Miracles and more of Jesus

I finally have time to sit and really write a good update about how our time has been in Mozambique so far. Of course it’s hard to believe it’s been almost a month since we left the States!! The 2 week conference to Beira took 2 weeks, so this week has just been getting into the swing of the actual missions school. And it’s been such a busy week! We typically have class 8am-1pm everyday, and we’ve been having a lot of meetings and activities. And my friend Jen is here (she was my roommate in the school last time I was here) so I’ve been loving catching up with her. We visited one little girl, Namuna, and her family in the village. It’s such a different world just 5 minutes off the base…coming face to face with the reality of poverty, of a family of 7 living in a tiny, one room bamboo house/hut. We’re constantly faced with the questions of how we can really help, how we can really show the love of Christ to the poor without feeling overwhelmed by the never-ending need.

In the school, David and I lead a ‘color group’ of about 10 students. We do our weekend outreaches together (we’ll be going to a village next fri-sun to share the gospel!), and different activities on base. We helped in the “village feeding program” today. This program really is incredible. A missionary couple here and a few of the Mozambican teenagers from Iris lead about 500 kids from the surrounding villages (very, very poor and malnourished kids like age 2-12) in bible songs, verses, a bible story , games in their own language, Makua, and then feed all 500 of them. It’s so cool and the couple here is awesome with a task this large. They have a great system to keep all the kids pretty under control and really feed them the word of God and feed them physically. These are the children you see on the “World Vision” commercials, the sad African child with flies on his crusty face and dirty rag clothes. The hungry, the poor, the “nobodies” to the world. But here they find their identity in Christ. They learn about His love and salvation and purpose for their lives. Iris is doing a lot of projects to aim to transform the villages they preach in a holistic way (well drilling, job opportunities, education..) and I love that. This program is just such a beautiful way to meet the simple need of feeding kids physically and spiritually. The kids in this culture are the last in line for food – the fathers and mothers and older kids eat, but the younger ones just get what’s left over. This shows them they’re valuable and deserve to be served. We have the chance to help lead the program for 2 weeks while the leaders are on a trip, please pray for this!

David and I are also “house parents” in our house, it’s just us and 3 guys, a pretty easy going group - I just miss the female bonding sometimes! But someone’s gotta keep these guys straight!! The food here is still the rice & beans I knew so well before…and my stomach is not loving it too much at times (I was feelin kinda ill this weekend but I guess diarrehea just becomes a fairly regular thing here!). Tomorrow night we’re going out to eat with some of the other younger couples here, there are 4 other ones in their 20’s.

As I mentioned briefly, but I feel deserves more time, are the miracles we saw in Beira. I’ve always thought it’d be awesome of course to see an actual miracle, but never have before. And I guess to be honest, I do struggle with having 100% faith in praying for supernatural healings after so many prayers for my sweet nephew, Gabe, feeling “unanswered.” I know all the theological answers, but sometimes it just feels like “God, please!” and then not seeing it… But I can’t deny that God’s word says He does perform miracles, that He sees our pain, that He cares for us, and that He is in control. And I can’t deny that I saw two people come into church blind, and leave with their sight. I saw the woman follow a guy around the church to show she could see him. It was incredible. The woman I laid hands on wasn’t healed right there. I don’t know why. But I’m not gonna stop praying for people to be healed. And being able to pray for that other woman in her home who had been sick for over a month, and then go back that night and see her up and healthy and eating and smiling…wow. When I pray for healing, I am reminded that God is a father who desires to give good gifts to His children. Tryphina, a Mozambican pastor’s wife, shared with our group a couple classes, and she told of how her son was born not crying or breathing and doctors said he would die. They didn’t stop praying for him, and even though he had to be put on oxygen, he was alive. They took him home after a few weeks, but the doctors said he’d just lay there his whole life, he’d never walk. She said her husband, Pastor Supresa (a leader in Iris) would always simply say “Don’t worry, he’ll be ok because we have Jesus.” After more than 2 Years of lying down, the baby began to walk. Today he has some impairments, but she said he prophesies and preaches…I couldn’t help but cry as I thought of Gabe. And I want to see him walking, and breathing. And I know it’s been almost 2 years, but I want to see it, I want to believe that God will give him the gift of a healthy and whole life. Please keep praying. I miss that little guy! And my little nieces of course. There’s a woman here with her 5 year old daughter, who reminds me of Brooke sometimes (but feistier!) and then a 2 year old named Faith – her mom’s name is Rachel!
Sooo, we do miss home and would love to hear from you and how things are going with you all! Sorry this is so lengthy. i’ll be sure David writes too, these are all just my thoughts coming out. Love you all!

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Hey everyone, finally we have more time to write… As you might know, this is my first time in Africa and I love it! It’s more beautiful that I thought, and what God is doing here is greater than what I first thought, too. It’s such a privilege to be in the middle of a transformation of a nation by the power of love - God’s love – and by the manifestation of the Kingdom in such a powerful ways. In the midst of indescribable despair and poverty, the King is finding a people who love Him despite circumstances, who believe His Word with childlike faith, and passionately pursue the indwelling of Holy Spirit. It is in this kind of atmosphere that the Lord breaks forth with His hope as He brings: wells, schools, food for the hungry, etc, and also all kind healings, signs and wonders, restoration of communities, hope for the lost, unspeakable joy, peace….My life will never be the same.

I’ve been blessed to be able to lead worship for the missions school and also play with Mozambican worship teams. I love the simplicity of their musical arrangements but most of all their all-out-passion for Jesus. They really don’t care about time! They just want more of Him, what else do they have? Where else can they go? It’s an incredible experience to see them lost in adoration. And I love how they dance, it’s so much fun, and everybody, babies to old people, all are one in their dance.
After being in Kyrgyzstan and now being here, joined with students from 20 nations, I can’t help but laugh in my Spirit and rejoice at the fact that Jesus is loved in the nations, He is the Desired and Hope of the Nations. It will come to pass: from every tribe, tongue, and nation, they will declare – Jesus is Lord.

The Lord is teaching me a lot about the Kingdom and His desire for me to be truly one with Him. It would take a long time to write all about it, but I just want to encourage you, as I’ve been encouraged, to keep asking for more of the Holy Spirit, and for the supernatural to be manifested in tangible ways.

Well, I won’t take more of your time. Thank you very much for praying for us, we need it! We pray blessings of over your life and your family.

Love to all,
David