A week and a half ago, Shawna, Amanda, and I had the opportunity to return to Mozambique, to Maputo this time around. The first week that we arrived in Nelspruit we were talking to Lynn and Michael, our main contacts here. Michael mentioned that he was driving Lynn to the airport in Maputo, Mozambique the following week and that he was going to stay 4-5 days in Maputo at one of the Iris bases there to await her return from a wedding further up north in Pemba. They told us that he wanted to take of a small team up there with him to enjoy the sites and smells of Mozambique and to play with the children of course. When Maputo and a team were first mentioned all of Nessa’s ears perked up a little bit. Mozambique was a place we had all come to love. Who wouldn’t like a chance to return! So Amanda, Shawna, and I jumped on board with Michael, not really knowing what was in store for us, while Scott, Linnea, and Stephanie stayed back to work on a book for AIM.
The day finally arrived and the three of us, Michael, and Lynn hoped in their vehicle and headed off to the land of dirt, grass huts, and joy filled faces. The land that I have come to love. We had really no idea what we would be doing or where we would be going. We had heard of numerous activities that could be an option, playing with the children at the iris center, going to the beach, and checking out other projects. We all just wanted to go along with Michael and see where the Lord would lead us in this adventure the second time around.
The Lord had a plan for us though and we knew He would, He always does. We just wanted to go along for the ride. This month we have made many contacts in South Africa and it dribbled over into Mozambique. We tagged along with Michael as he went to visit his “children”, missionaries who used to stay with Michael and Lynn when they ran a house for missionaries to come stay and rest. Shawna, Amanda, and I had the opportunity to meet several of these missionaries who are running different projects for the older boys in the area. Beacon of Hope and the Benjamin Project which are geared towards young men around the ages of 15-20 as a transition from the orphanage to the real world…please read Transitions for more on these projects. We were also able to visit both of the iris bases in Maputo and to visit the beach for a few hours. It was a stress free time spent doing the Lords work and finding the connections that he had for us. Who knows what the Lord has in store for the future.
Visiting with Caryn Hakes of the Benjamin Project
Zimpeto Center at the baby house-getting ready for some grub!
Hanging out at Machava Center
