Mozambique Adventure Begins

I have arrived in the country of Mozambique, Africa and as the plane stops on the tarmac and the door opens, the smells of Pemba assail my nostrils in a most wonderful way. As I walk across the tarmac to retrieve my luggage, the tropical breeze off of the Indian Ocean carresses my skin and the Presence of the Lord settles peacefully upon my travel weary body and I am revived once again. This is my first opportunity to get on the internet. Things are very sporadic here. We have not had running water more than we have. And so I have had one trickle shower since arriving. And two bucket baths - yay God! As I signed on the internet it was all in Portuguese and so I have to learn if I want to function here (lol)!

I have been in country since Friday and as I sit here on my front porch there is a young missionary in the next house playing his guitar and singing to the Lord. There are children playing in the early morning sun and a gentle breeze blows across the land before the day gets hot again. All of this, taking it in, brings tears to my eyes because of the overwhelming Presence of the Lord in this place. Today it is Children's Day internationally. In just two hours, 2,500 children from the town and surrounding villages will converge upon our base to celebrate with us. We will wash 2,500 little hands, bless 2,500 little heads, and feed chicken to 2,500 little bellies. The men in the kitchen have been cooking and singing all night and were still at it this morning when we went to get our breakfast roll and sweet tea.

My house is awesome, it is the gathering place for all of us missionaries. If you are on my Facebook list, go to my albums and find the picture of the Iris Base. There is a small group of square houses on the middle left of the picture. My house is in the second row from the top of this group and the second one from the left. Now you know where I live! It is so awesome to have 60 people camped out on our front yard everynight worshipping God under as zillion stars! Wow! He is so good huh?

Yesterday I sat with the toddlers , babies all around me and on me, and this one little girl whom I have been watching grow over the last three summers, well, she is singing. She sang for a half hour and all she kept singing was "halelujah and jesus loves me". No one prompted her, she just sang and sang and it was the sweetest sound. Wow. Tomorrow my school begins with a Portuguese language class, although we have learned much since we've been here , just talking with the kids and other Mozambique pastors. Yesterday we had church for almost 4 hours and we danced most of that! It was at least 95 degrees in the place we were and still we danced! No one brought their water bottles and still we danced unto the Lord! The children danced, every one danced. Nothing holds us back. The joy of the Lord is truly our strength!

I love you all and I miss you so much! Ola to Seguin High School! Ola to Cornerstone Christian School! Ciao for now!