I thought it would be a good idea each month to give you a schedule of a typical day of ministry in each country.
6:00a Wake up at Iris Ministries and take a bucket shower
7:30a Breakfast at Iris (basecamp) which consists of a round loaf of bread (sometimes with peanut butter and/or jelly)
8:30a Ourshoppa arrives to take us to Kedesh. The ride is typically around 30 minutes. We ride in the back and several of us stand. The ride back and forth is one of my favorite parts of the day.
9:00a Our team arrives at Kedesh. John has a variety tasks that he would like done. It is our choice what we would like to try and accomplish. John's philosophy for our team is the same as the boys at Kedesh-work in the morning and play after lunch. I continue to work at the pond by clearing more floating grass. The end goal is to make the pond into a larger swimming area and to free the cashew tree so that the kids will be able to jump into the water.
12:30p The bell rings and we return to the picnic tables for our lunch. Our lunch is usually rice and beans or greens.
1:30p After lunch, we are allowed to do what we choose-either continue with our job or bond with the boys by playing sports. Most times, I would return to the pond, b/c I really wanted to see it cleared before we left. Some days I would play volleyball or tetherball.
4:00p Return to basecamp at Iris Ministries
5:30p Dinner at Iris which was typically rice and beans or greens
6:30p "Team Time" – The team gets together to discuss the day, responsibilities and offer each other encouragement and constructive feedback.
7:00p Night session with the whole squad. The session typically consists of worship and then discussion/teachings/testimonies. It is a safe space for anyone to share anything they would like.
9:00p Time for bed. Most of the guys slept on the concrete floor with their sleeping mats. The room didn't have great ventilation and I would fall asleep and awake in a pool of sweat and grit. The mosquitos and cockroaches were worst at night and every morning I awoke with fresh bites and welts. Sleeping was the worst part of the day for me. I was exhausted, but it seemed there was nowhere to go to be comfortable.
To be honest, it was a tough month. Some days I was so exhausted physically, mentally and spiritually. It was hard to find a time to get decent rest, because there was nowhere to go to be comfortable. For the most part, we had no chairs (only a few benches and uncomfortable plastic chairs). We were constantly covered in dirt and sweat and there was nowhere to escape it.
I thank God for my time at Kedesh…it truly was a sanctuary and oasis for me. The Lord has truly blessed that land and everyone who lives there. For me, there was no other place like it in Mozambique.
When frustrated, I kept reminding myself that the Lord had called me to Mozambique and to the World Race. And like a previous World Racer blog stated, "I chose this." And so I did my best to be content. Was I always successful? Of course not. But that is one of the reasons I'm here in the first place. I'm here to grow and learn to trust God in all aspects of my life.
"…Be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." -Hebrews 13:5
Squadmates studying at Iris Ministries in Dondo, Mozambique
Choppa ride to Kedesh
