Rogeria: The locals received us very well; they were fine, very nice and friendly. The government, however, gave us a hard time, for example whenever we needed some papers. I worked a lot in that area, getting visas for the team, and we would go thinking we had everything right and they would always find something wrong. When we were driving they would stop you for anything because they wanted money. For example, if you didn’t have one little light, like the light over your license plate, they would fine you but they just wanted the money.
John: I think the government was watching us rather closely because OM was a pretty new there and not as big as some other well known organizations. I think they were a little skeptical, maybe, and also because OM didn’t concentrate on one area we did lots of different things. We’re still unsure of what they thought of the work that we did there. But they also supported us in a lot of ways. Like Rogeria said, there were a lot of locals that were happy to see us there but there was always a person or two that was not happy with us being there.
What were your living conditions like (weather, shelter, food)?
John: We lived in a tent at first in the yard of the orphanage. We would have sand storms that would blow sand over the top of the tent and it would just fall down on top of us. We only did that for a few weeks though. Then, we lived in some houses that were built and then abandoned after the war started. The houses were in good condition and they even had hot water and air conditioning, but they quickly broke down. It was almost like a double wide trailer.
Rogeria: But then we moved to an abandoned hotel that didn’t have any water and it was on the second floor. So, we would have to carry water to where we were living.
John: It was just a room, but a fairly large room. We had a two-eye stove that we would cook on. We would have to go downstairs to get water, but there were no flushing toilets. We would have to bathe in a bath tub with a bucket of water we would warm up. In the winter time it would get pretty cold, close to freezing in that part of Mozambique.
Rogeria: It was very very dry there. Only the day we left there was this big rain that came.
John: Then we lived in the capital city for a couple of months while we were making preparations for an OM ship that was coming to port. We lived in a 13 story building on the 13th floor with no elevator and no water. So we would have to pay somebody to carry the water up 13 flights of steps for us.
Rogeria: We actually had to go to South Africa to buy food because it was not available in Mozambique. So once every two months we would go across the border to buy food.
John: They did have some things locally at the market but it was mostly like tomatoes and tiny little piles of things because the people were so poor they could only afford a small amount of something. Like a tiny pile of beans, tiny little tomatoes, and then a plastic bag they would pour oil into because they could only afford to buy a small amount.
Rogeria: And dry fish covered by lots of mosquitoes!
John: The food that they eat everyday was this corn meal thing that they would break up in these big containers that would end up being like this consistency of grits, or maybe finer. They would grab that and eat it with a sauce made out of leaves, like sweet potato leaves.
John: I think we would be very supportive and encouraging for both short and long term teams. I would say if you are thinking about it to definitely ask God if that’s the right thing for you and if that’s what He wants you to do. Go do it and your lift is going to dramatically change. It’s worthwhile.
Rogeria: And get training, especially to understand spiritual warfare. There is something you need to know about how you are going to deal with different spiritual situations.
John: It's also important and worthwhile to learn the language, especially if you are considering long term.
Just for fun, can you tell me your favorite verse?
John: Ephesians 4:22-24 " That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Rogeria: Psalm 91: 10-13 "No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot."
CHRISTINE'S INTERVIEW
ALISON'S INTERVIEW
KAYLA'S INTERVIEW
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