Up on the Roof

Well, it’s Monday again, Bocaria today. Last week didn’t happen because we ran out of petrol on the way.

So today, we get there and can’t drive down to the church. Why?- Because after the rain of last week, part of the road had a landside and the other part looked like it had been washed away and refilled with rubbish!. We weren’t going to take a truck over that. One night of heavy rain and the road is gone. As we walked down to the church I saw that part of the dump had caved in and there was just a hole where once had been a heap of rubbish – the hole still quite full of water. What must that night have been like for those living here? The mind really boggles. Some of these people have plastic sheets for roofs tied to pieces of sticks; others of course have no shelter. Again I sit here and am very grateful for my corrugated roof over my head and the fact that my room didn’t flood.

This weekend has been an interesting one with various little things going on. The highlight was having nearly 30 visitors from the US Navy come to the base. When I say visitors, what I really mean is 30 sailors here doing voluntary work, painting, fixing, cutting grass etc. You have to imagine the scene 30 SAILORS (fit, muscely, tanned, strong and charming, etc) working here on base with a lot of single female missionaries! Quite a chaotic scene in places and for the record I don’t have one photo of them – and for those shouting, “No, I bet you have 100” – I don’t. I didn’t even take my camera out. My friend did and took great delight in telling me her zoom lens was working very well!! I must go see her photos.

Anyway, back to the point of writing about these lovely men…..I mean kind men, who came here to do voluntary work. Some had been assigned to work on the roof of the kitchen. They hadn’t been up there that long when one fell through the roof, 25ft onto the solid concrete floor. We are in Mozambique… backboards don’t exist here… neither do good CT scanners, x-ray machines – anything. What can you do in a situation like that except pray. The ships medic and all our medics came running. They took him to the South African clinic here. When the medic came and looked at the scene – he said “Yep – that’s normally fatal!” We have heard that the sailor only sustained a broken wrist – what a miracle, we really are thanking to God it wasn’t more serious. The sailors were a little bemused as to why the injury wasn’t worse – gave a good way in for conversations on the big God we have.

Two worlds, one family

Today has yet been another day of very mixed emotions and extremes.

I found myself lacking motivation this morning and had a lot on my mind as I went into Bible School to try and teach on “What is Praise?” It was one of those days when I needed the Holy Spirit to do something, and I think he did.

For homework last week I had asked the students to write a paragraph on a time in their lives when they found it really hard to praise. Some of the responses would have brought a tear to your eye. One guy said, “ I found it hard to thank God for loving me when I was doing bad things and had been drinking, but he stepped into my life and brought me hope and I give him thanks now each day because I can come to Bible School and I know he loves me, even though I wasn’t very nice.” Another: “I found it hard to thank God when my province was in famine; it felt like God had forgotten us. But I remembered that we have to pray whatever is happening in life and so I did and slowly food started to come in.” If felt like a real privilege to get a glimpse into these guy’s lives. Others were struggling with the fact that God hadn’t healed them yet, but were choosing to be thankful for other things in their lives.

Today I was using a CS Lewis quote from the book from which we are teaching. I asked how many had ever heard of CS Lewis and the response was as I thought it would be – no one had. How do you being to explain CS Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Screwtape Letters? I focused more on the quote than on him and it got me out of a tight spot! So maybe a search should begin for “The lion, the witch and the wardrobe” in Portuguese.

This afternoon brought a mix of emotions in a short space of time. One family re-united: another ripped apart because of an HIV+ diagnosis.

When I have the full story of the reunited family I will let you read it for yourself, but the basic fact is that an older guy who has been on the centre a while went for a can of coke at the gate, got chatting to someone, and another younger boy spoke up and said “you talk the same way as someone I know.” The person he knew turned out to be the brother (I think) of this guy and he knew where his family were. So this last weekend he went to see his mother for the first time in maybe 14 years! The smile on the guy’s face today was infectious. He was so happy he couldn’t stop smiling and if that kid hadn’t spoken up…. he would still be looking and wondering where his family are tonight. What a miracle!

The other end of the spectrum is a woman who has suffered domestic violence from her husband, and she discovered today that she was HIV+ because of his infidelity. Sadly from her appearance it seems quite far on, I hope it’s not too late for ARV’s to work.

Some days here are full of joy, others bring the harsh reality of life in this place but today has held both, and within about 30mins of each other.

This has been a tough week with one thing and another! If you are the praying kind please just keep me in your prayers from time to time. I really would appreciate it.

There's no heat without thunder

That is certainly true here. Last night the heavens opened and the sky got very loud and bright. It would also seem that storms here don't just arrive and go, they last for hours- 4 am was the last time I heard thunder.

As you know I am NOT a lover of thunder and last night tested me on my inner strength. I have to admit that I didn't quite win the whole battle. I was very grateful to a few people who were online to chat to, and also very grateful my roof held together and had no leaks.

I went into the city today: it was almost like a ghost town. Very few people were out: public transport not working: no sellers on the side of the street; a lot of roads flooded, some washed away. The damage after one night of rain unbelievable.





Lucia has been receiveing some treatment for her skin and I am glad to say looks like a new child. It is very encouraging.

Don't blame it on the Sunshine

Ok.... this is really really really not funny today. I am reading the news about the weather in the UK wishing I was there.

Today it's 110F in the shade and going on yesterday which was 130F in the sun today is hotter and we think its very close to 140F today. THIS IS NOT FUNNY. The Lord knows I was not built for this weather. I come from a country of rain, cold winds and more rain. Today I feel the Lord and I should have come to a better deal on the climate I went to.

So I am about to go and stand in a cold shower with my clothes on.

Life in Moz

A clip of life here over the last number of months.

Hope you enjoy it.

Life in Moz

Oh I wish it could be Christmas everyday

Today I received a parcel from home... in it were contents I would normally get at Christmas.. I know it's the start of Feb but tonight I feel all Christmassy. I love getting something from home. Makes a gal feel special.

Today has been a lovely day, long but lovely. Church today for me lasted at least four hours. I think there were 400-500 people there. It was easily 44 degress with no breeze, many sweaty bodies and the fresh aroma of strong B.O. However, in the midst of all this there was a very strong sense of God's presence. And when you stop to think about it, there was no deoderant when Jesus walked the earth... and oh boy did he walk in some hot places!

Last night my house mate and I exchanged a number of words over the kitchen table. Gosh, that makes it sound like it was a rough conversation, what I mean is we were trading Portuguese and English words. Or as it turned out Norn Irish words, clearly my accent is stonger than I remember. Last night was a lesson on numbers.

So it was going very well until we hit the number 50! Clara pronounced it with the thickest Belfast accent I have heard in a long time. It reminded me of the sketch from the two Trolls M & 50 who go from Dublin to the North of Ireland for a day. In their opinion no one can pronounce 50's name right. If you listen I hope you get an idea of how Clara sounded last night and how much I fell about the kitchen laughing at the pronouncation. It's ok she wasn't offended I got a friend to explain exactly why I was splitting my sides. Oh and don't worry she gets her own back when I pronounce Portugese words and also make up a few Norn Irish/Portugues words.

The Trolls go "Up North".