MakuaTeam-JourneyToMozambique

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=1 BGCOLOR="#FFFFCC" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="f04c8c83.jpg"> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=479 BGCOLOR="#FFFFCC" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="f04c8c83.jpg"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="800" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=3 HEIGHT= 197 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="f9921b00.png" border=0 width="801" height="176" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 254 ><NOBR><div>  <script type="text/javascript" src="milonic_src.js"> </script> <div class=milonic><a href="http://www.milonic.com/">JavaScript Menu, DHTML Menu Powered By Milonic</a> </div> <script type="text/javascript"> if(ns4)_d.write("<scr"+"ipt type=text/javascript src=mmenuns4.js><\/scr"+"ipt>"); else _d.write("<scr"+"ipt type=text/javascript src=mmenudom.js><\/scr"+"ipt>"); </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="menu_data_Journey.js"> </script>  </div> <bR> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP ROWSPAN=6 WIDTH="478"><div> <B> <A NAME="our_journey"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><FONT SIZE="4" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Poor Richard" ><B>Our Journey To Mozambique</B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> We are blessed to be here as a team of three families committed to working together to share the message of new life in God's Kingdom among the Makua-Metto.  We have seen threads of God's hand in the tapestry of our lives, influencing us to take the steps that have become this journey to working in Mozambique.  There is not room enough here to tell all the stories of God working to shape and purify each of us through all those influences, so here we will share only a brief history of how God has shaped us as a team and how he has brought us here.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="126b01010.png" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> We all met at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas, though we arrived there from many other places.  Initially coming together through meetings for people interested in mission work in Africa, over a span of a year or two we decided to form a team to do church-planting work.  Over the next several years, we focused on team dynamics, continuing to study missions, and praying for a location/people in Africa to work with.  In addition, we all were working full time or starting/finishing degrees to further our educations.  After much prayer and research into several people groups, eventually a decision was made to work among the Makua people of northern Mozambique.  By the time we left the United States in 2003 for language school in Portugal, we were then a team of six families, we had all been to Africa on an internship, and we all had sponsoring churches.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="126b01010.png" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> After nine months of Portuguese language study in Lisbon, we left Portugal for Mozambique in December 2003.  Our first year in Mozambique was a bumpy ride, with many significant events that we did not expect, including being instructed by the local government to leave and wait in a neighboring province until granted approval to return to Montepuez, followed by two families deciding to live and work in another province.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="126b01010.png" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> We rejoiced to receive government approval to move back to Montepuez in July 2005.  For two years much of our time was spent immersed in language and culture acquisition, while maintaining government relations, becoming part of our community, and beginning to work with churches as well.  In addition, the drought at the end of 2005 and early 2006 produced a hunger season much worse than normal, and many of you gave generously; we facilitated the purchase and distribution of grain with the over $30,000 that was given.  God loves to show his love through his children!</div> <bR> <div> We have seen the number of churches more than double in the last four years, and we are excited to watch God working through his Spirit in his people, and humbled that we are able to participate!  Also, with the purchase of a large plot of land in early 2009, we have also begun a small non-profit business and are starting to develop the land as an appropriate technology/sustainable agriculture resource center.  In addition, the Roland family decided in 2009 to not return to Mozambique for the health of their family; they are very missed!</div> <bR> <div> In everything we do we are driven by hope - hope in God's working to redeem and reconcile all creation to himself, including the Makua-Metto people of northern Mozambique.  We are humbled and amazed to participate in His work.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="10dfa1d50.jpg" border=0 width="161" height="213" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 120 WIDTH="161"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="120" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="161" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="161"><div> <B>Team Training at Equip International 2002</B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 126 WIDTH="161"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="126" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="161" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="fa5a1780.jpg" border=0 width="161" height="120" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 92 WIDTH="161"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="92" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="161" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="161"><div> <B>Church & Family Retreat September 2002</B></div> <bR> <bR> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=BOTTOM HEIGHT= 130 WIDTH="161"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="130" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="161" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="fa7a57c0.jpg" border=0 width="165" height="124" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=BOTTOM HEIGHT= 274 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="#top" TITLE="MakuaTeamJourneyToMozambique"><IMG SRC="122c96320.gif" border=0 width="150" height="50" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="161"><div> <B>Language Study in Lisbon, Portugal 2003</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=BOTTOM HEIGHT= 16 WIDTH="161"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="16" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="161" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=BOTTOM WIDTH="478"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="16" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="478" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=BOTTOM WIDTH="161"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="16" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="161" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=BOTTOM HEIGHT= 48 WIDTH="161"><div> Menu by <A HREF="http://www.milonic.com" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.milonic.com">milonic.com</A></div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=BOTTOM COLSPAN=2 WIDTH="641"><div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="MakuaTeamHomePage">Home</A> |  <A HREF="home_ourvision.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="MakuaTeamOurVision">Our Vision</A> | <A HREF="home_ourcontext.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="MakuaTeamOur Context">Our Context</A> | <B>Our Journey</B></div> <div> <A HREF="http://makuateam.org/MT/Howells/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://makuateam.org/MT/Howells/">The Howell's</A> | <A HREF="http://makuateam.org/MT/Smiths/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://makuateam.org/MT/Smiths/">The Smith's</A> | <A HREF="http://makuateam.org/MT/Westerholms/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://makuateam.org/MT/Westerholms/">The Westerholm's</A></div> <div> <A HREF="home_videos.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="MakuaTeamVideos">Videos</A> | <A HREF="home_comevisitus.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="MakuaTeamComeVisitUs">Come Visit Us</A> | <A HREF="home_sendapackage.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="MakuaTeamSendPackage">Sending a Packa</A><A HREF="home_sendapackage.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="MakuaTeamSendPackage">ge</A> | <A HREF="home_aboutmozambique.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="MakuaTeamAboutMozambique">About Mozambique</A> | <A HREF="home_links.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="MakuaTeamLinks">Links</A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div>  <A NAME="top"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> </td> </tr></table></body>