It is rainy season here, and all the mud huts are “melting” and leaking! Consequently it has been a very busy season for us. Our main focus here is evangelism and discipleship, but at the same time, we cannot ignore the temporal day to day desperate needs of the widows, handicapped, and orphans around us. Lorena has been working full time helping orphans with school uniforms, school supplies (school starts next week), building houses and putting on new roofs. Pictured below is a blind widow from our sister church who takes care of these two orphans. You can see here that the front of her mud hut (seen better in the second photo below) has fallen down due to the rain and she needs a new roof. Lorena has over 40 widows, orphans, and disabled people just on her “need housing” list. Some of these people qualify for governmental aid, but that’s only $6.66 a month! We are currently helping 160 “families” with monthly corn meal, beans, oil, soap, and other household items.
Mama Abertina, Joao, Selha, and Lorena
As we begin the year 2014, our top leaders in Zambezia and Sofala provinces excitedly plan together with us how to strengthen and evangelize this year, the hundreds of churches and unreached areas in Central Mozambique. Multiple pastoral training seminars are taking place each month, focusing on a true intimate relationship with God, and the importance of learning and teaching the Word of God. Our commissions have caught this vision, and are now passing it on! Currently we are writing our third discipleship book, emphasizing the fear of the Lord. This is hugely needed in this culture of syncretism, which combines Christianity with witchcraft. Rejoice with us as we witness together the fruit Jesus is bringing to this area!
Meet Mai Terazinha (above) with her church of widows and children, many of which are orphans. They listen to this solar powered audio Bible, as most of them do not read (including their leader Mai Terazinha). The few youth pictured in front read our discipleship booklets to the group as they study them together. Excited to have their own land now, they gather here in their unfinished “church building” under the shade of mango trees.
Kid’s worshipping at Mai Terazinha’s Church
We love you all and miss you very much!
The Wood Family
