Inspiration

One thing compelling us back to Mozambique was wanting to spend time with those working hard for the flourishing of the people here. They are an inspiration. While there are others in the country doing this, both Mozambicans and expatriates, here are the ones with whom we recently spent some time.

Mark and Helen Van Kovering. After helping us get settled in Lichinga 15 years ago, they went to the UK for seminary. Helen became an Anglican priest and served/s a congregation upon their return here. She also does work for the diocese and Mothers Union/Women's groups in the area. Mark also became a priest and serves as the bishop responsible for over half of Mozambique. He travels a ton, on roads you can only begin to imagine (think slimy red mud and wobbling-planks-over-murky-water type bridges) and does a lot of equipping, teaching, and encouraging of church leaders and churches. They seem to be constantly thinking of ways to build the capacity, food security, and dignity of the people here. I hope you sense our respect for them and their work.

We've also had the privilege of meeting Rebecca Vander Muelen who works with the mission/community development arm of the Anglican Church in Lichinga. She, along with her colleagues, Mario and David, seek to develop more opportunities for faith formation in the youth and are involved in education and other community development initiatives in a large area of northern Mozambique. Rebecca rides her bike most places, has worked for Bread for The World, and thinks hard about issues of justice. It was a delight to spend a little time with her.

We also spent a little time with Dr. Peg, who is involved in multiple aspects of health teaching and improvement in northern Mozambique. We're told she is the only doctor responsible for the health care of about 20,000 people, yes, 20,000. She quickly reminded us that there are nurses and trained health workers in the area as well, but truly, her work is vital to the health of a large portion of people in northern Mozambique.

Since I began writing this post, we have arrived in Kenya. There are so many stories to tell but I think this post is long enough for now. We'll only add a few humorous thoughts about travel/life in Africa.

You know you're in Africa when.....
1. the thought of doing laundry with machines is an exciting prospect.
2. you think less about how cool your mosquito net looks draped over your bed, and more about how well it will keep out the rats, mice, mosquitoes, and many other potential creepy crawly visitors.
3. the immigration officials find great satisfaction in making the loudest bang possible in stamping your passport. (not sure why this is, it just is)
4. you're struggling to fall asleep and find it conducive to count geckos on the wall as opposed to sheep over the fence.
More to come..
Shalom, friends.

Pictures:
1. Life's necessities are often carried on your head.
2. Ruth and Rebecca
3. Mark and Rebecca
4. Mark and Helen's backyard view
5. Dr. Peg in the forefront
6. Communion last Sunday morning

Lichinga

Yesterday I spent the morning with some women from the Mother's Union. The Mother's Union plays a central role in the life of the Anglican Church in Mozambique. On Thursday mornings, in the local congregation, the women meet together to plan for their work of mercy. Before their meeting, the priest leads a communion service. It was beautiful to kneel next to my Mozambican sisters and share together in the body of Christ. How could my spirit not be encouraged by the reaffirmation that God is at work here and that through Christ we are united. After the service, the women sang and danced for me. Joyful, hopeful, wonderful hospitality. They then brought lunch to Greg and I and to Mark Van Koevering, our friend and a bishop in the Anglican Church serving here in Mozambique. The next post I'll introduce you to some of the people working here.

Enjoy these pictures from the day with the women and other local scenes.

A Mixture

I thank my friend Kristy Quist for the quote she posted on Face Book yesterday, which so resonates with me today here in Lichinga.

"I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day." E.B. White

There is deep enjoyment for us here - in reconnecting with friends, in the flooding of fond memories, and in the beauty of this lush land in the middle of rainy season.

And then there's that desire, which inevitably comes with the territory, to change what's hard and impoverished and ugly about "here."

On Sunday we worshipped at the nearby Anglican church. Greg and I were introduced as special visitors and folks were told we had lived in Lichinga and that Greg had worked with the local construction co-operative. On Monday, four guys from the co-operative came to greet us and to reminisce with Greg about their work together. It was both delightful and sad.

They remembered together the challenges of obtaining needed supplies from distant places (especially over rain-tortured roads in the wet months), and the frustration of doing work and sometimes not getting paid. The co-operative was eventually bought out and the men received a payoff, which was good, but since have not found work.

After church on Sunday we went with some women from the church to visit and pray with the sick. As it turned out the person we were to visit had gone to Maputo for treatment so the women instead helped us find our way around town and to our old house.

Much has changed here. Cell phones are all the rage. This is mind boggling to us. You'll see a woman dressed in the traditional colorful capalanas worn here, carrying a container of corn on her head, a cell phone tucked into the strap of her blouse.

Much hasn't changed as well. The market is still filthy and a bit intimidating. The rainy season makes for muddy roads and piles of smelly garbage scattered throughout town.

One other interesting note about Sunday, as we headed into town crowds from the nearby villages filled the streets. Boys and girls from these villages had just returned from several weeks of training from the elders of their communities. The boys are taken into "the bush" and the girls into a place where the women teach them about their future responsibilities and place in the community. It was a raucous and lively celebration.

I am posting many pictures, including ones of this event. Using my iPad for blogging has created the challenge of not being able to write a caption under each picture. Sorry. I'll identify them on the list below.

Shalom to all!

1. The youth celebration
2. Fellow worshippers
3. The four men from the co-operative
4. The visiting women
5. A ride into town
6. Our old house in the background
7. Another photo of the initiation event

Mozambique

Friday, Jan 6. Maputo (capital city)

It's unmistakable. The heat, the smells, the weary buildings and littered streets, the hard working, hard hustling people, along with our brain-draining attempts to speak and understand Portuguese tell us, we're in Mozambique.

We're reminded what was good and what was hard about living here. One hard thing; quickly calculating a 27.6 exchange rate (and often feeling like you were just ripped off). One good thing; adventurous cultural immersion. We're not in Kansas anymore.

I'm reminded today that God's desire for the people of Mozambique is for them to flourish, to be blessed with the knowledge and experience of God's goodness, love, and shalom. It would be easy to assume, based on quick appearances, that the prospects of this are dismal. Yet, there is hope. There is hope because God is already here and at work. Our prayer is ....... to see.

Saturday, Jan. 7.

Today we arrived in Lichinga. Lots to say about that. Instead I'll simply post some pictures, including one of Mark and Helen VanKoevering, our gracious and hospitable hosts.

We are off

With CNN announcing results from Iowa in the background, we wait to board our flight to Chicago. From Chicago we head to DC, then on to Johannesburg (with a stop to refuel in Dakar, Senegal). We'll be in Jo-burg Thursday afternoon. On Friday we fly into Mozambique and by late Saturday morning we will be in Lichinga. This is where we lived and worked for CRWRC 15 years ago. Our experiences there were deeply formative. We look forward with eager expectation to connecting with old friends there, but at the same time have concern that some may not have survived the many threats to life in this economically impoverished country.

We ask for your prayers along our journey. And we commit to trying to keep you posted on our progress. God's peace to all of you in the new year.

We'll be living for seven weeks out of these backpacks!