Mother's Day

Raquel and Mariana, they have the BEST MOM IN THE WORLD!

As you can see, she take care of her 2 daugthers always with a smile!

Who always suffer with these special days is "daddy". Not a single word in this blog about the Father's Day, and as he tried to take a picture with "mommy" there was a tree in between!

Ant's House

It was great to welcome a group of 31 from Portugal, in their short passage throught Maputo.

We are so pleased to be able to introduce them to this orpanhage "Ant's House", which is a wonderful project we are greatful to partner with.

Every day, about 500 meals are served to chidren and teens, as they go or came back from school.

Thank you for the goods things you bring with you, as clothes, books, etc. A special thanks to the City Mayor of Lagos, in Portugal, for the suitcase full of brand new things.

Central Hospital

We really don't know his name, but we will cal him Dario.

Abandoned by his mother lst week, Dario was found in the street and taken to the Maputo's Central Hospital, and he's now waiting for an institution to receive him, to provide him an home, education, and hope for a better future.

When the door closes...

If a door closes here
Another door will open there
I need to learn more about God
As He's the One who cares for me

These words are part of a song that has been in our lips since we start dreaming about Mozambique. We still sing this song, knowing that God is the One who really cares for us!

We don't know why, but the donation of that TV show spectator is no longer available to support us with the container costs.
For that reason, the TV Crew was filming today all the boxes that have been collected to be shipped to Mozambique, so next wednesday they will broadcast again a short footage about our project.It seems we no longer need a 20' container but a 40'!!!
That's how God works! And we can't wait to see what is He doing next.

A special note to the companies Damco, Maersk Line e Safmarine that will support some of the shipping costs, and to all the others doing whaever they can to make sure these children from Mozambique will keep smiling.

Joy in Heaven...

Ant House (the orphanage we are partnering with) is poorer now!

Dércio (11 years old), one of our first Soccer School players, died last wednesday after returning from the Hospital with strong pains and dhiarrea. He sleept all night, and didn't wake up next morning.

A young boy with lots of energy and soccer skills, left his coleagues and teacher wordless.

They all know that Dércio no longer lives in one of the poorest countries in the world but in a place of perfection, in the pesence of God.

Since then, other 6 went to the Hospital with the same symptoms, and 2 of them are still at the Hospital.

Please pray for these children.

She's 12...

I can remember that call from the hospital to our church, saying that I had a baby girl. After these 12 years, she's still our baby girl...

Tonigh we had lasagna (the best in the world) and coconut birthday cake.

Soccer School

Casa das Formigas (Ant House) is an orphanage outside Maputo, where will be our first soccer school, as a "whole life soccer coaching" program will be developed every week.

An opportunity to train and provide to a group of 40 teenagers, the technial knowledge of soccer but also those important values, they need inside the field as outside, in their personal lives.

Respect, Loyalty, Courage, Responsability are just a few topics we will develop with them as we walk through this "whole life" program.

They may not be included in the National Team of Soccer, but we believe they will impact their own communities.

Bye, Bye, Cláudia...

After 3 weeks of "intense" training, our 3rd visit went back home to Portugal.

We hope she had a wonderful time with our family, and an excellent opportunity to get to know our ministry in this country.

We always have space to welcome visitor, and it is a joy to introduce them to this beautiful country.

Mr. President

During the Presidential visit to this country, the portuguese comunity was invited for a reception at the Portuguese School of Mozambique, where some studends like our youngest daughter Mariana, were able to perform some tradicional portuguese dances.

For our surprise, Mariana was also invited to represent the school giving flowers to the First Lady.

Blog 7413 - Maputo 3

Altought this blog is wining in terms of visitors, it is always a joy to welcome someone at the airport.

Cláudia is a young teenager from our home church in Portugal, who decided to visit us during Easter time.

We hope she will enjoy and be able to have her 1st missionary experience in Africa.

Live Broadcasting from MZ to the Portuguese World

This program comes for a couple of hours each morning and is a mixture of talk show, culinary class, etc., and is watched by many, many people who are home during the day.

This show is also shown in Mozambique and Alice believes that it was a good testimony for people there to see the kind of work they are doing.

Just before their segment came on, a sign came up on the bottom of the screen saying " Know the story of Jorge and Alice Pratas, Missionaries in Mozambique" to announce the coming segment.Alice's parents came on next to share how they felt when their daughter told them that they were moving to Mozambique. Apparently, they suspected it before Alice told them. They said that she came back from the first trip to Mozambique with such a changed outlook that they were expecting them to move there. Alice's parents showed the audience their prayer card.

All this time, her parents have no idea that Jorge and Alice and the girls are in the studio in Mozambique that belongs to the same TV channel about to come on live.

They went on to share about their experience this past Christmas visiting Jorge and Alice and visiting the "Casa da Formiga" or "Ant House" which is one of the organizations that they work with in Mozambique. It's a sort of day center for children where they come to study and to eat. In most cases, it's their only meal throughout the day. Alice's parents have begun a project of filling a container from Portugal full of clothes, school supplies, toys, etc but they didn't have money to ship it. They explained how 60% of the population live on less than 1 Dollar per month. A liter of milk costs $2 and minimum wage is $60. The presenter then asked how much the container would cost to be shipped.

He then asked if the parents would want to see their children and all of the sudden Jorge and Alice and the girls show up on the screen.

"What went through your heads to go into Africa"? was the presenters question for Jorge and Alice. Jorge answered by saying that after going there and seeing the needs, they felt compelled to go. Then the presenter asked Alice "Is it hard for you to sacrifice the worldly things"? Alice responded by saying that it was not a sacrifice but rather an honor to share with the people of Mozambique and to give to them what God had given her. Alice then went on to explain what a privilege it is to make a difference in the children with whom she visits daily in the hospital.

The presenter asked about the girls and they both came on and said hello to their grandparents. Mariana, who is 8, couldn't sit still and she was so cute. She is NOT shy!

The presenter then went on to explain how he had a great desire to visit Mozambique. At this moment, he interrupts the program to say that a caller has called in to pay ALL of the expenses of the container (about $9,000 USD). At this, Alice isn't able to stop the tears of joy from rolling down her cheeks.

How is the weather out there?

Here is fine!
So fine, with the temperatures jumping over 90ºF everyday.
By the end of the day, the best place to be is... at the "Clube Maritimo" pool!

Peace again...

Dear friends, peace is back to town, as soon as the government announced the reduced gas price for the public transportation.

In fact, 1 liter of gas, costs around 35 Mtn(USD 1,40) but will be recuced by 4 Mtn for those tranports.

Those "vans" are running again, people are happy, the city is back to normal.

Only one difference - people just discover a new way to stop the government and to "undo" their decisions - burning tires, blocking roads and destroying things.

Now the question is: What will be the next law which will produce this same reaction?

Mozambique floods

Dear friends,
Besides the economical and political crisis in Mozambique, amplified by the riots in Maputo, this week, the country has been hit hard by a second year of serious flooding, as heavy rains in neighboring countries have swollen the Zambezi River and forced people to leave their homes and seek help from aid groups.

The government estimates that up to 95,000 people have already been moved to resettlement areas, but over 200,000 people are still at risk.

The crisis, in which at least seven people have died so far, has been compounded by Mozambique's status as one of the poorest nations on the planet. Nearly 60 percent of children live below the poverty line.

Epic Floods Strike Mozambique; Aid Trickles In
New Mozambique Flood Warning
Once Again Flooding Brings Risk of Disease
Flood lessons

National Geographic Video

"Light" peace...

It seems that everything is ok. At least the violence is over - that one of stones and burning tires. Because there is another kind of violence in the streets - to force thousands of mozambicans to walk dozens of miles to be at work each morning.

In modern cities, when there is a strike of transports, peolpe will stay a home, just because they can't go to their jobs. Sometimes they feel happy about that. But here, there is no tolerance! If one can't be there on time, probably he will be substituted by other and lose his job.

This job, paid with a few meticais, enought to buy a bag of rice, sugar and oil, and nothing else, is the job which make these people to walk everyday, imagine... with a smile!

Yesterday we meet a young man at the drugstore who walked for 6 hours in his way back home, the day before. This morning, by 6:30 AM, we meet a lady who works at the house next to ours, and to not lose her job, she left home by 2:30 AM.

The schools reopened this morning, althought there is still no public transportation. According to the government, the transportation strike will be over tomorrow, but the gas companies just said this afternoon they will be on strike from tomorrow on. In some stations there is no gas.

Mozambique says will not compensate for riot damages

Peace is back!

After the government anouncement to keep the old prices for transportation, while will negotiate with the private companies, the peace is back to town.
Although we can drive safely, there is still a lot of barricades and trash containers in the middle of the roads.

Some stores are open but with few supplies, we had some dificulty in get bread, and in some gas stations, there is no gas. The public transportation are still on strike, but in silence. For that reason, there are thousands of mozambicans enable to come to work today.

Our family is ok, this morning we had to visit the doctor as Mariana had fever. We are grateful because the drugstore was open and we could by the antibiotic she needs.

Thank you for your prayers.

Police kill protester in Maputo fuel riot

Violence in Maputo...

A wave of violence spread into the city this morning, caused by the insurrection of mozambicans as the government raised the prices for bread and for public transportation (+50%).


People were inciting by SMS on the cellphones saying " people is suffering, but the government and their families don't. They don't pay for transportation. On the 5th nobody should work, or get the "chapa" (a 9 seat van for 22 people! - the main public transportation in the city). Let's stop and demand justice, pass this to others, come along and fight against the poverty"

The streets are closed, people are destroying cars and burning tires in the main roads of the city.


Our family is ok! For security reasons, the school stoped and retained the kids inside. We here able to get there and bring them home. I went to buy some food but I was caught in one of the barricades, and stayed there untilt army fired some shots to the air, so we could pass without problems, only a stone's throw to the back window of the car.

Thanks God, we're all together at home and safe!

- Updated News from Reuters
- One dead, 63 wounded in Mozambique protests
- After Riots, Government to Renegotiate With Transport Operators
- One Killed in Mozambique Transport Price Protests

Yes, it is true... I'm running everyday!

For those not believing, here are the evidences!

Every morning, by 6:50 (as the girls left to school) or by the end of the day, running and walking (right now, more running than walking), its about 5 kilometers around this area.

Ubabalo eAfrica

Ubabalo eAfrica means "The Grace of God to Africa"!

World Cup Soccr 2010 offers Africa the best opportunity to combat the destructive giants of HIV and AIDS, breaking up of family units, poverty, corruption, violence and ethnic strife. These giants need to be overcome by lasting moral values that direct the behaviours of our people.

Through this initiative and partnership, the church and other agencies are capturing the golden opportunity to transform the future generations of Africa.

Ubabalo eAfrica is a Leadership and Life skills programme through Whole Life soccer coaching.

More than words...

When we arrived in Africa, we soon realized that people would need more than our nice words.

In fact, God's love is showed in pratical ways also, trying to minimize the poverty of these people.

According to Unicef report, 38% of the population in Mozambique live under $1/day, which is 24 Meticais, where sugar costs 18 per kilo, milk costs 45 per litre, rice costs 30 per kilo and eggs costs 44 per dozen.

Thanks to the generosity of individuals and churches in Portugal, we could bless with clothes, toys, books and school material, people from different areas of the city: Alto Maé, Djuba, Umbeluzi, Machava, Malhampsene and "Casa da Formiga", an orphanage that prepares about 500 daily meals for needed children in the area.

Central Hospital of Maputo

The Pediatric Department of the Central Hospital of Maputo is filled with children and their mothers without visitors, some of them because they live in other provinces, others because there are no relatives, or just because some of them were abandoned as they arrived at the hospital.

Alice, together with other mozambican missionary have been visiting these children every week, to help them, talk with them, to read bible stories and to pray for them. They just need a word of hope.

Please pray for these two - Atália and Alfredo.

Atália is a little girl, coming from the suburbs, who was attacked by a snake during the night. Because her arm was so infected, she was already submited to surgery, and is waiting now for recovering.

Alfredo is a 8 years old boy, abandoned by his mother at the hospital 5 years ago, when his head start growing in a abnormal way.

Please make mention of these two and all the others Alice has the opportunity to minister with.

Please come and visit us!

Our first visitors went home this morning, back to Portugal.

Alice's parents stayed for 3 weeks and we can't wait to see who is coming next!

Sometimes... it rains!

After 2 or 3 days of really high temperatures, the storm comes, as you can see...

Happy New Year

Dear friends, it was difficult to post here, as we have been so busy during Christmas time!

We have a lot of thinks to share with you, and will do it in the next days.

To start let's check the beautiful sunset in Mozambique.

What a surprise!

Alice couldn't believe when she saw her parents coming out of the car.



The secret was kept until the last minute and was far from imagine this Christmas gift.

The girls were also surprised when they saw grandpa and grandma walking into the Portuguese School to ear Mariana singing. It was like Christmas day at home! In the bags, there was codfish (the portuguese substitute for turkey at Christmas), coffee, cakes, cheese, nut, everything for a Christmas family celebration. And also a demand for Jorge to start running!!!



To those who have sent gifts and messages, thank you for making us feel so good.



Your missionaries in Africa, Jorge, Alice, Raquel and Mariana

Merry Christmas

To all of our friends, because this is our first Christmas in Africa, here is our message:

Click to open

Please read this...

This post was writen for you, coming to this page don't know why, maybe because you've googled Mozambique or maybe someone told you about a family living the confort zone and moving to Africa, to help needed children. If that is the case, let me tell you the true motivation behind our moving to Mozambique:

When God created the world, He created man to live with in perfect harmony. At the same time, God gave man the hability of making choices including the option of disobeying God's purposes and intentions.

Man prefer to disobey and turn back from God. Even thought God always tried to be reconciled with man, He did it lately through Jesus Christ, who lived, died and arise from dead 2 thousand years ago to prove how great is His love for people. All who receive this true, He will became part of His family.

This is the significance of our lives. To know that God loved us enought to give His only Son to die for us. If you are still looking for a purpose in your life, you still have time to find it in God only.

If you think that the fact of our family moving to Africa to help children is a big thing, let me tell you that is nothing comparing with what God did for us... and for you also!

Look for God... you will find Him!

Portuguese School Aniversary

This week the Portuguese School of Mozambique celebrated the 8th aniversary with a big party where we could find almost all the good and traditional portuguese food.

More than 1000 students and teachers were responsible to show us through music, drama and arts the portuguese culture in an african athmosphere.

Among the stars on the stage, were Raquel and Mariana...

Earlier Christmas...

This Christmas arrived earlier in Maputo, when Raquel and Mariana received their new school bags, from our family in Portugal.

A new driver in Maputo...

Last week, after 4 months walking and riding, Alice had the courage to drive. No notice of any traffic jam or other incident. :)

(The true is, that was the first day with our own car!)

At the locker room...

Académica of Maputo is a soccer team playing in the First League in Mozambique.

This afternoon, after the practice, I was invited to talk to the team, after the coach.

It was a privilege to encorage the athletes and talk with them about the trust they need in the field and out of it. Trusting themselves, trusting others, but first of all, trusting their God Creator, the best choiche for those who want to make their lives with significance.

Home, sweet home...

Finaly at home!
Dear friends, sorry for not saying anything for a long period of time.

Finaly we've got our house and an internet connection working!

After 3 months we finaly sleep in our beds...

A lot of dust, walking, and particulary a lot of patience to see our house being fixed.

Thank God, during this period, we were hosted at the best hotel in the city - The Bowers's Home, a missionary family here in Mozambique. Thank you, Jim and Stacie for your hospitality and frendship.

This last week was special too as Mariana celebrated her 8th birthday for the first time in Africa.

The first time...

We were expecting for this day!
By 4:00 PM, in one of the most important avenue of Maputo, when Alice and the girls here returning home, 2 men tried to assault them, asking for "all the money and the cell phone".

Our God, always by our side, gave enought courage to Alice to resist them and to get away fast.
We knew this would be happen one of these days. It was today!