A Great Visit

Our sending mission Pastor Jack Rothenflue and his wife Carol 

just spent the last few days visiting with us here in Mozambique.

What a joy to show them around Mozambique some.

And to share with them our heart for the children.

They were so loving, gracious and fun.

Our family was blessed to have them.

Have you ever had the love of God poured out on you through the kind and gracious acts of a person?

It is overwhelming and so comforting. 

Jack & Carol's visit was exactly that for us.

We are encouraged and renewed.

THANK YOU!

The Lost Art of "Having Coffee"

I think there is a lost art in many societies in the world.
Very often the western world, especially America.
Maybe I am mistaken.

I have noticed a part of my life here in Mozambique that I have grown to love brings back childhood memories from a slower, simplier time in life. The first 8 years of my life I grew up in a very small town of New Brunswick, Canada. Although I don't remember a lot, I do remember that my mom and her best friend, Judy knew how to have coffee. My mom would just randomly drop by Judy's house and vice versa so they could visit, chat and have coffee. There was no need for a formal reason, a formal phone call or waiting for an invitation or a response to see if they could fit into each others weekly schedule. It was just time for friends to check in on each other, take time out of their day for one another and be together.

Here in Mozambique it is much the same. People have time for coffee with one another.
There are things to do but relationships hold priority.
Maybe it is because most of us have only each other for family or we do not have many places to go.
I don't know, I only know that I love having coffee with friends.

This has not always been the case with me.
My goodness, I hardly drank coffee until I came to Africa.
I didn't have time for it. I didn't really like it.
But suddenly, I find myself loving it but maybe it's the connection I love more than the actual coffee
(although I can really enjoy a hazelnut flavored coffee with vanilla creamer and sugar).

One of the things that frustrated me last time I returned to the States was I felt like no one had time for coffee. Like I said I wasn't much of a coffee drinker then but it seemed no one had time to visit, to share life, to just chat and be with one another. I wanted to scream outloud, "Don't you all know how important we are meant to be to one another?.....take time for each other....love one another....be real with each other."
I wasn't judging, just really saddened.

I know life is busy. I know there are commitments. I know there are activites. I know, I know, I know....
But should life ever be so busy that we don't have time for relationships with people.
Isn't that what life is all about?

When is the last time you dropped in on your friend for coffee unexpectedly just to see how she is doing?

EXCITED...

In just a couple short days we will have visitors.

Jack and Carol Rothenflue, our pastors from our sending mission, Commission to Every Nation of Kerrville, Texas.

They are coming for a few days.

We know we will be challenged, encouraged and loved on.

Can you tell we are excited for "Cowboy Jack" and "Ms. Carol", as our boys have affectionately dubbed them, to visit?

A Nature Hike

The boys recently went on a nature hike.

Here is what they encountered along the way.

A big spider.

A lovely, small, waterfall.

Some beautiful trees.

Another big spider, along with it's lunch.

And Magnum, our friends very large dog!

My Hands Aren't BIG Enough

My hands are cupped together, filled to overflowing with all of my problems, struggles and heartbreaks. Jesus is standing facing me with His hands cupped together under mine.

They are so big in comparison and everything that overflows is caught by Him.

He is asking me if I will just let His hold those things

instead of trying to stuff them into my little, overwhelmed hands.

Then I realize, my hands just aren't BIG enough to handle it all

but Jesus' hands are more than capable.

If only I would let him hold these things.

Easter Around Our House

The boys dyed eggs and decorated cookies with their friends....

We did some baking...

Lemon Cheesecake Pudding Pie (thanks to my mom for the pudding) and Carrot Cake

Gathered together with other missionaries in celebration of Good Friday...

Gave thanks for Jesus' death and resurrection...

Enjoyed a lovely meal Saturday night, including canned ham (again, thanks mom)...

Attended the Easter service at the International Church in town...

Had a lovely Easter lunch with some friends...

And wrapped up the weekend by taking Marc for a malaria test at the clinic

and putting him to bed to recover.

Hope everyone else had a wonderful Easter celebrating our HOPE!

If I Could Go to a Bookstore Today....

I miss books. I even miss the library. Growing up I was never much of a reader. Actually I did not read a complete book until I was in Senior High - I guess you could say I was the Cliff Notes kind of girl. My mother and sister on the other hand practically lived at the library but me not so much.
Funny how things change over time. Living overseas I find that I LOVE to read.
Not sure why exactly, except maybe, I do not have as many distractions; shopping, movies, dinner with friends, parks, concerts, to keep me "busy." There is something serene about getting lost in a good book, especially those that in the end challenge and inspire you.
There are no bookstores here in Mozambique and even if there were they would only have books in Portuguese or a tribal language so it would really do me no good.
But because I have had some sent to me or borrowed from others
over this last year I have been able to read:
Peace Child
Stout-Hearted Seven
Night
Mozambique, Beyond the Shadow
GI Joe & Lillie
Amish themed books by Christian authors
and many others....
Although they are all very different, I have enjoyed each of them in a unique way.

I have started my wish list for when we go on furlough in a year and a half.
We will see if I can manage to find and cart all of these books back to Mozambique.
....

The Love Dare

Three Cups of Tea

Blue Like Jazz

Desiring God

The Last Song

and more to come I'm sure.....