MP3 speaks 'foreign'!

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

You rush to the airport through rush hour traffic.  The scene infront of you doesn't really help your cause as you still need to check in your luggage as the hotel wireless went haywire just before you could check in electronically.  You rush to the closest TV monitor to check if your flight is still on time.  Your flight number pops up with 30 minutes to go and you read:


"sitT thgilf sah devom ot lanimret 3"  You quickly clean your glasses with your scarf to make sure you understand the urgent message.  And then a quick call for your name on the PA system!  Will passenger Rauch please board flight 177 to Paris immediately at gate 79 at Terminal 3.  And you realize you are currently at gate 1 at terminal 1.  No chance  whatsoever to make the flight.  It leaves you with a dry taste in the mouth, doesn't it?


This is how tens of thousands of Mozambicans feel daily.  No flight to catch though - our airports in the bush are quite a scarse commodity.  But a total lack of literacy makes it impossible for people to read or write here in the bush - so they would feel like you on a busy airport unable to read the TV screen in a haste.  Although we have tried our best the last 15 years we simply, with so many other NGO's and government organisations, cannot get to illiterate people quick enough to change their lives forever.

It is when older people who struggle to see, read and write hear the Word of God in radio format - they struggle to believe it!

Using the written Bible in blind communities is impossible as any braille Bible in the Mozambican scarse dialects is not available.  Normal Bibles in the different dialects is already a huge challenge.  BUT then I got hold of something quiete marvelous.  At first I couldn't believe it and then I listened to a MP3 player with a solar panel reciting the Bible in a scarse dialect in our area.  I was hooked!

Joy unspeakable!!  When they realize the power of the Word .... some just laugh and others cry.

We got hold of a great young guy with an amazing passion, Chad Vanden Bosch who runs various MP3 projects in remote areas.  We got hold of some of these MP3 Bibles and I realized this is something we immediately had to do.  We started off with ladies who couldn't read or write and the effects were amazing.  Soon ladies got together during the day and listened the Bible under a tree.  More came and soon we had communities getting together with their own MP3.  Providing the blind with a Bible was an amazing experience.

Before I share many stories of how God touched people listening to the Word in its original form I need to share a few pics to tell you some of the story!

MP3 Bibles are now carried around the neck - everywhere.  Some do washing at the river with their Bibles on loud!

Communities receiving their Audio Bibles for the first time in their mother tongue!

Runway a 'runaway' success!

High time to give an update on how the construction of the runway is doing.  I have seen so many miracles the last few months that I forgot to update the progress on the runway.  God has opened many doors to make all of this possible and will share some great stories in due time.  In the meantime some photos will tell the story of how we got an Australian, Malaysian, American, Swiss, Zimbabwean and Mozambicans to help us construct the 1,2 km runway! 

Backhoe in the background loading sand for the trucks.  The runway is currently being leveled to perfection.

Meanwhile back at the 'ranch'!

While I was out with a team in Gorongoza things are moving at a rapid pace.  If you miss a day on the base you might return and not recognize some of the landscape.  While I am reporting on activities on the base the runway is being constructed by heavy equipment.

But the Women's Art, Craft and Training center is really shaping up.  My wife is in charge and her degree in project management is showing.  She gets up at 05:00 in the morning to make sure nothing is left unchecked.  Workers at 06:00 (checked), fuel for concrete mixer (checked), steel and cement (checked), water connected and pumped for building (checked - last night already) ... and so the list goes on.  By the time I forced my one eyelid open at 06:15 the house is empty and my wife gone.  When I arrived at 08:00 ... well the floor was nearly halfway.

And that is how quick things go around here.

The sun has not yet fully risen but the first section is poured.

The heroes of the day!  None of our projects would have been possible without these great men from Mozambique.

Peter Manuel is our local Mozambican builder and has been with us for more than 10 years.

Pouring a foundation floor means .... moving rapidly.  A constant flow of concrete is necessary ..!  Was great to see everyone motivated.

  

The team still full of 'power'!

 

Ready, steady .... GO!

Caring put into action! Part 2

Church in Mozambique.  I have written much about it and the last chapter has still not been written.  (And will not be for a long time .... RED)  Reaching out to people in the bush has little to do with 'evangelism'!  The term is understood different by many - depending where you come from.  In Africa 'evangelism' has a strong 'presence' flavor.  If you don't spend time with people, eat together, laugh together and at least spend time around the fire ..... you have very little right to speak and then to be really heard.  It works pretty much the same when it comes to The Message of the Gospel.  So we've spend a whole weekend with the people of Tsaka.  Attending their church service was an explosive experience.  The singing, the choirs and the preaching was wonderful.  BUT it was the 'ministry of presence' which made all the difference.

When the people were asked what the team could do .... it was anonymous - please pray for us.  Hundreds of people who came from far in the rain - in the dark and early hours of the morning, came out for prayer.  There were so many people that we had to ask them to leave the church so that we could pray outside.  And God worked as only HE knows how to.  But God uses people and I was deeply touched as I saw how the people responded.  They simply came in faith and shared their lives with us.  No 'turn or burn' message - simply just ... God loves you deeply and longs for your presence!  And the people opened their homes and their hearts to GOD.

Again the Taberna Dei family members reached out without holding anything back.  Here is a few moments: 

  

When it was time to greet the wonderful people of Tsaka it was a touching farewell.  Everybody simply had to great the visitors ... and it took more than a hour to shake hands.

And as is the custom - there was always going to be a gift.  A goat was chosen (scapegoat if you want to) and it was given to the visitors as a token of appreciation.

Even after the service on our way back we made one last stop to hand over a few boxes of scarse Shona Bibles.  Hannes and Steven from Taberna Dei had the honors.

Meet the team ... who dared to go beyond and a little further.  They are standing on the women training center which Taberna Dei are helping to build.

When you dare to step out ....! Part 1

GETTING THERE

Getting anywhere in Mozambique is a mission - literally.  When 15 very brave souls accompanied me to Gorongoza, I felt kinda like Moses.  I was excited but overwhelmed.  Without water, beds, food and peak malaria season, I wondered how God would make this outreach work.  And ... Canaan .... was very far.  It started when Steven (pastor and leader of the group) called me via Skype and said they wanted to touch people who has been forgotten in the Mozambican bush. I immediately knew where I wanted to go - but were they up for the task?  It was a very diverse group of disciples who left the mission base early Saturday morning.  We had a funny dentist, a sporty doctor, a serious chartered auditor, a police specialist, a swim instructor, business people and a few young people. 

Traveling on Mozambican roads has its darker moments. These potholes don't look dangerous - but you will loose a wheel in the process - permitting the speed of course!

I didn't take to much interest in the few thunder clouds above.  I wish I did, but a little more on that later.  Gorongoza was an extreme hotspot during the long civil war in Mozambique.  It is a vast and beautiful area surrounded by mountains.  Getting there will take some effort and after looking at the various luxury vehicles I wondered who would loose a wheel in the process.  We slowly krept at 50 km/h and avoided was the unavoidable.  

Traveling with a group has many advantages - like stopping and eating (which is one of my favorite pastimes.)

We met our Gorongoza contact, the ever friendly past. Gonzalves on time.  Gonzalves and I has had a 12 year relationship and he is great man of God.  I love going into the mountains with him and can recall many great outreaches.  But he is a man that takes no prisoners.  He will take you wherever the need is, even if it means you come back without a leg.  We quickly stopped over at this house and our co-workers took the chance to spoil him and the family with some maize meal.  "Yes ...", he nods with a smile, "it has been a hard season with no crops and very little rain."  I look at the sky and thought:  "Mmmm sure looks like rain could be on its way!"

As is the custom, we stopped at some houses to pray for sick children. Due to a lack of medical care people in the bush are often forgotten and are at a high risk getting tropical diseases.

 We slowly started heading our vehicles north east into an area called Tsaka.  Of course you won't find that on any map and even my GPS (that lady with the irritating voice) kept on reminding me that I am now on a 4x4 track.  I knew that.  

One thing that still amazes me ...! Even in the middle of the bush there are 1 000's of people living everywhere. Here is a friend at his local bush 'Woolworths' selling the latest fashions.

Up the mountain and down the valley. The road got worse the further we went and my bush contact kept on saying: "Just over the next hill". Liar!

 After nearly a hour on the road and my friends dissapearing in my rear view mirror I had to ask Past. Gonzalves in my best and most loving face:  "Pastor how far must we still go.  It has been a hour!"  "Don't worry - just over the next hill."  My goodness, I thought.  This man is lying in my face.  He reads my mind and quickly adds:  "Well, I am actually encouraging you - not far now."  We arrived a hour later.  Setting up camp in the middle of nowhere is not a difficult task.  Everyone wants to help and many has never seen a vehicle or a 'mazungu' (white man) so many babies and toddlers run for their lives.

Arriving at our destination. Peeping toms everywhere. Everyone wanted to see exactly what 'mazungus' actually do. And wait until you visit the toilet .... eish! Duck and dive!

 To my amazement word has spread quickly that we have come to help and brought some special Good News.  600 people gathered from nowhere - and so did the clouds.  We've setup the Jesus movie equipment and danced with the kids and inquisitive bystanders.  Their hunger to receive good news was touching to say the least.  A few drops started falling but the people stood motionless - eyes fixed on the first movie of a man called Jesus - played infront of them.  In the crowd was a witchdoctor.  We treated him like everyone else.  He gave his heart to the Lord after some serious prayer.  One of the team members spent a hour with him until he was a changed man.  To see his face change was a miracle in itself.  It was only the next day that the pastor rejoiced and told us that the whole village visited his house to rejoice with him.  God moved in a special way through the life of one witchdoctor.  The rain stayed away during the Jesus film (albeit for a few drops).  We rejoiced.

And then the black clouds gathered and rain poured in buckets.  The team continued as it was a normal acitivity and set up breakfast like it was a hotel next to the beach.  Church was about to start and the team invited all those who gave their hearts to Christ to join us the next morning for fellowship.  More than 400 people arrived in a packed church.

Our two interpreters, Prosper (left) and Mathew (right) decided it was better to hide in the back of my vehicle.

See how God changed lives in our next insert!

Thunder on the horizon

What would you do if you suddenly wake up one morning with more than 25 tons of clothing, food, maize, fertilizer, paint,  sport equipment and school stationary on your front porch?  I woke up like that a few mornings ago after receiving a visiting group of friends from Polokwane.  My front door was jammed with food and gifts.  It again left me in tears to think that someone would care so much to bring all of this through the most horrendous borders and roads!

Steven Daly, leader of the group, walking confident and smiling as he tries to show me exactly how big this trailer is.  So when I said big ..... I meant big.  You could probably transport a church and all its members on it with ease!  Seriously!

So this is how you smuggle maize through the borders!  The import duty on maize is so expensive that it is impossible - but then again ..... (we have had to censor the last sentence ... sorry - RED)

These transformational agents drove more than18 hours non-stop with 2 humongous trailers loaded with blessings for the hungry and poor in Mozambique.  They were harassed by border officials and after the group arrived they were breathless as they started sharing how God intervened so that 'stuff' could get through without paying the enormous border duties.  As Steven (preacher and leader of the group) said:  "The officials went from an absolute NO to an absolute YES after we were kept at the border for more than a hour."  God is truly good.  We desperately needed these goods to better the life of people around us who simply would not be able to afford the help.

We kept on offloading the trailer ... without success.  It was like it was raining boxes full of blessings - with a little bit of thunder in the background.  Awesome miracles.

Look carefully .... we had 2 trailers and watch the 'new' vehicle still carrying boxes.

It took us a few hours to unload all of the goods .... but what the Polokwane (Taberna Dei) team with their doctors, charted accountants, power and crime specialists and even swimming trainer didn't know that the biggest challenge of their outreach was about to come true!

After 180 boxes fully packed .... even some of the team members wondered when it was going to stop!

Stay posted as we share the most amazing stories .... and some of them you will simply not believe. 

Festas de Mulheres!

If there is one thing Mozambicans know how to do then it must be to celebrate life in the midst of poverty, sadness and all the other ill social problems that surrounds their life in the bush.

Yvonne (left), Simon Nicalao (middle) and Celestina (right) were so proud to exhibit their own products to other local artists in the area.  It not just gave them exposure to what they have been taught but as they self said:  "We felt for the first time that we have been respected as artists .... and that made us feel very good!"

The 30 year war in Mozambique robbed the people of many creative artists.  Some fled and never returned and as you wonder through Mozambique you quickly realize that, in comparison with their neighbors, people here are struggling to produce art.  The Woman Ministry at the mission base has it as their objective to lift up woman to find their rightful place in society and once again thrive by producing beautiful arts and crafts.  The Simukai (Stand-Up) women was invited to exhibit their arts and crafts at a cultural day organized by our administrative chief in a nearby village.  Many other communities were also invited to attend but transport problems prohibited them from joining the festivities.  Those who could attend came in numbers and soon a festive atmosphere were surrounding the lush bush always lingering in the background.

It wasn't long before the crowds arrived in full force to support the day.

Everyone had a chance to exhibit their art and explain who they were and where they came from.  Was great to see how proud people were on what they had to offer and how they took pride in their creations.  

An African festival without dancing and music is just NOT an festa at all!  Bands showing what they were made of!

Easter greetings from the bush!

Easter is a busy time in the bush.  Every church around us needs a word of encouragement and hope.  "Is it still worth it?", they ask .... watching my response.  "Is He coming back again?".  And it always gives me great joy to say 'YES .... without a doubt .... and soon!'  We are running from village to village to encourage and share the good news.  The Jesus film is as always in huge demand.  And there is a joyous spirit all over even though Mozambique does not recognize Easter.  The fact that Mozambique has the fastest growing church in the world doesn't move the government much, but that doesn't stop the church from celebrating.

So here is a great Easter wish for you and family too .... wherever you find yourselves!