Sailing the Indian Ocean en route to Ibo Island

New Video Footage

There are three new videos to the right. One was created by James, a mission school student from England. He shared this story one afternoon under the tent, about how we are like the street kids in Pemba. We were well into mission school and had been bombarded by so many kids, all begging, following us and calling our names outside the gate to our compound. No one really wanted to admit frustration, after all, these were poor children. Yet, James found a parallel in us and them. One type of kid begs constantly, but doesn't even know your name. He doesn't spend time with you, he just comes up to you and begs. The other holds your hand awhile, hugs on you, sits in your lap and then asks for your watch. When you tell him no, he leaves. Then there is the child who waits on you. He is outside every morning anticipating just walking with you from the gate to the tent. He is there to walk with you to the beach and sits right beside you, holds your hand and never begs. We as Christians can often become these kids in our treatment of God, we beg, we don't know Him, but we just constantly ask Him for stuff. Then there are those of us, who try to "warm up" to Him, tell Him we love Him, and then ask for the stuff. And then there are those who just want to spend time with Him, hold His hand, wait on Him, and be in His presence.

A Prayer from Terra- my dear friend in Kenya

TB's Prayer- Oct. 8 Oh sweet Jesus... Where do I even begin to think through all that you have laid on my little heart. Sometimes I wonder if you realize that my heart is not as big as your is. I can't handle all of the pain, confusion and heartache that you can, but then I'm reminded that I asked for your heart to be inside of me, and then I smile through my tears. I saw you yesterday Jesus. It was just a glimpse into your eyes, and it filled everything inside of me with delight. I spent the day feeding your children; your lying, dirty, angry, deceptive, beautiful children.Ha-I see myself in them every time I go there. It was 'holy chaos' as Heidi Baker likes to call it. Ok- maybe it was just chaos, but still... I sat on the curb trying to stay out of the way, out of the pushing, shoving, yelling and grabbing. I held one of my friend Mary's twin sons. His name is Shadrach: Jesus, will you let him live up to his strong name? He and his brother are probably 2 years old, tiny and frail. Most of the time he doesn't have paints on, today he had on little dirty undies. He can walk but most of the time is carried by his mother Mary or one of the street boys, they all take turns playing the role of older brother. This day Salmon played the older brother role. As I was holding Shadrach, this older brother walked up and wiped the snot off of his face with a piece of trash he had found on the ground. I was frozen for a moment by the sight that i had just seen. Jesus my heart hurt, that trash was rubbed on Shadrach's beautiful frail face, but then it burned inside with such love watching Salmon tend to the needs of this little one. They are all family, we are all family. I want to run away with this little brother of mine. To give him everything he deserves. So that his dirty, frail little face would be cleaned with wet ones, or Kleenex with aloe. So that his little feet would have baby Nike's on them the way mine did; so that he would be laid down in a clean crib with clean blankets the way that i was. So that he would go to school when this 5th birthday came and grow up taking packed lunches to school and getting on a school bus with his friends, I don't know maybe even playing on a little soccer team after school. But instead I had this moment with him, this moment to hold him and surrender my ability to do anything at all but love him with your love Jesus and get him and help get some milk and bread into his little hungry belly. My heart is restless inside of me Jesus. I need you to come and bring your blessed presence and wash over me. What do I do? How can I be so selfish as to complain over missing the comforts of home when these beloveds of yours have never even known what a home might feel. I can't hardly even speak Swahili and I'm desperate to let the ones you love let them know that you are with them in their desperation. But maybe in a loving smile, a gentle touch, and or a big hug you will tell them that. Oh Holy Spirit, I am desperate that you flow out of me onto them. Father, you took my breath away today. You showed me the face of your Son. When it finally came time to leave and we had said goodbye to all of our street friends, we turned the corner and walked away. Just about 20 ft. down the side walk we ran into some more of the boys though (this is not an unusual occurrence). They came running up to us with smiles on their faces, but one was preoccupied by peeing on the sidewalk. He was wearing an oversized tee-shirt and cut off pants with a pair of high-heal zip up women's boats that his feet clunk around in. What a funny sight he was and as soon as he finished his business he immediately ran over to walk next to me, putting his pee-hands in my hair. Jesus this is for you I said out loud, and when I looked down into this little boys face I saw you. He had this huge goofy smile on his face, so big that he couldn't keep his mouth shut and he was covered with some unexplainable joy that instantly came into me to. I saw you in him Jesus, and I was captivated. What an unexpected place to see you, what a perfect place to see your loving eyes, in the smiling face of this little funny looking boy who was rubbing his pee-hands all in my relatively clean hair. Yes, you are in this place, and you are pursuing my heart right in the middle of all of it. Oh how i love you Jesus.

totally changing the way we think

written by bill johnson www.bjm.org

How can God choose not to heal someone when He already purchased their healing? Was His blood enough for all sin, or just certain sins? Were the stripes He bore only for certain illnesses, or certain seasons of time? When He bore stripes in His body He made a payment for our miracle. He already decided to heal. You can't decide not to buy something after you've already bought it. There are no deficiencies on His end - neither the covenant is deficient, nor His compassion or promises. All lack is on our end of the equation. The only time someone wasn't healed in the Bible (gospels) when the disciples prayed for them was with the tormented child (Mark 9). Jesus then came a brought healing/deliverance to the child. Jesus Christ is perfect theology - He is the will of God. We can't lower the standard of scripture to our level of experience . . . or in most cases, inexperience. It's a very uncomfortable realization - not everyone can handle it. Most create doctrine that you can't find in the person of Jesus. He is the will of God.How do we fix the problem?

1. Realize it's not God's fault.

2. Learn from others who see miracles. Have them pray for you. If you don't know people who see miracles, find them. Books will help, if the author has a miracle lifestyle. (Don't try to learn from those who only have the theory of miracles.)

3. Do what Jesus told His disciples to do when He addressed the problem - pray and fast (not just for a specific problem, but for a lifestyle anointing.)

4. Take risk - pray for people (NOT - "if it be thy will" kind of prayer. In the thousands of people I've seen healed, I've never seen anyone healed from that kind of prayer.)

5. It's hard to hurt someone's faith by praying for a miracle. Not praying for a miracle gives them no chance for increased faith. That is what hurts faith. The real goal is to show people God's love. And faith grows in the display of God's love. His love is seen when we show compassion and display God's power.

6. When God heals people, give Him thanks and praise. Learn from it so it will happen again.

7. If someone isn't healed, realize the problem isn't God, and seek Him for direction as well as personal breakthrough (greater anointing for consistency in healing). Also, don't take it personal. There are other factors involved besides great faith. That is only one element in the equation. Just learn to do your best to be faithful to His gospel, and honor Him for the results. It's also not wise to blame the person who is sick.

8. There's a difference between a miracle and healing. Miracles happen in an instant and healing happens over time. It is important to recognize the progress of what God is doing in a person's body and give thanks, because healing increases in an atmosphere of thankfulness.

A Message from My Friends in Mombasa!

This was taken from their blog...there is a link to more of their adventures in My Links (or here: www.iriskenya.blogspot.com). Their stories get to the heart of the matter and are the cry of my heart. I encourage you to go there...without leaving the comforts of home! Their message is simple, yet it will change your life.

This message is from Jamie- my California surfer girl and snorkel buddy.
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Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Why Mombasa? Why Us?
So I'm not quite sure how to write this or what exactly to say, but here we go. Once upon a time, there was four kids, from four different places in America, with four different stories that have nicely intertwined for a time such as this. What time is this, you ask? Well, as one of my favorite MCs would say: "It's Hammer Time!" Okay, but really. As another one of my favorite MCs would say: "In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth." (John 18:37). Jesus was radical, the MC among MCs of his day, a rebel, a passionate lover of God's children, a teacher, a friend, and the Son of God. He wasn't just revolutionary, he is the revolution to this thing we call life. He is the way, the truth and the life. He is the mediator that lets me stand before my Father in heaven. Because of Him, I am "to God the aroma of Christ" among people ( 2Cor.2:15). And because of Him, I am here in Mombasa with three other amazing people who just want to know this Man better.

Here is how our stories came together: My name is Jamie. I'm from San Francisco, California. Topher is from Boston, Massachusetts. And Carly and Terra are from Gaylord, Michigan. We all met in Mozambique, except for Carly and Terra, in a little Missions school called Holy Given School associated with Iris Ministries. Carly and Terra had just graduated from Taylor University and were ready to explore what the Lord had next (whether that be: being a surf bum in my beloved Cali or being 22 years old living in Kenya for a few months, falling in love with the Lord and His people even more). Topher was about to start med school at Tulane University, but was surprised to find a good friendship and a strong pull toward the same calling we all felt. And I was approaching my Senior year at San Francisco State University, but couldn't resist the Father's call to this awesome adventure.

In Mozambique, at Iris Ministries, surrounded by 'laid down lovers' of God, we had two months devoted to learning what missions really is. We each took something different away from this experience. I learned about missions, about the Father's heart, what it means to be a lover of Christ, what it feels like to be a 'whitey' in Africa, and, most importantly, to never forget to wear sunscreen. The list could go on. But in all reality, what I learned in Mozambique was the theory of Missions. And instead of just going back to my San Francisco life, the Lord has set it up so that we all could actually put the theories we learned into practice. I was in no way prepared for this journey to Kenya when I came to Mozambique. I didn't have a clue, and I didn't have my contact lenses.One of the greatest things I gained was some good friendships, not only with these two cool chicks from Michigan and a dude from Boston, but one very cool guy from Kenya. His name: Robert. After a few fun days exploring the city of Pemba and talking with them about his vision for ministry back in their home city, Mombassa, the Lord started to put a desire in all of our hearts to come alongside our Kenyan brother in helping build a foundation for Iris Ministries in Kenya.

Why Mombasa? Well, we asked that same question at first. Actually, we are still asking that same question at times. Everyday we ask God for wisdom. Jesus, what next? Where now? And everyday, He is faithful to give us an answer as we sit before Him and seek His face. Our mission: To fall even more in love with Him. As we fall for Him, we fall in love with the street kids who have been abandoned and rejected, who sniff glue all day long just to escape the pains of everyday life, who fight to stay alive on the streets, and who are burdened with health problems. As we fall for Him, we fall in love with the little neighbor boys who come to our house everyday for a soccer ball and guitar lessons. As we fall for Him, we fall in love with the Kenyan faces and culture of many new found friends. And as we fall for Him, we fall in love with each other in friendship and unity.I'm excited to see what is ahead, to see the fruit of what the Lord is going to do.It puts my mind at ease to think that the Lord can take the little I have and make it something beautiful. "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch on its branches." (Matthew 13:31-32). That's the Kingdom of Heaven for ya though. This upside down kingdom where the Lord uses the weak, the unworthy, and the small to create the most glorious picture of who He is.As Paul says in 2 Timothy: "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful appointing me to his service." And even better, he equips those He chooses. So we walk by faith, trusting the Lord for each next step, knowing He will equip us with everything we need. As I said: We're just four kids, walking hand in hand with Jesus.
~Jamie

If you are waiting for your physical death to be set free from sin, then you have made death your Savior. - Georgian Banov

the girls' bathroom

I just had to include some commentary and actual text from Rob Bell's book Sex God- odd title I know. I picked it up in South Africa and it's one of those books you purposefully don't pick up because you don't want to finish it. I've limited myself to two chapters a week. The book is profound and everyone should read it...I've attempted to summarize Chapter Five. It's that good.


He begins the chapter by retelling a story from his youth of asking a girl to dance. Her response was running into the girls bathroom. But he tells the story to illustrate making a move toward someone and the risk that is involved. The person can say yes or no. In putting yourself out there you give them power. What happens when our love is not reciprocated? He then tells another story, one where a friend admits having an affair. Bell recalls being at this guys wedding and witnessing their commitment to one another. That evening, the betrayed wife comes to his door, sits on his couch between him and his wife, and cries and cries and cries. Bell writes that there are a lot of different cries, “someone I love is dying” cry and even the “I just hit my thumb with a hammer” cry. But her cry on that day was of someone who had had their heart broken into by a lover. “It comes from someplace else. Someplace far inside a person, deep in the soul. It’s a cry with a certain ache. It’s the ache of a broken heart” (91).

He then uses the Bible’s collection of love poems, Song of Solomon to illustrate risky love. The young girl sees her “beloved” and he is coming toward her but cannot get in. He is standing behind her wall and looking through the window. She most likely lives at home and is very young. Her life is safe and predictable. Her family is there to care for her. But he is calling her to a life away from them. It is a risk she has to take. It may not work out. He may not be who he appears to be. What if he says this to every woman? What if he cheats on her? Love is risky. “The heart has tremendous capacity to love, and to ache. And this ache is universal.

“You can put women from all over the world with nothing in common in a room together and they may not have a thing to talk about until one of them says, ‘And then he cheated on me,’ and instantly you have universal sisterhood” (95). They all have heartbreak in common. Heartbreak is not just about lovers, but parents and children, friends and co-workers. “It’s universal because we’re feeling something as old as the world. Something God feels” (96). In Genesis, God gives people freedom. They have freedom to love God or not love God. Genesis 6:6 reads God, “regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled” and “then YHWH (God) was sorry that he had made humankind on earth, and it pained his heart.” God has a heart, one that feels, responds, hurts and fills with pain. And we are the source of His grief.

“People God made who have freedom. Freedom to love anybody they want. And freedom not to love anybody they want. God takes this giant risk in creating and loving people, and in the process God’s heart is broken” (97).

“The story the Bible tells is of a living being who loves and who continues to love even when that love is not returned. A God who refuses to override our freedom, who respects our power to decide whether to reciprocate, a God who lets us make the next move” (98).

“Love is handing your heart to someone and taking the risk that they will hand it back because they don’t want it. That’s why it’s such a crushing ache on the inside. We gave away a part of ourselves and it wasn’t wanted.

Love is a giving away of power. When we love, we give the other person the power in the relationship. They can do what they choose. They can do what they like with our love. They can reject it, they can accept it, they can step toward us in gratitude and appreciation.

Love is a giving away. When we love, we put ourselves out there, we expose ourselves, we allow ourselves to be vulnerable.

Love is giving up control. It’s surrendering the desire to control the other person. The two- love and controlling power over the other person- are mutually exclusive. If we are serious about loving someone, we have to surrender all of the desires within us to manipulate the relationship” (98).

So God, creator of the universe, doesn’t overwhelm us by showing up in great power with bolts of lightening and making things happen. If He did, he’d scare us away. “The last thing people would perceive is love” (99). So He expresses His love by stripping Himself of all things that come with power and authority. “That’s how love works. It doesn’t matter if a man has a million dollars and wants to woo a woman (or vice versa), if she loves him for his money, it isn’t really love.

If you were an almighty being who made the universe and everything in it, you would need to meet people on their level, in their world, on their soil…like them.

This is the story of the Bible. This is the story of Jesus” (100).

Throughout the life of Jesus, He chooses love, not power. “Connection and solidarity rather thank rank and hierarchy. Touch rather than distance. Compassion rather than control. He comes on a donkey, not a horse” (101).

In Philippians it says that Jesus, “who, being in the very nature of God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing” (Philippians 2:5-11).

“There is a weakness that is actually strength. And a strength that is actually a weakness” (102).

Managers and bosses who use their position to bully others to get things done have a strength that is actually a weakness. Their authority only comes from a title, one that can me taken away in an instant. They appear strong, but are actually weak.

Bell uses Ghandi as a prime example of this in his commitment to nonviolence. He was able to stand up to the British Empire!

And this is the approach of Jesus. “In His emptiness, He shows us how empty the way of the world really is. …Jesus is God coming to us in love. Sheer, unadulterated love. Stripped of everything that could get in the way. Naked and vulnerable, hanging on a cross, asking the question, ‘What will you do with me?’”.(105)

Thus the cross speaks to us of God’s suffering, pain and broken heart. “It’s God making the first move and waiting on our response” (105).

If you have ever given yourself to someone and had your heart broken, you know how God feels. If you have ever given yourself to someone and found yourself waiting for their response, exposed and vulnerable, left hanging in the balance, you know how God feels. If you’ve ever given your heart to someone you loved deeply, only to have them lie to you, cheat on you, use you and rip your heart into pieces, you know how God feels. The cross is God’s way of saying, “I know what it’s like”.

So often we get angry at God, raise our fists in the air and tell Him how unfair He is and how He has no idea what we are going through or how much pain we are in…But the cross is God’s way of saying that He does know.

In seeing Him in this way we come to a place where we realize we are not alone, “where we find strength to go on. Not a strength that comes from within ourselves but a strength that comes from God. The God who keeps going. Who keeps offering. Who keeps loving. Who keeps risking. A God who knows what it’s like. The cross is where we present our wounds to God and say, ‘Here, you take them.’

Our healing begins when we participate in the suffering of God. When we don’t avoid it but enter into it, and in the process enter into the life of God. When we see our pain not as separating us from but connecting us to our maker. And in this connection, there’s always the chance we’ll find a reason to risk again”. (107)

If you’ve had your heart broken, risked, offered, been lied to, deceived, used, there is something divine in your suffering.

“You know how God feels.

Really good people get hurt. It’s the way things are.

It’s when we choose not to love again that there’s a problem. A decision not to risk again is a decision not to love again. In matters of love, it’s as if God has agreed to play by the same rules we do. God can do anything- that’s what makes God, God. But God cannot do everything. He can’t make us love Him- that’s our choice. Love is risky for God too.

Which is a bit like a boy asking a girl to dance” (109).

Anybody there?

I have no idea if anyone is reading this any more, now that I am home and safe and sound...But I am not really sound. The perks of the western world have worn off. I never got that pedicure that I was dying to have in Mozambique. I still have not had my hair trimmed. Air-conditioning is too cold, hot baths are too hot, my bed is too soft, and department stores only have fall clothes on display and it's way too hot for that. All the comforts of home, aren't so comfortable.
So what do you do when you are out of your comfort zone? How do you find peace in the wilderness? I depend on the "cloud by day" and "fire by night". Thank goodness I am not my own source of peace and contentment. I thank Jesus that He died not only to save me from my sins, but save me from myself. So, I look to Him for new direction and a new plan in life. I have no idea what this looks likes, but I am excited. He has great plans for us and the only way we can discover them is to ask Him.
I may have the opportunity to go to Kenya. It is very up in the air and a lot would have to take place for it to happen (selling everything). However, I am looking into it. So just don't be surprised. As I said before, "get your passports up to date".
I still have tons of stories about Mozambique and life in Pemba that I want to share with all of you. Please email me or call as I would love to share with you all one on one.

borrowed blog

I found this blog from one of the full time missionaries in Pemba, Nikki. She is in charge of sound equipment for outreach, among other things. I thought her blog was amazing and it is from today- so the news is recent:


Any deaf people here?
I went on outreach last night, it was a bit of a confusion (as usual) as to where we were going, and we didnt even go to the place where we had originally planned! But it was all good when we arrived at the village - a huge (1000+) crowd turned up to watch the Jesus Film, and they were fairly open to the gospel message. When Heidi got up to preach afterwards she called all the deaf people forward. She asked their family and friends to being them. She asked again and again.

NO ONE came to the front.

Finally one of the village elders came to her and said, "We have no deaf people here, they were ALL healed last time you came!"

WOW!!! :-)

So that was awesome, there were at least 48 believers who had already established a church, and many more were added to their ranks last night. So even in all the confusion and going to the wrong village, it all worked out for good!

The rest of the team stayed the night in Mieze, a village close to Pemba where we regularly do Medical Outreaches, and have a large church and a small orphanage established. I opted to drive the 20mins home and sleep in my own bed, but the visitors wanted to experience a night in the village.

This morning I drove out bright and early to setup the sound for the morning service - I set the speakers up outside the bamboo mud building, one pointing into the church thru the window and the other for the overflow outside. (If I'd set up inside the church we would have been deafend!)

Inside the church they had strung twine across the room, and hung pieces of paper with scripture verses on the lines. They had also picked wildflowers/pretty weeds and hung them too. The church was packed and Heidi had to dedicate 5 little babies, and marry 3 couples.

It was a really good time!

"Re-Entry"

We took a course on this...re-entry to the western world after being in the two-thirds world. After just ten weeks there I feel that re-entry hasn't been that big of a deal. Yes, it is difficult to sit in a board meeting and listen to men in suits discuss funding for some stupid project. And, yes, the stuff that is important here is not important over there. It seems mundane and pointless. So, it is simply all the more reason for me to get moving and get involved in something that isn't pointless. There are great ideas and ventures that I can get behind here in the states that are motivating and make a difference. So that is my new goal.

As for what I learned and my thesis of sorts...it was honestly so much that it will take me a while to process. However, the most important is GOD IS BIGGER THAN YOU THINK. We have put him in a box, in our churches, on TV, and pushed Him out of our lives. He was too far away, or I was never good enough, or I was disgusted by those who represented Him. But when I came to a place where the people just seek Him and learned to depend on Him as they do in Mozambique, I realized that He is better than I could have ever imagined.

He loves us and created us so that we may have relationship with Him. He delights in relationship with us and longs to spend time with us, instruct us and bless us. I love it that He knows us so well. He created us to be the way we are and has placed dreams inside of us. So I am at that place where I just want to spend time with Him. I've done things my way and it didn't work out so well. Since He created the universe, don't you think He can pull some strings for His kids? He's omnipotent. So I want to spend time with Him to learn His heart and to discuss my dreams with Him and bring them in line with His plans. If we saw Him as the true lover of our souls that He really is, our lives would be much different. We would walk with our heads held high because we are accepted and loved and not defeated.
He knows us better than we know ourselves and no one is excluded. Our lives and our hearts are precious to Him and we are to live each day with that awareness and in true intimacy with Him. Yet, even this is hard. Our world is so busy and we have so many distractions. It came easy for the Mozambicans and their faith is astounding. Westerners question everything, they simply believe. For me, it is spending time, morning and night, in that quiet place. I have to be full of Him to have His heart, to see with His eyes and to hear His voice. But it is the only way to live. I failed miserably trying to make things happen on my own. And it's in that surrender that He speaks, where He sent His son to kill the fatted calf and put a ring on our finger and welcome us home (Luke 15). He just wants us home, in His presence, to spend time with Him. He's the "hook-up", He's the "connection", and the greatest "mover and shaker" you'll ever know.

western civilization

it is a bit overwhelming, but I must admit I am enjoying it...i missed the mall and the way it smells...i missed store windows and make-up counters, and perfume, and designer jeans, and mascara
the survivor REI North Face grunge girl look gets old really quick-
so I am savoring the moments with the flat iron and body lotion and am head over heels in love with my washing machine and dishwasher
i can hardly wait to have dinner parties, eat fresh veggies (anybody got tomatoes?), and get a hair cut

a few photos

Sunsets in East Point just aren't the same

My Birthday Celebration

Carly, Terra and Loren

Children in a Bush Village

I told you it was dirty

Quote of the day

"To touch is to heal, to hurt is to steal. If you want to kiss the sky, better learn how to kneel". - U2

I'm back!

I am slowly trying to processes the reality of being back here. It was difficult to leave the simplicity and beauty of Pemba. Yet, home is good too. I've had a hot bath and a good nights rest. I am going to Carla's for the day to celebrate Catherine's 10th birthday! It's hot here! I will now do my best to post more photos and really share a lot more. It was just so impossible to use the internet effectively there. I am still a little sick, sore throat and ear ache and am obviously a little jet lagged and may be for a few days. Thank you all for your messages, prayers and words of support. I look forward to seeing all of you and sharing a little of what all I learned in Mozambique.

Surrey

I am in Surrey. We got on the 8:30 flight from J'burg to London. We said good-bye to Georgenia who was flying to London also and then on to N. Ireland. I also ran into my roomate Tamara in the J'burg airport and got to say goodbye one last time. I watched Shrek 3 and popped an ambien and slept for most of the flight. I have a terrible sore throat. It could be from the drastic change in weather. I went from hot Mozambican weather to very cold and am still just in flip flops. When we landed in London we booked our flights for a day later and called Sam. On our way out of the aiport we ran into Georgenia! So we convinced her to change her flight too and come along. I took my last bit of money from the ATM and we took a bus to Croydon near Surrey and are currently at Sam's place. The neighborhood is beautiful. We've been walking through these lovely gardens, eating plums and blackberries! We walked up on a small mountain that overlooks Surrey with fields of heather. We plan on hanging out in this area tonight and going for shepherds pie! I will be leaving in the morning at 12:30 or so and should arrive at 4:30 on Saturday! I miss you all and am looking forward to coming home. Although, the detours have been a lot of fun. I like this spontaneous travel stuff! So, I hope we can celebrate the birthday of Catherine again on Sunday. Mer, hope to see you Saturday afternoon. I will call when I land.
Love,
Me

Brrrr in J'burg

It's cold here! It is really freezing and we are all in summer clothes and flip flops. We are sharing clothes and bundling up. We enjoyed the lodge here last night and the owner had a driver pick us up and take us to the mall this afternoon. It was far from our western mall but was still a major culture shock to us. I bought clean underwear as I only had the one pair and a book to read if I ever get on the flight home. We will be leaving for the airport shortly and will do our best to get on standby with BA or have them give us vouchers with another airline going to London. There is a small possibility that the flights in London may have long layovers so we are working out accomodations with our friend Sam Rogers who lives in Surrey. So I MIGHT stay in London over the weekend and just not rush the flight since it has all been so up in the air. I will just roll with it and have a back up plan. So now if they do not provide accomodations or our connecting flights are a problem, I will have a place to stay in London. I would love to see the city with someone who knows it well.
Yet, I would love to be home for Catherine's birthday party. If I don't make it, give her a huge hug and kiss for me.
XOXO

PS...IF anyone has a DELTA hook-up, I would love to get on the direct flight out of here to ATL and bypass London altogether if possible. I will check it out tonight but just wanted to put that word out and see if anyone can pull some strings.

Pomona Lodge?

I am at the Pomona Lodge in South Africa. I was scheduled to take a routine flight from Pemba to J'burg wih a stop in Maputo. We stopped about two hours after take off and I assumed this was Maputo. We didn't disembark. We stopped again an hour later and I thought the scenery looked a bit remote to be J'burg. We were in Maputo. We evidenly stopped in Biera and I wound up missing my flight from J'burg to London!! I grabbed my luggage and ran to the check out counter at lightening speed. No one was there and they were boarding the flight. So, the Mozambican Airlines (LAM) has put me in an adorable little B&B in South Africa. I am with Nick (Hawaii), Chrisdene "Cloud" (Alaska, and Georgenia (N. Ireland). We are actually having an amazing time. This place is quite quaint and we just had an amazing meal of spicy chicken over rice that was delicious! So we are all together and very safe. However, British Airways seemed to doubt we could get on the flights tomorrow either, so we are on standby. There is a small possibility another airline will carry us. BA will pay other airlines to take us, we just have to find another that is not full. So we are going to the airport tomorrow at 5pm to start the process. PRAY HARD! I will do the same and hope to see you all soon. Don't worry about picking me up at the aiport. I will call Meredith when I arrive and if she can get me, great. If not, I will cab it.
PRAY PRAY PRAY
XOXO
www.pomonalodge.co.za
Hope to be home Friday!
Worse case scenario, I have to buy a one way ticket? But I truly believe it will all work out. In the mean time, I am enjoying this place, the culture and hope to see a little of South Africa and look forward to being able to put another pin in the map.

Final Days

I am currently at the Pemba Beach Hotel, having breakfast with my friend Merrylee who leaves today. She is out looking at the ocean one last time. My visit to Marenganha was amazing. I could completely see myself living there. I will post photos! Iris has a small base there with 9 young boys living there. They also have plans to create a small community for orphan kids who are 18 and older. They intend to build housing for these kids and help them become self sufficient. I could also see Mom and Dad living at this base. The beach is so beautiful. I could see Dad giving science lessons to the young boys. The houses are energized via windpower...

I will spend the day packing up my things and will check in here at the hotel tomorrow to get that much desired hot bath. I dread leaving. This has become such a way of life and the lifestyle here is relaxed and so incredibly fulfilling. I will be most likely leaving from the hotel on Wednesday and arriving in Atlanta Thursday afternoon. Get out the water hose Meredith.

Will post detailed updates and photos soon.

Love,
Me

Plans as of today

I am still uncertain about plans to Rome. It is so difficult to make arrangements from here that it may just be something I have to pursue another time. Still have not heard back from travel agent and I can't find that flight to Rome as I had seen before.
I am skipping class to try to make the arrangements and only have 5 more minutes of my very expensive internet service left...hope you enjoy the photos. Hope to have many more to come and will add more stories when I get home.

These moments I will miss...

Village Baby

Sunday Service with Mel Tari

If in Rome...

There is a small chance I may have the opportunity to go through Rome on my way home! There is a monastary just outside of Rome where I can stay for free. Flights from London to Rome are supposedly very inexpensive. I may be able to store luggage at a friends house in London, stay a night there and take the train to meet a friendm Mary from Canada, in London and we will fly to Rome to stay for a few days. The thoughts of backpacking it for a few days sounds amazing and I cannot imagine what the monastery will be like. This is a HUGE IF and requires me to attempt to deal with my travel agent which will be hard from here because internet communication is so limited. If it does work out, I won't be home until the 22nd. This also requires a ton of grace from my employeer. We shall see. Pray for favor. I will know more tomorrow when I hope to get back into town to see if the flights can be booked and my current flight delayed without being penalized.
All things are great! I don't want to leave here. It will be hard. My friends are leaving this week and it will be hard to say goodbye. My roomie is going to Kenya to stay until Christmas and I have to send her off on Wednesday...so sad. I am sending her off with my cellphone so you can't call me anymore. I will try to update the blog to let you know if I do this Rome thing or not.
Mel Tari is here this week and spoke today and will be speaking again tomorrow. He and Rolland Baker baptized me yesterday. It was probably the most amazing experience of my life. Words cannot describe.
So the plans for this week are to FIND my lost ticket from here to J'burg. Say a prayer. It has to be somewhere in my room. I am headed to the LAM office now to see if I can get it reissued. I will make my decision tomorrow on the Rome trip as I hope to hear from the travel agent by then. Official graduation is Wednesday. This is supposedly a big deal, big celebration. Friday, most of the students going out to the bush bush for the two week outreach leave. I am going to try and spend the weekend at Maranganha, camping for the weekend. It is a beautiful pristine untouched beach! I will then come back and pack up my things and spend my last night here in a glorious night at the 5 star Pemba Beach Hotel thanks to UNCLE JOHN and AUNT PHYLIS!! I am dying for a hot bath. You have no idea. I try not to say much about it but we currently have no water...I am at a record for most days without bathing.
Will try to update again this week. Will also try to put some photos on....just so difficult. Will be home, eventually...
LOVE,
ME

Sunday in Pemba

It's hot. Today was just one of those days where I could not get comfortable. Our fan is broken in my bedroom so I am not looking forward to sleep tonight. I am spending more time with the children in the center. They are amazing. These kids are all orphaned, and have stories that would blow you away. Many of them Heidi brought from the garbage dump in Maputo and places she has found them. A lot of the girls have been raped and molested. I wish you could see them now. They carry such joy and are so happy and they know that they are not abandoned any longer. These children have huge smiles on their faces and they just crawl up in your lap and loved to be loved on and give love in return. The older girls love to get dressed up and braid their hair. They are beautiful. They all just know that Jesus loves them and they get it. They are true examples of child-like faith. If only we could get it so settled in our spirits that we are not alone, we are not abandoned in this world and if we could just carry the love they carry. I've especially fallen in love with Paulina. She wants me to spend the night with her. She is 8. I took her for ice cream this week. I may take her up on staying with her in the center, I think their fan is working. But I noticed they have mice. There are 6 of us here from Georgia or who have Georgia connections. We all met today for lunch. I went to an amazing beach yesterday, Merreube. It was so primitive and pristine, untouched and so beautiful. Bright clear water and white sand beaches that others pay top dollar to enjoy with hundreds of other people, was all mine and the overpriced, watered down drinks were not included. However, there was a herd of cattle walking along the north end. Wish you could have seen it...sorry for the sporaticness of the message...space bar sticks on this keyboard and I am in hot room with only 10 minutes to write, dial-up slow service and an oscillating fan.

The small things

I got a real treat while on Ibo. I went to the hotel on Ibo with a friend to have a cup of coffee and see the hotel to see if I would ever want to come back. I used their restroom before I left and while washing my hands discovered HOT WATER!!! It was amazing. I am completely forgotten about the concept of hot water coming out of the faucet. I lathered my hands, then my elbows, shoulders, neck and face. It was wonderful.

Graduation/Departure

Graduation is scheduled for August 8th. I will then have until the 15th to spend some time in Pemba and enjoy the beach. There are also some nearby beaches that I would like to see other than Wimbe. I have befriended Zelinha, a girl who lives at the center and I am hoping to pack a picnic with her and visit the beaches that week. I will be arriving in Atlanta August 16th around 4:30. My flight leaves Pemba around noon on the 15th and I will fly to Maputo and not get off the plane, then to J'burg, then London- make the aiport change via shuttle and then fly to Atlanta! I hope to update again soon. I love hearing from you.

Questions and Cannibals

I know I have been somewhat vague in describing what is going on here and I apologize. The days are often filled with activities and there is always something pressing going on. Classes often last until 4 or later and it gets dark at 5:30 and we are not allowed to go out of the base in the evenings without a taxi and an entourage. So, that makes it difficult to get into town and limits my evenings. I have had very little time at the beach or any down time to play. Also, I am very frustrated because I am having a hard time running here. The banditos are infamous here in Pemba and running is simply not safe, they will knife you. So I really miss my long runs and feel sluggish without it. I look forward to my long runs in downtown East Point.
I have been processing a lot since my weekend outreach. I wanted to determine in my head how God can change a village and what a changed village looks like. It doesn’t make sense to me. Yes, I am in missions school and here I am questioning everything, doubting everything and wondering how in the world people can go to a village, preach the gospel and make a difference of any sort. So my questions become, what is poverty? Is this village really poor? They seem happy, as long as they have food are they okay? What else do they need? Clean water and a latrine…okay, if we give them that and get them to pray the sinner’s prayer and baptize them, is that enough? How do you start a church? We have no curriculum? No one can even READ!! It cannot be done. The Makonde people are cannibals and eat each other, how can I even relate to them? My questions are endless. Then Dr. Heidi shows up for weekly teaching and I can’t think of all those questions anymore.
She starts by saying, as she has so many times before, “I have no idea what I am doing.” Iris Ministries is huge, with over 7,000 churches and they feed 50,000 a day. Every day they face constant, severe need. She begins with questions too, “How do we carry love, grace and mercy in the midst of constant need”? Her answer. Focus your eyes on Jesus and the beauty of who He is because He is perfect. He never gave up and He loved the ones crucifying Him. He is the example of divine love and shows us how to do missions. He knows how to change a nation, even a nation of people who are cannibals, don’t read, living in extreme poverty. We need to pray for incarnational love to so take hold of us that no one can resist. John 1:14 says, the Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one of a kind glory, like Father, like Son. (The Message) Jesus knows precisely how to bring His love to a culture that is so incredibly different from our own. We are simply to be laid down lovers, carrying His love. Mozambicans have a very oral oriented culture. They learn through listening and looking, some stemming from the fact that most do not read. They way you act is even more important than what you say. So, you must have Christ so fully in you that they want to know Him. It cannot be a strategic plan (as is my idea with my degree) and it is not turning them into Westerners! The plan is simply to learn from them and work together. Our job is to love, if you love well eventually other things fall into place.
So, I am learning from them. In a recent teaching along with the pastors, Heidi had pastors who had lost a child stand up. Probably as much as one third of the group of 150 plus pastors stood up. Most children died of Malaria and dysentery. These men are all so poor and they depend on God like a child on its mother. If you tell them God will heal you, they believe in a heartbeat. They have no where else to go and no doctor’s to turn to. They have no Western world to seek or escape to. Their faith of these poor in spirit is beautiful to witness. We doubt so much and convince ourselves that we are fine without God. These men aren’t fine without God. They depend on Him for everything. I want their faith! They prayed for us to receive and believe like they do. They have been in desperate situations that most of us will never experience. They show me why we need God to begin with. When we are stripped of all our comforts and we are faced with a life where we truly need a Savior, then I see that life is impossible without faith.
So these are the kinds of things that are daily a part of my prayer and meditation. This is all coupled with living with 9 other people, someone is always sick, it’s hot, the water is not always running, I miss my blackberry, computer and communication with the outside world. I have no idea what is going on. Thank you for the cards, Christine and Gran McCarley!! They were a big surprise!! I turn the big 3-O next week! I look forward to celebrating with my family here and can’t wait to come home and celebrate some more with all of you!

I did take an unexpected trip to Ibo Island this past weekend. It was a long drive and then a boat ride in a dhow with 20 people. We camped the night before we took the ferry over and then camped again on Ibo. You will have to do some research Dad and let me know more about the history there. Portuguese traded there and it was a huge area for slave trade, the Portuguese left there in the 1970’s. It was basically an abandoned trade village now inhabited by 5,000 Mocambicans. The area is beautiful and there is a five star hotel there. I opted to stay in the 10 million star hotel underneath the Mozambican sky.

Love,
Me

Stacy Campbell Teaching

How to Pray the Bible- from my sporadic notes

1. Learn to Pray- it does not come naturally, you learn in the secret place, the disciples had to learn Luke 11:1
2. Determine to work at prayer- it should be aggressive, not passive, get up and move around as there is a connection between movement and brain focus Hebrews 5:7
3. Set a time and a place to pray- adapt this to your lifestyle pray morning and again at night Psalm 55 and Psalm 142, what you behold you become, II Corin 3:17-18
4. Pray to God- many have a distorted view of God, it takes revelation to know who He truly is- our worldview is formed by our environment versus the real truth. God will break expectations of who He is. We should develop a picture in our mind and address the Lord as you bring yourself before God Revelation Chapter 4 gives a vivid description. Mix prayer with faith. Also know that in Christ, strength is perfected in weakness. With Christ, the less you know the better it is. God delights in weakness and foolishness, like at the men in the Bible that He used. Our weakness becomes a launch pad to take us into His presence.
Rev 4-5
Rev 1
Ez 1
Is 6
Ex 33-34
Dan 7:10
All descriptions of God found in scripture
5. Pray the Bible, learn the language of the Spirit to express your heart, express spiritual truths in spiritual words I Corin 2, pray actual Bible verses and phrases, slowly and repetitively
6. Pray outloud- To know when you have stopped! It is hard to think of something else when you are talking. The tongue keeps the mind focused.
7. Silence and prayer of the heart- This is the pinnacle of prayer, not the starting point. For example, if your first date were a date of silence you would assume things didn’t go so well, it has to be talkative and verbal. Yet, after years of marriage, you can speak to one another in silence. Leave time at the end of prayer of silence and meditation of the heart.

apology

Tried to post photos of wedding and visit, but they would not post. I will try again. I think I am the volunteer of the day for the Iris Internet Cafe on Saturday and will try it then.
Tonight is Movie Night, watching some documentary...gotta run.
XOXO

Life in the Dirt

My group left Friday morning for the bush bush and returned last night. I don't think I have ever been so dirty before. It was quite an experience. I really need to process it all before I write more about it. The village was very receptive and welcoming. We pitched our tents in front of the local pastors house. It was quite cozy and comfortable, for the most part. The kids loved us and I loved drawing pictures in the dirt, having them teach me the Macua words for each picture. We killed a pig for dinner one night and chickens for lunch, I didn't eat either one. I will try to process it all and elaborate more soon.
There is so much to say about all that is going on, but so little time here in the internet cafe'. I appreciate all your emails. I am really enjoying life here. It was nice to come home to my little hut near the beach after my time in the village and while in the village I wanted to stay there and learn from the Mozambican women. There are so many levels of poverty. I thought I had seen it all. The village, despite a nearby well and nice latrines, had a lot of sickness, disease and extreme poverty.
On the way home, I got to sit up front. We drove over 300 kilometers to get to this village in a covered flat bed truck. It was VERY BUMPY! So, someone offered a seat up front and I took it! I wound up sitting between an Iris Mozambican pastor and a Muslim driver, both about 60 years old. We had a really great time, laughing at the people in the back screaming each time we hit a bump, and they cut open and sliced yucca root? for me. I used my little Portuguese and even pulled out my dictionary. So, for five hours I sat in the hot truck between the two of them and took in the landscape and drank cokes, ate yucca, and laughed. I hope I never forget it.
Class this morning was great. Stacy Campbell is here teaching from Canada. I am taking notes and also hope to post her lesson on Praying the Word.
I am trying to prepare myself for coming home. It is only one month away. It will not be easy.

This message is from a recent e-mail from Heidi and Rolland Baker, founders of Iris Ministries. I love their teachings and being under the tent with them a few times each week. It is a real blessing to be able to study under them. Rolland's teaching is always amazing. Heidi briefly mentions us, the "170 international students". I apologize for the spacing issues.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A little over four years ago Heidi and I, along with Surpresa Sithole,
our Mozambican international director, flew to Nairobi in our little
Cessna for a leadership conference. On the way back we stopped in Pemba
in Mozambique's far northern province of Cabo Delgado, and for the first
time attempted ministry among a people considered unreached and
unreachable by missiologists.

We took a short bus ride into town near the airport, stepped off, and
found a group of fourteen or so young men standing nearby. Heidi
immediately used her Portuguese to witness to them right there where
they stood, and in a few minutes all fourteen were saved and wanted a
pastor. On our next trip we got a small plot of land on a hill among a
sea of huts, and built a Pemba-style church building out of reeds and
stones. It was filled mostly by children, but pastored by our extremely
fervent, Spirit-filled Pastor José, still one of our key leaders in
Pemba. This last week Pastor José testified at our annual staff retreat
that now we have over seven hundred Iris churches in Cabo Delgado
Province, a figure we could not have imagined on that first trip.

Our four years in Pemba have been tumultuous, intense, filled with
demonic attacks, violence, threats, opposition from the government,
discouragement, theft, loss, disappointments, failures, staff turnover,
and the constant, unrelenting demands of extreme poverty and disease all
around us. It almost always seemed that our capabilities and resources
were no match for the challenges we faced every day, resulting in a
level of chaos and stress that literally threatened our health and
lives. Intense witchcraft and a lack of exposure to familiar standards
of right and wrong made our work in this very remote part of the world
seem all the more impossible. Heidi and I remember many times when we
did not know how we could continue, often wondering if we really had
good, lasting fruit that was worth the sacrifice.

We are often asked what the overcoming key to our ministry and growth
is. We don't think in terms of keys or secrets, but in the simplest
truths of the Gospel. We have learned by experience that there is no way
forward when pressed to our extremities but to sacrifice ourselves at
every turn for His sake, knowing nothing but Jesus and Him crucified. We
must die to live. It is better to give than to receive, and better to
love than to be loved. We cannot lose, because we have a perfect Savior
who is able to finish what He began in us, if we do not give up and
throw away our faith.

In years past we did not think we could identify with Paul like this,
but now we understand more of what he meant: "We do not want you to be
uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of
Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so
that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the
sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves
but on God, who raises the dead" (2 Cor. 1:8-9).

Heidi and I get overwhelmed by our awareness that we are only jars of
clay, very fragile and finite, capable of only giving out so much, and
with very limited understanding and strength. But we have come to be
encouraged by this very state of affairs, because God's power and glory
will become obvious in our weakness: "But we have this treasure in
earthen vessels, that the surpassing greatness of the power may be of
God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not
crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken;
struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the
dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our
body" (2 Cor. 4:7-10).

In Pemba we just started another three-month Bible school session with
new student pastors from the bush, many of whom are barely aware of any
Christian doctrine and still confused about so much. But three of them
have already raised the dead and given their testimonies in class! The
Holy Spirit is opening hearts and bringing in the harvest more than
ever, in spite of our weaknesses. Our churches are monuments to the
grace of God. We are asked how we keep them all together, organized and
feeling like a unified family, but we can offer no adequate human
explanation, in spite of all our efforts. We have learned that He is
able to melt hearts and keep people connected in spirit by His own
power, and build a hunger for the Savior that conquers every obstacle.
This is His revival, His church, His display of glory, and He qualifies
us to do His work.

What motivates us to keep going? What puts energy into our spirits when
we run out of answers and resources? How do we stay patient and upbeat
when the outlook seems bleak, yet again? Where does our power to live,
serve and give come from? The question is important, because
missionaries do get tired, discouraged and down. Christians of all kinds
run out of motivation, no matter how much they have. Leaders with huge
responsibilities lose their peace and joy. Ministries become more like
businesses, and preachers more like sales managers. But what makes the
Kingdom run? What is the fuel that fires us effortlessly? What is the
real thing?

Every day we find out more of the answers to these most fundamental
questions, and every day we learn that what used to motivate us is no
longer enough. We are going higher, pressing on to what lies ahead. We
keep learning what Jesus is interested in, and lose interest in what we
used to pursue. And we learn that unless Jesus is interested in what we
are pursuing, the going gets tougher than we can bear.

But, ha, there is a secret place, a hiding place, a lower place, a holy
place that exceeds our dreams. It is not found in anything external and
impersonal. It is not found simply in activity, sacrifice and
dedication. It is not found in goals, projects, productions and
progress. It is not found in finances and growth. It may be missed
entirely even when preaching, teaching, training and discipling. It may
be forgotten completely when evangelizing and praying for the sick. The
greatest and most powerful gifts don't necessarily contain it. Even
ministry to the poor may become an impersonal effort that misses that
greatest and most intensely motivating creation of God, that supreme
display of His glory: relationship!

Love is a gift of relationship, not just self-sacrifice. The secret
place is not necessarily found in a prayer closet or a posture of
soaking, or in battling for a just cause, or in a massive prayer and
fasting effort. Even the most amazing miracles can leave us lonely and
without relationship. We can run out of motivation advancing the most
noble ideals and working at all levels to transform society. We can
minister until we have no more strength, and still go home and lie in
bed without the relationship for which our hearts are made.

Everything is okay with relationship. It is all that Jesus cares about,
all that motivates Him. He could do many more amazing miracles and
dazzle the world with His powers, but He is interested only in
relationship. The entire creation, all the grandeur of the physical
world, and all His works are designed to serve one thing: relationship.
Revival has no content without it. Renewal and manifestations are
pointless apart from it. Miracles only find their meaning in it. Joy is
shallow and groundless unless rooted in it. Without relationship we are
the living dead.

There is no pressure in genuine relationship. When it turns into work,
it is gone and finished. It is effortless to maintain. It is not the
goal of struggle, but the fire of life. It brings the utmost peace, and
washes away all tension. It is the point of living, the substance of
existence, the atmosphere of heaven. It motivates to heroic heights,
bringing out our best. In relationship we know we are alive, we have
arrived, we are satisfied. When we turn away from relationship to pursue
anything else, we lose. We have no strength to give and love without it.
It is a haven, a rock, a river of living water, the perfect source of
motivation to keep going.

As our Perfect Savior, Jesus provides us with relationship. For this He
died and rose again on our behalf. He provides not only His Word, His
promises and His gifts, but also freely fills our lives with
relationship in response to the desire He has put in our hearts. No
guilt and condemnation can keep us from drinking in all the relationship
with Him that we desire. Nothing in our past can block us. No attitudes
in others can prevent us from tasting and seeing that He is good. And
from this tree of life that is our Savior, we can branch out into more
and more relationship with those all around us. He takes away our
loneliness. In Him we end our search and find our destination.

So in this experience of revival in Africa, our values have been refined
in the fires of pressure, opposition and disappointment. Thousands of
churches and testimonies of supernatural power do not keep us motivated.
Huge feeding projects are not enough for us. We need more of a goal than
to target people groups and disciple followers. Education and
development don't keep our hearts alive. Mobilizing world-wide support
still falls short. Academic missiology lacks the energy that Africa
needs.

No, our hearts must have perfect relationship, a perfect union between
us and our Savior, in the Holy Spirit. We were never meant to be alone
for a moment. Our whole motive is to live life and do everything
together with our God, to take pleasure in His company always. Our power
to live comes entirely from our satisfying relationship with Him, and to
stay there is to stay in our own private revival that cannot be
disturbed by anything else. Only when that relationship is golden,
incandescent and pure enough do we have the power to delight in all that
God has richly provided for us to enjoy.

Therefore in Him we do not pursue revival, but rather revival pursues
us! Church growth and miracles pursue us. His presence pursues us. He
Himself follows us, responds to us, and takes pleasure in making us
happy, for we make Him happy. We care how He feels. We satisfy His
longing. To stay close to Him is no effort, but a relief, a release, a
door to freedom. To get a miracle is never the point, but in our
relationship with Him miracles are a delight for Him to perform on our
behalf. In fact, we cannot live without miracles, and in the normal
Christian life we recognize that everything is a miracle, "for in him we
live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28).

Leprosy and AIDS are being healed by God in our churches in DRCongo. Our
missionaries in Sudan are being caught up to heaven in visions while
stationed in a most dangerous environment. Our Bible school students in
South Africa are seeing waves of healing blow through a hospital when
doctors and nurses are absent on strike. The dead continue to be raised,
and the blind and deaf continue to see and hear, causing whole villages
to come to Jesus at a time. The poor and abandoned are fed and taken
into families. And yet we press on to the best yet in Him, in faith all
the way, as always! There is a massive amount of suffering still in
Africa, but we can deal with it only as our motivation is steady, sure
and secure, located in the unbreakable bond between us and our God and
Savior.

We love and thank all of you who join us and support us as you
yourselves continue to drink along with us from this inexhaustible well
of motivation. May His richness and and joy be yours beyond your wildest
dreams as you comprehend more of His love for you each day. Continue to
eat of Him and drink of Him to your heart's content until His will is
done on earth, as it is in heaven.

Much, much love in Him, Rolland
--

From Heidi:

The cup of joy poured out to His Makua Bride

Jesus has mercifully allowed me to not only sip from the cup of
suffering, but also to drink fully from His cup of joy. After the
challenges of feeding 50,000 people a day, the flood relief, bombings
and monster cyclones, Jesus has brought me joy unspeakable and full of
glory this June. This month I loved cheering King Jesus on as He
brilliantly shined His liquid glory love into the darkness of the
unreached Makua tribe. Seeing village after village run to King Jesus
makes me fall even more in love with Him. I love my life, and I love Him
more than life! What a privilege to be alive when the harvest is so ripe
and the Lord of the harvest is sending forth laborers (Matt. 9:36-40).
We must lift up our eyes to see that the harvest is indeed ripe and
ready (John 4).

In our missions school we have 170 international students loving and living among our beautiful Mozambican pastors. I believe that in heaven Jesus will have a Bride who is not only pure and spotless, but truly
color-blind and without superficial divisions of gender, race, culture,
socioeconomics and age. We are trying to model that one Bride in a
community -- a village of joy -- here in my home of Pemba. Four years
ago, when God sent me to leave my beloved children in the south and run
into the darkness of the north in Cabo Delgado, there were only a few
converts. Now, over 700 churches have been planted! I know God will give
us the Makua Bride as my inheritance.

Recently friends and our beautiful Mozambican children loaded up our
Land Rovers and charged off into the "bush bush." As Joanne was
worshipping, Rebekah, a preacher at our Holy Given School, seemed to see
straight into the spirit realm. It looked to her like the heavens broke
open and angels flooded the place as a tornado of glory filled the
village. I preached as Joanne worshipped. Rebekah saw that at that very
moment whatever we asked for in Jesus' name was granted. So I asked for
the Makua! I asked for the deaf to hear. I wrapped my arms around three
deaf mutes and merciful Jesus opened their ears. Surely God is opening
the ears of the Mozambicans to hear His good news! May we have ears to
hear all that He is saying. The newly saved village started worshipping
with Joanne and me as we sang in Makua. My calling is to be a worshipper
before anything else. There in the darkness and dirt new brothers and
sisters worshipped worthy Jesus. Sounds of newly created Makua praise
filled this little mud hut village. The joy never ends. Last week
Pastors Che and Sue Ahn, friends of mine with teams of Koreans,
Americans and Mozambicans, young and old, again drove off into the bush
bush. A young deaf man was brought to the meeting because people had
told his family if they took him to us he would be able to hear. And he
did!!! Demons were cast out of people who had previously turned their
lives over to the power of darkness. The village offered to build me my
very own mud hut! They told me I had to stay and live with them there.
Although I always bring my tent, they insisted I stay in their hut with
them. So there I was with the new pastor's wife, the children and the
family chickens -- and just to spice it up a bit a few rats joined us. I
know God is calling me to be a mother to the Makua and also to this new
missions movement. We are all called to stop and love the one before us
until the whole world knows of His love. May He multiply our little
lives laid down so an entire army can arise.

This seventh month of 2007 as Shara and I head off to Jerusalem, I am
praying for perfection and the completion of all God's promises. May we
see a generation give that which they cannot keep in order to gain that
which they cannot lose. May you drink deeply of His cup of joy. May we
all give the Lamb the just reward of His sufferings.

In love with Jesus, Heidi
--

Scabies is all clear! Just in case you were wondering. Things are still great here. The atmosphere is just unexplainable. I am certain it has to do with years and years of prayers for Iris Ministries to be a haven and a starting point to reach out to the nations. Today we washed the feet of the Mozambican pastors. Every day is something like this, just life changing encounters. Monday a little chubby toddler came up to me during our Community Service and I held him, he feel asleep on my shoulder and drooled on me. I was touched by his trust of me, a total stranger. It felt good, just holding him in my arms and loving on him. Today, is was another humbling experience to wash the calloused feet of a man who walked for miles to be there and is a man who has more faith than I do. It cannot NOT cause a shift in your way of thinking and you cannot truly ever be the same after doing something like this. They daily bless me.
Our teachings this week have been incredible. I have notes and will try to share my version this weekend. I made a last minute, unexpected trip to town and just wanted to report something.
Just know that I am more than well and I miss you, but am beginning to believe that if you want to see me you best get your passports up to date.
Much love,
Jena

Stats about Moz

There is a lot I could say about life here and the "struggles" we face, however, these statistics and the fact that I absolutely love it here make it unnecessary.

80% of Mozambicans have to walk approx 5 miles to get water
90% of Mozambicans do not have electricity
The average income is $80/ year
Half of Mozambican children die before age 5

lions, tigers and scabies, oh my!

Ok, there are no lions or tigers, but I do think I may have scabies. The doctor in the clinic at the time did not speak English but he gave me scabies cream and told me it was from "holding baby". Treating it, all is well.
I had a traditional Kenyan meal this week with two of the students who are from there and live in the bush. They told amazing stories about elephants and pythons and life in the bush. The meal was very good. They both breezed around the little kitchen and meticulously prepared our meal. They purchased two large guinea fowl- one of which I watched Tamara (my roommate from Holland) saw its head off while alive. The knife was dull. They prepared the fowl and put it in a big pot with lots of spices, tomatos, peppers, garlic, onion and potatoes. We also had fresh greens that were my favorite. They served this along with a huge slice of rice type stuff that was in the form of a cake and we used that to sop up the juices.
Robert told us the story of his chipped tooth. He told us how he used to drink a lot and go to the disco and was drunk all the time. He was in a head on collision with another vehicle and four people died instantly. God met him there, no religion, duty, obligation, guilt or remorse. Just the simple message of a Savior meeting him there on that road in that experience and now he is changed. The change is real, true and pure. His faith is not tainted or jaded. A living Savior met him, delivered him from himself and a miserable life of abuse and misery and gave him joy, peace and daily pours out to him the desires of his heart.
I have had wonderful teaching this week from Heidi, Rolland and Winnie Banov. The big wedding is this weekend and we are preparing for that. I will be going away the following weekend to the "bush bush" for outreach. I am nervous and excited. We have a big project due Monday that we are all working on. We have been assigned a scripture and we are to show how someone from the "underside" or the marginalized would view that scripture differently than we. We are trying to do a video and if it turns out I will post it when I return.
Eating too well...still loving it here...not much time for snorkeling, trying to run the beach each morning...May have opportunity to help build a home for someone. I will keep you posted on that.
If you see Catherine, Gracie, Carson or any of the Eavenson trio, give them hugs and kisses for me.

what does love look like?

Groups from all over the world flock to Iris Ministries every week. We are housed in a separate area just for mission students, but there is housing here for visitors and hotels nearby for visitors as well. Just this week a group from Korea and a pastor of a large church in Los Angeles, California, Che Ahn, came to visit Iris. Also, as I mentioned, a documentary is being created by a group in California and well known producer Kit Carson. The intent of the documentary, from my understanding, is to reveal from a secular viewpoint, the changes that are occurring in Mozambique because of the impact of the move of God. God is moving in Mozambique and change is happening. That is also why these groups are visiting from around the world. They want to see these changes and witness the move of God. Yet ultimately they discover what love looks like. That is the simple message that is shown here. That is also the message in Isaiah 58. It tells us to clothe the naked, share your food with the hungry, provide the wanderer with shelter, set the oppressed free, untie the cords of the yoke and loose the chains of injustice. This is true missions. It is about disciplining others and showing them "incarnational" love. Others are coming here to see this in action.
Mozambique is the poorest country in the world and has been impoverished for generations. There is no concept of work ethic or any ethics for that matter. No one questions right from wrong. It is not wrong to lie or steal in their culture. This is what separates them for me. In my Western world, even those who do lie and steal, know that it is wrong. This cultural difference is a major hindrance. They need a moral compass. Even if you view it from a secular, economic standpoint, this nation needs a salvation from itself for it to survive. This is also seen by the way in many other nations, including India and China. The corruption forces them to remain in a vicious cycle of poverty.
It is our job to simply disciple them and show them in servant leadership the love of God. Love is not rude, and therefore, we are simply here to love them and learn from them. We are not here to ridicule or change their culture to look like ours. So we clothe the naked, share our food, and provide shelter. Here in Mozambique, visitors see this being done physically. But, it is also needed desperately at home in the spiritual.

Things are still good here. I have to admit that I was exhausted today and had to take a nap this afternoon. I think it was my first! I stay so incredibly busy and every day is full of so many activities and today I just needed to rest. The interesting details are, I have not bathed in a week. I did get to snorkel last night, but didn’t see a whole lot. I do at least know sort of where to find the reef and hope to find someone to go out with me this afternoon. We don’t have running water a lot of the time so I have been swimming in the ocean a few times and showering off with “fresh" water at the Pemba Dolphin restaurant. There are a few good places to eat around here and we all seem to have this survivor mentality and are eating every meal like it is our last. There is a great little Chinese place in town that is very popular. Entrées are 4 dollars or less and they have pineapple flavored Fanta! I have pretty much limited myself to eating out once a week and have purchased canned goods in town for other meals and still eat my share of the kitchen rice and topping of the day. I also have Clif bars and granola. And every morning they have fresh bread! It is really good. Of course we add peanut butter, bananas and honey and jam from the market. Groceries are expensive here. Most Mozambicans are unable to afford groceries from the markets here. They are expensive even by American standards. So I have my canned goods and peanut butter rolls keeping me always full. Boys sell huge chocolate bars along the beach and since we all have this survivor mentality I bought one last night.

Today we fed the village children. Iris feeds village children during the week. All children are welcome to come. It involves us going to the kitchen and loading up a truck with a large drum with rice and the topping of the day. Today’s topping was cabbage stuff. I think there had to have been about 100 kids there. The kitchen only gave us about 20 bowls so we had to keep washing the dishes and the kids actually sat pretty patiently as they waited for their peers to finish before they could be served.

I hope to get into a village soon and spend more time with the Mozambicans this week. My group is in charge of doing a service for the Iris kids tonight. The kids are well taken care of for the most part. They are good kids who have been loved on and you can tell. I hope to spend more time with them in the coming weeks as well. This service is designed especially for then. There are a good many of them who are early teens and they love, as any teenager, hanging out with their friends and music. So this service is an opportunity for them to all get together and play music and hang out. They love hip hop and American music and western clothing. The girls braid their hair and wear jeans and they boys wear t-shirts with American rappers on them. So we will do skits, share testimony, and worship with the youth tomorrow night. The Africans love to dance and it is fun to watch them all dance under our big green and white tent and see the cloud of red dust form. This is Africa.

A friend of mine told me about a possible opening here working in hospitality, coordinating these groups that come to visit. She may be applying for it and it would be a major stretch for me. However, it did peak my interest. I could sell my house. I could live here for about $1000 per month. It’s feasible and something I would consider…maybe not right away, but could see myself doing something like this in the future.

I am not sure what the coming week will bring. We are doing a group dinner Sunday night. There is a missionary here from India who is leaving in two weeks. She is preparing an Indian meal for all of us. We have not all eaten together yet and it will be fun for us to all be together like this for the first time and I am very excited about the Indian food! I also have to do laundry on Sunday. My sheets are orange. I don’t like doing laundry and am going to do as little as possible. It is rough on your hands.

The mosquitoes are out more and a friend, Mark, was diagnosed with malaria today. It is pretty bad here. I am on medications that are pretty reliable and don’t expect it to be a problem.

I am looking forward to the wedding this coming weekend. Teisa and Gene, missionaries with Iris are getting married by Heidi on the beach. It is going to be a huge deal here. As I mentioned, they expect to feed 2,000. They want the ceremony to be a testimony to the marriage of Christ to His bride and show the villagers the love of God. I am one of the photographers and am so excited! I will be following Gene around for the whole day, capturing the event.

I believe I only have about 47 more days here. It will all be over before I know it. I will write again as soon as possible. My weeks are busy and I will try to find time to write. I am learning the routine of getting into town and the internet café and such. I will be back to the hum drum of life in Atlanta all too soon. I do miss you, but I miss my bathtub more than anything else.

XOXO
Me

Check this out

Well known director/producer Kit Carson has been here for 6 weeks with a film crew, filming what is going on with Iris Ministries and revival in Mozambique. He is a Cannes award winning director. The film crew is doing a documentary on God and how He is showing up in odd places. Some of the crew are Christians, most are not. Today one of the crew talked to us as it is their last day. He told us he was jealous of what we have and it was pretty cool. Check out their website for updates on the film. I look forward to seeing it when it comes out. www.burningmediagroup.com