this picture with the hat, and his friend Sergio have a sound lab at the Bible College in Xai Xai and can do the requisite computer work to get the Jesus film moved onto the SD cards this equipment uses.  They will make it look easy (the advantages of youth!) and be able to get it into use quickly.  What a joy to partner with like-minded folks reaching Mozambique for Christ.

"Grandma Ann" with Tristen & Jocelyne Helm

While we were in Xai-Xai, we stayed with our missionary friends, Jason and Rachel and enjoyed just spending time with them and kids.  Our lives have been enriched through friendship with this dynamic couple who serve with an organization called Unitas Inteternation.  They have established a fish farm (among other things), where they are growing fish to provide food and funding for the Xai-Xai Bible college.  They also oversee a farm where they have chickens, beef cattle, fruit trees, fruit, and vegatables for sale, with the funding all going to support the Bible College.  Not without challenges, they perservere for the cause of Christ.   I was able to help Jason install a water tank in his attic - a two hour job that took the better part of a day - like all plumbing work!!  I’m not sure how much I really helped, since we had to ‘re-do’ it about three or four times before we got it right!  Isn’t that also par for plumbing work.

The Helms in Xai Xai

Christmas at new "Pic n Pay" in Maputo

Kyla and Phillip, our short termers serving at CAM, have been here since last summer, serving in the Christian School operated by OMS.  They were getting a little stir-crazy with the school down for the holidays, so we took them to South Africa with us to pick up things for the school, check the mission mail, do more eye exams (Ann) this time.  We came back through Kruger Park, (I know, someone has to do it!  ;-)).  We had a delightful time with these precious young people, who have stepped out in faith to see what God might say to them as they serve here in Mozambique.

Some missionaries we knew here who are not coming back to Mozambique, left many things in storage here thinking they would be back by now.  I’ve been spending a few days here and there getting their things ready to ship back to the States.  The hard work is done, although now it is the detail stuff, getting it through customs and the like.  We need to get their stuff shipped, to free up storage space needed by the OMS School.   That has been a joy for this family served many years in Mozambique and partnered with OMS on many occasions.

We’re in the midst of Mango season and the cashew fruits are coming in, so there will be much preparation of cashews in the coming weeks.  I was discussing these things with some Mozambican friends yesterday and there is much tradition associated with the cashew and preparation.  There is the nut and the fruit.  The fruit is used to produce a kind of wine (we saw it on the side of the road while we were traveling to Xai Xai) and there is a cultural memory of killing and eating elephants this time of year as the Cashews come in.  I asked if they had ever eaten elephant, and they said ‘no’ but they have heard the stories and there is supposed to be great power in the eating of elephant and the cashew wine, but they stay away because there is also witchcraft involved in all of this.  Oh Africa, oh Africa, there is such a spiritual darkness that is so much a part of culture…. That explains the stories I also heard in Tenga in 2007, where a lone elephant came through the area to be feasted on……

We wish you a happy new year.  More importantly, we pray that God will reveal himself in new and powerful ways this year.  There is much happening in the world and there is much ‘spin’ on everything you read or hear.  It seems so much like the time of Israel in the time of the Kings, prior to going into captivity; the countries are different, but the stories are the same - rebellion against the Creator and a worshipping of men.  There is nothing new under the sun.

So today, we leave with you what has become our favorite and maybe our life verse from Romans 15:13: 

“May the God of Peace, fill you with all joy and peace, as you trust in Him, so you might overflow with hope, by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  

It’s all about Him - it is not about us.  Overflowing hope comes from trusting He who is always faithful.

Happy and blessed New Year.

Dave and Ann

Mr. Elephant in Kruger Park

Phillip & Kyla

Rya Brain re-arranging our Nativity Scene

James Brain enjoying Christmas in Mozambique

Ann opening presents from her Precious Pearls

 

Ann's (formally Mabel's!) Christmas Tree

World Race

Our friends John Michael and Ashley

The days turn into weeks and the weeks into months, and suddenly you realize you haven't written for a while.  My apologies!

As I started to write this, my dear wife was doing some medical consultation at the door and searching for medicine to help someone.  She pretty much does this in her sleep anymore and has learned the common things here that cause people difficulty.  We brought a fair amount of medical supplies back with us and are going right through them.  She's been doing some on-line nursing things as well to do the requisite training to keep her license current and that has been something she has been enjoying.  She does love the nursing field.

We just returned from a medical trip for a couple of days in South Africa where I got another eye work-up related to the problems last August and a scary high pressure reading a couple of weeks ago and ended up with a clean bill of health for both the eye doctor and our general doctor here, getting some of our prescription meds going again.  On the way back, we got a call from a couple from our home church who were on their way to Mozambique from Cape Town on a bus, and could we host them, and oh by the way, there are 21 of them.  They are participating in a ministry called World Race.  They take a year of their life and travel to 11 countries, working in each one about a month on different ministry assignments.  It actually put a bit of a lift in our step to know we were getting visitors from home!  So, they came in for one afternoon and night and it was our joy to help them find transportation to the north of Mozambique where they were going to work in two different locations.

I took a picture of the license of the bus, just in case!

Ann whipped up a dinner for the 21 young people (something she loves to do) and we had a wonderful time getting to know them.  They are a few months into their journey, having visited China, the Philippines, South Africa, and now Mozambique.  And bright and early in the morning, the bus we arranged actually showed up and off they went with their back-packs to work.  We texted with them on their journey, which took something like 24 hours on what they called "a real African bus".

They told stories of being shook down for money by the border people when they entered Mozambique - that was their first impression, and then while we were arranging for some sort of reasonable transport for them, I made a wrong turn and they got to witness first hand the police corruption, for they took my license and wanted a huge fine.  I admitted fault and knew that the fine was 1000 mtn, but he was insisting on 5000 on the spot.  I had a copy of the law but we were in a hurry and to work your way through this corruption can easily take an hour or two, so I ended up paying 2500 on the spot to get my license back - which of course he wouldn't receipt.  It's the first time since returning I've had to deal with this but it got quite ugly and he was going to keep my license for three months and I wouldn't be able to drive; he kept making different kinds of threats and didn't let up until I finally say that I would just have to leave the country because I couldn't work if I couldn't drive and I would all our workers lose their jobs - is that what you want?  I was willing to pay the fine but he was be corrupt and was damaging his country.  At that, he came to 2500, which in my frustration I paid and went on my way - all right in front of the Mozambique capital building with the flag flying on top.  Then one of the Racers said 'welcome to Mozambique'.  First impressions - you get one chance to make them......  But, I have to admit, I was at fault.....

Anyway, it really was a bright spot to have the racers here and I was able to have some good conversations with several of them, and it is always good to hear how God is working in the lives of His people.

Today we had the joy to participate in a baptism service at one of our churches.  The entire area around the church has been without water for nearly a year and the estimate is the required infrastructure upgrades will be completed by May.  So, the ladies of the church carried water in buckets for nearly a mile to fill a rather large baptismal.  Quite a sacrifice as the people being baptized were from a remote church outside the city and were using the facilities of one of our larger city churches.

I don't think I will ever get used to the length of services (3 hours for this one), but that is one of the big cultural differences I've spoken of before - Americans have watches and Mozambicans have time.  They asked me to speak a word of encouragement at the end, which was my privilege, and a great homework assignment to work with my Portuguese teacher.  

That's probably enough for tonight.  I have many things on my mind to write but need to think them through a bit more before I write them up!

Thank you for standing with us.

We just issued our monthly and quarterly church planting reports and continued to be amazed at what God is doing throughout this beautiful country.  We have just received news that we have our first 4th Generation church planted!

Dave and Ann

May we all be able to say:

  "I have fought the good fight, I have completed the race.  I have kept the faith."  2 Timothy 4:7