Jorgina at the machine...

It has been really cool to see how God has used Lisa’s love for sewing and crafts as a means to get to know the ladies here.  At first it started out as what seemed like a “simple” project to a project that has taken several months so far.  Lisa accepted the task of sewing 250 small pre-school uniforms that look like a little apron with a pocket on the front.  Her idea was to be able to teach a couple of ladies how to sew as well as help them make a little bit of money for their families. The dead line to have them all finished has come and gone and they still have just under 100 more to make. The project was a lot more time consuming than they thought besides the fact that a part in Lisa’s sewing machine got broken.  The ladies have been very faithful to stick to it and have really learned a lot. At least one of the ladies is very interested in possibly taking a course in sewing. Lisa has learned a lot as well through the opportunity to use Portuguese as well as be a mentor to the ladies in areas of life other than just sewing. We look forward to have the uniform project done but I have a feeling this only the beginning of other sewing projects!

Anifa working the iron.

The finished product...

When I first get to the office in the morning I usually have a few moments to check e mails quickly to see if there are any finance requests or new orders for supplies before the busyness of the day begins. By 8:00 am the rest of the staff is in and it is time for our daily staff prayer time. Before we get busy “serving” the Lord we pause to find out what is going on in each others lives that need prayer as well as praying for our co-workers. We acknowledge our dependency on the Lord to accomplish the many tasks for the day realizing that without His wisdom and strength our efforts are pretty worthless. What a great way to set the tone for the rest of the day!

Our Prayer File

Enjoying Christmas with the Hendersons

After seven months here in Mozambique that has included many new experiences, more than enough moves, several trips and the busyness of the end of year activities (whew) we are finally feeling like we are in a “routine”. I would not describe it as a “rut” yet but at least we are feeling a lot more comfortable and it is becoming more and more like “home”.  I would like to try to describe to you what our daily routine looks like for a couple of reasons.  First, we would like you to be able to imagine what we are doing while you pray for us. Second, we want to dispel any ideas that our lives are glamorous and/or adventurous. I will break it up into several entries so that you don’t spill coffee on the computer, falling asleep as you read.

My day begins right around 5:00 am by getting out of bed, ducking out from under the mosquito net and stumbling out of the air conditioned bedroom into the rest of the house that is usually already feeling warm and humid. The only exception would be if we had rain the day before or during the night.  My first activity of the day is to spend some time exercising.  It still amazes me how much perspiration pours out no matter how short or long the work out. I am still hoping to be able to play some soccer here but I need to be somewhat in shape when that happens. After exercising and getting myself ready, I am able to enjoy some coffee with a piece of Portuguese bread then before I head to the office some quiet time with Lord. I guess I use the term “quiet time” because I am interacting and communicating with Him throughout the day but this is the time where I do my best to lock everything else out and focus on Him. This is one part of my routine that I really don’t want to be just “routine”.  No matter how long I have been serving the Lord, the tendency is to read the words of Scripture and not relate to the Author. Way to easy to recite prayer requests than to speak to our Father. Over the past few months it has been encouraging to read and meditate on Isaiah, Lamentations, Acts, Hebrews and now Ezekiel. It is hard to speak of any one thing that God has been teaching me but He always seems to have the right words for me on days that I need them most.

After a time of both physical and spiritual nourishment it is about 7:30 am and time to head to the office…

Taking time away from the "routine".

Table is set!

There is absolutely nothing other than our American calendar that reminds us that Thanksgiving and Christmas are upon us.  No holiday decorations in the stores, cheery Christmas tunes on the radio or Salvation Army volunteers ringing their bells. Instead of long sleeves and jackets for the cooler temperatures we are experiencing indoor temperatures of 90 degrees or higher. But even though we are a very long way from our family and the normal Thanksgiving context we were able to enjoy a pretty traditional Thanksgiving dinner with some of our co-workers.

First of all we celebrated on Saturday since Thursday was a normal work and school day here in Mozambique.  Turkey was substituted by chicken, due to the high prices but we had most of the other traditional trimmings such as stuffing, mashed potatoes, dinner rolls, green beans and baked corn. After dinner we enjoyed watching a football game via the internet in air conditioning. Some of us really enjoyed the game others mostly enjoyed the air conditioning.  It was definitely a special treat. For dessert we enjoyed apple and pumpkin (squash) pies, banana bread and of course coffee. Don’t get me wrong…we are not longing to be back in the US but it is always nice to experience a little bit of “home” now and again.

Ready to dig in!

Enjoying some football...

No matter where or how we celebrate Thanksgiving, it is always profitable to pause and consider all the things we are thankful for.  Especially during the season of “Wish Lists”. This time last year we were only “dreaming” about being in Mozambique and had no idea if it would turn into reality. We are very thankful for all the Lord did to make it all happen and for the way He has sustained us these past four months.

One huge blessing this year is being able to finally settle into one place for a while.  We have been playing musical homes since we left Missouri in May.  It is nice to be able to settle in for the next couple of years. We are thankful for the space which allows Lisa to have a craft room and a guest room for anyone that would like to come for a visit.  We are thankful for being in the part of the city that gets water consistently after being in places where we were excited when water came in more than once a week. Of course when the electricity goes off our electric pump can’t get the water to us but so far that has not been too much of a problem.

As far as ministry goes, we are thankful that Lisa has been able to slowly get back into language learning and I am very thankful for co-workers who continue to do a good job of training me in the office. I will pretty much be in charge of everything that goes on in the office next month.  It is pretty amazing that our “dream” is quickly becoming a reality and even though we still have a lot to learn and still do not know all the ways He wants to use us here in ministry we are thankful for the opportunity to be used of Him.

Hard at work!

]]> http://blogs.ntm.org/jonathan-parker/blog/2011/11/27/thanksgiving/feed/ 0 http://blogs.ntm.org/jonathan-parker/blog/2011/10/22/community/ http://blogs.ntm.org/jonathan-parker/blog/2011/10/22/community/#comments Sat, 22 Oct 2011 20:19:52 +0000 Jonathan and Lisa Parker http://blogs.ntm.org/jonathan-parker/?p=812

Enjoying a Sunday meal with everyone at our place.

I can’t really say enough about how blessed we are to be part of our small church community.  It has not taken long for us to realize how important “community” is here in Mozambique.  We have seen the church body rally around its members for happy occasions like weddings and very difficult times such as funerals as well as lending a hand for special projects. It is pretty much expected that folks participate or at the very least give a monetary donation to help. I was told after attending a couple funerals that if one expects to have others come along side and help when there is a death in the family, than it is extremely important to be there for others, even if it means dropping all ones plans for the day at a moment’s notice.  I believe it is a good example of the way the Body of Christ should function. On the other side of the coin we have seen how joining the church community is more for the “physical” benefit than as a follower of Jesus. Sounds a bit like some of the people during Jesus’ time on earth. Anyhow, I thank the Lord for the opportunity to function as a part of the church body here in Mozambique and trust the Lord to be able to participate even more in the future as we continue to learn the culture and language.

Church work day - replacing the thatch around the restroom.

Machetes make great shovels...

Adding the thatch...

A job well done!

]]> http://blogs.ntm.org/jonathan-parker/blog/2011/10/22/community/feed/ 0 http://blogs.ntm.org/jonathan-parker/blog/2011/09/29/our-visit-to-the-indian-ocean/ http://blogs.ntm.org/jonathan-parker/blog/2011/09/29/our-visit-to-the-indian-ocean/#comments Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:48:00 +0000 Jonathan and Lisa Parker http://blogs.ntm.org/jonathan-parker/?p=802

It is no surprise that living and serving the Lord in a foreign country, especially in the beginning does have “down sides”. But I must admit that there are “up sides” as well.  For instance, we have had the privilege of seeing many beautiful sights and experiencing special things in our 26 years of ministry.  We were blessed this past weekend to enjoy the beauty of the Indian Ocean that is just under 200 kilometers from where we are currently living (approximately 124 miles for our friends in the USA). We had not been out of the city since our arrival about ten weeks prior until we received a last minute invitation to accompany our co-workers, Pete and Charity with their three kids to the beach for the weekend.  It took us about two and a half hours on mostly asphalted road to get there. Our accommodations were modest yet adequate and best of all very close to the beach. I am pretty sure I have never been in such clear blue ocean water or walked in such fine white sand before. What a beautiful setting to get a little R & R from the city and enjoy great fellowship with our co-workers.  Spending time at the ocean always seems to draw my attention to our powerful Creator God; everything from the mighty ocean itself to the many beautiful sea creatures and especially the beautiful sunrises. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and came back on Monday, a holiday here, refreshed and grateful for the Lord’s goodness in allowing us to enjoy a special “perk” of serving Him here in Southeast Africa. Thanks Pete and Charity for letting us “tag” along.

Enjoying an early morning walk on the beach with my Creator!

Need I say more?

We have a special little visitor that comes with his mom several times a week to help Lisa with Portuguese. Instead of getting strapped into a car seat he gets tied to his mom’s back for the 10 to 15 minute walk to our house. By the time they get here Samuel is usually asleep but tends to wake up once the lessons start.  He is only a few months old but he lies quietly for the most part unless he decides it is time to nurse.

Lisa with Samuel at the wedding

We first met Jorgina and Samuel at church and then again at the wedding we attended soon after our arrival. Lisa attached herself pretty quickly to little Samuel especially since we left our own little grandson behind not long ago. She has really enjoyed being able to hold and care for him as well picking up a few things at the Sunday market for him. How cool that the Lord knew we would have someone here to dote on and spoil a little bit.

I am reminded of the promise that the Lord Jesus gave His followers in Matthew 19:29 “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life.”

No matter what sacrifice is involved in serving Him it is impossible to out give our faithful God!

Samuel "helping" mom with the lesson...

Imbondeiro tree

One thing that we are learning here in Africa is that prayer is an important part of life. Often at 4:30 am and throughout the day we hear a call for “prayer” coming from different areas in the community. Our church has scheduled prayer meeting three times a week to specifically pray for Africa, our country, city, neighborhood and church family.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays prayer time begins at 5:00 am and for those who can’t make it during the week there is a Sunday afternoon meeting. I have been going on Thursday mornings. Even though only a couple of us have been in attendance it has been a special time of seeking the Lord together and getting to one another better.  I am thankful the church is only a 10-minute walk from our house. I walk past a public high school on my way to and from the church and there is usually quite a bit of activity going on early in the morning.  On my way back last Thursday I walked by two teenage young men dressed in their school uniforms who were hanging out underneath one of the “Imbondeiro” trees that are growing in the street.  One of the young men was sitting on a root with his head bowed towards the tree while the other was standing nearby apparently waiting for his friend.  Even though I am still learning about these things, I am pretty positive this was another kind of “prayer meeting”.

Driving between the sacred trees...

We have been told that the “Imbondeiro” tree is sacred; so much so that it won’t be cut down even if it happens to be growing in the street.   We have had a couple people tell us that it is common for people to bring food or other items to the tree as an offering to their dead ancestors if things are not going well in their lives. They trust that their ancestors will somehow be able to change their fortune and make them successful or healthy whatever the request may be.  I was impressed with the young man’s diligence but was saddened to think that here I was leaving a time of prayer to a living, caring, almighty Father who is willing and ABLE to answer prayer and this young man would leave his prayer time no better off (maybe even worse off) than he was before. We continue to ask God to help us understand the belief system and worldview of those around us so that we can better communicate truth when God gives us opportunity.

Trying to squeeze a few more in the chapa...

Yesterday was a holiday to commemorate the city’s birthday so we asked our friends Michel and Margarida along with Jordina if they would be willing to accompany us into the city to observe and participate in some of the special activities. We left to catch a ride on a chapa around 8:00 am. We got off the chapa at the “Park of Heroes” where we followed the crowd to the center where we waited for quite a while for the ceremonies to begin.  After about an hour or so a ceremony began in which local authorities, military personnel, local police and special guests walked up single file to place flowers at the foot of a memorial for those who had fought for independence.

Let the ceremony begin...

The  military band played various numbers through out the whole time as the rest of us stood and watched. After it was over we took some time to walk around the park, take some pictures and then we hiked through the city by all the closed stores and shops to the municipal building where the rest of the activities would take place.  By the time we arrived the crowd had pretty much closed off the view for about everyone but me and those who were able to climb up in one of the trees that lined the street.  I was very thankful for my height as I was able to stand behind everyone and hold my camera up over my head to get some photos.

The gathering of leaders and special guests

The local police force paraded in front of the local dignitaries and special guests after which each one was given an opportunity to greet the crowd. Once the final greeting was made there were some groups that presented cultural dances for entertainment. The morning festivities ended around noon so we headed home.  All in all it was a fun morning where we were able to get to know the city and some of its history better, interact with our new friends and definitely enjoy more African culture.

Lisa at the memorial of the Heroes

Note to self...don't agree to take kids picture near a special site again

Face Painting

Lisa with Jordina & Margarida

Best seats in the house

All dressed for the occasion

No city celebration complete without Clowns...

Our church is only a few blocks from our house

Now that we have been here for just over a month we are beginning to feel a bit more at home.  We have had several opportunities to walk around the neighborhood for various reasons such as going to catch a “chapa” ride into the city, going to church, going to market or just taking time to meet new people.

The very first people we met were Claudio and Femida who own a small store right across the street from us.  It has been super convenient to

Claudio & Femida's store

have a place so close that we can buy groceries in a pinch but more importantly Lisa has begun to develop a friendship with Femida.  After a few days we were invited to see their house and it wasn’t long after she found out that we did not have an oven that she offered us to use hers when we needed to bake something. Since Claudio is working out of the country for a while, Femida has to work the store on her own so Lisa goes over and sits with her to keep her company.

Jose is a man I met one day I was out just taking some photos around the neighborhood.  He was sitting under a tree, in the street, selling some little donut like things.  I stopped to talk with him for a while and found out he works for the lady that makes them.  He is married and has a couple small children.  Since then I have had the opportunity to stop and talk with him and he always seems to enjoy my visit.

Juma's welding shop

Juma is a welder who set up a small shop under a thatch roof on the street corner across from our house.  His main project is making charcoal stoves that are used by most people here. Occasionally someone will stop with a quick project for him.  We hear a lot metal banging which makes it hard to know if someone is knocking at our gate.  Anyhow, I stopped to meet him and talk with him just the other day and I found out that he is quite friendly and enjoys talking.  We ended up talking for about an hour about our families and about life here in Africa and the USA.

We know the Lord does not bring people into our lives by chance so we want to continue to pursue deeper relationships which will not only help us learn more about life here and feel more at home but also be an avenue of sharing the Lord Jesus.

Where I first met Jose, under one of the two sacred trees left in the street