Light still shining on kids!

I promised our school kids that I would convey their thank you's to all who helped us made this dream a possibility. Our Mighty Light project will help many of our sponsored kids to study at night for the first time. Kids were not able to study at night or had to use dangerous candles or carosine lamps if they had the money.

Through the Million Lights project we got hold of the Mighty Light which is a powerful LCD light that are charged by a small solar panel. Eight hours charging through the solar panel will provide lights for up to 3 days.

We are currently sponsoring 49 kids who will all have the opportunity to study at night. Watch this space as we keep sending you stories on how this will change lives throughout Mozambique.

In the process you may ask how you could be part of our program and make a huge difference. I am so glad you asked. You could VOTE for our project by clicking http://www.communicause.com/my-cause/4195 and vote for us. In the process Million Lights stand the change of winning US$ 25 000 which will also benefit the program in Mozambique.

Happy Birthday MADIBA!

Photo: A painting made in Cape Town yesterday to celebrate Nelson Mandela's 91st birthday today. The painting is made with handprints from thousands of people.

Happy birthday Madiba. What a remarkable man, leader and statesman. I can think of more than 91 reasons what makes him a great leader. To understand the man a little bit better I quote from his statement at the Rivonia trial:

"During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." - Nelson Mandela

Read all about it at: http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/history/mandela/1960s/rivonia.html

A million lights, E-Bay and 250 happy de"light"ful kids!

I don't pretend to understand life at all! And the way things work out some time .... well as a "to-be philosopher" of life difficult to find words to explain to people life's mysteries. BUT .... I know one thing: When things come together in Africa they usually come together in a big BIG way!

Photo: Francois with some of the very exiting (if you look at those smiles) school kids receiving lights for their school.

Take a lady Anna Sidana from India for example. She runs a marvelous project called Million Lights . She has an awesome dream.

Billions of people around the world lack even the most basic services, from electricity to clean water. More than a third of the world's people live without access to electricity. The arrival of dusk often brings darkness to lives, education & livelihoods.

Millions of homes in India & around the world are left to the mercy of dim light from dangerous, polluting & expensive-to-use kerosene oil lamps. Equally, even larger millions have little or erratic power.

The growing energy crisis heralds the urgent need for novel solutions. Can Disruptive Technology help cut through the mire of age old problems? Can Renewable Energy light a path to a new dawn? The answer is YES WE CAN! (And I am not quoting President Obama!)

Photo: The whole school celebrating the fact that they would be able to study at night in their homes. Where we are in rural Mozambique there is NO services, electricity or running water available.

Mission

Anna says: "Our mission is to improve the daily lives of adults and children in rural parts of the world."

One Million Lights

Our first initiative is in the area of solar lighting, with a focus on education. Our goal is to distribute one million (1,000,000) solar lights to schools, children and adults around the world. One Million Lights is a part of the World of Color public charity, a 501c3 nonprofit organization based in Palo Alto, CA.

Anna contacted us via Rian van der Merwe (E-Bay) and we start discussing joining forces in Mozambique to start the spread of the MIGHTY LIGHT for our rural schools. We have NO electricity or any other services.

Photo: Our school teachers - Joao, Tito and Paulo "handling" the Mighty Light.

BACK TO MOZAMBIQUE

Our first set of lights flew 1 000's of miles around the globe before I could pick them up and bring them through the borders. Well ..... our first launch of the MIGHTY LIGHTS was a phenomenon to experience. The communities who attended the launch were overwhelmed. Teachers and kids spontaneously clapped their hands as lights would now be available for the first time at night. Studying at night would be possible for the first time. Teachers could not believe their eyes.

Photo: Ernesto Abudu receiving his first Mighty Light for our bush clinic that had to survive in the bush with no light at all. These lights are charged with a small solar panel and provides light for 3 days after only 8 hours of charging.

It was a great day with a few hundred people attending - pleading for lights. Unfortunately we could only start with our bush school and our bush clinics.

Photo: Everyone wanted to touch the light. Photo on top shows the parents of our children coming in for a closer check!

PS: Will be uploading the great video to thank Million Lights (Ana Sidana and E-Bay) for sponsoring the lights. Watch our interesting updates as we take our lights further up in Mozambique.

Life doesn't always work out!

Some deep philosophical thinker once said:


"The place you belong is where your deepest sorrows and your deepest joys in life meet!"


Then for me ...... Mozambique must be it. As you would already know that the last few months we have lost many loved ones in Mozambique. Many of these people we have known for more than 10 years ......... others like baby Kenead (a small HIV baby) I have known only for a few days. I do this posting only in remembrance of her.


Nobody knew her. She was only on the planet for a few months. The first time I heard about her was from a group of nurses who visited from Canada. They tried everything! Hospitals and clinics said after a blood transfusion - "we have to send her home." When I visited her home her mother only cried. She wept so much that we had to hold her. Baby Kenead looked in my eyes as I held her. Her tongue was white due to the parasites. Her big eyes watched me ..... no more tears. I could see her pain though ..... I could feel it. It made me weep. And although the world didn't know her - I knew God did.


I tried my best to believe ..... only to call in some visitors to help me pray ......... and then little Kenead died. No roses on the grave ..... just a shallow grave in a small wooden coffin ...... and life goes on.


This is to all the mothers and fathers fighting the fight to save their HIV babies. And this is to all those people out there in the world who cares - God loves ya!

Seeds of Transformation

To have nearly 50 transformational agents at your disposal is in itself a huge blessing. Just think what the world can be like with 50 true transformational young people. I am thinking of:

* Changing peoples minds on global warming;

* Getting the G8 to follow-up on their endeavours and dreams;

* Help Africa to sustain itself with good governance and using its people to reach their full

potential;

* Being "present" where people are hurting.

We were lucky to have had another 23 young students from the University of Stellenbosch. They made a huge impression on all of us as they inquisitively looked around where they could be of help. And they jumped right in:

Photo: The Stellenbosch University students helped us to paint several orphan houses in the community.

Photo: One of the more serious paint teams. I think this group was highly intellectual and consisted out of a teacher, PR marketer, a physicist, a medical student and an accountant.


Photo: A brother-sister team, Stephan and Liezl, transforming a house in our community.


CHEERING UP THE SICK


At one of our orphan communities we also house 2 people who has leprosy. One of our leprosy patients already lost both her hands and struggle to do her home chores daily. Our orphan kids helps her daily to carry water and cook for her. Students decided to paint her house and the joy was unspeakable.

We had various medical students with us reaching out to the communities. They visited our 2 bush clinics and spend a day helping out. Here is Marlie Marais (we call her M&M) making sure everything is hygienic and clean!

AND THEN ........ THERE WERE ATHLETICS

Mozambique has a well-known gold medalist, Maria Matola. She is a great sprinter and has won many Olympic medals in the 800m sprints. (Well .... the way they run it must be a sprint!) The students made use of the opportunity to train our bush schools by hosting their own "Olympic athletics" event. It was a day of huge fun for all:

Photo: Long jump was one of the favourites items on the Athletics Day.



Photo: Shot-put was a new item on the list. Due to a lack of training equipment in the bush we used stones (different seizes and weights). MC - the leader of the visiting group looks like a champion himself as he assesses the legality of the throw!


Photo: And what would athletics be without high jump. A potential high jumper attacks the item with zest and determination.

We had a great time with a great time - but even more important we could hear laughter all around! Seeds of transformation was truly planted in the hearts of all who were "present".

LOVE can build a BRIDGE

Africa loves presence. It loves people ..... it loves connecting. Taking time to visit and meet old friends are high on the agenda when it comes to Africans. Africa always accepts you with open arms and invite you to their warm personalities. Kids laugh and loves to pull the hair on your arms -specially if you are a mazungu! It's always touching! When we have visitors visiting from the western world we make sure they understand that "being" and having a "ministry of presence" is sometimes more important that the jobs on hand. Enjoying this presence was a group of more than 25 people from Cape Town.

They travelled more than 3 000 km from Bellville and Blouberg "to be present" with us deep in Africa. They loved the scenery as they travelled ..........

The well know Boabab tree is visible as you enter Zimbabwe on the way to Mozambique.


The Mozambican landscape changes dramatically as you leave Zimbabwe. Lush green bush is visible everywhere.

And then there is the people of Mozambique. Absolutely the friendliest people around. They love their pictures taken. Their hospitality often surprises people.

JOBS GALORE

Then there is the actual reason why many people visit us ...... to help us get the job done. The group participated in:

* Painting our pre-school
* Setting up a playground/sandpit for our pre-schoolers
* Helped with our athletics day at our bush schools
* Doing bush visits to interact within the culture
* Laughing
* Harvesting maize with the communities
* More laughing
* ...... and many more

Some powerful ladies painting the "casa de banho" - Pre-School!

Harvesting maize with the community got some people really motivated!

Our local pastor and leader in the community, Pastor Zarko Kwaramba, enjoying the harvesting session with the westerners.
Yes .... it was hard work. After 2 hours in the sun ................. time to rest.

Not everybody was tired though!

The digging of our sandpit and playing ground was hard work if I read those faces correctly.

Lots of clothing, toys and other goods were donated to help our communities in the bush. One thing was for sure ........... our visitors made a huge impact on our communities. But as they all said: "We have been changed and transformed .......... we though we brought a presence and good news .... but it was Mozambique who taught us about life!" And yes ...... that is Africa. It always takes a piece of your heart and buries it in the red dust ........... only for you to come back to Africa to try and find it again!

A big word of thanks to all who made the visit possible (and for all the donations!)

A special word of thanks to Andre Bester for sponsoring the photos. Andre is a keen photographer and runs his own business: AB PHOTOGRAPHY (www.ABPhoto.co.za)

5...6...7...8.... Cha-cha cha-cha-cha

Photo 1: Suzanna Tipton, the leader of the group of nurses, showing what caring is really about.

Don't think nursing is just about treating sick people.

We have just had 10 of the most wonderful nurses visiting from Prairie College, Alberta, Canada. They did their community "credits" and have been coming back to Mozambique for the last three years with different students. They have done some awesome relief work saving many lives as they submerged into the Mozambican culture.

Photo: Scott weighing in a newborn baby.










The nurses spent hours daily working in households, carrying water, giving love - which heals the sick much quicker than just a tablet, I might add. The nursing team not just showed compassion but they were present in places where many would never dare go.

The group also helped out at the Vanduzi hospital and cared for the many aids orphans in our areas. Immunisation and Tetanus treatments were also given at our schools.

Teaching played an extremely important role as they served the communities surrounding our areas.

"TO STAY HEALTHY EXERCISE IS A NECESSITY ....... LETS GO! " the small nurse commands.

Photo: Nobody was excused during the exercise .... or so it seems.

One of the marvelous things they did was to support the ladies ministry and they did not just teach on preventative measures to live healthy but actually got the ladies to exercise. As I understand (men were not invited) there were a lot of fun and laughter while learning to exercise. Way to go nurses!

Photo: "Oh my goodness ...... this stretching could be hazardous to my health ... I think!"

Thousands of hugs to our caring nursing team who made a huge impact physically, emotionally but also spiritually! God bless!

PS: Thanks to Heather for a few photos borrowed!

Smuggling Bibles in the 21st century! (Chapter 3)

My history, when it comes to Bibles in Mozambique is not a very happy one. I am constantly reminded of more than one occasion where pastors pleaded for Bibles and where I was not able to provide any due to a lack of scarce Bibles or money. Many times pastors would see me from afar ...... go on their knees in anticipation of Bibles. They would crawl in the dust ......... calling for a Bible. My reaction is pretty much the same everything .......... I just cry.





It seems absurd that in the 21st century people deep in Africa are still crying to own a Bible in their mother tongue. But it is a fact that tens of thousands in Mozambique do not have a Bible of their own in their mother tongue. As westerners we own not only many printed versions but they are freely available on our i-pods, Internet e-sword downloads and other formats. We don't even think that others are still desperate to read a Bible and to perhaps find the Saviour they have heard so much about.




On my recent outreach to Sena I was confronted again with a lack of Bibles. I heard word like - "Preacher my family are dying without these transforming words - help us." We could find no Sena or Shona Bibles - not even in South Africa with its printed media. We constantly were given the answer that Zimbabwe who has the printing rights did not want to release their printing plates for the Bibles. It left me pretty much without hope for the last 3 years ....... but ...... things were about to change.




After leaving Sena with a few words of encouragement to the pastors that I would return with some Bibles, I arrived in South Africa. Still looking for Bibles and making phone calls I received a phone call from Cape Town, RSA. A friend, Raymond Lombaard (Word on Wheels) told me as only he could that a batch scarce Shona Bibles somewhere "hidden" was found. A wrong order via the USA was made and the Bibles belonged to no one. I made a few calls and there it was ............. 30 000 of them. Although we could only afford 223 Bibles it was like gold. God surely makes a way where there seems to be no way! I didn't even need any printer, printing rights or Zim plates after all! Awesome!




SMUGGLING IN THE 21st CENTURY? POSSIBLE?

After receiving the Bibles I knew my problems were only starting. I still had to smuggle the expensive Bibles over the border through 2 countries. Why smuggle? The import duties on Bibles are so expensive that it would be impossible to pay the amount required. I am sure God could rain dollars for import duties ...... but today ..... it didn't. The borders I cross are extremely difficult with custom officials worse than hungry rottweilers. (For those who don't know - they are dogs with vicious jaws and sharp teeth - with probably a nasty rabies disease!) I stop with my vehicle at the checkpoint. I give my biggest smile. The customs officer looked at me ...... "get out" he barked. He looked at my overloaded vehicle. Then he said: "Do you have a Bible for me?" I said ..... "hey believe it or not I do ..... Shona ..... your mother tongue!" His face changed. "That is not possible ... they are not available anymore." I took out the Bible - he looks bewildered. "God bless you - don't worry - go through." The gate opens - and I still have another 222 Bibles available. A sight of relief escapes through my dry lips.

One more to go! I do not mention any countries in this mail - although its quite obvious. Not sure what custom official is reading my blog - but hey ..... if you are reading ...... God bless bro - I need to bring in another 29 000 Bibles! Thank you for being gracious.

The last border crossing is not that easy. After some harassment I still had to open my vehicle and unpack my goods. When I reached the Bibles he said something about 25 % import duties.
I nearly cried when he refused our entry ...... but somehow he turned around -looked at the boxes of Bibles and said: "Ok .... this time .....!" "Go!" I looked towards the sky and thought I saw a cloud hovering. Oh well ..... must have been my imagination! We left the border singing ...... another day survived. I could almost hear the pastors calling from afar, "preacher do you have a Bible?" This time I could say "Yes, my friend, yes".

I seriously need to thank all who helped me to get these scarce Bibles and those who supported us to pay for these. You are serious transformational agents - may God bless ya all:

Raymond Lombaard
Johan (Wheels for God)
Bellville Congregation
Nuwe Hoogte, Robertson
Tielman Marais

Missional transformation

Ok .... just a quick breather from all that is happening around us. I have been thinking lately after attending an Amahoro (peace) gathering with African leaders from over the whole African continent. It was great meeting old friends and being introduced to new ones. I listened to their stories on transformation and how communities are changed. Thinking? Thinking on how to bring Jesus closer to people in our culture.


Deep in the bush where I live sharing Jesus is not as easy as it looks. I am here to help and assist communities to be transformed and in the process find the ultimate Saviour, Jesus Christ. Here life and submerging into culture is so much different. It takes a lot of creative ideas to get people to sit around a fire and share. But I realize ............... for all of us ................. if we make time to listen to THEIR STORIES you will find common ground .............. and eventually that will end up to be the higher ground you are looking for. I have just seen a great transformation of a family who changed. In fact we have just had a bunch of nurses from Canada and it was so great to see the transformation in their lives ............ because they served ................. they listened .............. and they too found common ground.


BOTTOM LINE:


The Word needs to become flesh and blood again ................ and miracles are awaiting!

"Wheels keep turning" (Chapter 2)

Photo: The friendly boy from Sena who took it on his shoulders to show us around - free of charge.

Sena, Mozambique town, central Mozambique, on the Zambezi River is a river port and railway junction, it has an economy based on sugarcane cultivation and processing. Sena Sugar Estates Ltd., a formerly British-owned company that was granted a large land sub concession from the Zambezia Company, had estates at Luabo and Marromeu in the Zambezi River delta and also operated a copra plantation near Chinde, a forestry concession, and a cattle ranch near Luabo. In the mid-1960s it was the largest firm in Mozambique, with more than 10,000 employees. The company was centred in Sena and built sugar refineries nearby on the lower Zambezi River. Sugarcane is still processed there, although the company was nationalized in 1978 after Mozambique’s Independence, and its operation was turned over to Cuban experts. A rail spur connects the sugar refineries to the Beira Railway. Pop. (latest est.) city, 102,000.

Photo: Francois and Mathew on the Donna Anna bridge on the way to Mutarara - 5 km down the way.

Currently nothing much is happening in Sena as the war destroyed mostly all the infrastructure. The railroad line has been re-build only to open late 2008. Construction on the Donna Anna bridge is still continuing.

It is in this town with its dirt roads and friendly Sena people where we continued our outreach. By this time everyone knew we were in town and greeted very friendly. Even Muslim kids couldn't get enough. Off course we played with them and taught them many songs - to the frustration of the Imam.

Photo: One of our muslim friends showing us how he is learning the Koran.

Our pastors attending our HEART OF MAN seminar came from everywhere. Some crossed the Donna Anna bridge (close to 5 km long) daily with one of the pastors traveling 100 km on his bicycle. The hunger for Bibles and Theological training are immense. Wheels for God partnered with us for this "caring visit" and sponsored 40 bicycles for pastors.

As Raymond Lombaard, president - Wheels for God states: "Wheels for God’s Word is an interdenominational evangelical missionary organization. We seek to supply bicycles and Heart of Man charts, as well as other Christian literature, to preachers, pastors, evangelists and missionaries working in African countries with a generally poor transport infrastructure. Travelling by bicycle on gravel roads and footpaths through the bush and forest has been found to cut walking time by at least a tenth. In some instances pastors travel up to 500 km per week!
Bicycles are easily repaired and maintained, making them the ideal means of transportation to reach some of the most remote areas which have previously been unreached.

Wheels are everything in Mozambique, I guess it's the same everywhere else - but here it is not in the form of vehicles but bicycles. To own a bicycle makes you a rich man. A mountain bike ..... well would make you much like owning a BMW. A motorbike ..... well - Ferrari to say the least. Our idea was to train our pastors in evangelism and give all 40 attending an evangelism kit, including a free bicycle for all the pastors to spread the Gospel quicker.

The eyes of the 40 heroes lit up when we exhibited the bicycles. Between the whistling, dancing and smiles every single pastor got their bicycles. Brand spanking new. After receiving their bicycle everyone quickly assembled the bikes and made sure it was roadworthy so they could spread the Gospel - today if necessary. We still could not find any Bibles in Senna or Mutarara and had to leave our brothers without a single Bible. I never knew a miracle was about to unfold in a few days ........................

After our seminar it was time to explore the great Zambezi!

Photo: Johan (Word of God helper) and Raymond Lombaard exploring the Zambezi and its hippos.

To be continued ........