Pain and Hope

Almost 2 years ago, we received a first container with donations for the orphanage "Casa das Formigas". At that time, a lot of thinks stayed in Portugal waiting for the next container.

Even not knowing when would be shipped the new container, a lot of friends were keep receiving and colecting things, and some of them providing space for storage.

Suddenly, the challenge wasn't about colecting anymore, but about funding the transportation to Mozambique.

For how long it would take the cancer kids at the hospital to wait for their clothes and other needed materials? How many families would be able to wait for those needed clothes and shoes?

That's when someone had a dream!

A dream of turning up a smile on the mozambican kids. A smile that was fading away slowly meaning pain for someone that would be transformed into hope to others.

The dream impacted others, and because of that, soon, the dream will be just reality.

The container will be shipped to Mozambique!

Our friend Márcia fight with cancer until the last minute and lost her life last week. But her dream will win hundreds of happy faces in Mozambique as she also fight for them.

Thank you, Marcia.

Rainy weekend

Here in Maputo, when it rains, it RAINS!!!!

We were ready to drive 200 miles north of Maputo, for a weekend of rest when started to rain in Maputo. We decided to keep our plans and we drove for 5 hours until we arrived at our destination, 200 miles away from home.

On our return, it took us 7 hours to drive the same distance, just because the main road (only dust on the day before) was only mud (no tar for about 30 miles).

Thanks for our 4x4 vehicle, this was a great and funny adventure! The only challenge was to convince the girls that we should wash the car after this! They just loved all the mud!

Haute Couture

In Paris or Milan, he would be well known by everyone, and would travel all over the world showing his talents.

But he is an ordinary mozambican and works in a small garage in Maputo. This taylor do his best to make his customers happy, like Alice, who is bringing a dress for him to do.

In fact, I have seen in this city more man on this job than women.

Emmanuel School

This morning we had the privilege to be at the Emmnuel School, to share with the 80 students from kindergarden to 12th grade.

7:30 AM and everyone was ready for the weekly devotion.

This school will start a program on Whole Life Soccer Coaching, as 2 teachers completed the training we had in Maputo 2 weeks ago.

Certificates

32 youth leaders from 15 different churches and agencies received their Certificates for the 5 day training in sports ministries. It is just a paper, but what it matters is the knowledge put into practice.

These leaders will meet together again in few weeks to start planning for a KidsGames event in Maputo, during the World Cup in Soccer and Portuguese Games, this summer.

Congratulations to all! This is just the beggining...

Leadership Training in Maputo

Today we finished a series of leadership training conferences. For 5 days, 32 leaders from 15 different churches and agencies completed a training in Sports Ministries and Experiential Learning. For the closing day, the students had the opportunity to serve 170 kids from different areas, with a KidsGames program, linking sports, games and bible teaching.

Big Screen

The African Cup of Nations is in Angola, but in Mozambique we are also celebrating with the fans.

In different towships around Maputo, we had the oportunity to setup a big screen and show the games to hundreds of fans.

Before the second half, a video of top christian players sharing how God is much more important than a prize that will only last for 2 years was on the screen so everybody could see there is a prize that lasts forever and available to everbody.

CAN 2010

From January 10 - 31, Angola organizes the African Cup of Nations in Soccer, hosting 15 teams in 4 cities - Cabinda, Luanda, Benguela e Lubango.

Such a Major Sport Event is also an opportunity for churches and agencies to partnering together with initiaties to reach the sport fans.

We had the privilege to visit all the 4 cites and provide training to young leaders on sports ministries. In Benguela, a tent was provided right outside the stadium so we could do outreach initiatives.

A Mozambican Wedding

Our friend and co-worker Saidate is married!
The wedding was on December 26th, in the same day of other 30 weddings celebrated at the Wedding Palace, in Maputo. An unforgetable day when temperatures reached 104º F.

2 banquets where we can have a taste of mozambican food and culture.

Christmas Day in Maputo

With temperatures reaching 104º F, there is only one place to be - the pool!

It seems a new tradition for our family on Christmas Day - diving and swimming at the Maritimo Club Pool.

Xicuembo

Alex is one among many boys that live in the streets of Maputo, parking and "checking" cars, to get some coins.

This morning, Alex helped me to park the car and promised me to "check" (to take care or to protect the car from burglars) while I was in the store.

Looking to his cap, I asked:

- Bro, where did you find that cap?

A friend gave it to me, boss!

- Have you noticed what is writen?

Yes, it says Jesus!

- And you know who is Jesus?

Jesus is Xicuembo (God in Tsonga dialect), he said, pointing to the sky.

We have talked a little bit more, and I promised him a Bible, next time we will meet.

This season, the Chistmas Tree can be at the corner, but Jesus must be at the center!

Ethics

These are my students, at CDL (Leadership Development Center) where I have been teaching Ethics for this last semester.

Very good grades, and even better discussions on Ethical Issues and Dilemas.

The real test will be now, in the real life. I'm sure they will do great!

A new family member

Mia it's a cat and the new member of our family!

A birthday gift for Mariana, but arrived yesterday, as she was born on October 9th, 10 years later than Mariana.

Welcome, Mia!

Shool Awards

They call it "Excelence Award" and our daughter Raquel received it again for the 3rd time!

Congratulations Raquel!

Weelchairs for Cancer Kids

These are the two weelchairs donated to the Oncology Department of the Central Hospital.

They were donated by the Sunday School of a Church in Portugal. Thank you so much.

We still have another weelchair donated by a company in Portugal, wainting to be shipped to Mozambique.

Awakening in Maputo

4:00 AM - The day starts with the birds singing on the trees. On the background we can hear the call for prayers from the nearest mosque.

4:30 AM - The city is very quite, and the lights are still on, contrasting with the sky that is gaining is colour every second. Guards clean the sidewalk, and some residents do their morning jogging.

5:00 AM - On the radio, the National Anthem is playing and the news from the day before are repeated. The sun is there, and people start filling the streets on their daily routine to the jobs.

On the surroundings, some run for water that is still not available to everyone.

Good morning, Maputo!

Glossary

Here are some words you need to know if you want to visit us in Mozambique:

Chapa - 9 seat Toyota Van, used as public transportation for 18-22 passengers.

Mola - Money

Celular - Cell phone

Crédito - Cell phone pre-paid balance

Maningue Nice - Very Nice

Kanimambo - Thank you

Job - Job

Boss - Boss

Mulungo - White Man

Election's day in Mozambique

Maputo — All the polling stations for Mozambique's general and provincial elections will open on time, at 07.00 on Wednesday morning according to AIM.

The pledge was made at a Tuesday press conference in Maputo by Felisberto Naife, general director of the Electoral Administration Technical Secretariat (STAE), the electoral branch of the Mozambican civil service.

He said that the positioning of voting materials and electoral staff at the polling station sites in rural areas began two days ago, and should be completed on Tuesday. The materials for the urban polling stations will be positioned early on Wednesday morning.

The conditions have been guaranteed for the polling stations to open at 07.00, he insisted. To reach remote areas, seven helicopters are being used, four hired commercially by STAE, and three lent by the South African government.

Asked if there might be any repetition of the embarrassing situation that occurred in the 2004 elections when many polling stations found that they had the wrong electoral register or no register at all, which disenfranchised citizens who had registered at those stations, Naife was confident that such blunders would be avoided this time.

He said that the production and distribution of the electoral registers had been decentralised to district level, which should avoid registers going astray and ending up in the wrong part of the country.

There are a total of 12,694 polling stations for a registered electorate of over 9.8 million.

(source)

PRIME Maputo 2009

We have welcomed 5 doctors and 1 nurse, to teach different subjects at the Medical Scholl in Maputo.

Along with the training, this group was able to visit some departments of the Central Hospital, and also the Military Hospital in Maputo.

PRIME is an international network of Christians involved in healthcare education, committed to improving the quality and depth of the medical care of patients, especially those in poorer situations. This is done in partnership with health care providers worldwide, to give teaching that equips, inspires and empowers them to give excellent clinical care for the whole person.

World Health Organization Report 1998: "Until recently the health professions have largely followed a medical model, which seeks to treat patients by focusing on medicines and surgery, and gives less importance to beliefs and to faith in healing, in the physician and in the doctor-patient relationship. This reductionist or mechanistic view of patients is no longer satisfactory. Patients and physicians have begun to realise the value of elements such as faith, hope, and compassion in the healing process"

PRIME seeks to redress this balance and restore a compassionate whole person perspective to modern medicine. This is achieved through direct training activities and educating the trainers by equipping them with appropriate skills and support networks. PRIME courses are designed to be acceptable to and accessible by medical professionals, of all faiths or of none, skills and support networks.

On behalf of those students and professionals trained during these 3 days, Thank you!

More about PRIME.

Initiative...

His name is Narciso, has only one leg, and is for a long period under treatments at the Oncology department in the Central Hospital of Maputo.

He needed a little bit more that 1 USD to start his own business, which gave him already a 800% profit, in few weeks.

This is not "The secret" but only the strenght and willing to live, making him stand up every morning to go out and sell "credit" at the street near the hospital.

"Credit" is what we call the "airtime/minutes" to recharge our cell phones. It is sold all over the place in the city.

No market research or any advanced study to find out that street didn't have anyone selling this product.

With a "microcredit" of USD 1,60 (50 meticais), he was able to buy "minute cards" and sell them with a 10% profit.

Well, the more you sell, the more you make, and the less you spend, the more you keep!

What about this?