Africa: Weeks 7 and 8

Hello once again from Mozambique! Last week was quite busy with classes and preparing for our outreach, so I wasn't able to connect to the internet. Max's breathing is completely better, so we are happy about that. Last week was a little rough for me personally. I was just dealing with a lot of negative thoughts, etc. Ugh. I can be so hard on myself at times. I think it's just par for the course here. With so much growth taking place, and with so much boldness rising up, some opposition is to be expected. That is just the way it works. But that being said, the outreach was really great, and by the end of the weekend, I was feeling so inspired and full of faith and life, once again.

While we were gone, Max did wonderfully with his babysitter and she said that she wants to have a baby like him someday. I think she may have been referring to his amazing 3.5 hour afternoon naps, but I'll take it as a compliment :) They just get so tired here--they don't wake up until dusk. And goodness knows, I am not about to wake them up. Max woke up in the morning and said, "Where's my mommy?" and Chelsea replied, "She's on outreach." Max said, "Oh, okay." He is an independent little guy and is wanting to do everything by himself these days. The just turned 2 stage is so cute in ways...and so trying in others. Max is a firecracker, but oh how I love him. Sometimes I wish he'd cuddle with me more and not be so independent, but man, we love that boy.

It's a little nice having Levi 17 months ahead as a reminder that it gets easier with time. I just love being able to reason with Levi and getting to see his moral juices flowing. Last week, after visiting the babies at the baby house, we were laying down to go to sleep and Levi said, "Mommy, I was hoping that baby Josephina (who is super cute and smiley) could come home with us and be our little sister and that we could buy her some baby toys." Awwww :) I told him that baby Josephina lives here and couldn't come home with us, but that maybe we could have a baby sister like Josephina someday. I told him that I knew he would be a great biggest brother. After some deliberating, He said, "Okay, or maybe we could just have a sister with hair like mine." :)

On the outreach, Levi impressed us with getting out of his quiet comfort zone. No one would have believed that he is our shy one :) In fact, he wanted to talk to the crowd in the microphone both nights. And he wouldn't let me even touch the microphone. He greeted them in Makua by saying, "Salame" and "Mohavo" and the people in the village laughed and laughed. At one point I looked and Levi was a little ways down the dirt road, standing on a rock with about 25-30 children around him. I thought to myself, "What is he doing?" and I went down to make sure everything was okay. As it turns out, he was shouting words in English and had all of these kids repeating after him: "DUST PAN!" "COUCH!" "RASPBERRY!" and on and on like that. He really did great and we were so glad he came with us. It is awesome how kids are not intimidated at all by the language barrier.

It's hard to know which outreach stories to share, but here are a few of the moments that stand out to me. In the first village, there was a man who used to be a pastor there. The church burned down, his wife left him, and he ended up falling in his faith and starting to drink heavily. When we came, he opened up about his situation and rededicated his life to Christ. He was beaming--just so full of life and wanting to rebuild his village's church. Also, the Portuguese Bible that we brought is going to be given to Him, so that he can teach his village once again. Goodness knows, we're not using it :) There is a real lack of discipleship here in Mozambique. There are all of these first-generation Christians, with not many people to shepherd them into a mature and overcoming way of life. They have no problem believing in Jesus here though. In the West, we can be so blind at times to the darkness all around us. Here, people know demons are real, because they are tormented by them so routinely. People here are major under-responders to being healed. They are used to having to pay much, much more money to the witch doctors if they express that they've been healed. It's like the difference between a $5 co-pay and a 10,000 hospital bill, so they are pretty casual when they tell you that they are feeling completely better.

The most difficult thing for me to see on the outreach was all of these village kids going after this black, burned rice at the bottom of the pot, like it was candy. That broke my heart. It was cool on our last morning there and I looked out of the tent and saw a little boy, about 2, without a shirt. I pointed him out to Levi and asked if he thought the boy might be cold. He said "yes" and I let him pick one of his shirts to give the boy. That was a highlight for me.

Also, there was a little baby named "Marina" that had fallen out of her mother's capulana (sling) and landed on her head. She had a traumatic brain injury and one side of her body was shaking, her pupils were uneven, and she was unable to eat or drink. Her parents were desperate. Even in the U.S., there's not much you can do for that sort of thing. A small team prayed and prayed for an hour and a half, and left feeling discouraged as nothing had changed. The next day, though, they came to check on the family and the little girl was completely healed! They said, "Five minutes after you left, she was better." Isn't that cool?? A couple of weeks ago, Heidi Baker said, "I don't know why God works the way He does when you come here, but there is something about tenacity, and coming all of this way that brings Him joy."

Our team was half Mozambican and half from other places in the world and I was so humbled as they preached, translated, and cooked for us. Speaking of cooking, we bought a goat from the village and it was killed about 15-20 feet away from our tent. It was gross and I couldn't look. But, anyway--it's just what you do here to celebrate something. It's like going out for dinner. Also, it is a good way to support the economy of the village. But it was gross. Humane, I think, but I just can't handle that sort of thing. Even as a child, I couldn't even keep a fish I'd caught with my grandpa. I had to throw it back into the water. I am good at killing mosquitos, though :) Max thinks it's hilarious and starts clapping his hands and smacking the walls, saying that he's killing mosquitos.

One of the missionary kids tested positive for malaria, but has been treated with medications and seems to be doing well. Our kids had some bites in the beginning, but they have hardly any now.

The boys were prophesied over yesterday by a man that is just so accurate--it was amazing, and totally fun for us to hear as parents. Zach and I received great words as well, but I especially enjoyed hearing what was spoken over our boys. They are so different, and they make such a wonderful pair.

This week has been busy, but really good. It's actually been my favorite week I think and our minds are getting blown in the best of ways.

When we came home from outreach, we had a care package from my mom waiting for us, and that was a fun treat. The next day, we went to the baby house and shared our bounty. The boys had fun handing out organic lollipops to the children. Those sweet kids at the center just melt our hearts! We miss home for sure and I am kind-of relieved that we don't feel called to live overseas :) We'll be supporting more missionaries though, and will be sharing Christ's love wherever we go, and are looking forward to starting the adoption process soon after we return home. But first we'll have to arrange for a job and housing--you know, the little things :)

Thank you for your prayers! We are getting excited about coming home in just 3 weeks. We love you all and can't wait to see you!

Love,

Kate