I am totally fine! The malaria is gone, the bronchitis pretty much cleared up - and now I am just resting in Pretoria!
Thank you to everyone that has prayed, I was so amazed to hear from so many people that have kept me in their prayers - THANK YOU!
I am still waiting to hear the exact date that I will be returning to Pemba, I am not flying commercially (no money!) so I have to wait for a lift with my boss, sometime in March...
But while I'm in South Africa I have internet access, so email me - I WILL reply! :)
Monday, February 27, 2006
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Malaria
Sorry to have dropped off the face of the earth for a bit - Just a quick update...
I am in South Africa at the moment, I have been down with Malaria and Bronchitis for the last week and airlifted by international SOS to a hospital in Pretoria on sunday night. I got out of hospital today and I am still feeling quite bad, but I will be fine!
I am in South Africa at the moment, I have been down with Malaria and Bronchitis for the last week and airlifted by international SOS to a hospital in Pretoria on sunday night. I got out of hospital today and I am still feeling quite bad, but I will be fine!
Monday, February 13, 2006
Overnight Outreach
Overnight Outreach – To a small village near Namuno.
Friday 10th – Saturday 11th February 2006
Iris Ministries tries to do one outreach to an area further away at least once a month, and this outreach was to a church that had been planted by one of our bible school’s student pastors – Saturday was to be the dedication.
10am Friday – I go look at the sound system that we are to take along, there is electricity today so I plug the Gigrac in and test all the cables. The first 4 don’t work, and there are only 4 left in the bag… fortunately they work and I take a look at the speaker stands. None of them have the little pegs that keep them up, actually none of them even have the little twisty bits where you can tighten them to stay at a certain height! I show this to Carlos, the Mozambican guy who I work with in the Sound Dept. He shrugs his shoulders and says, “don’t worry, they will make it work”. Eventually I have all the equipment ready to go – I am not too sure how many people will be on the outreach so I grab 7 biggish tents from a pile that are in the sound store, and about 10 sleeping bags to cushion the hard ground. I hope this is enough!
We were scheduled to leave at 11am, and by 11:30 Carlos decided to call and see where the small flatbed truck was. They were still finding a driver for it, but it came and we loaded it up. Now all we needed was a quick stop at the other centre to pick up a generator, some spotlights and the visitors then we’d be off.
There were about 7 visitors waiting at the gate: a family from the UK and a team from the ‘GO’ school in Canada. We drove past them, and I said, “just hang on, we’re gonna load the generator quickly”… an hour later a person with a key to the container arrived and we got the generator! When we finally got back to the gate the visitors piled in, and then the pastors piled in. We were 34 in the back with all the equipment and luggage. Now just off to the gas station to fill the truck and the generator and then we’d be off.
It was around this time that I realised that I was the only long-term missionary on the outreach, making me kinda responsible for the visitors, and we only had one pastor, Daniel, that could speak English…
Off to the gas station – “Daniel, please ask Pastor José if he could fill the generator, 400 000mt, Carlos said he would have the money for that, OK?”
They fill the truck, they fill the generator – “Neek, where is 400 000 for gasolio?”
“Does Pastor José not have it? Carlos said he would have it…”
“No, he does not have money for it”
… oh crumbs! I think the driver eventually paid and we were able to leave the gas station! Daniel then pointed out a very interesting thing: Were was the food? We ended up driving all the way back to the Centre, loaded up 2 huge pots, a 10kg sack of rice and a bunch of plastic plates. We were squashed before, but with those extra items we could hardly breathe!
2pm – Finally we are off! Only 3 hours later but at least we are finally leaving Pemba… It’s a 5 ½ hour drive to Namuno, along the way it rained, and out of nowhere a huge blue sail was produced and passed along, covering everyone! It did leak a bit so some of the people were quite wet, but when the sun came out we dried pretty quickly in the wind and the hot sun.
The sunset was gorgeous and it made the cramped, hot, arduous drive worth it! The village was small, not more than 10 huts, and there were many many children. Here they hardly speak Portugeuse, instead its Makua – I have learnt to say ‘hello’ and ‘fine thanks and you?’ – ‘Salaama’, ‘ki havo?’ ☺ Driving thru the smaller villages the people in the road stop to look at the truck passing by, but their expressions are priceless when they see 10 white faces amongst the 30 black ones!
It was after dark when we arrived, so we got the generator going and put on the lights. The pastors are pretty good at setting up, and I leave them to it – they got the screen up and the speakers set out – all I did was plug in the cables. The solution they found to keeping the speaker stands up was using a bit of bamboo where the peg usually would go! The crowds gathered and we started the JESUS film.
While the film was showing I rounded up the visitors and set them off with the tents to prepare our accommodation for the night. We were to be camped out in the yard of the village elder. All 40 of us. In 7 tents… Some of the pastors went to prepare our evening meal – spaghetti and tuna! They cooked over an open fire under a grass hut that had no walls, using a candle for light.
I wandered back to the truck, there was no one looking after the sound system – fortunately all the people were engrossed in the film so no one had touched it. I sat down to write a bit, and after a few minutes felt my capalana (a piece of cloth that is wrapped around you like a skirt. Woman are required to wear one to church, and as a sign of respect we also wear them when we go into the villages) move in the wind. It did it again and I shone my torch down to my foot. There were 3 little worms nudging at my foot!!!!! I got up really fast.
After the film was done there was some preaching and then the visitors prayed for some people – the language barrier is really tough, and I havnt as yet been able to speak to anyone to hear what happened, but I’m sure that something did! We packed up and I was able to crawl into bed at about 11:30pm, hard ground had never felt so good!
Everyone fit into the tents, with room to spare and by 6am the camp was buzzing with life again.
Breakfast was sweet sweet sweet tea, with a breadroll and 2 bananas.
There was a baptism scheduled in the river, and all the visitors went – I stayed, I had to set up the sound system for the church service, and from past experience I know that when they say, “The river is close, maybe 30 minutes walk” it means its far, and will be more than 30 minutes away! The sun is burning down, and its only 7am!
Erika, one of the GO Team members also stayed, she was helping the pastors preparing the meals – and after I had set up the sound system I wandered over and watched our lunch being made. They had slaughtered a lamb/sheep and half of it was laying in a basket in the sun, a pastor sharpened the ‘panga’ and dragged a log from the fire. He placed a piece of cardboard under the log and sat on his haunches in the dust and hacked the meat into pieces. Bone, cartlidge, fat, meat – chop chop chop. There were bits of bone fragments flying thru the air, and more than once I had to wipe bloody juice from my arm. Meat fell in the dust, and flies were buzzing excitedly around the basket. After all the meat was chopped, water was brought from the river and each piece was patiently washed. The liver and kidney they kept to cook as a special treat for themselves – they were left laying in the basket till later and I could hardly see the dark meat for the flies crawling over it. Lunch was to be rice and beans, with lamb. I was given about 8 heads of garlic to peel and then Erika used a pestle and mortar to crush it.
The baptisms were done and I had to abandon the cooking to go do sound for church. They were officially opening and dedicating the new building, and they had made a front door and decorated the lintel with palm leaves and flowers. The whole building is about 5m by 10m, made of red clay bricks with a grass roof.
Everyone gathered outside the front, and I extended a microphone cable to fit past the 10cm gap either side of the door so that the pastor could be heard. The ribbon was cut and the door opened! Quickly the room was packed, with loads of people standing outside looking in. I had set up 3 speakers: one inside the church, and one on either side outside the church!
The service lasted about 3 hours!
It was pretty amazing to hear how the pastor that had planted this church had actually come to this village and had gone door to door evangelising the people. One of the first converts is to be the Pastor of this church!
Lunch was actually pretty good – I am a seasoned missionary now, and had remembered to pack a spoon (none of the visitors had, and they had to eat with their fingers!). Everyone is so grimy – I had long gotten over being grossed out at the thought of eating with dirty hands, God just has to protect me! I have wet wipes, but all they really do is spread the dirt around! ☺
We were packed and ready for the drive back by about 2pm – we had 6 extra people with us on the back, and I was sitting with my legs to my chest for the whole drive home. My back was hitting the side of the truck over each ditch in the road and even the pillow I was sitting on wasn’t enough for me not to feel the metal tent poles I was sitting on.
But we made it home, it was 7ish when we arrived and after I had made sure all the visitors got off with their luggage, all the sound equipment and tents were locked away, I went to my little house and poured a bucket of lovely cool water over my head.
Friday 10th – Saturday 11th February 2006
Iris Ministries tries to do one outreach to an area further away at least once a month, and this outreach was to a church that had been planted by one of our bible school’s student pastors – Saturday was to be the dedication.
10am Friday – I go look at the sound system that we are to take along, there is electricity today so I plug the Gigrac in and test all the cables. The first 4 don’t work, and there are only 4 left in the bag… fortunately they work and I take a look at the speaker stands. None of them have the little pegs that keep them up, actually none of them even have the little twisty bits where you can tighten them to stay at a certain height! I show this to Carlos, the Mozambican guy who I work with in the Sound Dept. He shrugs his shoulders and says, “don’t worry, they will make it work”. Eventually I have all the equipment ready to go – I am not too sure how many people will be on the outreach so I grab 7 biggish tents from a pile that are in the sound store, and about 10 sleeping bags to cushion the hard ground. I hope this is enough!
We were scheduled to leave at 11am, and by 11:30 Carlos decided to call and see where the small flatbed truck was. They were still finding a driver for it, but it came and we loaded it up. Now all we needed was a quick stop at the other centre to pick up a generator, some spotlights and the visitors then we’d be off.
There were about 7 visitors waiting at the gate: a family from the UK and a team from the ‘GO’ school in Canada. We drove past them, and I said, “just hang on, we’re gonna load the generator quickly”… an hour later a person with a key to the container arrived and we got the generator! When we finally got back to the gate the visitors piled in, and then the pastors piled in. We were 34 in the back with all the equipment and luggage. Now just off to the gas station to fill the truck and the generator and then we’d be off.
It was around this time that I realised that I was the only long-term missionary on the outreach, making me kinda responsible for the visitors, and we only had one pastor, Daniel, that could speak English…
Off to the gas station – “Daniel, please ask Pastor José if he could fill the generator, 400 000mt, Carlos said he would have the money for that, OK?”
They fill the truck, they fill the generator – “Neek, where is 400 000 for gasolio?”
“Does Pastor José not have it? Carlos said he would have it…”
“No, he does not have money for it”
… oh crumbs! I think the driver eventually paid and we were able to leave the gas station! Daniel then pointed out a very interesting thing: Were was the food? We ended up driving all the way back to the Centre, loaded up 2 huge pots, a 10kg sack of rice and a bunch of plastic plates. We were squashed before, but with those extra items we could hardly breathe!
2pm – Finally we are off! Only 3 hours later but at least we are finally leaving Pemba… It’s a 5 ½ hour drive to Namuno, along the way it rained, and out of nowhere a huge blue sail was produced and passed along, covering everyone! It did leak a bit so some of the people were quite wet, but when the sun came out we dried pretty quickly in the wind and the hot sun.
The sunset was gorgeous and it made the cramped, hot, arduous drive worth it! The village was small, not more than 10 huts, and there were many many children. Here they hardly speak Portugeuse, instead its Makua – I have learnt to say ‘hello’ and ‘fine thanks and you?’ – ‘Salaama’, ‘ki havo?’ ☺ Driving thru the smaller villages the people in the road stop to look at the truck passing by, but their expressions are priceless when they see 10 white faces amongst the 30 black ones!
It was after dark when we arrived, so we got the generator going and put on the lights. The pastors are pretty good at setting up, and I leave them to it – they got the screen up and the speakers set out – all I did was plug in the cables. The solution they found to keeping the speaker stands up was using a bit of bamboo where the peg usually would go! The crowds gathered and we started the JESUS film.
While the film was showing I rounded up the visitors and set them off with the tents to prepare our accommodation for the night. We were to be camped out in the yard of the village elder. All 40 of us. In 7 tents… Some of the pastors went to prepare our evening meal – spaghetti and tuna! They cooked over an open fire under a grass hut that had no walls, using a candle for light.
I wandered back to the truck, there was no one looking after the sound system – fortunately all the people were engrossed in the film so no one had touched it. I sat down to write a bit, and after a few minutes felt my capalana (a piece of cloth that is wrapped around you like a skirt. Woman are required to wear one to church, and as a sign of respect we also wear them when we go into the villages) move in the wind. It did it again and I shone my torch down to my foot. There were 3 little worms nudging at my foot!!!!! I got up really fast.
After the film was done there was some preaching and then the visitors prayed for some people – the language barrier is really tough, and I havnt as yet been able to speak to anyone to hear what happened, but I’m sure that something did! We packed up and I was able to crawl into bed at about 11:30pm, hard ground had never felt so good!
Everyone fit into the tents, with room to spare and by 6am the camp was buzzing with life again.
Breakfast was sweet sweet sweet tea, with a breadroll and 2 bananas.
There was a baptism scheduled in the river, and all the visitors went – I stayed, I had to set up the sound system for the church service, and from past experience I know that when they say, “The river is close, maybe 30 minutes walk” it means its far, and will be more than 30 minutes away! The sun is burning down, and its only 7am!
Erika, one of the GO Team members also stayed, she was helping the pastors preparing the meals – and after I had set up the sound system I wandered over and watched our lunch being made. They had slaughtered a lamb/sheep and half of it was laying in a basket in the sun, a pastor sharpened the ‘panga’ and dragged a log from the fire. He placed a piece of cardboard under the log and sat on his haunches in the dust and hacked the meat into pieces. Bone, cartlidge, fat, meat – chop chop chop. There were bits of bone fragments flying thru the air, and more than once I had to wipe bloody juice from my arm. Meat fell in the dust, and flies were buzzing excitedly around the basket. After all the meat was chopped, water was brought from the river and each piece was patiently washed. The liver and kidney they kept to cook as a special treat for themselves – they were left laying in the basket till later and I could hardly see the dark meat for the flies crawling over it. Lunch was to be rice and beans, with lamb. I was given about 8 heads of garlic to peel and then Erika used a pestle and mortar to crush it.
The baptisms were done and I had to abandon the cooking to go do sound for church. They were officially opening and dedicating the new building, and they had made a front door and decorated the lintel with palm leaves and flowers. The whole building is about 5m by 10m, made of red clay bricks with a grass roof.
Everyone gathered outside the front, and I extended a microphone cable to fit past the 10cm gap either side of the door so that the pastor could be heard. The ribbon was cut and the door opened! Quickly the room was packed, with loads of people standing outside looking in. I had set up 3 speakers: one inside the church, and one on either side outside the church!
The service lasted about 3 hours!
It was pretty amazing to hear how the pastor that had planted this church had actually come to this village and had gone door to door evangelising the people. One of the first converts is to be the Pastor of this church!
Lunch was actually pretty good – I am a seasoned missionary now, and had remembered to pack a spoon (none of the visitors had, and they had to eat with their fingers!). Everyone is so grimy – I had long gotten over being grossed out at the thought of eating with dirty hands, God just has to protect me! I have wet wipes, but all they really do is spread the dirt around! ☺
We were packed and ready for the drive back by about 2pm – we had 6 extra people with us on the back, and I was sitting with my legs to my chest for the whole drive home. My back was hitting the side of the truck over each ditch in the road and even the pillow I was sitting on wasn’t enough for me not to feel the metal tent poles I was sitting on.
But we made it home, it was 7ish when we arrived and after I had made sure all the visitors got off with their luggage, all the sound equipment and tents were locked away, I went to my little house and poured a bucket of lovely cool water over my head.
Friday, February 10, 2006
More Photos!
This is how we fill our buckets of water for the day!
Sewing Lessons for the Ladies
My Little House and the Water Tank that supplies water to the whole base
The Kitchen where I stay, We can be sharing it with up to 11 people
Sewing Lessons for the Ladies
My Little House and the Water Tank that supplies water to the whole base
The Kitchen where I stay, We can be sharing it with up to 11 people
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Photos!
The New Centre, some of the Accomodation/Office Block houses
The Dining Hall/Kitchen Area
Work in Progress - The room on the right will be where all the sound equipment will be stored.
The Children eating Lunch
The Dining Hall/Kitchen Area
Work in Progress - The room on the right will be where all the sound equipment will be stored.
The Children eating Lunch
Monday, February 06, 2006
My Contact Details
Telephone Numbers
Moz Cell Phone: +258 82 550 9842
SA Cell Phone: +27 72 842 8181
Email
neekeeko@gmail.com - my personal email address
irisaudio@gmail.com - for audio related emails
Bank Details
South Africa
Bank: ABSA
Account number: 38000224976
Branch code: 336 445
Swift Code (for international transfers): ABSAZAJJ
United Kingdom
Bank: NatWest
Account Number: 51090201
Sort Code: 60-15-33
Swift Code: NWBKGB2L
PayPal (International)
neekeeko@gmail.com
Please include your name in the 'comments' section, so I at least know who to thank!
Moz Cell Phone: +258 82 550 9842
SA Cell Phone: +27 72 842 8181
neekeeko@gmail.com - my personal email address
irisaudio@gmail.com - for audio related emails
Bank Details
South Africa
Bank: ABSA
Account number: 38000224976
Branch code: 336 445
Swift Code (for international transfers): ABSAZAJJ
United Kingdom
Bank: NatWest
Account Number: 51090201
Sort Code: 60-15-33
Swift Code: NWBKGB2L
PayPal (International)
neekeeko@gmail.com
Please include your name in the 'comments' section, so I at least know who to thank!
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Outreach
Thursday night we went on outreach to a village just outside Pemba, one flatbed truck, a 4x4, a sound system, about 50 people and a Jesus film (translated into Makua), and we saw God move amongst the people of the village. It was my first such outreach and will not be my last! The journey in was exciting, 40 people sitting on the back of an open flatbed truck driving down a dirt track for an hour, at least it didn't rain!!!!
There were many kids when we arrived, the pastors had broken into song just as we reached the village and the kids were waving and running to great us, it was amazing, it made me smile! The sound system was rigged quite quickly, but the condition of the equipment, ouch! At least it all works and thats the main thing, looks are not everything! We struggled to get the VCR/DVD player going, there was sound but no picture when we played a video, eventually after about an hour we tried to see if the DVD worked and YAY! It did, so we could start the film. I have never seen the -Jesus- film before, the one that is translated into most of the worlds languages, it was pretty good, the people loved it, they loved seeing the little fishing boats that the disciples used, they are very similar to the ones they use here in northern Mozambique!
After the film Heidi Baker preached a short message, and invited all the sick to come to the front, especially the deaf people. Only ONE child was brought forward. Heidi prayed and her ears were opened!!! What an awesome God we serve. After that more where brought and Heidi sat down right next to the sound desk, next to me and prayed for some more children, in total 6 deaf could hear and one girl, about 14 years old was deaf and mute - she could hear and speak!!! Her face shone as she smiled, it was amazing to see how Jesus touched her! I am not sure what other miracles happened that night, I was next to Heidi which is why I saw these 6, but I know that there were more! We packed up everything and shipped back home we got in at about 11:30pm (we had left at 4pm) exhausted and ready for bed. Thank you Jesus!
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