The lid to the pot which contains dinner is lifted and we all nervously stare at what we are about to eat.
“It is not a meat you have in America. Guess what it is.” Sybil says with a cruel grin. In the pot I see a lot of bones and fatty chunks of brown flesh. It smells good, but I really do not know what to expect. We begin to guess what animal she has cooked for us to eat.
“Is it gazelle?”
“No.”
“Dog?”
“No.”
“Cat? Does it have hooves? Does it hop?”
“No, no, no. It is baboon. Will you eat it?”
“We will try it……”
Obediently, we all scoop portions of baboon bone and meat onto our plates and begin eating. It had a great flavor but I kept thinking about all the stories I had heard of people getting sick or getting terrible diseases from eating bush meet. Honestly though, it had such a wonderful flavor it was impossible not to like. We were all amazed. And then Sybil broke out in laughter and informed us that it was, in fact, beef and people in Chokwe do not eat baboon. She had fooled us all so well and laughed the whole evening. We were all a bit disappointed but also relieved. Sybil likes to fool us. Apparently we are a pretty trusting bunch.
Now, to talk about the work we were doing in Chokwe. What was the ministry we were doing? Why did we go? I know I will probably accidentally leave out a few details, but here we go:
About twenty years ago Sybil moved to Chokwe where she saw a need for an effective school. Specifically a preschool geared toward orphans or impoverished children. She founded Hlaulaka which means ‘be holy’ in Shangan. She began multiple youth clubs in the area with the intent of bring about a new generation of educated godly youth in Mozambique. Children kept pouring in from all over the town and the school had to grow. Some of the most privileged children in the area now attend her school because it is the best in Chokwe and their tuition money sponsors the orphans to attend the school. The school goes all the way through 4th grade and the vision is to build another building so it can support classes all the way through 7th grade as well as a preschool. She has also built several homes in the town for orphans who would other wise be on the streets. Beyond this, her youth clubs have multiplied all over the town and is a safe place for kids to come weekly to learn about God and build relationships with their peers. These kids are amazing! They walk great distances to attend things such as prayer meetings that last until 4a.m. Then they eat bread, drink tea, and walk home with smiles. There is so much need here. Many families have been torn apart and parents gone due to aids and the country of Mozambique refuses to allow orphanages to be built and funded in the country so many children end up with no where to go and no one to rely on. Sybil, herself, has unofficially adopted somewhere around 8 or more children in the area. Her home and heart are open to all and she loves fearlessly. There is no second thought given to whether or not she can support all the hungry mouths that show up on her doorstep. She simply says yes to the Lord and funds and means continue to be provided.
While my team and I were there the children were on winter break and we were given the task to repaint the school and decorate the classrooms with weather charts, the alphabet, birthday charts, and more. It was hard work but when the teachers and children returned they were surprised and encouraged. We repainted the preschool bright colors according to Sybil’s design and in the course of the stay we were able to get a lot of good work done. But it is never enough. She needs workers, money for the children, teachers, people who can train teachers. She has a beautiful vision and I pray the Lord will send willing hands to her doorstep. So that Mozambique can be revolutionized by an intelligent youth. God is calling up a generation of intelligence and strength in this country and He is using Sybil for a great deal of this in Chokwe.
