Team Powell - A Journey in Dondo

Some very special friends from home joined us this week in Dondo.  It is not easy to leave your family and secure surroundings, fly 10,000 miles for two days to come to another culture that speaks a different language, then adapt in a day and jump into ministry. But Preston, Dylan, Emmalee, Faith and Sarah are having the adventure of their lives!  They are discovering that though life is not easy here and it can be unpredictable, God is faithful and He is working.  They have seen the joy of the Mozambicans as they worship and dance.  They have watched their struggle as they work hard yet have little to eat.  They have witnessed the sad reality of malnutrition and the tragedy of the AIDS virus that claims the lives of even the babies. In all of this, they will leave Thursday with a whole new perspective on poverty, and a better understanding on what they can do to make a difference.  Thank you team Powell for your sacrifice to join us here in Dondo!

Preston visits the children at the villa preschool. They
are always delighted to meet an American.

One of the first things that teams do is pray for the project.

Sarah meets Sarah, Carlitos' daughter.  He is the
national director of Project Life.

Faith is blessed by meeting her sister Mary's
sponsored child. 

We took the team for a trip to Gorongosa.  We were quite
surprised (okay....maybe terrified) when a mother
elephant decided to charge us. This is a pic showing
how close she came to the safari car.

Another picture of the mother elephant.  None of us got
great pictures as we were having a hard time focusing! Yikes!

So 10 minutes after the elephant scenario,
we pause here to read the Powell Tribune
with our safari guide and translators.
Were you looking for your obituary Sarah?

Sarah was trying to be Tarzan.  She was
delighted to find a vine to swing on.
We saw more monkeys and baboons too!

Emmalee was born with a handicap that
makes it difficult for her to walk.  It didn't stop
her from coming to Moz though to share God's
love.  This was a precious moment
when Simone helped her on the
bird walk so she wouldn't fall.

Stopping for a moment with our bird guide.

Faith left her two young sons at home to join
the team in Moz. (One adopted last year from Ethiopia.)
She is loving on a little guy at the Mafarinha church plant.  

Dylan making some soccer moves with the nationals.

It was good for Preston and Dylan to have some "guy" time.

While the guys were at soccer, the girls
attended a baby dedication. It was the
grandson of our activista Emilia.

Sarah is blessed to be able to pray for this new
life.  Noemia Cessito (next to her) and her husband
Jeronimo are the leaders of the ROL project.

The interns Kristy and Jessica take a moment to pray for
God's blessing on the gifts for the new baby.

Many women attended the dedication with
their own babies on their backs.

The team went to Savane for a VBS program.  Dylan is
playing their African drums while the children sing and dance.

Faith is helping with crafts.

Even Dylan is having a great time with the kids.

Preston is painting a house built for Simone.
He is the new national in charge of the Green
'Door ministry.

This week we will say goodbye to our
interns.  Hope and the other 8 interns have been
a huge help with the Green Door and so many other
ministries in the two months they have been
here at the Ray of Light.

A Day at El Shaddai

Intern Reece is building playground equipment for the children.
Volunteers help make El Shaddai a special school in Mozambique.

El Shaddai currently has five grades. Each year another grade is added.
The dream is to go through grade 12.  There are 350 students but
there is a need for more classrooms for next year.

More boys will stay in school in Mozambique than girls. El Shaddai
hopes to change those statistics and see all children stay in school.

"I want to grow up and be a nurse," said little Noemia.
Perhaps she was motivated by the loss of her mother
from malaria last year.  El Shaddai is giving her a
 great start on her education.

The children like to greet me in English.  They are learning
both Portuguese and English.

All of the children have big dreams for their future.  When I
asked them what their plans were I heard a variety of choices:
doctors, nurses, singers, businessmen.....El Shaddai gives them
that hope.

Sponsoring a child for a better education is an investment not only
 in their future but the future of a better country for Mozambique.

The children are always smiling and they should be!  They
are getting a chance to have a great education and learn
about Jesus.  Who wouldn't smile?

The soccer field at El Shaddai gets used often.  This team is
doing their best to get ready for competition.

It has been fun to watch these children grow over the last
five years.  They are full of fun and confidence....and a little
bit of mischief. :-)

I asked the children what they liked best about school.
9 out of 10 said "to eat!"

It is a blessing for the meal to be provided for these children.
It makes a difference in their performance and health.

Team members take a minute from working on
the playground equipment to play bubbles with
the children. Their presence is so appreciated.

Braxton gives this girl a better advantage for
popping bubbles. Developing relationships
is key to change.

I chuckled after taking this picture and looking
at his teeth. Oh, my.  We need dentists in Mozambique!

Cindy is the school nurse.  She gives each child
a thorough check-up.  In a country that has only
1 doctor for 30,000 people, El Shaddai is blessed
to have a school nurse.

John can fix anything.  He not only oversaw the
building of El Shaddai, he keeps maintaining it too.

A Different Kind of Celebration

Our basket-weaving training finally began today in Project Life.
We are excited to see how God will use this business to help the people!

Kristy, one of our interns teaches herself how
to make a basket.  She is pretty amazing!

It is the fourth of July and I know a huge celebration is going on back home in Wyoming.  It is probably the most difficult time for us to be away as this is the one holiday our children and grandchildren make the trek home from their various states to enjoy the big Cody parade, barbeque and fireworks.  When we are not there, they don't come home. It is moments like these one reflects on the cost of answering God's call to be a missionary.

It means missing a few celebrations.  Adjusting to a lot of inconveniences. Struggling to be understood in a language that is difficult to master. It may even mean fighting for your life in a third-world hospital because pesky mosquitos like to carry the dreaded malaria parasite.

The day I returned home from the hospital, my daughter Ruth sent me a precious email.  While sick I had prayed that God would comfort my family during this difficult time.  She reported that she found great comfort in her pastor's sermon that Sunday on "Finishing Well." He spoke of doing what God's love compels us to do as we enlarge our vision to serve Him. Particulary his sermon reflected on the life of Ed and Ruth Thompson, missionaries to Cambodia and Vietnam.  The Thompsons had an undying commitment to love people and to share the gospel. The Thompsons lost their lives during the Tet Offensive at the hands of the Vietcong.  Many people had warned them not to go to Vietnam. Yet their sacrifice resulted in the spiritual birth of over 40,000 Christians in Cambodia and even many more than that in Vietnam.  I found great comfort in the advice our daughter shared from Ed's former professor at St. Paul Bible College, "Don't doubt in the dark what God has shown you in the light."

God reminded me today to never hesitate to walk in that light.  A young man in Project Life passed away this weekend.  My illness prevented me from helping with the funeral so today Fernando, Simone and I took his family some food. As we were comforting the family, the mother spoke up and said she knew that her son had Jesus.  She knew that we had Him too and we were different.  She said she wanted Him in her life too.  With great joy we explained the plan of salvation as she and her family listened.  She bowed her head and prayed the sinner's prayer without any hesitation.  As I watched this amazing miracle blossom before my eyes I realized I was part of  a thunderous celebration going on in heaven. A fourth of July celebration of the best kind!

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  2 Corinthians 4:16-18