Roll Out The Red Carpet!

My arrival in Mozambique yesterday was quite an event. I'd like to think it was for me, but it wasn't. The runway was lined with anti-aircraft guns, and there was a red carpet lying on the tarmac, and soldiers were everywhere. A military band also sat under a group of nearby trees obviously trying to stay cool in the heat of the day. I later found out that shortly after my plane arrived, the president of Australia flew into the airport for diplomatic meetings with the president of Mozambique.

Dave and Ann Dedrick picked me up from the airport and immediately we drove to the OMS prayer meeting. Every week, the missionaries get together for a time of prayer and fellowship with one another. This was my first time being with other Americans since I had begun my trip so it was good to hear a familiar accent once again. Once the prayer meeting was over, we had a really nice meal that was a most welcome change. Taco soup. Most of my meals for the previous three weeks in Rwanda and Tanzania had consisted of plain boiled rice, fried potatos and boiled chicken. I had nearly forgotten that food could have flavor!

Today we visited a church in an area known as Picoco. A well was recently drilled there and had just become operational a few days before my arrival. The church allows members of the surrounding community to use this well free of charge. The only other well that is close by belongs to a Mosque and they charge for the water unless you want to become a muslim.

The story of this church is interesting. A group of Mozambican Youth for Christ students had been challenged to raise money to build a church. These students had successfully raised the money and built the church but there was no pastor to preach. They found out about OMS and our church planting ministry and asked if we could help provide a pastor in exchange for having the church join the denomination that OMS partners with in Mozambique (Palavra Viva). OMS accepted this offer and now there is a healthy church that is growing steadily in size.

A local woman gets good use of the new well in Picoco








Dave Dedrick speaking with leaders of the church