Mozambique

Redefining our outlook of what ministry looks like.

Investing in the present, for the future, while trusting God to continue the work you started. This is what Mozambique was like for most of us. Throughout our journey and adventures here, we got to work hard, play hard and experience God’s glory regularly. Our hosts were a finely put together combo of Mozambicans and South Africans who ministered alongside us.

Whether it was to de-bush a small yet trying piece of land, that would soon be a safe-haven for orphans, or to spend time playing soccer with locals and then worshiping with them, we had the privilege to feel God work in our hearts and let Him pour out into other people’s hearts through us.

Poverty as we know it, is not poverty at all and materialistic things can not define your worth. The One seated on the throne of your heart rules over your whole being. Allowing yourself to believe lies and not see the truth that God has spoken over you, is part of what draws you into the defiling mind-set called poverty. Yes, a lot of us fall short and give in to this underlying mind-set that has stolen from so many people, but the fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom and His wisdom keeps us on the right path. Without this knowledge and perspective through experience, the general person might look at Mozambique’s people and see poverty, but that is not the reality. The truth is, and I (Henco) do believe this is the truth, these locals are richer than we are. When you see the joy they have and how truth seeking they are no matter the circumstances, you start to realise that there is a chance that you have missed the point all along. They have time, they value relationships, they are innovative – blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Working in the bushes was tough – there was blood, sweat and tears. Two of the guys from our team might have accidentally cut their legs open with pangas and we might have gotten stung by a few wasps, but this was all part of the fun. Our mini adventures in Mozambique drew us closer as a team and showed us once again how the Body of Christ works together.

Frankie (a team leader) describes this as “Simple living at its best”

We experienced the beautiful morning sunrise over the green grass; birds singing, tents zipping open and amazing daily devotions with the Lord. Working towards a bigger vision made the work so much more worth it and dancing and singing in the bush made it all more joyful. God really showed up here in Mozambique – the beautiful stars in the night and finally the amazing stories shared around the camp fire.

“Part of our ministry in Mozambique was having a worship night with the locals on their soccer field. This meant our whole team would setup sound and lyrics for the evening and trust God to send people to join us in praising Him. Even though the times and details of the night were communicated to the locals, they still showed up ready to practice on the field. To their surprise, they found 20 strangers on their field preparing to worship God. Our hosts brought it to our attention that getting these guys to join the evening would be incredible breakthrough. So, a couple of the guys in our team went to formally invite them to praise the lord together. Unfortunately, their initial response was “maybe later” and after trying to include them for a couple of minutes, we turned around and walked back to our group. While walking, I asked God to soften their hearts, but my spirit was down and I had little faith. After a while, I looked up and saw a teammate indicating that something was happening behind us. When I looked back, I saw a miracle – the soccer team had followed us back to the team and wanted to join the evening. Even when I made peace with the idea that they weren’t joining, God was still working and He always is.” – Ronen.

“At the beginning, the de-bushing felt overwhelming – It was a huge area. As we jumped in, we saw every type of plant; big and small, red and green. The worms were hairy and skinny and there was a lot of them. This left me thinking… The same God that created nature: So big, yet in so much detail, decided to create and love me.” – Carike

What a blessing it was to be part of a new beginning in the beautiful land of Mozambique, but it is now time to continue to our next destination… Eswathini see you soon!