Hi,
Just a quick note… (I’m writing this with limited power & in haste… forgive me if some of it may not make sense) I’m in Mozambique at moment. I’m privileged together with Ingrid, my wife, to take a group of young people to go serve in a somewhat remote area in Mozambique, called Xai Xai. Over the last four years we’ve been privileged to be part of seen the fruition of a vision fulfilled. We’ve played our small part in helping Mark Harper, a South African missionary, build a campsite. Every year we’ve reviewed what we’ve managed to do in the previous year.
The experience has taught us that you may not always be able to see the fruition of your grand vision immediately but there is something that you can do today to see fruits tomorrow. The campsite, called Bethel, is functional and has been serving the villages and communities as a venue for much needed teacher training for primary education. Camps are also run for young people who are challenged to make decisions to be followers of Christ.
It is amazing how our small seed is having a profound impact on the community and villages around. We cannot take credit for much. The greater work has been done by Mark and many others before us. We’re humbled to be part of the legacy in a small way and seeing Mark and other before us and when we are not here. It is people from far and near that have given of themselves and resources and share a passion to see the world changed!
For the next week we are going to be running a camp with a five fold purpose:
- to reach young people and present them the opportunity to make informed decisions to be Christ followers in the camp we’ll help run
- to train locals on how to run future camps
- to learn how to better contextualize ministry. this also means we’ll be learning from those that have asked us to team them. and also see how we can better grow
- It doesn’t look like we’ll be able to go into the villages as we did with previous trips but hope that the fruit of this camp will do that instead. I think this is a better strategy. Inspire many to go many places than do a lot in one place.
- Build a framework for future camps…
The theme of the camp we’ll be running here is loosely translated from Portuguese and means “Arson!”. We pray that young people will be ignited to go start intentional fires in their communities / villages after God sets them alight this week.
Pray for Ingrid & I as well as the team. While we travel please pray God’s protection and wisdom. Pray that we will do as God requires and that lives of everyone we encounter will be changed. Pray that we will also not be ignorant of what God may desires in us while we’re here. Pray that we’ll speak and do only what God requires of us.
I may only be in touch in about a week’s time to share our many experiences from this trip… In the meantime please do pray!