Here is an update from the trip into Mozambique last week from April 16th - April 18th ...
We got word on Monday that the border was open. This was great news, as it would solve so many problems. The guys spent the rest of Monday in preparation of leaving Tuesday morning at 5 am. They arrived at Punda Maria Gate in Kruger around 8:30 Tuesday morning. When asked where they were headed they responded Pafuri Border. That is when their plans changed. After a few phone calls it was discovered that the secretary misunderstood William on Monday. She thought he was referring to the Pafuri Gate in Kruger not the Pafuri Border. Even though the guys were disappointed that Pafuri Border was still closed they were also glad they would be able to check out the Giriyondo Border Post to see what it would be like. By 10:30 they were on the road and heading to the Giriyondo.
They arrived at the Giriyondo Border at 2:00 pm, just an hour before it closed. This border is mainly a tourist border crossing and therefore the Visa’s for our American staff members were higher. They had to pay R750 ($85) which is normally about R570 ($70). That is a significant difference. On top of that they charged R125 ($15) per vehicle and R125 per person to enter the park on the Mozambique side. They did have a few issues when it came to clearing the border with the police. The police wanted to “tax” our guys for their personal belongings. After some discussion and then the customs guys telling the police that our guys were with the church, they let them go. William said to get a team through that border would be a problem plus the road is so bad. In a small bakkie it took 6 hours to get from the Giriyondo border to Xicumbane and in the buses it will take much longer. When they finally arrived at the gate to leave the Mozambique park and it was closed. They were only 5 km away for the church in Xicumbane. The guy finally opened the gate so they could leave the park and they arrived at the church by 9 pm. Pastor Albert and Ernest were so happy to see them. They greeted our guys with hugs, the kind of hugs that you get from friends you haven’t seen in a long time!
Time was short in Mozambique! They basically only had Wednesday to see people and then they needed to return home on Thursday. They left Xicumbane around 8:30 in the morning on Wednesday and started to head to the Pafuri Border with plans to stop in Matsilele on the way. When they arrived at Pastor Robert’s house in Matsilele, they found out that he was not home. They spent some time with his wife, Rosita, and another church leader. They asked her how things have been since the floods. She explained to them that the soil was swept away from some farm areas and deposited in other areas. She said it is hard to tell how people are coping right now. The guys worked on the churches water pump while they were there. They also left some seed for the church. They also stopped by Pastor John’s house in Mbuzi to check on him. They found that he has been in South Africa with family since November. He is getting older and we are not sure if he will be able to return to Mozambique. They left Mbuzi and continued on to the border. They were impressed with the condition of the road and said in several places the road had been graded. They arrived at the border around 1:30 in the afternoon. Masango from Mabuzanne as well as Ellias and Judas from Dumela were able to cross the river (by boat) and meet the guys there. Their time together was short but they were able to visit a little and also give them some seed for their churches.
While at the border, they did meet with the Chief of Post. He told them that the WFP is caught up in red tape and they are not sure when they will be able to bring in more food. William asked for permission to come in to Mozambique and deliver the seed and donated food we have. The Chief was going to Maputo (Thursday) to continue to get the proper clearance we will need to go in and deliver the seed and donated food we have. William also asked if they could spend time with churches when they come back to deliver the seed. He said that it is beyond his power to give that kind of permission coming through Pafuri border. He said it could cause too many problems. The chief must go with them to deliver the food and in the process they could see some of the churches but he can’t give them more time other than what is needed to deliver food.
They also talked to the Chief about the timing of the border opening again. A closed border does affect our outreach season. The Chief said they had a meeting with all the authorities and that the border will only be open by the end of June (which also cannot be guaranteed). After their meeting with the chief they headed back to Xicumbane. The chief rode with them so he could catch the train to Maputo on Thursday morning.
Thursday morning the guys were able to pack up camp and get on the road by 8:30 am. After driving over 11 hours they were back home safely to Polokwane.
Just to give you an idea of how much they traveled in 3 days … 1270 Km; 27 ½ hours drive time in 3 days.
Be sure to check out some of the photos from their trip on the
Samaria Mission Facebook Page
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