LOVE can build a BRIDGE

Africa loves presence. It loves people ..... it loves connecting. Taking time to visit and meet old friends are high on the agenda when it comes to Africans. Africa always accepts you with open arms and invite you to their warm personalities. Kids laugh and loves to pull the hair on your arms -specially if you are a mazungu! It's always touching! When we have visitors visiting from the western world we make sure they understand that "being" and having a "ministry of presence" is sometimes more important that the jobs on hand. Enjoying this presence was a group of more than 25 people from Cape Town.

They travelled more than 3 000 km from Bellville and Blouberg "to be present" with us deep in Africa. They loved the scenery as they travelled ..........

The well know Boabab tree is visible as you enter Zimbabwe on the way to Mozambique.


The Mozambican landscape changes dramatically as you leave Zimbabwe. Lush green bush is visible everywhere.

And then there is the people of Mozambique. Absolutely the friendliest people around. They love their pictures taken. Their hospitality often surprises people.

JOBS GALORE

Then there is the actual reason why many people visit us ...... to help us get the job done. The group participated in:

* Painting our pre-school
* Setting up a playground/sandpit for our pre-schoolers
* Helped with our athletics day at our bush schools
* Doing bush visits to interact within the culture
* Laughing
* Harvesting maize with the communities
* More laughing
* ...... and many more

Some powerful ladies painting the "casa de banho" - Pre-School!

Harvesting maize with the community got some people really motivated!

Our local pastor and leader in the community, Pastor Zarko Kwaramba, enjoying the harvesting session with the westerners.
Yes .... it was hard work. After 2 hours in the sun ................. time to rest.

Not everybody was tired though!

The digging of our sandpit and playing ground was hard work if I read those faces correctly.

Lots of clothing, toys and other goods were donated to help our communities in the bush. One thing was for sure ........... our visitors made a huge impact on our communities. But as they all said: "We have been changed and transformed .......... we though we brought a presence and good news .... but it was Mozambique who taught us about life!" And yes ...... that is Africa. It always takes a piece of your heart and buries it in the red dust ........... only for you to come back to Africa to try and find it again!

A big word of thanks to all who made the visit possible (and for all the donations!)

A special word of thanks to Andre Bester for sponsoring the photos. Andre is a keen photographer and runs his own business: AB PHOTOGRAPHY (www.ABPhoto.co.za)