As it goes on the World Race– another month, another country. I have left Moldova and now I sit underneath a mosquito net in Mozambique trying to gather my thoughts from the past few weeks. I apologize for my lack of writing. People may attribute my silence to having nothing to say; on the contrary I have plenty to say, I just don’t know where to begin.
I guess I will begin by saying that up until a year ago I had very little desire to go to Africa. My heart yearned to travel, but Africa wasn’t where I wanted to go (it probably had to do with my geography lessons in school which made Africa sound like nothing more than sand, half naked people, and dangerous animals.) All that changed when I signed up for the Race. Slowly but surely God started getting me excited for this unfamiliar continent. So much so that I spent a good bit of last month randomly saying “We will be in Africa next month Little did I know how much I would be captivated by this continent. I spent the bus ride from Johannesburg, South Africa to Machava, Mozambique with eyes wide open and a mind not fully believing that I was actually in Africa.
I’ve been in Machava Mozambique for a little over two weeks now and although I don’t think it’s fully hit me that I’m on a continent that I have never stepped foot on before, I love it here! My team, along with another team, is working with Beacon of Hope. Although I have loved the ministries I have worked with these past few months, I have to say Beacon of Hope is quite amazing.
Beacon of Hope was started about ten years ago by a wonderful woman from Texas named Angie. Angie has a big heart for young Mozambican men and their futures. Most boys in Mozambique will receive no more than a 10th grade education and then be left to fend for themselves. Whereas girls are kept in the homes to clean, cook, and take care of children, young men are usually sent to find work and end up getting common and low paying jobs such as selling things on the side of the roads and driving taxis. Beacon of Hope is a ministry to give young men the hope of a better future. Angie takes in ten boys (sometimes fatherless or orphaned, but always recommended by a village elder) , supplements their schooling with English, math, bible, and science classes, teaches them life lessons and skills, and gets them set up in furthering their education or trade school.
By looking at the wonderful, confident men of God that I am surrounded by you would be shocked to know that they came to Beacon of Hope shy, behind in school, and overwhelmed by the future. Angie told us that many of them come to Beacon of Hope too shy to express their dreams because they grew up thinking they were impossible. Now they excel in classes, lead worship, and work towards a goal with the belief that they can accomplish it.
I say all that to say I am honored to work with Beacon of Hope this month. I love gardening with the boys, learning Changana (the local dialect), teaching math (yes me teaching math!!) underneath a mango tree, learning to play football (I am absolutely the worst, and all the boys know it), and worshipping with them in Changana. These boys are so full of life and love, and I know it has to do with Angie’s love for them.
I know I am $3,000 away from my July 1st deadline, but I would love all my supporters to consider supporting Beacon of Hope instead. As amazing as the race is, I am on an 11 month adventure, whereas Angie has been living a ten year faith adventure. Please continue to include me and my fund raising in your prayers, but please also add Angie and beacon of hope to your prayers as well. Thank you!
www.beaconofhope-africa.org
