Africa Trip

[grahjas]

:o Well, I arrived home after my trip to Africa yesterday. Brought my brand new (showed up minutes before i left) Centofante 3, and it was invaluable. But it was an amazing trip.
On my first "mission" trip, I spent some time in Poland, and it was the ideal culture for me. Mozambique was far from it. I fit in in Poland, and except for teh language, the guys we were with thought i was Polish. But being in a country where everything, my clothes, money, language, health, skin color, religion, everythign was so different was hard. But the fact that most of the work we did was either with South Afrcan Missionsaries or little kids helped. THe missionaries spoke English...and while my American i slightly different i could understand them ofr the most part. But with little kids even if you can't talk, leading by love and example (as Jesus did) works just fine. One of the first things that i noticed when we touched down in Maputo (the capital) was the poverty. THe second was that EVERY little kid was dying. We spent most of our time outside of the city of XAI XAI, (pronounced shy shy) We went to a school that was seventy five percent orphans...and when i was sitting in a circle of kids who were giving me "high fives" and i looked around and realized that every kid was either starving to death or had a disease such as Malaria, Cholera, HIV, or in at least one case full blown AIDs. All of the kids were under cared for...most were abused. Whil we were playing duck duck goose, a comotion broke out in a hut. A man tried to kill his wife with a spear after beating her to a pulp. He was run out of the village. A four year old boy ran out of the hut terrified and we had to pry him off one of our girl's necks three hours later so that she could get some rest. We gave shoes and school supppplies that the second graders at my school collected...and the little kids were so happy. but it was so hard knowing that the little girl whose shoes you were putting on would probably not live long enough to outgrow them. It puts things in a whole new perspective. Please keep the whole continent of Africa, specifically Mozambique in your prayers. Pray for Mark and Leslie Harper, and their two sons (the missionaries we worked with) they need 400000 dollars (american) in the next four years to keep the land that the government gave them to open a training center for pastors. It is a beautiful piece of property and GOd is already working through it to reach the country.
Please keep me and the rest of the mission team in your prayers as coming home will create some very interesting emotions. and please pray for my upcoming trip to India.
THanks all,
Jason

[samosaurus]

Glad ya made it back bro! And thanks for sharing yer valuable experience.. :D

Sam

[DAYWALKER]

Aloha grahjas!

My prayers are with you during your trials and challenges...keep the Faith, as God keeps His Promises.

Psalm 121:7-8...

[grahjas]

Thanks guys. You are honestly a huge encouragment to me. I am glad that there is support here...i have my entire missions class praying for you guys and thanking God for spyderco, since other than the odd microtech (a christina company by the way) spydies are all i carry, and i am the only one who carries a knife.
More updates later, and mybe some pictures too.
Jason

[Jimd]

Jason, my hat is really off to you for doing such a wonderful ministry. May God bless you and your fellow missionaries in your work.

[MokoShang]

Glad your back safely, I'm sure the Lord will provide and keep thier good work going. Prayers for support. Thanks for sharing your story.

[RAT 54]

Glad you are back safe. Will pray for you, and your friends. I'm pleased to see someone not just walking his faith, but living it out loud. :cool:


God bless,

[dialex]

...the odd microtech (a christina company by the way)...
Jason

Please elaborate. Who is Christina and what's MT gotta do with her?
OTOH, welcome back and thanks for the stories. I live in a poor and rather uncivilized country myself but I realize that it's not even close to some African places. May God take care of all those people out there, because I really feel that God is their only chance

[CKE]

Glad to hear you are back safe. You are doing something wonderful for the world. Take Care and good luck in India :)

[Ray.Hood]

That is amazing. If it gives you comfort, always carry a knife my friend.
God bless.

[grahjas]

Please elaborate. Who is Christina and what's MT gotta do with her?
OTOH, welcome back and thanks for the stories. I live in a poor and rather uncivilized country myself but I realize that it's not even close to some African places. May God take care of all those people out there, because I really feel that God is their only chance

oops, sorry, that was supposed to say christian. I was a bit out of it after thirty five hours of travel.
Jason

[Mancer]

Glad you are home safely, am from South Africa myself, as beutiful as Africa is it indeed can be a cruel place that seems like it is from ****.
Glad you guys are helping and been so generous.

Take care and god speed

Sheldon