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In the Piper Line |
CP 169 |
SIM
Australia |
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To arrive is to begin the journey.
Our time in Portugal is drawing to a close. On June 28, we will fly out of the land of good coffee and pasteis de nata, and 22 hours later, we will arrive in Maputo. 12 years, 3 countries, 2 children, 2 degrees and 1 language after God called us to be missionaries, we will have arrived in Mozambique!
The Farewells
It will be sad to leave Portugal. Over the past six months, our improved grasp of Portuguese has really transformed our lives here. We have come to feel more and more part of our local church. All the normal tasks of living are enjoyable and almost stress free. We can even understand the nightly news and listen to the radio!
Apart from our increased peace in living here, we will be sad to leave Portugal because it is such a needy place spiritually. We see the daily struggles of people involved in ministry here. The forces against evangelical Christianity are strong: secularism is strong amongst the younger people; the adoration of Mary amongst the older; and witchcraft/neo-paganism is on the rise.
Praise God for the work He is doing amongst his people here. Pray that He will give them enthusiasm and a spirit of boldness to tell others about Jesus.
The Arrival
When we arrive in Mozambique, we will need to hit the ground running, because our first two months will be very full. Our timetable will be as follows:
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June 29 |
Arrive in Maputo |
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July 6 |
Fly to Lichinga, where our car is |
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July 9 |
Drive 300 km (6 hours) to Cuamba, where we will live! |
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July 22-27 |
Team Building programme for the SIM team in Mozambique |
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July 29-August 3 |
Cross-cultural seminar |
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August 21-26 |
SIM Spiritual Life Conference |
When we arrive in Cuamba, there will be another SIM family already there to show us around and help us settle in. This will make finding basic amenities much easier, as well as giving us an introduction to the churches and people they have been working with. Unfortunately, they will be returning to America near the end of July, so we will need to learn fast and remember well!
Praise God that He has brought us to Mozambique. Praise Him that He has kept us on track through this long period of preparation. Please pray that we will all adapt well to the changes of a new culture, new environment and new routine. Pray that God will help us to express his love in our words and actions to those around us. Pray that the training seminars will help us to better serve the Makua people.
The Car
We are now the proud owners of a Toyota Landcruiser Troopcarrier. We bought it from another mission organization. It only cost US$10,000, which is exactly half of the price that we were expecting to pay. God is good!
For the detail-orientated, it’s a 1992 model, 4-wheel drive, 4 litre, 6-cylinder diesel. It has long-range fuel tanks – an essential in northern Mozambique where the NRMA doesn’t come and it can be a long walk to the nearest petrol station. The Troopcarrier is fitted with a snorkel, which (we are told) allows the car to drive through rivers or streams where the engine actually becomes submerged. More worrying than the fact that this might happen, is the thought that it was common enough that the previous owners actually did something about it! I suspect that my 4-wheel driving skills are going to improve considerably when we arrive in Mozambique; especially once the rainy season begins.
The Funds
The cost of the vehicle was considerably less than we expected, so our overall costs are also much less. Thanks to some very generous gifts, we have already received $15,000, which is nearly half of what we need to pay for our car and the relocation expenses. Thank you for your continued prayer in this area. If you would like to send a financial gift to help cover some of the remaining costs, you can send it to SIM at the above address with a note saying ‘Phillip and Nicola Piper – Ministry Fund’.
Praise God for the provision of a vehicle and for so much of the money that we will need to settle in Mozambique. Pray that that the remainder will be raised in the next few months.
The Contacts
Please note our new postal address given above. We’re not exactly sure what our new street address will be, but anything sent to that address will reach us. However, packages should be sent to: SIM, Box 136, Blantyre, Malawi. The email address at telepac will no longer work after June, but the above e-mail address will, so you can contact us through that. If you have changed your e-mail address, please drop us a quick line so we can make any changes necessary.
The Thanks
We really want to thank you for having stood with us through the long process of coming to Mozambique. May God bless you richly for the way you have blessed us with your prayers, your financial support and your friendship. We literally could not have done this without you.
With much love,
Phillip, Nicola, Joshua and Drew Piper
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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.
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