The Pemba Special

Well hello again awesome people back home! We are just now finishing the fourth week and now have five more to go. It’s weird to think that I’m almost half way done with my trip in Mozambique before I go to Zimbabwe for two weeks then back to Texas. The trip has been more than I could have ever expected in so many ways. Through living with Mozambique pastors and other internationals, living on the base with so many kids, living in a third world country, and getting blasted by God I have learned so much. This week I want to talk to you guys about some more realities of what goes on here in the matter of homes, the living conditions and the families. Hopefully a few testimonies will help with what I am trying to get across. And yes we still don’t have running water. Going on 3 weeks I think beside a few moments when it turns back on and then off again.

Haha I will just start out by saying that this week was by far the hardest week! There is an optional corporate fast on Mondays like in acts. (The only way for the Church return to Acts is to regain the unity they had and they said they did it through prayer and fasting and devoting themselves to the apostles teachings! It confuses me why that sermon is never taught in church.) I was getting sick throughout the whole day but I didn’t know it was sickness, I just thought I maybe wasn’t drinking enough water or something. As soon as 5pm Monday hit I was out on the bed with a fever through the roof and a splitting head ach with body aches. Three hours later I was throwing up and just after that I had diarrhea. It was what they called the Pemba Special hahaha. They first thought I had malaria but we soon realized other people were getting similar symptoms so we knew it was just a bug going around. There was also rumors of witch doctors getting a hold of certain peoples clothes and putting curses on us but who knows. I do know that last Harvest School a witch doctor got a hold of a group of kids urine on outreach and they were all throwing up at the end of the trip. It’s not a joke, were in a war, it’s just that satan would rather the West not know about the actual battle so that they can just keep silent as they are and let the rest of the world struggle in darkness as they are. But to make a long story short because I could not even drink water without throwing up and I went to the bathroom at least once an hour I lost around 10 pounds in a matter of 35 hours. My stomach got so messed up I am now on my 5^th day without a normal you know what. Haha I’m not trying to grose yall out just trying to paint a picture of reality.

And it’s okay because what satan intends for evil God uses for good and I got plenty of revelation through it as well so I’m very thankful. It also puts it in reality when right down the street entire villages are living on absolutely no water because the wells are drying up. Most of them are drinking a half cup of water a day in severe heat. Mommas are then walking 10s of miles a day on that much water just to get the water for the rest of the family. That being said it leaves plenty of room for Jesus to come in and save the broken! Haha yesterday on the way to the hospital to pray for people my friend and a translator, plus I ran into a super super drunk guy that was all over the place. So we said haha what a perfect guy to give the love of Jesus. After about 5 minutes of random talk and him slurring his words to the translator all we really wanted to do is pray for him and release him of his drunken demon. We prayed for a couple of minutes and he then paused when we were done. He explained to the translator that before we prayed he drank many many drinks (not knowing we knew haha) and after we were done it was as if he had no drinks. We invited him to church got his number and then watched him walk away in a straight line with a smile on his face. We have to start looking at situations of darkness as situations as opportunity to bring the kingdom. We all have Jesus in us and Jesus is the kingdom! Just release it and stop holding onto it! Even the Muslims want it!

Haha when we were in the hospital praying for people there was a muslim father all dressed in his muslim clothes. Around here Christians are notorious for praying for people and seeing them get healed. I mean I guess the bible did say we will lay hands on the sick and they will be healed. So I stood there as the muslim man moved out of the way so that we could pray for the boy. When you have something that people want and it’s irresistible it’s a lot easier to spread the gospel than we think. I am not saying this stuff to ruffle peoples feathers and start debates. I am also not saying every person we pray for will be healed. I am saying we need to be good stewards with which we are given and be faithful. That means praying for the sick and actually believing for the healing! The rest is up to God! It's amazing what happens when we just show up and pray and be faithful.

I want to also tell you another two stories that have to do with my young Mozambique pastors. I know this isn’t the most uplifting blog but these things were really on my heart to share and to show the need of the Church stepping up INTO the darkness not AWAY. I found out the other night that two of my closest Mozambique buddies, one 22 and one 24 have been severely hurt in family situations. Both of their wives cheated on them with other men while they attended bible school the previous years. One of them is so bad the family won’t even accept clothes or anything from him because they want nothing to do with him and don’t want him contacting their daughter at all. At first I was disgusted that the women couldn’t wait for them while they were in bible school and then my heart sunk when they both said that the reason the wives left them was because they were too poor. Even though they are hardworking Godly men the families of the wives will have nothing to do with them because their financial status. I also found out that my other roommate was an alcoholic and beat up a cop when Jesus told him he needed to give his life, which after the next Sunday he never drank again.  The most amazing thing that blows my mind about these men and their stories is that they are the most humble joyful men I have ever been around! And yet we have families living in jumbo nice houses just making it by day by day hoping they don’t kill somebody out of frustration. Every relationship opens my eyes more and more to what really goes in this world.

On another note the Lord has been freeing my heart in so many ways throughout the first four weeks it has truly been a miracle. A part of that like I said is just hearing others stories whether it be Mozambique or the Internationals. It really is amazing what happens when I just sit down with somebody and not think about anything else and just hear their story. Anybody can go up to someone who is the awkward one or the one that no one likes and say hey “how’s your day doing?” I guarantee when we begin to sit and hear these peoples stories we won’t think so harshly of them. I guess the whole don’t judge a book by it’s cover is for real ha.

As I close I will be honest, after getting sick I really wanted some ice cream or chocolate haha. I had to make a little trip to the market and gather a stash for my room before I took somebody else’s. But anyways thanks again for everything I pray a special blessing over all of you as one of satan’s favorite holidays Halloween is here which is a special time to spread the light! And for anyone that wanted to give clothes or anything i was told it takes about 1 month for me to get something haha so that won't work too well, just go onto irismin.org if you would want to give something. Any and all of your prayers are so appreciated and I am so so thankful!!!!!!!