Day 2: Full of Welcoming and Joy!

It took us about five hours to reach the Mozambique border today and then another 30 minutes to reach our first destination:  Chikoti Church in Villanova.  The church members were out in full force, meeting us on the road, greeting us with big smiles and singing.  They ran with us the last mile of our trek and welcomed us with warm handshakes and more singing as we piled out of the cars.  What followed was a joyous celebration in a packed church.  All of us said that although it had taken many hours on an extremely rough road to get there, we were so glad we came to visit them.  Before we left there, they had given us a goat, a chicken and some fish!

Our next stop was a few miles away to visit Njanjanja Church that had been started by the Chikoti Church.  Again, we were greeted long before we got there with joyous singing and were escorted to the church building.  This church has a very small mud-walled building and a thatch roof.  Part of the wall has washed away in the rains and will soon need to be replaced.

Members of the church had brought in chairs so that we, the honored guests, would have seats.  Again, we heard beautiful African hymns sung in true African harmony.

Both churches thanked us profusely for coming to see them and spoke of how our visit encouraged them.  What a blessing they are to us.  These are memories that only God could make and that will last a lifetime.

The Mozambique Team

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