We are finally here in Mozambique; travel days on the world race are exsuasting. It took our squad 80+ hours to get to our site in Dondo. After 18 hours of flights and never ending bus rides we were thrilled to make it to Iris ministries, P squads home for the month.
The first day was a great day for all of us to rest before a full 3 weeks of ministry; my initial reaction to this place was pure culture shock. It was clear I wasn’t in Dallas, TX anymore. It hit me that I was thousands of miles away from anything familiar. I have spent my whole life taking things for granted, even as a born again Christian.
You don’t realize the comforts you have until they are stripped away from you and all you have left is dependence on each other and God. What are these little comforts?
i.e. a toilet that flushes, running water, warm and hot water, electricity. Here in Mozambique we don’t have any of those luxuries. The heat and humidity here is overwhelming and you cant escape it, January is the middle of summer in Mozambique. You sweat all day and night, you go to sleep sweating and you wake up sweating. So when it rains its very welcomed by all of us because it offers some relief from the suffocating heat.
Also, the bugs are huge…and the mosquitoes are vicious. The first morning after our arrival a few of us saw a couple of gigantic spiders crawling all over our stuff and that completely freaked me out, “this guy doesn’t do spiders” so after I flipped out I set up my tent in our building as a barricade against those nasty arachnids. I wanted to be sure that I wasn’t being crawled on and bit while I was sleeping. I brought the dang tent, so I might as well use it!
Our team’s ministry this month is we are doing construction for a man named Eli who had a vision from God to start an orphanage for both the widow and the orphan, so my team and another will be helping Eli start building bathrooms and a kitchen for the orphanage. More on Eli later.
Our day breaks down like this.
Wake up at 6 am
Journal and pray
Take my bucket shower
Eat my daily bread for breakfast. Yes it’s literally just plain bread for breakfast and my malaria pill.
Have squad worship and then get ready for ministry.
Ministry is usually from 10 to 4 with lunch in between.
Dinner at 530pm
Team time and feedback 630pm
Worship and session 730pm
Bedtime 930-10pm
One thing that has been difficult on me is the lack of meat in my everyday diet, but overall that weakness makes me focus on Christ that much more. He is my strength and the word is my true food.
You wouldn’t believe the spiritual war that’s taking place here, the battle is very intense here and it’s a war for people’s souls. But I know Christ will ultimately prevail. Everyday when I leave the compound I share the gospel with some one, God has put an anointing on my life for evangelism and to seek and save the lost. It’s my heartbeat and it makes me feel so alive when I exercise my gifting.
There are Christian’s here but a lot of them are polluted with witchcraft and sorcery. Please pray for the Mozambique people to be delivered from these chains.
Our team started clearing grass for Eli so we can start building the foundation for the orphanage God called him to build.
While were at the ministry site, a group of children likes to come and visit and they usually want us to entertain them with games and our attention. While I was standing there, the Lord led me to pick up and embrace a sickly looking little girl; my heart was rocked with compassion. The Lord allowed me to feel His heart for that little girl. The kingdom was hers, the bible makes that clear. Heaven belongs to the children and especially the forgotten ones. The least of those, (Matthew 25:40)
I told you I would talk to you more about our ministry contact Eli, so I would like to do that now.
Eli is from Malawi, Africa and God called him into faith at an early age to serve Him, While Eli was preaching the gospel all around the country of Africa, God gave him a vision to open up a safe haven for the widow and the orphan. Not knowing what would be on the other side of his obedience, He obeyed God’s call and quit his job preaching and started plans for the orphanage.
Eli has been without an income and job for more than 3 years and He trusts God to provide for his every need and guess what?…….. He does!!! (Philippians 4:19)
Eli completely lives and walks by faith, It’s truly inspiring to see it in action and it’s a great reminder and testimony that our God will never leave us hanging:)
