Bush bush continued.

I wanted to write a more detailed post about my bush outreach because I didn't get to tell much about it in my last post. Sorry if some stuff is repetitive but I wanted to go into more detail and try to remember everything that happened.

So last Thursday after class was our time slotted to leave for outreach. I packed my backpack (a really nice new one which was a gift and has been a huge blessing) along with my tent, sleeping bag, camp pad (which were borrowed from a church friend and also a blessing!) We met at the front of the base and loaded up on flatbed trucks with tarp coverings. Our truck was crammed to say the least. Our team of 12 was going on outreach with all of the visiting mission teams who were currently at Iris along with the Heidi, Rolland, the guest speakers and their ministry teams. 

We got lucky with our village we went to as it was only about an hour and a half away. Some teams will drive much longer up to like 10 hours to villages. The ride was very bumpy, hot and dusty, but lots of fun! We all laughed when we flew up in the air and sang songs, learning some local songs.

When we arrived in the village we were greeted by a mob of kids chasing the truck, running as fast as they could, cheering, clapping, singing with the biggest smiles on their faces. I have a video but I don't know if I'll be able to get it on here. 

When we unloaded, we set up our tents in an open space in the village. They had the girls set up towards the middle and the guys on the outside to kind of protect us. All through the weekend, with no exception, there was NO LACK of children. Whatever we did, they were right there observing and trying to figure out what all these white people were doing and what they were all about. From the moment we woke got out of our tents to the moment we went to sleep, they were there watching, following, holding our hands.

Once it got dark the Mozambican pastors and leaders set up the screen to show the Jesus film. To attract people they play some loud upbeat praise music in the local language (Makua) and a dance party often breaks out. That's one thing I loved about outreach, was the dancing! In Africa EVERYONE dances. It's not just the teenagers or the people who think they have rhythm. It's the little kids to the old men, to the teenage guys, to the grandmas and women with babies on their backs. It's so much fun dancing with them, they definitely know how to have a good time! We had a good turn out that night, probably a couple hundred people, tons of kids. But I'm bad at guessing numbers. We sat in the dirt under the amazing stars and watched the film. A little girl fell asleep on my lap. After the film, Heidi got up and shared a little bit and then the Mozambican leaders acted out a play of the Good Samaritan. They also did a skit on the prodigal son and shared the gospel through those. 

When all of that was finished all of the "foreigners" lined up and made a prayer tunnel for people to come through who wanted prayer for salvation or healing. We had TONS of people go through the line. It was almost overwhelming. I didn't see any crazy or immediate healing but I think there were some going on around me, and I believe quite a few people came forward for salvation too.

After the program we ate dinner out under the stars (common theme, haha). We had a guy who came with us and cooked us dinner over a fire. The kids all swarmed around with wide eyes waiting to see if they could get any scraps or leftovers. It was kind of heartbreaking. They have had a lot of flooding in the last few months in Mozambique and this particular village had all of their crops and food wiped out and devastated so they have been experiencing a lot of hunger. They did get some food when we were there though. My appetite had not been big at all, so I would eat a little and give the rest to the kids. They would scramble like crazy for it. But still some of them would share. You don't know the meaning of sharing until you've seen a starving child get half of a roll and tear it into tiny pieces to share with siblings and friends. It's really crazy.

The next day we got up and Heidi made everyone coffee. Starbucks at that! The coffee was a big deal. Something they always do now when they go into villages, which has opened lots of doors and hearts, is to honor the chiefs and leaders of the village, and also the pastor of the village. (Some of the villages that people go to on outreach are unreached groups that haven't heard the gospel before. The village we went to had a small iris church established there.) So that morning Heidi made coffee for all the missionaries and the leaders of the village. She said that she always wanted to serve her best coffee and it was really an honor to the people there because the Portuguese had once told the Mozambicans that they couldn't have coffee and that coffee was only for the Portuguese. Heidi talks a lot about reversing the curse, specifically of colonization and it was really neat to see that in action in a tangible way. And another awesome testimony that made it even more meaningful to me is this:

Shout out to Allison Bain, I hope you read this! My amazing friend Allison works at Starbucks and before I left told me she had 3 pounds of coffee to send with me. I told her I wasn't sure if I would have weight room in my suitcases, but guess what, I did! So before I knew any of this I had 3 pounds of Starbucks coffee in my bags coming with me. So after Heidi served us coffee I went up to her and told her that my friend had sent some and I was asking if she could use it as it was whole bean and I didn't know if she had a way to use it. She excitedly said "Yes! These were my last bags of Starbucks we just finished up, that would be wonderful!" So Allison, you rock and you may not know the impact your coffee could have and the doors it could open for the gospel! Isn't that crazy?!?? Hahaa yay Jesus. 

After coffee and breakfast, we did a little worship, in multiple languages. Makua worship is always upbeat and involves dancing. I love hearing them sing! They have such beautiful voices. Then we took a time to bless the leaders of the village by presenting them with beautiful fabrics we put over their shoulders, a sign of honoring them. Heidi also gave them some solar-powered audio bibles with lots of other resources on them. Very cool! Lastly each group or mission team went through a line kneeling down, shaking the hands of the leaders, telling them our names and professions, thanking them for allowing us to come to their village and anything else that was on our heart. I think it was more meaningful and emotional than any of us expected. Especially knowing how it has opened so many doors. Heidi shared about how a few years ago they were often getting stoned in different villages and were not welcome, but when God taught them to honor the leaders, he started softening hearts and making a way were there wasn't a way. Something you will hear Heidi say over and over is to go "low and slow" meaning being humble, lowering yourself in honor before others, preferring them and going slow, not rushing, not seeing people as a project or having an agenda, but building relationship and really being present with the one in front of you. When we had finished greeting the leaders we had more opportunity to go "low and slow" going out into the village. They sent us two by two just to go sit with people in their homes and be with them, love them, learn the language, pray etc. It was a special time. Nothing big or crazy happened, I actually didn't even pray for anyone. One person I asked said no because they were Muslim. But just learning how to love and how to be Jesus without having an agenda. Learning how to sit and enjoy the company of people without knowing the language. Feeling like they actually were blessed by you being there. It was truly an honor for me.

That afternoon we played with kids and did some organized activities with them. I just can't state enough how MANY kids there were. They just seemed to come from everywhere and out of nowhere. All ages, lots of small girls, some looked as young as 4 or 5, would be carrying a baby brother or sister tied on their back. They had so much joy and excitement for everything we were doing.

That second day around lunch time the rest of the teams went home so it was only my small ministry group the second night along with our Mozambican leaders. We showed the Jesus film again the second night. A few people shared testimonies and again we prayed for people for salvation and healing. I saw a few headaches healed for people I was praying with. 

One area God really stretched me was in personal space. I'm being stretched already in that this whole trip, but bush outreach was another level. My introvert was screaming a few times being in crowds and chaos and LOTS of noise. The kids there have no sense of personal space and their culture is not gentle or exactly polite. Haha. For example, someone handed me a bottle of nail polish and asked if I could help paint girl's nails and I was almost instantly swarmed with probably thirty kids (boys and girls) pushing and sticking their hands in my face just dying to have their nails painted, I probably spent close to an hour doing that and painted the fastest sloppiest manicures I have ever done in my life. If you know my perfectionist side you know that was a stretch too. ;P 

Another time a friend and I were going to try to "rest" a half hour before our next activity, so we sat down in the shade next to a hut and closed our eyes. But there were again, probably thirty kids swarmed around just sitting there staring at us waiting to see if we would do any tricks I guess. Haha. 

But overall the kids there were beautiful and amazing, they really touched my heart and they were a lot of fun. The were so ready to be loved and be your friend and do anything with you. 

I also got to connect more with some of the Mozambican leaders on this trip which was a joy. They are some FUNNY guys. It's weird because they remind me so much of my friends in Guatemala, they are constantly joking and you can't believe ANYTHING they tell you. In a joking way. :) They are crazy but a lot of fun! I also found out that one of them had a birthday the same day as me which was Saturday morning, our last morning there. So we prayed and worshipped that morning and said our thanks and goodbyes, then they all sang happy birthday to us. I don't know if it's a normal cultural thing or was just a random joke but one of the guys rubbed his hand in ashes from a fire and shook my hand and proceeded to rub it on my face. So of course I have a picture of that. 

The trip was a success and the ride home was fun, enjoying our deepened friendships, rejoicing in all God did and looking forward to jumping in the ocean and FINALLY getting all the layers of dirt off! ;)

Oh yeah! I must not forget that when we got back, we had a debriefing meeting with our team and our leader told us that a few deaf people, some alcoholics and a couple other people from the village had gone back to the chief and told him they had been healed!!!

God is good!