Palm Sunday

We decided to visit the Anglican Church again this week for Palm Sunday. I suggested we take another route to get to the church. Jenny said it was God that directed me, for we ended up running into a group of about 100 people gathered with palm branches in the plaza near our house. It was the Anglican congregation preparing to walk to the church as Jesus entered Jerusalem. We prayed, read scripture and the youth holding a cross draped in royal purple lead the march, singing through town.

“Halleluiah, halleluiah, halleluiah,” we sang in procession, the father and church clergy following with incense in the rear. It was a very moving experience for the senses. Here was a church proclaiming faith as it walked past stores, houses and people going to work and bars blaring music which were muffled by the song of believers as they passed. It was as if we were walking the road in faith and it felt like it would only be natural to say, “Come join us in following the Christ,” to those who watched us pass.

What if we did this in our churches in our communities in North America? Could I imagine a procession on Palm Sunday through the streets of Shickley, walking all the way through the fields of corn to the church in praise of our Savior? Would we look weird? Sure, we would, but then maybe people would want to join us in the journey. Maybe it would look to ritualistic? Maybe they would find faith by our statement together as faith communities. Maybe we are too confined to our buildings? These are all questions that cannot be answered but are thought provoking.

We circled the church once, as the youth entered. The two groups echoed one another in song, inside and out, until all were in the church. The youth choir lined the aisles welcoming us and the celebration grew as we entered Jerusalem, the “New Jerusalem” (the church). The church was especially full. The singing of people and movement of palm branches flowed in rhythm to the drums, clapping and the occasional tambourine as it filled the space between the cement walls of the church. The whole story of the crucifixion from the entry to Jerusalem to the burial of Jesus body was read in song and a sermon was given on four characters in the story, Jesus, Judas, Peter and Joseph of Arimathea.

The service ended not in sobering words of the death but with Halleluiahs as if to say that Jesus death and trial is not intended for sadness but it is the beginning of joyfulness, the true joyfulness of Christ’s saving love.

Church

Palm Sunday – Over the past few Sundays since moving to Chimoio we have been visiting several CCM churches that we are familiar with but never had the chance to attend. The first of which was Catholic (not a CCM member), Anglican and the Nazarene. Each one has been interesting in its own way. First was the Catholic Church with its huge building and liturgy appropriate for the Lenten season. The gardens outside with palms and rocks draping with cascading flowers welcomed reflection of God’s creative beauty, the orderliness of the Stations of the Cross, and a wooden cross with the suffering Christ in the front to remind you of his sacrifice. The Anglican Church, which we had attended at times in Beira, had familiar and wonderful songs and liturgy, the drums echoing off the walls as people sway and clapped to the music. The smell of incense as the bread was broken and wine prepared for the feast of believers and dancing up the aisles in celebration of offerings given for the Kingdom.

It is hard to compare since music is so much a part of worship and all the churches we have attended have beautiful music. The Nazarene, however, had the most beautiful music. The youth choir makes your heart praise God just by listening. The whole service is a flow of music. On particular moment struck me when the Pastor stood up in the pulpit and with a booming voice announced that one of the sister’s that had been missing from church for a while was back. He said he missed her beautiful voice and asked her to come up front and sing a song for the congregation. I was a little taken aback, but in Africa when a Pastor asks you to do something you do it. How embarrassing for her, I thought. I would want to hide. But as she began to sing, the Pastor’s wife (who has one of the most beautiful voices) and a number of other women joined her. Shortly men with their low voices grunting musical undertones came up front as well. Before long there was a whole throng of people singing and the woman who had been asked to sing was singing with confidence and a smile. I broke down and cried. What I thought was an embarrassing moment was the most beautiful welcome of a believer I had ever seen. The community had surrounded her and was saying you are not singing this journey alone, we are with you. Let us sing together and we will be strong.

I do not know why I cried. All I knew was this….that it was love.

Report on Sand Dam and Food Security Project of Changara – Tete Province, April 1, 2009

Dzunga in the Sunset

I visited Dzunga and neighboring communities this last week where I was quite impressed with the work that is being done and wanted to give a report to all who are interested in our continuing work here in Mozambique with fighting hunger and so that those who support us know that it is making a difference. I noticed remarkable differences in temperature as this is the ending of the rainy season and beginning of the dry, cold season though in Tete city I still suffered from the heat. Everything was green and growing in Dzunga and the sky was beautiful and air fresh. I slept well in the almost too cool temperatures of the evening and would have loved to stay there longer. The people were quite friendly and enjoyable to talk to. I joked with Sr. Rui, our friend and colleague in the community that I wanted to build a house there for vacation to enjoy the sunsets, quiet and countryside. He has his own house for sleeping made of mud, sticks and thatch, typical of there.

“No problem,” he said.

I laughed knowing full well that they would love to build me a house like his there. Sr. Rui is the programs director for CCM Tete. He is in charge of overseeing work on the projects in the field and lives out in Dzunga. He is the only Mozambican I have yet met that loves to be by himself for long periods of time reading. Do not get me wrong, he is a very friendly outgoing person and loves interacting with people. Everyone loves him. But he does need his space which is an unusual concept for an African.

“Everyone asks me if I am afraid to sleep out there in the bush all alone.” he says. He is not afraid even though a Hyena entered the village over the weekend to kill a goat. He said they do not hurt people just animals.

Children Swimming in the Water from the Sand Dam in Dzunga

The first dam at Dzunga has been completed and already filled to the level with sand. I walked the river several kms back and the river is full of water after the rainy season. At points we fell into mild quicksand in the saturated sand where at points the water is actually running above the surface of the dam. In the picture I am sending kids are swimming in the pool made by the dam. You may ask why there is water on the downside of the dam. This is because of the natural dam downstream. There is a noticeable higher level of water equal to the height of the dam on the upward side which means it is holding water. Dzunga is not like the communities in Mandie where water is non-existent however, there is not enough for agriculture activities like vegetables, grains and livestock for all or in stressed times like drought or to grow fruit trees since water disappears in the dry season at times where all trees would die. It will be interesting to watch the level of the water behind the dam in the coming months to see what happens as the dry season commences. The community has parceled out land on both sides of the river back about 1 km for those interested in planting and irrigating vegetables. The community members are quite motivated in opening new fields and eager to plant vegetables where only a few had space and water to do so in the past. Walking further up river a person can see other random fields being opened above river by people who are not directly beneficiaries of the project.

There are now 2 agriculture extension agents working for the project. They have encouraged the communities to leave 3-6 meters of grass along the bank margins to control erosion and will be teaching people in vegetable production. We did a demonstration of how make contour lines using grass to conserve the soil and improve water infiltration in the field.

Grass Contour Line Demonstrations

The goal is to plant fruit trees (bananas, oranges, mangos) along the grass strip on the margin of the river where there is now water. CCM also wants to bring manioc to the community. This crop is one that produces during the time of year when people are hungry and can supply food in times of shortage and drought as it is extremely hardy and drought resistant. CCM is planning to work with the government to get treadle pumps to be shared in the community for farmers to irrigate there vegetables more efficiently and boost production.

The trench for the second dam in Cuchumano (we visited this site), has been dug and women are collecting sand and rock for construction. The third dam has also been dug and we are waiting for cement to come to begin construction. At all three sites, the community members have identified, marked and fenced off fields from cattle and goats for use in future production.

All of this work would not have been possible if it had not been for the help of the World Food Program who has been supporting the project through Food for Work ever since the CFGB learning tour was here in November. This has helped the communities to be able to continue to work through the hungry season. The WFP was very willing to support the work in the community because the community members are showing initiative to work to better their own lives by improving the infrastructures in their own community. We hope this good partnership continues.

All in all things are moving forward, there are difficulties like all of life and we ask that you continue to pray for all involved and for the work.