Bible School African Style -- Part 3

This was our last day out doing Bible School. It was a special day because we were going to Lee's language helper, Sipriono's, church. (Note: We both have 2 language teachers. One is our primary because that person has more experience teaching and knows more English. The other is a language helper. Both of Lee's guys are pastors. One is the pastor of the church in Coalane. Sipriono is the pastor of the church we visited this day.) This was our first time going there and were really praying that this would be a great time for the people in this community and this church.

This particular day was a 2-steps-back kind of day for Emma (as were the 2 days previous). However, this was Lilly's day to thrive! It all started when she wanted to wear a capalana, the wrap skirts you see most of the ladies and girls wearing. 

My girls starting with nail painting!

The girls in this community had the sweetest smiles.
They loved to have their picture taken and
especially loved to see the picture on the viewer on the back of the camera.

This precious girl was all dressed in her swimwear!
This is very common, yet they wear this for regular clothing, not for swimming.

Inside the church, the team gets started.

I quickly get hold of this little one!

The precious feet of the kids as they hear the Bible story.

Lilly getting started helping this boy color.
He had no idea how to do it.
I think he had never held a pencil or crayon!

Outside the kids were having sack races.

Then Lilly saw a girl in the line who was holding a her crying sister.
Lilly asked the girl if she could hold her.
Of course, the girl let her and then went to participate in the race.
You can see how Lilly was talking to her and trying to get her to stop crying.

Meghan with some of the older ladies who wanted me to take their picture.

More ladies

Then....Lilly found another baby and asked the mom if she could put her on her back.

The baby was so interested in Lilly's hair.

Quite proud!

Before lunch they gave us some sugar cane to snack on.
This is Flora in the middle, mine and the girl's language helper,
helping show some of the team how to eat sugar cane.

Lilly showing everyone how it is done!

Because I had a hunch that Emma would have a hard day,
I brought her drawing pad with us.
These girls were so sweet watching her.

Just down the street, lunch was in process.
This is some goat being grilled.

chicken on the grill....complete with feather basting brush

get a good look

The rest of the kitchen

In the afternoon, the children were showing me their pictures.

This precious girl was not more than 5 years old and
carrying her new sibling that I would guess was not more than a month or two old.

This was the way the day ended.
Lilly got to hold this tiny one!!
She was so proud of herself and we were too!

We also got to go visit Sipriono's home and meet his wife. I forgot the camera....ugh! It was a great privilege.

Good times!

Tracy

Bible School African Style --Part 2

We started the week out strong, but Emma and Lilly needed a break and Lee and I needed to have Portuguese class. So, Thursday and Friday we all stayed at home....except for Meghan. She really loved working with the team and with the children. We let her go with the group and help out. On Thursday they went to a village about 1 hour out of Quelimane . Do you remember my post from earlier in the year where we went to a baptism at the beach? They went to that village on Friday. Meghan took her camera and captured her days for us.

Our journey-girl friend Jessica!

We are so proud of her! One thing that she has struggled with from the first few weeks that we were here, is that she hasn't been able to do any type of ministry. She thought that once we got here she would be able to work at an orphanage or at least do something cool! That has not happened, and we did not prepare her for that fact. I think this time doing Bible School has really given her a purpose in moving to Africa. I thank the Lord that He did that for her!


Tracy

My sweet Mozambican life...By: Meghan

Well, I am finally getting enough time to do a another blog post!!


I am going to tell you the perspective of a 13 year old MK (missionary kid). And I will show you some of my favorite mozambican pictures!!


These are some of my sweet children that I get to see every Sunday and Tuesday.

The girl in the middle, is the girl that I am
teaching to read on Tuesday afternoons.

This sweet girl is Sally's "little friend"as me and my mom call her!!
Her name is Dalila (de-le-la).

I have also gotten to go out to villages...here are some of the sights that you will see!

SWEET!!!

She stuck to me like glue!!!

I got to help with VBS!!

Her sister came to me and said, "I need for you to take care of her while I play games!"
I of corse took her!! I was also trying to manage a line of 2-7 year old kids!!
 So I strapped her on my back!!

I was learning how to make a ball out of reeds!!

I love this!!!

Please pray for all of these children to learn about Jesus and know that he loves them and that he cares about them. Please pray that they will invite their parents to come to church, and that the parents will listen to them, and come. They need to be growing up in a Godly home.

One thing that I love is reading group. Every tuesday we go out to church and do a reading group to help the kids learn to read. Lots of them don't know how to read anything. They are probably in a class of about 100 kids.

Sweet!!

She is precious!!

One thing that you need to know about me is I LOVE children....of all kinds!!

He was sitting beside me...so I plopped him in my lap!!

OK...This is not all easy. Lots of it is very hard. The hardest thing is not having any English speaking friends. I have one friend here her name is Geejnissa. She is Hindu. Please pray for her. She is worshiping a god that is not true and everlasting.

This was my life...

This is my life now...


I would not trade it for anything....I love them so much!! But I also miss my Best Friends back at home!!

I hope that you realize that this is not easy. Trying to learn a language is not easy. Trust me!!


That is my sweet Mozambican life!!

Hugs,
Meghan

Bible School African Style -- Part 1

On our migration thus far, the Lord has blessed our family with good overall adjustments to our new culture. Lee and I have done very well, but the girls have had a more difficult time, understandable. One thing I tell them is that I don't want them to just survive....but ...to thrive in Mozambique! It has been a "one step forward, two steps back" kind of progress. The past week and a half were no different.

A group of 15 youth, young adults, a pastor and his family from Gaffney, SC came to Quelimane to work with youth and children in area Baptist Churches. We were so blessed to get to tag along! Some days Meghan thrived, some days it was Lilly, other days it was Emma. On the other side of that coin, there were days that they each didn't, and they begged to go back home or were rude to everyone. I am just thankful that everyone felt what it feels like to love Mozambique even if it was just for a day.

They started at our church....Missão Baptista of Coalane!

Sunday morning went the team arrrived.
Coalane had never had a mission team before.

Singing songs!!
(Notice that the walls of the church have been mudded.
This is sign of permanence!)

Look at the smiles on the faces of the men in the back row!!
Joyful!!

During church Emma made paper cranes
and put them in the mud on the walls!!
Imagine that!!

Meghan's week started great!
This was the she found her place at Coalane.
This is her, a little friend, and Carolina and girl that is her age.

Emma also had a great time making friends on Sunday. This is her with my
language teacher's daughter, Bionda, and her cousin Marava.
They have tried to play together before and it just didn't click....until Sunday!

 Great friends!!

Sweet faces!

Emma's turn!
Notice the bracelet on this little guy.
This is a charm that they put on their babies here.
Someone mixes a concoction and sews it into this cloth bracelet.
They believe that the concoction protects the baby from illness.
This is part of their beliefs in the powers of the spirit world.
We are only scratching the surface!

Her man!!

This is Monday morning.
The group started with ice-breakers.
Painting nails was always a favorite!
Gender doesn't matter here :)

This Emma's other new friend....Rosalina!
Rosalina is in my reading group on Tuesdays.
She is special too me because she is very shy and doesn't have very many friends.
I suggested that the girls be-friend her and they did!
She stuck like glue to Emma both Monday and Tuesday.
(They are almost the same age.....my children are much taller
than their Mozambican age-mates.)

This is me and Suzana my language teacher!
Rosalina wanted to be in the picture, too.

Sweet thing!!!!

Another charm!
This is why we are here!!! These people need to know about the Most High God!
They need to be free from this bondage to charms and the like!

Rosalina jumped into this picture with us.

Tuesday.....packed house for Bible School.....last day in Coalane!

Meghan helping a little guy with the sack race!

Emma policing the line.
DON'T try to get in line twice!

I love this picture!!

I post this picture not to exploit this little guy,
but to show you the horrible state of the children's clothing in this community!
I wish it was just as simple as you sending us
all of the clothing that you don't need.....but, it's not!

Last year for Christmas the only thing Meghan wanted was a parachute!
This is why!
Thank you Mary!!!

Lilly and 2 of her friends.
This is progress!!!!

Many of the children brought their little siblings on their backs to Bible School.
You can't very well play field games with a baby on your back.
So, Meghan and Lilly wanted to help them out by "babysitting"!

She loves doing this!!

Sweetness!!!!

I love this picture! At the end of the day on Tuesday the pastor gave an invitation.
These are the ones that came forward.
He is talking with them about how to become a Christian.
The boy in the front with the striped shirt is Bilton.
Bilton is in my reading group on Tuesday mornings!!!!
I am rejoicing for his decision!!!

The smile says it all!!!!

Awesome start to the week!!!! 


Tracy