Christ's Victory Over Challenges & The Guys Say Goodbye

Sheri Graham

Wed 8/27 - was one of those bad days where things just seemed to go wrong all on the same day. No immigration papers for the guys’ departure and my extended stay. Steph’s truck will cost a lot of money to fix. I ran out of fabric for curtains for the clinic. The chicken wire to finish the last coop was twice as much as expected. We were given the wrong paint to top-coat the clinic floor. There is still no approval on Steph’s papers but today they asked for bribery money to speed up the process. How are we getting the guys to Beira Tuesday for their departure flight without a vehicle? How do we get water & chicken feed without a truck? Thank God I woke up with the need to pray & worship Him longer than usual. God knew I would need the sandbagging of His Spirit of peace and assurance for the tidal wave of emotion that would hit me later that day when I saw the look on Steph’s face as it all hit, and the enemy telling me lies of how I was contributing to her stress by not doing enough. Stephanie is so strong though, and she not only believes nothing is too big or hard for our God, but she acts on that belief.

Enrique went to Chimoio with Lovemore by way of the shopa experience; he described 24 people crammed into a van that should hold 16, with chickens on some commuters’ laps.

Stephanie, Mavis and Sheri after dinner

We had dinner with Mavis, and heard more stories of how she came to the Lord. Her husband died at age 30 of a brain tumor, before they had kids. But now she’s at Maforga, caretaker of 11 teen & pre-teen girls, and just loves it. Their quarters is the “Main House,” which is the Baroness’ former home, with some of its old beauty still remaining. So she has 2 favorite verses:

Ps 113:9 He grants the barren woman a home, Like a joyful mother of children

Is 54:1 "Sing, O barren, You who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, You who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate, Than the children of the married woman," says the Lord.

Thurs 8/28 - There was much discussion amongst Cecil, Enrique & me about Steph, her needs, finances, how to help, between Wednesday night and this AM. Our discussion ended when I clearly heard God tell us not to rush in to try and fix everything like humans usually do. Wait upon Him. Watch what He will do. Let Him work. Sometimes He is waiting for us to wear ourselves out and finally give it to Him, to submit to His will and His way; but we get all up in His way and block that work and that blessing. Just let it go! Matt 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Cecil & Enrique installed chicken fence

'Mythbusters' 2 myths confirmed: Paperbag
(looks like bee hive to claim territory) & mesh
bag of cloves (bees hate cloves) rid coops of bee swarms

At Thursday afternoon women’s group, Steph was commended for not paying the bribe, and encouraged to hold on and trust God. They talked about the standard at Maforga - has never paid a bribe and never will - and of many accounts of ministries here at Maforga that waited years (4 being the longest I heard) for their papers to be approved since they wouldn’t give in to the corruption. They hold fast to being above reproach & letting God work on their behalf, all to show and proclaim God’s glory to the surrounding communities and the enemies. It reminds me of Ex 23:4-9 “If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden, and you would refrain from helping it, you shall surely help him with it. You shall not pervert the judgment of your poor in his dispute. Keep yourself far from a false matter; do not kill the innocent and righteous. For I will not justify the wicked. And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the discerning and perverts the words of the righteous. Also you shall not oppress a stranger, for you know the heart of a stranger, because you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”

Sarah Tanis, Cecil talking to 2 young men

Fri 8/29 - I woke up early to work on the curtains to finally finish…and no electricity! So no sewing today; will I ever get these darn curtains done? Enrique & Cecil walked to the “boys side” to minister to a believer who is in bondage to alcohol addiction, then went w/Kees Tanis to the prison and then handicap ministries. Steph and I walked to the “boys side” to have lunch w/the guys & Tanis family. The handicap ministry is teaching the handicapped how to make matts, sandals, and other items that they sell so they don’t have to beg; however they have been ingrained to beg, so part of the battle is renewing their minds and teaching them to put forth the effort to obtain the joy of providing for oneself instead of sitting on a street corner all day begging.

Stephanie and Sheri walking to 'boys side' of orphanage

Prison ministry takes food to the malnourished prisoners, since prisons and hospitals do not feed prisoners/patients. It’s up to family/friends to bring food – if you have no family/friends, you starve. I hear more & more stories of corruption. So many stories of people going to the hospital for malaria, or fungal skin infections, or Matacena worms (get in feet, lay eggs & eat your feet and legs, eventually requiring amputation) – and leaving with a soapy water solution or Paracetamol, because most people don’t know the difference (they’re just happy to get medicine) and the medical staff have stolen the actual medicines to sell on the black market. We are all praying for the October elections, that God will raise up a government that fears Him and has compassion for the Mozambiquan people.

Sat 8/30 - No electricity all day, so no water as well. I couldn’t finish sewing or drilling, so I went over team stuff w/Steph. Then I talked to her about future ministry: renovating vs building a home. I looked at a couple empty homes that need renovations, cost of vehicle, language acquisition…all the things I need to know if I’m moving here. The more I look and ask around to all the different ministries, the more the whole thing looks different than I imagined, and I’m having a difficult time finding a place for me to fit in. I tried not to come with any expectations or preconceived notions, but maybe I ended up doing just that. However, I know no matter what the path looks like, if the Lord is calling me to it, I will follow Him. “This is what the Lord says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.” Jer 6:16. Please pray that as I stand at this crossroad, that I will wait upon Him, I will meditate on Him, and I will seek His heart. I think my focus has been a bit off in seeking the path instead of Him – the path will be apparent once I line myself up with Him.

Lovemore & Enrique paint clinic waiting room bench

Enrique & Cecil are tying up loose ends on all the projects they worked on. Cecil has been a good sport about the worship music Enrique and I listen to – which is pretty hard stuff. The guys were already packing this evening before dinner, so I’m pretty sure they’re excited to get home. We’re still trying to figure out how to get them to Beira for their flight Tuesday, and me to Zimbabwe (the opposite direction) for my visa stamp by Thursday with no vehicle. We may all be getting a good dose of the shopa & bus systems here next week. But God knows the visa and flight times, and He knew Steph wouldn’t have her truck, so I’m not worried about it at all - which is really unlike me. I used to need a plan, and a back-up plan, but I am slowly learning to follow the Lord and let Him worry about all the plans! Phil 1:6-7 "…that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ"

Cecil pondering over tank installation

Enrique installing last clinic light

Cecil sharing at church

Sunday 8/31 - Cecil shared his heart this AM at church. It’s such an amazing thing to experience the change and growth in yourself and those around you as God does His work. Kees is apparently a favorite preacher, judging by the applause & whistles before & after his sermon. Before he did, he had asked Cecil, Enrique and I if we wanted to teach. I was tempted to do the lesson I prepared last week, but really wanted the guys to hear Kees preach before they left. His lesson was awesome, but he started it by saying [and pointing to us teasingly] that “When you visit Africa, you must be prepared to: pray, to teach. ” So be warned, if you visit Maforga, they expect you to teach at least one Sunday. So I’ll probably do 2 more lessons before I leave next month.

Lunch with Mavis and Girls after church

Afterwards we had lunch with Mavis, prepared by the older (12-17yo) orphan girls, which was really good. Afterward I had tea with Mavis (she’s English) and asked her my routine vision-tour interview questions. I’m being careful not to be swayed to move here or stay away by their positive and/or negative reports. I do love to hear their responses of how God is moving in themselves, their ministry, Maforga as a whole, and the surrounding communities. Saturday and tonight Enrique & I have tried for over an hour each night to get pix of the Bush Babies, but to no avail.

Mavis & older girls sing goodbye to guys.

Mon 9/1 - We woke up 5am to get an early start for Beira; Mavis’ girls sang Cecil and Enrique a goodbye song, then Allyson took us to Beira in her truck. It took 3 hours to get there. We stopped to see the Indian Ocean, which was brown from the muddy Zambezi River pouring into the delta from the precious rain that has fallen in the past few months. Then we lunched together and chatted. Allyson reminisced about the days before the war when the now-ghettos along the beach were luxury hotels and flats. We dropped the boys off at the Bible College in Beira and visited with Robbie (founder) for about an hour. Steph and I had a good visit with Allyson on the way back. We returned to Maforga just before dark.