Hello from northern Mozambique!
Our last newsletter was just
before Thanksgiving, so we're a little overdue, but Alan has been blogging
quite a bit lately about ministry and our life here - PLEASE check out his recent
posts over the past couple months - you won't regret it!
Thanksgiving was a very fun, huge
party with other Americans in the area; we had over thirty people at our house,
and we enjoyed a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, a slip-n-slide, worship
together, a piñata bash, a dance party, and lots of Skype time with family
members in the States. December was a REALLY busy month for us; our
activities included a ten-day-stretch in which we kept the five children of
some missionary friends while they took a trip to Portugal to see a new mission
field. It was a circus with Alan and I
keeping tabs on eight children ages two to fourteen, but we had fun and we all
survived. We enjoyed a very restful,
peaceful, tropical Christmas and New Year's with our team.
The rains started in December,
and they didn't start timidly this year but with days and days of rain all in a
row, which is great for crops (but hard to get the laundry dry). Having more available fruit has helped us
bear the extra heat and humidity though: we had more mangoes in December and
early January than we could handle, vendors are now selling pineapples at the
market, and the vines in our yard are heavy with almost-ripe passion fruit. 
In December I picked up the pace
a bit with the women's studies in which I'm involved, both so our family could
take off for Christmas and so we could finish our studies before the ladies
needed to focus on their farms in January.
I spent the night out with women three different times (twice with study
groups and once for a girl's initiation ceremony). Then on January 4, all the women from the two
different groups came into town to finish our Sermon on the Mount study
together. All fourteen women
participated (with fourteen of their smallest children, as well!), and we
enjoyed studying, singing, dancing, eating, sleeping, laughing, and praying
together. We reviewed Jesus' words again
the next morning, and we practiced praying a blessing over each other for the
next few months. I treasure my time
studying Jesus' Kingdom words with those women; it is a privilege to share
their lives with them.
Most folks plant sometime in
December (corn, peanuts, beans, pumpkin, cucumbers, squash, rice,
sorghum). About half of the women from
north of town with whom I study move out to live in their fields during the
months of January to March because the baboons (and a few other small monkey
and rodent species) will steal and wreck their crops if they don't. So it is a natural time to take a break, and
our plan is to start studying together again in April, Lord willing, once most
of the harvest is in.
Over the past few months Alan has
continued to work with churches and church leaders in Makua-Metto land. Since our last newsletter he has taught at
least once in the following places:...(deep breath) Siwewe, Nkunama, Cambiri,
Marera, Nkororo, Pemba, Chipembe, Mwankina, Nekwaya, Namuno, Napai, Ntekiani,
Mirije, Nakuka, Omeringue, Chiure sede, Nacivare, Nrassi, and Namarekwa...(phew!).
Growing out of some interviews
Alan has done over the past few years he has been developing teaching materials
that address the intersection of divination, evil spirits and witchcraft in
this area. Our Mozambican friends are
surrounded by these practices and we've only recently felt like we've had
sufficient understanding and cultural capital to start addressing them. These lessons have provoked a lot of good
conversation and wrestling with what it means to be a child of God in this
context. It has been encouraging also
watching them pass on this teaching to others.
Recently Alan had planned to go out with Chad to teach on this subject with
church leaders in the Ancuabe district, but because of car repair issues, Cruz
and Armindo, two young men that Alan is discipling, taught it in his place and
did a great job! Not only has it been
encouraging to watch the churches wrestle with this issue, it also is good to
see young church leaders take initiative and ownership in passing on what they
are learning to others. 
Two weeks ago we enjoyed our
annual team retreat in Pemba. We
discovered a new place to stay right on the beach (but a little further outside
of town), and we had several focused days of planning together. We have found that it's very helpful to get
away together (Pemba is about 200km from Montepuez) so we can have uninterrupted
and focused time to look at our vision as a team and to spend some time praying
and playing together!
We've had a few days lately when
we've felt a little discouraged and weary; this time of year is hard for
everyone; the increase in mosquitoes brings an increase in malaria, and the
increase in flies brings an increase in diarrhea, pinkeye, and skin infections. SO many people are sick right now, and it's
sad. This is also the last 6-8 weeks
before people can start harvesting some fresh corn, and so a lot of people are
hungry, too. The roads are a muddy mess
with huge ruts gashed through them from rain runoff, and it makes travel longer
and more painful as we are thrown around in the car. So we pray for healing and we help our
friends buy grain and we all watch the corn grow taller, knowing that in a few
weeks, Lord willing, we'll be eating fresh roasted corn together.
Our girls have enjoyed playing in
the rain and mud and eating mangoes nonstop.
We were blessed to receive a number of Christmas care packages with LOTS
OF BOOKS for the girls, which they were SO excited about! Ellie has now joined Abby as a devourer-of-chapter-books
- we are ALWAYS on the lookout for new chapter books if you have any to
recommend! They LOVE their teachers Kara
and Rebekah (and we do, too!), and they love school. Katie turned three a couple weeks ago, and is
quite the snuggler.
As we close, we'd love for you to
join us in praying over these requests:
For the rains to continue steadily through March but without flooding
For healing for those who are sick right now
For vision and wisdom as we disciple and mentor
For God's Kingdom to come here in this corner of the world
For the truck and the pump on the well as both have been breaking a lot lately
Please know that you are loved
and missed!
Much peace to you,
Rachel and Alan
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