2012 ... thank you for giving!

On behalf of every baby, child, widow, orphan, woman, pastor, sick person, lonely soul, battered individual, sad, happy and overwhelmed Mozambican .... THANK YOU so much for caring and BEING Jesus for someone in 2012.  The truth is that no one will ever know Jesus Christ - the Hope of the world, if we don't show HIM in action.  Preaching is good and teaching even better ... but it is in the touch and care that people  feel Jesus in action.  

And YOU made it possible this year through various ways:  Maybe by visiting us, being part of an outreach, caring, financial support and help without which we all would have perished, smuggling a Bible through tough borders or just caring for an orphan.  Many gave up their houses to store bags and bags of clothing after raiding every neighbor of their clothing in the closets (lol) ... others gave reading glasses and raided their own businesses so that others could 'see'.  Churches gave from budgets that they simply didn't have.  God saw every seed that was sown from all over the world and you will be richly blessed by GOD ... as only HE can.  Lives were changed, people were given a new lease on life, stomachs were filled and most of all .... hundreds found JESUS CHRIST as their Savior throughout the year.  May God bless you all. 

Songs were sung to bless many a church through the various groups visiting us!  

Preachers came from everywhere to share the Good News to all!

Thanks to so many friends clothing were distributed to many happy kids who never owned their own few 'sets' of clothing.  A great truly great Christmas.  (Thanks for your house Andrea!!!)

Kids dancing to show their appreciation for the many gifts!

Something that is always soooooo close to my heart ... making sure newly planted churches and leadership have their own Bible to read from.  Pastor Tome Mabuleza helps me to make sure Bibles are distributed in an organized way.  Bellville AFM, Stellenbosch Gemeente, South African Police force (Jacques), Bibles for Believers and especially Dr. Tielman Marias were instrumental this year in helping us getting Bibles into Mozambique.

Joao Benjamim (Mozambican Transformational Engineer) handing over a Makasa soccerball (the most expensive ball in South Africa ... really!!!) to one of our orphan boys.

Band of Brothers

Mozambique's 'Band of Brothers' ... that's how I call them.  Nearly 900 men in central and northern Mozambique who gives up 6 years of their life to complete their course in Theology with us at ASAM (Love Mozambique).  Without libraries, adequate books or even stationary (never mind the absence of laptops or 'Google') they always persevere and pull through.   And even that is only 10 % of their survival story.  Believe me when I introduce these men as true heroes of the faith.  Every-time I am in their presence I feel inadequate.  But it's when they come together and pray and sing in their 'sad blues voices' that I hear their hearts and cries.  Amazing men.

The class of 2012 saw 6 of our leaders and monitors finish their 6 year course with honors.  As is the custom the local church is also invited to share in the festivities.  There were place for no one as the church was already overcrowded.  In a western setting it would probably be a fire hazard hosting so many under one roof but the 40 degrees inside was no damper for the joy in seeing the 'Band of Brothers' coming out victorious ... certificate in hand.  Parabems pastors .... makorokoto ..... concratulations!

In a serious frame of mind before entering the church to start the 'official' proceedings.

The church was so full people were standing outside the church .... but still participating.  Gotto love Africa - many others would just leave .... but in the heat they too persevered.

Time to worship!   Right front:  Mathew Hurekure our administrator attending the proceedings.

If ever I see a picture of an African pastor ... it is something like this.  Lonely ... with his Bible and his bicycle ready to visit the needy!

HIGHLIGHT:  6 years worth of study ....!

Merry Christmas friends!

Enjoy the greatest gift ever to mankind ..... ever - JESUS CHRIST!  Thank you to all of you who changed the lives of Mozambicans for the good.  On behalf of all of them - Obrigado, Tatenda maningi - Thank you, Dankie!  Much love

Francois

Christmas Angels: Part 3 - Cape Town power

Two engineers, 2 doctors, 2 journalists, 3 theologians, 1 teacher, 1 marketer and 1 educational psychologist came together some time ago and decided to start a grueling 6 000 km's with one purpose = Let's show some serious LOVE to the continent!  My friends from Cape Town thought it to be a good idea to not just spend their free time on a holiday but to mix it up and serve in Mozambique.

Left:  Some of the Stellenbosch team members getting together before leaving for Mozambique on a 6 000 km journey both ways.

In the meanwhile ..... deeper in the Mozambican African bush:  We were wondering how we would put up the new roof of our Women Training and Craft center before the first drops of the rainy season starts.  Expertise as always is extremely limited and with my even more limited technical abilities my wife was already figuring out how she would manage me to put up roof trusses.  I guess I never concentrated hard enough when Geometry was being explained by my very funny bold mathematics teacher.  Squares and Pythagoras never really made sense.   Being technically challenged in the middle of nowhere is a huge liability here.  And well .... not sure how we survive but it has to do something with my wife I married.  She understands it all!  But to find manpower and people who understands what's happening .... very hard to find.

In the present .....   And then out of nowhere the team arrived in scorching temperatures.  Ready to serve and spot on time for what we needed.  After the doctors were 'distributed' to our clinics in the bush and the journalists were writing new stories of hope .... the engineers and theologians tackled the roof with determination.  Their eyes fixed on the target .....!

And I will let the photos do the talking!

Now here is a man with a plan.  Pienaar - engineer studying at the University of Stellenbosch making a plan ...quickly.  See that determination in his eyes .... scary stuff!

The dream team from Africa putting power behind the effort!

Theologian, Jaco - saying a prayer to make sure all is covered as the rafters are being lifted into place.

It's that man Pienaar again .... and yet another prayer from our theologian friend!  "Tame it with a stick brother ... tame it!"

Job nearly done ....!

And there she is .... ready for the tiles!

Christmas Angels: Part 2 - The real team!

The last few weeks has been extremely busy .... (I seem to say this a lot these days!).  Transformation took place everywhere but it was focused on the Women Training Center the last few weeks.  With phenomenal help from partners and friends we could gather enough funding to finish the roof of the center.  But much more important than the building process has to be the team that effortlessly give their time and expertise to make this possible.  Our Mozambican team is just phenomenal.  These are the type of guys that will stick with you no matter what.  And if we run out of materials or plans .... they create ones from scratch.  They have a plan ... always.  And they never give up.  Creating and making roof trusses ... no problem.  Within a week all the roof trusses were produced from scratch.  And the dream we had for the roof to be a reality before the severe rainy season .... could just be a reality.

The team in action - producing roof trusses for the women center.  Thousands of ladies will later on benefit from this team effort.

The team from left to right:  Marco Jose (store manager), Pindurai Rodriques (carpenter), Tome Toalha (Maintenance manager) and Charles Sixpense (general foreman).  Great guys who have been with us for more than 10 years now.

Christmas Angels: Part 1 - Meet Chelsea

Every so often you are privileged to meet someone that just blows your mind away.  I met someone like that about 2 months ago.  I was preaching at a church in Cape Town when this girl, Chelsea cornered me after the sermon.  She wanted to make a difference.  "We all have the power to change someones life", she said.  She caught my attention immediately with that statement. "I liked your sermon and want to do something about that. I don't have much", she said.  "But I can make a difference and will call you within a few days."  And off she went.

Francois receiving the 'life changing donation' from Chelsea in Cape Town.

I got a got a few days ago from her parents who told me she took all her savings she could find to buy Bibles for kids who were longing to own their own Children's Bible.  I explained to her parents to teach her to only give 10 % but as they taught she was determined to make sure she gives ALL that she had in her piggy bank.  Her contribution bought 4 Children's Bibles.  Chelsea .... here is to you!  This posting is to kids like you who just left a legacy in the lives of rural bush children.  We salute you.  You are our hero.  Thank you for LIVING the preaching of the evening.  I preached on:  Doing to ONE that you wish you could do for EVERYONE.  She listened and practically made this statement a reality.

Viva Chelsea!

And part of this was made possible by a girl, Chelsea!  Thank you from all of us!

And the Oscar goes to ......

Parents waiting in expectation!

The morning was crisp as the last cows passed the big crowd gathering at a lonely bush school hidden in the  bush.  There was something different in the morning.  Could have been 'expectation' that I read in their eyes. The giggles of the kids and the frowning of the parents were in contrast as we gathered under the trees.  About 200 people gathered as the sun was introducing himself in the east.  The organised setting made me smile when I arrived in the early dust.  No rain had fallen for a long time.  The planting season started but no one could plant due to the lack of the early rains.  The bush school has always been a place of hope.  It looked like everyone attended the school's year function .... just to catch a glimpse of hope again.  

And HOPE they received in buckets!  There is nothing as joyful as watching children being awarded for hard work throughout the year.  The difference with our prize giving function every year is that EVERY KID is a WINNER.  Everyone receives something for their effort throughout the year.  From academics to sport, from being loyal to best art and craft student, from being the friendliest student to being the most helpful - everyone is a winner.  It was also a time where every student received their marks for the year.  Parents were so proud and it was awesome seeing their smiles and watching their children growing up to become responsible citizens of Mozambique.

And the first Oscar goes to ..... 'Best Sport Student'.

Best student overall .....!  Biggest prize of the day .... a mountain bike.

I love this photo ... for several reasons.  But the face of this mother sharing this proud moment with her son is just priceless.

One of the girls reading her Children's Bible proving to everyone just how fortunate she is to read.  The literacy rate in rural bush schools are still alarmingly high.

If you ever wondered how I define a successful school that it must be this:  "See how many of your old students return .... just to see how the 'juniors'  are receiving prized for their efforts during the school year."  Great to see our old students still want to be part of their bush school.

And then it was time for the highlight of the day.  Receiving your year end results.

One of our old students ... sharing some 'educational wisdom'!

WOW!