Bon Dia!
3 Saturdays ago Iris Harvest School 11 graduates began departing for their home countries and for their missions in this next season. Some of us prepared to leave for the bush and some prepared for other extended outreaches in all different parts of Africa!! Change was in the midst! I was amongst a group of 35 Mission School Students and 15 Mozambicans, pastors, cooks, mamas etc. And we set off for a 10 day trip through the Nampula province...All I can say is that we were scheduled for 10 days, we went 11, and it was one of the toughest things I've endured to date, but one of the best and definitely something NOT for the faint of heart!
Let me describe to you what our outreach was like: Our main base was located in Cuamba (Quam buh) and the easiest way to describe it would be, hot, HOTTER and HOTTEST, dirty, rocky, dry and shade free! A barren wilderness, a desert...and there we made our home. When it rained (thankfully only one day on us) it flooded and there was mud and tents were ruined...flies galore...YET, in the book of Haggai it says that the Lord calls His people into the wilderness, not to abandon them, but to woo them and speak tenderly to them...The Lord was there to woo and speak!! Would we listen?
It was day 7 and we were back in Cuamba after outreaching in several locations kilometers and kilometers away, I was sitting outside my tent in the last remaining moments of shade near a fence. I was being still and listening to music and I saw 3 men look into the mirrors of the camion and observe their appearance, check for blemishes, groom themselves...I pondered this momentarily as I began to understand what the Lord was teaching me through this entire journey...In the heat of Cuamba, the impurities had to rise to the surface to be released...This is what He spoke, "This trip is like that--you are on a journey with me to transforming to reflect my very Son. On this journey you have encountered dust and debris and dirt, and as you have passed before My mirror--we have seen them together--some are deep down and some have surfaced and are ready to be and have been removed. This journey has been one where you have been, not forced, but discovered the necessity of releasing these things to Me--free you are to bee, Nothing will stop this process..." Had the heat not been so hot, I would not have recognized that some of the character things being worked in me surfaced in the form of a heat rash and loss of voice. It was in my stepping back that I noticed the traits that were being worked out of me on yet another level. In the middle of the heat and harsh conditions, my heart was turned to the Lord and He began to remind me that I was no longer bound to impatience, pride, striving because I was looking at Him and saying, "Give me clean hands and a pure heart." And the Lord is looking at me, at us and saying, "Though you may feel dark, you are lovely. Though you may feel filthy, I have cleaned your dirty rags-and given you garments that are free from tears. You have been able to see those things [in you] because you have given me Your heart and you release your control to Me..."
This trip was about loss of control...He is God, I am not, and everything "we" planned of course was subject to change--hey it's Africa, and hey Holy Spirit takes the reigns!! So He brought us to one of the hotter places in Moz and began to heat us like gold in the Refiner's fire...the impurities surfacing...and yet He brought us to wells of refreshing and began to plant new seeds of life in us and in the communities we visited. Each village we visited had wells and one of the things I did was draw water from these wells. I usually went to the well with my new Moz sister and friend (Hermana c amiga), Alima--the wife of one of the outreach pastors. Without words (or few at that in Makua and Portuguese) we would pump the well and fill the buckets and interact with the local people at each well. The well is a lifeline for these people. Water is our Life. Jesus is the water of life and when we drink of Him we do not thirst anymore. I began to recognize that each person was in them a well of living water, but for the water to come out, it needs to be pumped and drawn. In order to tap into the wells He has for us, we have to release our controls and move with the pump, with His Spirit and draw out the water. I had to go to these wells as an "Akuna" (white person) enduring the jokes and the snickers as I tried to be a part of the culture...and as I walked away with the mama carrying the bucket moz style, on my head, I felt proud to carry the life back to our camp...the water was for the food, the cleaning, the bathing and for the Mozambicans the thirst. I had the privilege of experiencing their lifestyle and finding my thirst satisfied as I was welcomed into the Mozi culture, not as a "Westerner" but as a sister!!
The trip was about fruit and seeds to plant. The deeper heart works is the major blessing of this trip, because God showed up!! BUT, He topped the bill by showing up at each outreach and lives were snatched from the devil's hands!! People turned from darkness to the light and began to take drinks from the well of life. The blind literally saw, cataracts vanished from eyes, the deaf and mute could hear, migraines and malaria went kaput, legs grew out and spines were healed...bladder infections went tah tah! And two villages were soo moved by God and His Spirit that people supplied land for two new churches. We purchased land in two places for less than $1000 USD!! We left the Cuamba pastors with more than enough money to fuel their vehicles to travel to the distant places to build these churches from the ground up!! Some of the new believers have already signed up to attend Iris' Bible School!!
We went to and from Cuamba in the back of two large trucks filled with luggage, and many people (total travel time in 11 days 4 total days of driving-- 50+ hours), in the heat and you can imagine that things you didn't see in your friends over two months of Mission School and communal living, surely you'd see in the bush....thankfully our group was united...and there were moments of frustration and fatigue, hunger (most westerners don't know what hunger is like, yet there were days when meals were skipped and crackers were our staple), and for the most part, we pressed through and we survived! Not an easy task when by day 3 (of travel) we were ready to go home!! We left in victory! We left like valiant warriors who endured the battles and finished well!! We have our battle scars of course, but we will never be the same...forever changed.
So here I am beginning week 11...Outreach #2...Christmas...lots to do this week and as this is my first Christmas away from Home...and all the ones I love, may you be blessed beyond measure and may your Christmas be bright!!
Until next time!
Deus Abencoe!
Desi
P.S. 11 days left...
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Para Benj Graduacaon! 7 December 2009
Para benj a graduacaon!!!
(Congratulations on your graduation!)
This week can be summed up by the word lilies. We just finished 8 weeks of school and ended with a graduation festa!! It was beautifully diverse and brilliant! Bible school students from many provinces in Mozambique and mission school students from all over the world gave the grand total of 20 representative countries!! Mel Tari spoke at the graduation (He is a minister who came out of the Indonesian Revival of the 1960s), and Rolland Baker finished up with a prayer for the entire school!! It was a very LARGE family party!!
Now let me get to the lilies (She is my niece and I was greatful her flower blossomed on the 8th week). In the mission school compound there are houses and lots of dirt, some plumeria trees, papaya trees, bougenvelias, rocks, some grass and weeds. Last Saturday it POURED beautiful rain, all day long. I saw the rain as very symbolic...Saturday is the first day of the week...and we were entering our 8th and final week of school...the transition into a NEW Beginning. Sunday morning I awoke at a very early hour 4:30am and I was prompted to walk around my house.
In the middle of my house and another I looked down on the ground to see a brilliant bunch of freshly bloomed white lilies. They were not there the day before (or at least no one saw them until they were unveiled in their beauty) or had only appeared to be a “weed.” SO when I saw them picking up the rays of the sun, I recognized that this school has been much like the growth of the Lilies! Each student coming from ALL over the world came as they were, looking like beautiful people, but over the course of time and training, and the raining of the Lord’s Spirit, as we graduated, you could actually see how much more radiant and dazzling each student had become. What was mistaken at first glance as a weed actually revealed a hidden beauty that fully matured and blossomed on the beginning of the 8th week!! Each of us is leaving the school, not as we came, but transformed for all time and because of this journey into maturation, we will take the flowers that have grown and share them to open up the eyes of others to see the beauty that came/comes from such a tenacious Love.
So what’s next?! Some have departed for their homes, and futures in whatever ministry the Lord is calling them to. And most of us are departing the shores of Pemba to head into the darkest parts of Mozambique for outreaches in the bush bush. I leave with a group of 20 others on a 10-day outreach in another province of Mozambique. We will be travelling 15+ hours in the back of a camion truck...keep us in your prayers!! That the LOVE of Christ would be revealed through us and that we would receive all He has for us so that OUR lives transform further and the world is forever impacted!! We are in the 9th week and we will see destinies birthed!!!
Ti amo Muito (I love you too much!)
Desi
(Congratulations on your graduation!)
This week can be summed up by the word lilies. We just finished 8 weeks of school and ended with a graduation festa!! It was beautifully diverse and brilliant! Bible school students from many provinces in Mozambique and mission school students from all over the world gave the grand total of 20 representative countries!! Mel Tari spoke at the graduation (He is a minister who came out of the Indonesian Revival of the 1960s), and Rolland Baker finished up with a prayer for the entire school!! It was a very LARGE family party!!
Now let me get to the lilies (She is my niece and I was greatful her flower blossomed on the 8th week). In the mission school compound there are houses and lots of dirt, some plumeria trees, papaya trees, bougenvelias, rocks, some grass and weeds. Last Saturday it POURED beautiful rain, all day long. I saw the rain as very symbolic...Saturday is the first day of the week...and we were entering our 8th and final week of school...the transition into a NEW Beginning. Sunday morning I awoke at a very early hour 4:30am and I was prompted to walk around my house.
In the middle of my house and another I looked down on the ground to see a brilliant bunch of freshly bloomed white lilies. They were not there the day before (or at least no one saw them until they were unveiled in their beauty) or had only appeared to be a “weed.” SO when I saw them picking up the rays of the sun, I recognized that this school has been much like the growth of the Lilies! Each student coming from ALL over the world came as they were, looking like beautiful people, but over the course of time and training, and the raining of the Lord’s Spirit, as we graduated, you could actually see how much more radiant and dazzling each student had become. What was mistaken at first glance as a weed actually revealed a hidden beauty that fully matured and blossomed on the beginning of the 8th week!! Each of us is leaving the school, not as we came, but transformed for all time and because of this journey into maturation, we will take the flowers that have grown and share them to open up the eyes of others to see the beauty that came/comes from such a tenacious Love.
So what’s next?! Some have departed for their homes, and futures in whatever ministry the Lord is calling them to. And most of us are departing the shores of Pemba to head into the darkest parts of Mozambique for outreaches in the bush bush. I leave with a group of 20 others on a 10-day outreach in another province of Mozambique. We will be travelling 15+ hours in the back of a camion truck...keep us in your prayers!! That the LOVE of Christ would be revealed through us and that we would receive all He has for us so that OUR lives transform further and the world is forever impacted!! We are in the 9th week and we will see destinies birthed!!!
Ti amo Muito (I love you too much!)
Desi
Update From Africa’s Coast: 22 November 2009
Uwe nipantakitifu! Uwe yesu! (Makua: welcome Holy Spirit! Welcome Jesus!)
Here we are...only 8 days of class left before graduation on December 4. Time has really flown here and it's bittersweet to think about not seeing the same "family" everyday...walking eachother through laughter and even bellyaches or widespread mysterious illness (we have all attained victory!!) and water and power outages...what do you expect from Africa? Yesterday I called a fan an air conditioner...oh boy the heat must have gotten to me;))
So here's an update on our practical missions project...because of changes and extending the borders of the picture to include the ENTIRE building, we still have our work cut out for us, and with a recent mysterious illness striking the camp (20 students on base, 7 missions school staff, 5 longterm missionaries, and 15 students who went into the bush) we had to call a "Be Still, and Know" moment and rest. However, it's coming along...Madagascar characters are developing well...
Schedule to follow:
Thanksgiving is this week and it really does not feel like traditional turkey time as turkeys are rare and stores aren't decorated for Christmas!! Haha...it's definitely becoming more summery here...temperatures seem to be rising daily...Also this week longterm missionary interviews begin (for anyone expressing interest in partnering with any Iris base in the next 6 mos-2 years) Its really neat to hear how the Lord is moving and giving visions to many of the students for longterm missions work.
This week I'm excited to see what's gonna develop...it's gonna be an adventure as it has been...and I'm looking forward to going out with two longterm missionaries (Antoinette and Annalisa: twins) for pancakes...with vanilla ice cream...yum dessert is always nice;))
Well this week's email is very short and non-dramatic...aside from the widespread icky-poos ;) things are bon!! Muito bon!! And I must give kudos out to my roommate Jetty (yetty) for ALL her hard work nursing all the sick ones in our row of houses (1-6) including every member of our house...my bout was less than 24 hours and I think it was tied more to a reaction to Malerone (malaria pill) and dehydration...overcomers we are!!
Well blessings to y'all!!
Deus Abencoe!
Desi
Here we are...only 8 days of class left before graduation on December 4. Time has really flown here and it's bittersweet to think about not seeing the same "family" everyday...walking eachother through laughter and even bellyaches or widespread mysterious illness (we have all attained victory!!) and water and power outages...what do you expect from Africa? Yesterday I called a fan an air conditioner...oh boy the heat must have gotten to me;))
So here's an update on our practical missions project...because of changes and extending the borders of the picture to include the ENTIRE building, we still have our work cut out for us, and with a recent mysterious illness striking the camp (20 students on base, 7 missions school staff, 5 longterm missionaries, and 15 students who went into the bush) we had to call a "Be Still, and Know" moment and rest. However, it's coming along...Madagascar characters are developing well...
Schedule to follow:
Thanksgiving is this week and it really does not feel like traditional turkey time as turkeys are rare and stores aren't decorated for Christmas!! Haha...it's definitely becoming more summery here...temperatures seem to be rising daily...Also this week longterm missionary interviews begin (for anyone expressing interest in partnering with any Iris base in the next 6 mos-2 years) Its really neat to hear how the Lord is moving and giving visions to many of the students for longterm missions work.
This week I'm excited to see what's gonna develop...it's gonna be an adventure as it has been...and I'm looking forward to going out with two longterm missionaries (Antoinette and Annalisa: twins) for pancakes...with vanilla ice cream...yum dessert is always nice;))
Well this week's email is very short and non-dramatic...aside from the widespread icky-poos ;) things are bon!! Muito bon!! And I must give kudos out to my roommate Jetty (yetty) for ALL her hard work nursing all the sick ones in our row of houses (1-6) including every member of our house...my bout was less than 24 hours and I think it was tied more to a reaction to Malerone (malaria pill) and dehydration...overcomers we are!!
Well blessings to y'all!!
Deus Abencoe!
Desi
November in Moz—14 November 2009
Bon Dia!!
I never thought I'd start a letter off this way, but here it goes...
It is amazing that certain dirts are dirtier than others...especially African soil. No two villages are alike nor is the terrain. Africa is a cornucopia of sights...mud huts in the middle of dry brown dirt and few trees, or red dirt and green trees and big gigantic rocks that are called mountains--but not like mountains out in the west--or you have red dirt brown huts and green hilly terrain. There are rivers that look like lush oasis' and you can see women and children carrying gallons of water and pounds of goods walking for kilometers on end along roads that are partially paved and then broken...if Cal Trans decided to become Bush Trans, their work would be cut out for them! Africa is beautiful and I'm only in one of its countries...I can only imagine how amazing the other parts of this continent look!!
As I write this I am sitting in the back of a camion (large truck) with roughly 25 others...most are mission school students and Mozambican bible students (training to become pastors)...in the landrover behind us are more pastors, visitors and some of the "nationals" who are the older iris kids and they become interpreters for the akunas (white people) as we go into villages to discover what love looks like.
We got to be a part of a special bush outreach as the village we visited was celebrating the dedication of a brand new children's center...each children's center is different, and the place where we stay Aldeia de Allegria is a resource center--now a normal children's center consists of an iris pastor and his wife taking in orphaned children and adopting them. The center we got to see dedicated held 10 children. Each of the children was photographed and interviewed because Iris is starting a child sponsorship program, where others in the world can help in ways that can help these children walk out their dreams...as I find out more details, I will let you know... Both Heidi and Rolland Baker (yes they camped in a tent with all the visitors, missions students, bible school students, and Iris kids) were there to dedicate the center, have church with them (and the village) and provide dental care...the Baker's were not doing the care, but two dentists and their staff came to Iris to serve this third world country with basic dental care that is of course much safer than typical African teeth yanking!!
We spent three days in the bush bush and my favorite quote came from my friend Lisa (Aussie), "Wow you're really sunburnt!" As I put a wet wipe to my face she laughed and said, "Oh I guess it was just dirt!" Well it was a dirty weekend, but it is so amazing to sit in the dirt with the beautiful Mozambicans where language can be a barrier, but simply sitting is enough to make a friend...much laughter assured!!
This morning we saw a woman pounding maize and she worked with such skill lifting up her heavy pole and thrusting it into the maize...we watched and three of us tried her job for a second...she along with all the children, the men sitting under the roof in the shade, and the other mamas laughed...we laughed because we fought the pole and the maize while she effortlessly uses gravity to its advantage to pound through the maize with a thud--it was a tough job and she was fit for it. In my broken Makua after asking her name (inchinatipani) I said, "koshukuru Alina" (thank you Alina) and in turn after I shook her hand she said "Koshukuru!" as she put both hands over her heart to display her appreciation that we noticed her hard work and it touched her heart...I walked away feeling extremely greatful for that moment and out of the entire bush adventure, that moment of connection was priceless...that's what love looks like...
As we sit in the back of this camion, I am beginning to ponder all that has transpired in these past 5 weeks...we have 12 days of class left before graduation, and December is almost here...well maybe I should not think that far ahead as we haven't hit Thanksgiving...Yet time is a flyin' and things are a changin'...
So let's see how week 6 goes...
Deus Abencoe
Desi
I never thought I'd start a letter off this way, but here it goes...
It is amazing that certain dirts are dirtier than others...especially African soil. No two villages are alike nor is the terrain. Africa is a cornucopia of sights...mud huts in the middle of dry brown dirt and few trees, or red dirt and green trees and big gigantic rocks that are called mountains--but not like mountains out in the west--or you have red dirt brown huts and green hilly terrain. There are rivers that look like lush oasis' and you can see women and children carrying gallons of water and pounds of goods walking for kilometers on end along roads that are partially paved and then broken...if Cal Trans decided to become Bush Trans, their work would be cut out for them! Africa is beautiful and I'm only in one of its countries...I can only imagine how amazing the other parts of this continent look!!
As I write this I am sitting in the back of a camion (large truck) with roughly 25 others...most are mission school students and Mozambican bible students (training to become pastors)...in the landrover behind us are more pastors, visitors and some of the "nationals" who are the older iris kids and they become interpreters for the akunas (white people) as we go into villages to discover what love looks like.
We got to be a part of a special bush outreach as the village we visited was celebrating the dedication of a brand new children's center...each children's center is different, and the place where we stay Aldeia de Allegria is a resource center--now a normal children's center consists of an iris pastor and his wife taking in orphaned children and adopting them. The center we got to see dedicated held 10 children. Each of the children was photographed and interviewed because Iris is starting a child sponsorship program, where others in the world can help in ways that can help these children walk out their dreams...as I find out more details, I will let you know... Both Heidi and Rolland Baker (yes they camped in a tent with all the visitors, missions students, bible school students, and Iris kids) were there to dedicate the center, have church with them (and the village) and provide dental care...the Baker's were not doing the care, but two dentists and their staff came to Iris to serve this third world country with basic dental care that is of course much safer than typical African teeth yanking!!
We spent three days in the bush bush and my favorite quote came from my friend Lisa (Aussie), "Wow you're really sunburnt!" As I put a wet wipe to my face she laughed and said, "Oh I guess it was just dirt!" Well it was a dirty weekend, but it is so amazing to sit in the dirt with the beautiful Mozambicans where language can be a barrier, but simply sitting is enough to make a friend...much laughter assured!!
This morning we saw a woman pounding maize and she worked with such skill lifting up her heavy pole and thrusting it into the maize...we watched and three of us tried her job for a second...she along with all the children, the men sitting under the roof in the shade, and the other mamas laughed...we laughed because we fought the pole and the maize while she effortlessly uses gravity to its advantage to pound through the maize with a thud--it was a tough job and she was fit for it. In my broken Makua after asking her name (inchinatipani) I said, "koshukuru Alina" (thank you Alina) and in turn after I shook her hand she said "Koshukuru!" as she put both hands over her heart to display her appreciation that we noticed her hard work and it touched her heart...I walked away feeling extremely greatful for that moment and out of the entire bush adventure, that moment of connection was priceless...that's what love looks like...
As we sit in the back of this camion, I am beginning to ponder all that has transpired in these past 5 weeks...we have 12 days of class left before graduation, and December is almost here...well maybe I should not think that far ahead as we haven't hit Thanksgiving...Yet time is a flyin' and things are a changin'...
So let's see how week 6 goes...
Deus Abencoe
Desi
Time is Flying Here in Pemba: 8 November 2009
Salama Salama!!
It's hard to believe I just finished week 4 of classes here!! This week was jam packed and delightfully restful!! Even in the midst of school and duties here I found much time to simply bee and breathe...I had Belgian waffles (last Saturday morning) cooked by Belgian ladies...muito bon!! (sooo good!!) The waffle breakfast kicked off nearly 8 days of making "rest" the topic of my journey...it's really easy here to get "busy" and I guess no matter where we are in the world, there is always something "to do" and sometimes (even with African time delay;)) it is vital to simply slow down.
In the slow down, I began to realize one of the reasons I am here in this time, and it is to be a breather of life to the long term missionaries on base. I cannot offer them the strength they need to live in Africa, month by month year by year, but I can bring encouragement and offer up hugs and prayers...and with that hopefully the missionaries that are here find a bit of refreshment by His Holy Spirit who of course dwells within... In one class session, Heidi threw out the question, "What do good works look like?" It became an assignment to answer...the Bible says that "faith without works is dead..." So what are good works? In painting this mural, I began to understand that even though I am not out in the bush or in the villages ministering, I am playing a role that is hidden yet is bringing life and stirring up dreams in sooo many people... Good works are being exactly where the Lord leads, guides, and directs and being compelled by His love to work, to serve, to give and to partner with the change that is coming along...a nation who's crime rates have dropped drastically over the last years, a province who's test scores have been elevated to the highest in Mozambique, and poverty that is being met head on with hands that practically lead and guide to becoming sustainable living situations... The work here is hard, the harvest is ripe...pray to the Lord of the harvest to send in harvesters...
We made the halfway point and there is much buzz about what we're all doing when school is out...graduation is 4 weeks away!!! Friday December 4...there are meetings with longterm missionaries and back porch sessions for information and q&a's and it's pretty neat to see how the entire group has changed in such a short amount of time. Visions and dreams are being unlocked within our hearts... Most of us are in the same place...we left much behind to come to Africa to have the "What now?" so we wait for an answer and His direction, and it is going to be exciting to see how the journeys unfold!!
Next weekend I will be in the bush bush and I believe we have a 12 hour camion ride to our destination...help us Jesus;)) The mural is coming along, and hopefully we'll be able to finish more before we leave for the bush...
Deus Abencoe (God bless you)
Love,
Desi
It's hard to believe I just finished week 4 of classes here!! This week was jam packed and delightfully restful!! Even in the midst of school and duties here I found much time to simply bee and breathe...I had Belgian waffles (last Saturday morning) cooked by Belgian ladies...muito bon!! (sooo good!!) The waffle breakfast kicked off nearly 8 days of making "rest" the topic of my journey...it's really easy here to get "busy" and I guess no matter where we are in the world, there is always something "to do" and sometimes (even with African time delay;)) it is vital to simply slow down.
In the slow down, I began to realize one of the reasons I am here in this time, and it is to be a breather of life to the long term missionaries on base. I cannot offer them the strength they need to live in Africa, month by month year by year, but I can bring encouragement and offer up hugs and prayers...and with that hopefully the missionaries that are here find a bit of refreshment by His Holy Spirit who of course dwells within... In one class session, Heidi threw out the question, "What do good works look like?" It became an assignment to answer...the Bible says that "faith without works is dead..." So what are good works? In painting this mural, I began to understand that even though I am not out in the bush or in the villages ministering, I am playing a role that is hidden yet is bringing life and stirring up dreams in sooo many people... Good works are being exactly where the Lord leads, guides, and directs and being compelled by His love to work, to serve, to give and to partner with the change that is coming along...a nation who's crime rates have dropped drastically over the last years, a province who's test scores have been elevated to the highest in Mozambique, and poverty that is being met head on with hands that practically lead and guide to becoming sustainable living situations... The work here is hard, the harvest is ripe...pray to the Lord of the harvest to send in harvesters...
We made the halfway point and there is much buzz about what we're all doing when school is out...graduation is 4 weeks away!!! Friday December 4...there are meetings with longterm missionaries and back porch sessions for information and q&a's and it's pretty neat to see how the entire group has changed in such a short amount of time. Visions and dreams are being unlocked within our hearts... Most of us are in the same place...we left much behind to come to Africa to have the "What now?" so we wait for an answer and His direction, and it is going to be exciting to see how the journeys unfold!!
Next weekend I will be in the bush bush and I believe we have a 12 hour camion ride to our destination...help us Jesus;)) The mural is coming along, and hopefully we'll be able to finish more before we leave for the bush...
Deus Abencoe (God bless you)
Love,
Desi
31 October 2009
Hello From Mozambique!!
Salama Salama! Kihavo sana! Kishokuru Yesu! (Makua: hello! I am very very good! Thank you Jesus!)
The time here is flying by very quickly. We just sent off two teams to the bush for our first set of bush outreaches...they will be camping in the African dirt for two nights...to get to the bush bush, something like 30 missions school students, Iris pastors, translators, and tents, supplies, and lots of water pile into camion flatbed trucks and head off for a two to eight hour drive to a remote village to 1.Tell about Jesus 2. To disciple and train (if it has been visited before) 3. Tell about medical safety and teach on disease prevention etc 4. Have fun with the children... I will be leaving on a bush outreach the weekend of November 12-14!!
Our practical missions projects are going well! The painting of the village feeding center is creating a buzz and requests are going out for us to paint more buildings on the iris base! Basically, since "trees don't grow well here" because of the little rain that falls, why not paint the place and make it beautiful? So we have our work cut out for us...it's really only two of us painting (Garret is the other guy) there are others on this team, but most are not painters...the work that can be done is great and the need extends much more than our short time here in school. But while we are here we will try to and believe the Lord for supernatural favor and grace and speediness in the flow of our brushes and the paint. We have two projects in the queue...the women's building (widows and mothers doing art projects to create business opportunities...it's also where they distribute arroz c frijao...5 kl are their wages...Iris does not want to give free hand outs, but it teaches the poor that they can do something and earn means for living)...The next project in line after the wall at the village is the external pizza oven at juntos cafe...so I'll keep u posted;)...
I also went to the prison (for long term prisoners) and it was amazing to see the Lord move on hearts of cold-hearted men...there was disturbance between some of the men who were new and those that have been there for a while...and by the end, evey man who caused a disturbance had a change of heart and accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior...at Jail (short term prisoners and long term women) yesterday we saw 50 or so stand to receive Christ and words of knowledge (Holy Spirit given insight into what is a problem in one or more individuals) for backs, stomachs, and ears were given, at least four backs were healed, one partially dead man received hearing, and at least one woman's stomach was healed!!! Hallelujah!! Obrigado Pai! Obrigado Espirito Santo! Obrigado Jesush for Todos!! (thank You Father, Holy Spirit, Jesus for all) The week was incredible and ALL glory goes to Him!!
We had a 24/7 prayer week and it was amazing, it ends tonight and I believe it has done much as we interceded on behalf of Mozambique, and anything he Lord led us to pray for...on some of my sets the Spirit moved us to pray for 1.The hearts of the fathers being turned tothe children 2. The fragrance of the Lord being released 3. Unity in the body of Christ 4. Freedom 5. Joy abundant 6. The Lord showing up and being present in All we do! And only moving as He moves, leads, and directs! 7. For the over- turning of idol worship and practices of witchcraft 8. Clean hands and Pure hearts and His mercy turning men to repentance 9. That we as believers would not be envious of eachother or jealous but recognize our identity and how He sees us all and that we are all uniquely gifted...
There was more I'm sure but that's a glimpse...oh and the elections took place...and here's an update on Lizzy she was in the woods for 4 days and if there wasn't a shift shed have had to be airlifted out, but on day 4 she shifted and she's really on an upswing and mending...obrigado jesush!!
Well the week has been full and I'm requiring myself to rest and be still as I am slightly tired from it all...:) but Resting renews strength and I love that I can rest with an ocean view from the back of my house...that is where I am typing this email...resting away!!
Love you all!!
Jesu nau fenta!
Tchau,
Desiree
Salama Salama! Kihavo sana! Kishokuru Yesu! (Makua: hello! I am very very good! Thank you Jesus!)
The time here is flying by very quickly. We just sent off two teams to the bush for our first set of bush outreaches...they will be camping in the African dirt for two nights...to get to the bush bush, something like 30 missions school students, Iris pastors, translators, and tents, supplies, and lots of water pile into camion flatbed trucks and head off for a two to eight hour drive to a remote village to 1.Tell about Jesus 2. To disciple and train (if it has been visited before) 3. Tell about medical safety and teach on disease prevention etc 4. Have fun with the children... I will be leaving on a bush outreach the weekend of November 12-14!!
Our practical missions projects are going well! The painting of the village feeding center is creating a buzz and requests are going out for us to paint more buildings on the iris base! Basically, since "trees don't grow well here" because of the little rain that falls, why not paint the place and make it beautiful? So we have our work cut out for us...it's really only two of us painting (Garret is the other guy) there are others on this team, but most are not painters...the work that can be done is great and the need extends much more than our short time here in school. But while we are here we will try to and believe the Lord for supernatural favor and grace and speediness in the flow of our brushes and the paint. We have two projects in the queue...the women's building (widows and mothers doing art projects to create business opportunities...it's also where they distribute arroz c frijao...5 kl are their wages...Iris does not want to give free hand outs, but it teaches the poor that they can do something and earn means for living)...The next project in line after the wall at the village is the external pizza oven at juntos cafe...so I'll keep u posted;)...
I also went to the prison (for long term prisoners) and it was amazing to see the Lord move on hearts of cold-hearted men...there was disturbance between some of the men who were new and those that have been there for a while...and by the end, evey man who caused a disturbance had a change of heart and accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior...at Jail (short term prisoners and long term women) yesterday we saw 50 or so stand to receive Christ and words of knowledge (Holy Spirit given insight into what is a problem in one or more individuals) for backs, stomachs, and ears were given, at least four backs were healed, one partially dead man received hearing, and at least one woman's stomach was healed!!! Hallelujah!! Obrigado Pai! Obrigado Espirito Santo! Obrigado Jesush for Todos!! (thank You Father, Holy Spirit, Jesus for all) The week was incredible and ALL glory goes to Him!!
We had a 24/7 prayer week and it was amazing, it ends tonight and I believe it has done much as we interceded on behalf of Mozambique, and anything he Lord led us to pray for...on some of my sets the Spirit moved us to pray for 1.The hearts of the fathers being turned tothe children 2. The fragrance of the Lord being released 3. Unity in the body of Christ 4. Freedom 5. Joy abundant 6. The Lord showing up and being present in All we do! And only moving as He moves, leads, and directs! 7. For the over- turning of idol worship and practices of witchcraft 8. Clean hands and Pure hearts and His mercy turning men to repentance 9. That we as believers would not be envious of eachother or jealous but recognize our identity and how He sees us all and that we are all uniquely gifted...
There was more I'm sure but that's a glimpse...oh and the elections took place...and here's an update on Lizzy she was in the woods for 4 days and if there wasn't a shift shed have had to be airlifted out, but on day 4 she shifted and she's really on an upswing and mending...obrigado jesush!!
Well the week has been full and I'm requiring myself to rest and be still as I am slightly tired from it all...:) but Resting renews strength and I love that I can rest with an ocean view from the back of my house...that is where I am typing this email...resting away!!
Love you all!!
Jesu nau fenta!
Tchau,
Desiree
Bon Dia! 25 October 2009
Bon Dia!
Here we are on Saturday, October 24, 2009!! Day of rest...going to take some girls from the base to the beach today to swim!! This week has been good...before I forget...there was a typo I said escochar is school, but it is escola...after I forwarded the email to be sent I discovered the typo...haha... African time delay;) Anyway, school has been great...we just had our first bout of malaria...Lizzy one of the school staff members found out yesterday and we're believing her healing will spring up rapidly and she will be whole in record time!!
We began practical missions assignments and I was assigned to a project on base for the children's ministry. I will be painting murals for the children's village feeding building and also for Juntos the cafe on base! The years of mural painting in high school, theatre design, and chalk drawings for Starbucks is paying off practically for the mission field. It's pretty neat! I'll try and send a photo as we progress.
There are roughly 300 children who live on base here, and many more who live in communities in surrounding villages with pastors, their wives, and widows who also take on the role of "mama" The goal is to establish communities where the children grow and have a father and mother to come home to. Each pastor that is a father of a community adopts 10-12 children!! On base, long term missionaries become parents to children in each dorm, and have family time together where they eat, go to the beach, or simply hang out! We as students and living in our own families get assigned to a particular dorm to enjoy for the next few months!
Well the day is beautiful and breezy and has already been jam packed with a trip to the beach and morning intercession...I think it's time for a nap;
Jesu nau fenta
(Jesus Loves You)
Tchau,
Desiree
Here we are on Saturday, October 24, 2009!! Day of rest...going to take some girls from the base to the beach today to swim!! This week has been good...before I forget...there was a typo I said escochar is school, but it is escola...after I forwarded the email to be sent I discovered the typo...haha... African time delay;) Anyway, school has been great...we just had our first bout of malaria...Lizzy one of the school staff members found out yesterday and we're believing her healing will spring up rapidly and she will be whole in record time!!
We began practical missions assignments and I was assigned to a project on base for the children's ministry. I will be painting murals for the children's village feeding building and also for Juntos the cafe on base! The years of mural painting in high school, theatre design, and chalk drawings for Starbucks is paying off practically for the mission field. It's pretty neat! I'll try and send a photo as we progress.
There are roughly 300 children who live on base here, and many more who live in communities in surrounding villages with pastors, their wives, and widows who also take on the role of "mama" The goal is to establish communities where the children grow and have a father and mother to come home to. Each pastor that is a father of a community adopts 10-12 children!! On base, long term missionaries become parents to children in each dorm, and have family time together where they eat, go to the beach, or simply hang out! We as students and living in our own families get assigned to a particular dorm to enjoy for the next few months!
Well the day is beautiful and breezy and has already been jam packed with a trip to the beach and morning intercession...I think it's time for a nap;
Jesu nau fenta
(Jesus Loves You)
Tchau,
Desiree
Pemba Update!! 17 October 2009
Here we are on Saturday, October 17, 2009!! Day of rest...the first week was brilliantly dusty, warm, and full of many adjusting foreigners...Most of Pemba raises its prices this time of year when Ministerio Arco Iris has escolar de missau (mission school)...it's only a season...hehe Week 1: lots of introduction to Pemba, arroz c frejao (rice and beans), the way Iris works, waking up at 1 in the morning because I’m still on California time!! There are about 80 students from all over the world and the one common string...hunger for maesh jesush (more of Jesus). I visited a village and began to learn the Makua dialect by playing with the children and trying to uphele (look) for things, like ants, eyes, noses, walls, and bees that hide in the bao bob trees!!
Desculpa (sorry) for not being able to respond to all the emails yet, Internet time is sparse, but I thank you all for being a part of this journey!!
Jesu nau fenta
(Jesus Loves You)
Tchau,
Desiree
Desculpa (sorry) for not being able to respond to all the emails yet, Internet time is sparse, but I thank you all for being a part of this journey!!
Jesu nau fenta
(Jesus Loves You)
Tchau,
Desiree
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)