Hello from Maputo, Mozambique! The last African country I will be visiting while on the World Race. Everything about this month just brings joy to my heart. We are partnering up with a local church here called Life Church. Their mission is to make disciples by using the model of cell groups that are no larger than 12 people per group to raise up new cell group leaders to multiply disciples. Life church is all over Southern Africa and this plant here in Maputo is a younger plant, most members are in their mid-late 20’s. I have loved getting to know. By many of them I am reminded of home and young adult group.
My teammate and friend Anna and I are staying with a young family from the church. They have only been married for a little less than 2 years and have a 1 year old daughter. They also have their sister living with them because she is attending university here in the capitol city. The main focus of our ministry this month is at the universities here in town actually. We have been spending a lot of time meeting people in the universities and loving on them in the name of Jesus. This month we are really getting to see the fruit of our labor because some of the people we have talked to have shown up to church after we have invited them and they have really shown interest in being connected to the church.
It’s been so amazing to see the way that God literally just brings people to us to share His love and tell them that they are His children and He wants a relationship with them.
This is the first month that I have actually lived with a local family and it has blessed me so much. The way that they have received us and so freely given us food and shelter with no expectation of anything in return has really challenged me to do the same when I return home but also with my team right now.
Something that AIM really encourages us to not fall into while on this trip is the “poverty mentally”. Which is when you fear that you will go without if you share your things because we only have what we can carry on our backs (which I am realizing is actually a lot). When I first heard about this at training camp I was so thankful because my spiritual parents, Gerry and Sadia have taught me that you will never go without when you share and they did this not by talking about it but by living it. For the past two years I have lived in their house, eaten their food, watched their tv, used their essential oils (lol) and they have without fear given these things up. Such awesome examples! But I will admit it is still challenging for me at times to trust that I will not go without when a teammate asks for a spray of my quickly diminishing body spray (somedays its the only thing that helps me feel “clean”) or my last spoonful of instant coffee. But its such an awesome lesson to be learning.
In America I (we) have so many things! And it truly is a blessing from God that we have all of them but what I am seeing now is that when we are blessed we should in return bless others as well. The family I am living with, they dont have a lot but what they do have they have freely given to Anna and I. I can’t be a part of this and not ask myself what have I been doing with all the blessings Father has given me? I want a life style change. I want to not just bless people every now and then when I have an excess amount of money or food or shelter but even when I have just a little bit. It’s really a matter of the heart and how much my trust lies in the Father because if we trust Him and believe His word then we can freely give and bless others this way.
Man, this is some good stuff guys! I will not come back the same Ryan that left in June. He is shifting my perspective and moving my heart to trust Him more. I only have 11 days left in Mozambique. Pray that I can be as much a blessing to the people here as they have been to me and that God comforts my heart as I have to say my goodbyes to them in just a few short days.
This trip is not easy, but its so worth it.
love, Ryan
