CAM and CEF

Christian Academy in Mozambique (CAM)

CAM, where I was a teacher from 2002-2004, is a Christian international school with 21 nationalities represented. 

My colleague, Susan (on the keyboard), is the director of the k-12 school.

This last week I spoke at the CAM school chapel using 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, to talk about how God calls and uses the weak and lowly so that no one can boast before Him.

I had asked Laura, who is a student at CAM, to show the school how she discovered a mathematical error in the land measurements when she was with me in Inhambane...an error that 5 adult men and 1 adult woman (me) did not catch!

It was a blessing to share how God used a student among a group of adults to make an important correction so that the land was legalized with accurate measurements.

To God be the glory! 

Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF)

It was a privilege to be one of the supporters of a young man from the church, Abel Chau (in the middle), as he graduated from a 6 month course with Child Evangelism Fellowship.

My colleague, Fernanda, and I with some of the graduates that may be able to help with the youth program, which Fernanda leads.

Abel and the other CEF graduates would appreciate your prayer for God's guidance to use what they have learned.

Thank you!

Driver's License, Family, and Food

After two consecutive 5-year renewals online (which comes in very handy when in Africa), the California DMV required that I renew my driver's license in person this time.

Without a valid U.S. state license, my international license is not valid, which is what I use in Mozambique. 

So...I made a very quick trip back to the U.S. to renew my license.

While I was there, I was able to see much of my family at the annual Labor Day celebration, where my Uncle Steve and Aunt Joyce brought 2 of their beautiful parrots!

My brother and his wife, and 3 awesome nephews!

 

Trey, showing off his Mozambican lizard made out of a coke can, and his Mozambican wooden car, complete with a wooden surfboard on top!

My sister and her husband, and another awesome nephew...and a future niece on the way!

My sweet nephew, Terran.

While I was there, I also enjoyed a few of my favorite foods...

A tasty burger at Umami

And fresh fish tacos at Reel Inn 

After renewing my driver's license, seeing much of my family, and gaining 10 pounds...I'm headed back to Mozambique. 

Building a Church in Cala

The local church in Cala, Inhambane building their own church structure!

First steps

 While the men worked on the coconut tree wood structure...

 ...the women weaved the walls from coconut palm fronds.

  

 I cannot sew, knit, crochet, or do needlework... 

...but I found out that I'm an expert at weaving palm fronds!

Weaved Walls

  

We made a great start on the church structure, and I'll post final pictures when it's finished.

Tina, from Kogoloti, Maputo came with us.

And Pastor Abel's wife, Vitoria, also came.

Karla, who was visiting from Brazil, came with her husband and son.

And Aurea, also from Brazil, joined us.

Karla shared with the children.

Aurea (praying here) shared with the women about how she came to know the love of Jesus.

It was a joyful time!

 Would you pray for this church in Cala as we seek to build not only the church structure, but the body of Christ.

  

 Thank you!

Helping Hands, Cala Children, and Land Legalized!

My Brazilian colleague, Laura, came with us to Inhambane. 
The back of her shirt says, 

YOUR LIFE HAS VALUE

JESUS LOVES YOU! 

Artur's life has value.

We were thankful to be able to show him Jesus' love by sharing the story of Mephibosheth from the Bible, and giving him a wheelchair! 

Through the Helping Hands ministry, we were also blessed to be able to give crutches to Julhino.

His very creative father had made a walker out of wood! Unfortunately, it was too heavy to be helpful.

Pr. Nelio, (above) with the wooden walker.

Julinho and his little cat.

 Julinho's life has so much value.

Cala

Laura gave a children's Bible story book to the kids in Cala.

Elder climbed a tree to pick some oranges for us, and he tossed them down.

Catching oranges at night

Elder, the expert tree climber

Laura with the kids, and the freshly picked oranges.

Land Legalized!

After much negotiation and hard work with the local government, we have now put  official "markers" (the long concrete blocks) into the corners of the land, which signify legal possession! 

 This is a result of prayer and support.

I praise God!

Kids, Car, Sophie and Heather

 My colleagues, Paulo and Fernanda, have a wonderful ministry of singing, praying, telling Bible stories, and playing with the local children in Machava, Maputo. Their daughters Laura (above) and Luana have a great time with the kids!  

  

I was sharing with the older boys from the group about helping others who are in need. I asked two particular boys to come up to the front that day. 

Earlier that week, my car got stuck in a muddy water hole. This is not my car, but I couldn't take a picture since I was in my car when it happened!

After seeing the water rush under the hood of the truck, I thanked God afterwards because the left side of the truck, where the air enters in, was higher than the right side that had fallen into the hole, so water did not get into the engine.

These young boys from the community stayed with me the whole time while I was waiting to be towed out by my colleague, so I thanked them in front of the group. They were a great example of being a help to someone in need! 

Back to Inhambane

It's the "dead of winter" here (64F/18C), and I won the contest for being the coldest (that's me on the left in the black parka - I know it's ridiculous). Sophie, on the right, is from England (no jacket, not even a sweater). 

Sophie has been in Maputo for 5 months teaching at CAM school, and before going back to England, she took a trip with us to Inhambane. 

 Heather, from Northern Ireland, who has been here for 6 months, also joined us. She is an occupational therapist and has been working with Mozambicans who have disabilities. 

We made a special visit to encourage and pray for a young man who was hit by a falling tree and has been unable to walk for the last 4 years. 

Praise God that through the Helping Hands ministry started by my colleagues, Melvin and Sharon, we will be able to give him a wheelchair! 

 My good friend Mama Isabel traveled with us to Inhambane, and this was my failed attempt to take a good picture of the two of us.

Matapa

A Mozambican Recipe for 'Matapa'

This is one of my favorite dishes, and it is typical of the area where I serve. It's a green-coconut-peanut type of curry which is served over rice, or also ‘xima', which is made of maize.  

I changed a couple of the ingredients because they may be hard to find outside of Mozambique, but the result should be quite similar.


A leafy green from the mandioca (cassava) is used, (but swiss chard or collard greens could be used).

The peanuts, and then the garlic and leafy greens would be pounded out in with a mortar and pestle. (But a food processor could be used). The peanuts should be ground into a fine powder and the greens should be liquefied.

The coconuts would be broken in half then shaved on a special little wooden stool with a metal piece sticking out that has little sharp teeth.

Once the white part is shaved out into a basin, then warm water is poured over the coconut shavings and this is squeezed to get the coconut milk out and then you pour it into the curry through a sieve, so that none of the pieces go into the curry, just the milk.

 

This is done two or three times to get all the flavor out of the coconut. (But you could buy coconut milk in a can as long as it is unsweetened).

Ingredients:

2 full handfuls of leafy greens (swiss chard, collard greens)

3 cups raw peanuts

3 1/2 cups of coconut milk (unsweetened)

1 small onion (chopped fine)

2 small to medium sized cooking tomatoes (chopped up)

5 cloves of garlic (chopped fine or put in food processor)

Salt to taste

Instructions:

Wash the leafy greens and take out any thick stems. Cut them up and put them and the garlic in the food processor to liquefy.  Cook and stir the greens between low to medium heat in about 1 cup of water for about 20 min.

Grind up the peanuts into powder. Over medium heat add the peanut powder into the pot with 1-2 cups of water and the coconut milk. Let it come to a boil.

Add the cut up onions, tomatoes, and then salt. Stir it a bit, and then put the heat on low to let it simmer for almost 2 hours.

Once it’s ready, you can pour this green-peanut-coconut curry over rice and enjoy!