Moz #3

Wow another week has passed already since I last wrote; it really doesn’t feel that long ago. You all would laugh if you saw me sitting here typing this email. The kerosene lantern isn’t giving me enough light on the key board so I have my flashlight sitting on my shoulder shining on the key board with the string from it rapped around me ear on the other side of my head. It works this way I don’t have to use the back spacing as much. Oh and of course the mosquito are keeping me company as I write to you. They are definitely friends that stick closer then a brother, because they are sticking me all over. Anyways better get to filling you in on what has happened since I last wrote.

We praised the Lord that Peter and Annelisa made it back safely after their looonnggg trip from Pembe. They had to wait a few times on big trucks that were stuck and in their way. In one place water had washed the road away leaving a six foot deep ditch and so everyone had to pull off to the side and drive through someone’s garden. In that place a truck sunk in the mud and was stuck so they had to wait while a couple other trucks tried to pull him out. It another place a truck driver missed a gear going up hill and rolled backwards and jack knifed blocking the whole road. These things are all part of traveling in Africa I guess. Also Annelisa was totally over her malaria by the time they got back Sunday afternoon, which she was so thankful for.

Work has gone very well this week. The wooden counter top in the kitchen is all done and I have made five of the cabinet doors which leave two more to go. I am making flat panel doors. Kind of like the ones I made in Mexico but not quite as nice because I don’t have a router. I make a wooden frame and then have to cut a grove all around the inside to inset quarter inch plywood. I would normally do this with a table saw if I didn’t have a router but seeing as I don’t have either I had to make a table saw out of the circular saw. I turned it upside down and screwed it to a piece of wood and then nailed another piece a wood down as a guide to run my wood against. After a few tries of setting my guide and a lot of saw dust in my face and some in my eyes I managed to get the boards for two doors done. They are turning out better then I thought they would. Annelisa says it is going to look like one of those model kitchens in the magazine. I think it has been a long time since she has seen one of those magazines, but anyways they are pleased with the way it is turning out.

Here are a few pictures to show some of what I have been doing.

Wall and door I put in in the bathroom.

This is what it looked like before I started working on the kitchen.

This is the part Victor helped me with.

The form all ready to pour the concrete top.

I am only using the finest quality lumber as you can see.

This is what it is looking like now.

I have been getting a little more creative for my meals lately. For breakfast the other day I pealed, sliced and then fried a few potatoes and then fried up some onions and green pepper and then added a few eggs. I fried the eggs and potatoes separate if you didn’t understand that. Also there is some corn flour here so I have been using it a few mornings and making up some stuff kind of like cream of wheat if you have had it. I had it for breakfast almost every morning when I was here last time. One morning I added some banana to it and it made it taste even better.

Tuesday evening I was making my supper. I had chopped up a bunch of vegetables and was making some sauce to go with while I boiled some potatoes. Tanya had already made there supper and she had it in a pot on the stove. Our stove is very small and I was cooking with two pots and there really isn’t room for three, but I was managing quite well at keeping them all on. Just as my potatoes finished cooking I must have bumped Tanya’s pot and it feel of the stove and dumped all over the floor. They had just gone out and bought two chickens and cooked them up and taken all the meat off the bones and she had used some of it for there supper. I felt so bad but Tanya was very understanding, but didn’t believe me that I had knocked it off the stove when I first told her, she thought I was joking, like I would ever do something like that. She made more for their supper and I shared some of my vegetable sauce stuff that I put way to much chicken stock in. Jesse said he liked it but I am not sure how much of a compliment that is because he will eat most things and enjoy them. Then Wednesday evening for some reason Tanya took the rest of the chicken out of the fridge and forgot to put it back in and it all went bad so they only got one meal out of it all and you might remember me saying that meat is very expensive here and we don’t have it much. Oh yes I hadn’t mentioned that we have a fridge. Back a few months ago someone came and bought a gas powered fridge for this house it is such a blessing for us. I am not sure how it can burn gas and make things cold but it works some how. Jesse and Tanya often have pop in there and I get to enjoy it with them. It is nice when we make more food then we can eat we can put the left overs in there rather then having to stuff ourselves to finish it so that it doesn’t go bad.

Thursday I needed some nails and few other things from town so I took Jesse’s motorbike. There are no roads at home that I could compare the roads to here so that you understand but I was riding along and came to a very muddy spot thought I could ride through the grass at the side hoping that the ground would be firmer but the bike sunk right in to the axles and the wheel was just spinning. I had to get off a drag the bike out of the mud. Shortly after this I road out onto the airport parking lot, because we are very close here, there was so much mud on the wheels that when I went to turn the bike spun out on my and I got a little road rash on my left need and arm. I am so thankful that I was wearing pants and not shorts. I had worn shorts for several days and almost put shorts on that day but I decided to wear pants. Thankfully I had my first aid kit with me so I was able to get myself cleaned up. I think this is the first real spill I have ever had on a motor bike and hopefully the last. When I got back to the house Jesse noticed that the eight inch bolt that holds the back have of the bike to the front had the nut come of and had slid out a couple of inches. Too much father and the bike would have fallen apart in the middle. I guess this has happened once before. I guess I will have to look the bike over very well before I get on it from now on.

Oh some people have been looking at this area on Google Earth and have wanted a little more info as to where I am. You will see the airport to the north of the city. There is a paved road coming to the airport. The pavement stops at the airport but follow the dirty road and not even half a kilometre up the windy road you will see a house and a barn on the left hand side that is the house that I am staying in. On the right side of the road there are some buildings that is an army barracks. The orphanage and the Wilcox’s house doesn’t show up because the pictures on Google Earth are a few years old. There house is about 400 meters from the run way.

I got to the internet on Thursday when I was in town and saw that many of you had emailed. Thanks so much for your emails, I want you to know that I am going to try to reply to each of you but please give me some time. Friday I was there at the place hoping to use the internet but the power wasn’t working this is a common problem in the city.

Friday evening Tyren and Tiffany invited me over for supper. Tiffany made pizza Lichinga style, because much of what we would normally put on pizza is not available here. It was still very good. While we were having supper Tyren was telling me that they had a rat and every night it seemed to get in and make noise so that they couldn’t sleep. Last night they borrowed the Wilcox’s cat and kept it in the house with them. They all slept fine and they didn’t here anything. Just as we were finishing supper Tiffany saw the rat run into their storage room. Tyren left to go and get the cat and Amerel and Isaiah (their two children) stood guard to make sure that it didn’t come out. A little while later Tyren came back with the cat, Elias and Annelisa. We search the storage room and soon the rat ran out and ran into the kitchen behind the stove, under the sink, up the wall and behind the curtain. Then it ran into the bathroom this whole time there were about four of us swing brooms trying to hit it but it was very fast. Once it was in the bathroom Tyren and Elias when in we put the cat in with them and shut the door. It was rather funny listening outside as it sounded like the whole bathroom was being destroyed with broom sticks hitting everything but the rat. Finally the rat was killed by Tyren’s broom. Tyren was a little upset because he destroyed his best broom but I guess it was worth it to have the rat gone. We went back in the bathroom to find the cat and could find it anywhere. It is a small bathroom and not many places to hide. Finally Annelisa found it perched up in the window sill and very scared. I guess with all the brooms flying it was a little much for the cat. Annelisa brought the cat out and showed it the rat, up until this point the cat didn’t show much interest in it, but then it grabbed it in its mouth and ran into Tyren and Tiffany’s bedroom. We thought it was quite funny but Tiffany was not too impressed. Finally the cat and the rat were removed from the house and everyone slept peacefully ever after.

Saturday morning I came into town to meet a new friend Elias Becca. He is a Mozambiquian working here in Lichinga with YWAM. I was gievn a letter to deliver to him when i arrived here. It has taken me a long time to get it to him, but we got together for lunch here in town and spent several hours sharing with each other. he has worked with Teen Missions here in Moz for about 10 years. We had lots to talk about on that topic. He is a godly young man and i hope to go out to the village he is working in when I get back from Malawi.

I guess this is long enough for now. ya I had said i would try to keep it shorter. I didn't try to keep it shorter it just happened that way. I also had several people say not to shorten my updates.

Here are a few random pictures from things I have mentioned in previous posts.

This is the snake I pulled out of the well

Just some of the awesome scenery around here.

One of the nice sunsets

My room during a rain storm.

No this is not chocolate it is a dried up mud puddle.

Some sort of bettle

A flower just outside my door.

The master chef at work.

Ok maybe not a master chef but it was eatible.

This is the car (they call this a car here) I drove into town today. We thank the Lord for vehicles like this when the roads are less then ideal.

Moz Update # 2

I have been here in Lichinga for over two weeks; I can hardly believe I came all this way for just one month last time, because the time goes by so fast. It has been a good two weeks.  Jesse and Tanya are a couple on staff with Iris here and they arrived back from the states last Tuesday, so it has been very nice not being the only one here in the house anymore.  Antoinette Wilcox and here friend Melissa arrived here from the Iris base Pemba last Monday afternoon, they were just here for five days.  Saturday morning Peter and Annelisa drove back to Pemba with them.  Annelisa has malaria so it was a long ride for her.  I think they were traveling for about 23.5 hours and I think it is only a 400-500km trip that shows you how poor the roads are. Lord willing Peter and Annelisa will be back here Sunday evening.

 

While Antoinette was back she and Annelisa went to the prison here in Lichinga.  They have been going since November I think and working with the women.  There are about 300 men and there were only four women when they started going.  All four of them have accepted the Lord.  One of them has been let out and three new ladies have come in.  Annelisa and Antoinette enjoy going so much just to see the transformation that God is doing in the ladies lives.  Wednesday or Thursday of last week they went and one of the new ladies accepted the Lord.  The ladies were telling them that they have bad dreams sometimes but now when they wake up because of a bad dream they just pray to Jesus and they sleep well the rest of the night.  They had a prayer time and wanted each lady to say something even if it was short.  When it was the ladies turn that had just accepted the Lord that day she said "Jesus your nice I like you."  This was probably here first time ever praying. Peter has been to the prison to ministry to the men but not very much.  He and Tyren one of the other men here at the base are planning to go regularly to see them.  I am hoping to go along some as well.  They say it is kind of weird because you walk in the main gate and there are the prisoners just walking around and there is nothing between you and them no gate or fence.  I guess the really serious criminals are locked up but the others are aloud to walk around and do some work.

 

This past Sunday morning I was out pulling water up out of the well and when I brought the bucket up I realized there was a snake hanging out of the bucket.  I ran inside and asked Jesse if they often have snakes in the well and he didn't think so.  We went out and looked closer and saw that it was dead.  For the past few days we had been seeing what we thought was a stick floating in the water, but it must have been the snake.  The snake is what they call a two headed snake. Maybe you are thinking the same thing I was when I heard someone talking about a two headed snake.  I thought both heads were at the same end.  Both ends of the snake look like heads. It was about two feet long.  Here these snakes are thought to be sacred or something so people want kill them.  They think the snake was probably thrown in the well because there is always a cover on the well and it is not likely it got in there by itself. They also think it might be witch craft and someone trying to put a curse on us because some people don't like the presence of the Lord being here.  Here it is very common for curses to be put on people to make them sick it is hard to believe but it happens all the time.  In a village if someone is richer then the witch doctor will often put a curse on them so that they will get sick and loss there wealth and be at the same level as the others.  If people are wealthy they will often dress very poorly and not make it know because they are afraid of a curse being put on them.  So many people are held in fear of witch craft. In the past they have found bones put all around the property here where I am staying that looked very human. Again they feel it was someone trying to put a curse on them. Wherever the Lord is at work Satan is there trying to stop Him.  We praise the Lord that we are fine because we drink the water out of that well.  Greater is He that is in us then he that is in the world. We are so thankful that we have a message of hope for these people that Jesus has come to set them free from all of the bondage that Satan is holding them in.  Even for the Mozambiquian Christians it is a struggle for them to understand that they can be set free.  They are set free but they don't enjoy their freedom till they start living in the good of it.

 

I have been wanting to go to Malawi to visit some missionary friends there and I had been trying to get a hold of them by phone and email and hadn't been able to.  On Tuesday I received a call from them and they want me to come, so Lord willing I will leave on March 3 and go for a week or two.  I will be going by boat across Lake Malawi.  Jesse and Tanya have done it a couple times in the past and they say that it can be calm one minute and the next a big storm can blow in and start tossing the boat all over.  Once when one of the people here was on the boat the captain came on over the intercom and said be ready for anything because I don't know what to do with this boat anymore and people started freaking out and throwing things over board.  Not all the trips across are like that, but I would appreciate your prayers for this trip.  While in Malawi I don't think my cell phone will work just so you know.

 

We have been surprised at how fast the work is coming along.  I have had Elisa Wilcox helping me a lot and Victor (One of the Mozambiquian brothers) came one day and was a big help.  I am so thankful that the Lord is showing me what to do.  The same as last time I was here, they are asking me to do things that I have never done or have little experience in but God has been giving me wisdom.  We have the two doors installed in the bathroom and a good majority of the kitchen done.  On Friday I just finished all the concrete work inside and over next couple of weeks I will be working more with wood while making the counter top, cupboard doors and bathroom counters. Wood projects here in Mozambique come with there own challenges, because the wood it not dry, it is quite rougher and not always straight.  Also I am not a real carpenter and when it comes to making things out of wood with mostly hand tools instead of power tools I feel a little out of my league.  I am thankful to have a drill, a circular saw and sander.  These will make it much easier, but it sure would be nice to have a table saw, router and will I am listing things a mitre saw.  The missionary that I am going to see in Malawi once told me "It is a poor workman who blames the poor quality of his work on his tools."  These are some wise words I should keep in mind I guess as I work.  The Lord has given me wisdom for each project so far and I am sure this one will be no different.

 

Thursday evening I was walking through the tall grass down to the house where I stay and James another one of the brothers that works here was cutting grass with a machete.  He showed me a snake that he had just killed.  It was about twenty inches long and had come through the grass and coiled around his leg. Thankfully it never bit him.  I have never seen any snakes in the grass before but I might walk a little faster now when going through there.

 

We are getting excited about the first 12 out of 24 orphans that will be coming in the next two months or so.  I really hope to get to meet them before I leave and hopefully we will have the house all ready for them.  They will be accepting girls between the ages of 5 and 10.  I mentioned Tanya before a lady who has come here to Lichinga from the Iris base in Pemba.  She is doing a lot of sewing for the girls, but will be like a dorm mother as well along with a Mozambiquian lady.  They are not sure yet who the Mozambiquian lady will be yet so you can keep that in your prayers that the Lord would show them who it is that should take this responsibility.

 

Let me describe for you what a day here in Lichinga is like.  Any where between 5 and 6am I crawl out from under my mosquito net that mind you hasn't been keeping the mosquitoes out very well.  Every night at about 2 or 3am I wake up and there are several biting me.  I turn my flash light on and try to kill as many as I can find.  One night there was one that had drank so much that he couldn't even fly, I almost felt sorry for him then I remembered that he had stolen all that red stuff from me. Oh I have heard that the mosquitoes that don't buzz are the ones that can carry malaria, so I guess as long as I heard the buzz that is something to be thankful for, a sound I have managed to ignore while sleeping. Ok so I crawl out from under my net. Just so you know I usually go to bed by 8:30 because once the sun goes down at about 6:20 the mosquitoes come out and start to eat me and there is not a whole lot to do unless I am typing an email like right now.  I naturally wake up then when the sun comes up at 5 or a little after.

 

After having had breakfast, maybe pulled some water out of the well to wash my face and brush my teeth I head of to work around 7:30. It is weird I don't have running water or electricity for lights or anything but God has just helped me not to even think about it.  I have never found myself looking for a light switch or reaching for a tap, God has just helped me to feel that it is normal.

 

It doesn't usually rain first thing in the morning so I can usually get to up to the girls house with out getting to wet.  I mix up some mortar in an old broken down wheel barrow that has been used to make a lot of concrete and mortar in the past and the bolts that hold the barrel part on have long since come undone so it has been wired on several times.  The bearing in the wheel is gone and there is about a two in hole that allows the wheel to flop around on the axle while trying to push it.  I was using a really flimsy shovel at first that felt like it was going to break every time I used it.  About a week ago I found a good shovel but the handle was broken.  I was able to get the broken part out and put a piece of bamboo into the shovel for a handle.  It now works like new.  I lay bricks and plaster walls till 12:30 when the Wilcox invite me in for lunch.  They always have a monstrous serving of some delicious food served up for me.  I am not sure what they think I do every morning to gain an appetite like that, this is probably why I gained weight while I was here last time.  Anyways I am not complaining there are so many people around this world who don't have enough to eat so I will enjoy every bit of it even if it is avocado or eggplant.  These are some foods that I have not overly like in the past but I am starting to.

 

After lunch I drag by belly from the table, well maybe not quite drag.  Get my shoes back on which I leave outside because it is so muddy from all the rain.  It often rains at lunch time or a little after for a few hours.  I go back over and lay some more bricks or install a door till around 5pm.  I then enjoy a quarter mile walk through the snake infested grass while try to take in the beautiful sunset in front of me. It is so beautiful here with the mountains all around, beautiful sunrises and sets and I don't know I don't usually notice the clouds very much at home, but there are such nice cloud formations here too.  If any one is dying to come here and admire the sunset while walking through snake infested grass just let me know.

 

I am usually getting to my house right around dusk.  After getting a bath I start to chop up onions, carrots, green pepper, garlic and throw it into a pot and start to boil it with some rice or pasta and maybe throw in a can of tuna.  I am not sure what to call it, but I am all about one pot meals nice and easy.  Usually my veggies are under cooked or my rice or pasta is over cooked, but that is ok because I am the only one that has to eat it.  I sit and eat it by light from my kerosene lantern, have a cup of tea.  I quite often eat supper with Jesse and Tanya and they will sometimes make enough for me and I don't have to cook anything.  We sometimes chat for a while about our day but before we know it the mosquitoes make us have to go and climb under our mosquito net for what good they do. Well that will give you an idea of what a normal day here in Lichinga is like.

 

I can honestly say I would not want to be anywhere else right now.  I am sure I am supposed to be here and I am so blessed to get to be in Lichinga.  The others at the base are such a blessing and I think God has great things in store for me over the next few months.  Please pray that I would spend good focused time in His presence everyday and learn to here His voice more clearly.  He has been showing me that time is short and I need to live my all for Him.  He is seeking people who will stand for Him and change the nations and not the let nations change them.  Oh I want to be this kind of person, life is too short to let anything make me look back from what he has called me too.  Satan definitely tries to get me to focus on other things, but the Lord has encouraged me this morning with a few verses in Romans.

 

Romans 6:6-11 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that w e would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

 

Satan has no right, reign, rule or authority over me, he is dead to me and I must remember that every moment.  No matter what he throw out there for me. I am a new creature and this new life I live I get to live for God.  It is a joy to obey and not to be bound by that old master. I know Satan will continue to try to distract me and this is why your prayers are so important to me.  You are in my prayers as well and we are all in this new life in Christ together, let us enjoy our freedom in Christ, to be able to live as we were created to.

 

I am sorry this is so long and I will try to make my next updates shorter.

 

Your Brother in Christ,

 

Andrew Woodford

A quick note.

I am privileged to be able to be at an Internet cafe today.  Yesterday i spent 45 minutes on Wilcox's Internet via cell phone to send two emails.  It is nice to be here where they have wireless, but it is still not fast enough for me to open my blog so I have to email my posts to blogger so that means I probably want be able to up load pictures.  We can pray and maybe by some miracle God will work it out some time.  I can still receive your comments though so please feel free to leave a comment now and then.

Yes some people wanted to know what time zone I am in.  I am in the GMT+3 zone, that is 7 hours ahead of southern Ontario.

We are awaiting the arrival today of Peter, Antoinette and Melissa from Cuamba, this afternoon.  Peter drove down yesterday morning to pick them up.  Also Jesse and Tanya fly in at 2pm this afternoon.  It is about to become a busy place around here more then it already is.  I am well settled in now and very thankful to be here.  Thanks so much for all your prayer.

I am Alive

Arrival Day in Lichinga.

My last night in Maputo I didn't sleep much at all. I got about one
hour of sleep and then my body realized that it wasn't time for me to
be sleeping, because of the seven hour time difference, so I woke up
and couldn't go back to sleep. I was going to get up and do a few
things. I went to turn the light on and realized the power was out.
This happens periodically. After a while I just got my mp3 player and
listen to music for a few hours till I had to get up at 4am. Orlando
came shortly after 4:30 and got me to the airport.

I don't know why they wanted me at the airport at 5am because they
don't start checking people in till nearly 6. I was first in line, I
went up to the counter and they wanted to see my ticket. I didn't
have a ticket only my ticket number and confirmation number, because
the Wilcox had booked it for me. Their computer system wasn't
working, so they were manually checking everyone in and giving out
hand written boarding passes. I had to wait 20 minutes while they
located a list of all the confirmed people for the flight that day.
You might have thought that they would have that list at the counter
where they were checking people in but I guess not. They finally
realized that yes I was supposed to be on that flight. I was allowed
to check 25kg worth of stuff and then my carry on was only supposed to
7kg, but it was 10 and they just decided to let it pass. Thankfully
up until now I have not had to pay any extra money for over weight
luggage. My two bags have still not shown up yet.

When I arrive into Lichinga just before noon, Peter, Elias, Miriam and
Mikaila Wilcox, as well as Tyren and Victor were all waiting for me.
It was so good to see each of them again. It was so nice to get into
the Wilcox new car as well; the old Land Rover (Moses) that picked me
up last time has been replaced by the new car (Joshua). They brought
me to the house I stayed in last time and I dropped my stuff off. In
the room there was a letter from that Wilcox and on the front it said
Welcome Home. It does fell kind of like home. Then we went up to the
Wilcox house for lunch. There is a girl from the Iris base in Pemba
staying here with the Wilcox, her name is Tanya. She has been doing a
lot of sewing for the girls that will be staying at the orphanage,
like making laundry bags and clothes. Antoinette has been over in
Pemba for the last two weeks and she is coming home this weekend for a
week and then will return. I should mention Pemba is a city directly
east of here about 500km right on the coast.

After lunch Peter showed me what work is highest on the priority list.
They need a door taken out of the bathroom and blocked in and then two
other doors put in and a short piece of wall. Install two counters in
the bathrooms as well as three sinks and plumbing and install and
plumb two toilets. Then for the kitchen they need ten feet of wooden
counter top with cabinets underneath on one side and ten feet of
concrete counter top on the other side with just a shelf under it. I
have never made a concrete counter top before, so it should be fun.
There is a Mozambiquian man that works with YWAM that is going to come
and work with me each day Lord willing. He doesn't speak any English,
I think Elias is going to be able to interpret for me sometimes, but
hopefully I will be able to learn some Portuguese as well.

In the afternoon I chipped away the concrete and removed the door from
the bathroom and made a whole in another wall where we will need to
install a new door. It will be fun trying to work and get things done
with out some of the tools I have brought as well as not having my
work clothes and only one pair of shoes. Maybe they will be work
clothes pretty soon.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love
God, to them who are called according to His purpose. I have been here
for two and a half excellent days. I am so thankful that my bags got
lost. You are thinking whatever you're just saying that Andrew, but
know really. Because my bags got lost the Lord saved me any where
from $50.00 - $150.00 because I would have been 120lbs over weight
flying from Maputo to here. Thank You Lord Jesus. I only had to go two
days with out my things then they sent my bags up here we went to the
airport Saturday at noon and they just gave me my bags and didn't
charge me anything. They were in a hurry and wanted to get to lunch.
Everything arrived in good condition except for my books of tea bags.
It broke open and there were tea bags all through my duffel bag and
some broke open. It could have been worse if the honey or shampoo had
broken open. All in all it has been a wonderful day. The Wilcoxs
were so happy to receive the things that came in my bags and I was so
happy to get my things. Also we had chicken for lunch, just in case
you didn't know that is a big deal here. It is quite expensive so
they only have it once and a while. I have eaten most meals with the
Wilcoxs so far but I am going to start making more of them down at my
house. I started tonight by making my own supper. I got here at
about dark and had to organize all my things and didn't feel like
doing to much work, so I just made some oatmeal that I brought and had
a banana. Well that is a start anyways. To top off the wonderful day
I was able to have a warm bucket bath tonight because we got some gas
and I can now heat water on the stove. Life just doesn't get better
then this folks.

I am continuing to work on the bathroom in Casa de Belleza, (House of
Beauty) this is the name they have given to the girl's orphanage. I
have finished bricking in the doorway where I removed a door and I
have started to install the door in a different place and prepare to
build a wall around it. It is so nice to have the tools I brought to
be able to work with.

On Monday or Tuesday my house mates Jesse and Tanya are supposed to be
returning from the states. It will be nice to have some others here
in the house with me. I think that about fills you in so far on what
has gone on here. I should sign off because my tea is gone and my
battery is almost dead. Oh just to let you know I have a working cell
phone here if anyone wants to call me, send me an email at
andywd40@gmail.com and I will send it to you.

Oh just a quick up date on what the weather is like here. I rains at
least once a day usually early afternoon, but not to heavy. I am glad
I have inside work for the next month or two, by then the rains should
have stopped. During the day the temps would be high teens C and mid
sixties F at night. There I gave temps for those who know C and for
those who know F. Ok hopefully I can get this sent out on Sunday
afternoon with the Wilcox's internet connection via cell phone. Sorry
I can't upload pictures now.
I

Prasie the Lord I am in Mozambique

I am here in Maputo and it doesn’t feel like it has taken nearly as long as last time. It hasn’t taken as long as last time but it feels much shorter this time. Last night we were supposed to leave London at 9:30. We were sitting on the plane for a while before we left and I feel asleep and then I woke up just as they were finishing making some announcement that they had to take some part off the plane and go a switch it with another one. Then a while later I woke up and they were saying that we were waiting for a de-icer truck and London only has one so it was going to take 20 minutes for him to come. I am not sure what that was all about, because we never did get de-iced, but maybe if I was fully awake I would have heard all that he said. Anyways finally at 12 midnight we pulled away from the gate and got on our way. I hadn’t realized the flight was going to be 10.5 hours long. I made good use of the time and slept about 8 hours, probably the best long flight I have had yet. I usually can’t sleep that much.

We got into Johannesburg at 12:15pm and I thought my next flight left at 1:05. I looked at the board to see what gate it was departing from and it was A2. I went through security and then started running to my gate because I wasn’t going to miss to flight on one trip. I got to A2 all tired out and there was no one around, no one at the desk. I looked down the jet way and there wasn’t anyone. I wondered if boarding was already done. Then I saw another screen with flights and gates and I saw that they had changed the gate to A6. Off I went again running like a maniac starting to think that I was really going to miss my flight now, because the way the Jo’burg airport is setup there is a long ways between A2 and A6. I got to A6 at about 12:45 and the door was shut, I tried to open it and it was locked. There were a few people sitting there and they could see I was a little frantic. I asked them “Are you going to Maputo” and they said “Yes”. I asked if they were going on the 1:05 flight and then they said it leaves at 1:50. I was quite relived and went and found chair to sit down in and cool down. At 1:30 I had gone to the bathroom and on my way back I noticed the gate had been change again to A25. Off I went again running and lined up for boarding, after waiting for about 15 in line they told us they would be starting boarding for another 10 minutes. We probably didn’t leave till 2:30pm, but after missing one flight I wanted to make sure it didn’t happen again and thankfully it didn’t.

We arrived here in Maputo at 2:30pm. Went through passport check and then they take your passport away to put the visa in it. I sat there and watched the carrousel go around and around and around and around until I finally had to admit to myself that my bags just weren’t coming. I got my passport back with my visa and then went to the office to report my lost bags. That took quite sometime to get that all sorted out. There is a chance they might come this evening and be ready to fly with me in the morning to Lichinga. If they are not here by the time I fly then they will send them up when they do arrive. TIA (This is Africa) there is no sense in getting too excited about the lost luggage, thankfully I have a few other clothes with me in my carry on.

My taxi driver Orlando had so much patience while I did all this by the time we left to airport he had been waiting over 2 hours. He is a great guy he is the same one that picked me up last time. He knows a little English so we are able to carry on a bit of a conversation and I throw in a couple Spanish words once in a while and he understands. He was saying that it was a good thing I didn’t fly in yesterday because they had a really big rain storm here yesterday. There was a lot of evidence of it as we drove. There were drainage ditches just full of sand washed in my all the water. I also saw a street that had been washed away there was a ditch about 4 feet deep right through it. I guess many streets were right full and no taxis would have been able to get to the airport. Thankfully most of the water had subsided and Orlando was able to get me to the guest house where I am going to spend the night.

I just got settled into my room and took my first hot shower in a few days and my last one in, well let’s just say more then a few days. I haven’t been able to get the internet to work on my computer yet, so I am typing this up in faith that it will start working sometime tonight. I was just talking with someone here and they said that it has been very very hot here and yesterday they were complaining about it and then it started raining and now they are complaining about that. It is kind of humid now but it isn’t real hot right now.

Tomorrow morning will be an early one because Orlando will be around to pick me up at 4:30. The flight doesn’t leave till 6:55, but they want everyone there two hours early. I think I should get into Lichinga sometime before noon. It is only a three hour flight but we get fed three times, because we stop in two cities along the way, so every time more people get on they bring around the food and drinks again.

I am so happy to be here, even if my bags aren’t and I am pretty sure they will show up before I leave in four months. Thanks again to each one of you who have sent up prayers on my behalf and please don’t stop. It will probably be a few days till I will be able to post again, just so you know. I am sorry I cannot upload any picture at this time.

I definitely know that I am in a different country as I am typing I can hear the Muslims at prayer somewhere across town. Oh, if they could only see that they need to pray to Jesus and seek His forgiveness. How Satan has blinded them.

Waiting in London

Ok let me back track here and put in a few pictures of things I mentioned in my last post.

Buffalo Airport

JFK, I just couldn't find any power outlets with chairs beside them so I made my own.

The sunrising over the clouds.

I thought this was neat how the shadow of our plane has a complete rainbow around it or whatever you would call it.

Esther was held up coming on the tube because they are still trying to recover from the snow storm here and some of it is above ground. She made it to the airport at about 11:30. We went and tried to check in for my next flight before we left but we couldn't check in till 2, so we just went ahead and left and figured we would just plan to be back in time. We rode the tube for about half an hour into London.

We stepped out of the train station and there stood Big Ben towering over us.

Esther & I

The Parliament Buildings.

I love these telephone booths.

Westminster Abbey

A little closer view of it.

Looking across the front of the Abbey.

This is inside a church of to the side of the Abbey.

I hadn't noticed the little sign when I took the picture.

Looking across at the train station with the Eye of London in the back ground.

The rear part of the Parliament Buildings.

I love these old buildings but I don't know what this one is.

Eye of London a little closer. About 20 people can go in each pod and it takes about 45 minutes to make one rotation.

Looking across the Thames back at the Parliament Buildings.

A bridge in London, not THE London Bridge.

Because of having so much wait in my carry on the wheels are starting to go a little crooked. The bumpy ice didn't help so I carried it some.

We had a hard time finding a place to eat because many were closed because of the "storm."

Down in the tube getting ready to head back to the airport.

Well I guess we didn't leave the city soon enough my flight left at 6pm and we got to the check in counter at 5:30 and they sad I was to late. They booked me on the next flight at 9 but I had to pay a fee for the change. Oh well now I have time so that I can put this post on here for you. Everything is going well so far thanks so much for your prayers. Looking forward to arriving in Mozambique.

Safely in London

Hey just posting quickly here to say that I have made it to London so far. I have 2 flights and 7.5 hours of flying behind me and 3 flights and 13 hours more to go. I haven't had any flight delays yet thankfully despite all the snow they had here in London the last few days. I thought I was getting away from snow leaving Canada, but this has been their worst snow storm in 20 years. Yes and it is just before I arrive, it is following me. Watch out Mozambique I am bring snow your way. Almost all the flights yesterday were canceled coming in and out of Heathrow Airport. I heard that a plane had slid of the runway, no one was hurt. The handle on my new roller carry on is already acting up and not always wanting to go down. It makes it fun to get into the over head compartment sometimes. Please pray that it holds up as I have a lot of carry on weight and I need it to keep working for me.

I will be meeting up with a friend here in a few minutes. She was on a team that I lead with Teen Missions back in 2002 to Poland. She is from Florida but is here in school for fashion design. I have eight hours here so we are going to go out and hopefully see some of the city, if it is not all covered in snow. Think that's about all for now. Oh a praise, I thought I was going to have to pay an extra $50.00 charge for my 70lb bag but it didn't cost mean anything. Thank you Jesus. Alright till later maybe this evening I can post a few pictures from London before I leave.

All Ready to go.

Yesterday we got together and went to Dairy Queen for lunch before we went Bowling. I don't think I have ever eaten anything besides ice cream at DQ but they make a not bad burger too. We then bowled and played two games. It was a lot of fun we weren't really playing to hard so none of us got a 300 point game but we had a good time anyways.

Here day is showing us how it is done.

Boy, don't they just look like they are having fun.

Hello everyone the camera is over here.

I am trying for a strike, but didn't get it on this throw.

After bowling we all went to Mark and Rebekah's place. We watched "Fire Proof" it is the third movie put out by the same producers as Fly Wheel and Facing the Giants. It is very good and I would highly recommend it to anyone to watch.

Enjoying some snacks while Mark got the movie all ready.

And of course we can't get together with out having an excellent meal. It was very good.

I was telling someone to day it seems kind of surreal that I am leaving for Mozambique tomorrow. I am all packed and a little over weight with around 180lbs of luggage. I have a few things that I am not sure where to put. I have a little bit of everything from kitchen supplies, to office supplies, to construction tools, bed sheets, candy and a lot of other random things.

Here is some of the stuff before I started packing. There is definitely much then is in this picture.

All packed and almost ready to go.

Mom is going to take me to Buffalo tomorrow and we will leave around 11am. Dad has been jokingly saying that I am going to Mozambique by Buffalo, it should be quite the trip. I hope I make it then in less then three months.

This will be my last post from Ontario for a while. I am looking forward to what God has in store and it is always exciting to see if the travel plans work out the way they are booked or not. I guess I will soon find out, but if they don't I know God has something for me to learn through it. See you in four months Lord willing.