The Lord has been so good to me in the past two months here in Pemba . A week ago I was able to move out of the noisy house I was living in to temporarily stay in the mission school housing until the room being built for me is completed. It is like being in heaven or on vacation compared to where I was. So peaceful and quiet that I can really spend quality time with Jesus and hear him speaking to me in a still small voice.
Last week, the day after I moved in, I came down with the symptoms of malaria and a quick test revealed that for the first time in 2 years I had malaria. Even though I couldn’t do much at all this week, I have realized what a blessing it was to have time to rest, read and spend time praying and worshipping. Apparently, malaria attacks and destroys red blood cells faster than they can reproduce, which means that oxygen doesn’t get delivered to all the parts of the body as timely as usual. This can make you feel weak, dizzy, forgetful, body aches and a number of other symptoms from lack of oxygen. The treatment for malaria helps the body to fight off the malaria microbes so it can rebuild healthy cells. Thankfully, I have been recovering at a pretty steady rate from day to day and am hoping to get back to work tomorrow, but it may still take a week or so to get my full strength back.
Two weeks ago I returned with a team from a two week outreach to the province of Niassa in a town called Lichinga, where there is a small newly planted IRIS base. Working alongside the team from Lichinga, we were able to show the Jesus Film and share the gospel in different villages on all but two nights of our trip and many people were saved. This area of Mozambique is one of the most unreached, so to see all these people coming to Jesus who had never heard of him before was quite a miracle. Their hearts were really open and ready to receive this good news! I had the opportunity along with others in our team to pray for a boy who had been lame for 1 ½ years. He was unable to walk or stand and was often in much pain. After praying for him for a few minutes he said that he had no pain at all in his legs and could turn one of his feet from side to side, which had previously been impossible. We shared about Jesus with this boy and that it was Jesus who was healing him. He then asked Jesus to forgive his sins and come into his heart. We continued praying and after about ten more minutes he was able to stand without holding onto anything or anyone and without any pain at all! Then we shared about Jesus with the rest of the family and the little crowd that had gathered outside the door to the house, and many of them put their faith in Him. A few days later we got a report that the boy was now able to walk across the courtyard. Hallelujah! God is continuing to pour out his love and mercy in our midst and we give him all the praise and glory!
I really enjoy hearing from many of you from time to time and am so thankful for your commitment to pray and support financially the work that the Lord is doing through us here. Please continue to pray for the following:
1. My health to be fully restored and for my body to be totally immune to malaria so that I won’t get it again.
2. Continued spread of the gospel in the Niassa province and for God to raise up strong leaders to disciple the people in love.
3. More wisdom, guidance, grace, mercy, and love for our leadership in dealing with the day to day struggles of a growing ministry to the poor and Fatherless.
4. My room to be completely constructed by the start of the next mission school.
Blessings to you all and may you set your face like flint before the Lord (Isaiah 50:7) in all that he has called you to!
