Fast Forward

Hmm… seems I last published something on here in 2002!!! Oh well .. let’s fast forward to the present. In 2008 I led a Short-Term Mission Team to the African nation of Mozambique. The trip lasted 3 weeks and burned an indelible impression upon all of us. Twyla and I determined that we would return.

Over the course of the next year we were in touch with Iris Ministries about various projects and the end of it all was that they agreed they would like us to come in 2010. We went to work and sold basically everything we owned. I sold almost all my firearms, keeping only family heirlooms and a few special ones. Twyla sold all that was dear to her. We felt we wanted nothing holding us back. In April we sold our property in Missouri and May 5th we stepped onto Mozambican soil in Pemba!

The first month I helped prepare for the incoming Harvest Missions School (which is run twice a year). We attended the Missions School for 3 months and after graduation began working at our jobs in earnest. What we are doing is developing a herd of milk goats to produce milk and milk products for the children in the Center.

This is no easy task as it seems to have not been done here before. And in Africa, everything is one step forward, two steps back at times. Yet the Lord has been good to us and we are making wonderful progress.

We have initiated classes teaching Goat Care and Management to the older boys and girls. Loving animals is not a normal part of the culture in this part of the country … especially with the village children. So we are teaching them how to be kind to the animals, to make friends with them, to love them, pet them and handle them gently. It has been neat to see the response.

We have a milking barn under construction and it is nearly finished. We have run a water line into the goat pens and built a trough so the goats have a constant supply of water. And we are having new fences built all the way around plus a separate pen for the male goats. Separating the males and females has not been done here and so we are introducing new ways of doing things. Introducing new things takes a long time! Just like Church!

I have not fired a gun in year but truthfully, I cannot say I miss it. The work here is challenging enough and we are so into learning a new culture and language that I haven’t had much time for it anyway. I did wish I had my shotgun when a spider about the size of my baseball cap showed up on the back porch! That sucker could run fast than me! The stuff of nightmares.

Anyone interested can follow along on our website http://www.sarayuinternational.org … we have more up to date photos on the blog there.
Blessings
Jim