NKOBE, MOZAMBIQUE: ISABELLA!

Isabella is the first child I met when Ben and I first visited the Nkobe site where we now have a thriving CarePoint and Healing Place Church.

At the end of that first meeting I told her in English that she didn't understand (but I think she got the message, anyway), "Sweet Child, we are going to change your life!"

Now, more than two years later we have done just that providing her safety, adequate food, medical care, education and a church where she is learning to know Jesus in a personal way.

Everybody that meets her loves her smile and her spirit.

How sweet it is!

MOZAMBIQUE: AN INDELICATE PHOTO

The normal toilet in Africa is a hole in the ground--difficult. Few Westerners ever figure out how to use them.

Can you believe it was a great joy to find this toilet seat?

MOZAMBIQUE/ZIMBABWE BORDER

A typical bush clinic registration office.

Keth Neville was a recipient of the Rotary Club's Paul Harris Award--like the one Mother Teresa got.

She spent the last years of her life serving as the only available medical care for about 30,000 people.

JACKOLYNA, HERO OF NKOBE

This dear leady was helping clear the ground for our new church and CarePoint in Mozambique. A black mamba--one of the deadliest snakes in the world--bit her.

The doctor said she could not possibly live. My first thought was the people will think the church ground was cursed. People around the world started praying. On the third day she was totally recovered--absolute miracle.

Ben Rodgers asked her where she would have gone if she had died. She just hung her head.

"God has given you a second chance. Do you want to give your life to Him?"

"Yes!" she answered excitedly. She jumped up and said, "Oh, I must tell everybody."

Now she is the hero of the area.

And about that curse--she tells everyone, "If you want to meet the God the beat the snake come to this church!"

Not a curse--a blessing!

MOZAMBIQUE'S ENRIQUE MUGABE

Land Rover--the vehicle that penetrated Africa.

I purchased this one for Enrique Mugabe, the President of the Assemblies of God churches in Mozambique. A couple months later on a return visit to Mozambique I didn't see the Land Rover anywhere. I asked Pastor Mugabe about it. "Oh, Brother Dave, please forgive me. I gave it to one of the pastors in a remote area who needed it much more than I."

This Godly and selfless man greatly influenced government officials who often sought his advice.

I realized that even if we could have, it would have been impossible to make him a rich man--he'd give it all away.

What a heart. What an example.

MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE

I had to be careful taking this photo. The man in the left foreground was our government assigned "minder."

He was trained in Russia by the KGB.

The reason there are no seats in the sanctuary is seats took up too much space--more people could attend if they all stood.

The Sunday before I took this photo they baptized 1700 new converts.

SIP CUP KID

This is the original photo of the child that has become the Children's Cup logo.

"MEEMAW" JEAN HOLDING MOZAMBICAN BABY