The Hope of Mozambique

As a fourth grader I was given an assignment by my teacher.  We were to be involved in a theoretical debate.  If a country only had enough money to invest in one social program, what would be more important...education or public health care?  Now that was an impressive assignment considering this was back in the (well, you don't need to know how many years ago...).  I remember distinctly at the time choosing health care and I was up against another individual who chose education as their platform.  Keep in mind I was a fourth grader. It made sense to me that if you don't have your health, you can't be educated.  After all, when I was sick I stayed home from school so it made total sense to me that health care was number one.  I lost the debate.

Years later I can see that it was providential that I learned that lesson. I witness daily the outcome of those that are not educated and the destruction to their lives.  In Mozambique, it is easy to become overwhelmed by the annihilation of the AIDS virus or the other dozens of poverty-related illnesses.  In one day this week we had the funeral for the husband of a woman in Project Life in the morning, in the afternoon Cindy and I stopped by the road to help a woman who was comatose and took her to the hospital, and that evening Simone's (our translator) dad died suddenly. Yet in all this darkness there is a very bright light.  It is the children.

Over 600 children are being blessed with a Christian education in the Ray of Light program in Dondo.  I have watched these children grow over the last four years and they are truly morphing into little butterflies of hope. It is very powerful to witness this change. I invite you to watch these precious children perform their songs for their parents.  They have been taught Portuguese and English (their first language is Sena) so some of the songs will be in English.  I have to admit, I can't watch this video without tears.  I lose it about the time they start singing "Jesus Loves the Little Children."  There is no debate that sponsoring these children so they can receive a good education is the best investment we can make to change the face of Mozambique.  Click on the link below and ENJOY!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClZvYsG2-OI