Profile of the Week

BINO ZUKULA

Age: 26
Family: Esposa, Inerto (son 5 yr.) & Iurka (daughter 2 months)
Hometown: Bedene, Mozambique
Occupation: Construction (concrete)
Hobbies: Soccer
Life Verse: John 8:32
"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

The morning after arriving in Mozambique, I journeyed outside my house and began mingling with the nationals. Due to the incredible amount of building projects that are currently underway on the mission compound, it was easy to find people. The first young man I met was a construction worker who specialized in concrete. His name was Bino. We really hit it off well. Since that first day I have become rather close to a handful of the workers, but there is something unique about my friendship with Bino.

I have gone to his house and met his family twice now. We have worked side by side for over a week. We have shared meals, played soccer, discussed countless topics from politics and relationships to witchdoctors and church traditions. We've even had the chance to sit down and study the Bible together! This man has become more than a coworker, more than a language instructor, more than a mentor, and more than a friend. My first entry for profile of the week is the older brother I didn't know I had, Irmao Bino Zukula.

My Favorites

I admit, the last blog was somewhat depressing. Loneliness is a definite reality of being a single, American male surrounded by a razor-wire fence that gets shut out from society each night at nine. But I have quickly found that it is also the perfect motivation to be intentional in learning the language by mingling with the locals during the day. When American fellowship is limited, branch out, right?

Each weekday, twenty-six young men from the community come onto the property to help with construction projects. It didn't take long for me to jump in and get dirty - slopping concrete together, helping with plumbing, and transferring truckloads of rock and sand to different sites on our compound.

In a matter of days, I have found myself communicating in a language I never really took seriously, sharing national dishes with the workers during lunch, and playing soccer in the sand. I have been somewhat adopted by a group of workers around my age. In fact, I just got back from a walk through the village to meet one of their families. I went to visit Bino's family. Four other workers heard of my plans and ended up following us out there and escorting me back to the property. On our trek through the bush, I was informed that I am no longer a "mulungo" (white man), but a "mulandi" (black man). Unfortunately, I doubt this will affect my vertical jump, but I am glad to know they have officially accepted me as a brother. :) Community is awesome, community is colorful, and community is always available in the Body of Christ. That is one of my favorites!

Another one of my favorites is meeting old friends who are so excited to see you that they can't stop laughing and smiling with joy. This is what happened earlier this afternoon when I met up with my high school basketball coach, Avelino. It had been five years since we'd seen each other, and words couldn't express the happiness of the reunion, so we just kept laughing, smiling, and re-shaking hands. We walked the streets of Maputo together reflecting on good memories, sharing life updates, and encouraging one another with our current difficulties and struggles. He is going to begin networking for me in an attempt to get my foot in the door of a professional basketball club team. Let's just say, I think God might have something super special lining up in the near future! :)

One more of my favorites is God's amazing providence and perfect timing. He knew I would be feeling lonely these first few days, and He purposefully placed special individuals (suitable helpers - GEN. 2:18b) in my life to help encourage me to glorify God by continually taking up my cross and following Him. My life verse is Hebrews 12:1-2 which tells us to "run with perseverance". It's amazing how difficult discipline and dependance on God can be, but "humility comes before honor" (Proverbs 15:33). I asked God for one special friend. Now I have many.

Tap into the vine (John 15) and see what He has in store for you!

God is GOOD!







Avelino & I at CAM

One Week Down

Nearing a week since I set off for Africa, my mind seems to be a blur. As I sit down over an over-sweetened cup of Nescafe Classic coffee, I manage to summarize my cross-cultural experience thus far…

"It is not good for the man to be alone." - GENESIS 2:18a

I've met new people, made new friends, and reintroduced myself to others. I've moved onto a missionary compound, into the far side of the first duplex on the left, right before the fire pit that's shaded by a litchi tree.

NEW EXPERIENCES
This trip has brought a lot of firsts for me. Although, it wasn't the first time I've flown in an airplane. It wasn't the first time I've been to London. It isn't the first time I've lived in Africa. It's not even the first time I've walked the sandy terrain of Machava. It's not the first time I've made sloppy Joe's. And it's not the first time I've driven a stick-shift on the left side of the road, granted, this time it was legal. :)

What then, you might ask, is new?

Although they've been done before, for the first time in my life, I've done these things alone.

FACING FEARS:
Crime
Coming to Africa has very much required me to face my greatest fears. Traumatized by crime as a child, I have returned to the country where those events took place. For the next year I will attempt to give my life to God in the same place where the devil tried to take my life in 2002. Growing up in Africa, I always feared getting robbed and being killed. Now I find myself living on a compound where a missionary became a martyr.

Driving
The most stressful and distasteful memories I have of my former time in Mozambique are all related to the road. Claustrophobic congestion of vehicles and pedestrians. Corrupt police checks looking for bribes from ignorant foreigners. Street justice in the form of broken bottles, split hoses, shovels, and fists. It's no wonder why my stomach was in knots as I drove outside our compound for the first time on Saturday!

Loneliness
"It is not good for the man to be alone." - GENESIS 2:18a

But the greatest fear I currently hold just happens to be the one I'm stuck staring down the throat each night. One might assume life on a compound would naturally bring community with it; I did. That was wishful thinking on my part. As a coworker put it, compound living is not communal living. I find myself sharing this village property with two missionary families of four, both with young children. The only other current resident on the compound is a single woman. Cultural barriers and mission protocol prohibit the interaction of two individuals of differing genders without the presence of a third party. Therefore, as over-worked missionary families fight for their private leisure time with the kids, I am blessed with the peace and quiet of living alone. God may call people to be single, but He doesn't call anyone to be alone. Private time alone with God is great, but even Adam needed human interaction. I'm definitely learning to trust Him more, which is awesome, because for these next few nights, He is quite literally all I have.

PRAYER REQUESTS:
These are my three prayer requests:
1. Please ask God to provide me with a "suitable helper" to confide in this year.
"I will make a suitable helper for him." - GENESIS 2:18b
2. Please pray for God's guidance and anointing power to minister effectively (especially as it pertains to language acquisition).
3. Please pray for me to be a willing vessel that glorifies God in accordance to His will as opposed to personal preferences.

Thank you, friend!

BTW - That was some good coffee! :)

Up, up, and away!

PRAISE

So I have a pretty exciting piece of news to share with you all this month. I’m finally leaving for Africa! Praise God! I fly out of St Louis at 5:00 PM on Monday, June 13. I will fly to Johannesburg, South African via Chicago and London. From Jo’berg, I will catch a bus to Nelspruit where I will meet up with Larry and Susan Weil for the last trek of the journey, crossing the Mozambican border to the capital city of Maputo, my final destination and new home for the next year.

UPDATE

This past month has been amazing. God gave me the chance to join Samaritan’s Purse and my cousin (Kyle Knierim) in a spontaneous effort to help families affected by the deadly F5 tornado that hit in April. The damage was incredible. The situation was overwhelming. And God was faithful, showing up through generous hosts, new friendships, and prayers with hurting families and amazing work teams. It was a very humbling experience. I discovered that service is contagious. We came to serve, but we found ourselves being served with free meals, shirts, and lodging. I thank God for the opportunity to go, and I thank Kyle for inviting me. The picture above is Kyle, Philip, and myself. We were able to tarp his roof, or lack thereof, after the tornado.

DEVO: Are we there yet?

The rest of the month has been an effort on my part to make the most of the little time I have left with friends and family. I thought I would be where I am (preparing to fly out to serve in Mozambique) this time last year. An entire year has passed as I have waited on God to work out the details of my calling to ministry. This waiting process has been a stretch for me for sure. We live in a society of instant gratification. Anything that demands patience is seen as a nuisance.

As I was thinking about waiting on God, He gave me an analogy of the biblical truth of God’s perfect timing (Mark 13:32-36). No one knows when God will return, so we should eagerly wait and prepare for His arrival. The analogy is a road trip taken by four different individuals.

Imagine a six-year-old child in the back of a car, waiting to arrive at Grandma’s house. He becomes impatient rather quickly, repeatedly asking the infamous question, “Are we there yet?!” This first illustration is a person who waits on God with UNREALISTIC prayers based in selfishness. The child’s inability to wrap his young mind around the concept of time and distance leads him to ask juvenile questions. The same is true for individuals who pray out of ignorance by selfishly asking God for personal blessings.

Fast-forward ten years. The second person is sixteen and pushing the limits by speeding and not stopping for gas or directions. Responding prematurely to a divine desire is RECKLESS. The teenager knows where he is supposed to go and how to get there, but he doesn’t want to wait. Some dangers of rushing God’s will in a sexual sense include unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. God has a plan, but we often have different schedules. When we feel God calling us somewhere, it is important to be sensitive to His timing. We should never mark our calendars before checking His.

Twenty years later we find a married man at the healthy age of thirty-six. While driving down the highway in the family van, racket from the kids, conversation with his wife, and stress of the road cause him to encounter a test of patience during the trip. Waiting on God requires RESPONSIBILITY. There will be countless distractions begging for your attention when you find yourself waiting for an answer to prayer. It is important to wait proactively without becoming consumed with distractions. We have responsibilities to uphold, but we have the ultimate responsibility of obeying God. Ministry and service projects should be evident in every believer’s lifestyle, but they should never come before that individual’s personal walk with the Lord.

The fourth illustration of a person waiting on God is seen through the retired eyes of a sixty-six year old. RELAXATION is key for this person when it comes to traveling. Country roads, frequent stops, picture taking, and memory making is more important than reaching the destination. When it comes to waiting on God, we should have a peace in knowing His timing is perfect. The danger is becoming idle during the silence period. It’s important to be at peace, but it’s a sin to be complacent in your walk with God. We are called to continually draw near to Him, especially during a period of wait.

So there you have it. Each individual is waiting on God, but they are doing it in three different ways. They are all on the same trip; they are just taking different roads. Be encouraged to wait on God. He has great things planned for you! Relax. Be responsible. Be patient. And just ask!

PRAYER:

1. Documents: I still need to receive my visa, passport, and police release prior to flying out next week. Please pray these details will be worked out.
2. Departure: Ask for God’s traveling mercies for Kyla and myself as we embrace the next step in God’s call on our lives.
3. Dynamics: Please pray for a blessed bonding between OMS Mozambique team members.
4. Deployment: Please pray that God will clearly prepare me for ministry, lead me to people He wants me to meet, and provide me with His words of truth and love.