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The light at the end of the tunnel...
Language learning
An SIM missionary, herself an ex-Portuguese language student, wrote to us recently and said, "One year in language school can be a funny time - you feel like you ought to know quite a bit (and you do!) and yet it is still so very hard."
We couldn't have said it better. We know so much, and yet sometimes it seems that we know nothing. Some days, things just click and we can actually speak Portuguese. But other days, things clunk and even the simplest things stop us cold.
Practice is the key. I've been going to a chess club once a week, to hear and speak Portuguese. But my brain can't cope with both understanding Portuguese and playing chess: I've lost almost every game, even against 11-12 years old! But it's been very good practice. Nicola continues to attend the ladies prayer meeting, and both of us try chatting with anyone who's even half-willing!
Objectively, all the practice is paying off. After talking with our language tutor, we've decided that the time has come: we're going to leave Portugal! We've decided that we will go to Mozambique in June 2002. After all these years, we're finally going to arrive in Mozambique, to serve God as He has asked us to.
Praise God for big improvements our abilities to speak and understand Portuguese. Pray for protection from discouragement since we still seem to have so far to go! As always, pray that God will give us more opportunities to practice.
God has really been advancing his plans in Mozambique.
SIM has decided that it will focus its future ministry in the Niassa province. Since this is a completely new area for SIM, there is nothing in place at the moment, either in terms of ministry or support structure. To start things going, two teams have been formed. The first team will concentrate on reaching the Yao people and will be based in Lichinga; the second team on ministering to the Makua people and will be based in Cuamba.
We're going to join the Makua team in Cuamba. There are several small churches in and around Cuamba, and, encouragingly, there is a strong unity between them. Outside of Cuamba, there are numerous areas that have no or very minimal exposure to the gospel, including a couple of Muslim villages that have prohibited Christian influence. Needless to say, there are many opportunities for ministry. We've been interested in the possibilities for Bible teaching and AIDS awareness and prevention.
Cuamba is a city of about 60,000 people, built on the typical African pattern of a small "modern" centre surrounded by a substantial population in the surrounds. The city has fuel for sale, electricity available on a more-or-less predictable schedule, and running water twice a day for about an hour each time. The basic necessities of life are available, including nice fresh bread. Western-style permanent housing is scarce, so whatever we end up living in with probably have to be built from scratch.
Cuamba is something of hub for the region. It is likely that there will be a fair amount of travel to and from the city by missionary personnel. So we'll probably play something of a hospitality role, looking after persons in transit and helping them get their errands done.
On the lighter side, being a more remote area, there is still quite a bit of wildlife in the Niassa province. Eland, sable, leopards, hyenas, and lions have all been seen recently. Just the thing to make our picnic outings interesting!
Praise God for blessing the SIM team with vision and enthusiasm. Pray that everyone will make wise decisions as they begin to lay the foundations for future years of ministry.
The next big hurdle
Moving to Cuamba in Mozambique will require us to set up a new house there. SIM provides our house, but we have to fill it. When we arrived in Portugal, our house was already fully furnished, but when we arrive in Mozambique, our house will be completely empty. To fill it, we will need to ship some things from Portugal, to buy a houseful of furniture and whitegoods locally or from South Africa, and then to transport everything 1500km north to Cuamba. The cost for all this will be about AUD$12,000.
We also need to consider a vehicle. Travelling in this remote area of the country will require a reliable four-wheel drive. The roads in all of northern Mozambique are rough tracks in the dry season, and true mud slides in the wet season. Estimates put the cost of a good second-hand 4WD vehicle at AUD$40,000. The sale of our car in Portugal will help to offset some of this cost, but, as anyone who has visited us here can attest, it won't help very much. We hope to raise perhaps AUD$1000 from its sale.
We would really appreciate your help in two ways. Firstly, we would like you to pray that God will provide for these expenses. Secondly, we'd like to ask you to prayerfully consider if you could be part of God's answer to this financial need.
Extra language learning and schooling costs, and the continued decline of the Australian dollar have contributed to our current financial situation. However, although the above needs seem considerable to us, God is able to do more than we can ask or even possibly imagine. God has consistently provided for us through the generosity of many people. He will do so this time too, and we'll be able to praise Him for his provision again!
Praise God for the chance we have to serve Him in Mozambique, and the assurance that we can always cast all our worries on Him, because He cares for us. Pray that God will provide everything that we need to serve Him there.
Felix Natal
May you have time over this very busy period to treasure the give of the child born to save us. With many blessings,
Phillip, Nicola, Joshua and Drew Piper
For further information
Click here to see some maps showing where Cuamba and Niassa province are.
Click here or here to see news stories about Mozambique (updated daily).
Click here to see lots of technical articles about Mozambique.