Living in Tete is very different from anything we have experienced before, so much so that it almost feels if our time in Maputo was spent in another country completely. In the capital city goods were readily available in the shops, here you may have to wait a month or two for what you want to come back into stock. There our worship was in Portuguese, here we stand at a distance as people worship in Nyungwe, the local tribal language. There the city was run down and everyone was in a hurry, here the pace of life is much slower. There we enjoyed the friendship of people from all over the world, here it can feel a little isolated. There we were crammed into a tiny second-floor apartment, here we can afford a proper house with space for the children to run and play. Our time in Maputo was very necessary preparation, but Tete sure is different!

As Sharon mentioned last month, our landlord was willing to drop the rent when he learned that we were here to do the Lord's work. Our new home is a three bedroom bungalow with a kitchen, two bathrooms and a spacious lounge area. The site also has a separate although as yet unfinished building, part of which we will use as a classroom for our children, with the other half serving as a guest room for visitors. We have employed a night guard to keep the premises safe and our dog is also proving to be very useful in this regard. Unfortunately our furniture is still in Zimbabwe as we have not yet received permission to take it out of the country. So, although we have managed to borrow a few bits and pieces, we are very much living out of boxes.

Our mornings consist of home school, with Sharon and I taking turns to teach the boys. This has been hard on all of us, parents and children alike, but it cannot be avoided. We are slowly working out a routine and things will be a lot easier once the school room is ready for use. We have had our fair share of tantrums and sulks, but for the most part the boys are working well and making progress.

On Sundays we are accompanied by two of the national leaders in visiting different Elim churches.  At this stage our concern is primarily to meet people and gain a better understanding of the needs of these churches, so that we can know how best to facilitate development. A typical service lasts about three hours and consists of a sermon, the collection, a number of singing items, interminable notices, an opportunity for people to be prayed for at the front, and from time to time communion. I'm sure that all sounds very familiar: what is different is the time of corporate worship when the people sing highly repetitive songs and dance to the accompaniment of very, very loud drums. I preach in Portuguese which is generally understood by a number of the men and my message is translated into Nyungwe for the benefit of everyone else. Sharon has translated a number of our children's picture books into Portuguese and she has been using these to tell Bible stories to children and adults alike. Literacy levels are very low in this part of Mozambique and it is obvious that for many people they are hearing these stories for the very first time. On one occasion Sharon was telling the story of Daniel in the Lion's Den and there was a great sense of relief when Daniel emerged unharmed!

To the best of our knowledge, only one of our church leaders has received any formal theological training, so there is a tremendous need to develop materials and programmes that are relevant and accessible. I have produced a training paper on tithing for home study and we are investigating the possibility of running monthly leadership seminars. For the past four weeks Sharon has been meeting with the women at our church in Moatize for a Bible Study. She has also spoken at a women's conference organised by the Assemblies of God.

We received some truly shocking news this week to say that Aivore Mitivo, the founding pastor of Elim in Mozambique, had died suddenly. We knew that he was unwell and had visited him in his rural home. However his condition deteriorated and he passed away a few days later. He leaves behind a widow and two young children. The Elim churches in Ireland have responded quickly to this terrible news and we have been able to pass on a substantial gift to Mrs Mitivo. This loss is particularly tragic as Aivore was personally responsible for much of the church growth of Elim here in Mozambique. I have written up an account of the funeral in the memorable page of this web site.
 

Please Pray

Pray for Pastor Aivore's widow, children and immediate family Pray for the Elim churches at this time when they have lost their senior leader Pray that we will get into the routine of home schooling Pray that we will get permission to bring our furniture from Zimbabwe Pray for wisdom and insight as we plan training and possible medical programmes Pray that our Portuguese would continue to improve Pray that we will soon feel at home, and make friends; the boys are particularly in need of playmates Pray that we will continue to make good relationships with the churches and will know how best we can serve and strengthen them

Grace to you

Gregory and Sharon Kane

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Sharon's 'Joke of the Month'

*Outhouse Confession*