A Picnic at Pascoa's

When I returned in August I was surprised by the sight of Pascoa.  Her constant coughing and her low weight betrayed that she was ill.  Her responsibility of overseeing 80 children from the nutrition program out in the bairros had worn her resistence down.  She had contracted TB.

One third of the world's population carries the TB bacteria.  And of course, TB disproportionately affects people in Africa where poverty is the norm. With three million new active TB cases a year, Africa accounts for one third of the global total. And since it has the lowest detection rate in the world, most likely those stats are low.  There is also a new strain of TB that is drug-resistant and deadly.  Pascoa is our third activista in the last two years to contract TB while working in Project Life.

When the reports came back positive, Pascoa was very worried that she would lose her job as an activista.  This was devastating news to this single mother of five. It takes about two months to complete the series of medications for TB and recovery.   But we hatched a plan to encourage her. All the activistas (including myself) surprised her one day at her mud home with an "American" picnic lunch. Sandwiches and oranges, cookies and coke, our lunch even included paper plates purchased at Shoprite in Beira.  The look on her face when we came to her door was worth all the cokes in China.

We sat outside under the mango tree on esteiras (straw mats).  The neighborhood children came running at the sight of food like ants to uh....well, a picnic of course.  I had brought extra anticipating the communal affair.  Seventeen happy faces munched on food alongside Pascoa's wide grin and sparkling eyes. But I had saved the best for last.  Earlier this year I had created a video with her as the "star" along with some of the other activistas' photos in order to raise funds for a new Green Door truck.  It was the story of Pascoa's life, reflecting the lives of many women in Mozambique. My computer on my lap, they sat close around me and watched the show.  My only regret was not having my Canon to capture their expressions as their eyes absorbed the screen. In elation I reported that by the grace of God, together as a team we had raised the funds for the truck. They laughed enthusiastically over this great news.  (Naturally they all volunteered to be in the next video.)  :-)

No one wanted to leave the comfortable camaraderie under the tree until the wind shot a few unripened mangoes our way like flying golf balls. We had equally experienced the encouragement that comforting another can bring. As Anne Frank once said, "I don't think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains."

Mutondo Church Plant Food Distribution

Today we had the great privilege of taking a food distribution to the Mutondo church plant.  ImpactLives Inc., in partnership with Wooddale Church from MN and Children's Relief International truly blessed these brothers and sisters in Christ.  I wish everyone could have been there who contributed but the best I can do is share the pictures!  Enjoy!

It was a joy to see the smiles on the faces of children.

She is one busy mom....

Children are children the world over.

Notice the swollen belly.  Malnutrition
and/or worms.

The church was so full that this lady
could only look in the window.

These are the houses the people live in at Mutondo.

We cooked up some of the food so they could eat!

The children shared a bowl in groups of four.

The women waited patiently for their share of the packages.

The children are waiting for a bowl of the food.

It is so rare to see an older woman in Moz.
I just had to take her picture.

Edmundo watches from the outside as the church held its
morning worship service.

Young people from the Dondo church helped
with the distribution.

Again, notice the swollen belly of the little guy in brown.

Sometimes the children look too serious.  It doesn't take
long to get them to smile though.

Sharing the food.

Moz women always carry everything
on their heads.

Babies watching babies.

The women put their share of food in their
capalanas and are ready to head home.

We added  8 chickens to the meal.  They did remove
the head before they cooked it!

I have always been fascinated by the way they wash
dishes.  They use dirt as their S.O.S. scrub pad.  It
is not my preferred choice but it works!

Small Snippets

I am in the middle of teaching when I glance at one of the activistas.  She is present with uniform and lesson in hand but her mind is marooned on a dismal island. It caught me by surprise as it is counter to her customary zeal. Even though we celebrate a birthday after the lesson she refuses to eat the cake. She is decisively in distress.

I pull her aside and ask if I can help.  She shakes her head while supporting her jaw and then drifts back to her thoughts.  Already missing her two front teeth, I surmise that she has a toothache.  It makes me sad that this beautiful girl with a beautiful smile lives in this tropical land where dentists are as rare as falling snow.  She finally confesses the storm that has left her adrift from the morning's activities. An internal tug-of-war has taken over her thoughts as she knows the solution will be to pull another tooth.  With so few teeth left in her mouth, her forgivable fear is not a cosmetic reason but the inability to eat meat again - another means to malnutrition.

I silently pray that God in His mercy will send skilled dentists to help in Dondo.

* * * * * * * *

I met a woman this week; we had much in common.  She was my age and she had six children.  But unlike me, her children have all died and today we have put her to rest beside her children.

* * * * * * * *

When you work in an AIDS hospice without walls then it is expected that death is inevitable. Our friend Raposo from Project Life is in the hospital for the second time this month fighting for his life.  He and his wife are regulars at our weekly Bible study in his bairro.  I have seen God heal an assortment of opportunistic diseases in the wake of the devastating AIDS virus.  Yet, I have never seen anyone healed from AIDS. It is not a respecter of persons.  It is a poster child of hopelessness.

Before I walk in the hospital to serve soup I often pull a very beautiful flower from a nearby tree. Its fragrance is strong; it reminds me of a magnolia. I often leave it in the hands of a terminally ill patient.  Its fragrance transcends the fetor of the hospital corridors; an aromatic message of hope.

But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and who makes known through us the fragrance that consists of the knowledge of him in every place"  II Corinthians 2:14

Even in his weakened state, Raposo is glad to see us. It is a joy to bring Him before the throne of grace.

Update Pics

Okay...I had to add this picture.  This is a close up of the
worms we have taken out of our feet!  They start out small,
almost microscopic but continue to grow in a "sack" while
embedding themselves in our feet. But don't worry, they hurt
after a while so it is easy to figure out that you need some quick
 surgery kindly provided by our empregadas.
So far....I have had 8 taken out.  

The women are interested in the new felt boards with the
Bible studies.

Activistas teaching the Bible study with their new felts and
board.  Thanks Vision Beyond Borders for the donation
of 10 sets.  Thanks First Baptist women of Powell, WY for
cutting out thousands and thousands of the felt pieces!

Some of the activistas in their new uniforms - thanks Heidi
 and Wendi!

The Light

 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

Romans 12:15

My days in Dondo slip by quickly like I am a passenger on an express train watching the landscape readily disappear from a window's misty frame.  Each day's events are dramatic and customary imitating the ebb and flow of labor pains.  I am laughing with the activistas as we walk to serve soup and within seconds I am holding a young man who is sobbing uncontrollably because his young wife with AIDS just passed away.

With his two-month-old ailing twin strapped to his back, Domingo was relieved to see us as we approached the Banco Soccoro - or emergency room. He is the guard at Pastor Jeronimo's farm.  His wife Margarida left him with three children and he was beside himself with grief.  As I held him and prayed, my tears flowed but I wanted to scream. When will this insanity that is as dark as the night give birth to the light of day? We took him home and within 24 hours performed the funeral. It was one more God-given opportunity to sow His seed of Hope.

* * * * * * *

They are a light in the land of darkness.  We attended the Savane church plant on Sunday; what a tremendous blessing to see the building closer to completion.  The door was not on, the window frames and grates weren't all in, the reboco on the walls was not completed...but they were worshiping in their new building!  There were no red ants on the floor and the breeze through the large windows was refreshing.  This larger and better building accommodated new faces.  What a joy to witness this story!  As we stood outside shaking hands after the service, I studied the new faces before me. The full side of one woman's face was black and blue; a testimony to the common tragedy of wife abuse. Cuts and patterned scars were on another woman's face revealing the past work of a witchdoctor. Old and young were there with an opportunity to harvest the Bread of Life.

THANK YOU to all of YOU who are a light in this darkness as you donate to help these projects.

People from Savane in their new church building

Worshiping in the new building

Just needs reboco, windows and door.

ImpactLives and Wooddale church from MN donated dried
 food packages.  The people are waiting for the distribution.