You Ate What For Lunch?

It was another beautiful sunrise this morning over the Indian Ocean.  Cinnamon rolls were on the menu at the breakfast table.  Thank you Linda!  We said our goodbyes to the Lehman’s who were headed to Swaziland for the weekend.  We are so appreciative of the hospitality they have shown us and we will miss them these last couple of days we are here.  We headed out to meet our interpreters and began our day by visiting an orphanage in Xia Xia.  We were unable to stay long; the purpose of the visit was just to see the buildings and children and we are all happy that we will be able to return tomorrow morning to spend some time playing with all of them.  The main part of our day was spent at a couple of the COT’s (Community Orphan Trusts) supported by World Hope.  In COT’s the community has come together to give care to community members with HIV/AIDS as well as those children who have been orphaned.  We arrived at the first trust to singing and dancing.  We toured their chicken coop (they raise the chickens to sell for money), were given a gift of kasava root, and more dancing ensued.  Vanessa (our dancing queen) quickly joined in and one by one each of us stepped into the dance mix.  Shawn was even drawn in and it was a sight to behold.  We viewed a couple of houses that World Hope has helped to construct for families that were living in very run down conditions.  We had the opportunity to see two different trusts and at each community we were given the opportunity to pray over people.  It was a powerful day.  Today we were reminded of the power and might of our God… that nothing is possible by our own strength.  At times I felt like Moses saying “God, I am not up to this task.  I am not the one you need to do this.  I am not able, not strong enough, send someone else.”  And he reminded me that it is not of my might, but of His and that He has CHOSEN me for such a time as this.  I am not praying out of my strength, but for His glory to come down from heaven.  Today was overwhelming emotionally for many of us, and our prayers to be stretched were definitely answered.  After praying over members of the second trust, we came together with the community members and leaders for a time of celebration.  Once again they were so welcoming and said over and over how joyful they were to have us as visitors.  More dancing!  More singing!  More praying!  We were humbled to be given the opportunity to share with and encourage these people in their faith and the way they serve and take care of one another in their community.  The people we have met in Mozambique are truly concerned with the eternal life that God has given and not so concerned with the temporal things (2 Corinthians 4:18).  They literally find joy in simply being alive.  It was a testimony to us, and humbled us to know that we are seen as an answer to their prayers.  The time of celebration ended with… what else?  Lunch!  A delicious meal was provided and a few of us topped it off with a local culinary delight… a bright orange caterpillar (think plump and juicy… see above photo) plucked from a nearby tree and roasted over the cooking fire.  Crunchy with a chargrilled flavor… Shawn, Steve, Jeff, Todd, and Amanda all have the bragging rights!!  We made the drive back to the Lehman’s and spent a little time enjoying the gift of the nearby ocean.  A wonderful dinner was brought to us by another local missionary named Chad who lives next to the Lehman’s.  We are ending our evening by eating more cinnamon rolls (I hope we have enough left for breakfast!!), drinking coffee, and listening to a local pastor and his band perform traditional music in our living room.  Tomorrow will be our last day here in Xia Xia, and it will be spent at the orphanage mentioned above playing, playing, and more playing with all the precious children!!  Those of us with ultra tender hearts (which would be all of us!!) are going to need to be bathed in prayer tomorrow.  Thank you so much for your prayers over this trip.  It is evident that we have been covered.  We pray an extra heaping of blessing over you tonight!