Mocuba

The only info I have about where our team was heading from Pemba is their flight itinerary, which takes them to Beira, but there's no Iris base listed in Beira, so this required some detective work to try to figure out where they're headed next.  While on Iris' website, I explored the various bases and discovered names that sounded familiar - Brian & Lorena Wood.  These names are familiar, because all the objects Brooke was asked to pack in her suitcase to take to the missionaries were labeled with their names.  Since they are listed as the directors of the Mocuba base, I assume this is where they will be going.  I must admit, it's a little unsettling for a momma to not know exactly where her daughter is when she's on another continent!  I'm just thankful she is never out of her Heavenly Father's sight!


And so, assuming my detective work is accurate and they are indeed going to Mocuba, here is a little info about what they are all about as described on Iris' website:

Welcome to our training center in Mocuba, Mozambique - called by many missionaries, “the middle of nowhere”. But the city of Mocuba has almost 100,000 people and the province of Zambezia is the second largest in the country with almost two million people.

Do you want to learn Portuguese or Lomwe? Base directors, Brian and Lorena Wood have taught hundreds of people how to learn languages. Our base would be an ideal place to come get immersed, and learn the language and culture! English is rarely spoken here, so this puts you in a place of need and rapid learning! Translators are available, however, for short term visitors.

Types of People and Skills Needed Here
- Spirit filled lovers and worshippers of God.
- Bible teachers for the training seminars
- We need people who love kids and want to help train volunteers how to teach the Bible to children and have a fun kids program in their churches. Currently 99% of the churches don't have a children's program because they don't see the value and don't know how...

- We need short-term visitors willing to serve and willing to minister.
- We need people willing to make long-term commitments to learn the language and culture, therefore making themselves effective and prepared to visit and encourage the pastors long-term.
- We need people to supervise, correct, and manage the ongoing bible lessons. The pastors coming to the training center will be given materials/lessons to take home with them, which they will need to bring back before receiving more training and materials…
- We need people who have good computer skills, as we continue to program training materials for the solar mp3 players. This is an oral culture, so this is vital to the success of their education.
- People with construction experience. As this is a new base, we are still building facilities for visitors, missionaries, church, and accommodations for pastors during their training sessions.
- Friendly people to visit and encourage pastors and churches
- People to help lead visitors and local pastors with outreaches

This Iris base focuses on training and developing pastors and children's ministry leaders for the province of Zambezia. Only a few months old, facilities are currently under construction. March 7th -11th, 2011 marks the first week of training as the top leaders (all the district pastors) in the province come together for our first seminar. Being a province without leadership for the past two years, and many churches needing encouragement, we invite visiting teams and missionaries to come - ready to teach, pray for, and generally bless the struggling Church Body here. You can help the Church by joining them in their evangelism efforts as well, as you go out together in the villages to show the Jesus Film, pray for the sick, share the gospel house to house, etc. Accommodations will be ready for teams later this year, though they will be very simple.


I'm very excited for Ed, Kay, & Brooke especially to spend some time here, since they all serve in children's ministry. In fact, we met Ed & Kay many years ago when they were Bible Drill leaders at our former church and Eddy & I had the privilege of serving alongside "Mr. Ed" in children's worship at that church for several years.  Now at our new church, both Ed & Kay teach children's Sunday School and Brooke takes care of the kiddos during our Friday night service as well as teaches preschool Sunday School.  Our church, The Nest is all about approaching God with childlike faith.  We recognize that Jesus has a special place in His heart for kids, as demonstrated in one of my favorite Bible stories - Jesus blessing the children.  We do not believe that children should be seen and not heard.  We believe just the opposite.  When one of our kids at church gets a word or sees a picture with their spiritual eyes, we sit up and take notice!  After all, it was Jesus Himself Who said the Kingdom belonged to such as these.


I have a feeling this portion of the journey will be one where our team learns from the churches there and the churches will learn from our team.  Who knows, maybe they'll even come back having learned some Portugese!