We arrived in Mocuba after dark. It is winter here being in the Southern hemisphere so it turns dark around 5:30 pm. Even though its winter it is still quite warm.
They live on a corner lot. Susan has a house helper and a outside helper. The outside helper is there 24 hours a day. He has several jobs. He guards the house, does the shopping and is also the gardener. He has planted a beautiful garden for Susan.
Inside the house Jim and Susan have spent many hours making it liveable.. Actually it is quite beautiful in side and out.
The following morning we went with Jim and Susan to the reading group. Susan is working with the local church and community teaching women how to read. She has developed such a wonderful thing. She said, once they learn how to read they can read the Bible. So her ministry is two-fold, teaching them to read then showing them Gods Word and sharing Jesus Christ with them.
Susan teaches them in a beautiful environment. Jim and Susan have a South African friend named Bernadette. She is the Jane Goodall of orphans. This woman is amazing. She is a Christian. She owns and operates a day care for orphaned children. She has quite a bit of land. There the children are given a place to learn, play, eat and are taught about Jesus. Then they go home to an extended family member who has agreed to take them in. Most of the parents die of HIV
Also on this land is a ranch style building with several rooms. Susan uses one of these rooms. Jim also helps. Jim takes the more advanced readers outside. There were about 10 beautiful African women there the day we visited. Please pray for Susan and Jim as they teach these women to read.
In another room is a gift store. Some African women make things like dolls, pot holders and clothes. The money helps them build huts to live in. I purchased some items as gift so you may be one of the lucky ones to receive such a special gift.
Bernadette's property is really beautiful. The orphan children are loved on by peace corp workers and full time staff. Bernadette gets some funding from the Dutch.
She has a beautiful healing garden. She plants herbs, scrubs and trees that have medicinal qualities to them. She keeps the children very healthy. Susan and Bernadette are going to plan a day when some of the local women come to the property and learn about the healing power of the maringa tree. Look up the healing qualities of this tree. It's amazing. I'm for sure going to plant one
After the amazing time at Bernadette ranch we went back to Jim and Susan's where Susan fixed us lunch. She made pizza and avocado salad. Everything is home made here so, everything taste so good. Susan's pizza was as good as anywhere in the US. The avocado's here are the size of a grapefruit. And have such great flavor. Susan cut up the avocado, put some seasoning and tomatoes in it the chilled it for a while. Yumo! Susan also makes these incredible sugar peanuts. The peanuts here are very small like a pea. They heat up sand then bury the peanuts in the sand to cook them. John brought home a huge bag of hot roasted peanuts. They are great that way but susan does something to them that makes them taste like Boston Baked Beans but much better
After lunch Jim took us on a drive. He took us over the bridge to the district of Lugela. He said the Marayawa people have never heard about Jesus. His hearts desire is to somehow get over there and start teaching them. Can you imagine NEVER have heard the name of Jesus Christ! Jim has asked that we bring back this message to our church Royal Palms Baptist Church as a prayer request.
The next morning we woke up at 4:4 to travel back to Quelimane because we were helping teach reading to the church kids at Coalane. It was a great time with Jim and Susan. Our time was way too short. Please pray for Jim and Susan. For continued good health, for Susan's reading group and for the Marayawa people of the district of Lugela.
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