June 13 - More New Friends

Left to right, Donovan Drake, Tom Widmer, Nedson Zulu, Berry Long, Tom McDow reviewing plans for Leadership Training Center

We checked out of Tete City and headed back toward the Malawi border. Our first stop was at the Kapirzanji Church. Although not far off the road, the pathway to the church was quite narrow and rutty. But we emerged upon the church, again greeted by our enthusiastic friends and their beautiful, melodic singing. They led us into the church, singing and dancing joyfully to the Lord. You could feel the Holy Spirit entering with us! Inside, more dancing and singing and praising. It's easy to forget they are speaking a different language as we come together as one.

We left there richer for having met our new friends. We headed down the paved road for Tchessa, the site of the Leadership Training Center under construction. Currently, church leaders in Mozambique must travel to Malawi, often walking or riding a bicycle and having to cross the border. The new Center, centrally located in Tete Province, will be easy to travel to, with a kitchen and sleeping rooms and power and running water. It will be an incredible blessing to the church in Mozambique and the people. Funds are still being raised to complete the project. Once raised, it will take approximately six months to complete.

Grace Chitwood visiting with friends at church

When we approached the Tchessa site, we didn't expect anyone to be there. But word got around that we were coming, so to our surprise, the villagers turned out! They were extremely grateful for the new church building (which will double as a classroom), a new well and the expectation of the new training center. Lives are being changed and people are coming to Christ because of the Holistic Evangelism Project. Some of those changed lives are our own.

We left Tchessa headed for the infamous Zobue Motel, our night's accommodations at the Mozambique/Malawi border. Calling it a "motel" gives it more credit than it deserves, as there is no running water, occasional electricity, no toilet seats –  you get the picture! But we considered it an adventure and were waiting for our trip leaders, Berry and Elizabeth, to give out buttons saying, "I survived the Zobue Motel."

We were hosted for dinner by Rev. Carlos, one of the four pastors serving the 70+ churches. The women of the Zobue Church prepared a dinner of goat, chicken, greens, white sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, okra, peanut butter and pumpkin greens, nsima (grits-like dish), rice, beans and more! It was the most delicious meal we've eaten, thanks to the generosity of the church women. We returned to the Zobue Motel, delighted that the electricity was on. But for how long?