The team existed of 5 members of the Annlin congregation in Pretoria, one member of Rustenburg and 2 members from Strand congregation. Strand started about 12 years ago to be involved in Mocuba and the other congregations started to be involved in 2011. In Mozambique they are partners with Magodane congregation of the Reformed Church of Mozambique. There are 12 prayerhouses in the Maganja da Costa area and 4 in and around the city of Mocuba and one near Lugela town.
The team camped in tents and used the local facilities, sometimes eat local food and when the kitchen gas finished, they made food on fires.
We experienced something of each others lives
A young women, the child of the elder Joao Agusto, were pregnant and with and eleptic atack burned her one foot very badly. Fear and traditional ways of thinking made them to flee from the hospital and the foot infected really badly. When the team arrived the foot was dead and the leg was smelling badly. It was a miracle that she were still alive after more than a week with severe pain. Three days after her foot was burned she gave birth to a daughter, the baby was passed from one lady to another to find some milk, but was screaming for hunger. The team talked to the family and they agreed to take her back to hospital and bought milk for the baby, and the child immediately stopped crying. The leg must be amputated and the family needs to buy people from the market to agree to give blood. The team helped to "buy" the blood and the operation were an success. The good form this tragedy is that white South-Africans and Mozambicans cried together because of the suffering and many borders were no more. Already the message is spreading: The trust in forefathers could not help, but prayers compassion and medicine helped."
The other team saw a girl of 18 years old, but looked like a 13 year girl because of a tumour or something that is growing in her throat. It is blocking her airways and she is struggling to breath and must suffer tremendously. The hospital informed her that they could not help. It is powerless feeling to know that you can do nothing and could only pray and cry together.
The team came with the objective to serve and to listen to people and learn about there life. You can not help everywhere, and should not always help, but there is a message and hope of freedom and a GOOD GOD that have compassion. This compassion reach people through broken people.
Something about stewardship and servanthood
The basic gospel message of salvation is preached again, but complemented with a deeper application of stewardship. Children and adults are made aware of our responsibility for nature and parents helped children, for example to pick up papers and clean the area. The leaders testified that they almost cried when they realized how they did not care for their world. Stewardship in relationships are also discussed and it is helped to see the lies, how the devil deceives us. In RSA, the white people believed the idea that whites are more valuable and better than blacks, and blacks again believed that they are worth less than white people. When we investigated with the participants if it is also the case with them, the answered that it is not a lie, it's the truth! On this honest practical way and a very good attitude, we talk and discover what it means to be the image of God. We have God's potential, love, creativity etc created in us. We have the potential to create. The sin broke this image, but it is restored in Christ. We all are equal and we can now treat each other more worthy than yourself. This way we discussed different lies and found the Biblical truth.
Afterwards, they were very grateful that we were not like many other teams, who only handled the wordless book, but on a much more meaningful way, went forward and discussed and shown the new life in Christ.
The influence of last years accident
After the accident in 2011 where two people died and two were seriously injured, the local congregation did not think that the team will visit them again. Pastor Jussa informed us that the local community accused the church that they used spiritual powers on the team and that resulted in the accident and therefore they will never come back. (Remember that your worthiness depends on how many visitors you receive). When pastor Jussa visited prayerhouses in preparation for the team, even they did not believe him. They did the preparations with doubt, thought that it was all in vain. When they arrive, everyone was surprised and the only explanation is God. People do not do that. This helped to create the open and honest attitude we encountered. We were overloaded with live chickens, sweet potato's rice etc. This was not the main gift we received, it was the attitude to learn and listen. The team received many good experiences to take back to South-Africa.
Furthermore the team went through a time of therapy for the hurts of the accident. When they saw the wreck there was a lot of tears. We prayed together and through time it became easier. Dup, the driver later could stand alongside the wreck with a smile about the goodness of God and became his old self with a lot of jokes. On the way back we stopped near the accident site and could tell one another that we are now OK and we could give a prayer of thanks on the road. We learned a lot about a good God.
Other activities
For the first time the Jesus film was shown in the local Chuabo language. We also projected a follow-up film with good results. It is a film that show the results of the life of Jesus on the lives of people. It uses the setup of a chief who's bad life was changes by Jesus.
We also talked about a partnership between Strand congregation and Mocuba in constructing the new church building. It was good to see the promises from Mocuba's side in participating and a willingness to pay for certain material. They took ownership of the building and planning.
They played with children, told bible stories and colored in pictures about those stories. We played soccer and explained the gospel through colors on the ball. The two ways posters were explained and used in house visitation.
The house visitation again were very valuable, because it demonstrated service and a willingness to listen en experience.
Future
We see more possibilities in making the partnership a growing relationship that will have a positive influence to both sides. Errors made, were discussed and the relationship is growing.
Thank you
We thank every supporter and everyone that were praying. Thank you for congregations that sent people for the outreach. Thank you to God who always knows the best!
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