(UPDATE ON WEB SITE 22 FEBRUARY 2012 CHANDAME MOZAMBIQUE)
WERE ARE BACK IN CHANDAME AFTER A VERY SATISFYING VISIT TO OUR HOME, OUR CHILDREN AND OUR GRAND CHILDREN.
WHEN WE RETURNED, OUR WORK TOOK OFF WITH A BANG, ALTHOUGH RAIN MADE IT DIFFICULT. IT RAINS DAILY FROM ABOUT 11:00 UNTIL 15H00. NORMALLY IT RAINS ABOUT 20-30MM AT A TIME, MAKING THE ROADS VERY SLIPPERY. WE HAVE, HOWEVER, ALREADY VISTED 2 PRAYERHOUSES SINCE WE ARRIVED BACK ON THE 30TH OF JANUARY 2012, THE FURTHEST OF WHICH WAS TSANGANO.
TSANGANO HAS RECEIVED A PERMANENT PASTOR, PASTOR JOACHIM, AND IS NOW A FULL CONGRAGATION. ON HIS INAUGURATION, WE PROMISED TO HELP THE CONGREGATION WITH THE TRANSPORT OF BUILDING MATERIAL TO THEIR SITE WHERE THEY WOULD START BUILDING A CHURCH. THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS NO LONGER SATISFIED WITH THE BUILDING THEY ARE HAVING THEIR SERVICES AT [SEE PHOTOS] AND TRANSPORT FOR BUILDING MATERIAL IS VERY COSTLY, SO WE HOPE TO GO WITH THE TRACTOR AND TRAILER TO DO THIS FOR THEM. IT WILL MEAN WE WILL HAVE TO DRIVE THE 70KM AND STAY OVER FOR 2 DAYS TO FINISH THE JOB.
THE CLINIC [SEE PHOTOS] IS FINALLY AT ROOF LEVEL WITH THE LAST OF THE BRICKWORK ON THE RAMPS AT THE ENTRANCE BEING FINISHED TODAY (23 FEBRUARY 2012). THE LOCAL POPULATION IS VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE PROGRESS AND THEY HAVE CLEARED THE FIELD AROUND THE CLINIC. WE WILL START TO DEVELOP THIS AREA AS A WAITING ROOM AND MAKE A COOKING SHED FOR PEOPLE TRAVELLING WITH THE PATIENTS. THE CLINIC SHOULD HOUSE 2-8 MATERNITY BEDS AND 2-4 NORMAL HOSPITAL CARE BEDS.THE BUILDING IS 230 SQUARE METERS AND HAS THE POTENTIAL OF SERVICING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
SUSAN IS CURRENTLY DOING BASIC FIRSTAID, AND HAS SEEN UP TO 91 PEOPLE IN ONE MORNING SINCE WE HAVE RETURNED. THE PATIENTS CONSIST MOSTLY OF MALARIA CHILDREN WITH UPSET STOMACHS, OR WOUNDS. WE HAVE MALARIA TEST-KIT`S WHICH HELPS TO MAKE ON THE SPOT DIAGNOSIS EASY. THESE KITS COST ABOUT R300.00 FOR 25 AND ARE WELL WORTH THEIR EXPENSE!
SUSAN WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THE FOLLOWING IN AFRIKAANS(FOLLOWED BY ENGLISH):
EK DINK EK IS NOU AL GOED INGEBURGER. MENS VERLANG BAIE NA DIE KINDERS EN KLEINKINDERS EN MY PA EN AL ONS FAMILIE EN VRIENDE. GELUKKIG WEET ONS DIE HERE HOU ALMAL STYF IN SY HAND. DIE HERE STAP IN ELK GEVAL MET ONS OOK ‘N PAD. ELKE DAG WORD AAN HOM OPGEDRA EN SOVER VAL ALLES IN PLEK. PARTY GOED GEBEUR NET STADIGER, MAAR DIT IS MAAR A.G.V. DIE REENWEER
I THINK WE ARE STARTING TO SETTLE IN. I MISS MY CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN AND DAD AS WELL AS ALL OF OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS. LUCKILY WE KNOW THAT GOD KEEPS THEM SAFE. GOD IS WALKING A ROAD WITH US, AND EVERY DAY WE DEDICATE TO HIM. SO FAR, EVERYTHING IS WORKING OUT. CERETAIN THINGS HAPPEN SLOWER, BUT THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY RAINFALL.
DIE INWONERS HIER IN AFRIKA IS OOR DIE ALGEMEEN BAIE DANKBAAR VIR ENIGE IETS WAT JY VIR HUL DOEN. MAAK NIE SAAK HOE GROOT OF HOE KLEIN NIE, HULLE LAG EN IS NET DANKBAAR. MENS WONDER HOE HUL EINTLIK SONDER ONS OOR DIE WEG GEKOM HET. EK DINK ONS MAAK ‘N VERSKIL DEUR GOED VIR HUL MAKLIKER TE MAAK. ELKE SONDAG VAT ONS DIE PASTOR EN VAN DIE ELDERS NA DIE DIENSTE WAT HY MOET HOU BY DIE PRAYER HOUSES. ONS VERTREK MEESTE VAN DIE TYD SO 9 UUR DIE OGGEND EN KOM SO 4 UUR NAMIDDAG WEER BY DIE HUIS. DIE PASTOR IS GEWOONLIK STOKFLOU, WANT HY MOET PREEK, DOOP, TROU, AANNEEM, VOORSTEL EN NOG NAGMAAL HOU OOK! NA DIE TYD EET ONS SAAM MET HULLE. MIELIEPAP, KARATE HOENDER OF BOK, ‘N TIPE BLAARGROENTE, KOOL EN LEKKER SLAP TJIPS… O JA EN PARTYKEER RYS OOK!
THE PEOPLE HERE IN AFRICA ARE VERY GRATEFUL FOR ANYTHING THAT YOU DO FOR THEM. IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW BIG OR SMALL, THEY USUALLY JUST LAUGH AND ARE THANKFUL. I SOMETIMES WONDER HOW THEY MANAGED WITHOUT US. I THINK WE MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE BY MAKING THINGS EASIER FOR THEM, FOR INSTANCE, ON SUNDAYS, WE TAKE THE PASTOR AND ELDERS TO THE SERVICES AT THE NEARBY PRAYER HOUSES. WE LEAVE AT 09:00 AND RETURN AT ABOUT 16:00. WHEN WE RETURN, THE PASTOR IS USUALLY VERY TIRED AFTER HAVING TO PREACH, BAPTIZE, WED, KEEP COMMUNION AND MANY OTHER TASKS. UPON RETURNING, WE SHARE A MEAL TOGETHER, CONSISTING OF MIELIEPAP, KARATE CHICKEN OR GOAT, A TYPE OF GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLE, COLESLAW AND POTATO CHIPS… SOMETIMES THEY SERVE RICE ALSO!
EK IS HEEL TEVREDE EN RUSTIG HIER, WANT EK WEET EK MOET HIER WEES, EN MY GOD IS SO GROOT EN SO STERK EN SO MAGTIG, DAAR IS NIKS WAT MY GOD NIE KAN DOEN!!!!!!!
I AM VERY MUCH AT PEACE HERE, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT I MUST BE HERE, AND MY GOD IS SO BIG, STRONG AND MIGHTY, THERE IS NOTHING THAT MY GOD CAN NOT DO!!!!!!!
WE THOUGHT ABOUT ALL THE PLANNING AND SOME OF THE DREAMS WE HAD IN THE PAST ON THE WAY TO ACTUALLY COMING TO MOZAMBIQUE AS WELL AS ALL THE PROPHECIES MADE TO US IN THE PAST, AND NOW WE SEE THAT, SLOWLY BUT SURELY, WE ARE LIVING THE DREAMS AND THE PROPHECIES. ONE OF OUR PLANS WAS TO DO MISSION SUPPORT AND WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING AND INSTALL THE ENGINE OF A LADY DOING MISSIONARY WORK IN LULONGWE, THIS DREAM HAS COME TRUE. SUSAN AND I HAVE BELIEVED THAT THE RESOURCES ARE IN MOZAMBIQUE TO SUPPORT MISSION WORK AND WITH THE WORK SUPPLIED BY THE LORD IN DIFFERENT WAYS WE ARE STARTING TO EARN A SMALL INCOME THAT MAKES IT POSSIBLE WITH THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM SA TO SURVIVE AND SUPPORT OTHER PROJECTS BESIDES OUR PERSONAL NEEDS.
TO LOOK INTO GOD`S EYES FULL TIME IS THE ONLY WAY TO SURVIVE, BECAUSE HIS MANNA SHALL BE THERE EVERY DAY IF WE LIVE ACCORDING TO THIS AND BELIEVE IT WITH ALL OUR HEART.
JANNIE AND SUSAN SMIT, MOZAMBIQUE