That afternoon, we joined the whole base (including the school children) for one of their church services. Once again, we were surrounded by children who were just happy to sit with us and during worship, we saw them dancing and singing with joy to their God. It was all in Portuguese, so we couldn't understand what they were singing, but just seeing their passion for God and their heart of worship made you desire to have that same fire for God.
We also got the honor of participating in the Village Feeding two of the afternoons we were there. They open up the gates to the village and the children come running into the base, racing to the tent where they sit and are taught the Bible, sing songs, and play games before they are fed.
There were about 300 - 500 children on the days we were there, but I was told that the most they'd ever had was 700. There's not really enough room for all those children in the tent, which is why they are working on constructing a building for this ministry. On one of the days we were there, we did a short skit for the children about the Good Samaritan while the man who was teaching narrorated it in Portuguese.
After the lesson and songs, the children filed out of the tent and are each given a plate of rice with a topping (beans or greens). As I was handing out the plates of food, I was struck with the fact that this was probably the only meal these children would be getting that day, and it almost brought me to tears thinking about it. Even though these children were probably ravonously hungry, some of the older ones would help the younger ones and make sure they had food before they ate. Such a contrast to our Western Culture! Seeing all this and helping them was a very touching experience for me.
Later that day, I had an opportunity, once again, to go pray for people in the hospital, and I was talking to God about it. I felt that I should go, yet I think I was trying to perhaps talk Him out of it, maybe I could just hang out with the children again. But I didn't feel at peace at all about staying back. It seemed like God was saying, "I'm giving you the opportunity to do both - you hung out with the children at Maputo, and now I want you to go to the hospital." Again, He reminded me that when I am weak, He is strong. It was then that I knew that I was going, regardless if anybody else from our team went. I didn't know if I was going to see results from my prayers for the people, but what really mattered was that I obeyed God. My job was simply to go to the hospital and love those people, be God's Love to them.
As it turned out, most of our team went. Before we left, we spent time praying as a group (whoever was going to minister at the hospital). When we were at the hospital, we prayed for many people and I felt such love for them. The hospital was very different from a Canadian one, it wasn't as clean and sanitary, and their ways of doing things are quite different. The sights and smells would perhaps, under normal circumstances, cause one to cringe (at the very least). But I felt so much love for these people, that it didn't bother me. I just desired for them to see the goodness of God and I do believe that they will see the miracle-working power of God. The guy who leads the hospital ministry (and also translated for us) had such a passion for God and the joy of the Lord was very evident on Him. I was very blessed by his fire for God and love for his people.
I spent one of the evenings in the girls' dorm visiting with them and playing games. Some of the older girls and Tias (dorm leaders) knew English, so I was able to converse with them. I had alot of fun getting to know them.
As it was getting close to their bedtime, they had a time of worship and praise. With dancing and singing, they worshipped their Maker, joyful for what He had rescued them from, and they either fell on their faces before Him or lifted their gaze to their God, in complete adoration of Him. I was so overwhelmed with the presence of God in that room! And I was so impacted by how they praised God with total abandon, even the young girls. They all had such beautiful voices and their eyes were closed, their faces looking to God in total worship and adoration to Him. It was at this point that I began to feel incredibly heartbroken at the thought of having to leave this beautiful country and beautiful people filled with God's presence.
The next morning, we went to the village of Mieze to see the work that God is doing there. A couple from Prince Edward Island has been missionaries there for, I think, the past 4 years. As soon as we arrived, the children were happy to see us and the young ones just wanted to be held.
We were given a tour around the base they have built and were told stories of what God is doing there. They are also building a new church so they can minister to more people. Right now, they are using a small dirt floor building for their meetings and they have only told a portion of the community for lack of more space, but once the new church is finished, they will be able to minister to the rest of the people in the area.
The last day that we were there, we were able to just spend time with the people - I spent some more time with one of the girls I met and got to know her a little more. Her passion and fire for God was such a blessing, and it was evident that she spent alot of time in God's presence. I am really glad that I had the priveledge of meeting her. I was really sad that I was leaving and wished that I could just stay. We helped at the Village Feeding one more time before we left. At the end of the teaching, the children prayed for us before we left. Seeing the tent full of children with their hands stretched out towards us was very moving for me. The same thing happened when we were at Mieze when the children prayed for us - I just felt the power of God so strongly. There's really no words to describe it, but the tangible presence of God fell on me and the power of His presence in these children and people really ministered to me.
I'm glad that we did go to Pemba, even though we were only there a few days, all the people I got to know were such a blessing and God challenged and grew me in alot of ways while I was there.
The next day we mostly just spent time with the children at Maputo until we had to pack and leave. It was a long flight back for me. I didn't realize exactly how hard it would be for me to leave Africa. Multiple times on the trip back to Canada, I'd be reminded of something in Africa, and it'd bring me to tears.
I really enjoyed being with the Mozambican people. Often times, when we were asked to share at different places, I felt really inadequate. They were teaching me so much, yet they wanted to hear what I could share with them. I really felt like I had nothing to give. They have so little, yet they worship God with utter abandon and joy. Praising Him amidst their hardships and sufferings. Taking time for God and others, and finding things to be thankful for in their struggles. Yet, my culture is so self-pleasing and self-centered. We have so many things that it takes time to maintain all those things, and then we work harder to pay off the things so we can buy more things, and we're constantly trying to get something better and bigger so that we will somehow, through these things, become more distinguished and feel better about ourselves. And we're so busy with all these things, that we don't have much time for God or friends. Most Africans don't have these things, they just have their family, friends, and God. It pains me to see how our culture so often tends to ignore this very important part of life and it also helped me to appreciate this about Africans. I pray that we would be able to grasp the truths that they have found and that we'd take time out of our busy schedules for God and put Him first in our lives. It's when we do that, that we will hear Him clearly and see Him move in our nation. I desire to see our children worship Him with the passion and abandon that I saw the children worshiping God. They are hungry (in the natural), and this hunger transfers to the spiritual realm - they are hungry for God, and it shows. And God is able to reveal Himself in a strong way and His presence is so tangible. It's when we are hungry for God that He shows Himself strong. It's when we cry out for Him and desire to see His face that He shows us His heart. It's when we allow the things that break His heart to break ours that He pours His beautiful Love into us until we overflow. I pray that we would seek Him and that we would allow the hurts and pressures of this world to press us closer to Him till we become one with Him.
It seems that in this 2 week time period, God has etched a passion and love in my heart - that is in the shape of Africa. It may only be that I am supposed go back for a short time-period, but it could also be that God is calling me to serve in Africa for the remainder of my days on this earth - I really don't know. I knew that God would change my perspective while I was in Africa, but I didn't think that I would be this changed. I'm just taking it one step at a time, and God will continue to guide me. He has led me this far, I know I can trust Him to lead me into the destiny He has for me. A few weeks ago, I was wondering what I would be doing and where I would live in Canada - now I'm wondering what continent I will be living on. Alot can change in a couple weeks, eh?
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