Worship on the Roof

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

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

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

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.