During our time in Mozambique, we had the opportunity to go snorkeling on a nearby island. I loved seeing all the colorful and different kinds of fish.
The man peeking over Cait's shoulder was our translator, Vianu, who went with us on house visits.
This is the church where we helped out by preaching and doing the children's program.
The tree behind us was so huge that it would take 3 or 4 people with their arms spread out to encircle the trunk. It had lots of things carved into the bark, too, probably by the visitors waiting to go inside the prison, where we ministered once or twice a week in Mozambique.
While we waited for the kombie to take us back to South Africa, we were able to spend some time at the beach in Tofo, Mozambique, simply enjoying the beauty before us. The intense blue ocean water and the fine sand sprinkled with sea shells...gorgeous!
All the kids who live at Michael's Children's Village in South Africa, with my team and I, of course.
Joshua & Welcome. Welcome would often give little Joshua kisses. So cute!
Cait and I got to take care of Johanna (the white baby girl) for a couple hours here and there when Jene and Tiesa, her parents and directors of MCV, went out. It was so strange to see a white baby, after having seen only black babies for the past 6 months.
All the Novas participants together again in Houston for 3 days of debrief.
Well, I didn't think the end would ever come and didn't want it to come, but it has at last. I have said goodbye to Africa and all the wonderful people I met there. I no longer have to get up at 5:30 every morning to take care of two orphaned babies for 12 hours, which I am going to miss. I miss holding precious, 4-month-old Joshua and making Welcome laugh by doing something so simple as shaking my head. I miss having little kids run to me and jump into my arms.
I miss Africa, yet I'm ready to go home.
I have accepted the fact that this season in my life is coming to an end, and that's okay. I know that I am not the same. God has taught me a lot over the past 8 months, and I am forever changed. The experiences I have lived through are now only memories that I will always cherish, through reading my journals and looking at photos. I look forward to sharing some of those with people back home, in the hope that some of my stories will inspire you. I have begun processing through everything that's happened, which is so vital to the re-entry process, but I don't know how long it'll take for me to finish grieving the end of this time. Please have patience and grace with me. Since I'm not home yet, I'm unsure how I will handle it, but I can imagine. It's possible that little things with no moral value will cause me to breakdown. Maybe I'll just be totally apathetic or sink into depression. Who knows? Just know that I'll need some time.
I am back in America, but not home quite yet. Today is my last day with all the other Novas participants in Houston before we all separate and fly home to our different states. I'm sure I'll see some of them again, especially at Garrett and Alison's wedding, but I don't know if all of us will ever be together like this again.
I will be home, in Iowa, soon. I have no plans as of now for this summer or for the upcoming year, but I have peace. God will lead me; I simply need to trust Him and wait until He shows me what's next.
Supporters: Thank you so much for all the money and prayers! Because of you, I was able to have this life-changing experience the last 8 months. Thank you and God bless you!
Slipping her fingers out of 22-month-old Welcome's grasp, he
hesitantly took a couple steps before turning back to the person who'd just let
go and burying his head in her embrace. After a bit, she did the same thing,
and Welcome toddled to Mama Cindy...all by himself! He was rewarded by cheerful,
encouraging words and applause by his 4 lady observers. This happened several
times until he realized that he didn't need to hold on to anything. As his
confidence grew, so did the distance he walked. All of us were giddy with
delight at this milestone in his life. He was walking! Cameras were quickly
taken out as soon as we remembered them.
It was about this time that Garrett walked over to the baby
house to ask Cait what was planned for supper. Excitedly, we told him about
Welcome's remarkable achievement. His response: an unimpressed head nod and
quizzically raised eyebrows, followed by some snide comment of how he'd been
walking for 19 years now. Dissatisfied with his unenthusiastic reaction, we
urged him to come in and see Welcome walking for himself. Garrett eventually
gave in. Opening the door, he screamed in a high-pitched, girly voice, mocking
us, as Welcome walked towards him. Just as he was about to reach Garrett, who
was still making that strange squealing noise, Nico (a big black dog) poked his
head inside the still-open door, scaring Welcome and causing him to scream and
cry. Garrett tried to pick him up as soon as he fell down from fear, but he
only cried louder. We all thought the situation was hilarious, but it's
probably one of those stories where you just had to be there to understand the
humor...
The fact that Welcome
is now walking is remarkable because it shows how much his health has improved
ever since he came here to Micheal's Children's Village. When he first got
here, he was 15 months old and extremely skinny because of HIV, TB, pneumonia,
and malnutrition. Now he is getting chubby and has enough muscle to walk!
Truly, God has brought about his recovery.
We are back in White River, South Africa for the rest of our
trip. We love this place, and God has blessed us by working out our visas so
that we could come back here for more than the originally planned 3 or 4 days
in May. Cait and I help out at the baby house by taking care of Welcome and
3-month-old Joshua from 6 in the morning 'til 5 or 6 in the evening, which I'm
really enjoying, and Myles, Garrett, and Jenny are helping repair a ransacked
house that will soon house missionaries and visitors.
Joshua lived in the hospital for the first couple months of
his life. His mother had abandoned him after birth because she had HIV and didn't
want to deal with a HIV+ baby. When Cindy noticed Joshua on her visits there
with Welcome, she asked why he was there. That's when she learned that he'd
been abandoned and had no one to care for him. "Well, we have a place for him,"
she said. After waiting a month for all the paperwork to be done, Joshua
finally came here. He is strong and healthy. The same day Welcome started
walking alone, we heard the good news that Joshua does NOT have HIV!
Hallelujah!
You can go to caitlynevangelista.myadventures.org to read
more about Welcome and to see a video of him walking.
Sunday morning, we walked around the lake (in our hosts'
backyard) to get to the road, where we could then catch a shapa (a Mozambiquan
taxi, either a kombie or a truck with a canvas covering the bed). Our
destination was Pambarra, the same place the three of us girls had done the
women's seminar earlier. The ride seemed to drag on with the numerous stops,
standing room only, and relentless heat.
When we arrived at the church,they set up plastic chairs for us to sit on
(instead of low, wooden benches or reed mats) either because we were visitors
or white. Not sure which one it is, or maybe it's both? Singing and dancing as
a congregation began and then different age groups performed songs. All the
visitors (us, translator and one other lady) introduced ourselves to the
congregation.Since it was Easter Sunday,
the youth had prepared a drama about Jesus' life and death. They were very
creative in the materials they used for props and costumes (i.e. cardboard
sandals and hats). Afterwards, I preached.
Preaching on Easter seemed daunting at first, but I felt
that God had given me a message to share with them, and when the time came to
stand up, I wasn't nervous. Using verses mainly from Isaiah, Luke, and Romans,
I talked about how Jesus fulfilled each and every prophecy to redeem us so God
could offer us his grace as a free gift. As I sat back down when I was done, I
was surprised at how clearly I had talked. The times I preached before, I had
stuttered or spoke too quickly, confusing the translator and causing me to
repeat myself until he understood what I was saying. Not this time. Thank You
Jesus!
Even though I was done preaching, the church service was not
done. (African churches tend to have at least 3-hour-long services.) Next, we
had communion. The bread: pieces of pao (Portuguese rolls). The wine: grape
juice (or something like grape) with vodka. More singing and dancing. Then the service was over.At this time, we all received a meal of
pap/shima (corn meal and water, essentially) and matapa (a dish made with
spinach-like leaves, coconut, and peanuts). In the afternoon, we walked to the
road to take another crowded shapa back home.
Highlights of the day: I got to see and play with Gisano
(Manuel?) again. (He's the little boy that God used to speak to me, which I
mentioned in a previous blog.) I finished the Bible, reaching my goal of
reading through the complete Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, in less than 4
months!!
It was definitely an Easter unlike any I'd ever experienced
before.
My husband left me. Now I must take care of 4 children alone. I don't have a job. They are living with my mama because there is a better chance they'll get fed there. My kids get kicked out of school for not wearing a uniform. Life is hard. I want a husband or boyfriend. Then I wouldn't have to worry so much because he would take care of my children and I. Life is difficult here. Sometimes I think of ending all this misery. Life is just too hard. My name is Tereza.
We met this beautiful woman one morning as we walked around, talking to people, visiting them in their homes. She was with a relative (sister-in-law, perhaps?) and another elderly woman. These ladies lovingly welcomed us with big, warm smiles and chairs. As we started learning about them and building relationships, God grew my heart with love for them, especially Tereza. On this first visit, she told us she wants a husband or boyfriend, but it wasn't until later that I understood she wanted one, mainly for his provision.
In their culture, jobs aren't easy to come by, especially for women. There aren't advertisements about job openings because people are given jobs based on personal recommendation. Basically, you have to know the right people to get a job, or else you're screwed. Some women sell small items, usually pao (bread rolls), in order to get some sort of income.
Whenever we went out to do house visits, we made sure to stop by at Tereza's place. We wanted to show her that someone cares for her, and when any opportunity arose, we spoke life into her. We told her how God calls Himself our Husband, how beautiful she is to Him, and that He'll provide for His children.
During our last visit with her, we learned she'd begged the school teachers to not send her kids home; she would get uniforms soon for them. We wanted to show her God's love by meeting this need, so we walked down to the market with her and paid for her children's school uniforms. Before parting, she surprised us by giving each of us a hug. I wish you could have seen how her smile, full of gratitude, relief, and joy lit up her entire face. She is so adorable!
I pray that she'll fully know God's love for her. Lord, encounter her and forever change her, all for Your glory. I pray that she would rely on the only ONE who can provide for every need she has. May she abound in faith, hope, and love. Thank you for hearing my prayers Father. Praise the Lord, for He is good!
Being in Africa has made me realize that I've taken so
many things for granted, living in the U.S.A.
Take electric pencil
sharpeners for example.
Such an obscure item, not miraculous or anything like
that.
The other day, I would've given just about anything to
get one of these.
Why?
Because there were like 200 colored pencils with tips so
dull or broken that the children couldn't use them anymore, so with a
small, very basic pencil sharpener, I set about sharpening all of
them.
After only 30 had been sharpened, a blister appeared on
my middle finger; pathetic, right?
Yeah, I thought so too.
200 couldn't seem further away.
An electric pencil sharpener.
Now that's a great invention. :)
Here's a list of some other things that I've taken for granted:
- Fluffy carpet
- Fountain soda
- Speaking the same language
- No potholes (or at least smaller ones)
- Ice cubes
- Air conditioning
- Personal space
- Being able to walk somewhere alone
- Clear, cold, good-tasting, floatie-free water
- An abundance of fruits and veggies, easy to find
- Free bathrooms with toilet paper
- Hot showers
- Comfortable furniture
I could probably add more to the list, but I think you get the picture. In America, we are surrounded with luxuries that are normal to have, but I don't need them. Yeah, there are plenty of times where I find myself looking forward to having them again in May, but I don't really need them to live. God is showing me how to be content in every situation in which He places me, by relying on His strength and his grace.
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through HIM who strengthens me.
Once or twice a week, we go to the prison to minister to those who've been incarcerated. In this prison, 90 men and a handful of women
squeeze into 3 rooms that are approximately 10' x 15' (according to
Garrett's estimation). The last time we visited, one of the men who
speaks English handed us a sheet of paper with the following words,
requesting that we ask the church to pray for him. Although he meant
the Jesus for Africa church in Vilanculos, I thought it'd be great to
share this with the Church (as in ALL those who believe and follow
Christ), so you all can pray for him, too. Here's what he wrote:
To the church of God.
Can you help me with a prayer for God to:
-Guide me until I finish my sentence.
-Not to get into temptations.
-To keep my family safe.
-To let me be his one of the anointed one.
---> And to defend us from the evil spirits and bring
Holy Spirit to our Heart.
One Sunday evening, Cait and I decided to walk around town, instead of sitting at the church, waiting, until Maria picked up all the people for the service to then start.
We'd seen a stall alongside the road earlier that looked interesting, so we headed in that direction. As we neared its location, though, we could see that it was empty; the owner must have packed up and headed home already.
Maria would still be gone for at least another half hour, so we decided to get a closer look at the smaller market since the couple of times we'd been there previously had only been quick 5-minute stops for eggs, sugar, vegetables, etc. As soon as we walked in, an older man approached us flailing his arms in a way that made us think him drunk. We tried to keep walking, but he stopped me in my tracks, literally, by standing in front of me, almost too close. I had no idea what he wanted. His gestures gave me the impression that he wanted to dance with me. (What was I supposed to think of his strange behavior?) He was making noises but no intelligible words came out of his mouth. Eventually, he spit out the word "cigarette." Oh, I understand.
"Sorry. I do not have cigarettes."
Thankfully, that's when Cait grabbed my hand and pulled me out of that situation.
On our way out of the market, we took a different route so as to avoid the possibility of another run-in with that strange man. Walking by some more stalls, a man called out to us saying he must ask a question. Me, not being able to refuse, reluctantly backtracked towards him to answer his question.
"Where are you from?" (Of course. That's a pretty typical question we hear a lot.)
"America," I reply.
"How old are you?"
"18." When he hears this, an incredulous look crosses his facial features.
"What's your name?"
"Rebecca."
Now I was starting to get uneasy, especially with the way he was looking me up and down. Then his brother, a man we had passed earlier and who had gazed at Cait with too much interest, wandered over to join our little conversation. The guy we were talking to said that his brother was "loving on Cait." Hmm...how does one respond to that? Then he started talking about how neither one of them had wives and how they wanted them.
"Are you two married?"
"No, and I don't think my parents would allow me to get married in Mozambique."
Now that the situation had become increasingly uncomfortable, we then hastily exited by walking away, saying Ciao. After all this, we certainly were glad to see the face of a friend on our way back to the church.
At
the beginning of the month, Jenny, Cait, and I were given the
responsibility of putting together a 3-day woman's seminar in a
nearby village. After organizing a schedule with Maria's help, each
of us chose which sessions we'd like to teach, with the main theme
focusing on uplifting and encouraging women to see themselves as God
sees them.
The
first day was challenging due to the translator not understanding us
very well, forcing us to explain what we were saying in 2 or 3
different ways until he understood well enough to translate into
Tschwa. We made it through the day, though. The last 2 days were much
smoother because we had additional translator who jumped in when the
other hesitated uncertainly.
Something
we really wanted the women to learn was a different way to worship
God than what they were used to. African worship typically consists
of one person starting the song, the others echoing that person, all
without instruments; rather, clapping, stomping, and dancing usually
accompany their voices. This is great, and I love joining them. What
we tried to teach them was to sing a song from their hearts, whatever
that might look like for each person. When we told them to try this
kind of worship, it didn't really work. They either prayed or
silently stood around. Maybe something was lost in translation or it
was such a new concept that it would take time to sink in before they
could understand. It was disappointing that this idea didn't go as
well as we'd hoped as far as we could see, but perhaps we were simply
planting a seed in their hearts that would have to be watered by the
Creator before taking root and sprouting.
During
the last day's sessions, a little boy named Emanuel or Gisano (I'm
not sure which it was, as they called him by both names) sat next to
me, slapping my hand on beat while singing and then simply holding it
as we listened to the teaching. Joyful smiles frequently graced his
young face, and I couldn't help but smile back at him; he was too
cute to refuse. After Maria taught about prayer, we broke off into
two groups to pray for/with the ladies (and men) to see what words
God would give us. As we prayed, he toddled over to me and plopped
down on my lap. For some reason he playfully punched my stomach, and
then this thought went through my mind: Is God telling me that
there is a woman sitting here with stomach pain, and we need to pray
for her healing? Not sure if this was actually God, I brushed the
thought aside. It was probably nothing more than a childish action,
anyway. However, when Maria asked me if God was showing me something,
I decided to just go with it. If nothing happened, then so be it;
certainly wouldn't be the first time I've made a mistake, after all.
"Do
any of the ladies have stomach pain?" I asked through the
interpreter.
Nothing...no
reply.
Then a woman raised her hand. Hallelujah!
We
all prayed for her. When I asked how she felt, she said she felt a
little better. Praise the Lord. Even though the pain wasn't all
gone, I believe that God would bring a full and complete healing in
her body.
God
really does speak through children. I now know this from my own
experience.
Let
the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such
belongs the kingdom of heaven.
In my last, very short blog, I said I would give more
information about our sudden move to Mozambique, and so I shall.
When Jimmy and Kellie, AIM leaders, were in South Africa
with us for debrief, they decided it would be best to move us to a
new location as soon as possible, and we agreed. We had reasons for
desiring to go somewhere else, but I'm not able to find the words to
express those at the moment, so just know that we didn't leave
because we'd grown bored of South Africa and desired to go to a new
place.
When some of my team members and I got home from
dropping off the Swazi team at their base in Nsoko on Feb. 19, we
were greeted by Myles who told us he'd received a call from Jimmy got
a call, telling us what the deal was with where we were going.
Although we had expected to go to Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi
were choices as well. Zimbabwe fell through, but the contacts in
Mozambique replied positively on the same day Jimmy had emailed them
about us coming to serve with them. All of us instantly knew that
Mozambique was where the Lord wanted us.
As it turned out, there was a driver in Nelspruit who
could take us to Vilanculos...within 20 hours! We did not have to
leave that quickly, though, as we were given the choice of leaving
that day or a few days later. If we chose the first option, we would
have to buy 3 months of food, buy tents, pack our lives up, talk to
family and friends on skype for potentially the last time before
coming back to America, and I also wanted to tell our friends in
White River goodbye. With so much to do, I was definitely leaning
towards the latter option. While praying as a team about what to do,
the following passage came to mind:
A teacher of
the Law came to Jesus and said, "Teacher, I will follow you
wherever you go."
Jesus
replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the
Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
Another
disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
But Jesus
told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."
~ Matthew 8:19-22
When Jesus tells us to follow him, he wants us to do so,
without hesitation.
This is what convinced me to die to what I'd prefer and
just go follow Jesus' leading. Everybody else agreed that we should
leave with this driver the next day.
So we did.
After traveling for 22 hours, we finally arrived to our
new location. Jaco and Maria, our hosts, live in a house built out of
reeds with their two kids Maggie and Rudo right next to a lake, where
we frequently swim. God paints us beautiful sunsets over the lake,
too. We sleep in tents. Proper toilets and showers are in a separate
building, made in the same manner as the house. My first impression
of this place was that it reminds me of The Swiss Family Robinson,
which was one of my favorite movies as a kid, so I love that I'm kind
of living like them.
Something really cool that's happening in my life is
seeing how God is carrying out some dreams that he put in my heart
even before this trip. One of those is teaching children. When I was
looking at the list of possible locations back in August, Uganda had
appealed to me because of the teaching ministry listed with it.
During our stay at the Iris Ministries childrens village in January,
I had the opportunity to tutor two of the kids there who were
struggling with school; however, we had to leave shortly after
beginning. Now, here in Vilanculos, Mozambique, I have started
teaching Maggie, Rudo, and a little Zimbabwean boy named Samuel in
the mornings. Only God could have orchestrated events in such a way
as to make this passion come to pass. God is good.
