Hey supporters!
This past week was an exciting one. We will touch on our 3 most memorable moments and at the bottom as usual we will share miracle stories.
The bush bush--
Several of our couples were in the bush this past weekend. Saturday they went door to door praying with the sick to see them healed and share the gospel. In all this it stirred great curiosity and those getting healed and saved would follow the the group and it continued to grow and grow. There was a practicing witch amidst the crowd walking around with a coconut shell full of little snakes. He was trying to practice witchcraft while Jesus was being shared; however he had no power. At one point he finally decided he wanted to experience Jesus and asked the group to come to his home to pray with him. Once he got there he realized the snakes from his coconut shell were gone and when he went into his room the larger snakes he kept for his practices in a bag had ran away and fled his hut and in their place a wood cross appeared before his eyes on his bed. He was shocked and felt the presence of God fill his room. He knew right then, that this Jesus is the one true God. He came out of his hut with the bamboo cross sharing with the crowd what had occurred and he gave his life to Jesus on the spot. Then him and others cleaned out his hut of all his witchcraft and burned it all in a fire. He then got delivered of all demons and the next morning went and got water baptized!!!! WOW God is SO good. SO GOOD!
From Rachel's perspective ---A glimpse into a day of building homes here in Mozambique.
Coming from a generational line of builders, it only felt natural to join the construction team in building homes for widows. Let me tell you though, its nothing like in America. To start the process 21 people squeezed in the bed of a small truck with a few shovels and pick axes and headed off into the village bouncing off huge divets, piles of trash and holes. The truck was very unstable and the electrical poles were so low if you were not careful you could have easily been killed. As we cruised through the red dirt, dust flying, over (literally) 100 children began chasing after the truck. Several would try to climb in and the Mozambicans would slap their hands and push them off the truck. The kids thought it was so hilarious. One kid however threw a large rock and it skimmed right over our heads and almost hit someone right in the face. (Praise God it didn't). There were times I jumped out of the back of the moving truck as they did sharp turns just in case the truck rolled..... It seemed like the adventure I was born for. I was seriously having the time of my life, laughing and bonding with the Africans. I felt peace and safe even though with my natural eyes it looked like chaos.
Just four of us loaded up the truck eight times with bricks, sand and rock while others dug trenches for the foundation. Women here do not do this sort of work, so the people were very intrigued. The momma in whom the home was for kept coming up to us and hugging us. She didn't have much of anything, but prepared the little food she had for those interested. The children watched our every moves and as we unloaded the bricks ALL of them tried to help. Even four year olds were handing me bricks. They would scream "Akuna, Akuna!!" (white person) when they needed help. It was such a great experience. At the end of the day, even though I've never ever been dirtier in my life, I kept thinking... this is what I was born for, this is my DNA. I could do this every day of my life. Serving, assimilating with another cultures, laughing, loving and sharing Jesus with very few words.
From Jake's perspective -- Village discipleship of 400+ kids
Hi it's Jake! I have been helping with a program that a few local Mozambican missionaries lead. Each week Monday-Friday they share a daily bible story and then feed all the children from the surrounding village. It's been one of my highlights of this trip and makes me miss our inner city youth. I was asked to do the story a couple of times and it's been fun getting the kids involved in skits. I have become a human amusement park. Children climb all over you...feeling the hair on your head, rubbing and grabbing your arm hair and armpit hair in curiosity and pinching your freckles... giggling in amazement of your differences.
Miracle Stories outside medical clinic:
- A Muslim who got prayer and healed listened to the gospel and wanted to receive Jesus. His face transformed after inviting Jesus in. A bystander who saw the transformation became hungry for this and asked Jake for a track with information on how to receive Jesus so he could go home and do it privately.
- Jake later shared Jesus with a Muslim woman who wasn't ready to receive Jesus. Jake felt to ask this woman if she ever had a dream of a man dressed in white. She said yes, and that it was a number of years ago. Jake was able to tell her that this was Jesus and that He is going to visit her again and make himself real to her.
- Headaches, pain all over the body and stomach pain have been the most prominent items we've been seeing as well as malaria. About 90% of these people after prayer, have been getting completely healed.
**FYI A man in white showing up in dreams has been happening to Muslims all over the world! It is an EXCITING time to be alive. It shows the power of prayer and that there is no distance in our prayers for the lost.
We leave tomorrow for the bush. It is a 5 hour journey by truck to reach this tribe. We are SUPER excited for what God has in store.
Be blessed,
Jake & Rachel
PS we will try to sneak a few photos