Last night during dinner time, Gracie spoke up and said ‘Jesus is telling me we need to have bread and drink wine so that there will be enough bread for everyone’. So, as a family, we broke bread and drank wine (pear juice), thanked Jesus for all he had done for us, keeping us safe and providing all our needs and then we prayed for bread for today.

Gracie woke up this morning and said to me ‘Jesus told me there is going to be enough bread for all the centre family today’.

Jonny went over to the kitchen at about 8am to find that Daniel the kitchen chief had managed to find enough fresh bread for everyone to have their usual amount – with more leftover. Most bakeries in Maputo have not been open today, so Daniel had gone further out of the city and miraculously discovered a bakery that was open.

I love the way that Gracie does not question that small still voice (or maybe it was audible?) A timely challenge to me – maybe more miracles will happen if I relearn to hear him like she does!

This morning, vehicles were on the roads and the local fruit and veg market was open for business. I went up to the market to get supplies and the prices have indeed gone up.  As of September, the price of a bus ride has doubled, bread rose by 30% and the price of  50kg bag of rice is more than half a month’s salary for an average Mozambican (if he is one of the 18% of people that have a job).

The government says these price rises are “irreversible”.

Rumours have been circulating that more riots are planned for friday afternoon, and into the weekend. We will wait and see what happens, but our prayer is that people will find themselves getting tired of rioting and start trying to live with the changes.

Thanks for all who are praying and standing with us. More updates to follow…

Today we woke up to riots outside the front gate of our centre.

Smashed bottles everywhere, burning tyres, broken fencing and even a big bus had been turned on it’s side on fire. All this on the main road, right outside our gates.

Click here to view photos…

Click here to read BBC news report

This scene is the same all over Maputo. The residents of this African city are upset. The government has doubled the price of public transport, which makes it very difficult for people to afford.

By 9am this morning the army had arrived to quell the uproar, using rubber bullets and tear gas. Since it is a windy day today, most of us on the centre felt the affects of the gas. It even wafted into our home and stung the back of our throats.

I am writing this at 2pm and the army have moved on, so the riots have kicked up again. We don’t feel in danger as our centre is fairly secure and there are no threats coming in our direction. God is definitely our protection and covering.

Today’s events bring back memories of two years ago, when the government previously tried to increase transport prices. They gave in to the riots back then and prices didn’t change. Hence today, people are hoping the government will back off yet again.

It is a tricky situation since the US dollar is very strong and still rising against the Mozambican Metical. Food and fuel are becoming very expensive for most people, so either the government needs to give out more subsidies or they take an alternative approach.

What they could do, is decide to gently increase prices rather than doubling it in one day…

Please join us in prayer for this nation as it finds it way forward amidst great fragility and desperate poverty.

Last Friday night was a strange sight indeed, for all the poor people who were sat anywhere near our table.

The head banging game – best played between courses, while the waiter takes forever to bring the dessert menu. It’s a great way to to punish those who are most competitive – the fastest people to hit their head on the table stay in the game, while the slowest go out…

No surprise that Becky came away with a bigger headache than me. The things we do to win a big pudding!

These silly antics tend to appear when we have certain visitors from England, particularly those whose names end with Brooks… Actually, we’ve had alot of fun over the last couple of weeks, hosting our dear friends from Bath – Mark and Emily plus Peter and Kitty Allsop.

They brought silliness and laughter – two things we definitely need more of here at Zimpeto. And not only us, they also were very refreshing for the other long-termers as they shared at our weekly homegroup. A timely encouragement for us to be who we’re meant to be here.

A few photos at the link below to show some of the fun we had – Honor’s first birthday and a taking our dormitory horse riding…

http://www.wakelyspace.com/?page_id=32

Meet baby Rebecca –  born recently to some Mozambican friends Titus and Jordina.

Some of you may remember a boy called Joaquim who went back to live with his family 5 years ago (his story is in our first leaflet). Through Joaquim, we met his Uncle Titus and we have been friends ever since.

Titus is a very motivated man, determined to push through the everyday struggles of Mozambican life and provide the best he can for his family. He has amazingly managed to get married, which involves paying a hefty labola (dowry) to his bride’s family – and also buy land and build his own house. They have 3 rooms so far and each one has a roof which is a bonus!

Jonny has worked with Titus to help him find regular employment and the family now receive a basic income. Titus and his wife Jordina have a three year old son called Siron and in May this year gave birth to a beautiful baby girl.

There is a custom in Mozambique to name your baby after a family member or friend as mark of respect. I was very humbled when Titus and Jordina asked if they could name their daughter after me. So, I am Rebecca’s Shara – kind of like a God parent – and I’m still trying to figure out exactly what is expected of me!

In a country where death is an everyday part of life (we know of two newborn babies in our community who have died recently) it is an honour to have the opportunity to be part of Rebecca’s life and I hope to live up to the responsibilities – whatever they may be!

We learned this week that annual renewal fees for residency have gone up ten times. Immigration are now charging £500 per person per year, instead of the previous charge of £50.

Oh Shucks…

Four of us in our family, paying that much every year… oh boy.

Why such a big price hike for such a poor country?? Apparently a Belgian company have been contracted by the Moz government to introduce biometric security to identity documents. Also, the government want to reflect the fees that Mozambicans would have to pay if they migrated to countries such as USA or in Europe.

Well I wavered/panicked/freaked out for about five minutes today and then remembered that God has brought Becky and I this far, so why would He suddenly not provide for us for this?

During our five years here, we have been provided for at every moment and have known tremendous provision. As Gracie and now Honor have been added to our family, so our provision has extended. We are well cared for, managing to fund various projects for children here and able to bless our friends and local families financially.

This money is peanuts to God. Mere peanuts.

So there’s no need to get all worked up – we tell ourselves. No need to lose our peace about this. Those big pockets are available whenever we need them.

We are speaking positive things about the Mozambican government. Even though they don’t consider the knock-on effects for all the Ex-Pats when they make these decisions… we’ll speak well of them anyhow. Bless ‘em Lord. Give them all the wisdom needed to govern this country with integrity and justice. Amen.

World Cup fever has swept our centre and flags are flying high for many countries: USA, England, Brazil, Australia. Sadly most of these teams have already been sent home… I received many condolences for England’s loss against Germany and most Mozambicans have been very gracious to not chastise our miserable performance.

We have set up a big screen at church and can watch the games live on Mozambican television. The kids here will gladly support any team that plays, but the most exciting story is that Ghana are still in the tournament, carrying the hopes of the whole of Africa with them. More than any other team, the kids will shout loudest for Ghana. Brazil and Portugal do come a close second for obvious reasons…

The centre directors have left us for a trip to Australia, so Becky and I are filling their shoes for six weeks. Big shoes for our small feet! A potentially busy period for us, but we enjoy the challenge and love seeing how God always covers and directs us.

We are aware of potential situations that will require more wisdom and discernment than we naturally have. We value your prayers for us! We are one week into this stint and all going smoothly so far… Will keep updates flowing as much as possible.

I led two sessions – friday and saturday for everyone to understand their own profiles and their personal communication style. It was a fun time together, lots of laughs and most people seemed to really engage with the course. Becky was fantastic at giving examples of how the Life Languages has affected our marriage and blessed our everyday lives.

At the end of the Saturday session, Becky and I both got some encouraging feedback from the staff who were impacted and touched by the course. Many said they now understand themselves better and some said it brought new freedom and endorsed who God has made them.

Others commented that it was a great tool to equip us for more unity and love amongst us.

Wow!! Those comments have been amazing to hear… Our heart for this team is that God takes our relationships deeper and we are able to enjoy each others differences more.

This centre is an intense place to live and work. There are many challenges living in community but also so much potential for strong and faithful friendships.

All long term volunteers come from a fairly comfortable, private lifestyle so it is always a big transition to community life in Africa. We love it most of the time and occasionally wish we could do without it! But God loves to use it to mold our attitudes and character.

Staying in a peaceful, tranquil location in the forestry hills of Mpumalanga. A total and complete change from the hustle and bustle of centre life at Zimpeto. We love it here – so refreshing and a chance to feel a bit of normal life for a few days. Quality family time, a fair bit of shopping and a glass of wine or two…

This week is a great chance for us to reflect and refocus on our lives at Zimpeto. We have been ten weeks there without a proper break and more recently our days have gotten busier while our energies have dwindled.

Gracie rode on a pony today and has since declared herself to be a “Pony Rider”. Just a little shetland pony and now she wants to have one… This area we are staying in is a great location for off-road biking (just the pedal kind) so I try and bring my bike out here to burn off some steam. Becky savours the moment of getting a massage so she had that today too.

Break time ends on Sunday as we return to our beloved little home amidst the dormitories and the palm trees. Very thankfully for this time-out. It is what we need to maintain happiness together.