Good day,
Thank you graciously for your financial support and prayers! Read below for some amazing experiences last week in the villages. Many lives are being impacted because of your generosity in helping to send us out.
There is something about Africa. Something trying that rids you of yourself, but something so freeing and beautiful that you never want to return home. The heat here is so intense that you find a constant sweat on the small of your back and the top of your brow, if you are lucky. The dirt and the dust finds its way all over your body, hair and food. The need and poverty is so deep that you find yourself overwhelmed at times in sorrow over your food, in questioning of your many outfits to change into..... pondering what is it you really need to survive...? How will life be different after this all?
This week we went into the village many times. Each time was for an entire day. Each time did something so deep inside us.... you cannot put it to words. Let me describe one of the experiences for you.
A small group of us with our momma entered the village. After about 30 minutes of walking in the dirt we were all drenched in sweat. It went from uncomfortable to comforting to feel the cool wet cotton on our bodies as our main sense of refreshment. We followed the momma as she navigated into the market. Dodging metal tin roofs with shards poking out any one way and smiling at the people as they studied us intensely. Goats heads lay out on tarps, many varieties of spices fresh for scooping, fresh caught fish and several fresh vegetables.
Most the children followed us like baby ducklings calling us, "Akuna, Akuna" (white person). With the gifted 500 meticas we gave her (about $8 USD) in hand the momma, Lucia, carefully selected everything in which she needed to prepare lunch and how to wisely use the excess for food for her family. The market had an intense smell. It smelled of raw fish, sewage, and sweaty bodies. After all the items were gathered, we all partook in carrying. The momma threw a large bag of corn on top of her head and led the way to her home. She wanted to prepare us her favorite homemade meal.
We played in the yard with her children. She is a mother to 7. She showed us how to prepare the meal and she cut quickly with knife using her other hand as the cutting board, it seemed she would cut her hand, but she knew well she wouldn't. She gave us the chance to cut and the children laughed.... the momma laughed, we all laughed at our lack of skills. In her home she had a tiny brick "stove top" where she tossed in the fresh cut greens, onion, tomatoes, garlic and some vegetable oil. We cooked it down to a sauce and added a peanut powder on top. We then prepared the sheima as they call it. It is similar to a corn meal or grits, but is white. It has a thick, rubbery texture. She showed us how to stir and we all failed miserably. The home was so hot, we all added a fresh layer of sweat to our clothing.
Then once the meal was complete, we all sat on the dirt floor of the home on woven mats. The momma handed us each our own plastic plate with the greens (matapa) and the sheima. We prayed and she showed us how to eat it with our hands. You roll the sheima into small balls and dip it into the matapa. It was without a doubt the best meal we've eaten since arriving here. It is the most commonly favorite meal of all Mozambicans. There was something so beautiful in this moment of "breaking bread" together. Here this widow, momma to 7, with barely anything.... had invited us into her home and asked to prepare a meal for us and there we all sat, in unity and community, doing life together. You cannot put to words what you feel in this moment as you look around the room and see the beauty of it all. All you feel is the IMMENSE love of Jesus. The love He has for this momma, her children and all those in need. You feel blessed, humbled and small. You feel all worries of the world leave. All your previous cares go. And all you want is to see justice.... for those in need.
The thing is, the need here is too deep, too large for one man to take on. It's one of the 1st things anyone would see as they enter a 3rd world or even 2nd world country. And the sad thing is even in a 1st world country we have similar needs. But the hope we DO have is that EACH person is worth stopping for. Even if we cannot save everyone. We cannot share Jesus, love and hope to each soul, BUT those whom we do touch, are forever changed and WE also are in the process. AND the love and hope of Jesus is eternal. And when His love is shared, it moves like a mighty crashing wave, like a domino effect.
This momma shared with us her needs at the end of the meal, as we asked how we could help her. She had some deep pain and we prayed for a while and she was completely healed. She also has some patch work needed for her home before the flood season comes. She shared with us that she had a deep fear of the rainy season because the weak homes with leaks have been known to cave in on a sleeping family and kill them. She said this need comes before feeding her family. We are going to get this momma the help she needs; however she is just 1 of the many relationships we've been making here in Africa! You want to say yes to everyone, but you cannot. Attached at the end of the email you will see a few photos from making this meal with one of our mommas, Lucia.
Other highlights from last week:
We went to the clinic early in the AM 2x this week and saw radical healings each time.
- Some of those getting healed were Muslims.
- One momma came with her and her 3 children suffering from malaria. They all looked pale and feverish and after praying the children started laughing and playing in the dirt.
- One momma had a toddler with severe malaria to the point he could not walk and he got healed and began walking.
- One teenager had a large abscess on his pectoral muscles (chest) and the abscess did not leave on the spot (we believe it is gone by now) but all pain left and he was able to do movements he couldn't before.
- Several women had pain in their digestive organs and when we prayed all of them got healed on the spot.
- 3 of the mommas that got healed prayed to receive Jesus for the first time.
- There are many, many more miracles of praying at the clinic!
Additional highlights!
- One of the other widows we visited, we had prayed with her sick baby last week and we asked her how the baby was doing and she said after we prayed the baby slept the night through and all symptoms of sickness left! Praise God!
- For this same widow, when we visited we brought a warm meal to her and her seven children. There was even enough to share with the 20 neighborhood kids that came over! She told us afterwards that Jesus must really love her because they had not eaten yet that day and that the leftovers would give them food for that evening. We had no idea that if it wasn't for us bringing food, they would not have had food to eat that day. This particular day was a national holiday.
- We also went out for a bite to eat with the couples on base one evening and led our waiter to the Lord.
- Our friend Denis got a word of knowledge about the other waiter and asked him if he was having a hard time sleeping at night. The man answered and said yes, how did you know this? Denis got the chance to tell him about how much Jesus loves Him through this and blessed him with a large cash gift. It was so cool! He also prayed for the waiter for the broken sleep to end.
We are having the time of our lives here- seeing lives changed and being changed ourselves and also growing closer in friendship with Jesus. It is amazing. We cannot wait to see what is in store for the rest of this mission trip.
Be blessed,
Jake & Rachel
