Visit Report 2006
Placeholder - delete me
17-30 June 2006
[Source: Beryl Warren, St Mary Stoke Newington]
The journey to Mozambique was like God giving me a spectacular slide show with associated tutorials. Teaching me how to look through and past the scenery, into a deeper place.
The journey for me began five years ago when I became the ALMA Rep for St Dunstan’s, Stepney, having had the jog given to me by the then ALMA Rep, a very formidable lady - not someone you say no to easily. I have to say, I did not really have any enthusiasm at first, but as I read, I felt myself being drawn in.
Two years later I saw an ALMA video showing the trials and tribulations of our Mozambiquan and Angolan brothers and sisters, which was very upsetting. When I saw the people at worship and the depth of spirituality being shown it hit me, almost like a force. I felt so much love for the people. Now I was not just an ALMA Rep, I was an ALMA Rep with a passion given to me by God.
I prayed that God would show me how to help and that one day I would go to Mozambique and Angola.
I moved home and now attend St Mary’s, Stoke Newington. Richard Munnings was the ALMA Rep and I was glad to play a supporting role.
Then came the most wonderful news. I had been nominated as one of the four people to represent our congregation to visit our twinned church in Tete, the Church of the Epiphany. The Lord had made my dream come true. Even when I was offering my prayer of thanks I wanted to jump with joy.
Just before we left for Mozambique Richard proposed me as the ALMA Rep for St Mary’s as he wished to resign, whilst still very much supporting ALMA.
Our group consisted of: Revd Graeme Watson - who wrote a great piece for MANNA and did a great job organising the trip; Stella - a medical student, who has a marvellous way with young people; Simon - a Health and Safety Officer whose wife had just had a baby under trying circumstances; and myself. We had been meeting over a period of time prior to our trip, so we were very relaxed with each other. A relationship which deepened during our journey together.
The trip began in June of this year. It was eventful from the word go. At Heathrow our tickets were not making any sense, so a whole re-scheduling had to take place. We reached Blantyre safely, but when we arrived at our lodgings there was no record of our booking - the World Cup was on at the time so the place was very full. Somehow they found us some rooms, a miracle in itself. We ordered breakfast for the next morning. The next morning came but the chef did not. So, no breakfast.
In what seemed like absolute chaos, we found a bus destined for Zobue, which is at the border of Malawi and Mozambique, where we were going to be met by our hosts. We all trooped happily onto the bus, went round the corner and all trooped off again. No Brakes! Two hours later we were on our way.
We reached Zobue but could not find our reception committee anywhere. There was not going to be another bus until the next day, seemingly no accommodation anywhere and the mini buses looked dangerously overloaded, so we elected to stay with the bus and go on alone to Tete. Simon negotiated what seemed like a good price for the extra journey, but in hindsight I am not sure it was legal because when we did reach Tete we were hustled off the bus at speed and the bus left us with a squealing of tyres. We looked around us and then at each other – what next?
I saw a man with a pickup a truck and asked him to take us to the largest hotel in Tete. NO ENGLISH UNDERSTOOD, little Portuguese and MIME.
We clambered into the back of his truck and he took us, round the corner practically, to the Hotel Zambezi. I love that name. The hotel looked like something out of a Brazilian Art Movie. The receptionist at the hotel was absolutely charming and he allowed us to dump our luggage in the foyer and tried to help us as much as he could. NO ENGLISH etc.
It was now discovered that the address we had was not really complete. The mobile phones did not work so Stella went off to sort out SIM cards whilst we checked the telephone listings, to no avail. The Church of the Epiphany was not listed.
I decided to find a police station. I saw a policeman and asked him the way – NO ENGLISH. He actually took me there. When we walked into the station, which looked as if it was out of the same art movie as the hotel, I was faced with a disconcertingly large audience as I tried to explain our predicament with very little Portuguese and MIME. And laughter!!!
A rather large and sinister chap came in and everyone suddenly became rather nervous. He barked questions and I just knew he considered our problem to be nothing to do with him.
So, I tried another MIME and he just burst out laughing. He sent Lt. Luiz on his motorcycle to find the church for us.
He returned, telling us that the reason we could not find the church listed was because it was only partially built, but he had found a parishioner who was coming to pick us up.
We were soon picked up and taken to our accommodation, which was nice. I called the lady who looked after us “Mama”, as a mark of respect. She had the facial expressions of Les Dawson but she was very sweet and I got on really well with her. I made it my business to make her smile at least three times a day.
That evening, as I contemplated our journey to date, I realized how the Lord had handled everything. At no point had I felt irritated or concerned when things did not seem to be going to order or on time because right from the beginning I felt that God was guiding this journey, so there was no need to worry.
It really hit home during the whole trip that God guides us, if we let him.
We visited a hospital, an AIDS clinic, schools and the Tete Orphanage. We were invited to homes and worshipped in their temporary church which has no walls, a corrugated tin roof supported by wooden struts and a portable table as the altar because everything has to be dismantled at the end of each service.
Building progress is slow because available funds are low but the worship was vibrant, joyful and the singing absolutely beautiful. God felt so close!
An enduring memory I will always carry is from our visit to the market in Tete, to buy food. I noticed a woman calmly sitting to one side of the busy, raucous group of stall holders with just six tomatoes to sell. I did not feel sorry for her, I admired her. We bought those six tomatoes.
One morning we left at 5am to visit three villages in the remote back country. As we journeyed on, the sun began to rise and it was stunning and I thought “God lives”. That day Padre Francesco and Fr. Graeme baptized over 100 people of all ages. It was such a joyful occasion with much celebration.
In one of the villages I saw a boy wearing a David Beckham football vest, which made me smile. As we left the villages the little boys would chase the truck, the same as children anywhere. There was always one that kept running after the others stopped, as is ever the case.
As we drove towards Tete, the sun was setting, a beautiful end to a beautiful day.
Our interpreter and Catechist for the Miwawa Chapels (the group of three villages) was called Smat - pronounced Smartie. Smart and sweet by name and smart and sweet by nature. He was responsible for the upkeep of the prayer life in the villages as the Padre could not visit that often because of the long distances involved. He spoke Portuguese, English and tribal languages. His dream is to be priested and Bishop Mark has informed me that he is on track to fulfil his dream. He got married on the 14 October and it was the first marriage in The Church of the Epiphany. The congregation in Tete, with so few resources, sent his wedding suit and wedding clothes for his bride.
At first hand we were to witness real poverty, lack of clean water, hospital equipment and education for all children over eleven years of age.
But through the real spirituality of the people there, I have now come to realize that by the grace of God I would be taught through their capability my potential capability to love in such a way that all communication is possible. When I looked into their faces and they looked into mine, there was a natural connection.
We bade a very emotional farewell to Tete and journeyed on to Lichinga in Niassa.
Bishop Mark organized a tour of the ongoing programmes which were run in villages where both Muslims and Anglicans lived side by side. Regardless of the ratio of Muslim to Christian, the programmes still ran. We all thought this was a great example of inter-faith co-operation and real Christianity at work.
My favourite visit was to a village called Massenger. The purpose of the visit was to sell to the villagers the idea of using a mini-oven instead of an open fire, in order to conserve the amount of wood used.
So a demonstration was organized amongst much excitement! The open fire had to compete against the mini-oven. The smoke, the noise and laughing had to be seen and heard to be believed. At last the group cooking with the open fire conceded and all the people agreed that although using a mini-oven was a bit slower, it was best because it was still hot and the open fire was dying.
I was asked to speak, so I offered greetings, thanked everyone for inviting us and said that I thought the mini-oven was beautiful but the standard of cooking was great in both cases.
When we left Massenger we all smelt like smoky bacon crisps. So you can guess my favourite choice of crisps now.
In so many ways God taught me how to look deeper and beyond outward appearances. He showed me honest compassion through the graceful generosity of spirit that was shown to us from every Mozambican we met. A people who seemed to know how to be very much in the present.
Their aspirations are the same as people anywhere in the world. Food, good healthcare, clean water and an education for their children. The difference is nothing is taken for granted and having a Church building is of paramount importance to them.
There is nothing like seeing things first hand and the four of us came back enriched and empowered
If asked “What do the people need?” I would answer A CHANCE.
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