So, today we leave for Durban to fly out in late afternoon--we are currently in St. Lucia and it's about a three hour drive from here. We were really busy finishing up ministry in the Tembe area before moving up into Mozambique for several days...during this time we had absolutely no Internet connection and would have been too busy to use it had it been available.
This trip has touched everyone in a special way...we've got lots of memories--faces, sounds, and scenes--that are going to be with us forever. These include some very funny memories involving marauding elephants and angry leopards within the camp perimeter...
Today is the end and we're not looking forward to the long trip home. We should be leaving in about ten minutes so everyone will hear about this in detail soon...
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
first day
The team arrived safely in Durban on the 15th and drove up to Tembe on the 17th...I was so glad to see everyone and have since been regaled with stories involving the effects of Ambien on teen aged boys, unphotogenic people, and plane food.
Today was our first day of work...we went to a AIDS-prevention center in the nearby town of Manguzi to learn more about their programs. Tholulwazi Uzivikele (means "empower yourself through knowledge") runs several programs including a home based care program for those who are not able to reach the hospital regularly, an orphan care program, and they also offer life-skills classes to Manguzi and the surrounding communities. Several members of the team witnessed to Tholulwazi employees after the briefing.
Afterwards, we drove to a pharmacy to get supplies for our foray into Mozambique and most of us hung out outside talking amongst ourselves and with the locals. Alice and Lindsey quickly spotted the nearest baby which they hijacked from its mother...it's getting to be a regular occurrence...
We drove out into the bush to make several visits (whenever we drive somewhere, it goes without saying that someone gets stuck...this time it was Billy), one to a girl named Mbali and another to an elderly man named Khumalo. We had met Mbali the previous year's mission trip...her parents had died, leaving her as an orphan to care for her three younger siblings. Around this time she became a Christian and as a team we just dropped by to say hello and to encourage and pray for her. Khumalo is an elderly refugee from the war in Mozambique about twenty years ago who fled across the border into South Africa after witnessing the murder of his wife and children before his eyes. He has since lived in this community outside of Manguzi and we spoke with him for awhile and gave him some rice and other food to support himself on.
After all this, it was back to Tembe where everyone is now working on praise-and-worship, skits, and playing indoor soccer! Our evening isn't done yet and it was a good first day of work.
Today was our first day of work...we went to a AIDS-prevention center in the nearby town of Manguzi to learn more about their programs. Tholulwazi Uzivikele (means "empower yourself through knowledge") runs several programs including a home based care program for those who are not able to reach the hospital regularly, an orphan care program, and they also offer life-skills classes to Manguzi and the surrounding communities. Several members of the team witnessed to Tholulwazi employees after the briefing.
Afterwards, we drove to a pharmacy to get supplies for our foray into Mozambique and most of us hung out outside talking amongst ourselves and with the locals. Alice and Lindsey quickly spotted the nearest baby which they hijacked from its mother...it's getting to be a regular occurrence... We drove out into the bush to make several visits (whenever we drive somewhere, it goes without saying that someone gets stuck...this time it was Billy), one to a girl named Mbali and another to an elderly man named Khumalo. We had met Mbali the previous year's mission trip...her parents had died, leaving her as an orphan to care for her three younger siblings. Around this time she became a Christian and as a team we just dropped by to say hello and to encourage and pray for her. Khumalo is an elderly refugee from the war in Mozambique about twenty years ago who fled across the border into South Africa after witnessing the murder of his wife and children before his eyes. He has since lived in this community outside of Manguzi and we spoke with him for awhile and gave him some rice and other food to support himself on.
After all this, it was back to Tembe where everyone is now working on praise-and-worship, skits, and playing indoor soccer! Our evening isn't done yet and it was a good first day of work.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
onwards
Well, apparently, I'm a slacker...there are some things I did not take into account when I agreed to keep this blog:
1. This is Africa, which has:
a. no internet connection.
OR
b. really, really bad internet connection.
AND
2. I forget things.
Yes, obviously, I did reach South Africa safely well, about two weeks ago. I did this without panicking AND without getting lost AND managing to make all my flights on time. Those of you who know me will realize that this is a small miracle in and of itself because I. Hate. Flying.
So, basically my missionary family friends picked me up at the airport in Durban, South Africa around 8:00 at night after almost 30 hours of travel. Suffice to say that I don't like plane food or babies that scream a lot when you hit a little bit of turbulence. Yep.
We spent the night in Durban and then headed up to the area where the team normally ministers, around a town called Manguzi in Africa near the Mozambican border. It was interesting--we were in the area when Kingsley Holgate's Boundless Tour of Southern Africa came through. If you don't know who this guy is, you should check him out--they are doing some pretty neat stuff and we were able to
After we spent about three nights in South Africa, we moved north to Mozambique, where we have been ever since in a small town on the Indian Ocean. Basically, what I have been up to is attempting to organize some things before the team comes in a week like, the menu and the praise and worship songs. I am having limited success. I also spent two nights at an orphanage in Momoli, Mozambique as kind of a forerunner thing for the team as we will be working there.
My last week before the team arrives is apparently going to be spent preparing and freezing food for our stay at the orphanage and helping with school for my friends. It has been a bit more relaxed than I had expected, but I have enjoyed it and continued to pray that God's purpose in my coming would be accomplished in whatever I do. This is only a skeleton outline of everything...it's been incredible though. I can't wait till the team arrives and we get to some serious work though...
1. This is Africa, which has:
a. no internet connection.
OR
b. really, really bad internet connection.
AND
2. I forget things.
Yes, obviously, I did reach South Africa safely well, about two weeks ago. I did this without panicking AND without getting lost AND managing to make all my flights on time. Those of you who know me will realize that this is a small miracle in and of itself because I. Hate. Flying.
So, basically my missionary family friends picked me up at the airport in Durban, South Africa around 8:00 at night after almost 30 hours of travel. Suffice to say that I don't like plane food or babies that scream a lot when you hit a little bit of turbulence. Yep.
We spent the night in Durban and then headed up to the area where the team normally ministers, around a town called Manguzi in Africa near the Mozambican border. It was interesting--we were in the area when Kingsley Holgate's Boundless Tour of Southern Africa came through. If you don't know who this guy is, you should check him out--they are doing some pretty neat stuff and we were able to
After we spent about three nights in South Africa, we moved north to Mozambique, where we have been ever since in a small town on the Indian Ocean. Basically, what I have been up to is attempting to organize some things before the team comes in a week like, the menu and the praise and worship songs. I am having limited success. I also spent two nights at an orphanage in Momoli, Mozambique as kind of a forerunner thing for the team as we will be working there.
My last week before the team arrives is apparently going to be spent preparing and freezing food for our stay at the orphanage and helping with school for my friends. It has been a bit more relaxed than I had expected, but I have enjoyed it and continued to pray that God's purpose in my coming would be accomplished in whatever I do. This is only a skeleton outline of everything...it's been incredible though. I can't wait till the team arrives and we get to some serious work though...
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