DATE: Tuesday, June 14
LOCATION: Mabane, located in the bush of Mozambique
I wake up in my tent to the sounds of goats and the women working near the kitchen. I get up and read the Word and jot down a few of the events of yesterday. It’s a chilly morning but pleasant. Soon the rest of the team is up and ready for our first official day of ministry in the bush.
Breakfast consists of fresh bread that we bought in Chokwe – a 
banana, instant coffee, the heat of which warms me up nicely. After breakfast, we have morning devotional time with Pastor Carlos. Then it’s time for ministry. Our first church visit is within walking distance, so we walk through the village for about twenty minutes before reaching a small church. The walls are made of mud, and the roof is thatched. We are told that we are attending a meeting of the church leaders and are escorted inside, where – as usual – we sit in a row of chairs at the front of the church.
The service proceeds as usual, with singing, dancing, and preaching. A few team members share words of scripture, personal testimonies, or words of encouragement. Then more singing and hand shaking.
We leave the church and return home for lunch, which is quite a feast of rice, pop, goat meat, and grape soda. Pastor Boloy, our main contact in Mabane, has slaughtered a goat specially for us to have that week.
We have about 20 minutes to rest, so I lie down in my tent, but don’t sleep. It’s soon time for our next outing. This time we have to drive, so we again pile into the back of Pastor Carlos’ truck (or “buckey,” as they call them around here) and drive about half an hour to another area, which is not quite a church, but more like a wooden tent with a tar for a roof. This is where one of the Rivoni Bible classes
meets. Again, another service, like the one before. We notice that the crowd consists of about equal parts men and women, which is something very unusual in this ministry, or even on the World Race in general, but more on that later. We have the chance to pray over a boy who appeared to be blind in one eye.
After the service, of course we have to shake everyone’s hand. I see an ancient woman come through the line, all bent over with age. When she takes my hand, however, she straightens up, holds her hands out to the sides, and, not kidding, does a little dance move with her hips. I’m not kidding – these people dance all the time. I can’t help but laugh.
After the service, we think we are ready to leave, but no. . . .there’s food. More rice and chicken. It’s getting to be dark at this point, so the teacher for the class brings out a battery-operated light (not quite a flashlight) and stands holding it over the table as we eat.
Time to head back home, but our day is not finished. As we arrive home, people from the community are already gathering at the house for the evening service. Pastor Carlos is exhausted and heads to bed. We continue with the service, half-asleep ourselves after such a long day.
We manage the service. About a hundred people are there, gathered around a clearing in the yard. There is a small table with a lantern on it for light, and Pastor Boloy preaches, along with some team members, myself included (Preaching? Believe it.)
When the service ends, we’re all ready to pass out. But wait. . . there’s more food. We cram ourselves in to the main room of the house, where Pastor Carlos is already sleeping in the corner. We are served more rice, more pop, and more goat parts. “Parts” is the best way to put it, as there was very little actual meat there. I try the intestines. Mmmm.
I don’t even stay around to have tea or coffee. I go to my tent and pass out. What a day!
