All Nations Mozambique

Michael and Rita served with us for three months as volunteers. They did make a difference, as I read their blog it reminded me of a saying by Heidi Baker, that we should stop for the one. Here are a segment from their blog.

It seems Michael and I just hopped off the 12 hour bus ride from South Africa to the sandy streets our new home. This blog entry only touches on the edge of what we have experienced during the last three months. I am sure when we see you all we can share more stories over a latte… When we arrived and saw the poverty, the countless children lining up at the AIDS clinics and women struggling to care and support for their families, I would often think – ‘what if the world was different?’

What if the world found a cure for AIDS so the children here didn’t have to suffer? What if the world donated one day of their Starbucks coffee change to provide a malnourished child with suitable formula? What if the world provided free food to street children and children here didn’t have to eat out of the rubbish dumpsters? The list could go on, what if the world was fair to children? Pause. I have my breath back again. Yes, I am venting my frustrations. I’ll stop now. Mike and I often debate the state of these issues as we lick our mango stained fingers and have wondered if we have made a difference?

There are so many problems with so few answers that are effective and little changes. The emphasis is on the word ‘change’. Change in Mozambique is slow but constant. Its because of people like you, that are reading this that have given your time, support, prayers and funds to various causes including to the children here that new lives have begun to change. You can see Daniel and Nicholas are flourishing in their new home.
This change couldn’t have occurred if it wasn’t part of a bigger plan and your help. I read once that living today well, makes tomorrow a dream towards happiness. I have learnt here that change takes action and action isn’t always instant, but without it; happiness cannot begin to occur for others. I found that if you look at the enormity of the world’s problems, it can be exceedingly overwhelming. Yet, if I take the little steps to change the environment positively that I am in, a corner of the world is improving.

Michael and I can see in the last 12 weeks that change has happened here. Nicholas isn’t skin and bone anymore. Telma is no longer malnourished. Aninha is beginning to smile, Ricardo does not have HIV. The children are learning to enjoy the simple pleasures of childhood.

Friday we had an early Christmas party with the children. We took all of the, with our staff and some visitors to a restaurant. It was such a fun day to be able to take everyone to have a meal together. The children were all dressed up and are always excited to go out for the day. They were served chicken and fries. We were amazed how much they ate; some of them ate more than half a chicken.

After our meal and ice cream dessert we went home to hand out gifts. It was such a blessing to see them receiving their gifts. Christmas is truly a great day if we celebrate it in the right Spirit. Celebrating the gift of Jesus with our extended family here in Mozambique touched me again in so many ways. Each of these children is a gift to us from Jesus and Jesus gave each one of them a new life. Friday night the children fell a sleep very early with their gifts with them in bed.

Thank you so much for sowing into our small ministry here in Mozambique, so that we are able to bless the children Jesus entrusted to us. There are more photo’s on our website under Christmas Party.

The Second baby house is doing really well. Zaffira, Maria and Dulce are doing a wonderful job. Nicols and Daniel are gaining so much weight. Their health is also much better and we give Jesus the glory for this.

Thank you so much for being part of our lives here in Mozambique. Much love, Pieter, Rika and the All Nations family