Itchy feet time!

I really sensed that when I returned from the Central and South America adventure it would not be long before I set off again..and next month (16^th/17^th May) I will be going back to Pemba in Mozambique, where Iris Ministries is based. 

I have been accepted to staff Iris’ ‘Missions school’ which will mean helping look after and lead over 300 international students who have come to be trained in cross cultural working in a biblical way including various ways of showing God’s love practically.  I’ll get to live with a group of students as well as eat rice and beans again – hurrah!  I’m happy that some of my Latin America team will also be staffing so it will be great to work with them again.

When I applied to staff the directors wanted to know where I’d like to go on outreach after the school is finished…I simply said ‘please keep me in Africa’….their response: ‘we’re sending you to Sierra Leone and maybe Guinea’ which are in West Africa….the last time I was in Sierra Leone was in 1979 (!) where my parents were missionaries… some may say a coincidence…I prefer Godincidence!  After this I am planning to travel to Cape Town to hang out with the ‘other Liz’ from my Latin America team for a rest..and then back to Mozambique in September for the second missions school.

I’m not sure how much internet connection I’ll have whilst in Mozambique so apologies in advance if the updates are not regular…your prayers and support are once again very gratefully received.  Thank you for reading and being interested!  God bless you all lots x

The Lord works in mysterious ways…..

Hello again friends!  I can’t believe that its been nearly five months since I last posted on my blog.  I had such an amazing welcome back to the UK when I arrived in November including my own welcome party at the airport and then spent the following weeks catching up with friends and family.

Whilst I was away I really missed my friends and family, my home and church and my job in child protection.  When I first got back I wasn’t sure where I’d end up but really felt God give me back all the things I had missed!  I can also testify that God provided for all my needs…I came back with very little in my bank account and through the generosity of friends and family I was totally provided for in those early weeks before I started earning again.

In January I went back to my old social work job in Salford as I was offered work without an interview which was such a blessing.  It was so lovely to see some of my old team but then I made a mistake, an honest mistake but it was decided that as I was agency they would have to let me go.  This left me feeling a little shaky but within a week I had been given new work and for more money and with one of my old fantastic managers!  It was all proof to me that the Lord does indeed work in mysterious ways and He makes good come out of bad.

Endings and looking forward......

We returned to Georgetown in Guyana on Friday 16^th and have spent the last two days just resting, sorting our social lives back home and spending precious time together.  I am so excited to be heading home on the 19^th and 20^th  but am sad to be saying goodbye to my amazing teammates whom I have shared life in all its fullness for the last 14 months! 

I so much appreciate you reading my blog and keeping updated on my goings on and I and look forward to seeing as many of you as possible before Christmas.  Thank you for your friendship, support and prayers!

And as for what is next…I will be in the UK until the New Year and after a rest will be praying about maybe returning to Brasil and or Mozambique…or even joining some of my teammates on a continued adventure around the Caribbean for a few months!

Thank you and God bless you x

 

I will leave the last words to our team leaders, Jesse and Tanya and the beginnings of their last blog post....I couldn't put it better myself.....

In the past fourteen months our team has travelled through every nation of Central and South America. This is twenty-one nations that we have driven through since we left Washington, USA on September 9th, 2011. Our team has included 44 men and women from over ten different nations. Our community was amazing, constantly growing in unity and family through our 

extreme life of contrast and challenge.

 

We carried the presence of God and ministered in the slums, jungles, mountains, prisons, red light districts, local churches, and much more. We traveled by car, ferry, bus, plane, canoe, train and on foot. God constantly revealed His faithfulness through times of need, danger, blessing, challenge, tiredness, discomfort and comfort, sickness, and health, in the unknown and unforeseen. Our faith was stretched and our lives forever changed. 

Suriname and French Guiana

We made our way straight from Georgetown to Suriname’s capital, Paramaribo.  Suriname is an incredible mix of the world religions, Caribbean feel with Dutch overtones.  I was very grateful that the only hostel which could accommodate the 11 of our team left included a swimming pool..I had so missed swimming! 

Whilst in Suriname, the team got to speak on national radio and pray over Suriname as well as pray for the sick in the local hospital.  We tried to visit the local prison but due to us being there for a limited time this did not happen.  I was able to do some sightseeing including the city’s cathedral which was a beautiful wooden structure inside.

From the border of Suriname we got a canoe to French Guiana..which is actually considered France and therefore a part of the European Union and its currency is therefore the Euro!  As we were trying to save time and money we just stayed on the border town of Saint Laurent du Maroni and I got to practice some of my school girl French..with which I had some success!

The team visited two Amerindian indigenous communities on the river in the few days we stayed.  We were able to learn more about the Amerindian’s way of life as well as pray for those who were sick and for prosperity for their families and wider community.  My favourite evening in French Guiana was a full on French evening of drinking French wine and eating camembert and baguettes all for 3 Euros a head!

Guyana: beginning of the journey’s end

We had the most ridiculous journey by minibus to Guyana’s capital, Georgetown..at times we did not know whether to laugh or cry as the road was so bad!  I was very grateful that I did not need to drive and the whole experience reminded me of parts of Africa.  Georgetown has a real Caribbean feel mixed with some British history..and its been really nice to speak English again!  I have even found proper tea served - lovely!

 

Our time in Georgetown was spent mainly as a team saying some farewells as about half of the team felt that it was right for them to return home.  So there were many tears shed and lots of lovely things said about each other.  I also got to hang out with the younger girls on an individual basis to help in the processing of the adventure!   Whilst we have been staying in the city we have also prayed for people on the streets and saw one lady’s sight partially restored.  Wow!

Tomorrow I will be doing my fourth airport run in as many days saying goodbye to team members and then I get to travel to Suriname and French Guyana as they are our last two countries to visit! 

And I’m excited to say that my flight is booked home so I will be returning to the UK and sunny Salford on Tuesday 20^th November!  So I hope to see many of you in the next few weeks.  Thanks for reading and God bless you lots. 

Amazon jungle city: Manaus

My time spent in Manaus was definitely one of the most interesting parts of my journey.  Manaus is a city on the edge of the jungle and has a really mixed feel.  I lived and worked with John and Kathy, long term missionaries to Brasil and uncle and aunt to Melissa, one of my team mates.  John and Kathy have pioneered work both in Sao Paulo and now in Manaus.  They blessed us so much with nice food and I had a mattress for the first time in weeks which helped improve my health no end!

 

As John is a co-pastor of a local church he asked the three of us to lead a morning for the teenage girls of the church.  I spoke (with the aid of a translator!) about the story of Esther from the Bible and we shared how valuable they are to God.  We then answered lots of questions about boyfriends and relationships and what it means to be a missionary!

The Amazon basin area is home to many indigenous communities, many of whom are Indian tribes.  Some of these tribes have sent representatives to live in camps in Manaus to show the government and others how they have been mistreated.  In the camp or settlement which we visited, living conditions are poor…little access to running water and very basic ‘housing’.  The settlement itself is fascinating as there are over 20 separate tribes amongst the 2000 inhabitants and they are choosing to live in community to make their voice heard.

Myself and Kathy visited the settlement a number of times and I loved it..well I didn’t love the fact that people were living in such poor conditions but I loved listening to peoples stories and helping practically in peoples lives.  One young mum, Regiana explained that her cousin had just had a baby and needed baby clothes and that she was also struggling herself.  As well buying the babies clothes I was also able to purchase jewellery made by Regiana as this is how she tries to make her living.  At a short service held in the community, Regiana gave her life to Jesus and others asked for prayer.  All in all a special time and really made me think about returning to Manaus in the future.

We then made our way to the Brazilian border on a night bus and crossed over to Guyana.

Rio and the journey north......

Our time in Rio continued with living and working in another favela, clearly controlled by drug lords whose associates occupied every street corner complete with guns and walkie talkies!   As a team we got to work in the local schools, community recording studio and pray for our neighbours.  During this time I tried but with no success to get an extension on my visa with the Federal Police who were on strike.

After this intense week we were given a flat owned by a bikini model whose father is a well known Brazilian footballer for a few days…we may have been crammed in as our team went  to over 30 people but the swimming pool and sauna on site was such a blessing!  The team also got to do some sightseeing in Rio visiting Christ the Redeemer statue and some of the famous beaches.  We also met as a team a number of times to resolve some issues and pray and discuss what to do with our vehicles…sell, sail or scrap were the three main options talked about!

On our way to the North of Brasil we stopped for a couple of nights in Porto Seguro, the ‘birth place’ of modern Brasil as founded by the Portuguese.  A few of my team mates then volunteered kindly to leave early so that we could make the drive to Salvador for my last attempt at getting my visa extended..otherwise I was about to be in Brasil illegally!  Thankfully when I went to the Federal Police at Salvador airport on Day 89 (out of 90) of my original visa they dealt with the matter promptly and I walked out of the office able to stay in this diverse country till just before Christmas!  

When the rest of the team arrived we spent time praying in the historic part of the city, especially in the part that was famous for being used as a ‘whipping post’ for slaves.  As we were praying, local people approached us for prayer, including one lady who had been on drugs for a number of years and was desperate for a fresh start.  Truly humbling times.

After Salvador we then made our last road trip to Fortaleza, on the north east coast.  Here our organisation, Iris, has a base and the day after we arrived were given keys to a new property.  We have spent much of our time renovating this new property ready to be used as a community house both for those wanting to come out of sex working and off the streets as well as the missionaries working alongside them.

We have also worked in the favela close by, helped with the childrens work and gone out late at night onto the streets to feed homeless people and speak and pray with sex workers who are wanting a different life.  Hunting for God’s treasures in the darkness is definitely one of my favourite things to do!

A number of the team have not been too well including myself which I think is probably related to just feeling tired generally..our next and probably final stop in Brasil will be Manaus, the ‘Amazon city’ before heading to Guyana!

Thank you for reading.  God bless and love and miss you lots! x