Discipleship and traveling, teaching, eating...and braiding
Irma Sandra from the church in Tsalala came with Pastor Abel and I on this ministry trip to Inhambane.
Out of the 9 Palavra Viva churches in the Maputo province, women from 6 of the churches have accompanied P. Abel and I on ministry trips to the province of Inhambane!
These really have been "short-term mission trips" for these Mozambican women (something I never could have imagined or planned). I've been blessed to travel, work, teach, cook, eat, and sleep alongside of these women as we learn and grow in Christ.
Discipleship happens as we travel together.
Teaching the women's group in Quissico about Job's wife, and how we can learn from her example in the Bible (...what not to do).
Pastor Abel, under the cashew tree, teaching the church planters about being a servant.
Discipleship happens as we teach.
The cashew fruit
(the seed/cashew nut is on the top, and the fruit is on the bottom).
Pastor Abel is grinning at his fruit on the left, and Alberto is wondering why in the world I would want to take a picture of a cashew fruit on the right :)
The inside of the cashew fruit.
Eating the local food that we are offered, is a way of showing our acceptance and love for the people that we are here to serve. If we were to refuse the food that is offered, it would be, in a way, like refusing the love and reception of the people.
If people know that we love and accept them, then they are more open to listen to what we are saying and to see how we are living. In this way, I believe that eating can prepare hearts in an attitude of love to hear the Word of God and see it in action.
Discipleship seeds can be planted even as we eat.
I've been wondering how I could build stronger relationships with the young ladies where we stay in the village of Quissico.
At the end of the first day of our discipleship training, I approached the reed mat where three young ladies were arranging each other's hair.
They asked me if I had ever braided my hair, and I replied that I had not, with an ambiguous grin on my face...happy for the chance to get to know them better, but knowing that it was going to hurt a bit.
Here are some shots in the dark...since "Cousin Itt" couldn't see through the hair as she took the photos.
Belmira
Cesaltina
Vitoria
Hurt a bit...it did. But it was more than worth it.
Relationships based on love and trust are the foundation for discipleship, and if these relationships can start to be built through braiding hair...then I want braids.
From traveling and teaching, to eating and braiding, discipleship seeds for Christ are being planted. Praise God!
Please pray that Mama Vitoria and Mama Isabel would continue to be encouraged in leading these Bible studies, and that Mozambican women would grow in their understanding and relationship with Christ.
From left to right: 
Visiting the churches in the Maputo Province
Audrey, pumping water from the Picoco well, which was funded by the VBS kids from Audrey's home church!
Deanna sharing some love
I translated for Pat, left, who told the pastors and the congregation that many people are praying for the church planting that is going on in Mozambique.
Then the Mozambican ladies shared their prayer requests and the team prayed for them.
Sisters in Christ
Visiting the Maputo Biblical and Theological Seminary 
We stepped into the classrooms...
...and we praised God together at the seminary chapel service.
Gail and Donis shared their testimonies with the students.
The women's team prayed over the women in the first-year class at the seminary.
Visiting the preschool at the T-3 church
The team put on a great play about David and Goliath
Pat does a great Goliath :)
Participating in the Women's Bible study at T-3.
What a joy to encourage one another in Christ.
All Dynamic Women!
My colleague, Larry Weil, shared with the team and gave them a tour of the new property for the K-12 Christian Academy in Mozambique (CAM).
Visiting the current CAM school to see the kids
Speaking at the CAM chapel
CAM Director, Susan Weil looks on with a smile
Deanna and Donis sat in on my literacy lesson with Fatima and shared some encouraging words with her.
We had a lovely tea for the career missionary women. 
I introduced the team to some of the women from the church in Chamanculo, and we spent a day together making traditional Mozambican food.
American women starting to look like Mozambican women!
Gail, learning to cut the cassava and getting some laughs.
Karlene, learning how to shave a coconut on the special stool with the metal shaving teeth.
Pat, learning how to pound out peanuts with the big mortar and pestle.
Then they put me to work 
...I thought I bore a resemblance to the early 90's TV character, Blossom.
Donis, with baby Elen from Chamanculo.
Pat and Elena showing what they've sifted.
Some neighbor kids came by to see what all the commotion was about.
After cooking, eating, and sharing a devotional, the team prayed for their Mozambican sisters.
Sisters praying for sisters
Thank you for coming
These last three months, twice a week, I've been studying Changana, a Bantu language of southern Mozambique. The course ends this week, and I'm thankful to have been able to learn some things that will hopefully help me to grow in my understanding of culture and Bantu languages,which are spoken in much of central and southern Africa. The teacher, Benjamina, teaches in Portuguese, the official language of Mozambique...and the course is offered by the German cultural center...but the class is held at the French cultural center...and I usually sit next to a Norwegian woman, who incidentally speaks Japanese... :) It's a nice multi-cultural mix!
Irma Sandra from the church in Tsalala came with Pastor Abel and I on this ministry trip to Inhambane. 
Teaching the women's group in Quissico about Job's wife, and how we can learn from her example in the Bible (...what not to do).
Pastor Abel, under the cashew tree, teaching the church planters about being a servant.
The inside of the cashew fruit.
I've been wondering how I could build stronger relationships with the young ladies where we stay in the village of Quissico.
Belmira
Cesaltina
Vitoria
Hurt a bit...it did. But it was more than worth it.
Relationships based on love and trust are the foundation for discipleship, and if these relationships can start to be built through braiding hair...then I want braids. 
