In case you think we've been a bit quiet recently, the next few posts provide an update on what we've been doing the last few weeks/months.
OK, we must admit that we had a quiet January but that wasn't totally a bad thing. January is typically cyclone season in Mozambique and there were a number of storms that threatened the area.
Despite numerous alerts, most of the cyclones either didn't make it across Madagascar or dissipated in the Mozambique Chanel before reaching Mozambique. Although we feel for the population of Madagascar, we are grateful that no further damage was done and that our services weren't required.
Our first foray to Mozambique was to fly a team from an organisation named Biblica (https://www.biblica.com/). They print bibles for distribution around the globe.
Through local pastors they had given bibles to an area in Mozambique where they estimated that 400 churches would be planted as a result. Reports came back that 1600 churches had been planted, and our group went to verify the story and to interview people that had been affected by their donation.
It was a short but intense visit and we hit the ground running. Two South African missionaries drove us deep into the bush to visit churches that had received the bibles.
The reception was always joyous and animated with enthusiastic singing and dancing with congregations waiting many hours to welcome us.
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| Many were keen to show the bibles that had received |
Despite their poverty, people gave gifts as a response for their appreciation. As they had little or no money, this often amounted to staple food. It can not be underestimated how much of a sacrifice this was.
Even as we left each location, people were keen to display their feelings.
Due to some delays with customs at Beira, our port of entry in Mozambique, and the weather being generally quite grim, we were late at most churches and some we only got to after dark.
We visited countless villages and conducted numerous interviews to verify the reports they had received.
As previously mentioned, the weather was awful and out of the 14 hours I spent flying the team, I spent 7 of them in a cloud or rain. What a bonus then that one of the team was a captain who flies Boeing 757/767s for Delta Airways out of Atlanta. It was a privilege to share the front seats with him and tap into each others knowledge base.
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Paul and Alex Oakland - the unlikely First Officer!
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Thank you
Paul and Cathy
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