I had been trying to arrange a trip out to Lichinga for a while, and after our stay there with the extended outreach in December 07, I was even more excited about getting a sound system out to them. I was putting together a system for them from repaired bits and pieces, BUT most of the stuff was down in South Africa… our pilot had to fly down to SA to meet with the guy who imported his plane, and I took the opportunity to send some broken stuff down to SA, and then brought back a pile of repaired sound systems. I am so grateful for that little Cessna 206!!!
With the system now in Pemba I just had to work out when would be the best time for me to make the trip out to the other side of the country – it’s a 18 hour drive, and with the rainy season some bridges had become bit rickety… I ventured a thought – maybe we could fly there??? When I put the question to the pilot he was more than willing!!
Initially we planned to do a day trip, there and back in one day, but I really wanted to stay for one night at least and go with the Lichinga’ites on an outreach to make sure that they knew how it all fits together.
We had it all planned, date set everything, when we heard that there was a bit of a hassle with renewing the plane’s permit – so we had to postpone the trip for a week. Finally the day dawned and we were off!!
It’s only a 3 hour flight from Pemba to Lichinga by little plane, and it was a smooth ride above the clouds.
We landed at the airport and the guys from the Iris base were there to meet us and help unload the plane.
It was so chilly there! Such a difference especially compared to a hot humid Pemba, and I was glad that I’d brought my thick fleece hoody.
The house they are staying in is really close to the airport,
so I walked back to the base with Jesse & Tanya, while Peter waited with the car, for Joe to file the flight plan for the next day.
I did a quick training session with everyone – they had all been to Holy Given in Pemba and had used the systems on outreach, so this was just a little refresher course.
The twins took us to see the actual base they were building on the Iris property (the farmhouse we were staying in was on loan from their neighbour), and it is amazing!
It feels like you are in the middle of nowhere, just mountains in the distance as far as the eye can see. It is so easy to forget that there is a bustling city and airport just 10mins down the road.
It was great to catch up with all the Lichinga’ites, but after lunch it was siesta time – we were only heading out at 5pm that afternoon for the outreach, and it would be a later-than-usual night, so everyone got some rest.
A missionary couple that are working with another organisation were letting us use their vehicles to transport the equipment and people – they were very interested to see an Iris outreach in action…
The village was not very far away, just maybe 15mins, but they had been waiting for nearly a year now to see the Jesus film! The village chief was very friendly and the people quite respectful – giving us space to setup, and waiting patiently. --generator-- As usual the music attracted the crowd and just before sunset the pastor started to preach. Because Lichinga is at high altitude, and quite mountainous it gets really cold here at night – so outreach is flipped around: first the preaching and the gospel THEN the movie. Then some more preaching afterwards…
We were in a Yao village, a people who during the slave trading years were used by the Arabs to capture and sell other tribes in the area into slavery. They are a very powerful people, but despised.
The night air got colder and colder, and after a while I wished I had proper shoes on, and not just my flip flops – looking out into the crowd I could only just image how cold the kids were in their threadbare clothes. So when the movie ended it was no surprise that the majority of the crowd disappeared to the warmth of their houses, and only about 30 people stayed to hear the repeated message and altar call. There were a number of salvations, and plans were made to return a few days later and begin discipleship.
I love the way they work here – it’s not about hitting a village and then counting the raised hands so that the next newsletter can sound impressive, it’s really about raising up and discipling people; forming personal relationships and working consistently with them to help the whole community – because once the whole community has been raised up, and taught, THEY go out and take the Good News to the neighbouring villages, and they are the example that is followed. It is really a longer-term vision, but personally, I think it’s more effective.
Back to the farmhouse and a great meal of spicy pasta and a homemade coffee, nutmeg & cinnamon cake that was baked over a coal burner, delicious! They have no running water or electricity there, so we had good fellowship by candlelight!
We set off the next morning as soon as the airport opened at 7am (which meant we were at the plane at 6am). The return flight was just as uneventful; we were home in time for lunch!
