Bibles Galore!

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Part of our work this year in Maxixe involves teaching and training the new believers,and up and coming leaders who joined the new churches we planted last year.

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It's a challenge! The educated people in the towns speak Portuguese, and the village people out of the town, where most people live, speak mainly Shangaan.

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Only around one in three can read and write, the good thing is they are keen to learn, and they are doing just that.

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Over the last couple of months we have brought in 180 bibles in Shangaan and 50 in Portuguese (the picture on the left).

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We managed to get hold of a very good 14 week foundation course in Shangaan which Armindo is now teaching (picture right). We now have electricity in the church...amazing! It's a bit dull, and it goes off fairly regularly, but you can now see the people you are teaching, which is quite novel!

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Every one is very keen to get involved in learning the new course material, It's simple, packed with the Word of God, some good illustrations and pictures and there is a test attached to each lesson. Most people are getting very good marks.

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It's been a real thrill to see this important part of our work take off so well,

we ran out of material on the first night as I had only bought enough for a hundred people to do the course. We have just ordered another hundred lessons!

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Next month I am taking a team from England out on a working trip to the orphanage and we still have two spare places. Call me if you fancy the trip of a lifetime or would like a bit more info! There is still time to join us. 07813972855

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Delfina's New Shop!

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Here is a very proud Delfina, and some of our church youth group with her shop now open and up and running!

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And yes its pink, of all colours..!.Very pink..!. and I'm saying nothing. It's Delfina's shop and she's delighted.

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It's been open for three weeks now and is producing a profit! We are all very excited. The shop is sited next to our church in Maxixe, which we call the Centre. It sells all kinds of everyday items from razors to soap powder, and toilet rolls to beauty cream! Who on earth would buy beauty cream in this environment, I asked myself, as I saw it displayed on the shelf....you'd be surprised!

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This shop is another of our new sustainable projects here in Maxixe, helping to bring people out of poverty.

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A huge thank you to those who have generously given into this project, both to build the shop and also to stock it.

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We have been supporting Armindo, Delfina and his young family, and the many destitute people who arrive at his house around meal times for the last five years.

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As soon as the turnover and profit increase in the shop they will become self sufficient, and able to generate their own income. no longer needing our financial support.

A great few weeks!

Bon Dia! It's around 8am, it's the middle of winter here now in Moz, everyone is complaining it's so cold.It's down to around 8 degrees at night and around 22 during the day. For me it's great, I can breathe again, and sleep fairly well when there isn't a cockerel standing almost on the end of my bed, and screetching his head off at
2.00 am instead of 6.00 am, which would be more reasonable!
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We have had a really good last month here, our plans have now been completed for the medical centre, they look great, and we are hoping to start the build at the beginning of August, once we have all the foundation blocks made.

Up at the Centre in Maxixe, we have had a great response to the foundation course we have put on every Monday night. Over half the people enrolled on the course are getting 100 percent on there home work papers. They each have a new bible in the local shangaan or portugese. The same course is now being taught in our new church plants by the local leaders, and the people are loving it! It a great course, very simple, and packed with the Word of God.
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Delfina`s shop is now open and bringing in some revenue. The ladies are busy learning all they can with the sewing project. They are busy cutting and sewing yards of brown paper, as they learn to sew.
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We had a good response from the evening outdoor events that we held in Matacalane and Jocarne. The new churches are doing well, and will benefit hugely from the new course material which they are now being taught .
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I'm back at the Orphanage now, busy preparing things for the trip which will be coming out at the beginning of August from the UK. We still have spaces available for anyone interested in coming out on the trip! I'm back in the UK during July, so you can contact me then: email peterdhouston@gmail.com
or phone me on 01625 573479
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Thanks you for your support in loads of ways. If you are reading this and feel you would like to help us financially, or know someone who might, particularly with our work at the orphanage, where we are seeking to reach out to the poorest of the orphaned children in the area. The best way you can help us there is to fill out a regular monthly standing order.
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It's a constant stretch for us to meet our monthly out-goings here just now, particulary as our pound has dropped in value. Please continue to pray for us.
Thank you for journeying with us on this exciting road!
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Great Excitement!

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There was great excitement at the Centre in Maxixe as I arrived a week ago, with the first four sewing machines out of ten that we are bringing in, as one of the sustainable projects we are starting this year in Mozambique.

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Several months ago, unknown to my self, some of the ladies in the church in Maxixe were busy praying that God would help them to create businesses for themselves, as they prayed, several of them felt God speaking to them about starting businesses with sewing machines!

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Back in the UK I had been put in touch with a church in Nottingham with a vision to help people in third world countries start up their own business, helping them to come out of poverty through sustainable projects. They have agreed to supply the funds that we need to start up the projects that we are currently involved with!

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After much thought and prayer, I called Armindo, and asked what he thought about starting a number of small businesses with sewing machines!

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Months down the road, standing in the Centre in Maxixe, surrounded by a number of very thrilled ladies and their new machines, I know now why Armindo was so excited about my telephone suggestion. We had connected with the heart of God, and He had answered their prayers!!!

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One of the ladies in the church has taken on the role of teaching the other ladies to sew. There is talk of us possibly making the school uniforms for the children at the local school!

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Please pray for us all, that we manage to get the project well set up, and that we are able to make a difference in the lives of these people who have nothing. At present many of these ladies are widows with children are on our feeding programmes. Soon they will be able to feed themselves!

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whats happening this week!

We have eventually started to make the huge number of concrete blocks necessary to build the medical centre at the orphanage, we are all very excited ! We still await the necessary documents for our NGO. One more week they say!
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Over the next two weeks in Maxixe we will be launching both of our sustainable projects here. Our shop is now finished and looks great, this will be stocked this week and opened next week.

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Today we introduce our sewing machine project, which every one is very excited about, we currently have four machines, and will bring in the other six later in the year.

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We are starting a sewing school, bringing in a lady who has a heart to help us to set up the project, which will help bring some of these destitute people out of poverty.
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Another of our projects here at the Centre in Maxixe is to continue to teach a fourteen week foundation course in their local Shangaan dialect, produced by Emmanuel Press in Nelspruit. This together with the new bibles that we are bringing into the country, in a modern easy to read translation, is what we desperately need here in Maxixe.
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Armindo and I will be starting to teach the course next Monday night, at the centre to the local church, and to our leaders of the new churches. These leaders will then in turn take the material the same week, and teach it in their own churches.
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Our other exciting opportunity is to teach the same material to the guys at the local prison. Please pray that we get the opening and opportunities we are looking for there!
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There is buzz about the place at present, everything is now starting to move forward again. Your prayers are essential to our success here. Please continue to pray for all the projects, and the lovely people we are working with, and that we will be able to make a lasting difference in the place. Thank you for all your amazing support in so many ways. I'll be posting photos next week of all we are doing!

The Conference

Steve Thomas and Steve Parsons came out from the UK, to teach and train around a hundred of our new people that now come to church, along with a number of up and coming leaders. Ten different churches were represented, seven local and three from down near the orphanage.
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The feed back has been fantastic. Seminars were held in the mornings, with time to reflect in the afternoons, then as the week went on we had several open air evening celebration meetings.
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The guys who came to the conference slept on the floor, in the pole and reed church, the ladies all slept in tents. The food was cooked on four enormous cauldrons over several open fires, the smell of cooking in the evening along with wood smoke and huddles of people singing and laughing was great, everyone had a really good time, and were really grateful to the guys who had come out from the UK, giving up their time and home comforts to sew into the lives of these lovely people.
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I am heading back up to Mozambique tomorrow back across the border this time with 230 bibles, a second hand computer. and a lot of other stuff we need, including more clothes for the kids.
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This next month we have another very exciting project which we will be starting. I will be pushing hard to get the NGO through for the orphanage project, and also get the plans finished for the medical centre. Then we will be starting to make the two thousand blocks necessary to build the centre and I will be posting photos for you to see as we go.
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My time in Maxixe will be spent with Armindo at the Centre where we will be helping the many new believers in the church to get into the bible. Very few of the people have a bible at all. We have managed to get hold of bibles in their own local dialect and will be introducing five short teaching sessions about the bible, in the evenings, alongside some practical reading sessions. At the end of week the people will each keep their new bibles, which will become a major source of personal spiritual growth for them, as they start to feed themselves daily.

Please pray God helps us to fulfill all the things He has put in our hearts to do.
Thanks so much for journeying with us.

Bless you Pete, Armindo and Martha
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Surprise! Surprise!

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When I finally arrived tired and weary from my journey up from South Africa to the Orphanage,the last thing I expected when I arrived, was a surprise 50th birthday party. This had been put on by Martha's eldest daughter Grace, and hosted by the children from the orphanage. I was choked!

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All the staff from the orphanage, including our guard, plus twenty children, Martha's own family and some of the church, all squeezed in to Martha's front room in her house, for a special chicken and chip dinner, and a birthday cake, and bottles of coke.

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Squeals of delight went up, as I brought in the blankets and new school bags for the children, which I had just purchased in South Africa. Filimon could not stop grinning, as he opened up his new keyboard, and the party went on!

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RETURN TO MOZAMBIQUE

I have been back in the UK for the last five months, and have really enjoyed being back home with family and friends. Here I am now, back in South Africa, getting the Land Rover serviced and everything prepared for the exciting few months ahead of me. I am poised, about to go back across the border into Mozambique tomorrow, and about to step into some of the exciting things, which the bible says God has prepared in advance for me to do!

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Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10 talks about the fact that God has done exactly that for you and for me! Twenty years ago when I first handed over the reigns of my life to Christ I was remember being gripped by that staggering truth, and determined then, to walk in all that He said He had put in front of me.

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Years further on down that narrow pathway, I find myself more excited than ever, as I daily chat to God, and listen carefully for His direction, I see His plan gently unfolding before me. This year we will be holding our second leadership training program in Maxixe. Steve Thomas and Steve Parsons are coming out to help with that task.

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Amongst some of the practical projects, we will be building the medical centre at the orphanage and a new training centre at Maxixe. We will also be starting, this year, to introduce a number of small micro-businesses so that people can earn enough money to support their families. In addition we will be starting our new "home care" project, which will involve re-homing some of our orphaned children in families.

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I'd love you to journey with me this year, through to December, and watch to see what God does as we determine to follow Him, why not open your heart to the things God has put in front of you? You may not see a very clear path in front of you just yet, but let me encourage you to release the reigns of your life to the One who created you and loves you and let Him take control. He promises to lead you and guide you in the way you should go! It will not be long before you begin to see His skillful hand at work in your life.

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This year we also have a working trip out to the Orphanage in August, and still have some spaces left on that. If you fancy coming out, please email me: peterdhouston@gmail.com

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I will be trying to update my blog each week on a Monday if I can get to the internet! Please pray for me and the lovely people in Mozambique, that this year we can help to make a lasting impact in this beautiful and very needy country.

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Thanks very much and God bless you

Pete

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The opportunity of a life time!

We are currently in a very exciting time at the orphanage. The opportunities for us to make a real difference in this poor nation, are huge!
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We are now very well set up at the orphanage with a great facility, where the most needy of children come into our care. They receive medical support, 3 meals a day and 24 hour supervised care. Our orphanage is an oasis for these children, offering a safe and loving environment, before we carefully place them in families through the local church, to live as normal a life as possible. We have a large well with an ample supply of fresh running water, and a team of ladies who lovingly care for the children.
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With an estimated 12 million aids orphans in Africa, our heart is to reach out and make the largest impact we can, by helping as many as we can.
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Having battled our way through many problems and difficulties, the only thing that is stopping us make a big impact now, is money!
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Even out in Mozambique, we also have been hard hit by the world resession. Our British pound has depreciated by around 25%. What used to cost us £15 per month, twelve months ago, to care for the needs of one child, now costs us £20.
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As before,100% of your financial gift is sent out to the orphanage, where it is desperately needed. No deduction is made for administration.
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We are determined not to slacken off our programme, of bringing needy children into our care. However last week, Martha had to turn away two destitute chchildren, since there was no sponsorship money to support them! As I received the news my heart sank.
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I now feel compelled to do what a bible verse says, which was recently brought to my attention, "to plead the cause of the poor and needy." Proverbs 31:8-9
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I am not ashamed to tell you that we need more support now!
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If you are currently supporting us financially would you consider raising your support?
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Or, if you know of anyone else, who may like to come on board, and be part of this exciting work, then please steer them to our web site, where they can watch the on line DVD, (click twice on top left picture on the home page).
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There is also a form to down load and fill in, with the person's details, Or simply text me, and I`ll send out a DVD and a form straight away. We gladly accept one-off gifts, or regular monthly contributions.
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Thank you so much for journeying with us, as we all seek to make the biggest impact we can, amongst some of the poorest children in the world, in the nation of Mozambique.
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Pete Houston

You can contact me by email: peterdhouston@gmail.com
or text me on: 07813 972855
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Happy New Year!

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Happy New Year Everyone!
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I hope that you enjoyed a really good Christmas and New Year. It was great for me to be home, and spend Christmas with my family and friends.
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So here we are standing on the threshhold of a brand new year. I`m one of those people who get excited about that, but for me its not just an emotional experience, saying good bye to one year and welcoming another.
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It's much deeper than that!
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In April of 1987, in a small family church in New Zealand, I heard and understood the Christian message for the first time in my Life.
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I was 26 years old, at that time. I had already been travelling for several years, working in different countries around the world, and had just crossed the Gibson desert in Australia on an old DR 500 motor bike. I was blown away by some of the most amazing scenery I had ever seen, and my thoughts had turned to the possibility of there being a creator!
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My story is on this website, under: "About us" then:"publications" then:"living life to the fullest"
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My trip across the Gibson desert Western Australia.
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That morning in that small church in New Zealand. I was given an opportunity to pray, and to receive Jesus Christ into my life. A decision that would radically alter the course of my life in a fantastic way!
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It involved me recognizing, before a Holy God, that I needed His forgiveness in my life. That confession proved to be the doorway into a personal relationship with God.
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Over the weeks and months that followed, I did my best to cultivate this new relationship. I talked to God as if He was my friend, and as I started to go back to church and to read the bible, I felt Him speak to me.
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A passage of scripture that gripped me is to be found in the book of Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10. It said that God had prepared things in advance for me to do.
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Over the years that followed, as I yielded my life to Him, I asked Him to reveal that plan to me. Since then, I have been staggered at the opportunities He has put in front of me. Not least being given the opportunity to make a difference in Africa.
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Now I include God in everything, carefully praying about the coming year, and asking Him what He wants me to sink my efforts into, listening carefully for His direction.
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In Jeremiah 29:11 the bible says that God knows the plans that He has for you, plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.
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Standing on the threshold of this new year, I am so excited about all that He has planned for us to do!
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I'd love to take this opportunity to encourage you, wherever you are in life, or whatever challenges you may be facing. There is a God in heaven who dearly loves and cares for you, who, more than anything, desires a relationship with you.
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It involves you opening your heart to Him and receiving Him into your life.
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I cannot think of a better way to start the rest of your life, let alone this new year! Why not, as this new year begins, do just that? It's the best decision you will ever make!
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Thank you everyone for all your amazing support this last year. Please continue if you can. Your support is essential for our ongoing work, out in one of the poorest countries in Africa.
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Thank you and God bless you.
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Pete Houston
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Well Well Well!

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Water is a valuable commodity here in Africa, and essential to our survival!

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The well at the orphanage has been in for three years now. A bore hole was drilled 67 metres deep, and a pump lifts the water up into a10,000 litre tank, which provides all the fresh water we need, for drinking, washing, toilets and showers.

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A lot of water is also used when mixing cement for the building projects, and to water the vegetables which we grow at the orphanage, to help with the feeding of the children

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The well project actually generates a reasonable income for the orphanage as well. The water is sold at reduced rates to the local people, who normally have to buy their water from the government. The money goes towards the maintenance of the well, to keep it in good working order, and helps to pay for smaller projects round and about the orphanage.

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A C0MEDY OF ERRORS

It's so important to be able to laugh, and here are a few of the things which had us in stitches!
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A COW WEARING TWO PAIRS OF BOOTS
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One of the funniest stories I remember, was the man in jail, who, when asked why he was in there, said he had been caught whilst trying to steal a cow. He put two pairs of boots on the animal, to try hide its tracks, but got caught as he was on his way home That really made me laugh!
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Practical and visible things make it easier and more fun to learn...
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Armindo and I sometimes preach with various visual aids. It's great fun. I have a very lifelike rubber snake, that lives in the Land Rover, and has more uses than you might imagine.
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OUR SECURITY GUARD
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Theft out here in Moz is rife, our Land Rover is at constant threat of being stolen, so a guard is normally posted when ever possible, to help prevent that happening. Our friend the snake has proved to be a very effective way of safeguarding the Landrover. By simply placing the snake on the dashboard inside the car. It's amusing to see people making huge detours, to keep well away from the car, once the offending snake has been spotted.
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RATS AND CATS
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Rats are a big problem here. Armindo`s house, made from poles and reeds, is now infested with them. It's a small house, and the rats are in holes in the floor. They can be seen scurrying around whilst we have our meals.
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I asked Armindo why he did not get a cat to catch the rats, as poisoning them is out the question due to the smell they produce when they die. Then I remembered he did have a cat, but I`d not seen it for a while. With a deep sigh he looked across at me and said, "It's no good, brother, I can`t keep a cat here. My neighbours eat them all !"
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THE POLICEMAN AND THE SNAKE
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It can get very trying being pulled up by the police all the time, for no particular reason. They are like wolves. preying on whoever they can, to get a fine or a bribe. On my first few trips to Moz .I used to get fined all the time. Now I play them at their own game.
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When stopped, I usually greet them in their local language, and have a bit of a laugh. They sometimes check around a bit, and usually let me go, realising that I am not a tourist from South Africa and that I actually work here.
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If that does not work, I show them a photo of the children in the orphanage, and explain to them that I also work with the church. Normally that deflates their desire to rip me off, and they let me go.
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Sometimes they are bent on getting some thing out of you. On one particularly hot day, I was tired, I did not want to play, this one policeman got right up my nose , so I decided to give him "the snake treatment!"
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Whilst he was thinking of another bizzare reason to fine me, Iasked in Portugese if he had met my friend the snake, and produced it throught the open window.
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Again the reaction was far greater than I was expecting. The policeman leaped back from the vehicle with a shriek, losing his hat at the same time. I thought I might have over-cooked it this time. Thoughts like "do not collect two hundred pounds but go straight to jail" came into my mind.
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Fortunately moments later he was laughing hysterically and let me go!
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The police in the area are starting to recognise the Land Rover, and I have not been stopped for some time now!
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OUR FEEDING PROGRAMME IN MAXIXE

This has proved to be a vital part of our work out here in Mozambique.
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We are currently running two feeding programmes , one down at the orphanage in Malavela, and the other here in Maxixe.
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Our feeding programmes cater mainly for widowed ladies with young children, who find themselves on their own, with young families to bring up, and no means to support themselves.
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We also support a number of teenage girls and guys who again, find themselves on their own through the death of their parents, in very difficult, vulnerable and sometimes dangerous situations, often with no shelter and no food.
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Our feeding program in Maxixe

Having spent a stretch of time out in Mozambique this year I came away more convinced than ever, that our feeding programs play a vital role in our work amongst these lovely people. It's one thing to rescue some one from difficult circumstances: it's another thing altogether to have the means in place to prevent it.


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Two of the young girls on our feeding program in Maxixe.
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Esperance, 20 years old, and her two year old son Daniel, together with her sister Juvitta,16 years old, are on our feeding programme. They go to school, and are part of the young peoples' group at church.
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Without the support from our feeding programme, they would be on the streets by now.
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At thirteen years old this young girl is in one of our "Home Care" projects.
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We now have three youngsters in home-care families and it's working well. Here the child is supported in a loving family enviroment, where the child can grow up as normally as possible. It seems to be the way forward for these children and young adults.
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We currently have twenty widowed ladies and teenagers, on our feeding programme in Maxixe and ten in Malavela.
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FATIMA

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Fatima pictured here at the orphanage in Malavela.
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All of our kids are great, we have no favourites...well we shouldn't have, but here is someone who is a bit special, She`s four years old, according to the doctor in Maputo who aged her according to the formation of her teeth.
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When she came into our care we knew nothing about her, we did not know her name, or where she came from, she could not speak. All we knew, is that she had been found abandoned in a ditch at the side of a road. We did not know how long she had
been there. She was looking rough, and had been putting dirt in her mouth trying to feed herself.
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A passer by heard her crying, and rescued her.
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Enquiries were made for several weeks, in the near by town of Manihca, as we tried to locate her parents. No one knew where she was from, or who she belonged to.
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Martha decided to call the little girl Fatima, after the lady who found her. She is doing really well now. She rushes up to greet you in the morning with the other children, her big brown eyes meet yours and she breaks into a big smile. Another of the little treasures from heaven that we have the privilege to look after.
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Our orphanage is getting quite well known now, which is great and we have the favour of the local authorities who have even asked for our help and occasionally have brought children to us. Every one who visits, is impressed with our premises.
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The children sleep in bedded rooms of ten, with a carer, and have flushing toilets, and showers, and each child receives three cooked meals a day
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Our orphanage is in a beautiful place, and as we are developing the site, we have been careful to keep as many of the lovely large trees as possible, which provide essential shade and also a wonderful place to hang rope swings.
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Lazaro busy enjoying life!
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It's well known these days that life in an orphanage is not the best way forward for the children's long term development. We aim to get these beautiful children that have been rescued, back into a local family enviroment, where they will be supported, and carefully monitored.
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In the meantime, our premises provide an effective life-line and a safe haven, where our children can get healed, strenthened, and released from past traumas.
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Matacalane Revisited!

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Day one. Clearing the piece of land ready to start building the church.

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We bring in our supplies of poles and reeds for the walls, and timber and corrugated iron for the roof.

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Four days later our team of builders and cooks proudly show off their new church building.
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The local people love the "Jesus" film and come back each night to watch it again and again! Our screen is a king-sized bed sheet, hung from the end wall of the church building. Played through our powerful sound system, it can be seen and heard for miles around.

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We wonder where the people come from in this remote location, but they do!


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Armindo and I, preaching on our last night of our evening outreaches, here at Matacalane.


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Reginaldo and his wife Sonia, who are now heading up the work here in Matacalane, under Armindo`s supervision.
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Pedro and His wife Louisa from an Assembly of God church, pictured here with Armindo, on our opening Sunday, being prayed for, as they will be working closely with Reginaldo and Sonya. Pedro is a great evangelist, and Armindo and I are excited about the potential which we can already see in this couple's lives.
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We are excited about the church plant here in Matacalane. We have joined together with around ten other Christians from the local AOG church, who's pastor had died. They are excited to have a building to meet in, and it's been a thrill to see them throw themselves into the work, helping to build the church, then praying and fasting for the outreach events.

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We were surprised how many people came to the evening outreaches. Some would be coming just to see what was going on, but the Lord was busy drawing even spectators to himself.
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Numbers normally drop off after we leave, but that's when the real work starts. We hold our breath, pray lots, and watch what happens as the church gets established, with Reginaldo leading a new believers' course.

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We had 40 adults and 15 children in last Sunday, which we were thrilled about. Thank you everyone for your support in every way. Please keep praying for our new churches, these new leaders, and the new Christians.

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All of us out here are in at the deep end, learning to swim, sometimes in difficult waters. Satan does his best to discourage us. He's not a fan of our work out here. He has hit us with everything over these last few months; but Jesus promises that He will build his church and tells us that the gates of hell will not prevail agaist it - and on this promise we stand!!

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Miracles of Provision

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The look on these childrens faces says it all!
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They wake up one morning to find themselves on their own, both parents have died being HIV positive.
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It's moving to see the children respond so quickly to love, and genuine compassion, as they come into our care.
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Zacharius at 5 years old makes a huge improvement in his health after receiving prayer, he was so poorly only a month ago. We did not take any photos, certain that he had only weeks to live!
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I have been coming to Mozambique on and off for five years. This visit has been my longest stay so far, I`ve been here for four and a half months now. Reflecting on my time here, I find myself having been stretched in many different ways. My biggest challenge is seeing and experiencing human suffering, it touches me deeply.
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God is amazing. He carefully knits us together whilst we are in our mother's womb, and gives us the life skills and gifting necessary to fulfill the call, which He places on each of our lives (Psalm 139).
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I thank God He has broken me in slowly. If I saw what I`ve seen in the past few months, on my first arrival in Moz in 2003, I doubt whether I would have managed to cope.
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As a compassionate person, I am easily touched by what I see and feel, and I find that I have to manage that gift carefully, using wisdom together with that compassion. Unfortunately you cannot help every one.... yet all of Africa cries for our help.
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There is a loud cry that goes out from the heart of this beautiful country, especially from the widowed and the orphaned. Gods heart is especially touched by this cry, as He tells us in (James 1:27). "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress......"
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Some weeks ago, I found my self walking away from a very tough situation, feeling gutted to the core. Martha and Regina, the local social worker, and myself had been to visit a lady who was looking after 17 children. Her own family members, brothers and sisters, had died, leaving their children behind. She was cooking a small pot of beans to share between them all, she had no food to feed them with!
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She was at her wits end trying to feed them and look after them. I noticed a young boy on his own, sitting quietly near a hedge. He was very sick, covered in sores and extremely weak. The lady broke into tears as she lifted the boy up and told us the story. He is HIV positive and too weak to do much now. He is five years old, can we help??
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Our bank balance rudely replied NO! We were already stretched, with a very low exchange rate against the pound. Food prices had increased, and we have taken more children into the orphanage. Should we be taking a very sick HIV positive child in? Martha still works full time, and we have nowhere to separate very sick children, and no one to give them full time care.
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Not sure what we should do, we decided to give ourselves some time to make a good decision. If we started giving out food now, we would have to continue with that choice, and we are already stretched to the maximum, with two feeding programs running.
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What did wisdom say? We need wisdom now!
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The exciting thing about being a Christian is that we have the life giving power of the Holy Spirit living within each of us, who is able to do so much more than we can. It's when we are really up against it that we see God move!
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We got on our knees and prayed fervently with tears for this little boy, and his situation, somehow believing God was going to do something.
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Back up north, busy with our church plants, I was haunted by the picture of this helpless child. We were about to start our last church plant, when our money ran out. The bank statement announced that was enough! Just then we had another blow. I had my wallet stolen.
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I had been financing much of what we had been doing, using my personal support money, which generous friends had given me from back home. What to do now? Human wisdom said it was time to draw a line under everything.
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But God's wisdom was singing a different song!!
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A long time ago I learned not to allow my bank balance to determine what I did or did not do for God! We prayed again fervently, the church in Maxixe fasting for our needs. We decided God still wanted us to go ahead with our last church plant in Jocarne, even though we had to buy the land as well.We scraped together some money, to buy the poles, to start building the frame for the church.
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Then it happened. All at once our prayers were answered. A call from the UK said that we had just received a sizeable gift of money, and we were suddenly free again to carry on. At that point we could no longer fuel the Land Rover, and were running around on an empty tank! Everyone was thrilled. The church was completed and opened in time.
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Returning to the Orphanage, we went back out to the lady looking after the 17 children, really not knowing what to expect. Martha and I were surprised to see the lady and the very sick boy looking so well. She told us that since we prayed there had been a big change.
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God had lifted the personal burden she was carrying, other people had helped feed the children and the biggest surprise was in the boy whom we had left so poorly. There was no sign of his sores, he looked well and strong again. In our inability to do something, God had answered our prayers again.
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The three children pictured above are now in our care back at the Orphanage. Marta (14) who has been washing and cooking for the last three years, her sister Leopoldina (8), and Zacharias (5) are settling in well. Thanks so much for praying for us. We so much need your prayers, and they work!
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Maybe you are reading these blogs, and hearing stories about how we invited God into situations beyond our control. Maybe you have never really prayed, or know how to. The bible says that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. It says His ear is attentive to our cry.
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Why not open your heart, and let Him who created you and loves you more than anyone else, carry your load and help with the difficult things you may be facing. He loves to answer prayer, and as He does we are drawn deeper into that beautiful relationship with Him, that we were really created for!
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Planning and Reviewing in Maxixe for 2009

So here we are again....
.... sitting in the shade underneath the coconut trees, alongside one of the most beautiful beach fronts ever. It's deserted, except for a few locals fishing. The surf pounds in over the reef a couple of hundred metres off shore, producing a swell of white water in the pale blue ocean. Whales can be seen here regularly earlier in the year. The sea breeze cools our faces as we look out to sea. It's a relief here after the high temperatures inland, where it's up around 38 degrees now. It's almost a year ago since we were here for our last reviewing and planning session.
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Armindo and I have dragged ourselves away from our busy programme. It's hard to get away with so much going on, but essential to the success of our work out here. Taking time to seek God, and time to reflect and plan for the future, we choose this place as it's so quiet. There is no phone access here, or any thing much else for that matter. There is one small restaurant on the top of a hill with a great menu, but no food. Thats Africa! if it doesn't drive you mad, you´ll love it!
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Last year...
..... we sat here and allowed our selves to dream. We asked ourselves questions such as - what did we want to see happen this coming year, in 2008? What had God got planned for us to do? We have a number of leaders that we felt would be able to pastor new churches by mid 2008.
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God has given Armindo and myself the same dream to reach this nation for Christ, but how would we get there, and how would we finance such a dream? There is one great question that I love to ask people, to help them find their ultimate calling in life, and to dig out what God has already planted in that person's heart, it goes like this... "If money wasn't a problem and you knew you could not fail, what would you do with your life, for God?"
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The idea being, that if God is going to call you to do something, He would have to provide the means for you to fulfill that calling, and with His help you would succeed.
Having already prepared in prayer before our time away, we both felt it right to start a number of new churches locally this year, spreading a net out over the surrounding area.

We are sitting here again now, in this beautiful setting, reflecting back on the work we have been given to do. We now have our few churches up and running, each with their own leaders, all of them in fairly rural areas. We have kick-started them with our evening outreaches, which have attracted many people. Quite a number made some kind of response, and some of them have started attending the new churches. Over this coming year, more will come in especially though the evangelism programme that each church is running
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So where do we go from here?
Armindo will now be looking after and continuing to mentor his leaders who in turn are now looking after their own new churches. It has been a joy when we can to go back to some of the new churches we started this year and sit in on a service. We find ourselves moved as we recognise faces from our outreaches, now in church praising God.
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I will return to the UK on Dec 12th 2008 for a few months, to organise our trips for next year. I will be speaking at various places about our work out here in this beautiful country, and how other people can get involved.

What about next year and the future?
The truth is we never stop talking about it or dreaming about it. We feel this next few years will be a time for bringing in teams, to help us train and teach new leaders and pastors, to teach the mothers, the youth, and the children.
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For some time now Armindo and I have had it in mind to build a bible school here in Maxixe, which we are now calling "The Centre". We have drawn up some rough plans for a building, and are excited about what we feel God has put in our hearts. As we teach and train up new leaders, we can then proceed to plant more new churches, spreading the gospel throughout the area, reaching this nation with the fantastic news of Jesus Christ!
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Please keep praying for this essential work, and that each of our new churches would get well established. Thank you for working with us.
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I will be continuing the blog weekly with photos and news, when I get back to the UK, so please stay with us and follow what God is doing in this nation.

I am back at the Orphanage for a week now, before returning to South Africa. Today we brought in three beautiful, needy, new children to the Orphanage. I will be writing this later in the week, thanks for praying for us all out here. Pete, Armindo, Martha and the team.
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General News

We had a good time on Saturday afternoon, when Armindo and I slotted in one of our increasingly popular leadership training sessions. We again had 60 to 70 people turn out, some of them coming in from Massinga and Malova by mini bus.
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As they walk from the bus drop-off point to the church in Maxixe, they sing loudly the whole way here. It's great to see and hear. They do a sort of shuffle along, in a half-walk, half-dance, kind of a way. They are not in a rush even though they are an hour late... this is Africa!
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We had a great time together, and everyone is so looking forward to times of training and teaching to be given by visiting teams, that will be coming out to help us next year.
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If you are reading this, and feel that you would like to come out to help to teach and train pastors and leaders, or get involved in working with the young people, or teaching the mothers, watch out for our calendar of events for 2009, which we will be publishing at the end of this year.
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Jocarne launched

We have pushed hard this last week to get the last of these few churches built and up and running. This church has been built mainly by twelve of the young people in Armindo´s church. Some of them came to Christ themselves through our outreaches and now have a heart for the work here. Having worked all day, they all came back at night to help with the set up and take down of our outreach event.
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I was surprised to find people from Matacalane there on the second night. They live 15 kilometres away and could hear our music from out there. 8 or 10 of them had walked three hours to come and join us! We had around 200 people coming out to see what was going on. They all love the "Jesus" DVD and quite a good number responded to the message preached.
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The local chiefs are delighted. It is important for us to have their approval. One of them strongly encouraged the local people to come and get involved . We opened the church on Sunday morning, and Ben is now leading this work here in Jocarne. Thank you for praying for us all. Keep going!
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Jocarne

Whilst Armindo and I were searching and praying about our last church plant in Jocarne just north of Maxixe, we were enquiring about the area, numbers of people living locally and what type of churches were already present in the area.
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Having gained some useful local infomation and chatted further, we were able to lead the three men that we were talking to, to Christ. All of them had a picture of Christ in brilliant light in front of them, as they opened their hearts, and received Him into their lives. One of them an ex- military man who fought in the Frelimo/Renarmo war has been very touched. He burnt the idols he owned, that he was trusting in, and God has been working powerfully in his life. He took it upon himself, to help us find a piece of land and is today helping us to build the church there.
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If you are praying for us back home, please do......we are doing our outreach nights on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday again this week, and open the new church on Sunday. Ben with be taking over the reigns of this church in Jocarne, so please pray for him.
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Reginaldo is out to Matacalane, today starting his new-believers course there, which he is so excited about.
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Numbers are growing slowly in each of our church plants, which is great, the church in Masinga that we planted last year is struggling a bit, so please pray for that situation. Numbers have dropped quite a lot for some reason, so we are trying to find out why, and how we can help.

Thank you so much, for praying for us. I have not been able to put any photos on recently, as the internet connection is so slow here in Moz, please look out in the next few weeks. I have some great pictures of Matacalane and the children at the orphanage and will be uploading them early in December when I get to South Africa.
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Bless you. Pete and Armindo and team.
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