Here are some snapshots of what went down:
CAM: Maputo to Machava
Last month we moved Larry and Susan Weil and Kyla into their new house on the compound. After fifteen plus trips back and forth through traffic, toll gates, and village "short cuts", it was no surprise when the team decided to hire a company to move the school. I was up for the challenge of doing it ourselves and saving three grand to put toward a basketball court, but my vote was overruled by missionaries already on the brink of burnout. So we bit the bullet, paid the money, and hired a moving company to do what they're trained to do. The idea was to sit back and let the pro's do their job. We definitely got our money's worth:
They showed up right on time! (same day and everything)
The moving truck only got stuck in the sand on two of the three trips!
Oh, yeah - and they only crashed into our fence once! :)
Praise God we're in the new building with mostly everything still in tact.
Basketball Tournament
- A couple posts ago I mentioned an upcoming basketball tournament. It's over now. I played in a grand total of one game. My schedule was busy with all the moving and preparation for the start of school, so I wasn't able to make the other games. My team took fourth place which doesn't sound that bad until I tell you there were only four teams. There is good news though; this was only a practice tournament. The real tournament (which will include cash prizes) will take place later in the season. This was our attempt to assess the interest in the area. So in that respect, we were successful.
Other news in relation to sports ministry includes a brand new contact in Maputo. We have been informed about the possibility of gaining exclusive access to a basketball court in an area called Coup. This neighborhood is the same location of my family's first house in Mozambique. It's cool to see how God uses things of the past to confirm things in the present. For me, this confirmation has come in the form of my bedroom curtains, a refrigerator, silverware, and a desk. All of these things were originally purchased by my parents ten+ years ago and have now made their way through missionary families, guest houses, and back into the hands of a Telfer. It's comforting to find the familiar in the midst of change. This basketball court is another opportunity for further confirmation of God's purpose for bringing me to Mozambique. I have a meeting next week to discuss needed renovations, costs, etc. I appreciate your prayers as I go.
Xai-Xai trip
My last post was about a woman named Ro and the impact she had on me during a weekend adventure on the beach three hours north of Maputo. Her testimony combined with a Sunday morning sunrise and communion service on the sand was particularly powerful.
All in all, it was a very relaxing trip. We escaped with the purpose of taking one big gulp of fresh air before throwing ourselves to the mercy of the school year. I think I can say for the group that our time in Xai-Xai went beyond any of our expectations.
Gary and I were able to tackle (and be tackled) by strong waves. When I first went in the water I kind of forgot the ocean is a little different than a pool. Like a kitten climbing a tree, I took off toward the white caps in the distance, not considering the swim back to shore. When I turned around to see where Gary was the waves were high enough that they completely blocked my view of the coastline. I couldn't have been much more than 150 feet out, but when I started swimming toward the shore, each wave seemed to pull me further away. I was seriously huffing and puffing by the time I finally made it back to where my feet could touch. I've never been a great swimmer, but I've always been able to carry my own weight, so it was scary when I found myself struggling.
When I got within talking distance, Gary asked me if I wanted to go out a little bit. I declined, still trying to catch my breath. He went on out a ways and the same thing happened to him. The current took him out and started carrying him in the direction of a reef. After a South African man informed me that my 'dad' was struggling, I walked along the beach until I was even with Gary. Then I jumped in the water and headed out to give him a hand. That's all he needed. I grabbed his hand and we both made it into the beach where we laid down to build up the energy to walk back to where our girls were sitting. It WAS a little scary, but that's what makes life exciting, right? Good times for sure. It was a great weekend!
School Starting
We just finished our third week of school at Christian Academy of Mozambique. It has come with many hiccups and scheduling conflicts, but it has come and gone nonetheless. I thank God for His provision and protection. I have been assigned the role of teaching high school Bible, Physical Education for all ages, and Video Production for the senior class. I have also been assigned to the Student Council where I will do my best to encourage school spirit, Christian leadership, and community outreach.
Susan Weil and Diane Gray:
This past Friday two of the student leaders asked me if I would be willing to be the speaker for CAM's upcoming spiritual emphasis week. I would appreciate your prayers as I ask God to use this opportunity to speak incredible truths to the students that will encourage and challenge them to serve Him well.
Field Council
All of the missionaries got together two weeks ago for three days of meetings known as Field Council. Each ministry leader presented a summary of last year's events. Evaluation is great and very important to the success of any business, job, or ministry. But, honesty, it was hard for me to sit through it all. I WAS able to spend a few minutes sharing my vision for sports ministry with the team on the third day of meetings. It was encouraging to be heard, but after the cost of building the new school and moving everything on site, OMS does not have the sufficient funds to lay a basketball court at the moment. A third request this month would be for incredibly clear guidance as to how to move forward with the sports ministry program.
As far as any of the decisions concerned me, I was voted to a shared position with Dave Dedrick to oversee the security of the compound. My house is the closest to the guards and it is convenient for me to be the one to check up on them and give them their walkie-talkie's each night. I keep one of the radios with me to ensure they are making their hourly rounds on the property. I also have to give them the gate key at 6AM to open everything up in the morning. Dave was kind enough to help me out with it all. We're taking turns with the radios, keys, and sleeping schedules. :) He's a great guy!
Irish Team
Over a week ago now, a group of six university students from Northern Ireland moved into the compound with plans to rock out children's ministry camps in two of our local congregations. It has been fun having some more peers on site. Yesterday Kyla and I took them into town to see the ocean, and last night we sat around a campfire until the wee hours of the morning, just enjoying life in Africa. Tonight might just be the second time I organize an outdoor movie showing by shooting a projector on the biggest wall on the property. Last that I heard, Pixar's animated feature, UP, is the team's movie of choice for the evening.
Celtic Women and Garreth:
Really, there is SO much happening in this little corner of the world, it's hard to remember it all and find the time to write it down. Everything from the blessing of replaced water heaters that hadn't worked for weeks to misplaced truck keys being found in the bed of the same truck after a long drive to washing machines miraculously appearing out of nowhere (yeah, true story!). God is showing me a lot in these days, but the days are so busy I am not giving Him the credit he deserves by sharing these testimonies with others. I'm sorry for not communicating better. I will try harder to keep you guys in the loop. I hope you all know how much I love and appreciate your prayer support in these days! I was telling a friend the other day that we will never know how many times God's grace has spared us because of the prayers of fellow believers.
Thank you!
Oh - yeah. Check out my garden! I'm trying my luck at strawberries. :)
