Mozambique

We left for Mozambique on the seventh of April. We were able to spend the first couple of days getting acquainted with the village, Machava, which is about fifteen minutes from the tolls going to the city Maputo.
It was very eye opening driving, and walking around. The roads are generally not paved, and all of the roads have massive amounts of gigantic potholes. There is trash absolutely everywhere, and the smell of burning trash always lingers in the air. People live in houses made from concrete cinderblocks, scraps of tin, and stick shacks.


One night, we took a stroll around Machava, and met some kids who knew Zulu. It was amazing to see the innovation of the kids- they didn’t have much, but they did have a tire. They would roll the tire then jump up and roll over it. Stanley joined in their game. We had quite the crowd of people as we stood and talked to the kids.
We had guides who took us into Maputo, and to the shore of the Indian Ocean. We didn’t anticipate swimming the ocean, and we were fully clothed, but we jumped in anyway. How often do you get to swim in the Indian Ocean anyway?

We helped out the YWAM base that is going to be started in Machava. It will eventually be an orphanage. We primed the walls for painting and had to dig an immensely long ditch to allow for a pipe to be laid bringing water to the building.

The house is in the back of a huge lot, where a lady named Alice lives. Her little son, Muhle, loved trying to help us dig and paint. I whacked myself in the ankle with hoe , so Muhle kept me company.
Youth for Christ has a house in a village near where we were, called Matola. We hooked up with Lauren from YFC, who took us to help at a feeding program, as well as took us into Maputo for worship services and a free day of fun.
The feeding scheme was in the middle of nowhere. We split our team into two groups. The first team helped handing out porridge, played games with the kids, and gave them bubbles. Then they went around the community and did home visits. The second team, my team, again helped hand out the porridge and played games with the kids. There were about 115 kids inside a church- which was four walls and a roof. The kids bring there own plate or bowl and utensil. After they sing some songs, the kids all sit with there plates as the volunteers go around, collect their plates two by two, fill them with porridge, and return them. Right now, the program doesn’t have enough money to provide the kids with anything more than porridge.
After the kids ate, we gave them construction paper and crayons and told them to draw a picture of what reminds them of home. It was so cute to see the kid’s pictures with chickens and stick figures.
Then we played games with them- hands to hands (in Portuguese), Ezekiel prophesied, and Boom Chicka Boom.
We blew up balloons to give out them as well. They loved them. Then we went and did house visits as well., in order to build relationships in the community.
One of the most touching things about helping with the feeding program was seeing these young children caring for their younger siblings. There was one girl who looked to be four or five and she had on her back a child that was about one. But this little girl was one of the happiest children I saw there. She was always smiling and playing the games even though she had to care for her brother.
Lauren also took us into Maputo for our fun day. We were able to go to the Central Market, and the beach.
Our last day in Mozambique, Lauren took us to a church in the most awesome run down little village. There were tons of dance groups there. They asked us if our group wanted to do something. We don’t really dance, so Stanley shared his testimony. It was awesome, the church didn’t have a roof, any formal chairs, and the sound system barely worked, but everyone was so happy singing and dancing.

I leave for Uganda on Wednesday, where I will be for five weeks.