Project Purpose

i went to visit another ministry in maputo yesterday. its called project purpose and is run by a woman named katie. she's been here in maputo for 7 or 8 years. her ministry's focus is on girls in the sex industry.  she leases the top floor/the roof of a building in the city right across the street from central market (its an incredible location with a great view of the city). the building is in the red light district on a street called "good death" (but the Lord has promised her it would become "abundant life"!!!). her heart is to provide a safe place for the girls to heal and grow holistically. she has over 50 girls that she's connected with ranging in age from 12-24. here are the things going on with project purpose:

* discipleship - walking through the healing process with the girls

* a sewing room where the girls learn to sew and then make clothing to be sold in a shop there at the center. 

*  a room that will be made into a salon and a beauty program to teach them so that they can work in the salon.  

* a preschool for the children of the girls. 

* a kitchen where meals are prepared for the girls during the day and where they are taught culinary skills

katie would love to see 24/7 prayer happening at the center/on the roof one day - just waiting for the Lord to send someone with that vision to oversee itl!!!!

she also has land in matola (a village about 15-20 minutes from the building in the city) where she is in the process of building a center for the girls to live at with their children.  currently, they have only built one hut and there is a woman with 5 children living there.  the vision is to build cement homes to house 40-60 women/children.  they have planted many crops on the property and they eat the food they grow.  the kids go to school in the village.

it's so incredible to see how the Lord is lavishing His love all over this city!!! He's desperate for His mozambican bride!!!! 

Stopping For The One

"Love the one in front of you and God will multiply that love."

-Heidi Baker

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My prayer each day here in Mozambique is that the Lord will show me one person that i am to stop for. . . one child that I am to intentionally love.  Can you imagine how powerful it would be if all of us lived that way?  If all of us began each day asking the Lord to show us one person we could love at our school or at our work or at the grocery store?  The love of the Father would multiply so rapidly!!!! 

Heidi Baker, the founder of Iris Ministries, has built this ministry upon the principal of stopping for the one in front you.  Today there are thousands and thousands of children cared for all over Mozambique and other African nations.  Its not just the missionaries caring for the children either. Mozambican pastors are taking in orphans and caring for them because they've seen the power of love!  It's an incredible thing!!!

My New Roomate

If you take a good look at this picture, you'll see shredded notebook paper in my tennis shoes.  This is where my new roommate hoped to reside.....a mouse!!!!  But upon discovery of his new home, i quickly evicted him and took back possession of my shoes!!!!  Sadly, he also found my reese's pieces that my friend deanna gave me before i left the states.  i think he only ate one though and you better believe i'll still be eating the rest of them....can't buy reese's here!!!!!

Happy New Year!!!!

So much has changed in my life is 2007.  I left the ministry I had worked at for 6 years, spent 3 months at a missions school, sold most of my belongings, said goodbye to my family and friends and moved to Africa.  Now here i am . . . excited about what the Lord has in store for 2008!!!! 

Recently I have been reading Isaiah 49 over and over:

"Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name. He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver. He said to me, "You are my servant in whom I will display my splendor." Isaiah 49:1-3

Isn't it amazing to think about the details that Lord puts into every moment of every day of your life?!?!  All throughout 2007 and the years before that, He was making me ready so that He might display His splendor through  me here in Mozambique.   Before I was born He called me to the children of Africa!!!  What a faithful God we serve!!!!

I hope each and every one of y'all have an amazing 2008 filled with the blessings of the Lord!!!!

Here are some pictures from the new years festivities with the kids:

The missionaries and visitors served the kids hotdogs on New Year's Eve.

The hotdogs were almost as big as some of the kids!!!!

On New Year's Day, I helped with a party for the little boys dorm.  The party started with wheelbarrow races, which they had never done before.  They were so cute as they drug their partners across the floor to win!!!

Next we brought out the parachute for the boys to play with.  Domingos, the boy in the middle, is blind.  The other boys really look out for him though!

Here are the littlest boys in the dorm enjoying their hot dogs, yogurt, apples, cookies, and coke!

At the end of the party, all of the boys got their own jar of peanut butter which is a very special treat.  This is Thabo.  He has been living at the center since May of 2007.  He has been very sick for the last few months.  Please pray for his healing!

Welcome to Facebook!

Recently, the teenage boys here at the Iris Center have heard about Facebook from some of the visitors that have come through.  If you're not familiar with Facebook, it is a social networking website similar to MySpace where you can connect and stay in touch with people you know all over the world.  The idea of being able to stay in touch with the visitors they meet is very appealing to the boys so they've all wanted to create their own Facebook profiles.  And since I myself LOVE Facebook I have volunteered my computer and time to help them!!! 

Having been here twice before as a visitor, I know how hard it is to bond with these kids and then have to leave them not knowing if you'll ever see them again.  The Lord really blesses the relationships between visitors and kids here at the center.  He uses the kids to teach the visitors so much about His heart.  So I think its amazing that Facebook exists as a way for them to continue those relationships. 

Plus helping the boys set up their profiles gives me lots of quality time with them!!!!

Ernesto, Nelson, and Mateus gathered around 

my computer with Haley, a visitor from Australia.

Christmas in Mozambique

I had a wonderful Christmas with the kids!!!  

Here are some pictures and highlights from the festivities:

Another missionary with Iris Ministries, Corry, has a small home in a village for 16 kids with AIDS.  Some workers from an AIDS clinic in town threw a Christmas party for the kids.

Children and missionaries dance and worship at the Christmas Eve candle light service.

Some of the older boys perform a rap at the Christmas Eve service.

The little girls act out the Christmas story.

Some of the little boys celebrating that Jesus is the Light of the World.

Me and some of the younger boys with the paper chains we 

made to decorate their dorm with on Christmas Eve..

The boys helped blow up all of the balloons to hang up in their dorm.

All of the kids got new clothes for Christmas.

The boys give thanks to the Lord before receiving their gifts.

Toys!  Toys!  Toys!

Inacio shows off his new toys.

Pai opens the gift he received...school supplies, a frisbee, 

chinese checkers, bouncy balls, and lots of sweets!

The girls open their gifts.

We had a HUGE feast!

Chicken, french fries, potato salad, rice, 2 lolly pops, and a soda! 

The kids loved it and, yes, they cleaned their plates and ate the 

leftovers from the missionaries and visitors!!!!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!!

My New Home

My first week in Mozambique has been incredible! I've really felt the grace of the Lord as I've settled in.  All of the other missionaries have been incredibly welcoming and its been so much fun to reunite with the kids that i love so much!  

Sadly, my roommate, Inga, is moving back to Germany the day after Christmas.  All of the female missionaries spent time praying over her last night and I was really touched by some of the words they shared with her.  They spoke about how perfect the timing was of her arrival and how they had prayed for someone like her to come and pour into the girls here at the center in the specific ways she has.  I was reminded of Esther being set apart for such a time as this...called away from her family to live in the palace so that she might save her people.  I don' fully know what me "job" here at Iris will look like but I believe that I have been called here for such a time as this.     

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