PaulAnn Outreach in Tchale Updade Coming Soon!

I have meant to get to our last outreach updated on here for 3 weeks now but each day goes by without even getting a chance to start it.

We arrived home from Mozambique on Thursday, July 26th and we have been nonstop since then.  Our first night back we had 13 people total (including us) staying at our house.  The next day Cody and Curline, two of our outreach missionaries (OMs), left to go home.  We were so blessed to be able to spend the next 7 days with our good friends, Brad and Jill Hixon, who will be joining us full time at the end of September.  Seraiah, another OM was with us until the 10th and tomorrow our last OM, Kylie, will return home.  We still have 3 other people staying with us for now.  We praise the Lord that He gave us this house and that He is using it.  Take a few minutes and read how the Lord gave us this house by clicking here.  Let me be honest, it is not always easy to have people live with you for long periods of time, they get to see "the good, the bad and the ugly" of who we are ... sinners saved by grace BUT at the end of the day we know that this is one way we can serve the Lord by opening our home for others to have a place to call "home" while they are here in Polokwane.

Within a few days of arriving back to Polokwane, we headed over to Sean's house to help off load the 7 ton truck. 

Jill helping carry the chairs to the tin room

 

Besides being busy with people in the house, we had lots (and still have some) clean up from Mozambique.  We also helped the Vaughan's out by washing all of their bedding.  With the help of Jankie, Meriam and all of our guests we slowly but surely have almost everything cleaned and some of it sorted and put away.

and now to start on the laundry ...

Mark hung extra line along the side and back of the house

almost finished, packed and ready to be picked up

 Monday, we had our first staff meeting since May and as usual there was lots to discuss and begin preparing for.

staff meeting

 Monday, we have a group heading in to Xicumbane to hold this months leadership training there.  Mark will go to Matsilele with Sean and Josh to help finish the well that was started in June, read here.

Well, this was just going to be a quick update saying that I will get to the PABC outreach in Tchale ... well I guess I got a little carried away with details... as Mark would say to me "Did you write a book?"  Thanks for praying for us! 

Lorraine Baptist Church Outreach in Panhame, Mozambique

Thursday, June 28^th we left Mugwambani and headed to Panhame.  We were able to get on the road before 10 am.   Cody drove the MAN truck all the way to Xicumbani and then Darren drove the MAN truck from Xicumbani to Panhame.  As we started our journey to Panhame we were having to stop every 30 minutes and as the trip continued our stops were getting closer together and by the time we were almost to Panhame the last stop to fix it was 9 minutes apart – there was a valve that was causing problems and restricting the flow of the fuel.  

Here are a few of the pics from traveling to Panhame.  The Man Truck was a little too big to get under this tree.  Darren had to reverse and go around. 

Yes, that is Luke on the side!

Just a little damage to the tree.

Another branch blocking the road.

We arrived in camp around 4:30 pm and began to unload with the help of a few locals and began to set up camp.  We were very grateful to Hannah and Seraiah who prepared our chicken and potato salad the day before for our dinner when we arrived in Panhame.  By the time we got the kitchen and 5x5 tents up, the showers and the toilets prepared and our personal tents we headed for the showers and got in bed at 12:30 am.  Friday, we got up after 8 and finished setting up camp and relaxed a little and really enjoyed sorta kinda Mexican food for dinner!    

Julia rolling out the tortillas

Seraiah cooking the tortillas

 Saturday morning we got up and started washing clothes and making sure camp was ready for the arrival of the team from Lorraine BC in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.   The guys made sure we had plenty of water and firewood and we made sure camp was cleaned up and ready.  We thought the earliest the team might arrive would be around 2 pm.  As 4 pm hit, we were waiting by the fire at the showers and heating the water so that showers would be ready for the team.  It started to get dark and they still had not arrived so we decided that some of our setup team would go ahead and shower.  We couldn’t fix dinner because the Vaughan’s were bringing the food in with them and we had used the last of our meat the night before.  At 6:30 we finally saw head lights and were excited that they had finally arrived.  As we greeted the vehicles we realized that the Vaughan’s, who were supposed to be bringing in Darren’s vehicle and a trailer with the food, were not there.  We began to ask how far behind they were and Rodney said they are not sure maybe 2 hours!  They had vehicle problems and William told them to travel on ahead.  We helped the team get settled and they began to take their showers and head to bed.  We offered cereal for those that wanted but most were so tired they went to bed.  This team had traveled for 3 days by vehicle to get here and were ready for a great night rest.  The rest of us went back to the fire by the showers and waited for the Vaughan’s who were also with Derrick and Julie.  At 9:30 we saw their lights.  The first thing we noticed is that they were not in Darren’s vehicle but were in Gideon’s bakkie.  Gideon and his wife Cornie had traveled in with the group to stay in Xicumbani and prepare for the team that was to arrive there on Monday.  We found out that they were not able to drive Darren’s vehicle any further so when they reached Mugwambani Gideon had to tow them behind the 7 ton truck for 55 kilometers which because of the conditions of the road took them almost 5 hours to get to Xicumbani.  You can imagine how much dirt they inhaled during that 5 hours!  Once they got to Xicumbani they hooked the trailer up to Gideon’s bakkie and drove the next hour and a half to Panhame.  Needless to say they were exhausted and DIRTY!  

This week was a great week and we praise the Lord for sending this team to Panhame again this year.  Pastor Pedro’s wife has been sick for a few years and she passed away last month.   We were so thankful that the Lord allowed this team to be in Panhame at the time.  It was great to see them encourage and pray for him and his family.  Each day when Darren and Cody would go get water they would stop at Pastor Pedro’s house and fill up his water containers for him.   Pedro would come and spend time with the team in camp and was very involved with the ministries.  We also found out that Jeremiah, one of the leader’s in the church, had a son die during that same month that the Pedro’s wife died.  These two men had been through a rough year but they still choose to stand and praise the Lord for all he has done.  Please pray for Pedro and Jeremiah in the coming months as they continue to grieve the loss of a wife and son.  

Cody filling Pastor Pedro's containers

Ministry began on Sunday morning with church around 10 am.  Mark preached from Ephesians 4: 17-32 how Paul talks about putting off the old sinful nature and putting on the new man.  Mark uses an illustration of a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly to show a change that takes place and that they never go back to being a caterpillar.   He also shares from Proverbs 6:  16–19 and Galatians 5:  19-21.  While going through how scripture describes the old self he puts dirt on his shirt and then when he goes back to Ephesians and he takes the old dirty shirt off and puts on a new clean shirt showing a transformation from the old self to the new self.  

Mark preaching Sunday morning

On Monday the different ministries began and we used this day to review what they had learned the last few years in the teachings.  Darren did the review with the men, Derrick reviewed the children and Sharyn and I reviewed with the women. Sharyn did the talking and I showed the pictures and shared my testimony at the end.  I also asked if there were any women who wanted to share something the Lord had done in their life over the last year.  There was an older lady who shared that she had suffered with illnesses over the years and that she had gone to the witch doctor several times and nothing changed.  She said that she praises the Lord that He has allowed her to see this day.  She knows that God is in complete control and praises Him.  I spoke to her afterwards and thanked her for sharing.  Her name is Samaria (pronounced Sa Maria).  

Sharyn and I during women's ministry

 This team from Lorraine was involved in men’s, women’s and children’s ministry, hut to hut visitation and evening services.  They also introduced “Farming God’s Way” and show the people an new way to farm. Rodney also held his annual tennis clinic. 

Men's Ministry

Women's Ministry

Children's Ministry

Tennis Clinic

Again, there is never enough time and really not enough words to really show what all the Lord did in and through the team on an outreach.  I wanted to share a few highlights from some of the team members. 

Cody, who is one of our Outreach Missionaries this year, had a chance to go on hut to hut one day with the Lorraine team.  Here is a recap in his words from his visitation… “David, JoAnn, Nicolette and I were able to visit with a young lady who had just returned from school at Mapai.  I shared the Gospel with her making sure that she understood that she was a sinner and because of that sin she was separated from God.  When she acknowledged that was true of her, I shared the Good News that God because of his great love for us made a way for us to have a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.  I proceeded to share my testimony with her explaining how I was convicted of my sin and it was Christ who saved me from it.  After that she said she believed that what we said was true and expressed a desire to commit her life to the Lord.  We told her that if that was truly the desire of her heart that she should pray and express those things to him.  We invited her to women’s ministry and the evening service, told her if she wanted one we get her a Bible and prayed for her.  She came to women’s ministry and was given a Bible.”

Helmer, from the Lorraine team shared that, “the most memorable part of this outreach to Panhame was seeing our daughters willingness to interact with the children in the village, participate and help with the children’s ministry, and adjust to camp life for a week in the bush.  Even our most girly daughter got the hang of the long drop potties and showering under a baobab tree!  I found a guy in the village who played guitar and another who played the drum and we enjoyed entertaining the local children with music from Mozambique and the US.  The kids circled the 3 of us clapping and dancing.  It was my first “international tour”. My payment was the smiles of the children in Panhame!” 

Helmer hanging with the locals

Gerhard, from the Lorraine team shared that, “Farming God’s Way is not just a technology but a well-balanced biblical management and technological solution for the agricultural domain, to equip the poor to come out of poverty, with what God has put in their hands and to reveal the fullness of His promised abundant life.  The highest yields ever recorded was under a hand planted, rather than machine planted technique, because of the precision in seed placement and covering operations.  This week we had the privilege to teach the people of the village of Panhame the basic concept of farming God’s way. 
1.) Protecting the land from the harsh elements by covering fields with leaves, grass etc. called God’s blanket. 
2.) Precision planting by stations
3.) Fertilization can be manure, ant hill as well as compost.
4.) Making of a teren rope (marking rope with exact measurements) with what is available in the village, bottle tops, pieces of plastic etc. which can be used to direct where to make the holes. 
Our hope is that the concept of covering the ground so that it can hold its moisture so that they can still get a crop in major drought.  Also, that they don’t need as much seed and fertilizer for their crops and they will get a much better yield from a small area."

Gerhard introducing Farming God's Way

showing them how to plant the seed

the locals participated in the seed planting

covering the field with "God's blanket"

Several from this team went out each morning around 6 am and took candles and matches and gave them to people they would see out at their homes.   Each morning they would hand out around 80 candles and cover about 1/3 of the village.  On the last full day in camp they handed out around 150 and covered 2/3 of the village.  Vic, from the Lorraine team shared about the walks early each morning … “the simplicity of walking and passing out candles and matches to the people.  They don’t have much but they receive the candles with such gratefulness and joy.” 

One evening in the service Pastor Pedro and Jeremiah, another church leader, shared their testimonies.  

  

Pedro shared that he was drunk and said the village could testify to that.  He said he drank all kinds of beer.  His sister went to South Africa and while there she attended church.  When she returned to Mozambique she came back to him and told him he needed to stop drinking.  He didn’t really listen to her.  One day when he was asleep, he had a dream that Pastor Albert from Xicumbani came and found Pedro drinking then Pastor Albert grabbed that cup Pedro was drinking with and he threw it away.  Then when Pedro woke up he started to think about the dream that he had.  From there he started to be selective about what kind of beer he started to drink and he didn’t drink the kind that Pastor Albert threw away in his dream.  At a certain point, he realized that drinking was useless.  From there he started going to church and has never looked back from there.  

Pastor Pedro and Aaron

 Jeremiah was born healthy and was crippled from the age of 4.  His family took him to several places to see if they could heal from a witch doctor.  They witch doctors failed and he was never healed.  His mother took him to a pastor and the pastor prayed for him and that is when he started to get better.  His mother used to carry him to church.  His condition improved and he can now walk with a limp but no pain.  At the age of 18 he joined the political party and he gave an oath that he would not believe in God.    He did what he wanted and he stopped following Christ.  At a certain point he came to his senses and realized he was in a critical condition and he realized God helped him.  He realized that if he were to get sick again who would there for him.  His could carry him anymore.  He remembered back to his childhood and he was recommitted his life to the Lord.  To this day he is still serving the Lord! 

Jeremiah and Aaron

One afternoon I saw Jeremiah’s mother sitting in the place we do women’s ministry by herself waiting … she was an hour early.   I took a photo of her and then went to show her.  I sat down with her and in my best Shangaan, which isn’t much, tried to explain teaching would start soon.  I even did hand motions and tried to show her they would sing soon by singing a few words to the “Halleluiah Hosanna” song.  She started to raise her hands and sing with me and together we sang a few verses to the song.  It was one of the sweetest times I have had … just the two of us and the Lord!  

Jeremiah's mother waiting for Bible study

 Here are a few pictures to highlight this outreach in Panhame.  You will find more pictures on our Samaria Mission facebook page.   

Luke loved having a lot of kids on this team

Luke having fun at Children's Ministry

Jeremiah gather grass for "God's blanket"

Game Time

Brit enjoying playing her guitar with Helmer

Walking back from tennis

 I wanted to show off some of the photos Brit took. 

William had to make a "day trip" to South Africa for parts for Darren's vehicle on July 3rd.  Mark is always joking with William anytime he left us in Mozambique to bring him ice cream.  Well, William left at 4:30 am and made it back sometime after 8 pm and look what he brought!  We all enjoyed ice cream in the bush! 

happy man eating ice cream

Ice Cream on July 3rd meant ice on July 4th!

 

morning devo

Brit helping with breakfast

making some biscuits

Handing out a Trans World Radio

preparing for evening service

men's ministry

overnight cinnamon rolls

Jeremiah showed up early for bible study

Lorraine Baptist Church & Samaria Mission team

Airline Baptist Church Outreach to Kunguma, Mozambique

Our family along with Member, Josh, Hannah and our 6 OMs (Curline, Julia, Seraiah, Kylie, David and Cody ) had 7 days in Kunguma for our “down time” while waiting on the team from Airline Baptist Church.   We were with this team last year and really looking forward to our time with them again!  We worked hard to get camp set up and then just enjoyed a break, well a little break.  Even though it was down time, we still had daily chores in order to live each day in camp.  Still needed firewood for showers and campfires, water for drinking, washing, cooking and showering and meals still needed to be prepared.  One nice thing about being a part of the set-up team is that we get a few extra special things like cold coke, homemade donuts, new fun desserts (thanks to Seraiah and Kylie) and more.  We enjoyed time by the camp fire, especially the night we roasted marshmallows with some of the village kids.  We all loved getting to sleep in past 6:30 am for a few days.  The one thing we didn’t like is the fact that Mark and I battled a runny tummy most of the week.  After a while that can get old! 

Julia, Curline and Member got to spend time during our down time teaching at the school in Kunguma.  They all enjoyed it.  One thing that I noticed is that school is required but yet there is no one that enforces rather they show up or not.  One morning Mark and I went to watch them teach English and only 2 students showed up.  We did notice that in the afternoon when the younger kids attend class there seems to be more involvement.  

During our down time, Mark and I also sat down with Member and Virgilio, the church leader in Kunguma.  It was nice to get to know him.  He has been married to his wife, Betty for 34 years and they have 5 children.  He is from the northern part of Mozambique and from the Nyanza tribe.  He learned Shangaan in 1974 when he was a soldier for nine years.  He accepted Christ as his savior in 1984 while living in Chicualacuala during a hut to hut visitation from a Mozambique pastor from the Assemblies of God Church.  After leaving Chicualacuala he moved to Kunguma.  There was not a church there so he would sometimes go to the Zion Church but most of the time he would stay home.  Then he told us that he was happy when Pastor William brought a team to Kunguma in 2005 and planted a church there.   He says there are now 11 members in the church in Kunguma and that he feels a calling and a joy being the pastor.    

Towards the end of set up we were feeling better and really looking forward to the team arriving.  This was a smaller team so they traveled to Mozambique in the China Bus.  This bus does not have 4 X 4 so it can’t cross the river so William was going to park the bus at Pastor John’s house in Mbuzi and Mark was supposed to drive the MAN truck to Pastor John’s house to fetch the team on Monday the 18^th.  This was Mark’s first time to drive the MAN truck and Brit and I decided to go with him.  We were supposed to be at Mbuzi by noon to meet the team so we left Kunguma a few minutes after 10am.  We were making pretty good time until we came to the one and only hill along the way.  We had been told it is really steep and not in good shape.  Mark got almost half-way up and the truck would not go any further, in fact the back wheels were just digging in.  Brit and I went up top to watch him and pray the Lord would give him wisdom to know what to do because we had to get over the hill.  After several tries he put the diff lock on and he made it up (Mark was told with our personal bakkie that the diff lock only needed to be used in sand so he didn’t think he would need it on the rocks).  We praised the Lord for allowing Mark to get the truck up and down the hill safely.    At this point it was 11:30 and we still had to get to the river and cross to Mbuzi.  We knew we would be a few minutes late but that would be fine.  Right as we get to the edge of the river we lost power in the truck and it stopped.  Mark could not get it to start again.  We sat there for about 30 minutes or so and then Mark decided that he better walk to Mbuzi and let William know something is wrong with the truck.  Mark left and Brit and I sat in the truck.  She watched a movie on her ipod and I read.  Of course, we were the entertainment for several kids who came by.  They would just sit and watch us for a long time.  Two hours later Mark returned, that’s when I knew something must have delayed the team since he was walking back by himself.  Basically, Mark walked to John’s house and only his son was there.  He chatted with him a few minutes and managed to get a piece of paper and a pen from him to leave a note then he walked back.  He climbed in the truck and tried to start it again and it started right up!  We laughed and said that he just must have needed that two hour walk!  So off we go across the river and get to John’s house right at 3 pm.  Apparently William and team had just arrived.  He had just finished reading Mark’s note and was finding his tools so that he could go help us.  Side note, the team was 3 hours late because they spent 45 minutes watching a leopard in Kruger and then got held up at the border.   

Thought you might enjoy reading Mark’s note he had left …

William,

I walked to John’s house.  The MAN truck would not keep going and would not start again.  The truck made it the river’s edge (Kunguma side).  I am leaving this note at John’s house with his son, Lemmond.  If I can get back to the truck and get it started, I will come to John’s house with it.  I am walking back to the truck now as I left Alicia and Brit alone.  If I have not returned with the truck, you might want to bring yourself in your bakkie to see if you can get the truck started so the team can make it to Kunguma.  Sorry for the inconvenience, Mark.

Well, we greeted everyone and hugged those who were returning and introduced ourselves to the new ones.  They climbed onto the back of the MAN truck and off we went.  The team spent the two hours on the back dodging trees and thorns.  We got almost to Kunguma and the truck lost power and stopped.  Turns out we were only a ten minute walk from the village so the team followed Brit and me to camp and the guys worked on the truck.  Turns out there was a problem with the fuel pump and they drove into camp shortly after we arrived.  The team got settled in their tents and headed to the shower. 

After dinner we had a service to introduce the team and then headed to bed.  The days ahead were HOT with a few days with temperatures around 103 in the sun!  Remember this is winter.  Two of the team members suffered with a stomach bug for a few days.  William had a day that he didn’t feel well and Mark and Luke had a touch of the stomach bug as well.  We praise the Lord that everyone starting feeling better and could enjoy the time in Kunguma. 

The outreach in Kunguma went well.  There has not been a team in Kunguma since 2009.   The first day of ministry the staff did an overview of lessons covered in the past.  Mark taught the men, Hannah taught the women and Darren taught the children.  One thing we did notice with the children is that 3 years is a long time and they did not seem to remember anything they had been taught.  The team spent the rest of the time teaching from the curriculum that we use from New Tribes Mission – Firm Foundations.  Their teachings were from Moses birth through when the Lord decided to forgive and save the Israelite's who put their trust in Him and looked at the snake on the pole.  Of course they made sure to emphasize that the snake didn’t heal the people but their trust in the Lord did.   

The team also participated in hut to hut visitations and evening services.   They also helped to organize with Virgilio a time to go fetch the proper poles needed so some of the men in the church could repair the church.  They loaded up some of the locals and some of the team and had to drive 25 kilometers away to find the long poles to use.  It was great to see how hard they all worked on the church structure.  

On June 19^th and 20^th we held the monthly leadership training for the Dumela hub in Kunguma.  The focus this month was Ephesian chapter 4 and the beginning of chapter 5.  Mark taught on Wednesday morning from Ephesians 4:17-32.  

As always, it is so hard to write about all the Lord did on each outreach due to time and space.  Mark always gives me a hard time about the fact that I “write a book” but I always tell him his mom and my mom want details and those that don’t can just skip to the pictures!  

I just wanted to highlight a few things from this outreach …

Seraiah was telling me that one of her favorite moments from this outreach was when she went on hut to hut visitation one day with Clint, Chase and one of our translators.   They came across one of the teachers from the school.  He was so happy that a team was at Kunguma again and he shared that he gave his life to the Lord in 2006 when a team was there.  He said he would make a point to be at all the teachings and that he would make it a priority for the kids to have a break during the day to attend children’s ministry.  His words were “the word of God is important!” 

Chip went on visitation almost each day with different team members and he shared with me some highlights from a few of those visitations...

Wednesday, June 20^th “We met with several people in the village and shared the gospel with two young girls who accepted Christ.  We are meeting people who tell us they became Christians when the last missionaries visited.  Judas is blind with cataracts.  He professed faith in Jesus and told us that he was a believer.  He has a young son, about 5 years old, who guides him.  We shared and prayed with Judas, he asked that we pray for his faith and that he would renew his commitment to God.  As it worked out, it was my day to teach men’s ministry at 2 pm.  As I was teaching, I looked up and saw Judas being led by his son across the field to come join us.  I wish all church members who make excuses for not coming to church could witness this!!!  His son led him to a chair and sat in his lap as I continued to teach.  What a God moment!!” 

Another highlight from Chip was on Monday, June 25^th “We visited a group of women with Derek, Candice, Cody and I sharing.  There seemed to be resistance but we could see conviction.  Derek finally realized that we were witnessing to a witch doctor and two of her patients!  There is little doubt that God is moving but there is still resistance.  We shared for almost an hour then left them with a prayer and a promise to return.  As we walked on we saw a goat with two brand new kids just minutes old.  We witnessed one of God’s miracles then minutes later we met Carolena, a young mother of five.  As resistant as the witch doctor was, she was ready for us.  God had prepared the way.  We asked to share and she told us she was “anxious to hear” Candice spoke with her, we helped to fill in on any questions and she prayed to receive Christ as her Savior!!  On Thursday we returned to see the witch doctor and saw her two patients as well.  We told them all that they had “heard” now it was up to them to respond.  We left with a promise to continue to pray for their salvation.  (One of the patients attended women’s ministry for the first time today!!)  

The morning of Wednesday, June 27th started early, in fact the sun was not up yet.  The Airline team woke and helped to pack away bedding and take down their tents.  A little after 7 they were loaded in our bakkie and the back of the Vaughan’s bakkie.  Mark, Cody and Darren helped to drive the team back to Pastor John’s house and then they drove the MAN truck and both bakkies to the border.  Mark needed to renew the vehicle paperwork and renew and pay for our Visas as well as the OMs, Member, Josh and Hannah’s Visas.  The rest of us on the set up team stayed back in Kunguma and broke down the rest of camp.  We finished around 10:30 and had time to rest while we waited for the guys to get back.  The MAN truck was still having problems even though they put a new fuel pump on a few days before – they believe it is a problem with a valve restricting the flow of fuel.  They had to stop a few times and fix it on the way back.  They pulled into camp a little before one and we ate lunch and then began to load the truck.   We loaded up and left Kunguma around 4 pm and headed to Mugwambani to stay the night with the team from Cape Town who were with Gabriel and Sean and Gena.  

Here are a few pictures from the Airline Baptist Church outreach in Kunguma.  Sorry they are not in order but it is LATE here and blogger is not playing nice.  Be sure to also check out more pictures from Kunguma on our Samaria Mission on Facebook.

Airline Baptist Church Team

Pastor Virgilio's wife Betty and her friends

Brit and Curline at Children's Ministry

The OM's went during set up to watch the sunrise.

Luke chopping wood for the showers

Luke was teaching the kids how to play baseball.

Mozambique phone booth

William and Mark working on our bakkie

Mark driving the MAN truck to Mbuzi

Mark helping Virgilio with the church

Mark preaching and Member translating

Mark teaching during Leader's Training

Member, David, Derrick, Nehemiah and Annah

Men's Ministry

Checking out the phone booth

Luke enjoying flying a kite the team brought

Children's Ministry

Luke taking his turn digging the new toilet

watching the sunrise

progress on the church

flag raising at the school

Mark driving the MAN up the hill

ladies ministry

morning devo and prayer

one of the locals going to fetch water at the river

one of the many sunsets viewed from camp

marshmallow night

sunrise

our visit with Pastor Virgilio