My Journey To Mozambique (part 4)

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)

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)

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)

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

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

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

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!