Mozambique

My time in Mozambique was truly special for me. I am forever changed from what I encountered there. I hope my pictures and descriptions do it justice here. Our pictures are limited to certain things, because picture taking is very limited in Maputo, so much of what we experienced we could not take pictures of. Anyway, here is some about my time in Mozambique!!!
A soccer game at the Zimpeto center.
One afternoon, we adopted a dorm and got to prophesy over each boy in the dorm. It was amazing to see as the Holy Spirit would give each of us words for these little boys, they would stand up and look intently at us to hear what was on the Lord's heart about them and the prophetic destiny He has for them.
Then it was so much fun (and mayhem) as we made balloons for them and gave them candy. They loved it as you can see!

One night we hosted many of the Iris missionaries at the Zimpeto Center to a dinner of taco salad. I LOVED connecting with them and getting to hear their hearts and their stories as they lay their lives down for Jesus in that place.
We spent one day painting one of the boys dorm, it really needed it. That ceiling was especially fun to paint. Thank God for the tall guy! Still working on the crick in my neck. :) The needs are very great at this center even though it's a high profile missions base. They are always trusting the Lord and are always finding that in Him there is "always enough" for what they need.
Kids outside the visitor center on the playground. The kids spend most of their time waiting outside the visitors center for any time they can get with the missionaries. They are starved for attention and love.
Here is a picture of a little one who was found abandoned on the streets of Maputo and brought to the center. Here is what happened to him after much love prayer and healing. And below, here he is today! Truly brought from death to life by the power of Jesus!!!
Here is worship in church at the Zimpeto Center. Dancing, dancing and more dancing!!! The Africans communicate so much through their dancing. It is one of their unique forms of worship to the Lord.
Here's the kids playground at the Zimpeto Center.
This is a kid from the bocaria, who was picked up to come to church on Sunday morning. He ran up to me immediately during worship and just wanted to me held. He did not want to get down and he just put his head on my shoulder the whole time. I don't think he had any family, but I know he needed love and affection.

This is my friend Dan. I spent a lot of time with him, took him and some friends 20 minutes down the street to the hardcore authentic Mozambican market for cookies and these amazing yogurt drinks, and mostly goofing around.

This is my friend Zito (taller one), with his brother Sylvester (hat), and some other guy I didn't know. Zito is an AWESOME man who I had a heart connection with immediately. He lived in the bocaria (garbage dump) for 11 years before the Lord saved him. He now lives on the side of the dump in a house and has taken in 3 orphan boys by himself. I was amazed with his heart of compassion and joy in the midsts of the desperation around him.
Here are my friends Vincent (left) and Pinto (right). I love these two guys. They seemed like kids that often got left out, so I was glad that the Spirit highlighted them to me so spend most of my time with. By the end of my time there, Pinto really began to open up and told me that he was really going to miss me and wanted me to come back. That one was actually very hard because I realized that these kids are always fighting the battle of needing love and affection, but also guarding their hearts because they know that most people are just going to leave them. I felt very pulled to want to stay and continue loving them. For the first time, my heart was pulled to a desire to pour out the love that Jesus has poured into me into the lost little forgotten ones among the poor of the nations.
This is my friend Philemon. He is 17 years old and he is like a "dorm dad" to one of the dorms of younger boys. He was a kid on the streets who came to the Zimpeto Center about 6 years ago. He is now like a father to many of these kids. It was awesome to see the way they all looked up to him. He had such an amazing kindness and sweetness as well as a strength about him. It was so neat to see who the Lord has made this man into.
Here is a picture of an ordinary street in Maputo.
This is an elusive picture of the bocaria, or garbage dump. We spent one day ministering here to the people who live on the dump. As you can see, this is not a nice place to live. These are some of the poorest of the poor. Many of them literally live right on the trash. Many of their "homes" are simply a flat piece of cardboard lying in an indentation in the garbage. But I could sense that the Lord was there in that place and that His mercies are there for all in the bocaria. We prayed for the sick, had a short worship meeting and then fed the hundreds who came, mostly children. Many children here did not have families. They are "dump kids", but the Lord is working through Iris Ministries here bringing the fatherless back to the Father.
Here is our group (minus Stephanie, who stayed on in Mozambique). Clock wise from me, Michael Chesney, Michelle Miller, Shelah Deans, Heidi McMahon, Cliff Capehart. I had a great time connecting with all of you on the trip and I'm so grateful for what the Lord did through us there!
Going home! Here we are walking to our first plane. We had just completed our first two hours of travel at this point and had about 34 demanding hours to go. I was sick for several days from the beating my body took getting home.

I was SO glad to get home to my wife, but I was sad to leave. I wish the trip could have been longer. I'll have to come back and next time bring Kim. It was an amazing experience for me! Thank you again for all who supported me in prayer during my trip!