A year ago on August 13th, 2008 we had sat with the whole team in Mario's little office in Goiania, discussing the strategies we would be using in our ministry as Africa Mobile Team. We also had to decide on a date when we would could fly together...we saw no reason why we couldn't set the date to EXACTLY a year from then! So August 13th 2009 came around, Junio and Lorena went ahead to meet us in Sao Paulo, Marcello meet us there as well, and Rogerio and Gabryella had actually left just a few days after our meeting and were at the airport to greet us when we arrived! At last...It has begun!!!
(Above)from left to right: Marcello, Rose (Junio's sister who came to visit), Viviane and Rodolpho (from YWAM Goiania. They just finished the English school and are moving to Angola as missionaries, Vivi is also pregnant!), Gabryella and Rogerio (Gaby is 4 months pregnant), Lika and Mario, and Junio and Lorena.
This is the YWAM base in Worcester, SA
Our home for the next month. Since the rest of the team will be living in South Africa, they have already started looking for housing outside the base and a vehicle, but this is our safe haven for now.
This is our room for the next month in the "Father's Mansion".
South Africa is nothing what one would expect of Africa...with it's magestic mountains, green pastures, it's wildlife, flowers, and increadible views, it breaks all paradox!
A zebra on the way to Cape Point...
Awesome and gifted birds...
Here we also drive on the "wrong side" of the car and of the road! It takes a couple days to get used to it.
Some things in life we will never quite understand, but we just have to trust that the Lord knows best. Lorena was about 9 weeks pregnant when she began to have some problems with bleeding so we rushed her to the hospital, when she got there the doctor told her that she had had a miscarriage! We were all shocked and deeply sadened, especially since Junio and Lorena had been trying to get pregnant for over a year!
It was very sad, but we all have admired how well she has done and how possitive her atitude has been. It has brought great peace to us all!
But please pray for them as I am sure it will still be tough for them for many months, especially as they watch the 4 other pregnant women on the base (and Gaby on the team), grow and have their babies.
A couple days after Lorena's loss we celebrated her 26th birthday with this little cake!
Every Thursday there is also a worship service at the base...
The awesome thing about serving Jesus is that whether you are seeing the suffering of poverty, or the riches of His creation...in each situation God makes us content!
And in comming to South Africa, just in this last week we have seen both of these extremes...
A singing group on the streets...
...even Penguins! Yes...Penguins in Africa!!!
beautiful beaches...
A walk to the very tip of Africa...
It takes anyone's breath away!!!
This past Sunday Mario and I visited a ministry for a local township run by a Korean pastor. Rogerio and Gabryela have been involved in that ministry.
This little guy couldn't stay away from Mario (and there is Rogerio behind him).
I was asked if I would give a short word to the mothers who participate in the project, so I shared a bit of my testimony and encouraged them to stay strong in the Lord.
We were a bit concerned with our contacts in Botswana, because the only way we could communicate was through email...one contact cancelled on us and we were getting no response on the other one!
But on Saturday we were able to meet with Lynette, who is working to start the first YWAM in Botswana. She had been there two weeks ago and spoke about us to a missionary couple in Mahalapye (in the center of Botswana) who were very excited to have us come. So now we are making plans to go there and stay with them for a month.
Keep posted for further updates!
