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Tuesday, July 26, 2011

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.

5 comments:

Linda said...

Great pictures! It is wonderful to have teamwork in God's Army!
God Bless all of you!
My Love in Christ!
Linda

Karrie said...

What a blessing to see God's people serving and loving on His people so far from home and comforts zones! You are a blessing to me.

David Pool said...

Wow! What a fantastic invest of time and lives! Thanks for the great pictures!

Anonymous said...

Pam- I waited to get home and treat myself to your blog posting and the great memories. Thanks for sharing your pictures, thoughts and life with me and the team during our visit. I am a changed person for what I experienced and am confident that He who began a good work in me is faithful to see it to completion. He Himself is my peace (as Eph. 2 states) as I process thru all this. I ask for His leading for me and my family and how He would have us care for the sick and poor of this World. Faith

Johnson's Journal said...

Thanks Faith! God is changing all of us to be more like Christ. One step at a time. Bless you for your willingness to join us here in Moz.