Hhhmmm.... Well time for an update everyone!
So, I'm still living in the old Portuguese house with the other missionaries. God hasn't released me to leave, however, I often spend the nights with my friends in the Mafalala. I think Father still want's me here, and is using this time to teach me about honor, and how to honor ALL of the people around me.
So working with the street boys is awesome, though very tiring sometimes! I love them alot, even just now I got up to go let a boy come in and get some clean water to drink. The organization I'm working with, Masana, is a Mozambique run ministry that focus on taking boys off the street and back to their families. While it feels heart wrenching at times, we only let them come here during the day, unless of course, they are sick. This is because, most of them have run away from their families and if we made things to nice here, they would never want to return. Hence the organization focuses on long term goals, teaching the boys basic reading skills and Bible knowledge, preparing them to go back to their families. We then help their families financially so that their child can go to school and continue to live with them. Right now, two of the missionaries I work with are out in the bush near XaiXai, returning two boys, Felix and Denese to their families. It's a sorta happy sad thing-but mostly happy. Anyways, working with Masana is awesome but tiring. Sometimes boys will come up to you and just smack you right in the stomach... it's their way of getting attention. The best defense is to grab their arms and start tickling till they fall to the floor laughing. However, you still have to be careful as their teeth are amazingly sharp, and well used against older people that beat them up in the street. They are definitely crazy kids, but when you have one fall asleep in your lap or another come over and start cleaning your face calling you dad, there are no regrets.
One thing I've started doing is teaching one (and hopefully more soon) of the boy carpentry. We've been building bunk beds, and fixing things around the house. I have other projects to start one soon with him, I just need to get better at my communication in Portuguese with him! It can be the difference of cutting a board an inch too short!
I'm getting better at navigating through the mafalala (the slums of Maputo). I can now walk around there by myself without getting too lost, and know enough people there that if I get lost, they can send me in the right direction! Tommorow, Sunday, we are going to have a small home church get-to-gether there, going to worship, pray, and build Spirit centered community right there in the Mafalala. I'm excited for what God is going to do. There have been several times where God's spirit has come down mightily, but I am praying for more of those opportunities as I sincerely believe that is the best fix for this broken country.
I went drving the other day. It's pretty crazy here as they drive on the left side of the road and no one follows any of the rules. But having two Mozambique friends yelling at you different directions while driving stick left-handed sideways one a road through the Mafalala is the type of experience I live for! So... Tudo Bom. All is well! I'm learning a few of the street whistles as well. I've nearly perfected the whistle you use for calling a boy to buy minutes for your cell-phone! And I'm getting better at barting with sleezebags in the blackmarket-though I did let someone get the better of me, selling me a broken tape measure. But that's life in Mozambique, you win some and lose some! And being white doesn't help!
Well, besides crazy diarrea, dance parties, drunk men knocking on your door at the middle of night, breaking into houses to sleep cause your buddy forgot his keys, and playing intense soccer games in the bottom of an old, out of use swimming pool, that's about all I've been doing here!
Please pray for wisdom working with the young men from the Mafalala and for increased encounters with God's presence. Also, that my stomach would get used to the water and food here! Blessings in Jesus, Miss you guys.
Corey/Freeman/Rasta/Jaman :)
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