Miss Emmalee

Emmalee and Elias this morning. Two different
countries, two different languages, two different disabilities,
but the same God that brought them together.

Estrela suffers from  Elephantiasis.

There are a variety of reasons that can cause this
condition.  One is through filarial worms transmitted
by mosquitoes.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. – 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Every now and then while in Dondo, I have a moment of epiphany. It seems for a brief moment, God allows me to see the "other side of the tapestry." Often things don't make sense in our topsy-turvy world birthed in the aftermath of the Garden of Eden. Then when I least expect it, a ray shines through.

Miss Emmalee was born with a very rare syndrome.  It is called arthrogryposis multiplex congenita. I can barely pronounce the syndrome that plays havoc on her body. The definition for her was to be born with dislocated hips, ptosis of the eyes, the inability to bend her knees and have twisted toes that sometimes rub each other raw. Not only was she born with this, so was her brother and her stillborn sister. Em struggles to get in and out of cars, to sit normally, to walk at a normal pace and at times to fall flat on her face.

Em spent a good portion of her 22 years asking God, "why?"  And He said to her, "Trust me Emmalee.  I see you as beautiful, and I have a plan for you..."  

After graduating in May with an Ag degree from the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Em decided to follow her dream...and it was to come to Africa. This morning I watched in amazement as I could see Em do something no one else could do as we walked Project Life. 

Elias struggles to walk.  He is an old man whose muscles have literally wasted away in his legs.  I was relieved to see him sitting outside because he has spent the last few months laying in his bed in a dark room. Em didn't hesitate, she sat down with her legs straight out and explained to Elias she understood.  And he understood that she understood. Just her presence communicated more than a degree in his tribal language. She prayed for him with a fervor only she, Elias and God understood. 

Then we went to visit Estrela. Estrela suffers from Elephantiasis. It hurts my heart to see her grossly affected leg knowing that life here requires one to be extraordinarily ambulatory to survive. Again, Em shared with Estrela in the way she has received comfort from God. I could see Estrela's tears well up. God understood her pain and she could see it in Em's eyes.

I know God that suffering is not your heart for people. But because we were created in your image, we have free will that brought sin, suffering and dying into this world. But that is not the end. You have a plan to use suffering to woo us back under your wings as a hen gathers her chicks.  It is there that we find our comfort.

Children's Day in Savane

Today was Children's Day out at the Savane church plant.

So I decided to dedicate this blog to the
children of Savane.

Phil, Emmalee, Simone, Manuel and Ramizia and their two
children, Junior and Edmario, and I left early this
morning for the African bush.

We brought rice, beans, fish, chicken,
and American cookies to celebrate
the day.

There were many children at the Savane
church this morning.

Um....yes. this is who you think it is.

This little girl was really clapping
and dancing during the worship!

The children are sweet. I have noticed a change
since we first started coming seven years ago.
It seems they are healthier looking and that is
really a blessing.

I know by these pictures you might think it is cold here. No!
It is not cold by American standards...it is like our summer
but they just aren't use to weather in the low 80's.

I noticed that the children were dressed in their Sunday best.

Children sit in the front left of the church,
 men in the left rear and women and babies on the right.

I always try and get everyone to smile
but it doesn't always happen!

You are never to early to learn the skill
of carrying water on your head in Moz.

A different technique.

I am always amazed at the children
carrying and caring for the babies.

Um....well...not everyone wants their picture taken.

Capalanas can be worn in a number of ways.

Now this is the way to listen to a sermon!

Simone preached today on children obeying their parents,
unless your parents tell you to do something like go to
the witch doctor.

It was a bright, sunny day in Savane.

There were a lot of boys there this morning.

We gave away 30 Bibles to children ages 12-18. The one
requirement is that they had to be able to read. Simone
is putting their names in their Bibles.

I noticed that some mothers came up
and asked for a Bible - they were younger
than 18. It is not uncommon, especially
out in the bush for girls to marry very
young...even as young as 14.

The children gave us a chicken for bringing them the Bibles.
I was hoping that this wasn't their pet chicken!

The women can really dance in worship.  Augusta is the leader
of the women and she is really animated!

The children waited outside for their
meal after the service.

Emmalee makes friends easily - even if
she doesn't know the language....except
the language of love!

It doesn't take very long for girls to be silly.

The children are waiting in line for their American cookies!

They were told to bring a plate from home or they couldn't eat!
They just eat with their fingers - they don't need silverware.
We forgot to bring our silverware so I used my chicken bone
as a fork - not a bad option. :-)

Em passing out those cookies that she helped bake. I haven't
told her yet exactly how many cookies she will be baking
(1 million) as a 3-month intern here in Dondo....sshhhh....don't tell her!

The adults were just as happy to get the cookies.

A girl with her Bible after church.

The girls were playing games while waiting for their food.

These young men hung out together
looking at their Bibles after church.

These cute little faces are Junior (left) and Edmario (right).
It is hard to believe that when we started coming here seven
years ago that Manuel wasn't even married!

Last but not least, little Pamela.  She is eating
her rice, beans and fish. Now that is something
to smile about!

We had a great day in Savane. Pray for the children
of Savane and Mozambique.  They are the future.
The way to fight poverty starts in the hearts
and minds of these children.  We are thankful
for the nine church plants and those that support
them. God is working here in Mozambique!

Three Ministry Updates

Julia is showing off the baskets made by the people in Project Life.
They are getting more professional looking and they are ready
to sell their baskets in more venues.

Basket Ministry Update

We use palm leaves that we cut from the African bush for our baskets.  Saturday I took “Abe” the Green Door truck and a crew out past Mafambisse and Matua to drop them off so they could spend the day cutting the leaves. Now if anyone knows me, they know that I have no sense of direction and a memory like a sieve. I can hide my own Easter eggs and the hunt could go on for years. I say that because going out in the bush on what really are more foot paths then roads can be quite challenging. One landmark looks exactly like the next out in the bush if you are a green horn like me. Usually I have had Fernando to show me the way but since his death, these road trips for the basket ministry are solo once the crew is dropped off. But I really am never alone.  I know that God is with me and He knows my situation.

I studied diligently going into the bush for every turn, bump, chuck hole and stump to identify on the way back. However, the road in never looks like the road out. As I left the crew, I noticed two women with huge sacks balanced on their heads and a larger sack on their backs walking the path.  Normally, we never pick up people we don’t know.  I drove past the women but I kept hearing God telling me to pick them up!  That feeling did not go away as my car kept going. Finally, I stopped. The women caught up and thanked me several times for the ride. As we rode along, I came to a crossroads. Trying to figure out which one to take, I naturally (true to form) took the wrong path. The women pounded on my window from the back of the pickup.  Realizing my cluelessness, they guided me all the way out to the Beira-Zimbabwe highway where I was able to make my way home.

I spent yesterday looking for more vendors for our baskets in Beira. One vendor outside of Club Nautica by the beach took 9 baskets and a gift shop near the university is interested in coming to Dondo to see our little production in order to approve them for her shop. Please pray that God will open more doors for the baskets to be sold.

Project Life Update

It is typical for us to ask for prayer requests after we teach the Bible study out in the bairros.  When you suffer from the AIDS virus, the requests for healings for a variety of illnesses are ever present. So when one woman in Bairro Vinte e Cinco started to voice her request, it startled me when she started sobbing before she could get out the first word.  Finally, under composure, she shared something that stunned me even more than her outburst.

With great pain she explained her loneliness because everyone in her family has abandoned her. Not because of her virus, not because they died or moved away, but because they accused her of being a witch. Another woman chimed in that she too was undergoing the same trial with her family. I looked at these women in complete surprise because they had been coming to our Bible studies for quite a long time and had professed Christ as their Savior. What was even more troubling, is that the week before I had been confronted with the same issue with another elderly woman in the Macharote bairro. More than just accusing her, her children had beaten her viciously three times.  Apparently the daughter-in-law had not been able to get pregnant so they accused their mother of casting a spell by using her dead husband’s spirit to prevent the conception.

In 2011, 16 women were killed in Marromeu, accused of witchcraft. This incident was not the first in Mozambique and most likely not the last. Were these women witches? Closer to the truth according to newspaper articles is that there is another word for this tragedy and one that hits closer to home – Elder Abuse.   If you don’t want to care for your elderly mother because she is unable to provide for herself, or you don’t want to deal with one who suffers from AIDS because of the time and expense involved, it is convenient to accuse her of being a witch. She can be ostracized, abused and possibly killed. In a land bequeathed in witchcraft, it is difficult to protect the innocent.

Please pray for these widows as they confront even another battle in their lives.

Green Door Update

It has been our desire to protect the rights of the women and children, orphans and the blind that receive our Green Door houses. For eight months we have tried to connect with an organization in Maputo for training for these rights but it has become a dead end. Today in Beira I met with the Director of Social Action for Women of the Sofala Province to discuss our situation. This meeting has to be one of the highlights of my week. I couldn’t believe it when I walked into his office and discovered that he is blind! He is a highly intelligent man who is quite accomplished with his Braille. We discussed the issues at hand but afterwards I couldn’t help but ask him about his life. Every blind person I have met in Mozambique has been a beggar on the streets. Here was a man who was in a very enviable position for someone without a handicap, let alone blind.

His name is José and he was born and raised in Moz. He attended a blind school in Beira apparently with financial help. He then went on to college in a normal environment because he had been equipped with the tools he needed to succeed. He demonstrated his Braille machine and his computer with special software that enables him to produce reports or send email.  It really was quite impressive.

His is definitely a success story. What better person to be in his position than one who struggled and worked hard to succeed and who understands the challenges of the handicapped. He also is a great example that lives can be changed for the better.

José was also happy to hear of the houses you (the donors) have built for the blind in Dondo. You are changing lives for the better because of your generosity. Who knows the plans that God has for these lives you have touched!

A Paradigm for the Paucity of Prosperity

These fathers are receiving a gift on Sunday from the church.

This last week I spent some of my time gathering information for potential recipients to receive a CRI* Green Door house.  We like to let the donor choose their recipients so they can pray for them and really understand that what they are doing really changes lives. It is not always logistical or practical for donors to be on the field they have partnered with so we try our best to help them be here in spirit.  So I have the privilege of listening to those in need of housing, writing down their stories, and sharing with potential donors.

I probably interviewed around 15 women this last week, mostly from Project Life, our AIDS hospice.  All of them single by death or divorce.  As I listened to them, a pattern in their stories emerged.  They married young, perhaps at 14 or 15. They had at best a primary education and no vocational training. They had several children with 90% losing one or several children before they were of age.  The men in their lives often gave them the AIDS virus, then died or abandoned them.  It was paradigm for the paucity of prosperity, i.e. extreme poverty.

Today when I walked out in the bairros meeting with those in PL, two different women shared with me through tears that they had husbands. But it was more negative than positive. One husband cheats on his wife with other mistresses so they take every opportunity to mock his wife. The other woman’s husband has made an ultimatum with her – get rid of the children or he will leave.

Ironically, this last Sunday at the Dondo Baptist church was “Father’s Day.”  I listened to the heart’s cry of the women as they addressed the men through speaking and a skit. How they desperately want the men in their lives to be the man that God calls them to be. They don’t want to be a man’s possession. So often women in Mozambique are considered property; something that can easily be discarded when life gets complicated. I just was reading a blog from a friend who champions for animal welfare. My eye caught a comment that he was making on Facebook. He was talking about “those creeps that “own” their dog instead of “love” their dog…an egotistical possession instead of a precious friend.”  If that is true for dogs….how much better a man should treat the woman that God has given him! How different things could be if the men would love their wives like Christ loved the church.

I noticed that even though there were more than 300 people at the church, only 25 of them (that included my husband, Cindy’s husband and Jeronimo) were fathers.  A disproportionate amount compared to the women and children.  The lack of men taking responsibility as fathers and husbands is not a new phenomenon.  In the United States, we too have the case of the disappearing father.  One out of three homes is without a father.

Even though these women don’t have men in their lives to love and cherish them, God gives us that opportunity to fill in the gap. Through programs like Green Door or Project Life, Tessa Grace, and the Medical clinic, we really can help change their lives for the better. With the nine church plants that have been started through the Ray of Light project, and programs like SPARKS, we can bring change to the men in Mozambique by introducing them to the One that can change poverty of the heart, mind and soul.

Please, would you commit to praying for the men of Mozambique?  

(Note: We are going to do a food distribution for the families in Project Life. Usually it costs a total of $1500 to provide 120 families with rice, beans, oil and sugar. At the end of the rainy season, life is difficult because their machambas are not yet producing their rice. If you would like to donate towards the $1500, please go to the Children’s Relief International website* and under “Donate” choose “Ministries” and “Food Pantry.” Thank you

Have you ever seen such a small coconut?  These grow on
a very tall tree in our yard.  The children come and climb
the tree to eat these little coconuts because they are hungry!
It is dangerous for them to be up there and sometimes I bribe
them with an apple or cookie to keep them on the ground.

We are Back!

The warm air, the distinct pungent smell of the tropics and the coconut trees welcomed us back to Mozambique.  We were gone eight months but few things have changed; perhaps some new businesses have emerged from outside investors. Sadly, we heard Biques burned down – a popular restaurant on the beach in Beira. More coal and trees are being exported out by foreign countries. Though the infrastructure is looking up for some, many are still struggling to survive. The good news is that because of our friends who support this ministry, we came armed to build 16 more houses!

Though anxious to connect with so many, I checked up on Fatima first.  Fatima is an activista (worker) with Project Life, our AIDS hospice without walls. She has suffered a number of bouts with TB but continues to fight it.  She has such a sweet demeanor and continues to trust God for her healing. Will you pray for her to get well completely?

Fatima is as beautiful on the inside
as she is on the outside.

I was delighted to check up on the basket ministry.  The quality of the baskets is impressive as the people in Project Life continue to excel in their skill of basket weaving.  I will try and get a picture up on my blog soon!

It also has been encouraging to hear that many still attend the Bible studies out in the bairros with the activistas.  Some people attend from other churches just to write down what we are teaching so they can teach it in their churches!  So many churches are here but there is a need for trained and educated pastors. 

To those of you that support an activista – you are making a difference not only in this project but in many other places as well. PTL!

The women wearing their matching capalanas are singing
and dancing in worship at the Nhamaibwe Bible study this week.

The women are getting better at being able
to read their Bibles.

Finding chapter and verse is getting easier.

After the Nhamaibwe Bible study, I visited a very ill elderly man from Project Life in his home.  From his humble surroundings I could see he had very little of this world’s possessions. His sickness has kept him from even getting out of his bed.  He hadn’t eaten his small plate of masa his wife had made for him because he had no appetite. In spite of his circumstances, he looked up and said to me, “I am trusting God with all of my heart!” 

It is good to be back doing the soup ministry. Emilia, Anapaula, Simone and I went to the hospital yesterday. We always go into the pediatric ward of the hospital first to pray with the sick children. Mothers bring their babies to us for prayer and soup. It never ceases to take my breath away when I see the suffering of these little ones.  Some had malaria, or other deadly infections. I asked the age of one infant (a week old?) and discovered she was 7 months old! Her little arms were smaller than the circumference of a quarter.  In the adult wing, a man with swollen legs told me he was a Muslim but he also had accepted Jesus.  It really didn’t surprise me to hear him say that. 17% of the population here is Muslim but often they don’t really understand the extent of what that means.  It isn’t uncommon for people to mix their religions here in Moz, often including witchcraft as the foundation.  In the last room, a man who was attending his sick wife accepted Jesus as his Savior. I am so thankful for those that support the soup ministry because it is a very powerful way to share God’s love and hope and it is so often received well.

This woman in PL is suffering from what
started out as a toothache.  The infection
spread to her face and now it is swollen
to her eye. The need for dentists in Moz is great!

I spent the day today interviewing a number of women who are in need of housing. As I sat listening to their stories I was drawn back to a time of war in Mozambique (not so long ago) that disrupted lives and tore apart families. The aftershock of war still lingers as they struggle with being a woman in a poverty-stricken nation.  Yet, it is with great satisfaction that I know we can help.  I know that these women’s stories of loss and suffering are powerful. But the stories of those who have sacrificed to give are also powerful…many giving sacrificially in spite of their own loss and struggles. They didn’t give out of their wealth or poverty, but out of love.  It is a love that reaches around the world to hold hands with the Mozambican people to make their burdens light. Thank you to all of you who had a hand in this!

My doggie and I are back together again. Paz
was so excited to see me.  I was worried he might
not remember me.  He kept staring at me intently
in the face, would walk away and come right back
to stare at me intently again.  Now he isn't letting
me out of his sight....:-)