I was hit by a blue coconut!

We've just had some great friends over from Canada.  Suzanna, a qualified ER nurse, has been working in Mozambique the last 5 years.  She was responsible for bringing over young student nurses to do their practicum in local communities - concentrating on health and hygiene.  Needless to say .... to handle 20 student nurses takes a very strong personality.  Therefore it would not be strange when I "baptized" here as "Mother Superior".

Suzanna has a great heart for people and feels very compassionate about her work with local Mozambicans struggling with health problems.  As Suzanna says:  "I keep coming back to be touched by the people of Mozambique .... not so much the other way around!" She recently got married and brought over her farmer husband, Andrew Kirk,  to experience the African bush for the first time.

It wasn't all work and no play though.  Although Mozambique (Manica Province) does not have a wide variety of restaurants to choose from we still managed to find a great place hidden in the hillside - Guruso.

Had a lovely day with great friends - and yes .... there were blue coconuts too!

PHOTO:  Suzanna and Andrew enjoying typical Mozambican hospitality with Alta!

 PHOTO:  Picture taken just after I ended up in the swimming pool!  I was hit by a coconut - a human coconut!

It's that buck .... Buddy again!

Could just not resist this photo of Buddy - our orphaned Klipspringer on the base.  He got in the Easter mood by grazing between my flowers.  I caught him eating some ..... and well I forgave him as he had some evidence left which he could not hide!  And well .... the eyes did it!

Lady Gaga and Mozambique

There has been a lot in the media lately on Lady Gaga's album "Born this way".  One of her "hits" on the album, "Judas" has outraged many .... even the pope when she sings:  "Jesus is my virtue, and Judas is the demon I cling to; I’m just a holy fool; oh baby he’s so cruel but I’m still in love with Judas, baby.”   I usually never comment on any of these on the blog but I so wish Lady Gaga was in Mozambique this weekend.  So this is a official invitation to Lady Gaga to visit us and experience the "bush people" of Mozambique, their hearts and their deep relationship with the One that brought true Freedom.

IN THE MEANTIME

Nothing was going to stop the Resurrection celebrations over Easter in Mozambique.  We had lightning, thunder and lots of rain .... but the people stood in the rain and kept praising the LORD through it all.  We sang, danced and ate until we could no more!  We squeezed 250 people into a room that could hold no more than 150.  The other 100 stood in the rain watching the Jesus film (that was moved into the small church due to the rain)  .... or at least could hear the echoes of the speaker!  Everyone wanted to be in on the festivities.

And that is why I love the people of Mozambique so dearly!  When they commit they walk not just the extra mile ..... but continue throughout the whole journey (and they will carry YOUR luggage) through it all!  I know GOD loves them dearly ...... now if He will only give me the right words to teach them this today!

We have a few Easter traditions here in the bush.  Let me share a few:

TRADITION 1:  Have everyone present!  Kids (unlike the Western world) is part of community life and attends all festivals and church "festas" and activities.

TRADITION 2:  Make sure the band is ready - and that there is enough 12 V batteries to go through the day and the night!

TRADITION 3:  The pastor and his interpreter is an unique part of the festivities!

TRADITION 4:  We need food .... and plenty of it!  The custom is to feed everyone that attends Easter weekends.  And we had more than 300 people attending!  Everyone brings something to the table!  I kinda like it!!!

TRADITION 5:  Contrary to many African beliefs .... the men needs to get in on the action too!

TRADITION 6:  Something you don't see very often ..... the pastor getting in on the action.  He blesses the food by helping!

Living through Easter in Mozambique!

When you live in the bush there is little time to page back into the past.  Life is short ..... but I quickly browsed back to see what I wrote on Easter in 2010.  I was blown away when I read it:  " It is interesting when you start searching on Easter. I got 70 600 000 direct hits and my bet is that about 70 599 000 of them would be an on Easter bunnies. I laughed when I searched and found the most amazing hits .... like:

• "Eco Bunny"
• Easter choclate
• Bunny Funny
• Easter egg hunt
• Easter crafts
• Easter humour

.... and so the list goes on! Hey .... let's face it .... it is a searching Easter world out there thanks to Reverend Google.  By the way I came up with 234 000 000 hits this time with JESUS featuring a little higher up this time.   Thanks for helping us to help those who are searching for the true meaning of Easter. And I have to say this .... so glad we don't have to rely on a bunny to be my best buddy! Easter is not an official holiday in Mozambique as we are still under "Marxism law" ....... but we still had the freedom to proclaim the great Message of Easter today wherever we went.  We decided to make 2011 special - it was all about giving - seeing people smile, enjoying the day.

Many orphans and families that were struggling were helped.  New clothing and other gifts brightening up their day, were distributed.  Churches came together in festive mood - we ate together and just enjoyed having Jesus Christ as Friend and Saviour. 

Oh ... by the way .... Happy Easter to you all!

PHOTO:  Everyone is helping to carry the gifts back home!  Is that a Woolworths plastic bag?

Photo:  Oh ... the joy!

Photo:  Getting new "bush" shoes is a big deal for a young girl!  Caring "mothers" helping to fit the new red shoes!

Photo:  And there you have it .... brand spanking new!  A total fashion statement for the bush!

A "small" miracle!

Her name is Melody .... she is almost 2 years of age and had extreme difficulty to walk.  In fact she was unable to walk.   Eunice, her mom, very worried that Melody had some other problems, continually asked us to visit her baby and to pray - as God had to do something special for the baby!


As we received a group of visitors from Polokwane, RSA we thought it would be good for them to visit little Melody.  Arriving at the hut it was clear from the start that the little girl struggled to find any balance.  At that age many babies could already walk so we could understand the worries of Eunice.  With faith, hope and love as the only weapon, and that is all we really have here - the group gently and sensitively started praying!  I was getting ready to leave after the prayer until a lady in the group asked Eunice to hand over the baby.  The baby (which would usually cry as babies here are not use to white people) hugged the lady for a long time and rested her head on the shoulder of the lady.  She put the baby down and started walking with the baby out the door.


I was stunned to say the least.  And yet again I realized that God really takes care of also the "small" in life who cannot speak or pray for themselves.  Needless to say ..... we were in tears.  So I visited the mom and baby a few days ago ..... and got this snapshot:

He really does answer prayer!

It's always about PEOPLE!

Take all of our building projects for example!  There are numerous projects running simultaneously  at the moment.  From housing projects to training facilities.  Through all these projects thousands upon thousands of people will be helped to show them their true potential and purpose in life.  Many of these will come to know real peace through Jesus Christ. 


One of our latest projects nearing completion is our Training Centre which will be used extensively.  We are currently working on a syllabus  to bring in many students in our orphan and external schooling program to teach computer literacy, sustainable agriculture, mechanics and carpentry skills.  Pastors and teachers will also be trained.  It will be a true "Life Centre" for many in the bush and beyond.


Here is a few pics to share on what is happening today:

Photo:  These are the "real" guys ... making it all happen - building up their own country.  Without them there will be no transformational engineering.  Tomas Same (right with hat) is the leader-builder (pedrero) with his team.

Photo:  The site!

Photo:  The entrance of the training centre.

PHOTO:  The carpentry team making trusses for the training centre.  And they are "world class" when it comes to woodwork!

PHOTO:  Gabriel Lucas (nearest to the camera) is our Carpenter Guru!  He understands all the mathematics to make sure things are square.


BUT WE ARE NOT JUST GROWING ON THE BUILDING FRONT ...

PHOTO:  Even are garden is growing ...... literally!  Andy Kuret is our newest helper and Agri specialist to make sure our gardens which provides food for our schools and orphan programs, are producing enough.  Andy proudly presents his new bean project!

When nature "gells"!

It's Buddy and BB Grace!  Sounds like a heavy weight boxing match coming up in Las Vegas .... yeah right!  It's Mozambique and I have again experienced something quite unique today.  Barbara Wayner (Mercy Air - Mozambique) decided to adopt a small Duiker buck (BB Grace) after 'she' was caught in a snare set by illegal poachers.  Seeing an animal in a snare is something you would rather abstain from.  It is ugly.  The small buck was a new born and barely a week old when she was caught.  Without too much detail - the buck was traumatized (as we always find them here in the bush - they are always cruelly hunted!), badly injured around his neck.  We all thought she would not make it - never mind barely survive.

But she did.  Our other orphan buck is a Klipspringer and has just officially become a teenager with an attitude.  BUT ....... to come back what I have experienced today.  Buddy and BB are from different tribes altogether and would never mix in nature.  Today though ... Buddy officially adopted the little Duiker.  The transformation (there I go again) was absolutely astonishing.  BB who is still weak and are struggling to walk suddenly realized that he is not alone in life - his own 'specie' has found him.  She started running and jumping in the air ..... and even started grazing!

I watched this with amazement from my office window in the house.  And it was wonderful to see what "presence" could do .... even if it was only a buck taking care of another orphan!  And I have realized how important a Gospel of Presence is in this world.  It was a spiritual experience as I watched Buddy protecting and taking care of this "damaged" Duiker.  And I was again reminded that GOD is in the business of touching hurt people.  And I am so glad .... I was touched by HIM!

Transformational Education

Time flies when you're having fun they say!  Or let me put it more bluntly:  Business before pleasure unless pleasure is your business.  And that is how I feel about what we are doing here in the bush.  We are currently busy planning yet another school who is really struggling in the bush.

PHOTO:  A typical classroom in the bush .... on dirt floors.  These are the classrooms we want to rebuild and change to make school more educational friendly.  These classes are not rainproof and seriously interrupt classes in the rainy season.

For me the term "transformational education" simply means that every child should have the opportunity to be able to study with enough infrastructure available to make this possible and allow every child to have the choice to choose his future through education.  Sadly in Mozambique that is still not a reality.  We are currently still paying the salaries of 4 teachers just to make education possible for about 250 children in the bush.  With a shortage of text books, pens, pencils and even exercise books this is still a huge challenge.  Simple things that the western educational system takes for granted is a huge problem here in the bush.

PHOTO:  A teacher trying his best with what he has available!

PHOTO:  A small classroom we painted to make education more fun!  

There is good news though.  With transformational agents all around the world we are gathering momentum to bring solutions to a very tough problem in central Mozambique.  England has a few of those wonderful "agents of change" around like Muriel, a science teacher (I have never met her) but with Barbara Rainford they have decided not to accept the fact that "that's just how Africa is ...." but to DO something about it.  Thanks to them we could buy supplies for the year to make sure that the bush children of Mozambique has a year they can look forward too.  Thank you!

When God comes to town!

PHOTO:  WAKING UP THIS MORNING


Have you ever seen the hand of God come down ..... just outside of the door of your house.  I just had that experience as I stumbled out of my house early morning.  Had a very late night with a group reaching out to struggling communities in Vanduzi and Mucombeze.  I momentarily forgot (it happens when you turn 40, I realized) about the nearly 10 tons of goods a group brought with them as they visited me.  Clothing, paper, vegetable seeds, food, more paper, toys and even bicycles were scattered outside my house.  There were simply no place to put it all.  When I looked in amazement at my cluttered surroundings I could only think:  "Oh my goodness .... God came to town!"  

PHOTO:  So where do we put all this stuff?

PHOTO:  The UN would struggle to get the amount of clothing and goods that we gathered without even asking for help!  Well ... ok ... .we did kinda whispered something to GOD in prayer.


And I realized that when He shows up ..... be prepared, be ready ..... it will be a fast and furious ride.  We were tremendously blessed by a 12 man (and women) team from Polokwane in South Africa.  We were so hoping that our orphans and school kids could be clothed ..... and WOLA ..... God provided through great people.  I have seen so many miracles the last week that I am short of breath!  I have seen struggling people find new hope, I have seen those who have lost their spiritual sight ..... leaving with a new twinkle in the eye.  I have even seen people in pain for more than a decade being healed .... all because someone cared.  Steven, the group leader smiled when he saw my astonished frown when I looked amazed at my "scattered surrounding",  and he read my mind without saying a word - he understood GOD.

PHOTO:  And yes I could hardly beliefe my eyes when I saw what these good friends brought from so far!!

PHOTO:  And after a hard days work - time for some R & R!


And I salute all my brothers and sisters in Christ who reaches out around the world to those who have no one else to look at.  I again realized that God has to use a pair of hands and feet to make a difference to the weak, the lost and those in pain.


May our God of hope bless you all!

Hometown blues

Just had one of the most amazing teams visiting us.  There were many reasons why they were so great - their servant hearts, their genuine prayers for hundreds in the community, the legacies they left behind in the lives of many - but they also reminded me of home.


Just received one of the most amazing photos from a friend this morning reminding me of home!  I was born in the shade of Table Mountain in Wynberg - so thought I would post the photo this morning.  And hey ... if you have not been in Cape Town .... dot it down as one of those destinations you should visit before you die!


Bless ya!

Due to the wide angle size of the photo I could not fit it in .... but gives you a good idea!

April fool in the bush!

I have extreme bad memories of 1 April - April fools day!  I remember being in the army and the 1st of April fell on a Saturday morning.  It was 05:00 AM and a corporal screamed us awake in the bungalow.  Only to assure us 10 minutes later that we could go back to bed to rest!  My over-joyous mood turned to a nightmare when he stormed in 15 minutes later telling us to get our 45 kg backpack.  It was the longest 50 km route I walked in my life .... without water.  YES, 1 April will always leave a strange taste in my mouth!

Interestingly enough April fool's day started as early as 1586 when King Charles IX from France changed New Years Day from 01 April to 01 January on the Gregorian calender.  Many were disgusted with the decision and continued to celebrate New Years on the 1st of April  - and were then branded  as "fools" by the king!

Anyway had a interesting day on the base when more than 50 workers were playing tricks on each other - sending people left and right for "meetings".  Was very funny to see them in action - not sure who told them about 1 April .......?