LOVING is easy!

We often do have the privilege on the base here in rural Mozambique to make love practical.  Come to think of it .... all love should be a practical action to show others you care ... and that GOD cares too.  Take Rabeca Mulezi for example.  She as a passion to teach women to read and write.  In our rural area it is very difficult to find someone, not just with a passion for teaching literacy, but someone who can actually speak and write the local dialect, Shona.  There was a problem though.  Rabeca could hardly see.  She was appointed as a teacher at one of the many women schools in the area - but her eyesight got so bad that she could not read or help students anymore.  

Thanks to people who truly care, we received some reading glasses that changed Rabeca's life overnight.  She could for the first time read without giving up.  She was ecstatic with her new pair of reading glasses.  And her students were overjoyed too. 

Maria Seta Fulede speaks Chewa.  She is a teacher too but like our friend Rabeca she too could not teach other woman literacy due to bad eyesight.  Wish you were here when she got her first pair of reading glasses.  Oh the joy ... and the dancing.  The reading glasses brought her mother tongue back to life.  And while all of this was happening I suddenly realized something.  It is so easy to give.  It is so easy to change a life in an instant.  It is so easy to show love.  So many times we wonder how we would change the world by ourselves.  We want to achieve big and grand things that will shine in a newspaper somehow.

But I learned that miracles are at our doorsteps.  Literally!!!  And I realized to truly experience a miracle today we have to learn to:
Do to ONE that I wish I could do for EVERYONE!

Imagine that!  I can promise you one thing.  It will change the world for that ONE person you find.  It will surely change you.  And just perhaps ... it might change the WORLD.

Blessings and change someones world today!  Easy ... ain't it?

Leaving legacies!

With X-boxes, I-Pad's and expensive toys being purchased just before Christmas the Apple company must be overjoyed.  This could be their most lucrative Christmas ever.  They could even change Christmas to 'Apple-mas' season.  And don't get me wrong ... I love those goodies too.  They kinda keep you busier than you should be.  Take the i-generation for example.  You can never tell the color of there eyes anymore.  Eyes, being the windows of your soul, says a lot.  But I struggle these days just to see how people really are doing.  There face is usually buried in their I-pad (that's why the I is capitalized), I-phones or Blackberry's.  Have you seen airports lately?  People are talking to imaginary friends - and missing out on a conversation to a lonely soul next to them.  So not all gifts are 'good' gifts.  Many gifts only lasts for a season ... until there is a new toy on the market.  Could there be a gift that will outlive everything the Apple company throws at us?

Everyone waiting in anticipation to see who will receive the Children's Bible.  It was a huge surprise for the 27 Grade 5 students!

To find out if there is a gift on the market that will outgive any other gift you have to ask a question first. What legacy are you leaving?  I thought about that a lot.  In fact ... I think about that daily.  We have decided to leave a legacy in our grade 5 students by giving a gift that will outlive all of them.  In Mozambique grade 5 students officially leave Primary School to move onto the next phase of their educational career.  After their external exam they leave to various schools if they can afford it.

As a 'parting gift' every grade 5 student received their own Children's Bible.  They have been using these Bibles throughout the year.  By taking these Bibles back home they have the opportunity to read Bible stories to their illiterate parents and other siblings.  Watching them receiving their own Children's Bible was amazing.  Oh the joy of a gift that will keep on giving.  The idea is that these Bibles will one day be given to their kids and work its way through the family.

Thank you so much to everyone out there who helped us to obtain these Bibles.  It was truly a 'legacy gift'!

I'm not sure who was more excited about the Bibles - kids or me?  Everyone had the opportunity to read out of the Children's Bible - a pre-requisite if you wanted your own Bible.

The group of Grade 5 students receiving their gift!

 

VBS = very busy students

Well yesterday's posting on this blog took me 8 hours to publish.  Imagine that.  21st Century - we send people to the moon, unmanned aircraft to Mars .... we can even count the stars millions of lightyears away .... but 8 hours to do a posting via the bush in Africa.  Our satellite system has been severely throttled so thank you for understanding.  I do have a backup ... a new Mozambican telecommunication company, MOVITEL - but as the word states .... the signal keeps on moving - no luck there either.  We will hopefully succeed in solving the problem soon .... phew .... TIA!

Thus ... I will now go in prayer mode to get the next posting done!

Everyone had the opportunity to paint their own 'bandanas' for a very cool look.

VBS = very busy students

The life of a child in rural Mozambique looks very different than any other kid in the western civilization.  Why?  Well ... the moment holiday starts it's back to home and working on the fields so the rest of the family can eat for the next year.  Everyone is involved in providing food for the family.  It is a hard life.  Waking up early and collecting your tools for the day .... no toys ... tools.  Axe, spade, hoe and a container of dirty river water to get through the day.  is a   BUT ... before you say ... 'shame' .... there is something good that comes out of this:  it teaches the kids from a very young age to take responsibility for their life but also the life of their family.  It teaches that if you don't work ... you don't eat.  These disciplines will make these kids survive in tough rural third world Africa.

Those who memorized their Scripture verses first .... got great gifts.  Bible stories are always a favorite.    This guy couldn't wait to start reading this book on his own.  

To help the kids to also enjoy childhood we introduce many 'fun' things' to lighten the load.  One of those things is to invite all our school kids to our annual VBS (Vocational Bible School).  It is a time of supreme fun, laughs, games and also helping them to cope spiritually with life.  Bible memorization is one of the fun-filled things we place a lot of emphasis on.  It is absolutely astonishing when you see a first grader get up and quote Scripture.

Rick and Heather (Canada) are two 'young' people that has taken the responsibility to provide hours full of fun with the kids ... may I add in scorching heat.  VBS 2012 was no exception as 200 kids attended the yearly event.  Dramatic Bible stories while learning Scripture was always the highlight of the early morning gathering.  Kids   learned Bible verses through mimicking various hand and body actions.  I could tell they loved it.  And when you would stop anyone and asked them Jeremiah 29: 11 - 12 ... they would proudly start sharing Scripture.  Amazing!  



ARTS AND CRAFTS CLASSES:

Everyone made necklaces for their ID CARDS.  The theme 'I am Special' was written on the cards with their name and future 'jobs'!  Pretty cool! 

 

Sinambale Paradzai, our grade 3 student handing out the 'finished product' to the kids.

 GAMES AND WATER FIGHTS 

Water fights on a hot day must be on of the all time favorites. 

Catching balloons ......!

THE END TO A GREAT DAY .... 

And then there was the FORD .....!  I didn't actually mind the breakdown in a 40 degree scorcher.  The happiness of the kids made my day ....!  And it's a FORD - it will go again no matter what.

Women on the run!

Women studying the Bible and MP3 Bibles in their mother tongue while they are learning how to read and write in the process.

YES ... Mozambican women are on the run!  Well ... not literally, I think.  I always thought I should have been a journalist.  I love newspaper headings!  If nothing else, I could at least be employed at a newspaper creating headlines.  Or subtitles.  I'm a headline type of personality.  Anyway!  There has been so much happening around me that I am trying to catch my breath.  We have had so many highlights during this month that I stand in awe many times.  God has a wonderful and unique way putting things together.  And from my angle ... which is very low - it is amazing to see how it changes people.  And that is just about what we do here if you didn't know:  Loving God and loving people, so that others can love God and love people.

Women teachers give up their own free time to teach others how to read and write through the Bible.  Nothing stronger than a volunteer and co-worker!

  Take our rural Mozambican women for example.  I don't think 24 hours in a day is sufficient to get them through the day.  This is what I have observed by watching them:

05:00  Sweeping the yard - getting ready for the day!
06:00  The little bit there is to eat - already prepared - done and dusted.
07:00  Getting children on their way to school.
08:00  Walking many miles to start collecting water for the family.
08:01  During planting season - working on the fields from 04:00 to plant maize and vegetables.
10:00  Attends women literacy school to work on her own self-development.
10:01  Babies need to be fed continually.
12:00  There is no lunch .... so chew on whatever is available.
13:00  Getting ready to receive the children from school.
14:00  Because women can now read and write ... help kids to understand their school work.
15:00  Church meetings in the community and work on the church fields on Thursdays.
16:00  Carrying more water from the well.  That means carrying 20 liters of water on your head.
17:00  Prepare food as everyone is back home.  Same menu every night!
18:00  Wash and eat with the little bit there is.
19:00  Share stories and life around the campfire.
20:00  Fire is out ... wood is out ..... tomorrow's another day.
20:01  Oh yes .... and then there is dad ...!  Eish!

MORE MP3 BIBLE MAGIC

Through all of this women have continued to further their studies.  Bible education and literacy forms the backbone to empower women in Mozambique.  We have added many entrepreneurial projects for the women to help them to sustain their household with income from arts and crafts.

ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FARM .... THE WOMEN TRAINING AND CRAFT CENTER ARE GETTING READY TO PUT ON THEIR ROOF!

The wood for the women training center as just arrived after much prayer!  Construction on the training and craft center roof will start within a week.