The first two weeks

I hope this finds you all well and having a good summer. Have a St. Arbucks iced coffee and take a bike ride to the rope swing for me…two things I sort of miss. I guess for now I will have to have rice and beans and go swimming in the Indian Ocean…not a bad compromise, less the rice and beans. Since last time I wrote…four days into the trip…I could write a small novel on what God is doing in my heart and in Mozambique. But to save your face from passing out on the keyboard from boredom I will just share a few things. What I love about this culture is their emphasis on relationship. The western world is very focused on time and on how the process is going to lead to accomplishing the goal. The Mozambicans are much more interested in the process and the journey. For example, when the outreach team is going to a remote village and gets stuck in the mud. Many of the western missionaries are motivated to do what it will take to get the truck out of the mud to get to the village. The Mozambicans turn their energy to the process of getting the truck out and the community effort that it involves. One more example would be…if a Mozambican is walking to work and meets someone on the way, the walk is now about connecting with this new friend and less about walking to work. The consequence is that the man might have been walking to finish your roof, so you learn not to have expectations on when things will get done. There are many things the cultures could learn from each other. Beyond learning about the culture, learning Portuguese, and connecting with the people here, God is continuing to show me my heart toward him and to others. Childlike faith and humility starts to make sense when you do not understand the language, the culture, and all of your comfort of “home” is taken away. For example, this past weekend I decided to walk in town (about two miles) to meet some village people and get to know how they live. On the way in town, we saw a drunken man passed out on the ground. We stopped and got him up and prayed for his addiction (he has no family and drinks all day) as we were doing this, the whole village gathered around us to see what we were doing. (Luckily, a boy offered to interpret for us) As we were getting up, a mother and a child approached us with her child. She was very sick and her child had the same problem. She had no money to afford the hospital and there are not government programs and social agencies to help people in her situation. She came to us in utter desperation as if to say, “Do you really carry any good news for me?” It made me think of the way we argue theology and manage “God” in the west… while the whole world is watching with the same question, “Do you really have any good news.” So back to the woman…we prayed for her and her child and we went away praising God for showing us, yet again, our total need his wisdom and ministry. I love not having any other option or plan other than God showing up. One other thing I will mention that is wrecking me is Heidi’s teaching on missions and evangelism. I am used her preaching and seeing the power of God flood through her message, but so far it has been very laid back and practical. Her primary message is that we must move with the rhythm of God’s heart for others and be just ourselves...something that I could probably meditate on for the rest of my life. Anyways I feel like I am rambling…this experience is getting better everyday and I still cannot believe I am here. Thank You all for being a part of my life and being interested in what God is doing in Mozambique…I have not been on an extensive outreach yet…but the stories that are coming back from them are beyond comprehension…eyes, ears and backs being healed….hundreds coming to Jesus from a culture of oppression and corruption…it is really good stuff…but it hasn’t been made real yet. Bless you!!!