Moo-Moo

Apologies for the layout of the new look!  I have been bombed yet again (even Google had to close my account due to strange password activities on my blog!)

Anyway working on the problem.  Lots happening on the developing of the base and will keep you informed the moment I arrive (Deo Volento) back on the base.

Amahoro in Mozambique

Amahoro, Paz, Shalom, Peace, Vrede!  Amahoro is a Swahili word for peace but for Mozambique it has a new fresh meaning.  After attending many Amahoro gatherings in Uganda, Rwanda, RSA and Kenya the hope was always there that we could start a Mozambique conversation with church leaders right here in Mozambique.  Great was the surprise when Claude Nikondeha (founder of Amahoro and activist for the poor) contacted me to setup an opportunity in Maputo.

But you may ask who or what is Amahoro?  Amahoro Africa is working to see the Gospel of Jesus bringing transformation to communities across Africa.  We facilitate holistic transformation by encouraging, resourcing and connecting emerging African leaders who are committed to the tangible manifestation of justice, mercy and goodness in their local context.

Amahoro Africa works with those, African or not, who desire to engage in respectful partnerships that intend to further transformation in African communities in the name and spirit of Jesus.  We are excited to work alongside those who are willing to themselves be changed in the process of these friendships with African leaders.

Photo left:  Amahoro leaders, Claude Nikondeha and his wife Kelly at an Amahoro gathering in Kenya 2010.

Please pray for our time in Maputo this coming week, 28 - 31 October as we start the conversation with local leaders 

We will be travelling another interesting 1 300 km's to participate and co-ordinate the time with Amahoro.

Photo:  Praying for Mozambique during the Amahoro gathering in Mombasa, Kenya 2010.

Three cups of Tea

I was introduced to the book, Three cups of Tea and the life story of Greg Mortenson by Barbara Rainford in England during a visit to beautiful Budleigh-East. I don't think I ever recovered from this beautiful story. This morning I was reminded again by it from a Canadian friend, Mike Todd. I am an educator by heart and his story on building schools in Afghanistan alone with the constant threat of AlQaeda was just jaw-droppingly good.

Here is an article from the New York Times published today on Greg Mortenson and his continuing story.

A visitor to Afghanistan who ventures outside the American security bubble sees pretty quickly that President Obama’s decision to triple the number of troops in Afghanistan has resulted, with some exceptions, mostly in more dead Americans and Afghans alike.

So what can we do instead? Some useful guidance comes from the man whom Afghans refer to as “Dr. Greg” — Greg Mortenson, an American who runs around in Afghan clothing building schools, as chronicled in the best-selling book “Three Cups of Tea.”

The conventional wisdom is that education and development are impossible in insecure parts of Afghanistan that the Taliban control. That view is wrong.

An organization set up by Mr. Mortenson and a number of others are showing that it is quite possible to run schools in Taliban-controlled areas. I visited some of Mr. Mortenson’s schools, literacy centers and vocational training centers, and they survive the Taliban not because of military protection (which they eschew) but because local people feel “ownership” rather than “occupation.”

“Aid can be done anywhere, including where Taliban are,” Mr. Mortenson said. “But it’s imperative the elders are consulted, and that the development staff is all local, with no foreigners.”

In volatile Kunar Province, which borders Pakistan, the Taliban recently ordered a halt to a school being built by Mr. Mortenson’s organization, the Central Asia Institute. But the villagers rushed to the school’s defense. The Taliban, which have been mounting a campaign for hearts and minds, dropped the issue, according to Wakil Karimi, who leads Mr. Mortenson’s team in Afghanistan.

In another part of Kunar Province, the Central Asia Institute is running a girls’ primary school and middle school in the heart of a Taliban-controlled area. Some of the girls are 17 or 18, which is particularly problematic for fundamentalists (who don’t always mind girls getting an education as long as they drop out by puberty). Yet this school is expanding, and now has 320 girls, Mr. Karimi said.

It survives because it is run by the imam of the mosque, and he overcomes Taliban protests by framing it as a madrassa, not a school. That seems less alien to fundamentalists and gives them a face-saving excuse to look the other way.

In Uruzgan Province, Mr. Mortenson and Mr. Karimi are beginning to pay imams to hold classes for girls in their mosques. That puts a divine stamp on girls’ education.

Each month, Mr. Mortenson’s team gets another 50 requests from villages seeking their own schools. And for the cost of a single American soldier stationed in Afghanistan for one year, it’s possible to build 20 schools.

Education is only part of the puzzle. My vote would be to scale back our military footprint: use a smaller troop presence to secure Kabul and a few other cities, step up training of the Afghan National Army, and worry less about the Taliban and more about Al Qaeda. We also should push aggressively for a peace deal between President Hamid Karzai and the Taliban, backed by Pakistan. (Would all this harm Afghan women? That’s the topic of my next column.)

Some of these initiatives are already in the works, but what is neglected is education and development, especially in Taliban areas. It’s true that this is tough, uncertain and sometimes dangerous going, with much depending on the particular Taliban commander. But, in most areas, it is possible, provided the work is done without Westerners and in close consultation with local people.

Government schools regularly get burned down, but villagers tell me that that’s because they’re seen as alien institutions built by outside construction crews. In contrast, CAREruns 300 schools in Afghanistan and not one has been burned down, the aid organization says. The Afghan Institute of Learning, run by a redoubtable Afghan woman named Sakena Yacoobi, has supported more than 300 schools and none have been burned, the institute says. Another great aid organization, BRAC, runs schools, clinics and micro finance programs — and operates in every single province in Afghanistan.

Then there’s the Global Partnership for Afghanistan, which is based in New York and helps Afghan villagers improve agricultural yields in the most unstable parts of the country. Some Taliban commanders have even sent word inviting the group into their areas.

Mr. Mortenson says that $243 million is needed to fund all higher education in Afghanistan this year. He suggests that America hold a press conference here in Kabul and put just 243 of our 100,000 soldiers (each costing $1 million per year) on planes home. Then the U.S. could take the savings and hand over a check to pay for Afghanistan’s universities.

Is this talk of schools and development naive? Military power is essential, but it’s limited in what it can achieve. There’s abundant evidence that while bombs harden hearts, schooling, over time, can transform them. That’s just being pragmatic.

If you have not yet read the book "Three Cups of Tea" ...... quickly run and get hold of it and read it!

You're a Giant!

I don't always do this, but I kinda liked this photo from National Geographic send to me via the RSA this morning!  And yes .... there is actually a great message hidden in this photo for all of us ..... specially those in Mozambique surviving!

This is a picture taken from directly above  these camels in the desert at sunset.  It is considered to be one of  the best pictures of the year.  When you look closely, you can see  that the camels are  the little white lines in the picture.  The black images you see are just the  shadows!!  You don't need to be big to make a difference!

Chemba ... karamba!

Ok ... survived a hectic schedule, a few diseases along the way, the borders (while smuggling maningi Bibles and study material again) and safely back in Moz! And while I get myself organized here is a quick preview on what I was up to just before I left to the RS of A!  I have a few more of these ....!  So here is our visit to Chemba situated next to the Zambezi river.


Well .... a comical view of what we were up to:

Being Spiritual or Religious?

"So many questions:, I though after listening to an elderly gentleman explaining why he struggles to accept a loving and miraculous God.  And his questions were quite interesting and very valid.  The virgin birth, the Resurrection and other issues are common questions the days we are living in.  "I believed in the creation as the Bible taught us - very literal I might add, but that was before I found out that the earth is not 6 000 years old as some suggested.  It is actually millions of years old."  He continued staring at me ..... he is a theologian himself and are seeking deeper truths.


And he was not the only one I spoke to as I concluded my visit to Cape Town.  The Christian world has a tendency to immediately attack anyone who dare to ask the "wrong questions".  One man said as I asked him about how he feels about his faith, "I know nothing about God.  I don't confess anything about God.  I just live IN God."  One theologian said to me that the time has come to part from dogmas and teachings and to re-evaluate the thinking around who God is."  "The thinking around dogma and the traditional "old" ways was that it did not keep track with reality.  


And with all that said (and believe me there is much more) I can understand why many people today would rather "brand" themselves as spiritual rather than religious.  Questions are good and I think although the church made many mistakes in the past by being very silent on many issues we should encourage the church and others to ask as many questions as it takes!  I don't doubt that many wants to see the church die and disappear .... but it won't die -  church, faith and God will never disappear - even if we ask questions.  I believe God will never be intimidated, angry or feel threatened by our inner struggles and questions to understand HIM better.


WE want to "over-analyze" God and try to "figure" HIM out - but God is so much bigger and greater than all of this.  In fact ... it is actually revitalizing when you realize when you don't have all of this figured out.


BUT the church will have to start to listen to the people, the real "church" - to become much more relevant.


And that includes even Mozambique!  We try to share stories of what God is doing IN people and THROUGH people here and pray that this very small part will help you to see something about GOD and who HE really is.  Happy searching!

A LAST WORD ...

…there are some guys who don’t believe in God and they can prove He doesn’t exist, and some other guys who do believe in God and they can prove He does exist, and the argument stopped being about God a long time ago and now it’s about who is smarter.

If I could walk 10 000 miles ......

I was born in Wynberg - under the shadow of Table Mountain.  There really is something about the place where you were born.  Where were you born?  Good memories always follows me after a visit to Cape Town.  But if I could walk 10 000 miles it would always return back to the people of Africa .... Mozambique ..... the bush ..... the huts and the laughter of the bush kids.  I yet again realized how complicated cities are - how fast paced it can be.  And then the great churches .... I had the privilege of visiting and sharing.  Good people with a passion to reach a wide range of people with Good News.  And to me .... that makes travelling and meeting people all worth it.  So as I am writing this ..... the wheels are rolling .... through the South African landscape, Zimbabwe and back to Mozambique.

I have taken so many pictures this time ........... but will not bore you .... so just a few to say good buy to old Cape Town.  Photo below:  "I don't think I have to introduce Cape Town .... do I?  No wild life around as you have noticed! 

Photo:  Dorp Street, Stellenbosch dates back to the 17th century ..... and a must to visit.

Photo:  Stellenbosch with its wine farms, mountains and great "fruit of the spirit(s)"!

Photo Above:  Blouberg, Cape Town.  Always a treat to visit.


Left:  Visiting on the many wine farms in Paarl with friends.

Night fever

As we continue to meet all our engagements in Cape Town before getting ready for the long trip (yes another
3 000 km's) we still do have the chance to enjoy the scenery and meet all the great friends in and around the mother city of South Africa.  Soccer fever has come and gone ... all that is left is huge, beautiful statues in the form of stadiums but the spirit of the people is still very contagious.

Photo:  Visiting the well-known Waterfront in Cape Town.

Photo:  Ostrich eggs on steroids!

Photo:  Table mountain showing off at night time.  (Wish I could have Alan and Barbara around a dining table serving green Thai curry with this view!)

Photo:  My wife Alta looks so much better than I do!

Hunting season just opened!

I am a hunter.  Hunters are strange people – a complicated species who gets a kick of creeping up to an animal or object and get as close as you can before looking it into the eye!  And when the season opens you best make sure you are first on the spot.  So ... I too can hunt but I am a different kind of hunter altogether.   Before I get carried away too much .... my hunting has all to do with books – precious cargo. 

It seems every time I travel away from Mozambique my mind wanders on where I am going to find scarce Bibles.  I seem to always have a deficit when it comes to Bibles – Shona, Chewa and Portuguese Bibles in particular.

Travelling to Cape Town this time around I was amazed what was about to happen.  An interesting church asked me to share in their morning service.  I accepted.  After finishing the morning service and sharing my burden for Bibles for central and northern Mozambique the pastor got up on to the pulpit and joyfully announced that I was literally preaching and standing on Bibles as I was sharing.  Still frowning he explained that they purchased scarce Bibles awaiting the preacher that would collect them.  The church had a storeroom beneath the church and yes I was standing on Bibles as I was preaching.  

Hunting season was truly open .......... and I went in for the kill ... to bring life to so many people who still don’t have the means to own their own Bible.

Photo:  Past. Raymond Lombard handing over the precious cargo.

But ... the hunt goes on and join me on the journey as I keep on searching.