Sarah-n-Africa

School Registration

2012-01-12T17:06:00.002+02:00

It's that time of year again. We've been busy busy busy getting all of our reintegrated boys registered for the new school year. This is always a mission as things aren't necessarily easy here in Mozambique. This process of school registrations always reminds that i live in a 3rd World country! Here are some of the frustrations:

* The responsibility lies with the parents or guardians to go to the schools near their house and search for a school with space for their child. The schools here are very over-crowded with an average of 50-70 students per classroom so this is not always an easy task! Some of our boys live with aunts, uncles, or grandparents who are not able or willing to oversee the registration process so the responsibility then lies with us.

* Because most of our boys abandoned school in the past when they began living on the streets, the process of getting them back into school is even more complicated. We have to go speak to the directors personally and explain the role we, as a project, are playing in helping the boy reintegrate into his family and community. Often we have to pay a fine as well for the boy to be allowed back in the school.

* If the boy is starting at a different school then where he last studied, we have to go to the old school and request his grades. This usually takes a day or two so we have to return later to pick it up. With some of our boys, we have had to go to 3 or 4 different schools in his community before finding one with an opening in his grade.

* Many of our boys do not have proper documentation (birth certificate) or if they have it it is at a family members house 2 hours away. Without documentation its difficult to register a boy for school because we cannot prove his age. In these situations, we are usually able to get special permission from the director for the boy to start studying with the promise that we will organize his documents within a set period of time. Other boys have documentation but it's not accurate. For example, we have a 12 year old boy whose birth document says he is 16. We are trying to register him for grade 4 or 5 and having lots of trouble because of the age on his document.

At the end of the day, its worth all of the frustration of going from school to school because we firmly believe that education is an important aspect of our boys being successfully reintegrated into their families and communities. Without education, their are few hopes for a successful future. Without school, many of the boys would end up right back on the street.

Please be praying for our boys as they begin their new school year in the next week or so. After being on the street it is hard for them to discipline themselves to go to school and study. Pray for good teachers who will really invest in them. Pray for the boys to truly see the value of education and the impact it has on their future.

December in a Nutshell

2012-01-01T20:49:00.007+02:00

Even in Africa, life is busy during the holidays! So here is a picture-summary of December:

On December 1, the Masana day center closed for the holidays. We had a party and gave out soccer jerseys to the boys that had done well in school during the year and to those who had had the best attitudes.

Little Chico with his jersey that he got for always helping out with our daily cleaning.

Isaac and Felix helped us put out some lights and Christmas decorations. This is Isaac testing to see if the lights work!

This is George the Giraffe all ready for Christmas!

Our beautiful little Christmas tree!

I dyed my hair red!

We spent my birthday at the beach/pool. This is little Chico enjoying one of my yummy birthday cupcakes.

Lauren and I bought the boys that live with us a fun Christmas present. Wrapped in sales ads of course!

Christmas stockings are a foreign concept in Mozambique. The boys always try them on as boots!

It's a ping pong table!!!

Isaac decorating cookies that we gave to all the Masana staff.

Felix was so creative with his cookie decorating! He made plenty of extras to take to his family that he spent Christmas day with.

On December 21, we had a FUN Christmas party for all the street kids!

I spent the Christmas weekend in Durban, South Africa with my roommate Lauren and her family. Then I was back in Mozambique for New Years where I got to set off fireworks with some of my boys.

Happy New Year to all and may 2012 be filled with blessings!!!!

Street Kids Christmas

2011-12-30T21:41:00.013+02:00

On December 22, we had a Christmas party for about 35 boys. Each year, our day center closes for 6 weeks during the holidays. We encourage the boys to go visit their families during this time. Some do and some don't. For the younger ones that choose to stay on the streets during the holidays, they rarely bathe or wash their clothes. So needless to say, on the day of the party, we were prepared for some dirty, smelly boys! We pulled out some clothes that had been donated and offered a t-shirt and pair of pants/shorts to each boy as he came in. Sadly, most of the clothes were way to big for the boys but I handed out strips of curly ribbon to be used as belts!

Once the boys were all nice and clean, the party started! Some friends of ours who also live here in Maputo, Dave and Amy, organized a bunch of fun games for the boys.

We bobbed for apples (the first time the boys had ever seen that game!).

We played chubby bunny.

We had a bubble-gum-bubble-blowing contest.

We did the classic relay race of finding the candy in the plate of flour using only your mouth.

We had a water balloon toss followed by a water balloon fight!

And finally the boys made paper chains and blew up balloons to decorate.

Meanwhile, Mama Julia was busy busy busy in the kitchen preparing 15 chickens (that we had killed and plucked the day before), salad, rice, and french fries. Before lunch was served, we gathered all the kids together and Luis told them all the Christmas story and talked about why Jesus came to live on the earth. If you've ever visited me in Mozambique, you know what a great story teller Luis is. He really gets into it! This story was complete with jumping up on one of our picnic tables to act out the part of the angel who appeared before Mary. Unfortunately, our tables are a little worn out and his foot went through the table as he was jumping down (sorry Ian!).

After the Christmas story, we served lunch and yummy chocolate cake

Before the boys left, they each got a small present. For some reason, Lauren and I had the great idea of giving each of the boys a box of Pops....those little things you throw on the ground and they make a loud popping sound. Very quickly the boys discovered they could throw the Pops at their friends feet and scare them with the noise. A popping war broke out!

And that is Christmas with the street kids. Beautiful, isn't it?

A Different Kind of Thanksgiving

2011-11-26T19:16:00.003+02:00

This past Thursday, as families all over the States were gathering to celebrate Thanksgiving, I was thousands of miles from my family. But I had the beautiful privilege of taking a boy who had been living on the streets for a few years back to his family.

Abel is 13 years old. His great grandparents live about an hour from the city as well as one of his brothers. His mother and grandmother live closer to the city but for Abel, his great-grandparents place is home. His great-grandparents were so excited to see him, although at first they didn't recognize him as it had been at least 2 years since they'd seen him. His great grandfather pulled out all of Abel's documents and old school papers as well as some family photos. He spoke to us about the love they have for Abel and how they want him to stay home with them and eventually take over the family farm.

Their joy over their returned great grandson was beautiful.

This was a Thanksgiving I will never forget.

Beach Day!

2011-11-04T23:10:00.006+02:00

The Mozambican school year has now ended. That means no lessons at Masana for the month of November!! We are seeking creative ways to entertain the boys each day and, living on the coast, the beach is always a hit. So once a week we pile all 30-something boys as well as 6 or 7 adults into our 2 cars and drive to Costa do Sol for a couple of hours.

I love beach days because I see the boys forgetting about the harshness of street life as they play soccer, swim, build houses out of sand and, well, just be kids.

Prodigal Son Party

2011-11-04T22:51:00.003+02:00

Back in March, while I was in the States begining my cancer treatments, I had the idea of throwing a prodigal son party at Masana on the day that a boy is being reintegrated. In the story of the prodigal son found in Luke 15, the father gives the son 3 gifts and a huge party:

But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

Luke 15:22-24

So began the tradition of Prodigal Son Parties at Masana. This past week, I was blessed to be here for Solomão's party. Luis, who is the head of our reintegration team, did a beautiful job of telling the story of the prodigal son and the significance of the 3 gifts - a robe, a ring, and shoes. Each of the gifts symbolize honor, position, and sonship. For Solomão, the shirt, ring, and sandals he received are to remind him of the commitment he is making as he leaves the streets and is reunited with his family.

Please keep Salomão in your prayers as he adjusts to life back at home.

Halloween In Maputo

2011-11-04T22:33:00.003+02:00

This past Monday I taught all of the Masana boys about halloween and the idea of dressing up in costumes and going trick-or-treating. I had some old pictures on my computer from the halloween parties we use to have at our house in Athens so I was able to print off a picture of me dressed as Strawberry Shortcake to show all of the boys. That night, the 6 boys that are living with us right now sneakily put together costumes and trick-or-treated at our house. Thankfully, there was a bag of Reese's cups in the freezer that I was able to give them!!! However, that means we no longer have a surplus of reese's cups in the freezer for those days when we just need a little taste of America....anyone want to send some our way?

note: all donations of resse's cups and any other american goodies can be sent to our p.o. box in south africa:

Sarah Olds

Suite 337 Private Bag X11340

Nelspruit 1200 South Africa

Tears of Joy

2011-10-19T21:39:00.003+02:00

Little David ran away from home over 3 years ago and has been living on the streets ever since. He recently decided he was ready to return home so we drove him there yesterday. His house is in a very remote village about 2 hours from the city. We drove to the house that his family lived in when he left 3 years ago but no one was home. After speaking to a neighbor, we realized his family had moved to a new house. Thankfully, David knew where this new house was located.

Upon arriving at the correct house, David's aunt gave us chairs to sit in. One of his little cousins was quite scared of us because she had never seen white people in her village. She ran away when we first walked up but soon came back to see why we were there. Luis, my coworker, began introducing us to the aunt...."Sarah, Lauren, Luis." Lastly, he pointed to David and said "and this young man you already know." The aunt shook her head no and took a better look at David's face. About the time Luis said the name "David" you could see the look of recognition registering on the face of his aunt.

And then the tears of joy started falling.

David was crying. I was crying. Lauren was crying. The aunt was crying. And shouting. And jumping up and down. And running to call other family members.

It was beautiful.

Another prodigal son is home.

(David in the white jersey with his family)

Welcome Home!!!

2011-10-13T21:06:00.005+02:00

I'M BACK IN MOZAMBIQUE!!! When I arrived this past Sunday, I was greeted at the airport by a group of the Masana boys holding a banner they had made spelling out "Tia Sarah." It was a beautiful welcome. We had a dinner that night with the 6 boys living with us and a couple of other missionaries who have become dear friends. Monday was a super fun day at Masana to celebrate my return. There were 40 boys here to celebrate! My housemates and the Mozambican staff had planned a special lunch and even put together a drama about my time in America so that all the boys would understand a bit more about my cancer treatments.

It's so great to be home!

Cancer: Done!

2011-10-08T14:16:00.002+02:00

It is 8:00 in the morning and I am sitting in the Washington Dulles airport waiting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight bound for Maputo, Mozambique. My heart is full of so many emotions. 227 days ago I called my doctor in South Africa for my biopsy results. Breast cancer. Then I made the hard decision to leave my home in Mozambique and return to Georgia for treatment. When I left Mozambique on March 13, I thought I'd knock my treatments out quickly and be back in June. Guess I was wrong. Today is October 8. My last radiation treatment was yesterday. 7 months in the States going through treatment.

So here I am. I just said goodbye to my family and friends who have been so amazingly supportive these past 7 months. I'm so excited to be on my way back to Mozambique but I'm also a bit nervous. 7 months is a long time to be gone. I mean I definitely look different than I did in March when I left! Gone is the long, curly, red hair and I am currently a very short blonde. What will the boys think and say when they see me? Will I remember their names? Will I remember how to speak Portuguese? Will my limited knowledge of the language allow me to communicate how deeply I have missed them all and to share about my journey through cancer? Will I remember how to drive on the opposite side of the road with crazy, aggressive drivers? Will I remember the names of roads? Will I be able to pick up right where I left off in March? Will Maputo still feel like home?

So many questions. But not one that can be answered until I am there. I can choose to continue dwelling on these worries for the next 20-something hours or I can give them to God and trust that He is walking this out with me.

I choose the latter. I take comfort in my Father's voice. "Fear not. I am with you."

My Journey To Mozambique (part 5)

2011-10-04T03:45:00.004+02:00

In January 2009 I began working with Masana. I was the only non-Mozambican on staff. And I loved it!!! I love that it was a group of Mozambicans with a passion for their own children. In the years since I began working with Masana, the project has grown and changed a bit. In 2010, Ian Krohn, from America, and Lauren Nixon, from South Africa, joined our staff. We moved the project to the house that Ian, Lauren and I live in where we have much better facilities. But our heart remains the same: to help street kids reach the place that they are ready to leave the streets and return to their families . . . to see their hope restored.

Each day, around 30 boys ages 8-18 show up at Masana as soon as the sun rises. They get breakfast and lunch with us. We provide them with a place to shower and wash their clothes. We teach basic literacy classes . . . the first schooling that many of them have ever had. We provide basic first aid and medical care when needed. We have a soccer program for the boys, to allow them time to just be boys and play. Each day, we have a worship service and a time of teaching from the Word of God. We use this time to talk about life on the streets and how God has better plans for their lives. And then we leave it up to the Holy Spirit to really move in the boys and bring them to the place that they are ready to change.

When a boy decides to return home, we go visit his family. The majority of the time, the boys have run away and have decent families that they could be living with. We meet with the family members to discuss why their son is on the streets and whether or not he is welcome to return home. The boy then enters into a one month transitional phase in which he lives at the project. We use this time to help the boy get use to having some responsibility again as opposed to the complete freedom they are use to on the streets. We also spend time together in the Word with a focus on God’s heart for family and teaching the boys Godly characteristics they need to work on in order to succeed back at home.

At the end of the month, we take the boy back to his family with a suitcase full of clothes, blankets, a sleeping mat, and other basic necessities he needs to adjust back to life with his family. We register the boy for school in his community and provide his uniform and school supplies. For the older boys, we help them start up a small business. We visit the boy and his family on a monthly basis for the next year. We make ourselves available anytime the families need us. Our hope is that, rather than running back to the streets when something goes wrong, the boys will learn to work through their problems. Time and time again, the families call on us to be there and help mediate through family issues.

Since 2009, we have helped over 30 boys return to their families. Not all of them are still at home today but the majority of them all. That is the heart of Masana. Restoring the hearts of the children to their fathers and the hearts of the fathers to their children (Malachi 4:6).

We have dreams for the future . . . ways we want to invest in the lives of these boys and their families on a deeper level. We want to have a skills training program so that we can help the older boys get jobs. We want to start a farming project, employ some of the boys, use some of the produce for the daily meals at Masana and sell the rest. We want Masana to be self-sustaining rather than dependent upon foreign funding. As I think about these dreams for our future, I am encouraged by God’s faithfulness already. And I have hope that these dreams too shall come to pass.

My Journey To Mozambique (part 4)

2011-10-04T03:40:00.004+02:00

About halfway into my first year in Mozambique, I found myself wanting to spend more and more time among the street kids. The weekly church service with them and the afternoons out in the city when I would run into some of the boys became the moments when I felt most alive. Though working with Iris Ministries was a safe place, I knew God was pushing me out of that comfort zone. I met with the directors at the Iris center and shared my heart with them. At the time, I did not know of any projects working with street kids full time but I knew God was calling me to step out in faith. Within a week of telling the directors I would not be returning for another year at the center, I was invited to a meeting with a friend. She was in Mozambique from New York and was trying to connect with different projects around the city. This particular meeting was with a pastor she had been told about that worked with street kids.

At this meeting, Pastor Paulo, told us all about Masana, a day center for street kids that focused on helping the kids return to their families. As he described the project, it was word for word my heart. I felt God opening the door. And, as if it wasn’t clear enough, Pastor Paulo said that they had been praying for a missionary to work with them. I was blown away by God’s faithfulness! I had decided in my heart that I would just move to the city and start hanging out with street kids, seeing where they went each day, and looking for opportunities to help out. But again, God in his kindness had such better plans for me!!!

Now if you'll remember from part 1 and 2 of my journey, I had often questioned whether God was calling me to the nations or the inner city. I was passionate about both! In moving to Mozambique I thought I had chosen the nations. But God, in his faithfulness, was giving me both of my passions....the inner city in Africa!

My Journey To Mozambique (part 3)

2011-10-04T03:28:00.004+02:00

So here I am about one month after moving to Maputo. One of the other missionaries, Brooke (who became a dear friend!!) and I decided to check out the street outreach. We loaded up in the van with some visitors and older youth from the Iris center. When we got to the city, we gathered street kids and had a church service. That night I met 2 little boys, Gaspar and Zacarius. These brothers became a huge part of my life. At the time, Gaspar was 7 or 8 and Zacarius was around 9 or 10. They were new to the streets. I was drawn to them because they were so little and you could just see the fear in them. We ended up taking both of them back to the Iris Center with us that night. Brooke and I let them shower in our house and found some clean clothes for them to wear. The joy on their faces was like a child on Christmas morning!

The next day, some Mozambican workers spoke with the boys and tried to sort out their family history. It turns out they had both run away from home. The workers made contact with the boys’ father and he agreed to take Zacarius but refused to take little Gaspar. He said Gaspar was just too much trouble. So Zacarius went home with his dad while Gaspar began living at the Iris Center.

A few weeks later, Brooke and I were in the city and saw Zacarius on the street. We spent some time talking to him about why he had left home again. He claimed his father was abusive. Though it saddened me greatly, I knew we couldn’t take him back to the center since he had already been placed back with his father. I began looking for Zacarius every time I went to the city. We found out his mother lived not far outside the city so we began offering to take him there. Eventually, he said yes so Brooke and I took him home and met his mom for the first time. That day began a cycle of Zacarius staying home and returning to the streets that continues to this day.

With the company of a couple of Mozambican youth from the Iris Center, we began visiting Zacarius every few weeks at his home. Every time we went, the kids from the village would come from everywhere to see us. With such a captive audience, we began teaching Bible stories. We discovered that, as long as Zacarius knew we were coming back, he wouldn’t run away so we began going every other week and then every week. Eventually it turned into weekly children’s church sitting on a mat outside of Zacarius’ house with anywhere from 10 to 30 children.

My Journey to Mozambique (part 2)

2011-10-04T03:21:00.004+02:00

After returning from my first trip to Mozambique, I knew I’d be going back and I began to plan for that. It wasn't a grand, supernatural calling from God but simply a knowing in my heart that that was where He was directing me.

I had already committed to being at the Wesley Foundation the next school year so I knew it would be almost 12 months before I could return . . . a season of preparation. And it was a wonderful last year in Athens and at Wesley. The Lord renewed my passion for my ministry in the inner city. God, in His kindness, brought me to a place that it was actually hard to leave Athens. And this was a gift as my years at Wesley had been so instrumental in my walk with God and it’s allowed me to continue to carry Wesley in my heart. Though Wesley is not really a place you go back to after leaving, I have continued to consider it my home church and have been blessed by my continued relationships with Bob and a handful of the directors. As the year ended and my passion for the children's ministry in the housing projects was renewed, I again found myself questioning whether God was calling me to the nations or to the inner city.

In May, 2007 I took a second Wesley mission team to Mozambique and we spent 3 weeks at the Iris Children’s Center just outside of the capital city. This time, when the team left, I traveled to northern Mozambique and attended a 3 month ministry school led by Heidi and Rolland Baker. It was an incredible summer of really learning about the heart of this woman that had been the focus of life changing prophecies spoken over me.

After the ministry school, I spent 4 months in the States raising support before moving to Mozambique in December. My first year in Mozambique, I was working at the Iris Children’s center near the capital, Maputo. I started helping out with a weekly outreach among the street kids. So less than one month after moving to Maputo, I had my first interaction with street kids and, little did I know, it would be the beginning of what is now my full time ministry!!

My Journey To Mozambique (part 1)

2011-10-04T03:11:00.003+02:00

In anticipation of my return to Mozambique in just a few days, I thought I'd take some time to share how I ended up as a missionary in Mozambique. As I look back over the years and steps that led me to where I am, it is a beautiful journey orchestrated by God.

I pray that as you read of God's faithfulness in directing my steps, that you will be encouraged. His Word says, "Lean not on your own understanding but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path." That promise is for you!!!

My journey . . .

In 2005, I was working at the Wesley Foundation. I was the director of children’s ministry and oversaw 3 programs in the low income housing communities around the UGA campus. The 2004-2005 school year was my 4th year leading these ministries. My job had become so administrative that I was beginning to lose my passion for it. In the summer of 2005, I went to a service at Daystar Church in Atlanta where I received a prophetic word about a ministry among the poor similar to that of Heidi Baker. I had never heard of Heidi Baker at this point so I called a friend, Clay Kirkland, on the way home and asked him who she was. He just kept saying “Serious power! Serious power!” When I got home, I looked her up on the internet and found links to her ministry in Mozambique. Right away, I emailed about the possibility of bringing a team from Wesley.

A couple of months later, I was at a random church that met in a barn in Social Circle. They ended up prophesying over my friends and me. The words given to me were again relating to Heidi Baker and a calling to sit in the dirt with the poor.

In May, 2006 I took my first trip to Maputo, Mozambique and spent 2 weeks at the Iris Ministries children’s center. As both a student and staff member at Wesley, I had been on mission trips all over the world. But this was the first trip where I really fell in love with the people and had a hard time leaving. From the moment I returned to Athens, I began wrestling with the Lord about my calling. I was drawn to the passage in the Gospels about the woman who anoints the feet of Jesus with the expensive perfume and the verse in 2 Corinthians that says, “We are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved.” For the first time ever, I found myself questioning what my life was being poured out for and whether or not I was where God wanted me. Was God calling me to the nations or to the inner city?

Reflecting 3

2011-09-22T00:11:00.002+02:00

Perhaps the most special part of God’s faithfulness to me through this journey has been His constant presence. I have not once struggled with being angry at Him or questioning His goodness. My heart towards Him has really been protected. From the moment I received the diagnosis, I’ve known that I’d be okay but that this was just a rode I had to walk.

I know that God’s hand has held me up these past months. He’s given me strength for every treatment and perseverance to keep going. He’s filled me with joy even in the midst of the hardest parts such as losing my hair. I think He has even protected me from too many side effects. Back in April, God kept putting the book of Daniel on my heart and I've come back time and time again to the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being thrown into the fiery furnace. After being removed from the furnace by the king, Daniel 3:27 says, "They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was the hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them." I believe that God has done this in me. He allowed me to go through the fire but has kept me from any real harm.

I am now only 2 weeks from the end of my radiation treatments and going home. My doctor has given me clearance to fly back as soon as the treatments end and I am literally going to do that! My last treatment is the morning of October 7 and I plan to fly home that night. With each passing day I find myself filled with more joy because each passing day is a day closer to going home. . . back to the ministry and boys I love.

Reflecting 2

2011-09-22T00:09:00.003+02:00

It is so evident to me that God’s hand has been on the financial side of my treatment. I’ve joked with friends that Masana, my ministry in Mozambique, is actually making money off of my cancer! When I first arrived back in the States, I was given a gift towards my medical treatment and told that if I didn’t need it for medical purposes, I could put it towards our project in Mozambique. And I haven’t needed it! God has completely covered my treatments…every doctor’s appointment, scan, surgery, chemo drug, and radiation treatment. Even my flights to and from the States for treatment have been paid for.

I see the hand of God in my team of doctors. God blessed me with a great medical team who have been 100% behind getting me back to Mozambique as soon as possible. They have been so encouraging throughout my treatments. They have taken time to get to know me and to find out more about my ministry in Mozambique. Some of them have even gone back and read my old blog posts. My radiation oncologist connected me with some friends of hers that were preparing for a mission trip to Mozambique just so I could answer any questions they had. One of my radiation nurses has on a few occasions shared with me what she believes God is doing in me during this season. It’s meant so much to have a team of doctors who are truly invested in me!

Reflecting

2011-09-21T23:58:00.004+02:00

As I near the end of my treatment, I have tried to reflect back over the past months. God’s faithfulness has been the theme to this journey…and my life really. I am blessed to be able to look back over the years and clearly see the hand of God. It is so evident that He has directed my steps. And with that knowledge, I can trust that He is directing my steps even through this battle with cancer.

Not long after I arrived in the States for treatment, I was at a worship service with Athens Link and they spent time praying over me. One of the women prayed that a greater anointing would be on my life in Mozambique because of what God would do in me during this battle with cancer. She prayed that this hard season would produce fruit for my boys. That is a prayer I have clung to these past months and I look forward to returning to Mozambique and seeing the impact that this time away will have on my ministry there.

I don’t think I’m far enough away from this journey yet to see clearly all that God has been doing. . . but I am able to see a few things and I'd like to share those over the next couple of days.

When I first received the news from my doctor that it was cancer, I had a team of visitors from a church visiting me in Mozambique. They were such a blessing as they surrounded me and prayed for me and gave me freedom to hide away and cry a little when I needed to. And that was just the beginning of God’s faithfulness in providing a great cloud of witnesses to encourage me all though this journey. I’ve been overwhelmed by the cards, emails, scarves, movie subscriptions, and random gifts given to me since I arrived back in the States. Friends have been great about inviting me to lunch or a movie. I’ve even been able to reconnect with a couple of friends that I grew up with and spend quality time with them that we haven’t had since I moved to Athens in 1998. God has surrounded me with a “great cloud of witnesses” like I’ve never experienced in my life.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith." Hebrews 12:1-2

Thank you for being a part of my great cloud of witnesses!

Nearing the End.

2011-08-15T21:04:00.002+02:00

As I write this post, I am recovering from my last round of chemo. It has been quite the whirlwind since I was diagnosed with breast cancer in February. This season of my life has definitely been the hardest. There were definitely some hard days and I have hated being away from Mozambique and all the street boys we minister to. But I know that God has purpose in it and that He will reveal those purposes to me in time. Until then, I continue to choose to walk with Him each day, trusting that He is in control. I will start my radiation treatments next Monday and when I complete them at the end of September, I will be on the first possible plane back to Mozambique!!!

In Mozambique, there are 2 other full time missionaries as well as 6 Mozambican staff members that I work with and they have done a wonderful job of carrying things in my absence. Since January, 8 boys have left their lives on the streets and returned home! Most of them spent a month living at our project prior to returning home where they were able to receive more in depth teaching on family as well as have a time to get used to having rules and responsibility again. There have also been around 15 street boys that have stayed for a few nights, as they’ve needed a place to recover from sickness or injury. The project continues to average around 30 street boys a day at our day-center. Those 30 boys are daily lavished in the love of the Father through the missionaries and workers and taught from the Word of God. Their basic needs are also met as they receive breakfast and lunch, are taught basic literacy education, and have a place to shower and wash their clothes.

As I prepare to return to Mozambique, I am doing my fundraising for 2012 since I won't return to the States til the end of next year. I have to raise around $23,000 for the year. If you are able to help, it would be much appreciated! All gifts are tax deductible. If you want to give online, you can do so at www.unveiledfaces.co by clicking on “Mozambique – Sarah Olds.” Or you can mail a check made payable to Unveiled Faces with "Sarah Olds" on the memo line to: Unveiled Faces, PO Box 8235, Atlanta, GA 31106. If you are interested in giving on a monthly basis, please let me know and I’ll help get that set up.

Thank you for all of your prayers and support as I’ve battled this cancer. I truly believe that my experience with cancer – from surgery to chemo and hopefully radiation too – has been easier than expected because of the great cloud of witnesses I have surrounding me in prayer and encouragement.

CaringBridge

2011-07-05T14:38:00.002+02:00

Sorry for abandoning the blog. I have a CaringBridge site that I am using to post updates on my cancer treatment. You can access it by clicking here.

I am in regular contact with my housemates in Mozambique and things are going well with all the boys. I still miss them so much. When I finish chemo at the end of August, I will be able to go to Mozambique for a month before returning to start radiation. I can't wait!!!

1 Down, 7 to Go

2011-05-18T23:39:00.008+02:00

It's been almost 1 week since my first chemo treatment. It has been a hard week adjusting to the effects the drugs have had on my body. I've been nauseous most days. I'm exhausted and have to plan my days around being able to take a nap. I'm having to depend upon other people to take me places as I am too loopy to drive myself. All in all I I just don't feel like myself. But 1 down and only 7 more to go! Then I'll be able to return to Mozambique!!!

Here's what's been going on in Mozambique while I've been away:

Anselmo has gone home!

Aderito lived at our house for a month. He was the first boy I helped reintegrate when I started working with Masana in 2009.

Gildo has gone home!

My housemates got a new puppy!

The Worst Test Score Ever

2011-05-05T15:23:00.002+02:00

Tuesday I got the test results back from my Oncotype. This test is designed to determine the likely hood of my cancer recurring. I got a 47. That puts me in the category of "high chance of reoccurrence." So not what I was expecting. What does this horrible test score mean? It means I have to undergo 4 months of chemo therapy. I will be starting in the next week or two.

I had my hopes set on being able to return to my beloved Mozambique in June. Instead, I am settling in for 7 more months worth of treatment (radiation after the chemo). I was tempted to opt out of chemo, complete my radiation, and return to Mozambique in June as I had planned it out in my head. But I received some wise counsel from one of my doctors that forced me to look past my immediate circumstances and into the future. . . that giving up a year of my life to fight this cancer will allow me years and years to continue my ministry in Mozambique or wherever God takes me.

If I'm learning anything through this battle with cancer, its that I'm not in control. I am very quick to come up with a plan A and B and sometimes even C. . . ready for whatever the doctor throws my way. Chemo was not in my plans. But I choose to trust in God. I trust that He will get me through this treatment. I trust that He will give me joy and strength.

Throughout this whole cancer thing, I've come back time and time again to the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being thrown into the fiery furnace. After being removed from the furnace by the king, Daniel 3:27 says, "They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was the hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them." Will you join me in praying this verse as I begin chemo. Pray that the drugs will attack the cancer cells and not the rest of my body. . . that I will come out of this chemo unharmed.

Waiting

2011-04-21T20:21:00.004+02:00

It has been over 8 weeks since I was diagnosed with breast cancer. And suddenly my life looks so different from anything I imagined. I miss Mozambique. I miss my beautiful boys. I miss being woken up at 6:00 in the morning as the littlest boys arrive, gushing with joy to see us. I miss being a part of restoring families as street kids choose to leave the streets and return to their families. I miss visits in the villages as we check in on boys who are beginning life back with their families. I miss 5:00 tea on the rooftop with my housemates. I even miss the frustrations of my life there....being ripped off at the market because I'm white or dealing with boys who steal from the very hands that care for them. I miss Paito's humor and Tilfo's quite strength. And oh how I miss sweet little Felix and that grin of his that could brighten any day.

It's hard to be content here when my heart is 8,643 miles away. I can't stop the tears when the doctor tells me it will be at least 2 more weeks before we have the test results back on my tumor and can make a decision about the next step in my treatment. And the tears really come as the doctor explains that, if chemo is necessary, it would be 3 or 4 months of treatment followed by a month and a half of radiation. My heart breaks at the thought of having to be away from Mozambique for that long. I find myself praying constantly for God's mercy that chemo will not be a part of my treatment.

And it's all selfish, these prayers of mine. Because I just want to be back in Mozambique...not because of the work that I have to do there or the decisions that need to be made at the project. Those things happen with our without me. No, I want to be back because its there that I feel most alive . . . sitting on the back porch helping Felix with his reading or walking to the pharmacy with yet another boy covered in sores or dishing up heaping servings of rice and beans for 35 boys.

They don't need me. I need them.

I have no doubt that I'll beat this cancer. I'm not afraid. I know that my God is good and will never leave me. I know that He promises to work all things together for good. I know that He has a plan for me...to prosper me and not to harm me. I am confident in His love.

It's the waiting that is the hardest. Waiting to go home.

Recovering

2011-04-08T15:30:00.002+02:00

So the surgery is done! I went in on Wednesday and had a lumpectomy and a biopsy of lymph nodes. It was an out-patient procedure so I was back home by 7pm. And straight to bed. At first, the pain was pretty bad but its getting better now.

So now I get to sit here and recover because the sooner I recover, the sooner I can start radiation and the sooner I start radiation, the sooner I finish radiation and the sooner I finish radiation, the sooner I return to Mozambique! So what does recovery look like for me? Reading lots of books. Yesterday I read "Quaker Summer" by Lisa Samson. Today I'm starting the "Mark of the Lion" series by Francine Rivers. If you have any good book recommendations, pass them along!

I go back to the doctor on Tuesday. The doctor should have the results from my pathology by then. They are running tests on both the tumor and my lymph nodes. I hope to find out more about radiation as well and begin getting that set up.

Thanks for continuing to remember me in your prayers! Please pray for a speedy recovery from surgery.

Surgery

2011-04-04T22:18:00.001+02:00

I wanted to let you all know that I will be having surgery this Wednesday morning. I am having a lumpectomy which means the surgeon will remove the tumor. So far, it appears the cancer is located in one place which is great news! The tumor will be sent to a lab where a few tests will be run but as long as things come back as the doctor thinks they will, no chemo! Once the incision heals, I'll begin 5-7 weeks of radiation. I have been told that it takes anywhere from 2-6 weeks for the incision to heal and before radiation can begin. Praying its more on the 2-week side of things!!

As far as I know, the surgery is outpatient so I will be back at my parent's house Wednesday evening. Thanks for continuing to carry me in your prayers!

One Thing Remains

2011-03-25T23:24:00.002+02:00

Lots of people have been checking in to see how the week went so here is a summary:

I had the MRI Wednesday. It went well and the radiologist says it looks positive. The cancer is centralized to one location. I went in thursday as well to redo the mammogram and ultra sound. I had had these done in South Africa but they were not sufficient. During this testing, they did an ultra sound of my lymph nodes and said that they don't see swelling there which is a good sign. The radiologist also inserted a clip into the tumor to help easily locate the tumor for surgery and/or chemo.

I have an appointment with the medical oncologist Wednesday of next week and then go in for genetic testing on Thursday. Then on the following Tuesday (April 5) I will meet with my doctor (surgical oncologist) again. It still feels so far away but I guess we are getting closer to having a plan for surgery and treatment.

Every time I leave the hospital, I find myself thinking "is this really happening?" It still feels surreal. I miss mozambique and my boys so much but am trying to find contentment in where God has me now. A song by Bethel has become my theme over the past weeks. It is called "One Thing Remains." The words say:

Higher than the mountains that I face
Stronger than the power of the grave
Constant in the trial and the change
One thing... remains

Your love never fails, it never gives up
It never runs out on me

On and on and on and on it goes
It overwhelms and satisfies my soul
And I never, ever, have to be afraid
One thing remains

I don't know why I have to walk this road but I know that God is in control. I have no need to fear. I can trust in His love. It never fails. It never gives up. It never runs out on me.

MRI

2011-03-22T15:54:00.002+02:00

Just a quick post to let you know that I have an MRI on Wednesday at 9:00am. This will be to see if the cancer has spread anywhere else in my body. Once the results are in, I'll have an appointment with a medical oncologist and then I'll meet with my doctor (a surgical oncologist) again next Tuesday.

Finally feels like things are moving. Keep praying!

I'm A Charity Case!

2011-03-18T00:54:00.002+02:00

My first days back in Georgia were a bit emotional. I went to Emory Hospital in Atlanta on Tuesday where I had an appointment with Dr. Rizzo who had been referred to me by a friend's father. The first news I received was that my insurance would not be accepted because my insurance company is outside of the USA. I cried. Here I was having gone back and forth with my insurance company for days trying to get approval to return to the States for treatment to be faced with the news that my insurance was no good. I would have to pay all expenses out of pocket and wait for them to be reimbursed. That's fine when we're talking one or two appointments but when we're talking surgeries and MRI's and radiation, not at all possible.

I went ahead and paid out of pocket for the appointment and saw the doctor. I really like her. She was very kind and broke everything down into simple terms. After discussing the financial situation with her, she stepped out to speak to her assistant. A few minutes later, her assistant returned and said that Dr. Rizzo had agreed to take me on as a charity case and, as long as all was approved by Emory Hospital, she would provide my treatment for free! Needless to say, i was thrilled with this news.

It took a couple of days to process my paperwork but I got a call this afternoon and I have been approved as a charity case! Tomorrow I hope to connect with Dr. Rizzo's assistant and get my MRI scheduled as well as the other testing she wants to do.

Though I am only a few weeks into this journey through cancer, I am already so aware of God's hand over me. He has already shown Himself so faithful as He has provided me with a flight home, free treatment, trusted friends in the medical field to offer their professional input, and countless friends and family all over the world praying for and encouraging me. I know there will be hard days ahead but I am choosing to trust in God's faithfulness and believe that He will see me through all that lies ahead. And that He will get me back to my boys in Mozambique ASAP!

I'm Going Home

2011-03-09T22:04:00.003+02:00

My insurance company has agreed to cover my treatment in the States so I'll be returning Sunday. I arrive in Atlanta Monday morning and have my first doctors appointment at Emory on Tuesday afternoon. Nothing like hitting the ground running....but the sooner I get this whole process going, the sooner I can return to my precious boys in Mozambique!

Transition

2011-03-09T11:13:00.003+02:00

Just as I am transitioning out of Mozambique for a time to deal with my recent diagnosis of breast cancer, here at Masana, our first boy has entered into our one-month transitional housing phase. This is a vision that has been in the development for over a year. In the past, when we have reintegrated street boys back with their families, we've often had to return time and time again to help families deal with basic problems involved with a street child relearning how to function as part of a family. Our vision for this one month is that the boy will live with us and receive in-depth teaching from Luis, one of the Mozambican men on our staff. During this time, Luis will spend solid chunks of time sitting and teaching the boy about family. The boy will live here with us during this time as well, allowing him to readjust to what it's like to be a part of a family.

So meet Lorenso!

For the next month, he will be a part of our family. Lorenso is 17 years old. He's been a part of Masana since I first started working here in 2009. Last year, he got into some trouble and ended up going to jail for 10 months. I remember being so worried about him last year when he just disappeared. I even made Luis go with me one day to the city jail to see if he was there. He was not so I assumed he had run off to South Africa. But one day a few weeks ago, he just showed up again. He had been released from jail that morning and Masana was the first place he came. On the street, the boys refer to jail as "faculdade" meaning college. It's the place where boys receive some hard life lessons. Lorenso came back from his time in "faculdade" ready to make some changes in his life.

We've already met with Lorenso's family and they are happy to receive him back. His mom was very excited about this time he'll have with us though and the lessons we'd be able to teach him about being a part of family.

So as I prepare to transition out of Masana for a few months, Lorenso will be here preparing for the transition back to his family. Pretty sad that I won't be here to be a part of his time in our family but excited to see him is in a few months time when I'm able to go visit him with his family!

Making Donations

2011-03-08T16:49:00.002+02:00

I've been asked how people can give towards my medical care. I raise funds through an organization called Unveiled Faces. You can give online at www.unveiledfaces.co or send a check made payable to Unveiled Faces with "Sarah Olds" on the memo line to:
Unveiled Faces
PO Box 8235
Atlanta GA 31106

Thank you for wanting to bless me as I walk this road ahead.

Medical Update

2011-03-07T16:55:00.002+02:00

Today I had an appointment with a surgeon in Nelspruit, South Africa. If I continue care on this continent, he would be the one performing my next biopsy. However, my hope is to return to the States for that procedure. The more and more I research and learn about what lies ahead, I know that I want to be in the States where I have an abundance of family and friends around me. After discussing this with the doctor today, he agreed and wrote a report to my insurance company recommending that my further care be provided in America.

Please join me in praying that the insurance company responds quickly and in favor of returning to the States. They will handle booking my flight home. I'm not sure what percentage of my treatment they will cover yet but I have a feeling I'm going to need lots of favor with hospitals when it comes to discussing payment options.

Thank you all so much for the encouraging emails and messages you have sent. I truly believe that the peace I feel is because of all the prayers reaching heaven on my behalf.

A Hard Post About A Harsh Reality

2011-03-02T16:03:00.002+02:00

This is not the easiest blog post to write as no words seem to lessen the harshness of the reality I am facing. So I’ll just say it. I have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

I received the call 1 week ago today from a doctor in South Africa. And suddenly my life here in Mozambique with my beautiful street boys is being put on hold as I deal with this disease. It makes me angry. Not at God because I know that God is for me and will lead me through this time. But it makes me angry at the enemy…that he found some way to take me away from the ministry that I love so dearly. But I am choosing to trust that my God works all things together for good for those who are called according to His purposes and who love Him.

I am still making decisions about if and when to return to the States for treatment. I know that this is the best option but it is so hard to leave my boys. God has surrounded me with an amazing team of people who are working alongside me here so I know the ministry will continue on just fine and street boys will continue to leave the streets and return to their families. I just hate that I’ll have to miss out on it for a time.

Thank you to all of you who have sent encouraging emails in the last week. Please keep praying for me…that the cancer would be completely removed from my body. Believe with me that Jesus is the Healer of all disease!

Our Newest Family Member

2011-02-14T22:43:00.005+02:00

Meet Tilfo!

As of this past weekend, he is the 3rd boy we've invited to leave his life on the streets and live with us. Taking in boys to live with us is not our norm as we very much have a heart to see the street boys reconciled to their families. But with Tilfo, Paito, and Felix, the 3 boys living with us, we feel like God has something special in store for them that me and my housemates are to be a part of.

We are not exactly sure how old Tilfo is. He thinks he is around 15. His documents say he is 19. I think 15 or 16 is a more accurate guess. Here in Mozambique, its common that a child will not have official birth documents so years down the road when someone has documents created, a birthdate is created. Both of Tilfo's parents passed away. He spent 7 years living at a children's center where he studied through the 7th grade. Tilfo left the children's center in 2009 and started living with an uncle and aunt. He encountered some problems in their home and decided to leave. That's when he started living on the streets and became a part of Masana.

Tilfo is an amazing young man. He is very gentle and patient. He is quick to help with anything that needs to be done. He's a talented soccer player and does very well in school. We are so excited to have him in our home and a part of our family. In the next few days, we'll arrange for him to study at a school near our house. We'll also be going to visit his aunt and uncle. This will be the first time that Tilfo has spoken to them since he left their home a year ago. Please keep Tilfo in your prayers as he settles in here, begins school, and starts the process of being reconciled with his family.

Back to School: Janario, Marcus, and Abrantis

2011-01-15T23:24:00.002+02:00

Friday we visited 3 boys to make sure they were all set for school. It is rainy season here in Mozambique and it rained so much on Thursday that we had to cancel our visits. So we are a bit behind schedule and having to squeeze more into each day. The rain also makes for interesting driving in the villages around Maputo! I drove through some pretty deep holes/ditches full of water. And I'm no expert on driving in these type of conditions so i just choose a side and drive! Thankfully God protected my car!!!

We were able to get Janario all set to study in grade 3. He is 11 years old and has been off the streets since June. Next was Marcus who is 14 and also returned home in June. He'll be studying in grade 5. Finally was Abrantis...whom I affectionately call "Malouco" (crazy person). Abrantis is 15 and has been home since last February. My first year working at Masana, Abrantis was one of the boys I was closest to. He would wash my car for me every week. Every sunday, he would bring a bag of frozen food to my house and ask to heat it up. He brought me a pet bird named Sarina and then took me on a bird hunt to show me how to catch birds. We had a special bond! Since he went home, he's twice taken me and some friends to a small, almost deserted island near his families house. He's a great kid! This year he'll be studying in the 6th grade.

Back to School: Matusse

2011-01-13T00:52:00.002+02:00

Matusse’s real name is Sadik. Many of the boys make up names for themselves when they begin living on the street so that they don’t have to reveal their true identity to others. When we reintegrated Matusse with his father back in November, we learned his real name. Matusse is 14 years old. He’ll be studying in the 5th grade this year.

Matusse has had a hard time since he returned home. Just before Christmas, he got into trouble and his father kicked him out of the house. On today’s visit, when we should have been focusing on Matusse’s school registration, we were sorting through this family dispute. We had a 4 hour meeting with Matusse, his father, his sister, his stepmother, and the chief of their village. Matusse’s father was trying to forbid his son from living with his sister as well. So the chief of the village intervened to mediate through the dispute. In the end, Matusse’s father was forced to give Matusse all of the things we had purchased for him (clothes, blankets, and a small business) and grant his son permission to live with other family members. The ending was good but it was a frustrating situation. I’ll never understand how a father can kick his son out rather than forgive him for his error. Please keep Matusse in your prayers as he adjusts to living with his older sister. His father lives very close to this sister so there is still hope for their relationship to be restored.

Back to School: Gito

2011-01-13T00:48:00.001+02:00

Gito is 16 years old. He returned home in May, 2010. He lives with his father and stepmother. Gito truly lives in the “bush!” To get to his house, we drive about an house, most of which is on a dirt road. Then we turn off the dirt road onto a road that isn’t really much of a road but more of a path with really overgrown grass between fields of corn. We drive as far as we can and then walk the last 10 or 15 minutes to Gito’s house.

Last year, Gito completed the adult literacy program and passed his 5th grade exam. He will be studying in the 6th grade this year. Unfortunately, Gito lost the document saying he passed that exam so we’ll have to return to his old school and get a new one before we can complete his registration. Sometimes the registration process can be quite time consuming. For many Mozambican families, this is a deterrent because it costs money in transport and fees to get these documents and they just don’t have the extra money. So this becomes one way that Masana is able to bless these boys and their families!

Back to School

2011-01-13T00:47:00.001+02:00

January marks the beginning of a new school year here in Mozambique. The couple of weeks leading up to the first day of classes is when all of the kids register for their grade. Sadly, some kids have families that don’t really place a high value on education and these kids end up not attending school. At Masana, we believe that education is very important. When we reintegrate a boy back with his family, we commit to paying all school fees and buying school materials for at least a year. That means that, during this 2 week period in January, we visit all of the boys that we’ve reintegrated in the previous year. It’s a lot of work but its so worth it because it gives us a chance to check in with all of the boys and their families and see how they are getting along.

So over the next 7 days we’ll visit Gito, Matusse, Reginaldo, Marcos, Fred, Semera, Abrantis, Juma, Janario, Luis, Paito, Fabiao, Manuel, and Pai. Stories to follow!

masana 2010

2010-11-30T05:25:00.000+02:00

2011 Support

2010-11-23T22:39:00.002+02:00

Hello family and friends! How quickly 2010 has gone by! I am back in the states with my family for the holidays and so looking forward to a time of rest before I return to Mozambique for another year.

As I think back over the past year in Mozambique, I am overwhelmed by the goodness of our God. It has been a wonderful year full of blessings in my ministry at Masana with street kids. We helped 15 boys leave the streets and return to their families with 2 others awaiting our help in January when Masana reopens. Our day center moved to a new location with much nicer facilities for the boys. As a result of that, we've seen an increase in the number of street kids wanting to be a part of our project on a daily basis. We now have temporary housing for the boys when they are sick or in the process of being reintegrated with their families. About 25 boys stayed with us for various reasons throughout the year. Currently, 2 boys are living with us as work on helping them reconnect with their families.

We've also seen a few disappointments over the year. We had a couple of hard reintegration attempts where families refused to accept their sons back. One boy we took back to his family returned to the streets 3 days later. 2 others stayed home for a couple of months and then returned to the streets. We had to deal with a few thefts from both street kids and, even harder, friends that we trusted and allowed into our home.

But despite the hard parts of the year, I can say without a doubt that it's all worth it. The privilege of witnessing a family reunited far outweighs any of the disappointments. There is a verse in Psalms that says, "He places the lonely in families." That is what our ministry among these street boys is all about...seeing them restored to their families.

My annual budget is around $24,000. I would like to ask you to pray about supporting me. Whatever God puts on your heart, know that it is being used for the building of His kingdom. I am raising my support through Unveiled Faces, a non-profit organization designed to connect and support missionaries. All gifts are tax deductible. Follow this link to give online or you can mail a check made payable to "Unveiled Faces" with "Sarah Olds" on the memo line to:

Unveiled Faces
PO Box 8235
Atlanta GA 31106

If you feel led to support me monthly, let me know and I can send you envelopes for each month or I can give you information on how to set-up automatic debit.

Please feel free to contact me if you want to hear more about Masana and my time in Mozambique!

Blessings!

Sarah Olds

www.sarah-n-africa.com

Our Family is Growing!

2010-11-04T17:18:00.005+02:00

Part of the beauty of working with street kids is how unique each of their stories are. We have boys that have been on the streets for months and some for years. Some love life on the street and have no desire to return home. Some are anxious to return to their families but a little scared about doing it alone. Some try going home and, for whatever reason, just don't stay.

It is our desire to meet these boys where they are and help them reach the place that they are ready to be back home with their families. We've recently had 2 boys move in with us as we've developed a plan to get them back with their families. Let me introduce you to Felix and Paito!

Felix is 12 years old. Masana first reintegrated him in October, 2009. He stayed at home for a few months but then ended up back on the street when his uncle kicked him out. We went and met with grandmother and uncle but they were not willing to take responsability for him because of his behavior problems. They had tried to deal with his problems using witchcraft but without success. Next we went to visit Felix's father. His father loves him but also struggles with Felix's behavior. If Felix were living in america, he would be in a special ed class at school and receive lots of one-on-one attention. Unfortunately the Mozambican schools don't work that way so Felix struggles in school and finds himself getting into trouble often.

Ian, one of my housemates, has been working with Felix a lot this year on learning to read and write. He's progressing greatly!!! A couple of months back, we prayed a lot about Felix and decided to invite him to live with us at the Kunhymela House. The deal we came up with is that Felix will stay with us Sunday - Thursday and then with either his grandmother or father on the weekends. For Felix, we feel his life at home will be much better once he is caught up in school and able to feel successful in his school work. He loves being with his family on the weekends but just isn't ready to be there full-time yet. Felix is a very hard worker and loves helping us out around the house!

Paito is 15 years old. He has been living on the streets since 2008. His mother has always bounced from one man to the next. Paito was never really close to his father. Prior to coming to live on the streets of Maputo, Paito was living with his father and got into some trouble for stealing. One day he just left home and never went back. Earlier this year, we went to visit Paito's father. It was the first time they'd seen each other in 2 years. His father was happy to see him again and wanted him to return home. Paito, however, had no desire to return home. He enjoyed his life on the street...coming to Masana, spending the evening walking around the city, going to sleep, and doing it all over again the next day. He didn't really have friends on the street but kept to himself.

As we got closer to Paito, we realized he needed a little help in seeing the value of family. So we invited him to live with us with the same plan as Felix...that weekends are spent with his father. Our hope with Paito is that he will begin to realize that he needs the support and encouragement of his family if he is going to make something of his life. In January, we will register Paito at a school here in the city. We want to help him find a job and teach him how to budget and save. If time allows, we also want to sign him up for some english courses as he loves learning english.

The Kunhymela House is currently made up of 3 Americans, 1 South African and now 2 Mozambicans. We may not look like a traditional family but as we do life together, its our prayer that these boys will, day by day, see the value of family.

Afternoons with Paito

2010-10-19T17:37:00.002+02:00

Each afternoon after Masana, one of the boys, Paito, sticks around to wash our cars and complete whatever other odd jobs we have for him. He is also quite the entertainer. He loves music and dancing. So for him, washing one of our cars with the stereo blasted is the perfect way to pass the afternoon. And I love peaking out the window and seeing the joy on his face as he listens to his favorite music and dances. The video below is Paito and Lauren, one of my housemates. Lauren has just explained to Paito what ballet is.

Paito is quite unique when it comes to street kids. He keeps to himself on the street rather than sleeping with other kids. He loves his life on the streets where he can wake up, walk around, do what he wants, go to sleep. . . only to wake up and do it all over again the next day. Complete freedom. We've been talking to him a lot about his future and what dreams he has for his life.

Please pray for Paito. He does not have a relationship with his father and we really want to see that restored. Our hope for him is that he'll begin visiting his family on the weekends and start working towards restoring his family.

Luis: Revisted

2010-10-16T17:44:00.003+02:00

A month ago, we took Luis back home. Today we did a follow-up visit. It was beautiful.

We arrived to a table set for a feast. Luis' grandparents were there to express their deep gratitude for our help in bringing their grandson back home. His grandmother shed tears of joy as she tried to express how much joy she felt that day, a month ago, when we first showed up at the family's house with Luis. Then she asked to pray for us. Her prayer was in Shanghan, the local language, so I did not understand her words but I felt the Holy Spirit. I knew that, once again, God had used us to restore a family. It was obvious that, with the return of Luis, this family was filled with new hope for life.

We discussed with the family what small business they had decided to try. They asked if instead, we would be willing to use the business money to build a house for Luis next to his mom's house. We asked them to do some research on the cost involved in this and we'll let them know if Masana has the finances to do it or not.

We had brought a suitcase full of new clothes, a couple of blankets, a sleeping mat, and a few other items Luis will need as he resettles with his family. Again, tears were shed as Luis opened the suitcase and showed his family all that was inside. One by one, his family members came to hug us and thank us again for all that we have done for their family.

Then we were served a feast. The women in the family had worked so hard to prepare these beautiful plates - prawns, chicken, salad, rice, and potatoes. It was literally some of the best food I've had in Mozambique. And how perfect to enjoy this meal sitting under a large tree in a village with a family so full of joy.

As we left, the entire family accompanied us to the end of the road. Then we said our goodbyes and continued on to the bus stop with just Luis and his mother. Luis' mom asked to speak to my coworker alone. Lauren and I walked on ahead with Luis chatting with him about life in his community and how he passed his time.

As we boarded the ferry boat to cross the Maputo Bay back to the city, my coworker told us that Luis' mom was HIV+. She had just found out and has not told her son or other family yet. That is why she wants us to build a house for her son....so that he has a place of his own once she is gone.

Watching the island disappear as the boat crossed the bay, tears filled my eyes. Such a mixture of emotions filled my heart as I thought of this joyful family so full of hope. And this mother carrying a secret....to afraid to tell her family for fear of crushing that hope.

Juma

2010-10-12T21:32:00.005+02:00

Oh sweet Juma . . . such a heartbreaking story to tell.

Juma has been living on the streets for a couple of years. He is 12 years old now. His mom lives in South Africa most of the year and returns to Mozambique for only a few months. She has a husband in South Africa. I remember in 2009 when Juma heard from a family member that his mom would be in Mozambique. He saved all of the money he earned begging so that he could buy nice new clothes and then he went to visit her. A couple of weeks later he returned to the streets so happy that he had seen him mom.

Juma wants nothing more in the world than to live with his mom.

But she just doesn't want to take responsibility for Juma.

I don't get it.

And it breaks my heart.

Juma's mom was recently here in Mozambique again and we went to meet her. We spoke to her about her son and the responsibility she has in taking care of him. When I asked her why she doesn't take Juma to South Africa with her, she simply laughed and said, "what will I do with him there?"

Seeing that his mom was not willing to take care of Juma, we asked her to help us find a family member that he could live with. She agreed to help but never followed through. We finally just showed up at her house again with Juma. During this visit, she agreed that Juma could come back and live with her until she returned to South Africa at which point he would go live with his grandfather.

Juma was so happy as we left that day! He chose the following Thursday, exactly one week later, as his day to return.

Again, Juma spent the whole week saving his begging money to buy new clothes. Thursday arrived and Juma bid farewell to all of his friends at Masana. We drove to his mom's house and arrived to discover that she had left a few days earlier and returned to South Africa.

Juma was crushed. He held it together as we walked back to my car and then the tears began to flow as he faced the truth that his mom had left because she didn't want him.

No child should ever have to face that truth.

2 More Boys Back With Their Families

2010-10-12T21:07:00.004+02:00

We recently helped 2 boys leave the streets and Maputo and return to their families!!! Here are their stories:

Thomas

Thomas has been living on the streets on and off again since he was 10 years old. He is now 17. For 10 years he would leave home for no real reason, live on the streets for a few months, and then return home when he was ready to. Thomas has a great father who is a pastor. His father just does not understand why Thomas chooses to live on the streets when he has a family that loves him and provides for him.

In the past, other centers have helped Thomas return to his family. Why do I think us helping him this time will be any different? Thomas' father had a great and encouraging answer to that question. He said that there is something different about Masana and the way we have gone about reintegrating Thomas with his family. We are the first project that has invested time in talking with them as a family and getting to the root of what drives Thomas to the streets. We are the first project that has provided a bit of counseling for Thomas as he makes this transition back home. And we will continue doing all of this for at least a year.

Fred

Fred has one of the biggest smiles I've ever seen on the streets of Maputo. He just shines! He has a slight tendency to tell tall-tales but he is a good kid. He doesn't get into much trouble. He doesn't steal. He is one of the boys that hung around the house with us more often...one of the boys that we were able to connect with on a more personal level. And now he is home with his family.

Fred is 15 years old. Both of his parents have passed away. He is now living with his brother and his brother's wife in a community not far from the city.

I find this happens often: God will highlight a certain boy and give me and my housemates a special bond with him. He'll be one of the boys that we trust a little bit more than the others. He'll be one that opens up to us and shares about his life on and off the streets. And these are usually the boys we see making the decision to return home. And that is what our being here is all about.

Reintegration: Luis

2010-09-17T15:47:00.002+02:00

Today we took Luis back to his family. He had been on the streets of Maputo for a few months. He is one of the sweetest most respectful boys at Masana. I never heard anyone say anything bad about him or things he had done. His family is in a rural area near Maputo. We took a ferry across the bay and then a chapa (local mini bus) to his house. We walked the last 15 minutes to his house. All along the way, neighbors would call out, "Luis" as we passed by. They were all so excited to see him back!!!

Luis had left home a few months ago after getting into some trouble with some of his neighbors. He and some friends had stolen a chicken from a neighbor and eaten it. For whatever reason, Luis decided to run away rather than be punished. We had a good talk with him about being careful about the friends he chose to spend his time with.

We'll return to visit Luis in a few weeks. At that time, we'll take him clothes, blankets, and a few other basic necessities. We'll also help him start up a small business. He and his mom are talking about the possibility of starting a chicken business where they raise chickens both for eggs and to sale. I am really excited about this possibility as it is a business that can keep its self running as long as the chicken's are taken care of. We're going to do some investigating on the start up cost of this. If its not way out of our normal budget I think it could be a great one to try out! And Luis can replace the chicken he stole from his neighbor!!!

Please be praying for Luis in these next few days as he readjusts to life at home. Pray that he may be overwhelmed by the love of his family and neighbors. Pray also that he will find a church near his house that he can get connected to.

Another son is back home tonight!!!

Corey and Paito

2010-09-14T13:04:00.004+02:00

From time to time, we get some visitors at the Kunhymela House. Some come for a couple of nights and some stay for a couple of months. Since late July, we've had Corey, a university student from Oregon, staying with us. He is really gifted in carpentry and has completed a few projects for us around the house including some more beds. One of the street boys, Paito, has become Corey's assistant. Its such a blessing when a visitor is able to teach the boys something valuable like carpentry.

Thanks Corey for taking time to teach Paito....you may think of him as just someone to assist you with your projects but the time that you are investing in him is helping him to see the value he has in God's eyes. And that's our purpose in being here in Mozambique with these precious boys.

Fabiao: Revisited

2010-09-13T21:13:00.003+02:00

A few weeks ago, we did our first follow up visit with Fabiao. If you haven't read about his reintegration yet, you should check out that post. It was the most joyful reintegration yet!!!

He is doing really well at home. His family wanted to treat us to a meal as a thank you for all that we did to help their son. We had told them what time we'd be arriving, in hopes that they would have the meal prepared already. But of course that didn't happen. His mom insisted that they had to catch the chicken and kill it while we were there so that we knew they were serving us fresh food and not leftovers! Here is Fabiao and Nelson, another Masana boy, with the chicken:

While the women prepared the meal, Fabiao was able to try on all of the clothes we had brought him. He insisted that I take a picture of him in every outfit. I had prepared a notebook for him to continue learning to read and write so I was able to go through it with him and his older sister so that she could help him. Fabiao also blessed me with a gift...a mat that he had made for me. Here is Fabiao in one of his new outfits:

Finally the food was done and we were served. This is always a bit awkward for me because custom here in Mozambique is that guests are served and everyone else watches us eat. After the meal, we all gathered in their house so that the rest of the family could see the clothes, blankets, and other things we had brought for Fabiao. Fabiao's mom was so excited that she stood up and started dancing and singing. She is seriously one of the most joyful women I have met in Mozambique!!! Here is Fabiao with his family (the mat they are sitting on is the one Fabiao made for me!):

After a great time celebrating with this family, we made the 3 hour drive back to Maputo. We will be back in Xai Xai, where Fabiao lives in a couple of weeks which means we'll get to visit again! It is always a blessing being a part of seeing families restored!

Peace in the Midst of Rioting

2010-09-12T22:27:00.002+02:00

A little over a week ago, Maputo experienced 3 days of rioting as the people protested the increases in the price of electricity, water, and many basic food items. One street over from our house was one of the worst areas on the first day of rioting. For hours, the sky was black with smoke from burning tires. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to control the crowds. Cars were destroyed. Shops were luted. 2 innocent children lost their lives.

Despite the commotion on the street, our house was a place of peace. We had 24 street boys with us that day. They were grateful for a safe place to pass the day, safe from the danger on the streets. I was blessed to see them here rather than out participating in the riots. What a joy to provide a safe place for these boys.

In response to the rioting, the government found ways to help with the cost of living by supplementing bakeries so that the price of bread could remain the same and lowing the taxes on importing goods from other countries.

Thank you everyone who prayed for us during the riots.

LIfting My Eyes

2010-08-22T13:05:00.012+02:00

This morning, i read a verse in Isaiah that led me to reflect and rejoice at the work God has done in the short 19 months that i have been working with Masana.

"Lift up your eyes and look around; all your sons gather and come to you. As surely as I live, declares the Lord, you will wear them all as ornaments; you will put them on, like a bride."

Isaiah 49:18

one of the deepest desires of my heart is be a bride...a wife and a mother. with the life that i have chosen to live, i am not sure that that is going to happen. so this verse is a beautiful promise to me. though i have no sons of my own womb, when i lift up my eyes and look around, i see that God has given me so many sons. and i have the beautiful privilege of seeing these sons reunited with their earthly families.

these are my sons that are now back with their families:

Felix

Aderito

Fabiao

Janerio

Abrantis

Castigo

Biggs

Emilton

Marcus

Leonel

Danilio

Carlos

Fazenda

Antonio

Pedro

Declesio

Gito

Semera

Crazy Hat Day!

2010-07-24T11:15:00.006+02:00

Some days, the boys show up at Masana with the funniest clothes and other treasures they’ve found on the street. Each evening, as venders that sale clothes on the sidewalks are closing up shop, they will give the boys random pieces of clothing that they probably won’t ever sale.

Thursday, it was crazy hat day! Wednesday had been a cold and rainy day so the boys must have worked hard to find warm clothes…including these great hats:

Mario

Solomon

Issac

New boy whose name i don't know yet

Fred

Another Mario

Felix

Shake Off The Dust

2010-07-19T18:12:00.005+02:00

i hate rejection. if satan can keep us in the place of feeling rejected, he knows it will hinder us from receiving the love of God.

rejection is one of the greatest things we are up against as we work with street kids.

i blogged below about the joyful reunion of fabião with his mother. the same day, we also had a very sad home visit where one of the precious little ones dear to my heart, nelson, was rejected by his family. they were tired of dealing with his behavior problems and refused to allow him to return home. they suggested we try to make contact with nelson's father.

this makes me so angry! no child, regardless of what behavior problems he has, should ever have to listen to his family say he's not wanted.

please join with me in praying for nelson. pray that the lies of rejection would be broken off of his tender little heart and that he would know that he is accepted by his Father. pray that he would feel the love of God in a very tangible way and that it would be enough to push away the hurt he experienced saturday as we visited his family.

as we were leaving the family's house, i was reminded of the scripture in matthew 10:14 that says, "if anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off you feet as you leave that home or town."

i pray little nelson will be able to shake the dust off his feet and follow the path God has set before him...a path that will lead him into the arms of his Father.

Fabião....True Joy.

2010-07-18T19:34:00.004+02:00

Saturday we took 12 year old Fabião back home. When we first arrived at the house, none of the family was there. Some neighbors tried to phone them as we waited. Fabião's mother, on her way home from the farm, ran into a neighbor as she headed up the hill towards her house. The neighbor told her she had some visitors...white people. Her first thought was that there was bad news about Fabião. As she arrived at the house, she saw our footprints leading to a neighbor's so she followed them. We were just leaving the neighbor's as she approached.

And what we witnessed next was true joy as mother and son saw each other for the first time in 2 years!!!

It was the most beautiful reintegration I've been a part of!!!

I cried tears of joy as my sweet little Fabião was reunited with his mother.

A Secret World

2010-07-05T23:07:00.004+02:00

today i had the privilege of entering into the secret world of the street kids i work with. ian, alexis, and i were invited to visit the area of the city where they have construed houses for themselves. i parked my car by a new fancy office building and then we began the uphill climb into one of the few green spaces in the city of Maputo. parts of the hill were so steep that we had to use roots and vines to pull ourselves up. other parts we just had to climb on all fours. we passed a broken pipe peaking out of the ground with water leaking out. the boys informed us that that is where they wash their clothes and bathe when masana is closed. finally we arrived into this little village of houses made of sticks, cardboard boxes, sheets of plastic, and other random scraps found in the garbage.

there are at least 20 boys sleeping in this area. the oldest boys are around 20 years old and the youngest are 11. they are a community...protecting and helping one another. one by one the boys took us to their houses and showed us their individual rooms. some of the boys, especially the younger, sleep 2 or 3 to a house. the older boys had taken much care in building beds with scraps of wood. some had small boxes that served as a bedside table. their little tables were covered with treasures found around the city...almost empty bottles of perfume, broken toys, empty boxes baring the logo of their favorite brands such as nike or coca cola.

i was filled with all sorts of emotions as i spent a couple of hours in this secret world:

PROUD of how resourceful my boys are.

HAPPY to see the older boys inviting the younger boys to live among them.

OVERWHELMED by the care each one took of his home...even running ahead of us to clean up before we arrived.

SAD at the thought of them sleeping on that hill overlooking the city tonight.

BROKEN at the sense of hopelessness that these boys live in when a glorified cardboard box serves as a substitute for a home filled with family.

BLESSED to know that i am trusted enough to be invited into their world.

Making Learning Fun!

2010-06-27T18:51:00.004+02:00

A few weeks ago, we started a special class for 4 of the boys who are regulars at Masana. Ian, one of guys living in Kunhymela House, is now Professor Ian and he has the fun job of teaching reading, writing, and mathematics to Felix, Dombo, Issac, and Fabiao. These 4 boys range in age from 12 to 19 and none of them know how to read or write much more than their own name. For the past year or so, they've been in the normal school lessons we offer but were just not progressing. So I decided we needed to work with these boys more one-on-one and Ian was up for the task! He is doing a great job of coming up with fun ways to help the boys recognize letters and do math problems. It's so wonderful to see these 4 boys actually excited about the school lessons each day as they get their notebooks out and ask me where Professor Ian is.

Professor Ian and his students.

Another Son Back With His Family Tonight

2010-06-16T17:02:00.004+02:00

Today we took 11 year old Pai back to his family. We were greeted by his grandmother, who overjoyed at seeing Pai, could only say "Thank you God! Thank you God!" over and over again. A neighbor quickly ran in search of Pai's mother. They had been looking for him since he disappeared 4 months ago. Just a few days ago, they gave up hope of finding Pai and sent word to the extended family that he was gone. But now, in answer to the prayers of this family, God had returned their lost son.

Tonight

2010-06-15T21:10:00.004+02:00

Tonight, there is one less boy sleeping on the streets of Maputo, Mozambique.

Tonight, a family is able to celebrate the return of their lost son.

Tonight, Marcus is at home.

A New Car!!!

2010-06-08T22:20:00.002+02:00

A little over 3 weeks ago, i had the frustrating experience of my car breaking down while on a sand road only accessible with 4x4 and about 3 hours from the city where i live. 9 hours later we finally made it home with my car in tow.

Since then, i have been amazed as i've watched God provide! My family and friends in the States and other parts of the world began praying and giving. God also put me in contact with an amazing family involved with the U.S. government here in Mozambique who was preparing to leave the country. They had a beautiful car that was perfect for my ministry needs. So i began praying for it. With the car, we discovered there were some taxes involved in switching it from diplomatic status to normal registration. the owner of the car was expecting it to be around $1000 in taxes and had told me he and his wife would pay up to $1000 if i could make up the balance. the family was also amazing in working out a payment plan with me in which i have til jan. 1 to pay the total amount.

friday he called me with the shocking and sad news that the taxes would be $8000! i was so disappointed. he and his wife really wanted me to have the car so they had talked and prayed and agreed to pay $4000 of the taxes if i could cover the rest. i told him i couldn't do it as it would put the cost of the car out of my budget. so i gave up on getting their car and started looking at classifieds again.

sunday, the owner of the car texted me and asked me to come by their house. they had prayed about it more and still felt like i was suppose to have the car. they decided that i could "borrow" the car til september when the taxes owed would drop to $5000 then they will pay that amount as a gift to me. then he gave me all the documents and the keys! and the car is mine!!!

thank you all so much for helping me raise the money for this car! i still need a few thousand dollars more by january 1st so please keep praying and give if you are able (go to www.theunveiledfaces.org to give).

i pray this blog is a reminder of God's faithfulness. He loves to give good gifts to His children!

Lena

2010-05-29T21:22:00.003+02:00

if you've followed my blog for long or heard me share stories about life in mozambique, you've probably heard me mention gaspar and zacarius. they are brothers and were teh first 2 street kids i ever met. they became a huge part of my testimony and calling to work with street kids. sadly, i write this blog with bad news. their mother, lena, passed away friday. she was 6 months pregnant and died of complications related to the pregnancy.

this afternoon when i got home, gaspar and zacarius were at my house. they had tears in their eyes and told me their mother had died. i thought they had to be confused. manuel and nelson, 2 of my friends, had just spoken to her the day before. thankfully, manuel and nelson were with me so they talked to the boys and then we jumped in the car with my housemmate, ian, and went to matola to speak to the family.

gaspar, zacarius, and matilda (their 13 year old sister) ended up coming home with me to stay at my house a night or two while the family figures out what to do about the funeral. sadly, it did not seem to be anyone's priority to look after these kids. a friend of mine is going to let me use her car tomorrow so that i can take the kids to get some clothes and then back to matola to check in with the family. lena's parents are living and so are some brothers and sisters so i'm really praying they will take in these 3 kids.

the boys and matilda seem to be doing okay. i think them staying here with me is a good distraction. they've just enjoyed watching tom and jerry cartoons and have laughed a lot. please keep them in your prayers these next few days. . . and me. life in Africa is so harsh.

Lena and her 4 precious children.

Soccer With the Street Kids

2010-05-27T21:20:00.004+02:00

Every Thursday, me and the housemates head down to a soccer field in the city to play with the boys. We have anywhere from 20 to 35 boys join us. A few of our Mozambican friends go to help get the games organized. The boys found out that I use to play goalie back in the day so that is now my permanent position. For a few of the boys, their goal each week is simply to score a goal while I'm playing keeper.....as if that's really a big feat!!! It is so much fun though to connect with the boys through soccer. Each week, we play til the sun goes down and then we wrap up with a quick devotional and prayer.

Towards the end of July, we will be holding a week long soccer clinic. We'll promote the clinic among street kids and also open it up to kids that live in the city. The whole point of this clinic is evangelism. The different components of soccer will be used to share Christ. Please be praying for this clinic as we prepare!!

Soccer is such a part of life here and such an incredible tool to share the Gospel!!!

Daniel, the director of Ambassador in Sport Mozambique, visited Masana and played some games using soccer skills.

Me and the housemates with some of the boys at the soccer field.

Devotion time after our soccer game.

Worship on the Roof

2010-05-18T17:00:00.002+02:00

We have an amazing group of young Mozambican guys that join us every Thursday to help with the soccer evangelism ministry we have started up with street kids. Afterwards, the come to our house to share a meal together. Every other week, we have started worshiping and praying for the city of Maputo. This is one of my favorite times of the week as I love hearing the passionate prayers of the young men and the beautiful worship in 3 different languages - English, Portuguese, and Shanghan.

I met these guys while I worked for Iris Ministries and was able to remain close to them as I moved to the city and began working with street kids. Now, almost all of the guys have left the Iris center and are living in a community near the Kunhymela House, where I live. So they come by often and help out whenever we need them. Amazing how God blesses friendships!!!

Ministry Vehicle Needed

2010-05-17T11:05:00.002+02:00

This is a huge request but I am in desperate need of a new car. The car I am currently driving has had lots of problems and has now broken down on me twice within the last couple of months while I've been 2 hours or more outside of the city. It's no longer reliable. I also do not think it is wise to spend anymore money on fixing the problems. However, I also cannot be without a car as it is invaluable to my ministry among the street kids here in Maputo. My car is used for the shopping we do for Masana, the project I work with. We use my car for all of the visits to doctors and most importantly for reintegration. Each week, we are visiting families of the boys that have already returned home or are in the process of returning home. Without a car, this is not possible.

Unfortunately, cars in Mozambique are not cheap. The transmission in my current car has gone out again so I'm not even sure I can sale it to help towards the cost of a new car. I am thinking I will need at least $10,000 to purchase an SUV or truck that will serve the needs we have with Masana.

If you are able to give specifically towards a new vehicle, please send donations to the below address and mark the check "Masana - vehicle". Checks can be make payable to Unveiled Faces and sent to:

Unveiled Faces
PMB #275
3400 E. Speedway Blvd. #118
Tucson, Arizona 85716-3960

You can also go to www.theunveiledfaces.org to give online.

Please be praying for the Lord's provision of a new car so that I can continue in my ministry of returning street kids to their families!

Masana's New Home

2010-05-05T16:34:00.006+02:00

After 3 months of working to get the property ready, Masana has finally moved to its new home....my house! The new area is complete with 2 separate classrooms, a kitchen, a shelter for meals and church services, showers, a station for washing clothes, and a room for temporary housing.

On MOnday, we had a party to celebrate Masana's new home! A couple of the leaders from the community came and gave speeches welcoming Masana to the neighborhood. We were a bit worried about how the transition would go as its a bit farther for the boys to walk each day. But it hasn't even been an issue as we've had over 25 boys each day so far this week!!! Now we just need a bigger pot for cooking rice to feed that many!!!

a group shot of all the masana workers and boys along with the community leaders that came to welcome masana to the neighborhood.

the classroom used for the first level of education. these boys are learning to read and write.

this is the shelter where we eat meals together and have our church service each day.

this is the classroom for our upper level adult literacy students.

the kitchen with a rooftop patio above. we used the fire pit up there to grill chickens for the party.

Sharing Jesus Through Soccer

2010-04-24T08:05:00.002+02:00

Friday, I met with a man named Daniel who works here in Maputo with Ambassadors in Sport. The heart of their ministry is to use soccer as an evangelism tool. They currently have teams in some of the communities just outside of Maputo. They work through local churches to train coaches who then start up teams and hold clinics. Throughout the weekly gatherings to play soccer, the coaches use halftime to share about Jesus in creative ways using the components of soccer such as passing the ball and referees.

Daniel has excitedly agreed to work with us in starting some evangelism through soccer among street kids! Our first step is to find 5 to 8 older Mozambican youth that Ambassadors in Sports can train as coaches. This training will cover not only soccer skills, but also all of the spiritual lessons to be taught through the game. Next, we will plan a week long clinic that will last about 4 hours a day. Street kids will be our main target in the clinic but we'll also open it up to kids from the community around where we live. The clinic is a series of stations where the kids practice soccer skills. At the end of each rotation, the coach shares with the kids about how that particular skill relates to real life and our need for Jesus. After the clinic, we will continue to gather together with the kids to play soccer once or twice a week using the Ambassadors in Sport resources to evangelize each time.

Please pray for us as we get this rolling! Pray for the young men who will serve as coaches. Pray for the clinic as we being planning it - we'll need funding for equipment and meals, a location that will be easily accessible to street kids, publicity.

I am so excited about this connection the Lord has provided with Ambassadors in Sport!! Soccer is such a huge part of life among young people in Africa. I'm praying it will serve as a tool to help the Gospel come alive to these street kids!!!

Taking Gito Home

2010-04-10T09:43:00.004+02:00

Today Luis and I are taking Gito home. He is 16 years old and has been living on the streets of Maputo for a couple of years. He's one of the most soft-spoken boys at Masana and also one of the few boys that i really trust. He doesn't talk much but he has this great smile that lights up the room!

His mother passed away a few years ago so he will be returning to live with his father and stepmother. The stepmother loves him like her own son. The community Gito will be living in is very rural. To get there, i have to drive for about almost 2 hours with the last 20 or 30 minutes being on roads that aren't really roads because the grass has grown so tall. We eventually reach the point that the car can go no further and must walk the last 10 minutes. I'm worried that, after having been in the city for so long, it will be hard for Gito to adjust to this type of rural living. Please be praying for him in the coming days as he rejoins his family.

House Painting

2010-04-08T15:15:00.006+02:00

Recently, we had an amazing group from Durban, South Africa make the 7-hour drive to Maputo, Mozambique to paint the buildings that will be the new home of Masana. For a month and a half we have been watching the transformation of the house we are living in as the buildings on the back of the property have become classrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom with 3 showers, and a bedroom. We are so close to completion of the construction and soon will open the house to Masana where street kids will come everyday for meals, showers, education, and, most importantly, an encounter with God.

The weekend was full of laughs as we painted the ~~street kids~~ house!!! Thanks Lauren for organizing this work weekend and bringing your friends to experience the Mozambique we love so much!!!

aaron and hur

2010-03-15T16:44:00.001+02:00

I’m realizing more and more that I need to keep connected with y’all for prayer coverage. I’m reminded of the story of Moses, Aaron, and Hur. God commanded Moses to hold his arms up and, as long as he did this, the Israelite army would continue to advance and defeat its enemy. Aaron and Hur came along side Moses to hold his arms up for him when he grew tired.

“When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up – one on one side, one on the other – so that his hands remained steady till sunset.” Exodus 17:12

We all need Aaron’s and Hur’s to hold our arms up as we fight the battles God sets before us. Here is my current battle. Will you be my Aaron or Hur?

The new house is coming along great. We’ve almost completed the construction on the part of the property that will become the new home of Masana. We’re hoping that in early April, things will be all set for the boys to start coming here each day for meals, showers, school lessons, and teaching from the Word of God. We’ll also have office space for Masana complete with a new laptop being donated by the American School here in Maputo!

We’ve had a few boys staying here at the house already. One is 17-year-old Semera that I wrote about before. He is diabetic so living on the streets is not a good option for him. There are some issues at home he still needs to work through so, for now, we’ve given him a place to stay at our house and, in exchange, he’ll help out with the younger boys that may stay here from time to time. We have to work through a few issues with him. I sometimes forget he is just 17 years old. Please pray for wisdom in what boundaries we set with Semera and

Upon my return to Mozambique in January, I discovered that 3 of the boys we reintegrated last year were back on the street. We’ve now sorted through the issues with each of them and taken them back home again. Each of them stayed here at the house for anywhere from 1 night to 2 weeks as we were in the process of arranging things with their families. Most recently, 12-year-old Felix stayed with us for 2 weeks. He brought so much joy to the house! Please pray for him as he is back home now. His family near the city refused to take him in so we’ve taken him back to his father. Felix’s father loves him but does not know how to deal with his behavior issues. Many families here still follow very traditional ways which include visitng witchdoctors when problems arrive. Felix’s father plans on consulting the witchdoctor about his son. As a Christian this is such a hard thing because I want so desperately to see these street boys in loving families where they will grow in the Lord. Felix has a loving family but not one that will lead him closer to God.

In the past couple of weeks, I’ve felt a lot of attack. Issues like what we’ve dealt with in taking Felix home, weigh so heavy on my heart. I’ve had things stolen from my by the street kids. I continue to have problems with my car. I’ve also had a couple of my close friends here in the city leave in the past months. I am going to take a few days off this week and spend some time alone with the Lord. Please pray for refreshing rest. Life here is hard sometimes but I do love it. And I believe that God is moving in the lives of street kids and in this city.

Looking After The Sick

2010-01-27T21:21:00.001+02:00

Matthew 25:36 and 40 says: “I was sick and you looked after me . . . I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

Less than 1 week back at Masana and already I’m spending hours doing just that….looking after the sick.

Tuesday morning, one the street boys, Fabiao, was hit by a car. A couple of the boys told me about it when they arrived at Masana. So off I went to the hospital in search of Fabiao. Now, in case you’ve missed my past stories about the central hospital here in Maputo, let me refresh your memory: everything at the hospital is still done on paper…not computers. There wasn’t any record of him at the front desk where all patients to the ER are supposed to check in. The police at the hospital also had no record of the accident. So a very kind worker took me from department to department looking for Fabiao. Finally we found a nurse who remembered treating a boy who lived on the street.

Praise the Lord, Fabiao’s injuries were not severe. He just had a couple of scrapes and cuts. The doctor wanted to discharge him but since he lives on the street, decided it was better for him to stay overnight at the hospital. The whole thing actually worked out quite well for Fabiao! He got a bed to sleep in for a night and lots of food - from the hospital, me, and the person who was driving the car that hit him. And today when the doctor released him from the hospital, the driver of the car bought Fabiao new clothes and sandals because the clothes he had on when the accident happened were thrown away. I hope other street kids don’t catch onto this and start stepping out in front of cars!!!

Another one of our boys, Samera, is also in the hospital. He is 17 years old. He has diabetes and when he’s on the streets it’s nearly impossible to control. One of his friends took him to the hospital last week and he has not been discharged yet. He has told me that he’d like to go live with his grandfather when he gets out of the hospital. Please pray for Samera. Pray he will realize the danger he puts himself in by living on the streets and that he will stick to this plan to return home.

Although the past couple of days have been full of walking to and from the hospital many times (my car is still not repaired), I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. It’s these times of caring for one of the boys when they are sick or injured that I really bond with them. God promises that in all things He works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purposes. Though I hate to see my boys sick or injured, I love that the Lord uses it to lavish His love on them through me!!!

The Kunhymela House

2010-01-22T16:05:00.013+02:00

We Got a House!!!!!

The Lord has been so faithful in this whole process. It is not an easy thing to find a house in Mozambique. Unfortunately, there is a lot of dishonesty we came up against with various real estate agents. It was over a week ago that my friends first looked at this house. Since then, we met to discuss a contract with the original owner with plans to sign the next day. After leaving our meeting, the owner found someone to buy the house and chose to sale rather than rent to us. We were disappointed but didn't feel it was a closed door. Instead we persistently sought out the new owner. He was open to talking about our project and, in the end, rented to us.

All along, we believed this was the house God was going to give us. That didn't mean it would be easy to get to the point of signing a contract. I feel like the Lord was asking, "Do you trust me? Do you believe that I speak to you? Then persevere in this." And now we reap the rewards!

As Ian, Steve, Alexis and I prepare to move into this new house and begin setting up temporary housing for street kids, I am reminded of the verse in Psalm 127:1:

"Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain..."

Father, we invite you to come and build this house. Build this project. Be glorified in the Kunyhmela house!!!

Masana Prayer Requests

2010-01-20T21:40:00.002+02:00

Masana will reopen after our holidays on January 25. Here are a few things I'd love for y'all to pray about as we begin a new year!

* Pray that any new boys on the street will feel welcome at Masana.

* At times there are problems at Masana between the older and younger boys. Pray for Masana to be a place of peace where the problems from the street can be forgotten. Pray for God to transform the hearts of the older boys and that they will begin caring for a protecting the younger ones.

* Pray for the boys as we begin teaching basic literacy and mathematics. Many of them come in with no knowledge of how to read or write. Pray for their ability to learn.

* Pray for the health of the boys. Life on the streets is harsh and their bodies are often weak because of poor nutrition.

* Pray for protection over the boys. There is a good deal of violence and robbery among the adults and kids on the streets. Pray also for protection from those who would seek to abuse the boys.

* Pray for protection from AIDS and that the boys would not ignore the risk of sexual activity and drug use.

* The boys often get caught up in small theft to make money on the street. Pray for conviction.

* Pray for salvation and for true transformation in their lives as they hear the Word of God. Pray that the Holy Sprit will make Himself known to them in creative ways.

* Pray for hope to be restored. We have a handful of boys who have been on the streets for 3 or more years with no desire to return home. Pray God will do a work in their lives and reveal to them the plans and purposes He has for their lives.

* Pray for boys to grasp the value of family. We want to see lots of them come to the decision to leave life on the street and return to their families. Pray also for the finances to help all that want to go back home (About $500 per a boy to buy clothes, basic necessities, school fees and supplies, and start up a small business).

* Pray for the boys that do go back home....that they will transition back to life in the community. Pray against the temptation to return to the streets. Also, pray that they will find a solid church in their communities to continue growing in the Lord.

* Pray for the Masana staff as we seek the Lord on how to care for and minister to the street boys. Pray for us to be filled with more and more of the Father's love for the boys.

* Pray for creative ways to teach the boys about the heart of the Father.

* Pray for our director, Pastor Paulo, and his wife. They are expecting their first child soon.

* Masana has 6 Mozambicans on staff and one missionary (that's me!). Pray for God's provision in each of our lives.

* Pray for vision as Masana grows. Pray for God's strategy to be revealed as we help the street boys.

* Pray for continued provision for all of Masana's financial needs.

House Hunting

2010-01-16T00:23:00.002+02:00

I am back in Mozambique after 7 weeks in the States. And I came back to lots of fun new adventures! In October, some new friends moved to Maputo to begin a new project called Kunhymela House. Their heart is to support existing projects for street kids. As we talked and prayed about the need here in Maputo, we decided on the idea of providing temporary housing for boys living on the street. Most of the boys on the streets are runaways and we really want to see them return to their families. With that in mind, we don't want to feed the idea that life on the street is good by giving the boys lots of stuff. The vision of Kunhymela House is to provide a place where boys can sleep when they are really sick and to provide transitional housing for boys who are preparing to leave the streets and return to their families.

For a few months now, those connected with Kunhymela House (Ian, Alexis, Lauren and Steve) have been searching for a house. Now that I'm back in Maputo, I've joined the hunt as I will be living with them. (I'll continue working with Masana and serve as a connection between the 2 projects). We want a house large enough for all of us to live as well as space for housing boys. We'd also like to have room for visitors or teams that come to Maputo on mission trips. Since November, we've found a few possibilities but nothing has come through yet. We are asking God to provide the perfect house where we will be able to live in community and provide a safe place for street kids to heal - physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

We have found a great possibility - a house with 5 bedrooms and 2 guest rooms on the property. We will be meeting with the owner of the house this weekend to discuss details of a contract. Please pray for wisdom and favor as we meet.

I'll keep you updated as the house hunt continues and the vision of Kunhymela House comes together!

So This is Masana

2009-12-14T17:02:00.002+02:00

(thanks gregg and jason for putting together this video!)

Masana and The Vine

2009-11-29T22:55:00.004+02:00

I am "home" with my family for a few weeks. It is a much needed break as my last month or so in Mozambique was pretty hard. While I'm here in the states, I'll be connecting with the churches that support me. Today I got to worship at The Vine and share with the children at their church. I am always blown away by this church and their heart to come alongside me and truly be a part of my ministry in Mozambique.

Throughout this past year, The Vine helped 5 boys leave the streets of Maputo and return to their families. A team of 4 from the Vine even came over to visit me back in October and got to meet these 5 boys. Now their children's ministry is raising money to help another boy. A few weeks ago, I sent them information about a 12 year old boy named Antonio and they set out on the task of raising $500 so that Masana can help him return to his family. The children had the goal of raising all the money by Christmas. Well today, after only a few short weeks, they already have $560 and are going to try and come up with $1000 so that they can help 2 street kids return to their families!!!

I was so blessed as I heard David Walters, the pastor of The Vine, describe to the church some of the ways the kids were raising the money. One boy went around to his neighbors with a jar and Antonio's picture and raised $50. Another little boy gave his birthday money. One girl drew pictures and wrote short stories and sold them to family and friends over thanksgiving for a total of $62. I am so touched by these little kids who have a heart to help one of the least of these...a young boy in Mozambique, Africa that they have never even met.

Because of the hard of work of these precious little children, Masana is going to help Antonio return to his family. We'll buy him clothes and blankets. We'll make sure he is registered for school and has a uniform and all the supplies he needs. We'll even help him start up a small business so that he can contribute to his family's income.

Thank you to The Vine for your love and support!!!

Felix is Home

2009-10-29T16:19:00.004+02:00

This past Saturday, we took 12 year old Felix home. He is one of my favorite boys. He is one that really marches to the beat of his own drum. Sometimes I would pass him on the street and he would be marching around talking to himself and playing his make believe games. . .lost in his own little world. Anytime he saw me rather we were at Masana or on the street, he would greet me with "Malunga" (which means white person) and I would greet him back with "Mulando" (black person). He always made me laugh.

This is the hard part about our work with the street kids...telling them goodbye when they are ready to return to their families. But it's so the decision I long to see every one of them make.

Felix left home back in January after getting in trouble for stealing some money. He has been living on the streets for the past 10 months. I'll never forget the image of his father meeting us as we approached his house, stopping, and shaking hands with his son. It's so beautiful to see the hearts of children and fathers turned towards one another.

Luis, my coworker, spoke to Felix about how its his father's responsibility to teach him and discipline him. He spoke to the family and neighbors about the need for them to look at Felix, not as a street child but as a they would any other child in the community. He encouraged them to continue guiding Felix in the right ways.

Please be praying for Felix these next few weeks. Pray that there is no temptation to return to the streets. Pray for his family to be bonded together in love.

Paulo Cossa

2009-10-16T15:17:00.004+02:00

This past weekend, Paulo Cossa, one of the boys that i was closest to last year at the Iris Children's center, passed away. Paulo came to live at the children's center just before I did in December, 2007. He was quite sick when he arrived but with nurses looking after his health and proper nutrition, he improved greatly.

Paulo and Inacio were best friends and they were quite attached to me. And i loved that. We had so much fun together....from trips to the city for dinner at Mimmo's or going to the market to buy vegetables and then give it away to people in the community. Even after I moved to the city to work with street kids, Paulo and Inacio would come running anytime they saw my car driving into the center.

But Saturday of last weekend, Paulo left us. He went to be with Jesus. I can say with confidence that he knew the Lord. Paulo was one of the most beautiful kid to watch during worship. It was obvious that he was lost in the presence of the Lord. 1 John 3:1 says, "how great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be children on God. . . and that is who we are." Paulo knew that he was a child of God. He was confident in the love of his Father.

Paulo was such a beautiful young man. I am so thankful that the Lord allowed him to be a part of my life for a short time and that I was able to lavish love on him.

Worms

2009-09-27T17:37:00.003+02:00

Just a quick funny story from my day:

Here in Mozambique, we occasionally take pills to kill any worms that might be in the stomach due to food eaten. The Ministry of Health gathered together street kids this past Thursday and gave all of them these pills.

One of my boys, Felix, who is quite the animated one, just told me "esta a sair uma cobra." In English that means, "there is a snake coming out." One of his friends showed me with his hands how big the "cobra" was and another of his friends began to reenact how the "cobra" was coming out. They then offered to take me and show me where Felix has gone to the bathroom so that I could see the "cobra."

I declined the offer.

But oh how I love these boys!

Street Kids in My Home

2009-09-23T15:16:00.007+02:00

One of my favorite authors, Erwin McManus, says, "home is ultimately not about a place to live but about the people with whom you are most fully alive. Home is about love, relationship, community, and belonging and we are all searching for home."

the past week or so i have been having some problems with my landlord and neighbors. i live in a building with 5 other apartments and my neighbors have been complaining about the street boys being around. my landlord wants me to set better boundaries between my work and my home. i've tried to explain to him that this is not work for me. i gave up everything to move to mozambique and minister to these kids. that ministry doesn't just end at 2:00 when the center closes. it is so important to me that the boys be able to visit me in my home. they sometimes come to play with the toys i have here or just to ask for a cup of water. they also come to me when they are sick or injured. i love that they do these things!! to me its a very small way to share the love of God with them and its all a part of building a relationship with them so that they will receive the Truth that i speak into their lives. i've spoken to all the boys and asked them to help me by not loitering around the building waiting on me to come home or wake up in the mornings. i've also asked them not to come after dark. in the end, the landlord agreed to give me a couple of weeks and see how it goes with these guidelines for the boys. i'm pretty sure it will be a one chance thing and that if a neighbor calls to complain again i will have the option of telling the boys they aren't allowed here at all or moving out. i would choose to move out before i would tell the boys they aren't welcome in my home. i hope it doesn't come to that though and i ask you to pray. pray that the boys will be more respectful of the other people that live here. pray also that the hearts of my neighbors would be softened towards the boys. the boys aren't doing anything bad but there are so many negative stereotypes about street kids. i've been able to talk to them a bit about this and challenge them to start making better choices about how they behave, treat other people, and even their appearance. i've told them that they can't expect to wake up one morning and magically their life be changed. the responsibility to make wise decisions is theirs and they have the power to help break some of these stereotypes put on them.

i'm only here for 2 more months. november 21, i'll be going to visit my family and friends in the states. when i come back to mozambique in january, i'm planning to live with some friends who are starting a new project called kunhymela house. the heart of this ministry is to provide "a home that serves the disenfranchised just as Christ served them during His walk on earth, by living in community with them and focusing on relationship over all else." i will continue working with masana and we will partner with kunhymela house when we have street kids who are really sick or for the boys who are preparing to return home. it will be such a blessing to live with a other people who have the same heart as i do for the street kids!!!

Bird Catching

2009-09-12T13:55:00.004+02:00

Today some of the boys met me at my house at 9:00 in the morning and off we went to the bush so that they could show me how they caught the little bird they had given me a couple of weeks ago. We drove about 30 minutes from the city. Our first stop was this tree:

The boys climbed up the tree and picked berries.

Here is Ernesto with his berries. Inside is a white substance.

They put the white substance in their mouths and chewed it up. Then they stuck it on the ends of sticks. Once mixed with saliva, it becomes sticky like a glue.

Then we drove to another area where there were lots of masala trees. Ernesto climbed up to the top and tied the sticks with the berry glue onto the highest branches.

Then we all hung out in this tree and waited for a bird to land on the stick and get stuck in the berry glue.

Here is the first bird we caught!

It was a cute little bird with bright yellow feathers.

Abrantis poured water into a bottle cap for the little bird to drink some.

Jito got the second bird. He tried to feed it some berries.

And that is how you catch a bird in the bush. I have seen people selling the birds on the street. Not sure who buys them or what they do with them but now I know how to catch them!

My Bird

2009-08-29T13:05:00.004+02:00

Today, 3 of my boys showed up at the door with a present for me....a little bird. They named is Sarina which means "little sarah". I have no idea how they caught this bird but they brought it in a little plastic box that holds computer disks. They even found some kind of plastic thing that works as a water and food bowl. When I asked them what I was suppose to feed it, Abrantis responded "whatever you are eating today."

Feeding Sarina some granola.

Abrantis "Malucu" with Sarina

Abrantis wanted to make sure Sarina had a friend so he found some "friends" in my toy box. Sarina was afraid of the cadbury bunny that clucked.

But I think Sarina likes the rubber duck!!!

Not really sure what I'm going to do with Sarina. For now she's on my veranda. I love the little ways these boys show they care!!!

UPDATE: Sadly, Sarina de Passarina did not make it through the night. But she is one present I will never forget. . . just as I'll never forget the boys who gave her to me. . . they have a place in my heart.

1 Death, 1 Prodigal, 1 Feast

2009-08-15T19:13:00.003+02:00

Today we went up to the Gaza province to take visit Fazinda and Castigo, 2 former street boys who have now been living with their families since May and to take one street boy, Pedro, back to his family.

As we walked up towards Fazenda's house, his grandmother, who normally rushed to greet us and get us chairs, sat on the ground crying. Fazenda was not there as he had been sent to fetch other family members from a near-by town. In Shanghan, the local dialect, the grandmother began to tell Luis, my coworker, that her only living son was in the hut dying. He had returned to his parent's home 6 days ago because he was sick. They had taken him to the near-by hospital where he received some medicine and was sent home to die. Luis went inside the hut to check on the son. He reported back that his heart had stopped beating but there was still life in his eyes. We began praying for his healing. Moments after we finished praying, Fazenda's grandfather arrived and went to the hut to check on his son. The son was gone. He called over his wife who began weeping. Now 14 year old Fazenda is the only family they have left.

Seeing death like this reminds me of how harsh life in Africa is. We left the family to mourn with promises to return in 2 weeks.

Next we went to Pedro's house. Pedro is 12 years old and has been living on the streets of Maputo for 3 months. He originally came to the city to live with his grandfather. One day as he was out in the city, he damaged something in someone's garden. The security guard took him to the owner, 45 minutes outside of the city, to confess what he had done. The owner was gracious and decided not to punish Pedro or make him pay for the broken belongings. But they didn't offer him a ride back to the city. Pedro eventually found his way back to the big shopping center in the city. He asked a street boy if he could tell him how to get to a certain area of the city. The boy said he didn't know. So instead of returning to his grandfather, Pedro stayed with this boy who brought him to Masana. And tonight he is back with his family in a little village about 2 hours from Maputo.

Another prodigal son returned to his family after 3 months of living on the street, begging, and stealing.

We left Pedro with his grandmother and siblings and continued on our journey to Castigo's house. As we walked up, chairs were brought out for us to sit in. No one came over to sit with us but carried on with what they were doing. It didn't take us long to figure out they were preparing a meal for us....the honored guests. Family member after family member appeared as word spread that we had arrived. As the women cooked for us, I kept myself entertained by making silly faces at all of the little children who were so captivated by the white people visiting. The women prepared a delicious meal of rice and chicken. After eating, all of the women and children gathered around. The grandmother of the family, said "In our village, first we eat and then we greet you." She then spoke on behalf of her family in expressing how grateful they are for all that we have done to help Castigo return to his family. As we left, they lavished us with gifts - a large bucket full of tomatoes, 3 or 4 large heads of cabbage and a live chicken.

Now back in my Maputo apartment, the tears have flown as I've reflected on the day and allowed my heart to truly process it all. Time after time, our home visits remind me of the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15. First there was death to self as the son chose to humble himself and return to his father asking for forgiveness. Then we read of the beautiful reunion between father and son as the prodigal returns. Their reunion is followed by a feast in honor of the son who was lost and now is found.

Today we too experienced all 3 - death, a prodigal returning home, and a feast.

Land Mines

2009-08-13T22:10:00.003+02:00

A couple of days ago i was flipping through a book at Masana. Its a book used in the public schools here in Mozambique for grade 5 and teaches grammar and vocabulary. I was very impressed that all of the texts in the book did a great job of describing Mozambican culture - communities, farms, ceremonies, etc.

The following title caught my attention: Cuidado com as Minas! That translates to "careful with the mines." It was followed by a comic strip of a girl who is sent out to collect fire wood. As she's picking up wood, she comes across a land mine. Just as she is about to pick it up, a man rushes up to her and tell her not to touch it and then gives her a brief lesson on the dangers of touching things when you don't know what they are. She then goes around the community with this man informing the neighbors about the location of the land mine so that they know to avoid it.

Definitely not something you'd find in an American grammar book. The book was published in 2005 so it's not very long ago that land mines left over after the civil war were very much a concern.

Such a different world I live in.

Break In At Masana

2009-08-05T15:41:00.003+02:00

A couple of nights ago, someone broke into the kitchen at Masana. They climbed over a wall with barb wire on it, climbed up the outside wall of the kitchen and in through an opening about a foot wide between the wall and the tin roof. Once inside, they stole a stack of 40 plastic plates, our electric tea kettle, and all of the chicken for the month of August that was in the freezer. Then they exited through the same space between the wall and tin roof . . . breaking part of the wall in the process.

It could have been a lot worse as this is our only storage area at the project so all of the school supplies are there, our guitar, footballs, and other kitchen supplies. We are now in the process of figuring out how we are going to block off that space between the wall and roof. Please pray for protection over the project. . .the Lord is really doing great things among us!!!

Our New Guitar

2009-07-30T17:02:00.005+02:00

Thank you to Chick Music in Athens, GA for donating this guitar to Masana!!! The boys are enjoying learning how to play. We have to keep reminding them that there is only one guitar and that they will have to take turns. They are all so eager to learn a few chords. And our worship times each day are much more fun with the guitar. The workers at the project are enjoying it as much as the boys!

I bought a strap and a couple of pics at a music store here a couple of days ago. Who knew that pics would cost $2 each in Mozambique?!?! If anyone would like to send us some guitar supplies (tuner, pics, strings, etc) we would put them to good use. My address is:

Sarah Olds

Suite 337 Private Bag X11340
Nelspruit 1200
South Africa

This Is Mozambique (T.I.M.)

2009-07-30T16:30:00.008+02:00

This week I have been reminded of just how different life is here in Mozambique.

today some workers cut all the branches on the tress outside of my apartment building. hopefully it will take care of our mosquito problem! it was quite entertaining to watch as the men shimmied up the trees barefoot and chopped the branches with a hatchet. no buckets to lift them up or ropes holding them in case they fell or other "normal" safety measures taken. they didn't even block off the road to pedestrians so i just watched them running as branches fell. i was planning on taking my car to work today so that i could get the dent (see next story) looked at but my garage was completely blocked by the tree branches. T.I.M.

yesterday, i parked my car outside of the church i work at in the city. the church is on the bottom few floors of a tall apartment building. as i was walking back from my portuguese lesson, the church guard called my over to look at my car. there was a large dent and white marks above the front wheel. he then began to pick up pieces of this "rock" that had fallen out of the window of an apartment above. the "rock" was actually sea coral and was knocked out of the window by a gust of wind. we eventually found the man who lived in the apartment with the falling coral. he takes no responsibility. . . says he rents the apartment and the sea coral belongs to the landlord so it's her fault. T.I.M.

after the falling coral incident, i went to matola, a city about 20 minutes outside of maputo. there was a bad accident on the road. I eventually just turned off my car and sat for 45 minutes doing portuguese homework. they finally opened up one lane of traffic. there was an 18 wheeler carrying bags of cement involved in the accident so they were cleaning up all of the spilled cement. it took me 2 hours to get somewhere that should have taken 20 minutes. when i headed back to the city a couple of hours later, they were still cleaning up the accident!! the rush hour traffic was backed up for miles every chapa (public bus) stop was packed with 50 to 150 people waiting to get a chapa home. the woman who works in our house said she didn't get home until 9:00 last night and she left our house before 4:00! T.I.M.

this is normal life in mozambique. and i do love it!!!

addition to TIM: i took one of the boys, naldo, to the doctor today. he got stabbed last week and had to get 8 stitches. we were supposed to get them removed today. at the local health center, they told us to come back tomorrow because they didn't have any of the supplies they needed to see patients today. T.I.M.

Police Search And A Knife Wound

2009-07-23T16:36:00.004+02:00

The first boys to arrive at the project this morning were Abrantis, Ernesto, Naldo, and Mario. Right away, Abrantis and Naldo gave me some money to hold for them in my pocket. I am always leery of guarding their money because usually its earned by stealing lights from cars and selling them on the black market. But I took the money and was quickly distracted by Abrantis, who we jokingly refer to as "Malouco" which means crazy person. He gave me some folded up newspaper and told me to open it. As I did, whatever was inside of it started to move so i screamed and threw it at him as all the boys laughed at me. It was some contraption they had made with paperclips, a rubber band, and the tab off a can of coke.

Their joke was interrupted by an undercover police officer entering the project and asking to search all of the boys. He had followed them from the black market where he had watched them selling stolen lights. He asked that we gather all of the boys. Two of them quickly went to the wash basin where I heard the clanging of metal. I went and peeked inside the basin and saw that they had discarded the "keys" that they use to steal lights from cars which is actually a flat piece of metal.

The police officer searched 8 or 9 of the boys. He found 2 lights in Mario's pocket. Surprisingly, the police officer was not there to punish the boys though. He is working in the black market to try and arrest the adults who use the street boys to steal things for them. So Pastor Paulo, our director, Mario, and 2 other boys accompanied the police officer to the black market to point out the people they sold stolen lights to. It's so encouraging to see the police targeting the adults who benefit from the kids stealing. If we see the day when the black market no longer exists, then maybe the kids will no longer steal.

The rest of the day continued as normal.....we went to play soccer, had our church service, and ate lunch all together. A group of 10 or so of the boys walked me home so that they could get a soccer ball from my house. I gave them the ball and off they went to play at a court here in the city. An hour later, my doorbell rang. It was Naldo, Mario, and Jito. Naldo had a piece of scrap paper stuck just above his eye and it was soaked in blood. He had gotten into a fight with one of the other boys, Luis, while playing soccer and Luis cut him with one of the "keys" they use to steal lights.

Thankfully, I live right across the street from central hospital. So i grabbed a washcloth to replace the bloody scrap of paper and off we went to the emergency room. After accounting the story of what happened to the worker at the front desk, a police officer, the doctor, and 2 nurses, we left the hospital with 8 stitches. And it took less than 2 hours which is pretty fast for an ER in any country!!!

An eventful day to say the least. I love the boys I work with and I so desperately want to see transformation in their lives. We talk to them so much about stealing and fighting. They are such huge problems to tackle and I know that it is only God that can cause the change in their hearts. If they could only grasp His love for them and learn to love other people with this same love.

Our 10th Boy to Go Home

2009-07-16T14:40:00.003+02:00

Today Albano "Biggs" left the streets of Maputo and returned to Beira where his family lives. Biggs is 17 years old. He was living on the streets for the past 6 months. He originally came to Maputo to live with his uncle and work. However, his uncle got into some trouble with the police, sold all of Biggs' things and fled to South Africa.

Sadly, this is a common story. Many young men come to the city in hopes of finding work and making money. It's not so easy though and they often end up living on the streets.

I will miss Biggs. He is such a sweet young man. He would come to my house once a week and wash my car for me. Even this past Monday, he was walking down my street when I returned from South Africa and stopped to help me carry my things up to my apartment. I know that he needs to be back at home with his father but I hate to see him go. It's the bitter sweet part of my job.

Please join me in praying for Biggs. Pray that his transition back to life with his family will go well. He'll be living with his father and stepmother. Pray also that he'll find a church to go to in his community where he can continue to learn about the Father. Biggs is very smart and has completed grade 8 so far. He's excited to return to school when the new term begins in January so pray also that everything gets sorted out for him to return to school.

Last night before, Biggs stopped by my house one last time to say goodbye. Our last words to each other were "até nunca." Normally you would say goodbye with "até logo" which means "see you later" but for Biggs its "até nunca" . . . "see you never." And that is my prayer for Biggs...that he will prosper at home with his family and never again return to the streets of Maputo.

The Great Chicken Kill

2009-07-01T20:37:00.006+02:00

These were the chickens that became lunch on Children's Day.

The pictures speak for themselves!

They were yummy chickens!!!

Playing Cards with Emilton

2009-06-19T11:13:00.003+02:00

Today we went to check-in on Emilton, one of the boys we have taken back to his family. He is doing so well!! Morgan Collins, who goes to The Vine UMC, has sponsored Emilton's reintegration. She had sent a package for him with a few card games and some candy. So I delivered the package to him today and got to teach him how to play the games. There was one game called Blink that was so funny to watch as he was learning. Its a game where speed is the key to winning. His aunt was watching us play and just laughing the whole time!!! Thanks Morgan for sending that package for Emilton....he told me to tell you thank you for everything.

Reintegration is a huge part of what we do at Masana. Our heart is to see the boys ready to leave life on the street and return to their families. Since January, we have taken 9 boys back home. For each boy that goes home, we meet with the family members, register him for school, buy him clothes, school supplies, a uniform for school, and other things he made need at home. For the older youth, we help them start up a small business. And with one boy we have had to help him build a small house as his grandparents live in a small hut that only has space for 2. If you are interested in sponsoring one of the boys as we reunite him with his family, please email me at solds19@gmail.com.

The Black Market

2009-06-17T21:57:00.003+02:00

Here in Mozambique we have this horrible thing known as the the black market. its a very bad place. and here is why: it feeds the theft around the city. people steal things...such as lights off of cars. . . and sale them on the black market. then the owner has to go buy them back at the black market. this has happened to my car twice now in the past month. and each time it has cost me $120 to get the lights back. what a waste.

T.I.M. (this is mozambique)

A Day of Home Visits

2009-06-14T15:44:00.002+02:00

Yesterday, we went to check in on 4 of the boys we have taken back to their families in the last few months. The first boy, Fazinda, lives in Maniça about an hour and a half from Maputo. We stopped along the way and bought 6 large sheets of tin for the construction of his house. Then we headed to Castigo's house which was over an hour from there. We got a little lost trying to find his house and a neighbor in his village had to get in the car with us and direct us to the right house! This was our first visit to Castigo and Fazinda since they had gone home so we took each of them a suitcase full of blankets and clothes. We'll return to their houses again in August to help them start up a small business. Next, we drove to Xai-Xai. I was determined that I wasn't going to backtrack an hour to the main road just to go back in the same direction. I knew there had to be a more direct route . . . and there was but it was mostly dirt roads. So the shortcut didn't really save us any time. But we made it to Xai-Xai where we visited 2 boys, Antonio and Leonel. Antonio was having some problems with the village chief about registering as a resident so we went to his house and spoke with his wife and got it all sorted out. Then it was off to Leonel's house. . . sadly at this point it was already after 3:00 and we still had more than a 3 hour drive back to Maputo so we did not stay long.

All of the boys are doing well with their families! Leonel is the only one in school right now and he is making good grades. In January, when the new school year begins, we'll help the other boys get registered for schools in their communities. Antonio's small business of selling cokes on the beach near his house had failed but he surprised us with the news that he has gotten a job at a little shop near his house! I put together small gifts to take to each of the families - a plastic tub with some basic food items. And thanks to my brother, we were able to take a soccer ball to each of the boys...which was their favorite part of our visit!!!

Lug-nuts Are Very Important

2009-06-05T17:57:00.001+02:00

Monday night I went to dinner with some friends. As we left the restaurant, one of my friends, Dominique, commented on some strange noise my car was making. My car is always making some new strange noise so I didn't think to much about it. Tuesday night, I was driving home with Dominique after our children's day celebration in Matola and the car was doing really strange things. A chapa (minibus) behind me started flashing his lights at me. About that time I felt what I thought was a tire blow. I pulled off the road and as I did, Dominique looked out her window and said "the tire fell off." All of the lug-nuts were gone and the tire had fallen off!

As we got out of the car, the chapa driver pulled up behind me and told me he was trying to tell me i was fishtailing. Thankfully there were a couple of guys standing right beside where the tire fell off. They very graciously volunteered to put the tire back on. We removed the lug-nuts from the spare tire and the guys got to work. It took quite a while because when I pulled off the road, only the front tires made it over the curb before the tire fell off. I do like to provide a challenge for the guys coming to my rescue! They were very kind though and even went and got chairs for Dominique and I to sit in while we waited.

Still have no idea what happened to my lug-nuts. Stolen? Fell off? A combination of both? T.I.M. (This Is Mozambique)!!

Children's Day in Matola

2009-06-04T12:50:00.013+02:00

We had such a wonderful time celebrating children's day with the kid's in the village in Matola. They were so excited to receive the simple gifts we gave, play games, and eat chocolate cake! Here are some pictures from the celebration:

We started the celebration with a little math lesson

Then I taught the kids about the parable of the prodigal son and talked to them about being children of God.

In the parable, the father gives his son a pair of sandals upon his return to symbolize his position in the family. We gave all the kids flip flops to remind them that they will always be children of God.

Each child got gifts - a coloring book and crayons, flip flops, a tooth brush and tooth paste, and some candy.

Nelson did a demo for the kids on how to brush their teeth!

Then we played games....this is one of the kid's favorites called "Terra/Mar" (in english that is land/sea)

Next was musical chairs. We didn't have music so the youth helping me just sang random made up songs in Shanghan!

The winner of each round of musical chairs got hoisted up in the air for a victory photo.

Then the kids wanted to race. We paired them up and they ran down the path beside Lena's home, to the trash pile, and back.

Finally, all of the kids got a piece of chocolate cake and a coke.

And that was children's day in Matola. Thank you again to everyone at Sanctuary Baptist Church that gave so that I could do all of this for the kids. It really was so amazing to watch them enjoy the simple games and gifts. So much joy was brought to those kids through your giving!!!

Children's Day at Masana

2009-06-04T11:55:00.005+02:00

June 1st is a holiday here in Mozambique honoring children. The festivities surrounding the day are similar to Christmas - presents and a big dinner! At Masana, we had 27 street boys come to the party. We had a big lunch with chicken (that we killed ourselves!!), potatoes, salad, rice, cokes and chocolate cake. Each of the boys received a gift bag as well full of candy, playing cards, a winter hat, and a pair of flip flops. It was such a fun day!!!

The flip flops that each of the boys received had a lot of significance. Over the past months, God has continued to teach me about the prodigal son. With each boy we have reintegrated, I've felt like I was watching this parable live. A couple of months ago, we reintegrated a boy named Emilton. You can read Emilton's story here. After this, the Lord really began speaking to me about the significance of the shoes given to the son upon his return home. Everyone who was a member of the family would have worn shoes...only servants went barefoot. So for children's day, each of the boys received a pair of flip flops. Luis and I did a teaching on the prodigal son and talked about the flip flops symbolizing their position as sons of God. My heart for the boys at Masana is that they would truly know their identity as a son of God.

I want to thank everyone at Sanctuary Baptist Church for your gracious giving. The boys were so blessed!!!

The Loss Of 2 Precious Little Ones

2009-05-26T18:24:00.002+02:00

Death is a always a hard thing to deal with....but for some reason it seems so much worse to me when its babies, children, or youth who die. Today I went to Matola for kid's church at Zacarius' house. I was greeted by a bunch of the kids as soon as I turned off the main road. This has become their new tradition...waiting for me at the road each week so that they can jump in the car and ride with me the mile back to their house. Only today they were all quite as they entered the car and began telling Manuel, Nelson, and Binario (the 3 youth from Iris Ministries who help me each week) about the tragedy that had struck. I was clueless as they spoke in Shanghan, the local dialect. Then Nelson, who has really taken a leadership role with Kid's Church, turned to me and told me that 2 very bad things had happened. 2 babies had died since our visit the Tuesday before.

Baby Nelson, was around one year old. He and the Nelson from Iris had bonded week after week as they shared the same name. Last week, older Nelson had carried little Nelson around in his arms during the Bible lesson and as the kids played games. I remember just before we left, I took a package of washing powder away from little Nelson and told older Nelson to watch his little friend because he was eating soap. We enjoyed a laugh together at how cute little Nelson was. Not long after we left, little Nelson wondered off by himself into the bathroom. In an African village the bathroom consists of a deep hole dug in the ground. Normally the toilet is covered when not in use but on this day, the cover had been left off. An hour later, as Lena, Zacarius' mom, and some of the neighbors sat around, they smelled the toilet and sent someone to cover it. That's when little Nelson was discovered. He had fallen into the toilet. Lena rushed him to the hospital as his mom remained at home, to upset to move. But it was too late. Little Nelson was dead.

That was the first tragedy.

On Saturday...only 4 days later... Lena's sister, Lisa, who also lives in the village, was rushed to the hospital. She was at least 8 months pregnant. The doctors wanted to do surgery to deliver the baby but because of a condition with Lisa's heart they were not able to and the baby died. Lisa is still in the hospital. She has been given medicine to induce labor and is just waiting to give birth to her baby...without life.

That was the second tragedy.

The lives of 2 precious little ones taken before they had really begun. But in Africa, surrounded by such poverty, I find myself wondering if these little ones aren't better off. They are with Jesus now where they will never have to know the pain of going days without food or freezing at night because the family can't afford blankets.

Yet the sadness lingers...both with me and the families in that little village in Matola. Please pray for the comfort of God over them as they gather in their homes tonight and over Lisa as she lays in the hospital.

2 More Boys Went Home!

2009-05-25T17:30:00.006+02:00

another blog entry from dominique who captures it all so beautifully:

we woke up at 6am to go meet the boys here in the city, in maputo. there were two of them and they had been living on the street for about a year and the other for about five months. today though, we were going to drive them back to their villages and see if their families would allow them to come home, welcome them back--- sometimes, on other occasions when sarah and luis have taken boys home--- the mothers didnt even look at their sons and they were not allowed to return.

we drove away from the city. the landscape grew more grassy in places, open, with people or children walking or playing near the road. cashews in plastic bags hung from different trees for miles and miles, also alongside the road, as venders waited in the sun or shade for a car to stop and buy some. we eventually did but from a little town. then continued on.

the first home was for a boy named Fazenda. for his home we began to drive through a village and then pull into an area off to the side, more hidden, with dead corn stuck in its growth yet much green around, gardens of vegetables, and large trees that created shade over the sandy places. we got out of the car and walked through a path between corn stalks leading to the shade where his grandmother sat, watching us, taking in that this boy who had been missing was now there walking towards her. her face was without expression. she stood and with a swiftness went to her hut--- to get a white plastic chair. but since the hut was collapsing, the doorway was no longer the size it once had been and the chair could not go through. she called facinda over to help her. her first greeting, so to speak. and he did, twisting the chair at different angles to get it out. finally it was free. she brought it beneath the tree and offered the chair to the three of us--- Sarah, Luis, and me. We greeted her with a kiss on each cheek and found a place to sit.

Luis, is mozambican and speaks the language of Shongan. He explained to her how Fazenda had been living on the streets in Maputo and how he found his way to Masana which lets the boys bathe, wash their clothes, eat two meals, study, and hear life lessons. The boys can not stay or sleep there, because it is Masana's heart that they would one day be reunited to their families. The grandmother asked if she could go get the grandfather and left for awhile to find him. When they came back the grandfather spoke telling us a story similar to the one Fazenda had told, that Fazenda's father had died when he was young and his mother had run away to South Africa. Fazenda had been living with his aunt and one day when given money he had disappeared. They do not know why he went. But his grandfather, wearing green and highwater boots, squatting near us because of no seat, said that this place is Fazenda's. it is Fazenda's home as much as it is his. it was almost his way of expressing that he welcomes him back but also this is so very much his home. the grandmother watched him as he spoke. in that moment i could see in their seriousness their great love for the Fazenda; he was somewhat a little distanced from them sitting behind the root of a tree, watching to see what they would say--- and in the way that he watched and listened, and in the way he chose to come back home even when there was no hut for him or anything that the streets of the city had... i felt his hope for his family. Sometimes in families you see the gap though between how people love one another and how it still seems hard to connect that love. The grandparents seemed to have a deep hurt in them-- perhaps from him going, perhaps from the other things and Fazenda too seemed to have a deep hurt that was different, from something else. And in it, I felt like they didnt know what to do to tell him how much they love him. Perhaps when we were gone and not looking on they did. Luis decided it was ok to leave Fazenda. And with the clothes on his back, he stayed. Fazenda also was visibly giddy as well about being home.

We walked back to the car and they all walked with us. We said our goodbyes and mutual thank yous. I smiled at Fazenda and said goodbye and before I got back into the car, he called out from where he was walking again between the corn stalks, his hand lifted in the air, and sheer enthusiasm to be home in his voice 'Ciao Dominguez!" he said. "Ciao." With that we left and began our drive to Castigo's home.

To take part in returning a son home I think is an action strangely full of aching when I was in it. I cried with each of them, held tears back while Luis talked to the families.

Sarah and Luis had tried to bring Castigo home a month ago. But Castigo could not remember or recognize the roads home. They drove for hours and hours until dark and then had to return him to the streets of the city. Today, as we tried again we didnt know if we were going to find his home but he noticed a road he had missed before--- it was over an hour and a half from the city. During the ride I was astounded at the thought of Castigo even making it to Maputo when he ran away. There was almost an admiration I could feel for him for a moment as we made all the turns towards his home.

Castigo, though, is a name that means punishment or to punish. It was a very sad name for me-- I guess for me and for some-- names are so important, embedded in them supernatural direction, favor and blessing. But what does it mean to have a name that means punishment? And what does it mean to bring a son named "punishment" home? I wondered. Castigo was also a very serious boy. Even among the other boys at Masana he kept to himself. While most boys were friendly and tried to talk to us, he did not. I would say hi and give him space and wave or smile from a distance and everynow and then he would smile too for a fleeting moment but you could see a stunning goodness in him.

By the time we made all the turns to his house, with my friend Sarah driving the car, our two white faces in the front had attracted a bit of curiousity from the villagers who gathered in small groups and looked on from afar in a way that did not happen at Fazenda's. We got out and walked towards his home and the earth almost seemed harsher, his hut black with ash of some sort, his mother grinding something to the side of it. When she saw us, she stood, went to the hut and came out with three plastic chairs for us. Also dark grey with some stain of time. There were more people, but in a way the place did not have the peace that Fazenda's did. The mother continued with her grinding and we sat there for a time, while Castigo disappeared--- later even when family called for him, he did not return immediately. Eventually the mother came to a mat near us and sat with her baby--- I should say that Castigo's three year old sister did rush to greet him when we came. She stood near him and she could not stop smiling, laughing and jumping up and down. He watched her not knowing what to do or not wanting to show us perhaps how well he plays with her when no one is looking. The sister eventually walked to somewhere else and it was just us and the mother, a toddler, and a baby wrapped in capulana on the mat. Luis told the mother of Masana. And when she sensed we were asking if he could return home she said with out looking at us "I need my son." which she would say again later. She too called the step father over, and an uncle came, and two aunts all resting near or on the mat. They were grateful to have him home. Luis told again of what Masana is. The step- father said leaning towards us with much expression on his face "This is his home. He can make as many mistakes as he wants and we will always take him back." The aunt she also spoke saying to Luis "We thought when he disappeared that perhaps he did go to the city. And then we began to think perhaps he could be killed in the city, or hurt or something could happen. We did not know what to think. And now you come and you tell us he had been safe, and he has been coming to you to learn about God...this is God answering our worship to bring you to him. This is God. We can not be more thankful. We can not be." She clasped her hands into her lap and looked down overcome.

Eventually Castigo came back and sat in the middle of the mat with them. They said they would celebrate. And while Luis was talking to him, telling him that if he ran away again we could not take him at Masana, he gave that smile that is so quick yet so true and said to Luis "no no I'm staying."

Coloring Books

2009-05-22T18:00:00.004+02:00

I received a package from the Smith family at Sanctuary Baptist church full of coloring books and colored pencils. The boys at Masana have enjoyed coloring in them every day! It doesn't matter how old they are.....they all enjoy coloring from time to time! Most days, I end up flipping through the pages of the books with some of the boys teaching them new words in english.

Thank you!!!

Dominique

2009-05-19T18:30:00.003+02:00

my friend dominique is here visiting. she is such a treasure from the Lord....so encouraging. she is a very gifted writer and i wanted to share with y'all how she described her first days here in maputo with me:

as we entered the city, it was night time and there were some street children who appeared from nowhere in between the cars--- with smiles on their faces rushing to our car to welcome Sarah back. she rolled down her window to speak portuguese to them and to ask why some of them where not home. we moved on with the traffic light. as we finally neared where she lives another group of older street boys approached the car with big smiles again--- one had a very very large bandage on the side of his neck from where he had had surgery a few days earlier to remove an abcess that had been larger than a baseball. sarah had taken him to the american embassy where a doctor so kindly did the surgery for free. now the boy was coming to the car to show Sarah that he was well and that he had been changing the bandages himself and keeping the wound clean. his name is Declesio, he is about 17 and has been living on the streets and now he does want to go home... to be reunited with his father. it has been making me think of the prodigal son in a new way, wishing that his father would rush out to meet him. but the culture here is very harsh sometimes to the children, especially to the boys... they are often very unwanted by the time they decide the streets would be better. i think he is brave to want to go home. -- that was my first evening in Mozambique.

while here, i have been going in the morning to the very humble area where the street children gather from 8-12:30 to pray, to receive bread and hot tea, to be allowed to wash their clothes, and then to be taught in two main classes for a few hours, then to have lunch and a life lesson from the word. the entire ministry team are mozambican except for my friend Sarah (who raises her money through unveiled faces to be there) and they have very little and live in the midst of the the threats that poverty makes on lives here. even this morning, before one of the teachers came to work he helped his neighbor go to the hospital because she and her two children had malaria. she will be better, but he lamented about how sick she was today. the other teacher here, he also brings the boys back to their homes--- counsels them as they adjust, leads them to see the decisions they can make...the small ones, that will make the difference in their lives... from brushing their teeth, to staying in school, to truly praying to God and knowing their lives are his. i went with him and sarah as well to visit a teenager they had brought back home--- they had helped him start a small business and all of his money was stolen, so his family took him to the witchdoctor to see if he had curse on his life... they though encouraged him to focus on school, to take the opportunity to do well in his classes and while we chatted in his dirt yard about seven of his siblings watched us. we prayed for him. and when he bowed his head i felt the reality of his the depth of his faith--- i felt that he really knew You Lord.

in another village where Sarah helped to reintegrate a boy to his family, she still visits him every week and now has a small children's church each time in front of his hut. this boy was quite young-- not a teen, about ten and had been living in the streets... now though he waits at the entrance of the village for Sarah to come, and this week about fifteen children were waiting--- as young as a year old... and then when they saw us they ran to the car ...then turned to run to meet us at the hut, some staying behind for the one year old. when we got to the hut there was an air of excitement and as soon as one village girl put a mat down, all the children immediately sat for the lesson that was about to be given by the young mozambican boy whom Sarah had brought with her. the children were hearing some of the stories from the word for the first time. a mother sat nearby listening.

Castigo

2009-04-27T15:05:00.006+02:00

We are currently trying to help Castigo get back home. He is 15 years old. His family lives about 3 hours from Maputo. His father has passed away but his mom and 2 siblings are at home. He came to the city in February to look for work. He was unable to find any and since he knew no one was forced to live on the street. Praise the Lord for bringing Castigo to Masana so that we can help him get back home!!!

This past Friday, we took 2 other boys back home. Castigo went with us so that we could visit his family on the way back to Maputo. We spent 3 hours driving around and were not able to find his house. When he came to the city in search of work, it was his first time ever really leaving home. It was dark when he left home and he does not remember how to get back. We drove around until dusk then began the 2 hour drive back to Maputo. Unfortunately, that means Castigo is still living on the street. In a couple of weeks, we'll take him back and try again to find his home.

Please pray for wisdom as we try to figure out how to find Castigo's family.

Another Trip to Xai Xai

2009-04-27T14:36:00.005+02:00

Last Friday, we took Antonio and Leonel back to their homes in Xai Xai, a city about 3 hours away from Maputo. Leonel is living with his mom. We spoke to the director of the school near his house and arranged for him to register there this week. Normally, we would have done all of that ourselves but because it is so far away, we've left it to Leonel and his mom. Leonel was so happy to go home. He was all smiles the entire day!!!

The circumstances with Antonio's family have changed a bit since our visit in March. At the time his older brother, Luis, was living with their mom. Their mom has since kicked Luis and his wife out. They were able to rent a house and have happily takin in Antonio. Actually, I think this is a much better situation for Antonio as he and his mother do not get along and I was worried he was not going to make it long in her house. Antonio has now moved in with his brother. We bought him a small cooler and some canned drinks that he will begin selling on the beach.

Please keep Leonel and Antonio in your prayers as they adjust to life back at home. It is hard for them to go from the freedom on the street to the responsibilities of work, school, and family life. Pray that they know the blessing that their families are!!!

Brooke's Wedding

2009-04-27T14:21:00.005+02:00

Last year, the Lord blessed me with a wonderful friend, Brooke. We spent the year together working at the Iris Ministries children's center just outside of Maputo, Mozambique. She is such an important part of my time there and I can't imagine how it would have been with out her!!! One of the greatest treasures I share with Brooke is the family of 2 boys that were living on the street in Maputo, Zacarius and Gaspar. If you follow my blog, you've seen many posts about this family. Looking back, it's amazing to see how much that family has impacted where I am today! Thank you, Brooke, for joining me in that adventure. . . I don't know that I'd be where I am today had you not!!!

I had the pleasure of spending the last 2 weeks with Brooke as she returned to Mozambique to get married! We had a wonderful time together and I am so thankful for the gift of her friendship. The wedding was so beautiful. Now Brooke and her new husband, Valdemar, have returned to New Zealand to begin their life together. Selfishly, I hope the Lord brings them back to Mozambique very soon!!!

Here is a picture of Brooke and I with Zacarius and Gaspar's family: