Hi everyone! Well, we have been safely in Mozambique for a little over a week now. I apologize that this is the first blog I am posting, but our internet access is very limited this month. So let me try to catch you up to speed…
Team Bamboo is working without the company of another team for the first time this month. We are working with a ministry called the Benjamin project which is a base for Iris Ministries, an orphanage ministry started by Heidi Baker in 1994. Now there are many Iris bases throughout Mozambique. The Benjamin Project was started in order to help young men transition out of orphanages and into adulthood. The project has already seen many young men successfully transition, and several are now studying to be doctors, lawyers, etc. However, at the moment, there are only two men living at the center, as the others have already been successfully transitioned. So…we are having the opportunity this month to participate in several different ministry opportunities. Our contact, Don, is in the process of planting tons of trees on the property, so we have been able to assist with the planting.
We have also been able to walk around the surrounding communities, and build some relationships with the people. This weekend we will be helping with a screening of the Jesus Film. I am very excited about this, and I would definitely appreciate your prayers. We will also be handing out mosquito nets to a local nursing home, and other people in the community. Today we had a great opportunity to visit the Iris ministry base in Zimpeto, which is one of the first orphanages the Bakers began in Mozambique. It was incredible to see how much God is doing through this ministry. The Zimpeto base is home to around 200 children, and it is also home to a school (one of the best in the country), a church, a clinic, and a Bible school. We got to tour the property, and spend alot of time playing in the baby room, which I loved.
I’m not sure if you all will find this as adorable as I did, but, instead of strollers, the little girls in Mozambique carry their baby dolls in tiny wraps, just like the women do.
Also, for those who are curious, we had a nice Thanksgiving this past week. We were able to take the day off to relax and have fun together. We were definitely all homesick, but we were able to have fun together watching movies and playing games. For dinner, we had turkey sandwiches, green beans, mashed potatos, and macaroni. Not quite the typical Thanksgiving meal, but close enough. We also made a Thankful tree (our home now officially looks like a third grade classroom), and shared what we were thankful for. We then rang in the holiday season by watching a Muppet’s Christmas Carol on a tiny laptop computer and drinking hot chocolate.
Even though I was definitely sad to not be home for Thanksgiving, I am very grateful for all of the blessings in my life. When our team was talking about what we were thankful for, we all mentioned that we were thankful for our supporters back home. And it is so true. Your prayers and support and comments and emails and everything else really do mean so much to me. I’m sorry that I don’t always have the time to thank you all individually for your kind words and encouragement, but know that I am very appreciative.
Please keep our team in your prayers during our time in Mozambique. We are all excited to be here, but I think most of us are also exhauted and fairly homesick during the holiday season. I will write more when I get a chance. Love you all!
