Flood Report - Mozambique

Special Report March-April, 2015

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Luke 4:18-19

Dear Friends...

We thank you for your incredible gifts, support and prayers for Mozambique during the unprecidented rainy season we have had this year. You have made a remarkable difference in so many people’s lives, all over Mozambique.

After the initial flooding in January, the rain increased and started affecting new areas. Your gifts were very timely and enabled us to help people affected in the North of Mozambique as well as the centre. Thank you for helping us in Mozambique. We pray you enjoy reading these reports and stories and that the pictures touch your hearts.

Together for His glory,

Rod & Ellie Hein and the Afrika Wa Yesu Team

“It is not easy to do relief work, but a great joy... everything takes time but we praise God we have been able to get to the people and will continue to do so.”

Emergency Relief Outreach Area of Lualua, Mopeia District, Zambezia Province

Team: Simona Caba, Abdul Emamo, Susana & Paulo Costa This trip wouldn’t even be possible without the help of Mariano and Pai Rodney! Mariano helped us contact the local government leaders as well as the pastors. He also bought corn, took it to be ground and helped us buy the rest of the supplies for the trip. Pai Rodney helped us plan, gather the rest of the supplies and he also came to our rescue when our car broke down! Thank you so much!

It was a very hard trip, with so many unexpected challenges and VERY bad roads! The first day we intended to leave early, but the food was only ready at noon and we left quite late (on Sunday, March 01st). Just past Inhamitanga the gears of Simo’s Landcruiser stopped shifting and we had to turn back. After a few kms on our way back the gears started working again, but in doubt, and being late, we decided to continue heading home.

We left earlier the next day (Monday, March 02nd) and 33 km past Caia the car started shaking and we had to stop. Abdul helped us find out that the back “cruzeta” was totally off, broken and without the proper screws.

We couldn’t take it out because the car’s 4x4 also wasn’t working. So we waited for a few hours for Pai Rod to come to our rescue! He gave us his car and stayed with Rocha fixing Simo’s car enough to take it back to Inhaminga.

With all this delay we arrived at Posto Campo at about 4:30PM. On our way from Lualua to Posto Campo we saw about 10 different camps, full of displaced families. Some have over 150 families, others have 60-70 families. So many people lost their homes.

We were glad to see most of them have received UNICEF canvas of very good quality, making their little huts more bearable. They are also receiving some food.

We also saw many fields almost ready for harvest, which gave us hope for the rest of the year. It might not be what they usually harvest, but it will help them survive and restart their lives. The re-

Our team arriving at Posto Campo, where displaced people took refuge after losing everything to rain and floods. silience and endurance of the Mozambican people is amazing. People don’t give in to despair and hopelessness. We see them working, going from one side to the other on their bikes, in sun or rain, walking to their new fields, improving their little huts. In the midst of so much suffering and loss, we still see them smile and laugh and carry on with life!

Unloading the car. youth without children) from the church. Each family/ individual received: 2 buckets of corn flour; 1 pot or capulana; seed; 1 hoe; 2 plates; 1 cup; 2 bottles.

We were short on pots and capulanas, so we gave pots to those who Some of the camps are in worse conditions than oth- had more kids, and ers. There are two on that road that seem to not have capulanas to those received much help. One of them is called The resilience and who had Dzolissa and has 66 families living there. We endurance of the s m a l l e r stopped shortly to inquire because we noticed Mozambican people is families. the situation there was worse than in the other amazing. The people S o m e camps we passed. We asked the Chief at Lua- don’t give in to despair c o m lua why and he said there just isn’t enough and hopelessness. In plained at the end, but it wasn’t a big thing. for everyone. He seems like a good and hon- the midst of so much They were very grateful. est man and was very helpful and cooperative suffering and loss, we with our work there. still see them smile It was kind of crazy to make the distribution at night but at the end it was a good thing, beand laugh.

As soon as we arrived cause it started raining that night and continat Posto Campo we started ued all through the morning. It would have been even preparing for distribu- more difficult to do everything in the rain! tion. Our goal was to help the church, as The church building is on higher ground and wasn’t afit was impossible fected by the flood, though the pastor’s house very close to help the whole to the church was. They said the water came up during camp where the the night and they church people had to grab what are living. There they could and are over 100 fami- go to the church lies at their camp building and other (Acampamento 02). higher areas. One There were 19 families young man from and 7 individuals (unmarried the church was

away at Nicoadala when the water rose and wasn’t able to save anything from his home. He lost everything!

Others were able to rescue their Bible, some clothes, and a few belongings. Nobody lost their lives ~ Praise Jesus!

Before distributing the food, we talked to them about God’s love, the love of the people who donated money for that food to be purchased, their love for God and for their neighbors. We challenged them to share with others what they received. Not only with their families and other Christians, but also with non-believers.

They said they would!

meet up and pray and hear the word a few times! That is a good testimony, for this man, Albino, is a very new believer and when we visited them last year with Leadership students he was very insecure and unsure about his call to leadership.

We talked to the people about God’s love, the love of the people who donated money for that food to be purchased, their love for God and for their neighbours.

Since we hadn’t distributed plastic to the families (because they already had UNICEF canvas) we gave one small roll to the camp chief, with the pastor, to build a shelter where everyone from the camp can gather to hear the Word and pray when it rains (which is still very often). They said they would build it before Didi comes back next weekend with people from Nicoadala church to visit them again.

The next morning we gathered with the pastor and a few elders and women and encouraged them in On our way back we reported to the local chief at Luatheir faith, and walk with Jesus. They were very atten- lua about what we had done and gave him another small plastic roll for a few families who didn’t receive the tive and we felt the Word fall on good soil.

UNICEF canvas and were in very pour conditions. We On our way back we stopped at their camp (about 5km didn’t see them, but we trusted him in that. from the church building), checked out their living conThank you for the opportunity to reach out to ditions and spoke to the chief of the settlement. He is a newly appointed chief and was very eager to hear the these people!

Word. We were encouraged to hear that the local pastor Simona, Susana, Paulo & Abdul (Albino) has already called everyone from the camp to

Nampula wa Yesu Areas of Ribaue, Murrupula and Ligonha,Nampula Province Team: Pastors Armando and Lurdes Jo, with Afrika Wa Yesu Church Members It’s with a grateful heart that I report on HELP projects to people affected by the recent rains, flood and the strong wind. I have identified 3 areas that have been severely affected: Murrupula, Ligonha and Ribaue.The government reported 3,000 houses have been destroyed at Ribaue District and out of these homes, 39 My heart melts with belong to Afrika Wa Yesu families. We felt With the help of our Pastor Jose and his Disjoy, to be able to see led to help the household of God with plastic trict leadership, a careful search was made to this old grandmother roles, with which they can repair the roofs of identify the most needy old and poor people, smile, dance and lift up their huts to keep out the rain. orphans, widows and those whose goods her hands in gratitude were lost, so we could give them blankets. to Jesus, for the gift of These houses fell Fifteen widows were carefully selected from one blanket! down in Januour twelve local churches under the Ribaue District. Pastor Jose organized two distribution points, ary, and until now, because of the distance. We did one place in the morn- they’ve not been ing and the other in the afternoon. People walked a long repaired. There is no good grass way, to come for their blessings. for roofing at Mbuya Rosita, from Pecuaria Wa Yesu, was in great this time, and need of a blanket but there was no hope of her get- the rolls of plasting one. She lives by herself in the middle of the com- tic was a miracumunity. My heart melts with joy, to be able to see this lous solution, for old ambuya (grandmother) smile, dance and lift up her these 39 families. hands in gratitude to Jesus, for the gift of one blanket. Glory to Jesus. 20 plastic roles 50 meters We are all grateful for this blessing of God’s love. long were given for 2 families Precious greetings in Christ Jesus! I praise God for His faithfulness in supplying the need of His people. The weather is different in different places of Mozambique.

It’s nearly winter time and most parts of Mozambique, get very cold and Ribaue is one of the cold zones.

to divide in half, 25 meters each, which is enough for the type of the house people make for their habitation.

I was personally touched by the testimony of Pastor Cardoso, whose house fell down in January 11th, 2015, soon after the rains started. Cardoso, has 7 children under his care and all were displaced. He was very, very happy indeed to receive such help.

The plastic roll, was what he wanted for a long time, without knowing where the help would come from! I am very happy to see families being restored under a roof again. Thank you, for standing side by side with Mozambican people.

Another area of need was to help people with food in the regions where we were operating because people’s fields were washed away and people have nothing to eat. Even when harvest time arrives, most people will be working in other people’s fields for food.

We felt led to start helping with food at Murrupula District. We have 5 local churches scattered around the District and at this stage, we were able to reach and bless 113 households, under three Afrika Wa Yesu churches. In both Districts Ribaue and Murrupula, we had 2 gathering points, because of the distance.

We got some help to the Ligonha community as soon as possible.

There, the Ligonha river has wiped out people’s goods and fields.

After that, we finished with Gurue District. We bought mostly maize flour but along with that, we also provided some cooking oil, washing bars, salt, rice.

Carlos’ story, is very touching. He lost literally everything and was left hanging on a rock, him and his family.

The coming of the food supply is the God’s answer to save him and his family. He said that in spite of such difficult moment, he never gave up his faith and was always in the church meetings seeking God’s help. He and his wife came as a couple to receive food. “God is great!” were his words. Carlos is the one on the picture with his wife, in a blue t-shirt.

We greatly rejoice with those rejoicing. We helped 50 children in Ribaue of which 42 were orphans and 8 were very needy. The main focus was to select school children within these 50 and give them school supplies, and the others received clothes and of course, some candy.

In Murrupula there were 84 children needing school supplies. These children lost their school materials when water came through their homes from the river and heavy rains caused their fragile houses to collapse. We bought two bales of infant clothes aging 0-7 and 7-14 years old, for distribution.

One family with 2 kids were implementing the following plan: when it was time for school the child who attended morning school would use the only pair of shorts they owned and go to school. After he came home, his younger brother would take the same shorts and go off for the afternoon classes. This was every day, Monday through Friday. Today, these kids have some extra sets of clothes. Thank you Jesus.

We also provided exercise books to the children who had none for school. Praise the Lord for His provision. The books were given to selected kids who needed them.

May the Lord God, do you good. Thank you for helping us to help others for Jesus.

Pastors Armando & Lurdes Jo

Area of Racine Nacala wa Yesu

Team: Jeff and Nicky Reetz, Nacala Bible School students and teachers

The statements to open this update can only begin with two very powerful words... “Thank You!” Thank you to those who generously gave to make the relief effort possible. Thank you to so many who interceded for the people. Thank you for peace in the nation as decisions progress in the right direction. Thank You for being a part of the work in Mozambique. Thank You that with Jesus everything is possible.

All the students jumped right in with the preparation of the individual parcels by first dancing around the materials then praying a prayer releasing a blessing of multiplication over the finished work. All of it done with earnest joy and grateful hearts. Racine wa Yesu met us at the beach landing of the transport and carried all the parcels to the church area under a tree. Gratefully, Gasitte & Sergio with the oversight of Agostinho & Lucas had prepared an accurate list of names to work from.

Agostinho shared a Word, everyone prayed and names were called off. The distribution of 39 parcels went quickly as there was another rain storm looming in the distance, consequently people were eager to walk home to cover what was left of their hut or to commence making a simple structure. The Secretary of Racine was aware and so grateful for Afrika wa Yesu’s assistance towards the people as the government did not have a plan to assist.

We now have another list to distribute fifty (50) more parcels. These items are going to anyone who has lost everything. It is a time to show God’s love for no other motivation than His love. It is His love, powerful and victorious that we distribute. Whether it be through parcels of items, a touch, a ride to a destination instead of walking for kilometers or just a smile, it is His love that propels us to seek out the lost who are poor without Him because their life is empty and void without salvation, without hope, without peace and without victory. These people live all around us. Thank you for making this all possible. AWY is making a difference, bringing joy and hope where there was none. Praise God.

Jeff and Nicky Reetz

and the Nacala Team