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>Welp, today is Tuesday July 3rd and tomorrow morning >at 5am Shantell and I hit the road with a team of 10 >others from the church we’re working with, in order to >travel the final leg of our journey, Mission : >Mozambique . Located on the Southeast coast of Africa >and about 1,000 km from the island nation of >Madagascar (please tell me you’ve seen the movie), it >is the poorest nation in the world (according to >Pastor Harry ). If it is no longer officially the >poorest nation in the world it remains one of the >poorest. They have the most extreme climates of either >droughts or flooding and malaria is very bad there. >Thankfully, though, it is winter now and the >mosquitoes won’t be as bad, although we’ve been told >that they’re pretty relentless any time of year. We >are going to Chokwan, Mashishe, Inhambane >(pronunciation: unknown), all very rural areas of the >country, Mashishe being the most rural. We’ll be >working and living among Portuguese speaking Muslims >and traditional ethnic people, as well as those who >follow no religion in particular but just live life. >We’ll be doing pretty much the same stuff we did in >Swaziland so check that e-mail if you want a recap. >(so crazy that that was almost two months ago!) > >The other day I read in Proverbs 24:32-- “I applied my >heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from >what I saw,” and given the amount of time we’ve been >here and the true journey it’s been, I think that >verse fits quite nicely….but there’s still more to be >gleaned. Also, the border post can be very difficult, >we’ve been told, b/c Mozambique ’s government is >really corrupt. They can make us sit for hours if they >want b/c we won’t bribe them to get through the >border. We’re also bringing two trailers full of >clothing and canned goods for the people and the >border guards really like to hassle us for that (both >just b/c they can, and also b/c many people come to >the border claiming their goods are for humanitarian >work, when in actuality they sell them when they make >it across). Knowing all of th is, please pray >accordingly for us. > >Now, what have we been up to since I last wrote? I can >hardly remember when that was… Actually, we’ve done a >ton of low-key stuff b/c the strike has still been on. >It actually just ended July 1st with the government >and union officials in a deadlock! The union had to >accept the final offer of a 7.5% wage increase…..no >one is really happy. The whole reason they went on >strike (and spent an entire month off of work w/ no >pay!) was to get their annual 6% increase doubled to >12% but they only ended up with 7.5%. Basically, the >government goes on getting boatloads of cash while the >people get nothing. Percentages put me to sleep, >though, so let’s talk about something else. > >Shantell and I went to a huge game park again and we >saw lions, elephants, zebras, giraffes, buffalo etc. >etc. up close and personal— everything you see on the >National Geographic baby! I have roughly 1 billion >photos. We also went to Amangwe Village , this >incredible safe haven for poor, ill and neglected >people of all ages. The facilities were amazing and >it’s actually a place I would consider working at full >time. We also visited a bunch of orphanages. The kids >there are just starved for love and attention. > >In the midst of other ministry activities such as home >visits and leading “junior youth” meetings too, our >latest endeavor has been VBS, which finishes tomorrow. >We planned this fun Treasure Island theme and >miraculously it came together out of nothingness. Let >me explain: a low key past three weeks all of a sudden >picked up and we left for Monguzi—a very poor, rural >area in south Africa close to the border of >Mozambique—in order to work with a little church >there. While we were gone the Pastor’s wife made us a >huge homemade treasure chest and all this great >islandy stuff. It really created an awesome atmosphere >for the kids—one the two of us could never have done >during this crunch time. God is so cool, how He just >cares about the little stuff. > >Monguzi was amazing too. We had three full days of >activities planned. The church building was too >remotely located for people to walk back and forth for >three days so about 120 people camped out for two >nights to be with us! They rolled out their straw >mats, hung their little satchels and suitcases in >nearby trees and cooked over an open fire with two >HUGE black cauldrons. The first night’s church service >they said, “We were very much beginning to feel >neglected and forgotten. But clearly, if you came all >the way from America we are not neglected.” (!!!) so >amazing. We also camped out and cooked over an open >fire under a dark, cloudless sky and full moon (it >gets dark at 5pm here b/c its winter) —it was >gorgeous!! It was literally a three day s lumber party >w/ over 100 people. Also, I was given the chance to >preach again, which was an awesome experience. >Amazingly the next night’s sermon that followed mine >lined up perfectly with what I preached on! That, of >course, was a crazy new experience for me. I could go >on forever about the kids too but let’s just say >they’re neglected, numerous, poor and beautiful and oh >so curious. > >Please pray for these people as well for several >reasons: they have almost no bibles in their language >(Zulu) so they’re still so uneducated about all things >pertaining to the Lord, it’s culturally expected that >at 16 girls become breeding machines so there are tons >of kids w/ no fathers and so many young mothers and >promiscuous teens, very poor rural education keeps >kids in secondary school until they’re in their 20’s >(we met a 24 year old who was in 12th grade!), and >they’re experiencing any and all effects of >poverty—malnutrition and no medical attention >included. > >New experience after new experience keeps coming our >way and it’s really been such an adventure. We’re no >longer the new cats on the scene b/c a Malaysian >pastor William Vun and his wife came to town for a few >days. They’re great, and it’s been kinda strange and >nice to not be the one observed through every bite of >dinner! > >Also, I’m not normally a super-spiritual person but >many of you may have realized that July 7th, 2007 >(7/7/07) is coming up this Saturday. Given the number >sequence, Christian TV stations and churches have been >talking about how, since the Bible is loaded with >seven references, really significant happenings are >supposed to occur on this day (such as fulfillment of >some long lost deep desires/prayer, healings etc). I’m >doing my best to believe that God’s gonna do some >awesome stuff on that day when we’re in Mozambique so >I hope you do too. Fast, pray, don’t hold back; >whatever you’ve been hoping and believing God for may >just be loosed in the heavens on that day! > >Hope you all are enjoying long summer nights and >barbecues. And I apologize that this e-mail isn’t >nearly as entertaining as it could be. Just give me a >pity laugh or two okay? I will attempt to write when I >return from Mozambique and then I will see all of you >either sooner or later back in the States (sans >Brianna who is in Germany )! Do me a favor and work on >your tan for me b/c I’m certainly not getting one >here! > >Ps. I ate sheep stomach lining at an Indian wedding >about a month ago….yum?

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