SUMMERTIME!!!

Is almost here!!  School will be out October 29th for the summer break – Nov/Dec/Jan.  AND I do mean summer…temps to 126F last year.  Maybe the Lord will smile MORE on us this year and keep the hottest temps at the most 110F.  Most of us can at least still function at that temp – be it at the pool up the road or Indian Ocean!

                               

Holidays coming up.  I am told “Time flies when you are having fun” and I must be having a blast, because I cannot believe Thanksgiving and Christmas are almost here!!  Celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving last Sunday with 4 Canadian missionaries.  We Americans will band together and fix some of our traditional dishes – I hope the pumpkins I planted at the farm will be ready!

Christmas…!  There are 25 teenage boys to buy for and at $10-$15 per boy, I am getting started.  Iris gives funds for pants and a shirt, anything else  purchased for gifts has come from my faithful supporters.  Every year you have blessed my boyz!  Thank you and God continue to bless you and yours abundantly!  I hope to have everything completed by December 1st. 

Praying about taking 5-10 boys up to Beira to attend a Spiritual Awakening Youth Conference the first week of December.  Transportation is $100 each boy round trip on the bus…which takes 17 hours each way.  Pray for funds to come in to make this trip possible (a first trip out of Maputo for some of the boys).

 

Upcoming events:  Outdoor Concert on our soccer field and the Annual Talent Competition!!

Signing off until next time…….Blessings to you and yours!!!

MUMPS/CHICKEN POX, RIOTS, AND EXPANSION!!!

That pretty well sums up the last couple of months here at the Zimpeto Children’s Center!  Mumps and chicken pox made their debut in August and chicken pox has been debuting since September.  However, the outbreaks seem to be lessening.  Whew!  You can imagine how relieved our nursing staff is! 

         

 

I am sure most of you (as the rest of the world) heard and/or saw on TV the rioting that occurred here in Maputo and Zimpeto.  Below are some pix taken through our front gate.  A private-owned bus was tipped over, pulled across the road to block traffic and set on fire.  Gunshots were heard in the streets and the community over our wall.  A little teargas swept thru our center a couple of times – Ugh!!  The center was locked down for three days and fun was had by all….especially the kidz because there was no school – no teachers could get here.  God placed His protecting angels around our center and one could strongly feel the Holy Spirit’s presence during this time.  The government finally stepped in and announced there would be no increase in the rice, bread and fuel…which was the main reason for the riots.

   

         

 

The farm is expanding!!!  While we will raise many kinds of vegetables here, the main focus to feed the center consistently will be on couve, beetroot and lettuce.  The first crop we have acocmplished consistently in producing is the couve.  The last four weeks, three times a week, the farm has given couve to our kitchen to fed the center.  God has blessed with great abundance of couve here in the sand!   One plant weighed 5 kilos…which is big by any standard!

                      

The beetroot production consistently is next.  We have grown some large ones, however have not concentrated to supply the center.  Now focusing on this delicious food product is terrific!   

Lettuce grows so fast here.  It has a short growth period as the Mozambicans eat the leaves and do not wait for the heart to be hearty like in America.  It is good and we are ‘sorta’ consistent with feeding the center.  Salads are usually twice a week and we are hoping for three times a week as we planted LOTS of tomato plants and lettuce this past two weeks.  Our very first crop of carrots is looking great, too.  The watermelons are well on their way to huge, as is the pumpkin.  American sweet corn is growing again, and the boyz are sure looking forward to it.  I took some of the first crop a few months ago and prepared it for them.  It is the first time they have eaten American sweet corn, as the corn grown here is field, or maize, corn.  I boiled it just right, dipped it in butter and salt!  Ummm, ummm good!!  The first crop of bush green beans was great!  I cooked up a batch for our kitchen staff and for the boyz…all are asking for more!  Thx, Mom, for the recipe..eventhough I found no saltpork – I used bacon.

Thx for your time in reading my blog!  It is quite lengthy this time as I had some ‘catching up’ to do.  I will endeavor not to wait so long to update again.  Blessings all!!

Farm Update

Last week lettuce, cabbage, and beets were planted on the farm.  The next day when we went to work there, we found the birds had come and eaten almost all of our seeds and plants!  So……at that time we had three young men from International House of Prayer in Kansas City visiting us for a week.  The pix below show their remedy for keeping the birds away!  I must admit….after we re-planted, all plants and seeds are still in the ground growing rapidly.  Today we planted AMERICAN SWEET CORN and WATERMELON!  I was given a gift of seeds from America including squash, pumpkin, egg plant, and black-eyed peas, to name a few.

Youth School Assembly!

Today marked a tremendous breakthru given by God.  Our ‘high school’ had its first School Assembly!   Let me explain:  we partner with another school who has leased our school facilities for their high school program in the afternoon.  Our 8th-10th graders attend here, but our 11th and 12th grades are at the partner school within walking distance to our center – kinda like an ‘overflow’.     History has informed us the founder of the partner school (who is no longer living) used to have a witchdoctor perform rituals at the school where these children have attended (and ours attend) at least once a month.  In the past month a strange thing has taken place with no explanation:  For no apparent reason, many of the school girls are fainting.  In one week’s time, a total of 30 girls fainted.  No one is hurt, they just faint.  The boys are not affected at all. 

We, as a Christian Center have been praying for our Lord to open a door for us to be able to bring God into the equation.  Finally, the Mozambican Headmaster consented to a School Assembly once a week.  Today was the first – 800 students!!  It was fantastic and so orchestrated by God.  The enemy did try to use a few of the girls to distract from what God was accomplishing.

One of our worship bands did the music and Steve, our Director, stepped forward to tell the students about our center and the faith we stand for.  He also told them we would like to introduce them to our Jesus Christ if they did not know Him already.  So, the foundation has been layed, and we are trusting God for a mighty revival at the school as time progresses.  Baby steps first!  We will be victorious!!  Your prayers for the future of these students – as they are the future of Mozambique - greatly appreciated.

April Happenings!

Hello all - another month gone!  Unbelievable.....however, it has been another month that we have been privileged to have a deeper encounter with God and see his miraculous handiwork!

Ten new children joined us here at the center this month.  We are so grateful God has given us the room and resources to accept these kidz.  He sees that we have enough beds, blankets, food, and clothes through donations to keep accepting children who have no place else to go - except the streets.  We had one eight-month old girl become one of God’s angels.  Now she is watching over us all.

Easter was such a blessing.  A drama was presented by a group of young people of all ages during our church service.  From the 'Last Supper' to the 'Resurrection', the re-enactment of this part of Christ's life once again served to remind us all of His mercy and grace towards us.  The message following was inspiring and everyone left the service uplifted in the Lord.

April is the Hospitality Team month to gear up for the coming visitor season!  2009 was a slow year for visitors due to the worldwide economy.  2010 is booked!  We are excited to share our Zimpeto Children's Center with people from all over the world - and they are coming - Switzerland, Germany, Russia, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, America, England...and that is just a few of the countries we receive visitors from.  I am so excited to see everything God has for these people and how their lives are enriched forever!  Of course, the deposit they leave here is incredible. 

The conference I was part of in Beira, The Mark of a Woman, was divided into two sessions in the morning: 9am-11am +/- was a church service, and 11am-12pm +/- for classes on Intercession, Leadership, one for Business Women, and one for all the rest of the women attending the conference not involved in any of the other three groups.  I spoke to the Intercession group one day, to Leadership the next, and to the rest of the ladies next.  Then it was lunchtime, siesta time, and then back to church for the evening service. 

 

On Saturday I went to the church children's orphanage.  I had a great time with the kidz, spoke to the teenagers for a little and then taught them two new dances to dance in praise before the Lord.  I must admit - after a hectic week of the conference...was nice to 'let my hair down' and be a kid!  I asked myself  "What have I done to deserve such fun, and riches, and blessings from my Lord?"  The answer I received was "I know the desires of your heart and I love you."  He is soooo good to me!!!   The Pastor has invited me back for the Youth Conference in December.  Please pray with me for God to provide a way for me to take 10 of the youth from here at the center with me - the roundtrip bus fare each person is $100US - to fly each person is $225US.  God knows.

As April comes to a close, I am looking onward and upward to May and the beginning of plans for Children's Day.  For those of you who are new to my newsletter, Children's Day is a National Holiday here in Mozambique.  School is out and the day is treated like Christmas!  Each child receives a gift of clothes and the dorm parent also buys gifts for each boy.  For my dorm (camarata - 26 boys ages 15-18) among their presents is usually a carton of milk, peanut butter, toiletries, school supplies and some sort of 'fun' item.  If you would like to contribute to this day, $10 covers the cost for one boy.  You can donate online through my partner, The Cause, at www.thecause.org – or – mail to:  The Cause, 365 NE Greenwood Avenue, Suite #1, Bend, Oregon 97001.  You will receive a receipt for tax purposes.

Thank you for your continued support and prayers!  God Bless you and yours.

Short Note

With the winter season upon us here in Mozambique, cooler temps shall prevail!!  Hallelujah!  Nice cool breezes in the day and wonderful cool evenings…now if I can just discover a way to keep all the mosquitos (moszies) away, this could be close to what Heaven is like. ;-)

If you have read this blog in the past month, you will certainly agree March was a roller coaster month.  However, whatever the good news/bad news is that may come our way, we end the day knowing our God is in control – so we rest in His grace and mercy.

The center was blessed with a wonderful Easter service and continues to move forward looking upward!  Several new children have become a part of our family, and a few others have been re-united with their families.  God is so good!

Next week, I will be traveling up North to Beira from April 20th – April 26th, to speak at an International Women’s Conference.  The theme is: The Mark of a Woman: The History of the Woman and What They Leave Behind.  I am so honored to have been invited to share on this topic.  While there, I will also speak at a Youth Conference.  Please join me in prayer for a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit during this time; and, that the Lord will use me as His instrument for His Glory!

My dorm of twenty-six 15-17 year old boys is doing great!  School is out for a week beginning Monday and the boys have been studying hard.  They are so welcoming the break – and they deserve it.  Already beginning to make plans for Children’s Day on June 1st (is like Christmas here).  I will explain more about this day in upcoming blogs.  My guyz have been challenged by the older dorm to a futbol (soccer) match this Saturday!  I have warned them that I am not a ‘gracious loser’, and have encouraged them to get themselves organized!!  It will be fun and I am making pom-poms to cheer them on!

That is it from here at this time.  Please check out the prayer request list.   Blessings to you and yours, thanks for taking the time to read this blog and for being a part of this ministry.

USS NICHOLAS

Excellent job, guyz!!  Reading of your ‘pirate’ adventure on the internet.  Prayers with you always!  Well done….be safe.

Naftal with Jesus

1am Wednesday morning, Naftal went to be with Jesus.  Thank you so much for all your prayers and interceeding for him.  Continue to pray for the little boys in his dorm, as they will be told today, and the tias who cared for him, and for his American mom here, Laura.  The whole center is affected by the loss of one of our children. 

Naftal Update

Naftal has contracted malaria.  He is in constant pain and the medical system is failing him.  Next week there is a ‘planned’ biopsy…however, anything can happen between now and then.  On Wednesday, March 24th, many of us here at the center will fast as we stand in the gap for this little guy.  You are welcome to join us – if not in fast, then continually in prayer.

Blessings…

P. S.  Fernanda continues to grow.  What a miracle!

Update on Naftal and Fernanda

Naftal is not showing improvement.  He is in great pain and the treatment he receives is slow and sporatic.   There is nothing more we on earth can do for him.  Please pray for his pain to subside so he can rest and sleep and that the Holy Spirit will show itself to him for comfort and assurance of God’s love for him.  His father visits every day and also needs our prayers for courage and strength as he battles this illness with his son.  

Fernanda is a little 15 month old girl who, up to now, has weighed 13 pounds and kept losing weight every day.  She is beginning treatment for TB this week.  Following is an update from Erin, the American nurse who attends her.  Please continue to pray for both of these children.

Here's my latest update on baby Fernanda:
Thursday night we brought Fernanda to the front of the church to be prayed over by missionaries, educators/tias, older youth, kids, Mozambican pastors, and visitors.  We were at our wit's end, nothing was working, and she had just lost 300 grams (14 ounces) in one day.  The whole church lifted up her name in one voice and prayed with all their heart for healing for this one little baby girl.  We prayed for over 20 minutes.  Many kept praying after I had no more words or tears left.  Fernanda, wide eyed and alert, just stared around at everyone with their hands outstretched, touching her, calling out her name.
Friday a few of us missionaries started gathering daily at 3pm to pray over her while many of you all around the world got on your knees and joined us at exactly the same time.  We weighed her Friday and for the first time we had an utter halt in her weight.  She didn't gain weight, but she didn't lose anything.  She started having an appetite and eating all her food. Saturday she gained 60 grams.  I shared with the tias our joy, excitement and expectation to see God show up and help little Fernanda.  I told them about all of you interceding all over the globe for this one little girl.  They were amazed and in awe.  That night the two tias that were on shift together gathered and prayed over her.  Today (Sunday) she gained........510 grams (that's over 1 lb)!!!!!  She is now 14 lbs 6 ounces (6.54 kg).  We have not changed a single thing in her care.....she ate everything again today and has still been crying out for more food.  She has life in her eyes and is much more comfortable today.  She has started bonding with one of the tias on this shift.  The tias are excited and amazed at the work God is doing. We are too!!!
We have been praying for healing, comfort, fever reduction, a ferocious appetite, weight gain, bonding with the tias, healing of her mother, to bring the family together-back to unity and closer to God using this event, for wisdom, for Fernanda to be plucked out of the mire and set on the firm Rock of God so that she can grow old and have a family and take in orphans and babies that are near death like herself and love them with the LOVE of GOD back into His arms....so she can cry out and tell of the miracles He has performed in her life, how He has changed her and saved her, set her apart for GREAT things!  Praise the Lord for hearing our prayers and answering them!  Continue praying for tomorrow as she starts treatment, for no side effects from the harsh medications and for grace and favor with the Mozambican medical system as we attempt to navigate it (they can require us to come 5 days a week and wait hours each time to receive her daily meds as all the other patients have to do for the entire 6 month treatment period). Pray for her continued weight gain, fever reduction, comfort, bonding to the tias.  Pray also for encouragment of the tias/drawing them closer to our Heavenly Father as they see his mercy, grace, love, and power through this experience.

"I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry.  He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.  He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.  Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD."  -Psalm 40:1-3

"Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all you iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."  -Psalm 103: 1-5

Thank you for the prayers for Fernanda.  Keep them coming!!
In His hands,
Erin

Latest Update on Naftal

News is not good for Naftal.  He looked much worse today than he has all week.  Wednesday Doctor Olivier confirmed there is a secondary tumor in (on?) his heart.  Also, it looks like there is a tumor on each kidney rather than just the one we thought.  This is obviously not good news.  They are now thinking of starting with chemo before surgery to try and shrink the tumors.   Continued prayers…..

BEETS!!!

Today we pulled our beets to sell to the kitchen! As you can see from the pictures, we are pretty proud of them. Next we will plant our lettuce, cabbage, onions, carrots, and cucumbers. What an accomplishment – in the sand even!!

Wash before delivery!

The corn is as high……..

and the trees are growing, too!!

Naftal Update

To everyone who is praying for our precious 8 year old little boy who is in the hospital, thank you. 

Naftal did NOT have surgery on Monday.  He was scheduled for a "echo-graphia" on Tuesday morning because of their concern for his heart.  Meanwhile, he has not been treated for anemia or his labored breathing nor had any of the fluid removed from his belly which I understand is possible.  He is having some tests done, but no results have come to light yet.  Please continue to pray that they will treat some of these symptoms while they are waiting on the best option for surgery.  The good news is, he had a little sparkle in his eyes today and ate all of his dinner!  This is amazing in itself.

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST!

I interact mostly with teenagers here at the center, however, anything that happens to a child of any age here affects us all.  Following is an urgent prayer request for a little boy in Laura’s dorm.

One of our precious boys, Naftal, who is eight, is in the hospital for his 11th day.  Two weeks ago he began complaining of symptoms that sounded like malaria but then his stomach just got bigger and bigger and he was obviously jaundiced.  We took him to the hospital last Saturday thinking he likely had a liver infection.

This past Tuesday he was finally diagnosed with Wilm's Tumor, a childhood cancer of the kidney.  In the US, the prognosis is quite good but we have no idea what it will be here in Mozambique.

Naftal will have surgery on Monday to remove the tumor after which he will begin chemotherapy at some point.  To quote Erin, one of our nurses, "This is a huge thing for any child to go through in the Western world where we have amazing technology, good monitoring, wonderful doctors, nurses, and support staff, and cutting edge medicines.  Little Naftal is in a very infectious environment with medicine from 50 years ago, staff who are less than brilliant to look after him (most is done by the tia staying with him that is not related to him and is not in anyway medical), and little to NO monitoring with labs or machines or vital signs, and to top it off a heart valve problem which will complicate his surgery and anesthesia during."

In the natural, we have much to fear on behalf of Naftal.  But we are trying to keep our hearts and minds set on the promises of God and not the natural! 

Please join with us in praying for Naftal, for complete healing and protection of his body and life.  Please pray also for his father who has been so present during this time, visiting every day and calling the Tias morning and night to get an update and pray over the phone with him.  He even asked if he could stay the night with Naftal but was told he couldn't, only women are allowed to stay the night with the children  (one clue as to the state of medical environment here). 

Please pray for God's peace and presence to be a great comfort to Naftal who is in physical pain and doesn't understand what is happening to him.   We love our little Naftal and want him home with us, safe and healthy and living life as he normally does!

Y 

You can see in this photo, he’s been in a room for 11 days with no machines and no monitoring.  It's pretty scary.

 

More news to follow after the surgery.

MY BIRTHDAY!!

Saturday, the 27th was my birthday and it was wonderful!  I could never have imagined celebrating a birthday in Africa!  I was joined for dinner by many missionaries at the center, and two couples from the American Embassy who have become friends. 

The American Ambassador and her husband were dining at the same restaurant and popped over to wish me a Happy Birthday.  Wow – that was a nice birthday surprise.

 

My first gift of the day was from a missionary who surprised me with a full propane tank so I could have hot water for a shower!!  It is always the little things that count!  Much to my pleasant surprise, during dinner I received text messages from some of ‘my boyz’.  I think texting during dinner was deliberate - reminding me that I went out without them.  I also received a terrific long letter from one of the boys I have ‘hung out’ with for the last two years.  I marvel at how God catches me off-guard sometimes and sends a reminder of His love thru those around me!  I stand in awe…… 

THANK YOU everyone who has emailed and Facebooked a ‘Happy Birthday’ message!  As I read all of them, I see your smiling faces, I remember what great times we had during your visit here, and hope someday to see you all again – if not here, then you know where!!   Please know that you are all in my prayers for God’s continued wisdom and guidance in your life!

AMERICAN SAILORS COME TO CENTER!

Wednesday, February 10th two ships from America came to port in Maputo; the USS Nicholas and the HSV (High Speed Vessel)2. Many of the sailors volunteered to come and play with the children and do a few work projects. 

 

 

 

 

The Music Program in the Babyhouse was enjoyed as much by the adults as it was by the children!  Quite an aerobics workout!

The Farm Project was a little more ‘labor intensive’.  Clearing property for expansion and building a compost bin in 100+F was a challenge for some.  

 

From tall grass to garden

ground!  Thx Guys!!

 

..

 

 

 

Of course, the happy-medium labor was painting!  Praise the Lord, the outside of Mana Tracey’s house was painted and one of the rooms in the girls camarata…..

  

 

 

 

 

It was so wonderful to spend the day with a great group of people willing to spend a full day of their 4-day leave with us!!  Our prayers are always with them!

Stay tuned – more to come re this visit!

Christmas update

Would really love it if someone could tell me where the year 2009 went! Seems I just arrived in Mozambique March 2009 and the year is over already. I trust this update finds you in good health and the holidays were enjoyed with family and friends as we look forward to the greatest year in the Lord - 2010!!

We celebrated Christmas with the children at the enter on December 18th this year. It was a week early - took a little extra thought-processing to 'get in the mood', but we just pretended it was December 25th. Many missionaries were going home for the holidays, however, they wanted to be here with the children - thus the December 18th Christmas. On Christmas Day we had a 'mini olympics' for all the kidz at the center. It was so much fun! Everyone received a 'gold medal'!!

After the kidz ran through all the different challenges, the visitors and a couple of missionaries (one being me!) challenged one another to a couple of the games. With the temperature over 100F, we chose games requiring the use of water. Of course, by mid-afternoon buckets, cups/plastic tall glasses, bottles - anything that could carry water was being used...with more then one of us welcoming a good drenching. The temperatures hovered around 120-125F a few days in December.

Christmas evening the missionaries enjoyed a wonderful pot luck dinner and gift exchange. With so many different countries represented here, the variety of food and tradition is always exciting. We learn so much from and about one another.