Work in Progress

The time here in Pemba, Mozambique has been intense on so many levels and we have done five weeks of Harvest School 25 already. The other evening I almost had to pinch myself thinking I was on a movie set (not that I have been on one before) with all these amazing "actors" around me. I just see the most beautiful people whose eyes quite literally sparkle and every week I wonder whether this Love bubble is going to burst. Far from it as these fellow students and staff display such a genuine affection and sincerity that runs so deep.  What an inspiring picture of hope to see a community living in an atmosphere of preferring one another and celebrating the gift or favour on the one sitting beside you. We have heard the word "relationship" and "family" quite often in our school - how good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity! Psalm 133

Worship under the Bread Tree

One evening we had a combined colour group meeting which is our Harvest School students of 15 people with a similar number of Mozambican bible school students and we had a chicken feast under the bread tree ( a baobab tree in the student village where two owls have their home). Then we worshipped together and we sang the joyful Macua songs with plenty of dancing. It was already evening and I tried to capture the moment on my little Fuji X70 - somehow in my attempts I accidentally moved the camera in a vertical direction and because of the low light and subsequent slow shutter speed I ended up with the above image. I would normally discard such a blurry photograph but after some processing I saw something which for me describes worship - the uplifting of our gratitude to our Father who is so Good and so worthy of worship. Later that evening under the same Bread Tree, as we were preparing to practice a skit for our upcoming outreach we as a group had such an encounter with God that was so profound and unexpected.

God about to create Adam and Eve - our skit on outreach - with Bart Simpson shadow! 

We did get to practice our skit on a later day which was the story of creation, the fall, the Cross and the Redemption - The Good News of the Gospel. Simon played God and he did a sterling job on outreach as did the whole team. Our two night outreach entailed sleeping in a village in our little tents and visiting houses praying for people with each evening consisting of doing our drama, testimonies, preaching and the showing of the Jesus film. There are so many children who just love to hang out, play and have fun.

Kids having fun

The afternoon of our outreach we ended up at a beautiful beach where we swam in the warm water with kids splashing all around us. For a while I just floated relishing the moment, thinking of how little one needs to be really content - some kids had basically nothing swimming stark naked. Later on I took my Nikon camera with a polarising filter and managed to capture some stunning shots of the blue blue sea and kids frolicking in the waves. After an enjoyable afternoon we returned by truck back to the base. On arriving back at the base as I climbed off I realised my Lowepro camera sling bag was gone - such a sinking feeling. My Nikon D750 camera and my wallet and the precious moments of the afternoon. The driver very kindly drove back on the very bumpy track and we even went back to the sea but alas there was nothing. I subsequently checked some images on my other small Fuji camera and the Camera bag was still on my shoulder before I climbed onto the truck. A later picture in the truck of Andrea and myself showed no bag over my shoulder. There were several really bumpy sections and I even joked to myself as the group sang a chorus in Portuguese "eh bon" they were singing "airborne"! The sides of the truck are covered in plastic tarpaulin but there is a gap where the bag can easily fall through.

My whittled camera kit

People rallied around me in prayer and a fellow student Virginia was so encouraging - she had lost her passport and wallet the night prior to leaving Johannesburg when they suddenly had to evacuate the room they were staying in due to unexpected flooding. Against all odds and an impossible situation she was issued a new passport and visa and able to attend the school in Mozambique. I previously wrote a blog about the word "Whittle" and how my camera kit and life were about to be trimmed down - little did I know this was going to happen! There have been many questions, what were you thinking, what were you not thinking, etc,etc,etc - all I know is that I hold onto the word that He has declared - "for I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" Jeremiah 29:11. Accidents do happen - is there a lesson - Life isn't always One Big Lesson but One Incredible Journey and who else better to experience it with than my Saviour and Best Friend, Jesus! I still trust for an amazing testimony from this "accident" - Romans 8:28 - And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose.