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Mozambique 2006 
Final Team Update: February 6, 2006 The Mozambique team just wanted to let you know (as most of you already do) that we arrived home safely last Friday, January 27th. We experienced very smooth travel, and were warmly received in the States by Di's parents at JFK airport. We are pleased to report that all of our team is back in good health! Our debriefing time in Malawi was wonderful. We were blessed to be able to experience the crystal blue waters, exotic fish, and climbing rocks of Lake Malawi; a scenic spot that none of us will soon forget. We also began work on the trip team report, a compilation of updated solar installation procedures and general information about team members, team roles, and the conditions at Mphatso. At Nkhoma, we filmed an hour long formal debriefing session for the next solar installation team to watch. In it, we assessed the unique challenges we faced being the first team to take established procedures for a solar installation in Burkina Faso and apply them to a new location. Michelle successfully completed the trip documentary in Nkhoma after several grueling all-nighters and countless hours of video editing. We hope that you can all soon view both this documentary and the trip photos, so that you may pair the images with the stories you have heard and read! As we have returned and reunited with you all, we have been so encouraged to hear of your faithful prayer and concern for us while we were in Mozambique. It is such a blessing to know that we were on your hearts and minds. Thank you so, so much for committing to supporting us this January. We have truly felt God's provision in so many ways. We hope we can fully communicate to you what this experience has meant to us as individuals and as a group. Please pray that we continue to process and learn from this trip as the new semester begins and we become busy with schoolwork. Pray that the ideas which have been planted in us about transformational development, sustainability, poverty, and servanthood would take root. Pray that we would remember the remarkable people we encountered and keep them in our prayers. Pray that we would be able to share our experiences with our families, classmates, friends, fellow members of DE, donors, and supporters. Pray that we would be able to finish our documentation and raise all the funds necessary to cover the trip. Thank you again! God bless! Team Update 8: January 20, 2006 Imagine the scene: we sit on a mat in a thatched roof hut facing five sets of curious eyes. They are seated on the cement floor and above their heads is a shelf of baby powder, shampoo, and half full bottles of toiletries for a family of eight. A radio is sputtering out a mix of songs in Chichewa, Portuguese, and English, and these are the languages circulating in the room. We cannot communicate except for smiles and hand gestures, but we are treated like royalty and given meat with our nsima and rolls with our tea. This was the somewhat awkward situation that most of us found ourselves in on Thursday as we underwent a cultural immersion experience. We spent a day in villages outside the city of Vila Ulongue, just being with the families of three of Lance's workers. The experience was both humbling and eye-opening as we realized the amount of physical labor that Mozambicans accomplish in a day and how ignorant we are of how to work a field, peel pumpkin leaves, or carry water upon our heads. This week has been a mix of wiring work and cultural learning. A few team members have been focused on finishing running conduit lines to houses, and other have wired and dropped the pump, giving the Edwards full water facilities. We have seen a health clinic run in Mphatso, and helped to weigh crying babies and beautiful pregnant mothers. We have eaten a feast of goat with the local pastor and asked him questions about the church and life in Mphatso. We have discussed development issues in nightly classes, reflected in daily quiet times after lunch, documented, and edited endless pictures and video. Despite all this activity, it seems sudden that Friday is our last day in Mphatso. We head to Malawi with bittersweet emotions-relieved that the project is completed successfully but nostalgic for the community that we are leaving behind and has impacted us so strongly. Please pray for safe travels, health, and a time of fellowship and relaxation in Malawi. Pray that we can effectively document and process the trip during our debrief. Pray that the construction of the Edwards' new home continues smoothly and that they can soon move in completely and mobilize their work in agricultural development and orphan care. Praise that we have been received by gracious hosts at every turn, have had opportunities to learn about Mozambican culture and the Edwards' ministry, and that the system is fully installed! Thank you so much for your integral part in making this trip possible. Team Update 7: January 17, 2006 As we head into our last week at Mphatso, we're happy to announce that the Edwards now have electricity (as of Saturday the 14th)! It was a pinnacle moment when the breakers were flipped on the solar panel, culminating two weeks of trying work with the panels, backboard, batteries, and grounding procedures. With one of the ultimate goals now completed, we can focus this final week on tying up loose ends and intentional cultural learning. We're departing in groups of three early each day to accompany Lance on grain distribution trips to different communities. Right now is a hunger period for Mozambican people as they have eaten all the food from last year's harvest, which suffered because of a premature end to the rainy season. Lance's effort to deliver rice to the neediest people is often difficult. How does one differentiate between the hungry and the starving? He has contacted churches, asking them to form committees of community leaders and church elders to pick out the forty neediest people in their communities. Challenges arise when churches insist on dividing the grain between all the church members or when committee members assume that they too are receiving a portion of grain. The team has decided to fast from Monday to Wednesday, restricting their diet to cereal, bread, and nsima (a stiff porridge made from maize) to have a greater appreciation for the hunger that we are encountering. Other cultural experiences we have planned for this week are a goat dinner with Pastor Chikakuda, the pastor of the Mphatso church, witnessing a heath clinic for young children run by a missionary from the compound in Vila Ulongue, and living a day in the life of three of Lance's workers. We will shadow the workers in their home villages, hoping to learn the ins and outs of their daily life. Please pray that our eyes will be opened through these experiences and that we will really be able to connect with our hosts. Pray also that we complete all the necessary engineering work before we leave Mphatso. We still have to run wires to a number of different buildings, draw up system training and maintenance schedules for the Edwards to consult, begin documenting procedures, and optimize the batteries. On Saturday the 21st, we will leave for Monkey Bay, Malawi for a few days of fun before heading to do a three day debrief in Nkhoma, Malawi. As the trip continues to progress, we're so grateful for your prayers and support! Zi komo kwabiri (thank you very much)! Team Update 6: January 14, 2006 Activity is coming into full swing at Mphatso-team members have revamped our campsite, tackled challenges that arose in construction, and accompanied Lance Edwards, our missionary host, on various adventures into the country. We are beginning to understand the full meaning of rainy season as a few downpours have left us scrambling to finish work, maintain our shelter, and cook meals for our large group under soggy conditions. When the rain ceases we can really pause to appreciate the green fields and beautiful mountains which extend all around us. The size of the pole caps has presented one of the biggest obstacles thus far to the engineering minds of the team. Since they were too small to fix over the poles which would support the solar panels, hardwood was fitted into the poles for the caps to wedge around. The team heaved a sigh of relief on Thursday as we finally mounted three arrays with the gracious help of some of the Africans working on the battery shed. The mounting of the arrays has opened the door to more detailed wire work connecting the panels of the different arrays together. We are growing accustomed to the stop and go of available work here-enjoying the times we can learn about Mozambican culture and the Edwards' ministry, and capitalizing on the times when we have all the parts and manpower to complete the system. We are thinking of you at home and wishing you could FedEx us a number of supplies for the project! Please pray that we can devise a good system for transporting electricity from the battery shed to the houses since we're lacking the parts in our initial plan. Also pray for healing on our team as a few people are still out of commission due to stomach illness. Pray that we are grateful for everyday of this experience and the time that we can spend growing together. Thank you for your continual support. God bless! Team Update 5: January 9, 2006 Since we have arrived at Mphatso we have been very isolated. Some people have had the opportunity to visit other places, but most of us haven't left the house area and there are not a lot of people around. It has been a different experience for me to feel so far away. Yet, because of our living conditions and our lack of space to have any events in the evening, we rarely have any alone time. We are together from when we wake up at 5AM until we go to bed at 8PM. Finding privacy or solitude can be very challenging, and it was something I wasn't expecting. Overall, we've had to really adjust our schedule to the realities of life here and the way that they are different from Burkina. I don't think that we have it figured out yet, but we will keep trying. -Matt Walsh Being my first trip to Africa, I didn't quite know what to expect coming in, but so far I've been enjoying myself and trying to find places that I could be useful to the Edwards. It's been somewhat difficult adapting to the African way of life, with its laid back schedules and the difficulty in finding what we need, when we need it. Even with these differences, our work is progressing at a comfortable pace, and the Edwards will have power and running water before we leave. Keep everyone on the team in your prayers! -Jon Patrick I'm really enjoying Mozambique so far. The Edwards home isn't finished yet, so until we get the electricity and water running, we are camping out. The weather is great-very few bugs and gorgeous scenery. We are staying on a small peak, and all there is for miles around is corn fields and mountains. It's hard being totally unable to communicate to the Mozambicans, but I can now successfully say good morning! -Jon Shambeda The most exciting part of this experience thus far for me has been opportunities to interact with the children living in Mphatso. They can be found huddling in the doorways to the church where we have been doing construction, or dropping by to observe our campsite in the late afternoon. They are so curious and receptive to any attempt we make to include them. I've found that the best bridge to the language barrier is laughter, as a mimicking game has developed which often leads to fits of giggles. Please pray that we would find more ways to communicate with and learn from the Mozambican people. Also pray that our team would be able to keep its focus and energy despite time constraints and logistical setbacks. Thanks for your love and support!! -Heather Nicholson Mozambique is beautiful. The weather is amazing and the mountainous views are awesome. God has been faithful throughout our work. We have encountered obstacles and blessings. The people of Mozambique are very welcoming, and the Edwards have been great hosts. As a team we are working very fluidly with a diverse number of tasks. Please pray that God continues to bless our team, the Edwards, and the people of Mozambique. -Mark Reiff Mozambique has been amazing thus far. The Edwards have been such wonderful and giving hosts; we could not have been blessed with a more welcoming family. We are in a beautiful location and enjoying our surroundings. It is difficult not being able to communicate with the locals, but we are getting by the best we can. The work is going well and the team dynamics couldn't be better. We have been very blessed. -Di Teller My curiosity has been teased severely since arriving in Mozambique. I would love to learn more about the culture and history around us, but as others have expressed, the language barrier has significantly limited those possibilities. The climate is wonderful, and I'm thankful that we are able to be here during the rainy season when everything is so lush. Some moments seem saturated in irony: I paused the other day and realized I was in a remote corner of Africa holding a power drill. I look forward to sharing video, pictures, and stories with you when I return. -Michelle E. Carrier During the past week, Africa has shown us its best. Prior to leaving the States, we had developed a work schedule that we were planning to follow during our time here at Mphatso. However, this schedule has long since been abandoned as we work together through the challenges that bring great joy and very difficult obstacles. Various obstacles have included the solar panel array mounting poles not being in the ground as expected upon arrival, the pole caps made for six inch pipe not fitting on the 6 and 3/4 inch pipe purchased in country, and the rainy season's unpredictable nature. God has been good and through all this we have had to use our heads and work through some exciting challenges. Thanks for your continued prayer. -Luke Witmer God has blessed us richly with this opportunity to serve in Mozambique. It has been a little bit trying to not always know what we will be able to do each day. The work schedule is constantly readjusted as we cater to the availability of certain materials and weather conditions. At the same time, giving up control of our rigid schedule allows us to see God's provision. Short cuts in construction have left room for obstacles that have required time for tinkering. A few illnesses have gone around, but for the most part our team has been blessed with great health as well as the ability to ignore our own body odor. Keep praying for health, energy and a God-seeking attitude. -David Ender Hey everyone, This trip has been very good at letting us see an Africa schedule. We have had surprises both good and bad in our plans for installing the solar array. When we got here the poles for the solar panels weren't in place and the shed for the batteries wasn't finished. But also we found out that one section of the installation that we had anticipated taking four days was done before we got here. Soo we are learning to not have expectations and simply move forward with what we have at hand. It's been very exciting to get to know Lance and Elizabeth and their two adorable children Katie and Ashton. I am excited about what Lance is doing with the agricultural development program. The country of Mozambique is beautiful. Its been hard getting to know the people because of the language barrier of many of them speaking Chichewa but the people are still friendly. Keep us in your prayers and God Bless, -Joel Travis Team Update 4: January 5, 2006 Wawa! (That's hello in the local tongue of Chichewa) We have arrived and set up camp at Mphatso, the actual location of the Edward's new home! On Tuesday we moved in and constructed a makeshift shelter attached to the guesthouse for a cooking area and campfire. The construction was a little rough due to rain and time restraints, but afterwards we were rewarded by being able to sing songs with some Mozambican children and by the warmth of the fire. We had another cultural experience the same day when we visited the marketplace and tried to respectfully observe and interact with the vendors using waves and as much Portuguese and Chichewa as we knew. Though it's been a little rustic thus far, we are blessed with the accommodations we have. The women have one room in the guest house, and the men sleep both in the kitchen and in the other bedroom. On Wednesday, a shower was constructed adjoining the outhouse out of heavy plastic, wood, and a large watering can. We are eating very well, and boiling the rainwater collected off of our shelter roof over the campfire, for eating and cleaning purposes. The Edwards have been incredibly accommodating as Elizabeth organizes every meal, Lance has his hand in all of the construction and engineering, and Ashton and Katie provide constant entertainment. Praise God that we have begun the preliminary work on our project, and that some work that we had anticipated taking much time was already completed for us! The materials were picked up, transported, and unloaded, and everything appears intact. Team members have been busy checking and reassembling the backboard, making sawhorses to aid in placing the solar panels on their frames, drilling the frames, and laying rebar for the grounding procedure. Thursday should be our first "normal" day as we jump into the initial steps of our individual projects and also reassume reading and discussing from the cultural articles in our team binder and Always Enough, an account of the work of missionaries Rolland and Heidi Baker in Mozambique. Please pray that we have knowledge and patience as our work schedule shifts into full swing. Pray that there is enough rain but that is subsides during the day as we try to get work done outdoors. Pray that the good health of the team continues. Pray that we might have cultural sensitivity and really connect with the people around us. Pray for spiritual growth in group and individual devotions and that our hearts would be both full and heavy as we consider what it means to be here. Thanks always for your support! Team Update 3: January 2, 2006 Greetings from Vila Ulongue, Mozambique! We have finally arrived safely at our destination after two long days of travel. We stopped in Johannesburg, South Africa for almost a full day after the first flight from Dullus International Airport. Johannesburg was a bit of a surreal experience because the city was more Westernized than most of us had anticipated-- were we really in Africa when the shopping malls were the same as the ones we had at home? Besides jetlag, another obstacle to our visit to Johannesburg was that the city was virtually shut down for New Year's Day. Nonetheless, we found two restaurants to dine at and enjoyed our time of rest and recuperation. Monday morning we left Johannesburg for Lilongwe, Malawi-- a very short flight of two and a half hours over beautiful countryside. At the airport, we were met by missionaries Lance and Elizabeth Edwards and Jonathan and Erica Lloyd. We will be living and working directly with the Edwards while in Mozambique, and at the end of the trip Matt Walsh will stay in Malawi an extra week to spend time with his friends the Lloyds. Praise God that all of our luggage made it through customs intact! As soon as we stepped out of the gate, we realized that this was the real Africa. Our van ride from the airport across the Milawi/Mozambique border to the Edwards' home was incredible. Villagers carrying baskets and firewood, herding livestock, selling mangoes. Rain pouring down into the red clay and blurring our windshields. A magnificent landscape of mountains, fields, trees, and huts. We were in sensory overload. The Edwards plan to live ultimately in Mphatso, Mozambique, a drive of about forty five minutes to an hour from their current residence in Vila Ulongue. We will be installing the solar panel system in Mphatso, but their house there is not quite ready to be moved into. We plan to stay all together in the school house and guest house during the installation. Tonight we discovered that in Mozambique the sun rises at 4:30 AM and sets at 7:00 PM-- a schedule that we hope to pattern our day around as long as we hide away our clocks! Upon arrival in Vila Ulongue, we had our first meal with Lance and Elizabeth of chicken curry and rice, and were regaled by stories of playing in the rain by their enchanting childen Ashton, 8, and Katie, 7. There is an overall feeling of excitement and awe in the air as we contemplate spending a month in this beautiful place spending time with these engaging people. Please pray that the materials that the Edwards had ordered for the solar panel system and our accomodations come in fully, as they had experienced some frustration with working out the details. Pray that our site visit to Mphatso on Tuesday is productive as we try to picture the layout of the project. Pray that our hearts are opened to what God wishes to teach us here, and that we can be a blessing to the Edwards and the other missionaries on the compound in Vila Ulongue. Thank you for your continued support- we are thinking of you and thanking God for you! Team Update 2: Day Before Departure After endless hours of packing, planning, printing, filming, and tagging, it still doesn’t feel like we are leaving for South Africa at 10:00 tomorrow morning. The pre-trip has gone remarkably smoothly, and fortunately as our last day in the States draws to a close it does not appear that we will be battling a time crunch late into the evening. We should be able to load all of the suitcases and duffel bags into vans by early tonight and head back to Diana’s apartment for relaxation and fun. The team has different ideas about how to pass the time on our roughly 18 hour flight, but the common denominator with everyone is sleep. Today Michelle, the team videographer, shot exit interviews in which each team member reflected upon their expectations, fears, and personal journey through the semester as their perceptions about the trip changed. These interviews serve to help us evaluate our mindset going into the trip and will be shown to future DE teams as a part of the pre-trip learning process. On Thursday, we decided upon a team verse after much worthwhile discussion: One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one” answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' (NIV, Mark 12:28-30)As we brought forward ideas about what verse best defined our team and would provide a focus for the trip, we discovered that we shared similar visions of how we will serve and encourage the Edwards, Mozambicans, and one another. Each verse that was suggested presented a different twist on an attitude of faithful, selfless service, and we struggled with how to draw up a team covenant compiling all of these verses. This discussion delved even deeper as we analyzed the best way to pursue God in Africa over the course of the next month. We have been given a block of time in a country in which life is so real and immediate and priorities are so apparent—how can we open ourselves to spiritual growth? With conflict and questions swirling, we found agreement and clarity in the greatest commandment. It can be difficult to just get the basics right in the Christian life, so we will simply seek to love wholeheartedly. We greatly appreciate your thoughts and prayers. Please pray for safe travel tomorrow as we fly 9,000 miles to a destination that thus far we have only encountered through pictures and stories. Team Update 1: Hello all! We’re back at Messiah for a few intense days of pre-trip packing and organizing. For this time we will be revising our materials and tools lists, creating packets for both trip teams of necessary information for travel, shopping, assembling hardware, and identifying our team verse and covenant. Most importantly, we hope to further solidify ourselves as a team with a single purpose and learn how to better serve God and one another. Team discussion, devotions, and prayer time should help us focus upon God’s purposes for this trip and ways in which we can seek out those purposes. Diana has graciously allowed us to stay in her apartment off-campus as we undergo this pre-trip planning and mayhem. Please pray that:
Prayer Requests and Praises:
Lance and Elizabeth Edwards work with the Reformed Church in Mozambique to care for Mozambicans' physical and spiritual needs. Lance works with the church's Relief and Development Agency to help improve farming techniques and animal husbandry. Elizabeth teachs biblical principles for sex and marri age, educating people about preventing HIV infection and caring for people with AIDS, and provids support for those who care for AIDS orphans. Online Profile |
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