Day 2: Celebration Church Xai-Xai Launch Blog
- August 13th, 2010
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Day 2: Friday 8/13/2010
So happy to see Pastor Joe and Lori this morning! They arrived safely last night while we were sleeping. Very cold morning in J’burg but the breakfast was hot and good. Plus three rounds of coffee and we were off to the airport.
Wayne, the owner of the bed/breakfast we ate at, drove us to the airport. Great conversations! He will be hosting the entire Mission of Mercy team who is arriving at his place tonight. He does a ton for the kingdom of God by letting many missionaries stay at his place at discounted rates. Great guy!
Once we arrived at the airport we got in line to check in. After a lengthy conversation with Nathan, the clerk, we found out that Mel didn’t have his passport and the currency exchange has it! We fly out in an hour and still have to go through security. Our troop of 6 was now down to 5 and Mel would likely have to get on the next flight. Security was a process but we made it through with our carryon bags. Then were transported to a terminal where they then transport us by vehicle to the plane. That whole process was about 45 min and while we were sitting on the plane (lo and behold) Mel walks in. By the grace of God he made it all the way to the exchange, drove back, got thru security, got transported to the plane and was able to fly out w/ us! Crazy!
Pastor Lori with Maputo Girls
Landing in Maputo we get our visas and start going thru screening. We round the corner and there are our 11 Bags that have eluded us since we’ve been in Africa! We load the bags and head to the last hurdle: customs. When we got there they began opening bags. Since none of us speak Portuguese we were even more relieved that Pastor Mel made it on the flight. Mel worked and worked at fighting off bribe requests and exhausting the energy of the officials they were finally so frustrated that they wanted to get rid of us J. So they told us to go through and take our stuff w/ us! Praise God! We checked the bags and nothing had been touched. We have tons of supplies and equipment to launch Celebration Church in Xai Xai and now we are free and clear.
Outside the airport we see a familiar face, Diane Stauber! She and her kids and a great guy named Fuel helped us get all 11 bags and all 10 bodies in a van. From there we hit the hotel to drop off some stuff and then headed to the restaurant for lunch.
Driving down the streets of Maputo gave us a real glimpse into the real Mozambique looks like. Dirt roads, half torn down houses and hawkers desperate to make a dime. This sight soon turned into taller buildings, cars and trendy clothing. It is amazing to see the difference from one block to the other and how money in Mozambique is the great divider between social classes. Maputo is a city and one of the bigger ones in Mozambique so there are plenty of buildings and cars but still much poverty. Walking into the restaurant we were aggressively greeted by men trying to sell us trinkets and fabrics. So aggressive that we had to physically force them back. It was frustrating but when you realize that this is the only way they can make some money to live off of then you understand the desperation. There is great need and this is the bustling city of Mozambique…we haven’t even been to Xai Xai yet.
Fuel has been so gracious and has been driving us all over. He has 2 kids. 1 of each and three years apart just like my kids. In conversation w/ Fuel we found out that in Maputo an architect is the most respected profession but accountants make the most money not doctors or lawyers. We also learned that being pulled over by the police and being forced to pay them off is normal. Fuel laughed at us for even asking the question, that’s how normal it is. We are on our way to meet Pastor Isaac and see his Maputo church campus.
The road to Pastor Isaac’s church takes us to the more rural parts of Maputo. Cinder block homes w/ tin roofs if you are blessed but many home with reed roofs. It gets so cold at night and the cold stone walls and floors are their only comfort.
We arrived at the church site and a throng of kids awaited us. They are soooo beautiful! So small and very curious about us. Still, it didn’t take long for them to start warming up to us. Giving hugs, dancing, laughing, communicating and playing chase. It wasn’t long before Pastor Joe taught them a brand new song…”I like to move it move it, I like to move it move it!” So much fun! It was both joyful and sobering at the same time. Joyful in that these kids brought instant joy to all of us (and us to them) but sobering in the realization that they don’t have enough food, clothes, shelter. Most of them own one play outfit and one dress outfit. They’re clothes are torn and stained. There were four year olds no bigger than my two year old son due to being deprived of the nutrients they need to grow. Thank God for these care points that do whatever they can to help these kids have daily meals! Our church (Celebration Church) provides meals for hundreds of kids daily but we can do more and feed more and we will. There are more kids than adults due to their parents being dead or enslaved by working the mines or round the clock jobs. One young boy who sat on my lap smelled of feces and it breaks my heart. I sometimes can’t even convince my own kids to take a bath and these kids don’t even have the luxury. Still, they are so full of love and life and were thrilled to make us laugh as were we to make them laugh. Sun was going down and we had to leave. I know that none of us wanted to.
The conversation following gave us some enlightenment on the spiritual condition of Mozambique. 30% muslim, 69% ancestral worship/paganism, 1% Christian. If that doesn’t say it all then I don’t know what else to say. Mozambique needs Jesus in a huge way! We can and will do something about it. For Celebration Church it starts in Xai Xai. We head there tomorrow. – Pastor Daniel
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