Because Kenya Airways cancelled our flights from Kampala to Nampula vis Nairobi we arrived in Mozambique later than planned, so it made our time a little more intense but no less fruitful.

We were picked up by Inancio who kindly drove us a somewhat bumpy 3 hours down the dirt road to Angoche. That evening we had dinner with Inacio, Nilsa, Milagre and Eunica (latest addition to the family). Nilsa had cooked us a great meal and it was a wonderful way to start our time in Angoche. I had the ability to make Eunice cry within nano-seconds as my ugly white face can be quite frightening for small children and pets. They had a small cat which also steered well away from me.

Family photo round at our rented apartment 

Community and Training Centre and other dreams

We had some productive meetings with all of the leaders discussing the community development project and the preliminary plans prepared for us by ABA-Design. Phase 1 will see the commencment of block making, purchase of a block making machine and concrete mixer and the setting up of a small block making enterprise. This will provide training and employment for locals, and also supply blocks for the the building of a security hut/storage building and also a rear boundary wall to the site. Budget costs and programme are now being put together and the team are taking time to think about the designs and provide comments, having consulted other stakeholders. Whilst these initial works are being undertaken the remainder of the site will be used for growing crops and natural medicines until construction start during 2013. It is expected that the project will provide classrooms, offices, literacy training facilities, natural medicine clinic, meeting venue, youth facility, kitchen, toilets and small business units to provide space for a shop, and local tradesmen. We want to use the project as a training opportunity for local people and to stimulate the local economy, providing a facility that is available to all.

Vitor, Julio, Inacio, Amadinio and other leaders reviewing the plans

We also discussed current needs such as the purchase of 30 bicycles so that new leaders can attend their regional training sessions (each bike will cost about £67) and also the provision of a 6 metre locally crafted boat (using male paddle power) which is needed to provide transport from the island of Etuke to Angoche (cost about £312). The agriculture project continues with an expected bumper harvest of rice this year. A tenth of the harvest will be given to other families and the remainder will be used to sustain the families of the agricultural workers. This current site is somewhat distant from Angoche, so a second location has been identified and a budget is being put togther to support 10 further families with this initiative.

300 versus thousands

Julian prepared a short drama based upon the story of Gideon who rather than relying upon 32,000 of his soldiers, after some doubts took God’s help and advice (always a good thing)  He cleverly used 300 men to defeat an army whose camels were like grains of sand on the seashore – too many to count (Judges 7). Hence God got the plus points and not egotistically inclined Israelites. Everyone loved acting out the drama, either as fearful Israelites happy to be spectators, snoring Midianites with strange dreams and the courageous 300 with blazing torches and trumpets (mimed using enamel mugs for trumpets and a good quantity of imagination).

We also had prepared some workshop materials in Portuguese on the responsibilities of husbands to their wives, which generated lots of animated discussions. It was fun asking Annie what wives wanted from their husbands. The group all looked to see what see would say and then back at me enquiringly when she answered “We’d like our husbands to listen better!” and then smiled sweetly at me!

We also visited houses provided for widows with the help of Ibstone Primary School and visited the Tamole community, walking the village and spending time with old friends seeing how life is treating them. As always an inspiring group who live simply in a complicated world where economic crisis even distills down to problems for such communities which live on the edge of survival.

Spending time on the hill of Parapato overlooking these communities and praying for transformation was uncannily easy but maybe because it is so much in line with God’s heart and follows so much prayer by so many others in this place.

Rats and cats – one cat at Inacio’s house and a at our apartment kitten which hid behind our curtains without our knowledge until a forlorn meow announced his presence. It was then noticeable that traction control for cats is not up to F1 standards when trying to get a grip on tiled floors whilst trying to escape. Rats – always there to keep you on your toes and for us a bit of a shock whilst trying to access some kitchen stuff from a cardboard storage box, but less so when running up the wall of a friends house. Our tears at the injustice and enormity of the dream to see transformation for so many and fears that friends who battle for improvement so admirably will not see their dreams fulfilled.

So we return to the UK yet again overwhelmed by so much:

• How muddy can a slum be?
• How do you keep going in the face of extreme poverty?
• How amazing to see a community aspiring and contributing towards change?
• How are you supposed to deal with a snake on your porch – not sure my sandal was the right tool?
• How enthusiastic can a group of Mozambican students be compared to our English counterparts?
• How every time we travel we come away with such mixed emotions?
• How we seem to be at our strongest when we are at our weakest

So what’s the lesson we take from the story of Gideon……….. I’ll leave you to think on that one …….?

The Tamole boatman

Training with the leaders

Hannah listening to Africa

So we have had a great time in Kampala visiting our daughter Hannah and the unique Revelation Life team who work on a daily basis in the slums. We had the opportunity to travel along the same path as them for a few contrasting days. We saw the joy of introductions to slum families as Mama and Tata wa Hannah (the mother and father of Hannah) and experienced the vitality of children who are uninhibited and joyful. Slum school, discipleship groups, contact time, primary healthcare training were all a part of what is being contributed. We also saw the tragic side to the current equation with an 18 month malnourished baby loosing her struggle for life in spite of the amazing commitment of the Rev Life team. We are so proud of Hannah and what she brings into these contexts, but also are now more acutely aware of the personal cost of such a journey. So here are some pictures….. including some from our break together on safari.

Could you come closer please?

Hannah in Banda holding an 18 month old baby with a heart defect

Navigating the slums with Rev Life worker called Moses

I’m just going for a walk

Banda children

During May 2012 we willbe visiting Angoche for a couple of weeks. We’ll be renewing friendships and seeing how the work amongst the Koti is progressing.

Last year the leaders shared their vision with us for a community and training centre in Angoche. We then visited Osaka in Japan during the early part of this year to develop their vision and put it down on paper. With the help of ABA Design we have now drafted some block plans and will be taking them with us to Angoche for discusssion with leaders and other local stakeholders.

Mozambique is listed as one of the 5 poorest nations in the world, and infant mortality is at about 50% for children up to the age of 5 years. Angoche is probably one of the poorest large towns in the world. Taking the vison of local people, empowering them and then helping them translate it into a reality is our aim.

Some land has been purchased and fund-raing started. We’ll report further upon our return.

When we come back from places like Mozambique we love being questioned about our experiences and are often asked “Did you have a nice time?” But a  seemingly simple and common question provokes a conflict of emotions and becomes difficult to answer. But is there a more appropriate question to ask that is more open-ended? So now you are thinking it would be something like “What was Mozambique like this time?” …….. But no, this question isn’t any easier because how do we explain in a few words something that we don’t even understand ourselves? ………. So in your dejection you may now begin to think that it’s not worth asking because you just can’t get a straightforward answer from these confused and mixed up people. Now here’s a thought…. maybe this is the difficulty…by it’s nature a question demands an answer and in this case there really isn’t one?

Henrique is a diminutive man with a face that reveals his bone structure and a look in his eye that often carries a forlorn sadness that is a consequence of a life that has been cultivated in grinding poverty. His clothing is always ragged and sometimes eccentric. The last time he appeared on the landing outside the flat where we were staying I at first thought he’d had his hair bleached (which shows how slow I am because this would be an exceptional sight in Angoche). In truth he was wearing a fluffy bleached yellow sweatband, obviously discarded by a donor who realised this particular purchase did nothing to add to their glamour. Henrique is not a fashion guru and will generally adorn himself with whatever becomes available.

I like Henrique because he is gentle, persistent, unassuming and grateful even in the face of rejection. The day before we had visited his home in Inguri. His shack lies at the edge of some tidal wetlands that comprise a dark sticky mud, sprinkled with mango bushes. The hut is only about 1.6m high and comprises two small living spaces wrapped with sticks, mud and palm leaves. We had visited previously and find it a privilege to visit the home of this dignified and humble man. On this occasion we were there to pray for his wife, who sat on the floor, propped against one of the walls. With our rudimentary Portuguese we were able to establish that she had some sort of stomach problem, but not having an extensive medical vocabulary we were unable to establish if this was a child-birth problem or something to do with her digestion! She was appreciative of our prayers and gave us a gentle weak smile. They asked for some money but we were unsure of what was wrong and what to do, so on this occasion said that we were not able to help. So when Henrique arrived at our flat that day we were concerned as he was clearly very worried about his wife. The night before she’d lost a lot of blood and he had taken her to the hospital. This is no mean feat as he doesn’t even have a bicycle and it’s a good 45 minute walk for a fit person. Angoche has one ambulance but this is not used for emergency call outs, but rather to transfer patients to the main hospital 4 hours away in Nampula. The story at the hospital is that technically due to the funding from the World Health Organisation and pharmaceuticals supplied to Mozambique there should be sufficient supplies to meet the needs. The truth is that the drugs leaks out through the supply chain and then are resold through pharmacies who are prepared to buy cheap and sell expensive. So the predicament at the hospital is that if you need any drugs having them prescribed and written down on a piece of brown scrap paper only means that you know what you should have. In this case Henrique’s wife needed a drip and none were available without payment, so our response was obvious and swift, sending him away with about £10 to purchase what was needed. To put this in context I think that a good salary for a teacher is about £50 per month. Henrique is not a member of a fishing boat team, but has a friend with a very small boat so sometimes he gets the chance to go out with him to catch fish. I don’t really know how he survives……… if it was me in his predicament I don’t know how I would keep going….that phrase grinding poverty takes on a new clarity.

So what is the answer? At this moment I think it’s the wrong question. It may be valid and strategically correct to ask, but just now I realise that my Western magic wand has lost it’s sparkle. Our own economic crisis leaves me asking more questions about our values and way of life both on a national and also on an individual level. So just now I think that the question should be “What is your response Julian?” Fortunately God has begun to open my eyes to some of this, but it’s like a dim flicking light at the end of a tunnel. I read my daughter’s blog, speaking about what she does in the slums of Kabusi in Kampala, Uganda and learn from her example. I read my Bible as I prepare for this trip and am taken back to the letter Paul wrote to his friends in Corinth, demanding of them a better way. I recognise the importance of a daily faith which takes us on a journey to an eternal hope. The words “Without faith it’s impossible to please God” and “without hope a people perish”. But I remember Paul’s observation about the greatest gift, which is of course love. So the questions are am I a carrier of His love or just a consumer of His love? Didn’t someone say it’s better to give than to receive, so how come I got it the other way around? The penny is beginning to drop. It’s not about my answer but about my response. How do I respond in love? Do I sit in the dirt with my friends, do I cry with them and call out for a new justice and mercy, do I find myself privileged and ready to respond?

I want the story of Henrique and those like him to be told. I want my world to change and I want to be part of the answer. I’m grateful to people who can’t go to Mozambique but who make it possible for us to go and to give. I love the children of Ibstone school who listen to me tells the stories of the children of Tamole in Mozambique and building houses for widowed families. Their wide-eyed enthusiasm and generosity captures my heart. (They raised funds to build homes for 5 families). I want to say thank you for your responses. For your generosity which helps to sustain an agricultural project, provide housing and literacy programmes and also enables us to meet the immediate needs when we visit the Koti people of Angoche. Our Koti Journey continues and we hope to tell the stories and see lives changed, not just by monetary responses, but also by something deeper and more significant. Paul said that love endures all things, believes all things and hopes all things, love never fails. He knew that because of Jesus and how he had been rescued on so many times by a gracious God. I believe that your prayers change things, especially when they are focused on the right target. So thank you again for your generosity of heart, for your finances and prayer support… oh and for your questions. We can only apologise for our incoherent and complicated answers.

Our recent journey to Angoche was not without the usual TIA (This Is Africa) moments. With a delayed flight out of Lisbon, a missed connection in Maputo that generated a 12 hour wait for the next available flight, delayed baggage that decided to arrive more than one week late (“I’ll see you when you get there…..” is what I now say to my suitcase when departing for Africa) and of course some of the contents going for a walk, it was all “par for the course”.

Waiting in Nampula for our baggage gave us time to re-adjust to the African tempo , catch up with our Wycliffe friends and buy some essentials for our time in Angoche. With little recent rain Nampula was as busy and dusty as ever. Works to the main roundabout were still underway (they started in 2008 and it really isn’t that big!) but the road down to Angoche proved to be in good condition. Leaving early morning the 3 hour drive delivered us straight into a 9.00am leaders meeting where we received a warm welcome and reviewed progress on a number of the projects we worked on during 2008/9. The agricultural project had delivered a harvest of 12 tonnes providing food for so many needy families, the fishing boat was receiving its last lick of paint prior to being launched and two tailors were working on the veranda producing school clothing for sale in the local community. Aspirations exist for a new a larger training centre, owned by TYH rather than renting the existing building. Plans were discussed for sending a team to start a similar work amongst the Mwani, another similar people group 10 hours north of Angoche. Oh and the Nissan backie is “very tired”.

We were able to provide a new mini-computer, flat screen and keyboard (which wasn’t stolen from our baggage) and help with final plans for the Youth Conference attended by about 200 young people from the Angoche region. Andrew van Renen made a last minute decision to join us, collecting his visa from the High Commission in London just hours before his flight. His contribution and friendship were invaluable and he clearly enjoyed being back in his Africa.

We loved reconnecting with friends and delighted in the familiar smiles and warm greetings. Some of the predicaments remain the same and simple solutions can provide meaningful answers such as new tyres and inner tubes for Rosa’s disabled tri-cycle or two new footballs for youth on the islands. Some longer term plans were identified such as raising funds for further education of 3 Koti young men and providing replacement housing for single parent families without available income to repair their existing huts. In other instances our presence and words brought much appreciated encouragement and inspiration.   (Yes, they are easily encouraged and inspired….)

A worthwhile and successful visit – definitely yes, but full of such contrast. A widow weeping at the loss of her husband the day before in a motor-bike accident. The smile on Rebekah’s face as we gave her a Wayne Rooney football shirt for her younger brother.  A group of fragile vulnerable island people crouched on the pavement outside the bakers hoping for some help. The generosity and gratitude of island folk sending us on our way with the gift of fresh coconuts.

Can we make sense of all of this – probably not! Can we make a difference of course yes! Is it all too big and are we too small – need I answer? But we all have the amazing strength of a loving God to call upon and know that of those who have received much, much is expected………

As ever in this part of the world we were challenged by the size of the needs presented by so many.  So we will no doubt be bringing further needs to you in the near future, but for the time being we are focusing on the education of several of the young lads – Kabila, Chale and José.  The 3 of them finished their secondary education at the end of last year and since then they have been helping Inaçio and Pimo in all manner of ways with the running of the community of faith.  However, what they really want to do is to attend and complete some further education in the hope of getting jobs and earning an income.  Again, something that we pretty much take for granted for our children – even with university fees set to rise etc, etc.  Kabila and Chale want to do a one-year course that will set them up to be teachers.  (We saw Chale teach the young children at the madrasa the guys are running on the last morning we were in Angoche and were really impressed).  One year is sufficient we understand, and then they will start in a school at the very bottom and hopefully work their way up.  José has set his sights on a 3 ½ year course in electrical engineering. They all hope to be able to study in Nampula and return back to visit their families and friends in TYH once a month.  It will be quite a big cost for TYH to release them – they more or less run the Cidade meeting every Sunday, help with the madrasa, help with the Saturday children’s meeting, are part of the teams that go out every week to take the good news to new places, and are most likely to be the future leadership of TYH!  The understanding is that they will come back when they have finished…….

Unless their parents are abnormally well off, further education is not an option for most children when they leave school.  That is of course if they manage to finish secondary school, which many – particularly girls – do not.  It’s hard not to compare the prospects for these young lads with our young people over here – government spending cuts, credit crunch, university fees etc taken into consideration, our children are hugely better off and these lovely guys don’t really stand a chance without some outside help.  As I walked and prayed around Angoche I was often overwhelmed by the question “what is the future of a place like Angoche and what is the hope for its people?”  And of course my faith does have an answer for that question.  But the inequality of life and a gospel that touches all aspects of human need, call for a response from me.  Hence we will be funding at least one year for one of the lads.  I invite you to join us in that response if you would like to but appreciate there is a huge amount of need that calls to us from near and far.

We will need to support the lads with more or less everything – not just fees, registration and books, but also food, accommodation and transport.  Their only means of income currently is the “subsidio” (small gift from TYH) because of the work they do for the community of faith.  Once they move up to Nampula they will no longer receive this.  The process begins in November when they will take a small test to see if they will be accepted onto the course.  Presuming they are successful they will then have to pay a registration fee.  We have already covered this for the 3 of them – it was about £180 each.

From here they will need a one off payment of about 20,000 metecais – £360 for the fees, and then monthly costs totalling about £110 for accommodation for the year, and about £450 for food and transport.  This adds up to about £920 but I think realistically we’d like to give them about £1,000 each as we found the cost of living going up almost visibly in front of our eyes when we were there.  Chale and Kabila should be there for one year only, but José’s course is 3 ½ years.

If you would like any more details, please do contact us, but in the meantime I will leave you with a picture of these fantastic lads.  From left to right José, Alito, Chale and Kabila – on the night we passed on the football shirts you gave.  (Alito is Kabila’s younger brother who is just finishing his penultimate year of school).

(not a monkey?)

Today I saw for the first time in Angoche in the wild, two small monkeys who paused in their business to carefully observe us as we walked along the path to Thamole.  The white hair on their heads and beards makes them look like two prematurely aged old men exchanging views upon the events of the day.  The tide is out and the elevated mud path between mud flats and mango groves gives us a good view of the small crabs which scuttle towards their homes seeking to avoid undue attention during their hectic activities.  It is mid-day and the sun-baked path makes for uncomfortable walking.  After a 20 minute walk we emerge at the boat passenger shelter which provides a suitable sleeping spot for two Koti youths.  Now we were able to see Thamole lying in a low and lazy aspect across a zig-zag of sand flats.  Two small white Ibis drift across the bright blue sky as we seek to negotiate a dignified embarkation onto a small wooden vessel.  Our boatman is muscled like an Olympic sprinter and pushes the boat off with an indolent ease which belies his physical strength.  As his punting pole slides through his hands and I considered how different this is to the River Kennet in Oxford.  The water is deep but the distance is short.  Our boatman gestures towards his cloth purse strung around his neck and we each pay our 2 Meticais (about 5 pence) for the short estuary crossing.  There follows a walk between coconut palms and prickly pear cactus and after another 20 minutes we arrive somewhat hot and sticky at the scattered village.

A Thamole boat bus

Low huts made from mud, sticks and palm foliage provide minimal shelter to a community of 2,500 people.  After resting on the ubiquitous white plastic garden chair in the shade provided by the eaves of one of these huts we find ourselves gradually surrounded by friends.  I love playing simple games with the children, drawing in the sand with a spine from a coconut palm.  They attentively watch every move and imitate each word or action with laughter in their eyes and just rags on their bodies.  Our friend Victor then leads us through the sand with clutches of small children attached to our hands, competing for a suitable finger or thumb to be grasped with glue like determination.  Our house calls require the employment of our limited Koti language and derive disproportionate smiles.  Most homes are small and lurk low, often taking Tower of Pisa attitudes and providing tenuous shelter for sleeping and cooking.  In the hot sun these homes provide a modicum of relief for the typically large families, but in the wind and the rain they must provide little relief from the elements.  A large block primary school squats in the sand providing a base for 12 teachers and hundreds of children.

During a short meeting in what is called “the house of prayer” men, children and mothers group themselves separately singing with gusto but at times limited tuning!  We engage them in a short drama telling the story of an angry king, three well dressed men, an angel and an incredibly hot fire. Our chosen king finds it much easier to smile rather than look furious and his attempts at the latter evoke much amusement.  Our meeting is about to finish but one of the island ladies interrupts, asking for an opportunity to speak.  My heart sinks a little, is this a complaint or another request?  But no, I know the Koti word “kashakurela” means “thank you” and heartfelt gratitude is being expressed for the agricultural project supported by finances from the UK.  Humbled I go over and look into her dark brown eyes, thanking her for the expressed appreciations.

Here's looking at you kids!

Upon our return we decide to walk along the beautiful beach and are surprised by a nimble group of white and pink flamingos, which tip-toe along the foreshore.  Some look like tall well-to-do gentlemen with prominent noses, whilst others look like nervy and unsteady children.

The tide is now in and the narrow estuary has become a wide expanse of choppy water.  Our boatman is just off-loading passengers on the far-side so we lay in the sand, chatting with each other and watching a soft-red sun quickly descend behind the tree-lined horizon. Our boatman collects us from the beach and strings an oar against a small pillar on the side of the boat to provide some purchase.  A young assistant wields a very long pole and we meander back towards Angoche.  It is now a beautiful warm evening and as we walk back along the muddy peninsular path we reflect upon the days experiences.

How grateful we are for the home comforts which we so often take for granted – shelter, food and water.

How much enthusiasm these Koti children have to learn, and how friendly they are toward adults.

How humbled and bemused we are by the inadequacies and inequalities of our world.

How much we want to make a difference by being friends to these people.

How privileged we feel to have been given the opportunity to be a small part of these people’s lives.

How tomorrow will be another day, but what will it bring? More of the same or maybe something different?

We are very pleased to announce that Andrew van Renen is joining us on our trip to Angoche in a couple of weeks time.  Andrew and his wife Jane were an amazing support to us when we lived out there – Jane being our “advocate” back home, planning prayer meetings, helping with bits and pieces we couldn’t do  and lots of other things.  We are so pleased that Andrew can come with us.

Yes we are going back to visit our Koti friends in Angoche! We arrive in Mozambique on 17th September and will be staying for 2 weeks. We’ll be catching up with old friends, looking at progress on some of the projects, particiapting in a youth conference and meeting together with various leadership groups.

So if you’d like to know more about this next Koti Journey – or maybe would even like to join us then drop us a line.

On:          SATURDAY 6TH MARCH at 7.30 pm

Where:   Dedworth Hall, Dedworth Road, Windsor

Come along to an evening when you’ll here about Julian and Annie’s Koti Journey

For more info email  julian@bullens365.co.uk

Sorry for the late notice – this has only relatively recently been confirmed, but the congregation that we are a part of in Maidenhead has asked if we would share some of our experiences and story regarding our time in Mozambique this coming Sunday – the 24th.

If you are interested in hearing about some of the journey, you would be really welcome.  The venue is Desborough School,  Shoppenhangers Road, Maidenhead, SL6 2QB, at 10.30am.  We realise this is not possible for those who are “further flung”, particularly with the short notice, but we will be doing an event specifically dedicated to feeding back from our time  – possibly in February if we can get our act together.  We’ll advise you as soon as we get the date confirmed and promise to try not to bore you with too many pictures !!

We continue to be in touch with the guys in Angoche but probably not as much as we would like.  As ever “life” goes on there and we were very sad to hear recently that Pai Victor’s son, who was helping to manage the Machamba Project, had died, plus his wife’s sister, leaving 7 children. So please continue to pray for these folk – and if we see you on Sunday wonderful!

With love to all