Sharing Jesus Through Soccer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.