Melvin, Sharon, Joshua & Abigail Kelly

Faith Hope and Love

2012-02-07T15:19:00.008+02:00

The last few weeks have been quite diverse for us. Here a few snippets of what we have been up to:

Xai-Xai Beach
With temperatures in the high thirties, we grabbed the opportunity to go and spend a weekend with missionary friends who live on the beach :-). They live about three and half hours north from us.

We had fun on the beach (sorry we didn't take the camera to the beach!), had the most scrummy pancakes, chilled, had a BBQ and had afternoon naps! We had lots of fun. Thank you Jason, Rachel, Tristen and Jocelyn!

On the way back we took this photo!! We see many funny things daily in Mozambique!

Teaching at the Seminary

Yesterday was our first day to teach within the seminary program. It was a great experience - not as daunting as I thought! Teacher Sharon kept me right! Our subject is Holistic Mission. Our prayer is that the students would have a vision for how God desires to have access to every area of our lives. How He desires that we each and all live in dependence upon Him and seek His provision for our every need whether, physical, emotional, social, intellectual or spiritual. Continue to pray for us as we prepare the curriculum and teach in Portuguese.

Imprisoned but Set Free

Last Saturday I (Melvin) had the opportunity to join five other members of our City Church as we attended the Juvenile Prison near Boane. There are around 100 residents though some were on farm duty on Saturday so we met around 60. A very pleasant sympathetic lady has been seeking help from churches as it is her desire to see these young guys encounter Jesus. We understand that a number of them have already made a commitment to Jesus. Please pray for wisdom and understanding as the City Church seeks to minister intentionally into such a context.

Prayer Changes Things and Prayer Changes Us!

2012-01-22T14:25:00.006+02:00

Some points for prayer:

1. That God might guide us to appropriate material for discipleship Bible studies in the churches. Pray for spiritual depth in our churches and good participation in the studies.
2. That God guides us as we prepare to teach a module on Holistic Ministry at the Bible Seminary. Pray that the material we prepare will be profitable to the students and the churches they represent.
3. That God may prepare those of His choice to be involved in establishing outreaches and Bible studies through the churches.
4. That God may be our peace as a team as we face various changes.
5. For the impact of the heavy rainfall in Mozambique with some roads impassible, homes damaged, toilets flooded etc.
6. Pray for our health. All of us have come down with flu/cold with sore throats, heads and coughs. Please pray especially for Abigail and Joshua that they will find relief at night.

Around the world and back!

2012-01-18T19:40:00.029+02:00

http://www.emmahutchinsonphotography.co.uk/

http://www.emmahutchinsonphotography.co.uk/

Thank you so much for your prayers for our travels and time at home in Northern Ireland. We had a wonderful time catching up with friends and family.

Abigail enjoying the meal with Girassol volunteers.

Thank you to all of you who volunteer in Girassol and to Ali who manages. We are so blessed by you and the work of Girassol.

It was great to be at Denver and Joanne's wedding

....and also Brian and Rachel's.

It was also great to celebrate the twins 2nd birthday with family and friends.

Singing Happy Birthday!!

A Gingerbread house laboured over with love

It was the first time for Abigail and Joshua to visit the Zoo!!

We have so many fond memories of time spent with all our family and friends!! Thank you to all of you who lavished us with love during our time in Northern Ireland through meals, gifts, prayers, encouragement-we value your love and support. Although busy it was wonderful to have time out and feel rested upon our return.

Our travel back was smooth-we arrived back on Friday after leaving Northern Ireland on Wednesday!!

Abigail and Joshua have settled in again to life in Mozambique.

Fun in the pool on Saturday!! We returned to a very hot Mozambique!!

They love their new chairs-a gift from a friend which we brought back. One is a zebra and the other a giraffe. We travelled home with 2 suitcases and returned with 6!! Among gifts and provisions we needed to bring back items in preparation for the baby.

Sharon had a check-up with the doctor on friday before our return to Mozambique. All is well with baby and mum. We would really appreciate your prayers for the coming days-for health and especially protection from Malaria. We also need to decide on affordable and suitable accommodation in Nelspruit for the time of the birth-pray we find what we need.

A tropical storm has hit Mozambique. We have had almost constant rain since Monday. Everywhere is flooded. Yesterday we took a trip out to visit friends in Khongolote. Here are some of the scenes that we encountered....

The river running down the road at the entrance to our compound!

This is the road outside the compound!

A submerged house!

Public transportation in the rain!

Please pray for the people of Mozambique. They have many challenges and life is often difficult.

Juka, Elena and Milka-our friends whom we went to visit! Pray for them as they return to minister in the North of Mozambique!

Thank you for your support and prayers. We would really value your prayers for all of our relationships here in Mozambique, that we would reflect Christ and be His hands and feet.

From Hot Mozambique to cold Ireland!

2011-11-27T19:51:00.007+02:00

On these hot days Abigail & Joshua love to cool down in the water!! We praise God however that this year the weather has not been unbearable! We have had lots of overcast warm days in the high 20's which is really pleasant!! However we do realise that we are in for a shock when we come back to Ireland.

We, God willing, travel to Johannesburg by car next Tuesday. We then stay overnight and fly out on the evening of the 14th Dec. Please pray for us as we prepare this week to travel. We want to meet with our Mozambican friends here to wish them a blessed Christmas and we have packing and organising to do! Pray also for a safe journey and protection from God for all of us as we travel and especially that the children would sleep on the plane!!! They do not have seats so will be on our knees! Pray for free seats near to us where they can sleep!

We are really looking forward to being back in Northern Ireland and catching up with family and friends. Our primary reason for this visit is that we have two family weddings to attend which will be great! We are also looking forward to celebrating Christmas and the twins 2nd birthday at home! We are having an informal get-together on Saturday 7th January in Ballinderry Parish Church Hall at 2pm. We are sorry that it is not possible to visit everyone individually due to lack of time but we would love to see you on Sat 7th!

Girassol

Ali has once again entered the Christmas Window Competition in Antrim. She and others have put a great effort into creating a great window. Thank you so much to all who have exerted so much time and energy. The windows in the participating shops have already been judged by the official judging panel but this year they also are taking into account the views of the public. There are voting papers in the shop. We would love you to support the shop and Ali in this competition. We would really appreciate it if you could pop into the shop and fill in a voting paper to vote for the best shop window. The voting papers are only available in the shop and the voting closes this Friday!

May you know God's blessing today! We really appreciate your love and prayers!

Love Melvin, Sharon, Abigail and Joshua.

Consecration

2011-11-08T09:17:00.011+02:00

Saturday was a momentous day for Igreja Evangelica Palavra Viva. Four leaders were consecrated as Pastors and four as Deacons.

Aimee and Raul did a great job leading the celebration.

Pastor Vaughan Telfer, who was a missionary with OMS in Mozambique in the past, came for a special visit to conduct the Consecration Ceremony & also provide training for church leaders.

Gifts were presented to those being consecrated and their wives. Thanks to all the teams who have left clothes with us, we were able to give some of these clothes to the wives & also wrapped them in a capulana. Thank you for your partnership!

Please pray for these leaders. They have an enormous responsibility to be servant leaders. Pray for wisdom and God's spirit to equip them to serve the church so that it will grow and be fruitful!

From left to right:- Belarminio Massango & Albertina; Calos Jango & Tina; Francisco Cossa & Rosa; Abel Miambo & Victoria; Nelio Niquisse & Xenia; Daniel Maduel & Louisa; Llidio (Juca) Fernando & Elena; Dinis Macuia & his mum.

Of course after there was a huge cake, served out by those who had been consecrated!

1 Timothy 3

¹ This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop,^[a] he desires a good work. ² A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; ³ not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money,^[b] but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; ⁴ one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence ⁵ (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); ⁶ not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. ⁷ Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. ⁸ Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, ⁹ holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. ¹⁰ But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. ¹¹ Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. ¹² Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. ¹³ For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Labourers together with God 1 Cor 3v9

2011-10-21T19:36:00.010+02:00

Firstly, THANK YOU so much for your prayers for Melvin's back. God answered prayer in a miraculous way and he is now free from pain and discomfort - Praise God. He is still going weekly to a chiropractor here in Maputo. She is working to reduce the curvature in his back. It seems that the problem may have been caused by a build up of stress over time. Pray for continued healing. Thank you so much for partnering with us in prayer.

We had a great time of rest in South Africa. Once again, we were blessed by our wonderful friends, Steve and Liz, in Nelspruit. We were able to stay in their home, do some business, rest and take Abigail and Joshua to some play parks. We then spent a few days a couple of hours from Nelspruit and were able to return via Kruger Park to Mozambique which the children loved. Abigail learnt how to say "Zebra" for the first time and Joshua is obsessed by 'Raffes'. It is such a blessing to hear them speak in both Portuguese and English. Abigail is able to say more words than Joshua. Pray for his continued language development.

Joshua and Abigail have both enjoyed good health, thank you for your prayers! Recently, however, we have noticed a rash on her back and neck. Pray that we will have wisdom regarding treatment or that it will disappear quickly.

Also, if you havent already heard the news, God willing, we hope to welcome a new little Kelly into our family at the end of March. Please pray for Sharon's health and especial protection from malaria. Pray also for wisdom for us as we make decisions about delivery etc.

Upon our return from South Africa, a team from Brazil arrived (7th Oct). They have felt God's leading to partner with us and our church partner here in Mozambique. It was a wonderful time with much discussion, fellowship, encouragement and strategizing. The days and evenings were busy but we thank God for our dear Brazilian brothers willing to partner with us to extend God's Kingdom here. Praise God for Pastor Jaco (COMIM), Pastor Sandro (CONIM) and Micah Routon (OMS Brazil). Please pray for wisdom and resolve to build a partnership in the coming days to the Glory of God.

Below:- Left to right-Pastor Sandro, Phillip Telfer, Bruce Bennett, Pastor Jaco, Micah Routon, Dave Dedrick, Ann Dedrick, Diane Gray, Gary Gray, Aimee Howarth, Melvin Kelly, Sharon Kelly, Kyla Semenaya.

Please Pray!

2011-09-20T07:59:00.007+02:00

Joshua and Abigail are doing well! We have had Emily staying with us for the past 2 weeks. It has been lovely to have her with us. Her parents are away in Kenya. Last Saturday was the 15 yr celebration of CAM School and also the official opening of the new school. Praise God for His faithfulness during construction and pray that CAM will continue to shine Christs light into the lives of many children who attend. In the picture below are Melvin, Gary and Diane Gray (filling in for Larry and Susan), Larry Weil, Claude and Marilyn Myers (founders of CAM school)

Praise God for Belarmino who was the supervisor on the CAM project and also Mel's right hand man. He is a great man of skill and integrity.

As you can see from this picture Melvin's back is not good. Things have deteriorated since Saturday. It is very hard for him to walk today & he is in a lot of pain. We really value your prayers for a miracle and for God to really touch his back. We are supposed to go for a long awaited break in South Africa this weekend but at the minute it is not looking like we can go. Thank you so much for partnering with us! Lots of love from us all.

Baptism

2011-09-07T07:36:00.002+02:00

Please pray for a young lady who goes to the chamanculo church. She was baptised two weeks ago. She came to our house the day before and together we baked and iced a cake for her baptism. Pray that she will really follow after God and that she will have a real heart to reach out to the people in her community.

Jordanstown Team

2011-09-01T14:13:00.005+02:00

What a blessing it has been to have the Jordanstown Team here since Saturday. This week they have been working alongside the church at Khongalote to run a Holiday Bible Club. It has been so encouraging! I have been going out some afternoons with the twins and Naomi. Melvin has been accompanying the team for all the time. The first day I arrived I was overwhelmed by the number of children-160 sat under the tree listening to God's Word! Yesterday when we arrived 220 children were there! What an opportunity to share God's Word. Pray that these children will come to know Christ. Pray also that the church will have a real passion to continue outreach to this age group. Today was the last day of the kids programme. I have posted the team's schedule below so that you can pray for their activities over the coming days! Chamancolo is a shanty settlement area where need abounds! Pray for strength, protection and stamina for the team. Pray also that they will enjoy their experience and that God will speak into their hearts! We praise God for the team's willingness and their partnership with us during these 2 weeks-what a blessing!

Friday 2nd September

6.30am Breakfast & Prepare Packed lunch

7am Individual Quiet Time

7.30am Prepare to Leave

7.45am Leave for Seminary to work on children’s room

12noon Lunch

1pm Give out fliers in Chamancolo TBC

3pm Return to compound

5.15pm Evening Meal with Gary & Diane

6.30pm Games night/fire-organised by Philip & Kyla

Saturday 3rd September

9am Breakfast

9.30am Individual Quiet Time

10.30am Team Bible study/sharing

12 Noon Leave for Mimmos

12.30pm Lunch at Mimmos, Matola

1.45pm Leave for Khongolote

2.30pm Youth Program

4pm Snacks and treats provided by Jordanstown team for all

5pm Testimony and Praise Evening for Youth

7pm Return to Compound

Sun 4th September

7am Breakfast

7.30am Individual/Team devotions

8.15am Leave for Chamancolo Church & meeting with Children’s Club Leaders

1pm Lunch at Church

Rest/Preparation for Children’s club

5pm Evening Meal with Larry & Susan

6.30pm Team Bible study/Sharing

Monday 5th September

6.30am Breakfast & prepare packed lunch

7am Individual Quiet Time

7.30 am Prepare to leave

7.45am Leave for Chamancolo

8.30-11.30 Children’s Club

12noon Lunch at Seminary

1pm Seminary children’s room

3pm Leave to return to the Compound

5pm KFC at Guest House-Kyla to organise

6.30pm Team Bible study/Sharing

Tuesday 6th September

6.30am Breakfast & prepare packed lunch

7am Individual Quiet Time

7.30 am Prepare to leave

7.45am Leave for Chamancolo

8.30-11.30 Children’s Club

12noon Lunch at Seminary

1pm Seminary children’s room

3pm Leave to return to the Compound

5pm Evening Meal with Dave & Ann

7pm OMS Team Prayer Meeting

Wednesday 7th September

6.30am Breakfast & prepare packed lunch

7am Individual Quiet Time

7.30 am Prepare to leave

7.45am Leave for Chamancolo

8.30-11.30 Children’s Club

12noon Lunch at Seminary

1pm Seminary children’s room

3pm Leave Seminary to return to the Compound

5.30pm Evening Meal-Pizza

Pack and preparation for Kruger Park

Thurs 8th September

5.30am Leave for Kruger Park

Kruger Park viewing animals

Stay at Skukuza, Kruger Park

Night Drive Option (booking required earlier in the day)

Friday 9th September

Spend day in Kruger Park

3.30pm Leave park to travel back into Mozambique

Sat 10th September

9am Breakfast

9.30am Individual Quiet Time

10am Leave for Craft Market

1pm lunch out

5pm Evening meal with Melvin & Sharon

7pm Debriefing

Sun 11th September

9am Leave for Airport

11.50am Fly out of Maputo

OMS Mozambique Team

2011-08-31T19:05:00.005+02:00

A lot has been happening since we last wrote. CAM is now complete and functioning. Praise God for His Faithfulness!!

On the 19th & 20th August we had our annual meetings of our team here in Mozambique. We reviewed the past year and looked forward to our vision for the future. It was a good time of fellowship & planning. Please pray for Dave as he put together the Field Plan for submission. I also thought you might like to see all our team.

From left to right:-

Larry Weil (Field administrator), Philip Telfer (CAM & Sport's Ministry), Susan Weil (CAM Director), Diane Gray (CAM interim Director), Abigail Kelly, Gary Gray (Interim Field Administrator), Sharon Kelly (Holistic, Compassionate Outreaches), Melvin Kelly (Holistic, Compassionate Outreaches), Ann Dedrick (ECC), Joshua Kelly, David Dedrick (ECC), Kyla Semenyna (CAM & Health/Compassionate Ministry), Aimee Howarth (Discipleship & Women's Ministry).

(CAM-Christian Academy of Mozambique; ECC-Every Community for Christ evangelism)

Please pray for Larry & Susan over the next few weeks as they prepare to go on furlough & for Gary and Diane as they take over. Pray also for Dave & Ann as they adjust back to life here after furlough.

More Progress

2011-08-03T19:34:00.011+02:00

We are nearing the start of CAM school on 15th August. We thought we would post some photos of the progress. These photos were taken this past weekend. Larry and Susan have moved into their renovated house as has Philip.

The past months have been extremely busy for Melvin, we are all tired but thankful to be at this stage in construction and grateful to God for His faithfulness and provision. Thank you so much for your prayers!

The front of the school

Abigail inspecting the work

Some of the classrooms.

The newly constructed toilet block

Please pray for Larry and Susan as they are busy getting the school set up for the start of term. Pray also for Gary and Diane. Larry and Susan leave for home assignment at the end of September and Gary and Diane take over their roles. Pray for a smooth transition. Pray for Ro Moore who is here for 4 weeks helping with teacher training and also setting up the computer network. She has been such a blessing. Pray for her remaining time here.

Also pray for the students as they start CAM-that those who do not know Christ will come to a personal relationship with Him.

We are preparing for a team from Jordanstown who will be ministering here at the end of August and the start of September. Please pray for this team and also for the plans for ministry.

Abigail and Joshua are doing well! They are speaking new words every day and are full of energy and fun! Praise God for their good health and that they are sleeping well. The temperature at this time of the year is lovely and this makes life easier for all of us!

Thank you so much for your prayers!

Progress!!

2011-07-18T19:29:00.013+02:00

Thank you for your prayers for the construction of CAM school! We are on the 'home straight' as we finish construction, God willing, in the next few weeks! Below are some photos which will hopefully give you a snapshot of what is going on here on site!

The new bathroom block that has been constructed!

6 classrooms have been created in this building as well as an OMS office, school office and meeting room. This building had not been used for a while but prior to this was used by a local church before they moved out into their own building in the community.

The steel window frames that have been made on site!

Ian wiring!!

Tiles being laid in the school office!

The School Entrance!

The front of the school!

It was with sadness that we said goodbye to Ian and Sharon!! What a blessing they were to us!! We went last weekend to Kruger Park for the day! It was great to spend time together and we all loved the animals.

This weekend has been windy and quite cold!! We had purchased matching coats from Girassol for Abigail and Joshua before coming here!! In the height of summer I often wondered why I had packed them but this weekend they were well used!! Abigail and Joshua love to be outside!

Abigail enjoying playing on the slide!!

Joshua in the sandpit!

Please pray for us as we have an issue with a worker whom we had to let go as he was caught 'red handed' stealing from us. He is now taking us to court! Pray for wisdom and that the case will be dropped!

God bless you today!

Goodbyes and Hello to New Friends!!!

2011-07-05T09:56:00.017+02:00

Hi there!! I am once again apologizing as it has been so long since we updated our blog!! Sharon Thompson is out in the garden with Abigail and Joshua and so I have a few minutes to write an update!!

A lot has happened since our last update!! It was hard to say goodbye to Don, Aleta & Zac-Don directs the Seminary and they are our next door neighbours. They left to go on home assignment for a year. A family from another mission are due to arrive soon to fill in as Director of the Seminary in the interim period.

Don, Aleta & Zac in the middle of the photo with our neighbours Todd, Tia and James on the right and Aimee on the left!

The same day Bob and Jan left for the States also. They have been teaching at CAM and also are our neighbours.

In the same week good friends of ours, the Lechner family, left to return to the states also.

Angie Lechner is sitting beside me. The ladies that go to the Thursday Bible study all went out for a meal to a wonderful Indian restaurant!

Abigail Lechner with our Abigail!

Aimee, our colleague and friend, is moving this month to Inhambane to live and minister. There seems to be a constant movement of people on the mission field and this is often difficult for us. We seem to make friends and then they leave, we miss them & feel like we are transitioning all over again. Please pray for all of us in difficult transitions. However as people leave others arrive and we make new friends.

This month Philip and Kyla arrived. They are short term missionaries with OMS on a 1 year term. Philip, from the States, is planning to teach at CAM and also develop a Sports Ministry. Kyla, from Canada is a nurse and desires to use her skills here as well as teach at CAM. Please pray for both Kyla and Philip as they adjust to life here. We are blessed to have them on our team.

Philip with Joshua doing some work on the computer!! (sorry I don't have a photo of Kyla yet!)

We look forward to new people arriving. The Gray's arrive today. They are filling in for Larry and Susan when they go on Home assignment in October. Gary will be helping with finances & administration & Diane will be directing the school. Pray that their transition will be smooth and that they will soon adapt to life & team here. Dave and Ann also return this month from home assignment in the States. They minister in Church Planting. Pray for them as they pack up and make the move here.

We also have had a number of short term people visiting and ministering. Andrew Black, a student at the Baptist college came on placement this month. It was great to have a fellow Northern Irish friend here. He was placed with a Mozambican pastor and was a real blessing to the ministry here.

Joshua enjoying breakfast with Andrew!

Ian and Sharon Thompson have been with us for 10 days now! It has been wonderful to have them stay with us!! Sharon is helping with Abigail and Joshua as Naomi has gone to the North of Mozambique to visit family!! This means that I can still take language classes. Ian is an electrician and he is installing the electrics in the new CAM school and also checking the electric in our houses. We often get shocks from appliances at home so we are so grateful for Ian's help! It has been such a blessing to have them here, to hear from home and also to have fun and fellowship!! We are heading out to Kruger Park with them this weekend for a day and then they fly out on Monday evening. Pray for them as they travel and for us as we say goodbye.

Ian and Sharon-Abigail and Joshua love them!

Melvin is 'flat out' trying to supervise the CAM construction project which needs to be finished for the start of school term in August. Progress is being made but there is also a lot still to be done!! Pray for wisdom & strength for Melvin. Work days are long and often frustrating. Pray also for safety on site and for protection from the enemy's attacks! Pray that the workers will have a mind to work, be loyal and trustworthy.

Melvin going to get Construction materials!

The workers working hard on the new toilet block yesterday!

Mixing Cement yesterday evening!

Abigail helping lift stones!

Joshua helping Susan push the Chova!

My language classes are progressing. I now have 3 classes per week! At times I feel like I am making progress and at other times am frustrated as the words don't seem to come to mind! Pray that God will plant the language in my mouth. Pray for my language teacher Norma. This week her daughter, Watta, is not well.

Norma and I having a lesson on the verandah!

Pray also for the twins!! They were sick last week and we took them to the doctor. However the doctor prescribed medication that is not available in the UK to children under 6 yrs old. Praise God for doctor friends in the UK who keep me right! It is so frustrating and I am often anxious as I feel i cannot trust the advice of doctors here. Please pray for Joshua and Abigail's health. They have recovered although Abigail has once again a bad cough especially at night. It is cold here-well everything is relative!!!!! It is 8 degrees some nights which feels really cold compared to the 40 degrees of summer. I have Abigail and Joshua in lovely fleecy Pyjamas at night which my mum sent them. The Mozambicans say that they cannot remember a time when it has been so cold!! There are so many head colds around as a result of this! Maybe we have brought a bit of Irish weather with us!!!!!! Apart from this Abigail and Joshua are great fun and such a blessing! They are saying lots of words and know exactly what we are talking about!!

Joshua enjoying some fun before bed!

Well must go now-it's time for Abigail and Joshua's lunch! Thank you so much for your patience, love, prayers and partnership!! We are so blessed by you!! You are as much a part of what God is doing here in Mozambique!!

Head & shoulders, knees & toes in Granny's lovely fleecy PJ's

Get E-Mail notification when we update our blog!

2011-06-04T21:08:00.003+02:00

If you would like to get e-mail notification when we update our blog insert your e-mail details in the new 'Follow by e-mail box'. Thank you so much for walking this journey with us! We really value your love, prayers and interest!! Lots of love Melvin, Sharon, Abigail and Joshua.

Birthday Party

2011-06-04T20:19:00.002+02:00

Last Saturday we attended a 2nd Birthday Party for Belarmino's son. Belarmino is our friend, one of the leaders of the Khongalote Church and the supervisor of the CAM building project. It was a privilege to participate in the celebrations but also a real cultural experience. The party took place in front of his house. They erected a covering and there was lots of prayer, singing, presenting of gifts and food!!

Below is Belarmino's son, Junior on the right of the picture!

There was such a spread of food which was all delicious but there was not much thought for health and safety. We were praying much that the twins would not fall into the open fires. Mozambican children are accustomed to their families cooking outside but not our children.

Joshua found a plastic spoon and was having great fun lifting sand from the ground and throwing it in the air!

Abigail took great interest in the little dog.

Abigail also had great fun playing with the children. Thank you so much for your prayers for our children. We realise when we go to these events that our culture is so different from that in Mozambique. Our children were filthy at the end of the day and were eating with dirty hands despite our attempts to try to clean them, however they did not become ill in the following days-Praise God!!

Pouco a pouco (little by little)

2011-05-14T19:08:00.001+02:00

Abigail and Joshua this morning enjoying a DVD after they got up!

Tecno-kids! Abigail and Joshua love to get their hands on the computer or camcorder!

Above is a view of the compound from the residential side looking towards the new site for Christian Academy of Mozambique (CAM)

This is one of the residential houses that is being renovated. This building is being split into 3 residential units. One side is being renovated into 2 bedsits for single missionaries. Work is progressing ... slowly!!

In the above 2 photos work is progressing on the classrooms.
This tree root was causing us a problem! Melvin tried to get 3 different companies to bring a digger to take out the root but they all let him down. In the end the tree root was pulled out using Larry's truck! Thank you Larry!

Please pray for construction. The aim is to have construction finished by August. Pray that Melvin will have peace at this stressful time!

2011-05-04T19:47:00.028+02:00

We Promised that we would update you on the time that Ali and Stephen McClure were with us. It was such a blessing to have Ali and Stephen here. They were such an encouragement and it was great to explore potential future projects.

We had a meeting with ADEMO - a Mozambican organisation which assists people with disabilities. There is much need and opportunity in Mozambique to minister to these people. Many people are waiting to receive wheelchairs. Ali and Stephen also had the opportunity to meet John Paul when we returned his repaired wheelchair.

We visited the organisation, REMAR, which helps marginalized people, like drug addicts, alcoholics, prisoners, Aids victims and orphans. They have a couple of charity shops which helps fund some of their ministry projects.

We purchased some Mozambican craft items for Ali to sell as a pilot to see which items sell. In the long term we would like those who are unemployed in the church to make crafts that we can send to Ireland for sale. This would give families employment & much needed income.

We visited Khongolote church and the various ministries there, including the pre-school. It is so encouraging to see a church really seeking to minister Christ's love into their community.

It was also great to visit the Chamancolo church & see the children learning God's Word. This church is situated in the middle of a very needy shanty settlement.

Ali and Stephen had the opportunity to see a literacy lesson that Aimee has weekly with Fatima. Fatima goes to the Chamancolo church and has a real heart to reach the children for Christ and teach them God's precious Word.

Please pray for all the needs and opportunities for ministry here in Mozambique. Pray that God will guide Girassol as we explore how we will us shop funds to see Christ Transform Lives and Communities here in Mozambique. Pray for us as we seek God as to how He would have us minister here.

Praise God, Abigail and Joshua have been doing really well recently. They are full of energy and love to be outside playing. Our temperatures have declined significantly and are now in the mid twenties. This is great as it means that Abigail and Joshua can be out at any time in the day. When temperatures were really hot I could not let them out until after 4pm. They are also sleeping better due to the cooler weather. Thank you so much for all your prayers for them-we value your prayers so much!

Joshua loves animals. Here he is pointing at our neighbours dog!

Joshua kissing his toy sheep!

Abigail enjoying her slide in the garden.

The church at Tsalala on Sunday!

I joined Aimee and the 'Dynamic Women' team from the States on Sunday to worship with the people at Tsalala. It was so encouraging. The church seems to be growing and they provided food for all of us at the end of the service. This was really touching as the people do not have much and yet they gave from what they had to provide us a meal. Melvin stayed at home with Abigail and Joshua as they are now into everything & it is difficult to take them to rural churches. The Dynamic Women team are ministering in Mozambique all this week. Please pray for Aimee as she is responsible for them and has a busy schedule.

Joshua and Abigail with our friend Deanna at her birthday party. Deanna and her husband Nathan have come to work with Samaritans Purse in Mozambique.

Pray for Melvin and I as we try to get rid of lingering head colds. Thank you so much for your interest and prayers. We value you so much!

Twists and Turns

2011-04-23T21:00:00.007+02:00

This last week has had a number of twists and turns! We found out that one of our more 'trusted' workers was stealing from us. This has been hard to accept and deal with. He calls himself a Christian and is involved in the local church. We have had to suspend him - please pray for wisdom to know do to relate in him in the coming weeks. Though he currently is not working on the compound, he is meeting one-on-one with one of our construction workers to read the Bible each day during lunch hour. Pray that God might do a work in his heart that he might acknowledge his wrong doing and commit his life to following Jesus.

Stephen and Melvin in one of the new classrooms currently being plastered.

We would also value your prayers for our church leadership through these days. They are having to deal with some intense challenges with interpersonal relationships. Relationships between those leading the ministry in the north have been heavily strained. We are very aware that satan is very busy trying to cause misunderstanding, discouragement and strife. One leader has been asked to step aside from ministry. Please pray for understanding, forgiveness, reconciliation and restoration.

On a more positive note, it was great to be able to help with the showing on the Jesus Film in a shanty area on the outskirts of Maputo on the evening of Good Friday. The film really helps people grasp the significance of Jesus' life. Brilliant for visual learners and the illiterate! We started showing the film with about 50 children and a dozen adults but a hour later we had about 200 - 250 people! It was especially encouraging to have a disabled guy, John Paul come to watch the film. He is a guy that we met when Sarah from OMS HQ took the footage for the 3 minute Girassol movie clip that we have on our blog. He asked us if we would repair his wheelchair which we did! Praise God for Girassol donors, customers and volunteers! Pray that he becomes a dynamic disciple of Jesus. This opportunity has caused us to think and pray about developing a church ministry through Girassol to supply and repair wheelchairs. With the research that we were able to do while the McClures were with us we see such need in this area. Dear Lord, help us show compassion, build relationships, share the Gospel, involve your church and train your disciples!

John Paul

In relation to the construction project that I am overseeing, please pray for me as I plan to go back to the council office this week. I have been there umpteen times over the last four months trying to navigate a way through bureaucracy and inefficiency! Already I have made numerous trips to consult various personnel about the unknown whereabouts of the official file relating to our property - LOST like a neddle in a haystake! Praise God is was eventually relocated so we were able two weeks ago to submit our plans for approval. We have been promised that they can give us feedback this coming week. We pray that such a miracle might happen!!

We were so encouraged to have Ali McClure, the Girassol shop manager, and her husband Stephen with us. We will write more about their trip on the next blog!

Also thought you might like a few photos of Abigail and Joshua!! I wish I could record their conversations with each other in their own language! They really do seem to understand each other although no one else does!!Joshua & Abigail supervising the creation of their sand pit!

We have not fallen off the face of the Planet!

2011-04-07T10:00:00.009+02:00

Hi!! We are still here! Sorry that it is almost a month since our last entry! Time has just flown by! Construction is progressing. The classrooms are taking shape, floors are poured and since this photo has been taken the walls between the classrooms are now built up creating 6 classrooms in this space. Beurocracy continues to be frustrating! For almost a month the Government office could not find the file relating to the property so no new submissions could be made. Melvin kept going to the office to submit plans and each time they told him he couldn't until they found the file. Praise God, this week they, at last, found the file and a submission should be made this Friday God willing. Pray for the construction project that God will hold everything in the palm of His hand!
It was wonderful to have mum and dad with us for almost 3 weeks-what a blessing!! It was great to have them share in our everyday lives and ministry here. Abigail and Joshua loved having them around! There were lots of toys played with and stories read!We also took a trip to Kruger Park! We all loved enjoying God's wonderful creation! We had a wonderful sighting of a leopard. Abigail loves to find little seats! At Kruger she found a seat just made for her-it just happened to be a water dispenser!!
Joshua is full of life and fun. Life is a great big adventure of exploration and he keeps us on our toes-well literally on our feet all day!!
Abigail and Joshua are doing well. They were both sick for some of the time when mum and dad were here and had to get antibiotics. Joshua has recovered completely but Abigail is still not 100%. Continue to pray for protection for them especially regarding health.

It was so hard when the time came for mum and dad to go home. The hardest thing about being here is being so far from family and friends that we love so much. However God grace is sufficient for all of us, He knows how difficult it is and gives help in our time of need. His faithfulness endures forever.

Ali, the Girassol shop manager, and her husband, Stephen, arrived the day after mum and dad left. It is so exciting to have them here so they can see Mozambique first hand. The ministry of the shop is so important in what God desires to do here in Mozambique & we are excited to see God opening up doors of opportunity.

Count Down!

2011-03-06T19:51:00.008+02:00

This morning we attended the T3 church. We had a visitor, Steve Davies, with us. He brought a clear challenging message to the congregation. He spoke from Matthew 14:22-33, the story of how Peter walked on water. He challenged us to follow God's command as Jesus commanded Peter to come toward Him.

The service went on for almost an hour and three quarters before Steve had the opportunity to preach!! We had the twins with us and they were into everything!

Abigail made a friend this morning who played with her!

This cheeky monkey is overtired-too much to explore & sleeping is for later

Work is progressing on CAM school. This week we increased our workforce to 15 workers, including carpenters, blocklayers, a welder & some helpers. We hired a concrete saw to cut tracks in the floor of the old church building which will become a classroom block. Everything worked out ok in the end but it was troublesome as the concrete saw broke down so we had to get it replaced. This meant that a few hours work dragged out to 2 days work! Please pray for Belarmino as he supervises the workers, especially as we will be away in South Africa this week.

We are really excited that my mum and dad are coming this week to visit! They travel on Tuesday!! We would really value your prayers for them as they travel and for Melvin as he goes to Johannesburg to pick them up on Wednesday. We then hope to travel back to Maputo on Friday! Pray that God would watch over us in all our travels.

Girassol!

2011-02-27T20:11:00.004+02:00

Girassol is our Charity shop project at 69 Church Street, Antrim! We are blessed by Ali McClure who manages the project! Thank you to all of you who have donated items for sale and also for those who have purchased items in the shop. We are exploring ways in which we can allocate these funds in Mozambique. The following 3 minute video is an overview of some of the needs here in Mozambique. How we so need Christ's light to shine!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQP3gPC44XY

Five months in!

2011-02-27T14:52:00.006+02:00

Hi Again! This past week has been exceptionally busy - we have appreciated the slower pace of the weekend though everything will be busy again tomorrow with construction, language classes, meetings and much much more!This is a photo from the Retreat when we all went swimming. Abigail loved it but Joshua was less sure! Saturday week ago we visited missionary friends and were able to visit a swimming pool next door.Joshua has discovered a love for chocolate! He is with our colleague & friend, "Angelic" Aimee (it looks as if she has a halo!!), who is involved in discipleship and women's ministry.

Whenever we go shopping Abigail and Joshua love riding in the shopping trolley! The twins could almost do the shopping themselves if someone pushed the trolley!!!

These are all the students who are enrolled in the Maputo Biblical and Theological Seminary. Please pray for them as they study God's Word. It is very exciting to see 59 students keen to learn more of God's Word in order to see Mozambique won for Christ.

Please pray for the Fernando family-Juca, Elina & Milka. They are missionaries in the North and are experiencing much persecution and spiritual attack. Pray specifically that they would know God's everlasting arms around them and that they might continue to have the faith that says 'our God will fight for us'. Pray for protection against the powers of darkness and witchcraft.

Challenges & Opportunities!

2011-02-17T19:13:00.008+02:00

It is hard to believe that we are back from South Africa 9 days! Time has just flown!

We had a really good retreat. Pastors from a church in Nelspruit spoke and we were blessed by their ministry. Abigail however contacted a throat and ear infection so we had to take her to the doctor and she was prescribed antibiotics. She did recover quickly.

Since then, Abigail and Joshua continue to be well. They are growing more and more adventurous by the day! They had a great time when we were staying in South Africa at Mercy Air playing in the sand pit & having fun on the slide.

When we got back Melvin had two important meetings on Wednesday and Thursday. The first was with the National Leadership of Igreja Evangelica Palavra Viva and the second in relation to the construction of CAM school. He is now in the midst of recruiting workers for construction-11 are currently employed! There is so much to do in preparation for the start of construction. Besides the meetings Melvin spent last week buying items to set up a kitchen to feed the workers & buying other materials. If they have a good meal in their stomachs they are more likely to work well! This week has been really busy also. Melvin is juggling supervising the workers, having meetings and buying materials.

I am continuing with my Portuguese lessons & caring for the twins. This week I went with Aimee to visit a young couple. The man is a Pastor in the church and his wife had a baby boy last week. This week we heard that baby died. We are not quite sure what happened. Reports are that the baby was healthy when born but then developed Jaundice, stopped feeding and died. This was the couples first baby. I am reminded of the statistic here in Mozambique that one in ten children will die before they reach 5 yrs old. Life here is so fragile. When we went to the house to visit we found that the young lady was having severe shaking. We offered to take her to hospital. We waited for ages with her as she was being examined by a doctor. We left and then received word that she had been discharged. When we asked what was the diagnosis we were told that the doctor had not said and had simply sent her home! As I think about my experience when the twins were born in Ireland, it is so far removed from the experience of this young couple. In the UK we are so blessed with good medical care. Please pray for Carlos and Tina as they come to terms with their loss. Pray that God will be their refuge and strength. Pray that we will minister the love of Christ to all that we meet day by day!

Carlos is on the back right of the photo-the one who is pointing.

Latest Seminary video!

2011-01-30T12:41:00.003+02:00

We are really encouraged by what God is doing through the Seminary. This is the most recent video that Larry has produced!! We hope you enjoy watching and are encouraged!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iMjHKLP5s0

Bitter Sweet!!

2011-01-30T10:35:00.008+02:00

Just when we were beginning to feel as though we were getting our home in order we experienced an event that shocked us and left us worried & stressed. Early on wednesday morning, while the twins were playing close by, our electricity fuse box produced a couple of bangs and a few huge flashes of light. This was rather disconcerting. Then almost immediately after, our TV belted out a huge puff of smoke and the lighting flashed a few times before all the house went out. We had no clue why this had happened until I was leaving the house and discovered that the supply cables feeding our house were lying across the garden. It seems that the branches of a coconut tree had worn its way through the insulation on the wires which then caused electricity to jump or conduct across the wet branch from one to the other. It seems that some form of power surge or back feed caused the explosions, flashes of light and smoke. When we investigated we found out that the tv, a fan and two air con units were all damaged. Below is a photo of the burnt overhead cables...

We feel we have taken two steps forward, three backward. Tv and air con units have since been repaired but not without cost. Other items are still in for repair. All the stress and hassle has made it a really hard week. We would really appreciate prayer for our safety and for our sanity! To be honest we have just felt stressed, frustrated and homesick. Pray for peace and that we will find rest amid these stressful circumstances. This morning, we have been listening to a sermon online from our home church which has ministered to us. We realize how much we need God and His whole armour! Satan has used the circumstances of this last week to distract and discourage us but with your prayers and the whole armour of God we can know victory. Pray that God will help us to stand firm in God!

It is also frustrating because just last monday we got connected to DSTV which allowed us to get a couple of world news channels and some english TV. Prior to this we felt that we were cut off from the outside world. It is now not working! I need to return to DSTV tomorrow to see if our DSTV decoder has also burnt out or if it just needs re-programed. Another time consuming task!!! However we are thankful that no-one was hurt or killed in the incident. Material items are repairable!!

On a more positive note, on the same day as this incident, the purchase of the Boa Nova property was officialized on our veranda at our weekly prayer time. We praise God for this! On Friday we started purchasing materials to start the construction/remodeling for the school due to move here in Aug 2011. Progress!

This coming Wednesday we travel to South Africa for a team retreat! Our Irish friend Valerie who works with Iris Ministries, has agreed to accompany us to the retreat to mind the twins while we meet with our missionary colleagues each morning Thank God for her. Pray for a time of refreshing as God ministers into our hearts!

Family update!!

2011-01-18T10:40:00.009+02:00

First of all, we apologize that it is so long since we updated our blog! Our desire is to update it weekly and we try to do that but this time it has slipped through the net-sorry! Thank you for being patient with us!We had a good time in South Africa!! We were overwhelmed when we collected our post and received lots of wonderful parcels & cards!! THANK YOU SO MUCH! We all had a great time opening them & enjoying the goodies inside!! It was also good to have some time out, get the car repaired (clutch had to be replaced) and also get some supplies.
When we returned to Maputo both Abigail & Joshua became really unwell. Joshua had diarrhea, hoarse voice, no energy & was not eating or sleeping well. Abigail had a flare up & was coughing badly & not sleeping or eating properly! I have to admit those days and nights were really hard which intensified homesickness! We were not getting sleep & it is very difficult to function especially in another culture with a different language! We took both Abigail & Joshua to the hospital where they found out Abigail had a chest infection so was put on antibiotics. They didn't really know why Joshua was unwell which was quite disconcerting. We then battled with Abigail to get all of the medication into her-antibiotic, malaria medication, syrup for her cough, inhaler & paracetamol. Thank you for your prayers!! It is at times like this that we really value them even more than normal.

At the end of last week and this week things have really improved-praise God!! We thank God for our medical friends in Ireland who are always at hand to give us advice and reassurance. We thank God for your prayers-we couldn't be here without them!! Abigail's cough has improved wonderfully. She isn't walking independently but loves to walk holding someones hand! Joshua is back to his usual self-full of energy and picking up anything he can get his hands on and transporting it elsewhere!! He is walking confidently! Continue to pray for good health for the twins!
Tomorrow I start Portuguese classes again. Melvin is in the midst of finishing projects at the Seminary and also here on the property. A couple from the States arrived this week to teach at CAM school so their house is being prepared! We had a Mozambican couple, Juca & Elena & their daughter Milka, here yesterday for lunch. They are Mozambican missionaries to their own people in the north of Mozambique. It was lovely to spend time with them & pray together before they return to the north this week-please pray for them!
May God bless you abundantly today for your part in building God's Kingdom here! Lots of love from us all!

Our God is BIGGER!

2011-01-02T20:59:00.004+02:00

Hi There,
We are currently staying in a small country cottage on a farm about 6-8 miles outside Nelspruit in South Africa. The scenery is beautiful and the setting is exceptionally quiet. We are so ready for some 'timeout.' Our time here will be short-lived as our booking is just for 3 nights though we pray that we will be able to rest and relax a little. I love this place as it reminds me of the countryside where I grew up! How can you miss something unless you are without it? I have missed the vastness and freedom of the countryside. The freedom to go for a ramble, a stroll or a jog in God's garden! I went for a jog tonight after the twins (and Sharon!) had gone to sleep! Amid the peacefulness I couldn't help but hear the chorus of umpteen birds, insects and frogs in God's 24/7 orchestra! Each testifying to the goodness of our Creator God. As I listened, I couldn't help but look up to vast array of shining stars, each testifying to God's greatness!

After a very busy 2010, it has been good to have a brief opportunity to stop and listen, to stop and look up! The things that have concern me and filled my thoughts over recent times 'grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace!' Praise God, He is bigger than everything and anything I can imagine! I encourage you to stop and listen, to stop and look up! We want to wish you a blessed 2011 filled with God's goodness!

Thank you for your prayers for Abigail

2010-12-26T21:24:00.002+02:00

Thank you for your prayers for Abigail's cough! We have had a hard two weeks. Abigails cough has been really bad & has been intensified by teething! Some nights we are getting very little sleep. We took Abigail to the doctor 10 days ago. It is thought that she has Asthma. It was very hard to find the medication prescribed. A week later after a lot of searching we were able to get the inhaler she needed. Please continue to pray for her. She really does not like taking the inhaler and it is such a battle. Some days recently it has been so hot and we need to keep the air conditioning on all night but we feel that this aggravates her cough. In addition we need to put gros on them with long sleeves to protect against mosquitos so we can't put less clothes on them. Please pray that God will really touch her wee body!! We really value your prayers!! We are going to South Africa for about a week. We leave on Tuesday. Pray for rest and refreshment!

Christmas in Mozambique!

2010-12-26T21:00:00.006+02:00

We spent a quiet Christmas in the house and just had skype calls with family!! Abigail and Joshua love listening to the chat and seeing those they love on the screen!!

Today we had a lovely celebration of Christmas with our team!! We had a service this morning, communion and then a meal together!!

How lovely it is to have brothers and sisters here to share with. Abigail and Joshua loved being outside for some of the time!! Joshua is walking around now and Abigail will be on her feet soon!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Joshua and Abigail

2010-12-26T19:37:00.016+02:00

We can hardly believe it-Joshua and Abigail are 1!!! Where has the last year gone to!?!? We had a wonderful day on Friday! We invited our team members and our Mozambican friends to a party. We had about 20 people here in total! We missed all our friends and family in Ireland and would have loved you to join us here too!! Below is a photo of the people here at the party!

It was a wonderful opportunity to spend time with our Mozambican friends and their families and build relationships! We pray that as time goes by these relationships will grow and we can stand alongside our brothers and sisters as they build God's Kingdom here in Mozambique!

We had a mixture of Mozambican, Irish and American food & of course lots of cake, brownies & traybakes!!! It was about 40 degrees but we put tables outside under the shade of the tree!!

It was lovely to see the children playing together with many of the toys we had brought in our suitcase!

Thank you so much for your prayers for us as a family!! We are so blessed to have Abigail and Joshua in our family and we celebrate the first year of their life and all the joy that they have brought to us!We hope that these photos help you to feel part of our celebrations!

Traffic Jams in Maputo!!

2010-12-21T15:11:00.000+02:00

The twins are on the move on their ride-on toys!!! Watch out Maputo!! The traffic here is bad! Yesterday we had to go into Maputo and it took us over an hour to accomplish the 14km from our house to Maputo! Thankfully Abigail and Joshua slept for most of it and it was not too hot!!Some are coming to Maputo to spend Christmas with family, others are leaving to go to South Africa to spend time with family!! Vehicles are overladen with all kinds of things!! Please pray for us on the roads!

There are so many unsafe vehicles, many without proper brakes!! This accident happened yesterday minutes before we arrived on the scene. On Saturday we saw a bad accident again because brakes failed on a truck carrying sand coming down the same hill! We covet your prayers for safety as we are out and about!

Preaching in Picocco

2010-12-13T20:50:00.000+02:00

On Sunday 5th December, I was invited to bring the message at the Picocco church. This is a small congregation about 45 minutes out from Maputo. Sharon and I debated whether or not we should take the twins. In the end we decided that it might not be a good idea - it could have ended up that the twins would be preaching! We prefer to go to church as a family but find that it can be really hard work as the twins want to eat the dirt and pull canico (reeds) from the walls of the church.

It was good to be back in Picocco again. Sharon and I helped Juka with some teaching at this church back in 2008.

Maputo Biblical and Theological Seminary

2010-12-13T19:47:00.000+02:00

It is really encouraging for me to see how the seminary building is beginning to be used. As many of you know, when I was here in Mozambique from 2004 - 2007 I was involved extensively in building projects including the construction of the seminary building. The photo below shows myself and my assistant Geraldo in front of the seminary during construction (January 2007). You can even see that I had no grey hair then!!!

This building is now being used in a variety of different ways. Two church groups meet here with a weekly Portuguese service every Sunday morning at 8.45am and there is an English Fellowship group that meet on Sunday evening at 5pm. This past year has seen the beginning of a full-time diploma course with 30 students. Besides, there has been a day release IBNAL course running over three years with the students having just graduated last month!

God willing, 30 new students will enroll as first year students. Next term is due to start on 14th February 2011.

As time goes on, more and more like-minded organisations are using the facilities for special events and conferences. Three mission organisations are renting the top floor as office space. I have been working with Belarmino over the last few weeks to construct free-standing units that will serve in time as library shelves though in the meantime they will be used primarily as partitions to divide the space. Praise God for the consignment of furniture that came in the container from Ireland - we have been able to adapt the shelving to suit our needs. Photos to follow!

A recent interesting development involves the space at the entrance to the seminary - photo below.

We have just signed a contract with CLC which has a Christian Bookstore here in Maputo. They have been looking for somewhere to relocate for some time and eventually came to talk to OMS. We are excited about the partnership we now have with them as we feel it will be mutually beneficial.

As the photos show, this has involved some remodelling. We took down two partitions and have built a new one so that the shop can be self contained.

Thank you to all who have followed the work of the seminary. We appreciate your prayers as we seek to utilise this building for the glory of God and the extension of His kingdom.

Well Done Girassol!

2010-12-13T19:41:00.000+02:00

Christmas is nearly here and Girassol achieved runner up in the Christmas window competition. Thank you to all who helped with the window-well done! Also we want to say a BIG THANK YOU to all who make the shop a success-donors, customers & workers in the shop!! You are playing your part in making a difference here in Mozambique & we really appreciate it!!

11 months!

2010-11-30T19:22:00.001+02:00

We thought that you might like some pictures of the twins at 11 months!! They are really moving about! Joshua can stand unaided!! He has not tried to walk himself yet but that day is just around the corner. They are great fun and love playing hide and seek around the couch! Thank you so much to all of you who have sent packages of buttons & powdered meals for the twins-they are SO APPRECIATED!! You are a blessing!!
Thanks also for all the lovely goodies that you have sent us!! It brightens our day when we receive a wee note and goodies from home! Thank you for praying for us as we settle in! We still have lots to do in the house but it is becoming home!! Thanks also for your prayers for Portuguese lessons-they are going well and Norma is such an answer to prayer. Pray that God will really help me with language!

Thanksgiving!!!

2010-11-30T19:16:00.000+02:00

Last Thursday was Thanksgiving and our house was the venue! It was so lovely to have everyone here. Lots of people from different mission organisations. There was lots of great food and good craic!! Praise God for fellow labourers in the Gospel who encourage and inspire!

Praise God for Naomi!

2010-11-25T22:12:00.000+02:00

This photo is of Abigail with Naomi who helps us in the house. Naomi is such a blessing. She comes with me when I am going into town and also when I go to the supermarket with the twins. Last week we were in town and I realised that I needed fuel for the car. We pulled into the petrol station and I asked the attendant could I pay by card-he said 'Yes'. He then filled the car with fuel. I got out and went inside to pay only to be told that I could not pay with my card because it was a chip and pin card. I then said that I would walk to the ATM and get money. When I went to the ATM it would not give me any money! Who knows why!!!?? So my car was full of fuel that I could not pay for!! In desperation I rang Melvin! He was in town in another vehicle doing other business. He said that he had money and could come and pay but not for an hour as he was across town & it would take him that long to get to where I was!! The twins were in the back of the car in the sweltering heat and we could not stay there for an hour! Praise God for Naomi. Melvin was able to speak to her in Portuguese and explain what she was to say to the people at the petrol station! My Portuguese was insufficient to be able to explain what was happening! She went and spoke to them and they said that we could go and trusted us that Melvin would come to pay in the next hour! I just needed to leave Melvin's mobile number!! Even the simplest things are complex here and compounded by language difficulties. Thanks for your prayers-we rely on God daily for His help and protection!

Graduation

2010-11-25T21:38:00.000+02:00

Last Saturday we attended the Graduation Service for the Seminary students who have completed 3 years of part-time study. 6 people graduated in total. One of our church pastors teaches this course every Saturday morning. He is pictured on the right of this photo. Please pray for him-his name is Daniel. He has such an opportunity to influence the lives of the students whom he teaches for the sake of God's Kingdom.
It was so lovely to be there and celebrate with the students.
As usual here, the ladies took Joshua and Abigail from us when we arrived. They coped well for a while before getting unsettled at being in one place & wanted to move about!

Joshua made friends with Joel-the son of one of the Mozambican pastors.
Many people took part in the Ceremony. In the photo below you see our missionary friend Aimee sharing on behalf of our mission. Please pray for her this week as she takes a mission trip to the North of Mozambique with her mum and two Mozambicans. They will be teaching and mentoring church leaders.

What have we been up to?

2010-11-24T13:21:00.000+02:00

We have been doing well though the last couple of days have been hard as the twins aren't in best form. Diarrhea, teething and running noses! The last couple of nights we feel as though we have been doing gymnastics in and out of bed! Both Joshua and Abigail have been waking up frantically crying. Please pray for them that they and us will be able to sleep well.

The weather has been changing so much here. Over the weekend we had 35 degrees though today the temperature is 22 degrees! We had lots of rain last night. These changes in climate seem to open us up to colds etc. We are however grateful for the cooler weather today! Sharon is taking advantage of the cooler weather to bake her Christmas cake and puddings!

Tomorrow (25th) is American Thanksgiving and we are actually hosting the Americans at our place!! Strange or what? This is a good opportunity for us to get to know more people and eat like Americans!

Sharon has started her language classes with a Portuguese teacher who attends one of our churches. We had been praying for a teacher and didn't realize that God's answer was right there in the church! Her name is Norma. Please pray for Sharon as she meets with Norma each Monday and Wednesday. God has really blessed us as Norma is able to come to our house which makes child minding much more manageable!

Each week seems to pass us by so quickly. We apologize that it has been so long since the last blog entry. We find that every time we make a plan to sit down to write, there is something else needing our attention. Its actually quite difficult to balance family with OMS responsibilities, all our relationships with Mozambicans and keeping in touch with everyone back home. We feel at times that we are living and moving in at least three or four different spheres. We appreciate that we aren't the only people that feel like that! Pray that we would pace ourselves. There is so much to think about! Besides, it takes so much longer trying to do the basic things. For example, buying supplies takes so much time!

Last week I told Sharon that I would take a quick run out to buy bread - I thought that I could be back in 20 minutes. I arrived back over an hour later having scoured the whole area for bread! I went to a bakery that I was familiar with called 'Pao de Lenha' (translated means bread baked in a firewood stove - an idea I liked!). On this particular day when I arrived, I thought it strange that all the workers were sitting on the ground against the wall outside! The workers proceeded to say that they didn't have bread because the electricity was out! This puzzled me as I had understood that the bread was made in a firewood stove. There was even a stack of firewood outside! Disbelieving, I proceeded inside and there it was confirmed that the 'firewood stove bakery' had electric ovens! In disappointment, I left to find somewhere else to buy bread. I was happy to quickly find a lady on the roadside who was selling bread. I asked her the price and gave her a 500 meticais note (worth about £10) but she looked at me hesitantly and then explained that she didn't have change! Though disappointed twice I was back on the bread search trail! Eventually I found a teenage boy in the shade under a tree with some bread to sell! So desperate to make my purchase, I bought all the bread he had so that I could return home to explain my delay to Sharon!

Thank you so much for following our blog and praying for us. We really appreciate it.

OK, I must run. We will upload some photos soon.

Love from Melvin, Sharon, Abigail and Joshua

Visit to South Africa

2010-11-06T20:28:00.000+02:00

Last Sunday morning we left Mozambique at 6.30am to go to South Africa. We did not get our DIRE yet but a Mozambican friend was able to get us a paper so we could leave the country! We have been told this week that Melvin's DIRE is ready but not the rest!! Continue to pray!! We were in South Africa until Thursday afternoon when we returned to Mozambique. It was a busy time-running around getting supplies and things that we can't get in Mozambique. Once again we were so blessed to be able to stay with Steve and Liz! Abigail and Joshua were really good. They have to put up with a lot being in a car seat in really hot temperatures! We were able to get a lot that we needed.

These are our bags and supplies waiting to be unpacked again after returning from south Africa!!
Abigail and Joshua are having lots of fun with their new toy!!

I thought you would also like to see the visitor that I discovered when going to run the bath for Abigail and Joshua! This morning when I went to put away groceries and lifted a bag of soup mix out spilled loads of bugs! The whole cupboard had to be cleaned and checked. Some had also made their way into the egg noodles!!!
Please pray for us over the coming weeks and months as we seek God as to the ministry He wants us to be involved in! We praise God that we are settling in to our house. It is a slow task and quite stressful setting up home on the other side of the world! We really value your prayers and partnership with us!!

Joshua and Abigail this week!!

2010-11-06T20:06:00.000+02:00

Joshua and Abigail continue to do new things every day! They love playing with their activity cube. Cairnalbana Sunday School gave it to them as a gift and we were able to pack it and bring it with us. They have many hours of fun with it!! They also love standing watching 'Praise Baby' on the TV! Malaria medication has been a bit of a challenge this week!! I think that they are getting to know that the tablets are in the chocolate so we are having to vary what we are using to disguise it!! Eating has also been a challenge this week. They want to feed themselves so I don't know how much they are getting and they are refusing to be fed by anyone else!! Joshua has two new top teeth which may be a factor!! Pray that they will eat well & continue to be healthy!! Abigail still has a bad cough-pray that we will get to the bottom of this!!We were able to see the doctor in South Africa and she is on medication. Pray that this helps!
We can even brush our own teeth!!!!Lots of love from Abigail......

and Joshua xoxo Thanks for your prayers!!!!

Hailstones in Mozambique!

2010-11-06T19:57:00.001+02:00

Sorry that we have not blogged for a while!! It has been so busy!! We have had soaring temperatures and storms in the past few weeks! We have had some really hot days (40 degrees) and then heavy thunderstorms. The electricity has been out a few times but it has not been as bad recently-maybe we are just a little more prepared for it!! This was the view from our veranda! There were even hailstones and we took a photo just incase you would not believe that there could be hail in Africa!

10 Months today!!

2010-10-24T19:33:00.000+02:00

Joshua and Abigail are 10 months today so we thought you might like some photos of them!! Both are now crawling!! Abigail is pulling herself up on chairs and anything she can find!! They are both getting more teeth. Joshua's will arrive any day-they are just under the surface of the skin!!Joshua and Abigail both have a bad cough! Please pray that this will go away! It is especially bad in the middle of the night which disrupts their sleeping (and ours!). Apart from that they are in good form!! We visited T3 church today and they did really well!! When we arrived they were sleeping so we pulled the car into the churchgrounds and watched from the door. When they woke we brought them into church. I had no sooner sat down than a mozmabican lady came and took Joshua from me. They did the same with Abigail! They spent the rest of the service being passed around the Mozambican ladies!! This was lovely but a bit disconcerting for me!! I am just not used to that!! We praise God for adaptable children!!!Look how I can stand up!!!!

Resident VISA!

2010-10-24T19:18:00.000+02:00

Last week we went to the immigration office to submit our papers for residency. We had to take the twins with us! We arrived and went to the counter where it said 'Foreigners Applications'. Mozambicans do not believe in orderly queues so we joined the people already there! Eventually we spoke to the man behind the desk who sent us to the other side where the sign said 'Passport Collection'! Sure enough that was the place to submit our papers!! Well, 2 hours later we were coming out having submitted our papers - thankfully we were successful!! We also had to get our photos & fingerprints taken! Even the twins had to get their photo taken! An official had to come and hold them while another one TRIED to get a photo of them!! We also had an audience of people watching and sniggering at the officials!! Joshua made quite an impression! As we came out of the office a car pulled up and a man shouted out the window 'Ola Joshua'. He had been in the office and Joshua had made friends with him!! As we left we were also minus 2000 pounds!! It costs 500 pounds per person, per year to get a residents visa! There is no reduction for children!!! Everything here is so expensive!! Pray that we will get our VISA back this Thursday as promised. We hope to take a trip to South Africa next weekend if we have our residency visa!

House warming &/or cooling?!?

2010-10-24T19:02:00.000+02:00

We have moved!!!Yippee!! It is so good to be in our own house!! We moved on Friday night as during the day it was 40 degrees and very hot at night so we decided to make use of the air conditioning!! We had a couple from our church visit us on Friday. They are involved in a radio scout venture in Mozambique! It was lovely to see people from home for a few hours. We really appreciated them bringing stuff we requested from home!! Thanks David & Gillian!

We still have some painting and organizing to do in our house but at least we are moved! Aimee and Aleta looked after Joshua and Abigail on Saturday which was a great help as we got unpacked! Today the whole team were here at our house for lunch. Susan and the others provided the food and we just provided the venue!! It was lovely to spend time together. Our neighbours-the Brain family-also joined us which was great!!

From left to right:- Sharon, Todd Brain, Tia Brain, Nancy Brain, Larry Weil, Don Hulsey, Aleta Hulsey, Aimme Howarth, Susan Weil, Melvin.

Power Cuts and Short Cuts!

2010-10-15T08:02:00.000+02:00

Over the last three weeks we have been adjusting to our new surroundings. We are preparing to move into our house next week. Until then we continue to stay in a guest house on the same compound. The compound is beautiful and quiet. As the weeks pass we are experiencing more and more power cuts. We have had more power cuts in the last week than there were days! This has been a stress point for us. Regular power cuts were not so common where we stayed before.

In our house there is never a good time for a power cut. At night we usually leave a light on so that we are not tripping over things when the twins kick up a fuss!! The twins wake in the night because their fan has stopped and so mummy and daddy are called - not that we can do anything for them! One morning, Joshua had had enough and wanted out of his cot at 4.30am. I tried to settle him in the living room but to no avail. He was so frustrated that no one was turning on the light to allow him to see his toys! On another day, the power went out halfway through the twins bedtime praise baby dvd routine - NOT A GOOD THING! On Wednesday Sharon was baking when the power went out - just as well we have a gas oven.

Staying on the theme of electricity, I went to get my haircut last week. I thought I would be the admirable missionary to immerse myself in the local culture! I told Sharon that I would head up the road to the local barber and that I should not be long. When I arrived at the little tin shack I didn't see any customers but one guy half asleep. I asked if he was the barber and he said he was so I asked him how much a haircut cost. He said it would cost 15mts (30p). I proceeded to tell him that I wanted a hair cut with a 3 on top and 2 on the sides. He said that was fine so I sat down while he got himself organised. Before I knew it, he took a swipe at my hair with his clippers but without using any guide. After the shock, I acknowledged that it was too late to tell him that I wanted the guide so it was a 'zero' haircut I was getting! To make matters worse I soon realised that his clippers were not up to the job. I think this was the first haircut the barber had ever offered a white man! I could see that the barber was way out of his comfort zone. The more I spoke, the quieter he became! Eventually, he claimed that the electric current was low and so he couldn't get his clippers to work properly. At that moment I needed to be calm and 'keep my hair on' but it was a bit late for that as half of my head as almost bald! What next? I asked him if maybe he could cut my hair with scissors first and then trim with the clippers but he didn't have any scissors! Eventually I suggested that he come with his clippers to my house to see if the electric current would be better. In the end, my idea of saving time and money didn't turn out the way I had expected. The good thing is that my hair will grow back and anyway, the grey hairs don't show when my hair is so short! The photo shows my haircut one week on!

Everything takes such a long time in Mozambique. Getting through traffic, buying a few items from the hardware store or paying a bill. This means that we try so hard to find 'short cuts' (faster ways to do things). A good friend, Juca, showed me a short cut to town one day but when I tried to follow the road back I feared that I was going to lose my way. Every junction had three or four little paths that all look the same. As it was getting dark I decided that it would be safer to stay to the main roads which meant a long track round. We will get used to living on the suburbs eventually!

Look at me!

2010-10-10T19:18:00.000+02:00

Joshua is on the move! At the minute he is faster when he slides about on his tummy but he is really trying hard to crawl properly. Abigail is not far behind him!

We have been blessed to have Naomi help us! On week days she comes and helps with whatever needs to be done which is great! She is a pastors wife. Abigail and Joshua love her. Pray that I (Sharon) will be able to communicate with her as Naomi does not speak english. This is a good opportunity for me to practice portuguese and learn more about Mozambican culture!

Food Glorious Food!!

2010-10-10T19:08:00.000+02:00

Thanks for all your prayers regarding the malaria medication for Abigail and Joshua! Praise God they are doing well taking their medication! Some days they eat really well and other days they are not quite so good!! They love getting their hands on the spoon and the food so it can be a messy business! There are some things here that we cannot get that they like-the powdered Dinners from Heinz! I miss them especially on the days when I am maybe not as well prepared as I should have been!! We can get most other things for them-cereal which they like and I am making up most of their other food. Please pray that Abigail and Joshua will eat well!! They love drinking water which is a real blessing especially on days like today when it is hot!!

Bath time!!

2010-10-04T21:15:00.001+02:00

Abigail and Joshua love the bath!! We bought a small one in the meantime but they are a bit cramped in it!! We are putting in a bath in our new house so we know they will enjoy that! We have had to knock down a wall to do that and rebuild another wall!! They send their love!!

Our Home!

2010-10-04T20:24:00.000+02:00

We promised last week that we could give you a guided tour of where we are living!!
Photo 1- shows the view of the compound as you drive in. The guest apartment that we are living in is on the left-the house with the car outside.

Photo 2-We are living on the left side of the house. We have made a makeshift washing line at the front. We don't have air conditioning at the minute but have fans. It can get very hot-currently 30-35 degrees!

Photo 3-standing at our gate!

Photo 4-At the front of our house. We are standing with one of our guards. The compound is guarded continually.

Photo 5-our living room!! We are asking you to use your imagination.

Photo 6-Our kitchen. This week we need to get kitchen units and appliances! Pray we will be able to find all that we need!

Photo 7-tiling in progress!We hope this will be finished this week!!

Photo 8-Our garden. It is such a blessing to have room around our house so that the twins can play! It is a lovely quiet setting and we waken to the birds singing!

Please pray for us during this week!! We are sometimes overwhelmed by the amount of work that still needs to be done! Pray that progress will be made and that we can get into our house soon and feel settled!

Thanks for your prayers regarding Abigail and Joshua taking their malaria meds. We are giving them in cadbury's buttons and they love it!! Parcel idea number 1!!!

Please pray for our DIRE application (Document of identifaction for foreign residents). We are unsure how long it will take-possibly 6 weeks! Once we submit our application we cannot leave to go to South Africa! Please pray it will be processed quickly! We hope to check out health clinics this week and register with our embassy!

Thanks for your prayers!

Ate Mundzuku Brian (until we meet again Brian!)

2010-10-02T20:50:00.000+02:00

Brian left today! We are sad!! What will we do without multi-talented Brian? What a blessing he was to us and definately made the first two weeks more manageable. THANK YOU SO MUCH BRIAN!

Next week we will update you about our house and put on a few photos of the 'progress'!!!

Thank you for praying about our internet-we now have it at our home!!! We were able to connect with a new company!!! We pray that the connection will remain!! We need to make submissions for our resident visa next week-please pray that this will be straightforward. As we settle here we are reminded that the most simple tasks can become very stressful and time consuming-pray that God will give us patience!! Pray that we will find a suitable language teacher within the next couple of weeks!!

Thanks for being on our team! We really value you!

Settling in!!!!

2010-09-27T10:10:00.000+02:00

We arrived tired and sweaty on Friday afternoon. We praise God that we could move straight into the mission guest house. We will need to live out of suitcases until we get our own home prepared. It was a bit overwhelming to see how much we need to do to make it a home!! We are thankful that it is a good structure & is in a lovely quiet setting. Saturday we tried to do laundry which proved stressful and we managed to flood the kitchen!! We then went to the market to see if we could sell Brian-no we wouldn't sell him-he has been such a blessing to us and we will really miss him when he goes!! On Sunday we went to the City church that meets at the Seminary! Abigail and Joshua loved their new swing on the veranda!! One frustration is that we cannot get internet connection at our house so we are sitting at the seminary writing our blog. Pray for this to be resolved!! Pray also for protection for Abigail and Joshua-they got a few bites last night and it has been a bit of a challenge to get them to take their malaria tablets!! We know all things are possible with God!! Thank you for being soldiers in this army-we really appreciate your battle in prayer. Joshua and Abigail send their love today (above)

Journey to Mozambique-Part 3

2010-09-27T10:00:00.000+02:00

On the day that Joshua and Abigail were 9 months-24th September-we started our journey to Mozambique. Abigail is looking out past her giant musical octopus given to her by her aunt, uncle & cousin. She loves it! Abigail and Joshua are such a blessing to us-they have been so adaptable. It took us over 6 hours to travel from Nelspruit to Maputo. It should only have taken 3 hours! We spent over 3 hours at the border in sweltering heat as it was a holiday and everyone was going over the border & the computer system had broken down. Praise God the twins did really well!! Thank you for your prayers-we were so aware that we were covered in prayer!!

Journey to Mozambique-Part 2

2010-09-27T09:51:00.001+02:00

Our flight arrived in Johannesburg on time and we were able to get the Citybug. The journey was smooth and Abigail and Joshua loved being in their forward facing seats and able to look around them! The journey took 4 hours. We were met by Steve and Liz. They were, and continue to be, such a blessing to us. They opened their home, cooked for us & helped with the twins. It was so lovely to have a place to call home while we got supplies we needed for Mozambique. We were able to get all that we needed-praise God!!
Wh

Journey to Mozambique-Part 1

2010-09-27T09:23:00.000+02:00

Thank you so much for your prayers!! God really answered! We negotiated all the airports and God provided people right when we needed them. Thank you for praying about our luggage. All 11 bags arrived with us safely and we did not have to pay any excess baggage charges.

The weekend prior to us leaving we found out that we did not have as many bags as we had first arranged with the travel agent. We were told that the twins had two bags of 23kg each when booking our flights. This was also written on our tickets. However on the Friday prior to departure, the travel agent informed us that the twins just had a luggage allowance of 10kg each. This meant that we had 4 bags packed that we could not take unless paying excess baggage. On the morning we were flying we rang the travel agent and were able to book seats to London for Abigail and Joshua and thus were able to take the 4 bags for a minimal cost. At check in we were a little over weight but God had the right people in the right place to waive the excess baggage charge. This is such an answer to prayer.

When we got to terminal 1 in Heathrow a porter 'just happened to be passing' and helped us with two trolley's of suitcases. He took us to the cab stop and we got two taxis to terminal 5. The taxi dropped us off at the door. Clare and Amir Arian came to see us at the airport. It was such a blessing to see them!! They looked after Abigail and Joshua while we repacked bags as the airline said that we could not combine luggage weight but each bag had to be a max of 23.5kg. We had to move one of Joshua's shoes from one suitcase to another; in another suitcase we moved a baby gro!!!!! It took some time but God was clearly with us enabling us!

On the plane Abigail and Joshua did so well. They took bottles as the plane ascended and descended which meant that there was no trouble with their ears. They slept most of the flight in their special seats (photos above).

2010-09-11T13:43:00.000+02:00