Kategorie: Newsletter 2009

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Liebe Freunde,

Gruesse aus Chimoio, Mosambik!

Gott war treu und gut zu mir …
Bevor ich irgendetwas anderes schreibe moechte ich all denen von euch danken, die in dem letzten Jahr fuer mich gebetet haben …
In den letzten Monaten gab es so einige Momente, in denen ich knapp dem Tod entronnen bin, aber jedesmal spuerte ich Gottes ubernatuerlichen Schutz … lass mich euch nur zwei Vorfaelle mitteilen …
An einem Samstag fuhr ich fruehmorgens zum Center (unserem Grundstueck, auf dem die Waisenhaueser etc. stehen); ich hatte einige Kinder, die bei uns im Haus (in der Stadt) wohnen mit dabei … ich hielt bei einem Kreisverkehr an, weil von links ein Lkw kam, der Vorfahrt hatte …aus irgendeinem unerfindlichen Grund sah ich in den Rueckspiegel auf meiner (Fahrer-)seite (rechts) – hier ist Linksverkehr – und sah wie 2 Autos von hinten mit einer affenartigen Geschwindigkeit angeschossen kamen … waren dabei ein Autorennen zu „veranstalten“ … im allerletzten Moment bevor sie uns ueber den Haufen fuhren wich ich nach links aus … 2 Minuten spaeter sahen wir dieselben in einen Unfall verwickelt … sie waren von der Strasse abgekommen und in einen Laternenpfosten geknallt, direkt vor der Coca Cola Fabrik hier in Chimoio … und 3 von 4 waren auf der Stelle tod … den Kindern schlotterten die Knie und wir dankten Gott fuer seine Bewahrung …
Ein paar Tage danach, als ich von Beira zurueckfuhr kam mir einer von diesen 30t Lkws auf meiner Strassenseite entgegen, einen anderen 30t Lkw (vielleicht hatte er auch 50t, wer weiss das schon so genau hier) in der Kurve ueberholend, frontal auf mich zukommend blendete er sein Fernlicht auf – anstatt mir auszuweichen, seine Bremsen zu benutzen und die Geschwindigkeit zu verringern. Egal wohin, in aller Regel ist es besser denen aus dem Weg zu gehen, weil die nehmen keine Ruecksicht, fahren einfach ueber dich drueber. Ich stieg in die Eisen und schaffte es irgendwie ohne von der Strasse abzukamen an ihm vorbeizukommen. Gott sei Dank waren in dem Moment keine Fussgaenger oder Fahrradfahrer unterwegs, wie sonst immer … . Ich hatte das Gefuehl, dass was ich tat unter der Leitung des Heiligen Geistes geschah …
Darauf entschied ich mal besser eine kurze Gebetsemail zu schreiben … ich weiss nicht, wer oder wieviele Leute gebetet haben aber danach war Schluss mit derartigem Kram!! Danke, Jesus und Danke an Dich, wenn du gebetet hast!

Im Krankenhaus …
Gott wirkt, auch in unseren aelteren Kindern, die ich in der letzten Zeit abwechselnd mit dorthin genommen habe …
letzte Woche betete ich fuer eine junge Frau, der der rechte Arm abgenommen worden war, weil sie Diabetes hat – macht das Sinn? Es ist jedenfalls keine Seltenheit, dass Arme und Beine amputiert werden, weil die richtige/notwendige Medizin nicht vorhanden ist …
Ausserdem habe ich letzte Woche schliesslich und endlich den einzigen Ueberlebenden, des oben geschilderten Autounfalls kennengelernt … der fast mich und die Kinder ums Leben gebracht haette … wenn es Gott nicht gaebe … er war von oben bis unten im Gips und konnte sich auch noch erinnern, dass ihnen ein Auto aus dem Weg gegenangen war … ich erklaerte ihm, dass ich das gewesen war … eine gute Gelegenheit ein paar Dinge in sein Leben reinzusprechen …

Im Gefaengnis …

Sie freuen sich nach wie vor ueber/an den Bibeln, auch wenn es wenige sind …
habe in letzter Zeit ueber Gebet gelehrt, wie sie mich gebeten haben, „lehre uns zu beten“
die Gefaengniswaerter danken mir jedesmal, wenn ich komme, dafuer, dass ich den Insassen Gottes Wort lehre, sodass sie ein paar andere Gedanken bekommen …
es ist keine Last fuer mich, ich gehe gerne dort hin … die Gefangenen sind wie ausgetrocknete Schwaemme, die jedes Wort aufsaugen, das ich ihnen sage … moegen die Hungrigen gesaettigt werden …

In Zimbabwe …
Stelle gerade fest, dass ich noch gar nichts von unserem Trip im October erzaehlt habe … sorry … wie die Zeit verfliegt …
Hab Suzy & Daniel und Don wiedergesehen 🙂 … haben uns alle in Harere getroffen und das Saatgut fuer das Don die Finanzen aufgetrieben hat von dort aus an verschiedene Orte auf dem Land verteilt … dass die Leute sich gefreut haben koennt ihr euch ja denken … es ist zwar nett, dass die Preise sich nicht mehr taeglich vervierfachen, aber die Preise in USD sind sau-teuer und fuer viele unerschwinglich … ein Maisfeld zu haben ist ueberlebenswichtig, weil man damit das Hauptnahrungsmittlel Zimbabwes kochen kann, sadza genannt … Maismehl in heisses Wasser geruehrt … bis es eine dicke weisse nach nichts schmeckende, aber bauchfuellende Masse ergibt …
Abends zeigten wir den Jesus Film … viele viele wurden beruehrt und gaben ihr Leben Jesus … soweit ich wiess wurden alle (bis auf einen) geheilt … der Jesus Film ist so eine gute Moeglichkeit den Menschen in Africa zu zeigen, wer und wie Jesus ist … habe beschlossen dafuer zu beten, mein eigenes Soundequipment zu haben und im Glauben auch schon mal ein paar Sachen bestellt … irgendwie geht es immer, aber er es ist echt nervig immer ueberall die notwendigen Einzeilteile zusammenzusammeln und wenn ein dummes Kabel fehlt geht gar nichts … mal sehen, ob sich Gott dazustellt … 🙂
Im November war nicht viel mit das Land verlassen, musste mal ein bisschen Papierkram erledigen (dafuer war ich Mosambik unterwegs). Ich konnte ein Mehrfacheintrittsvisum von der zimbabwianischen Botschaft in Beira bekommen, das 6 Monate gueltig ist, sodass ich nun erstmal nicht mehr jedesmal bezahlen muss, wenn ich ueber die Grenze fahre – danke, Jesus!
Im Dezember war ich dann wieder dort. Diesmal hatte ich niemanden dabei, der irgendetwas von Autoreperaturen verstand. Ich sagte Gott, diesmal muesse Er ganz besonders auf mein Auto aufpassen, dass trotz all der Schlagloecher NICHTS kaputtgeht und Er kuemmerte sich darum. Ueberall, wo wir hinkamen wurden Menschen gerettet, geheilt und freigesetzt … Gott liebt die Menschen, die Er geschaffen hat. Wir waren an 8 verschiedenen Orten. In Nyanga fuhren wir in ein Dorf, in dem der Pastor mit dem wir unterwegs waren bereits gebeten worden war zu kommen und ihnen von Jesus zu erzaehlen. Sobald sie die Musik hoerten kamen die Menschen von ueberall her herbeigestroemt. Es sah lustig aus und ich konnte es gut beobachten, weil wir auf einer Anhoehe waren … sobald die ersten Tasten erklangen kamen fast wie auf Komando alle aus ihren Haeusern, liessen alles stehen und liegen und machten sich in unsere Richtung auf den Weg. Der Dorfaelteste hatte uns erlaubt vor seinem Haus aufzubauen. Wie so oft fielen genau in dem Moment die ersten Regentropfen … wir befahlen dem Regen zu stoppen und den Regenwolken sich in die andere Richtung umzudrehen und das taten sie auch … genau bis das alles vorbei war, dann fing es an zu regnen und zwar richtig, war uns aber egal … eine neue Gemeinde war gegruendet … .
Genau in dem Moment, als ich anfing zu predigen ging der Generator aus … grr … aber egal … musste ich halt schreien … die Botschaft kam trotzdem an … und genau als ich fertig war ging der Generator wieder … .
Das groesste Wunder in den 10 Tagen war fuer mich, dass jedesmal, wenn wir beteteten der Regen aufhoerte und zwar solange bis wir fertig waren oder sternklarer Himmel war, was im Monat November hier, wenn Regenzeit ist, eigentlich nicht vorkommt – vorallem nicht in den Bergen. Wer an Zufaelle glauben will, wegen mir … ich musste an Eliah und denken und glaube, dass Gott da seine Hand im Spiel hatte.

Ein paar Tage nachdem ich aus Zimbabwe wiedergekommen war (Anfang November) fuhr ich in die Stadt, jemand mitnehmend, der auf dem Weg ausstieg, der leider nicht sogleich nicht den Knopf runtermachte als er ausstieg … ein paar Sachen einkaufen wollend, weil nach 2 Wochen weg sein war nicht viel in meinem Kuehlschrank … leider klaute mir jemand meine Tasche aus dem Auto bevor ich dazukam irgendetwas einzukaufen … Gott sei Dank hatte ich keine Orginalpapiere dabei, nur beglaubigte Kopien, aber leider war meine Monatsmiete und Essensgeld weg, sowie das Geld, das ich fuer die Verlaengerung meines DIREs (Aufenthaltsgenehmigung) brauchte … ich konnte nichts tun ausser beten… und ohne, dass ich irgendjemanden hier um irgendetwas bat entschlossen sich ein paar von den anderen Missionaren hier, mir eine Spende zu machen und letztendlich hatte ich mehr Geld als vorher…!!
Und ja, mein DIRE ist verlaengert, diesmal ohne Probleme, d. h. ich kann ein weiteres Jahr legal im Land sein … 🙂

Ich freu mich auf morgen, Weihnachten mit unseren Kindern hier in Chimoio feiern …

Frohe Weihnachten und einen guten Start in das Jahr 2010,
moege Gott dir seine Plaene offenbaren und dir die Gnade schenken, in den guten Werken zu wandeln, die Er fuer dich im kommenden Jahr vorbereitet hat …

liebe Gruesse,
Claudi

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Dear friends,

greetings from Chimoio, Mosambik!

God has been faithful and good to me …

First of all I want to thank all of you have been praying for me … there have been a number of incidences in the last couple of months where I was very close to death. I felt the supernatural protection of the Lord each time. Let me share just 2 with you …

One Saturday early in the morning I drove with some of our children who stay with us at our house to the centre (orfanage) to finish the chicken house we have been building. I had stopped at a round about ´cause there was a truck coming from the left. For some reason I was looking in the mirrow on my side (on the right) – I think it was the Holy Spirit – and I saw 2 cars coming up from behind with an incredible speed – they were racing! At the last moment before they hit me I moved over. 2 minutes later as I we continued driving we saw them involved in a accident, they had hit a pole in front of the coca cola factory here in Chimoio and 3 out 4 in the car died right there … the children were trembling and we thanked the Lord that He had saved our lifes …

Just a few days after that when I was coming back from Beira a truck was overtaking another truck (both these 30t ones) – in a curve! The one overtaking flashed the lights at me instead of using his breaks and I figured I better move out of the way … . I slamed the breaks and somehow I managed to stay (on the side of) the road and the truck passing by me on the other side – on my lane! There was not much space. The people in my car were under shock … . Anyways thank God there were no people walking or bicycles as usual. I felt like what I did was under the direction of the Holy Spirit …

After that I sent out a short prayer update asking people to specifically pray for protection when I am driving and these things stopped!!

In the hospital …

God is moving, also moving our older children that I have been taking with me lately.

Last time I went I prayed for a lady who got taken off her leg because she has diabetes – does that make sense? They often do that, just cutting off people´s arms and legs because they don´t have the proper medication … it is so sad …

Also I finally met (just last week) the only surviver who was involved in that accident when 2 cars were racing (see above), almost killing me and the children who were with me in the car … he even remembered that there was a car that had moved over … I explained to him that this was me … it was a good opportunity to speak into his life … he was in a cast from head to toe …

In the prison …

They are still enjoying to have the bibles, even though they are few … .

I have been teaching them about prayer lately ´cause they´ve been asking me to teach them how to pray … .

The people working in the prison are always thanking me for coming and teaching them God´s word so that they get their mind on the right things.

It is not a burden to me. I truely enjoy going there, rejoicing with them in God´s presence and they soak in every word I speak like a dry spunch – may the hungry be fed …!

In Zimbabwe again …

I am just realizing I haven´t even been telling you about our trip in October …

It was good to see Suzy & Daniel and Don again, to catch up with them. We all met in Harare and distributed the seed to grow maize (which Don had raised money for) from there. People were happy to receive the seed. Having maize is essential in Zimbabwe ´cause it provides there main stable food, maize flour which they put in cooking water, it thickens and then they eat that. It´s called sadza, doesn´t taste like anything, but fills the stomach …

In the evenings we showed the Jesus film. Many many people got saved and as far as I know everybody (except 1 person) got healed. The Jesus film is such a good tool for evangelism in Africa and people understanding who Jesus is. I´d like to have my own – God willing …

In November I couldn´t go anywhere (not leave the country) – so I ministered in diffrent places in Mosambik, which is good, too – ´cause I had to do some paper work. I was able to get a multiple entry visa for Zimbabwe from their embassy in Beira for the next 6 months, so now I don´t have to pay each time at the border – thank you Jesus!

We went again in December. This time I was telling the Lord that He needs to make sure that NOTHING on my car would break down ´cause I don´t have a mecanic nor someone who knows anything about cars with me and thank God He took care of it. Everywhere we went we saw people getting saved, healed and delivered. God loves the people He created. I particularily enjoyed going to a far off village in the Nyanga area where people had requested for someone to come and preach the gospel. As soon as the music started people came out of their little houses and stream to where we had set up. I was laughing as I was watching them (from uphill where we were) pop out of their houses, it really looked funny 🙂 … . The headman of the village had offered us to set up the sound system at this house … and people gathered … we had a good time singing & dancing with them. At the moment I started preaching the genereator stopped working so I had to scream, but anyways, I managed … and it started working again once I was done … grrr … what a coincidence … nevertheless a church was planted and we had a good time with the people … :-).

I think the greatest miracle for me was that each time as we were praying the rain stopped (multiple times) or it was a clear night with beautiful stars which doesn´happen in the rainy season, especially in the mountains. Once we left it usually started to rain, but who cares? People had heard the gospel … 🙂

A couple days after I got back from Zimbabwe (beginning of november) I went into town wanting to buy some groceries ´cause after being gone for 2 weeks there was not much in my fridge … unfortunately someone helped himself to my bag before I could do so … the moment I parked the car someone opened the door and grabed my bag before I could do anything …. thank God I didn´t have any original papers with me … just my money for the months rent and food was gone … I could do nothing … only pray … and without me asking (!) some of the other missionaries here decided to give me an offering and I could pay for all I needed … even the renewal of my DIRE (residence permit for Mosambik)! Yes, that´s another good news, I was able to renew my Dire without any problems so I can stay for another year – praise the Lord!

I am looking forward to spend Christmas with our children here in Chimoio tomorrow …

Merry Christmas to all of you and a good start into the new year 2010 …

may God show you his plans and give you the grace to fulfill what He has called you to do in this coming year …

Greetings & blessings from Mosambik!

Claudia

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October

Dear everyone,

greetings from Mosambik again!

Right when I came back we had a wonderful team with us … besides other things we went toChicamba together doing evangelism, I had the priviledge to preach and Pastor Amoz was translating into the local language … God’s presence was strong and when I asked them who wanted to receive Jesus it looked like everybody lifted their hands and prayed with me …

Construction, housing & living conditions …

We finally got the building license from the city counsel so we have started to build 2 new dormitories for our precious children …

I was also given money to do ‘chicken projects’ to help people who take care of orfans. So we got started building a chicken house at our center … the kids are working hard to build it and I will soon buy the chickens …

This will greatly improve their diet … thank you, Jesus!

My bathroom has finally been ‘fixed’ … the floor had been built in a way that the drain was a bit higher than the rest of the floor, so every time I took a shower I had to sweep out the water afterwards … it was kinda anoing, but it is over now!!!

Some of the places I went to …

At the beginning of September I went to the province of Tete visiting Pastor Jeronimo (the leading pastor) who has been suffering from an accident with a shapa (public transport). For more than 6 months now he has not been able to leave his house, just sitting on the couch, ‘cause he can’t bend his leg nor put any weight on it. We have done a lot of work together in the past 4 years, planting many churches and giving food to thousands of orfans… .

It was good to have time to talk, pray for him … . I believe he will be restored …!

I also went back to Zimbabwe – spontaneously – ‘cause the person who was supposed to tell me about the upcoming event and give me an invitation never did … either way we had a great daycelebrating a new property that was bought and fundraising for the new church building. I was impressed with their giving. They really sacrificed, EVERYONE was contributing, me too (1000 cement bricks)! And on that same day they raised ALL the money for the church building!!

Since Mutare is right across the border and I couldn’t organize anymore to go with a team receiving a phone call from them the day before I went by public transport … .

Early the next morning (sunday) our guard took me with his bicycle to the ‘bus stop’ but there was no bus, so I asked him to take me to the main road going to Zimbabwe trying to catch a ride with somebody and we hadn’t even arrived there was already a shapa (minibus) coming … where from I have no idea, but also it doesn’t matter, it had one empty seat so I hopped on … it didn’t stop too much on the way – so I was quite quick getting to Manica … from there I still had to find a way to get to the border (about 20 km) … I decided to go to the gas station and just ask people … getting there there were 2 south african guys on their big (!) motorbikes asking me if I was lost … I answered them that I wasn’t lost, just looking for a ride to the border … “well, if you are brave you can hop on” one of them said … trusting the Lord’s protection and since there is no law to wear a helmet in Mosambik I decided to take their offer and as you can image I was at the border quite fast … no problems passing … . They were going to Harare . Mutare is on the way so they offered to just take me there – may God bless them! When my zimbabwian friends who had come to pick me up in town saw me on the back of a big motorbike they were quite impressed how I got here and that quick ! God always provides if we are doing his will and ministry I’d say …

In & around Chimoio …

There is some sad news … Pastor Amoz, a good friend and at the same time the director of our center died in an accident going with public transport … it has been hard and sad for us to loose him …

There is such warfare … it hit me as soon as I touched ground here …

Please please pray for my protection as I am driving around here or taking public transport … there are so many accidents and people dying …

The Lord spoke to me about a scripture you find in Acts 12 … the diffrence between James being kept in prison and being killed and Peter being released from prison alive and well in a supernatural way is that the church was praying for him!! I understood clearly that as getting attacked severely is not a rare thing with all that witchcraft, cursing, warfare and alike here … often the mosambicans (esp. leaders) perish whereas we (missinaries) overcome and survive because we have people praying for us. Please pray whenever the Holy Spirit puts it on my heart, God might use you to save my life …

I thank God for the fellowship of missionaries here in Chimoio … there is such love, help and support for each other … if it wasn’t for them many of the missionaries might have already given up ‘cause it is already hard here, difficulties and more difficulties every day, things that want to discourage us and when you then have people “back home” saying things that are not helpful …, knowing everything better even though they don’t live here and don’t know how things are here, it doesn’t make it easier for us here …

I’ve been going to the hospital again …
Many of the people there are suffering from accidents taking public transport as well as people with burns all over their bodies, even kids (it’s a miracle that they’re still alive), women who lost their babies … it’s really sad … on the other hand God has been moving each time we went … we are not seeing very many obvious miracles at the moment, but usually when we come again the next week they’re gone, so for most of it that’s a good sign I think … often there are one or 2 two zimbabwians who don’t get many visitors cause their families are far away and they feel lonely cause they don’t speak portugese and somehow it has been special everytime I met one of them, they were really encouraged …

About the ministry in the prison …
God is still giving me supernatural favor there. When I came back in august the prison was closed for anyone from the outside. NOBODY was allowed to go in, but I (and those with me) just walked in … . The guard had told me though that I needed to meet the director and he will tell me what things are like there at that moment. The problem was someone had managed to steal a gun from one of the guards and escaped (he was caught afterwards but still…).

Anyways after having a little chat with the prison director we went on as if there was nothing. God is good.
The director of the prison had invited me to visit & preach at his church and when I finally had a free sunday I went, taking some of the youth of our centre here in Chimoio with me, we had a really good time. All the leaders from all over the country of his church had come to get to know me and talk to me. Sometimes … . Anyways it’s been good to meet men of God, to fellowship, have lunch together and lots of cokes and fantas … :-).
This past week God put on my heart to teach on forgiveness. I felt God’s presence and him moving their hearts. I believe they got it. I made it very clear to them that we all need his forgiveness and if we ask we get it, but only if we forgive those who wronged us. If we are not willing to forgive those who sinned against us God will also not forgive us. It’s a tough message, but the bible is clear in Matthew 6:14-15.
The joy of the Lord is increasing every time we go. There is joy in His presence!! People who don’t have much reason in the natural are dancing and rejoicing in Him. This week a number of the prisoners who weren’t allowed to come were complaining that they want to participate, but the decision who comes and who doesn’t is not ours, we’re just the ones who are ministering there. So they sang, claped their hands and danced in their prison cells as we were praising & worshiping … where is this going to end?!
Besides who wants to give his life to Jesus (there is always a number, about 10-20 each week) I usually ask them who is sick and wants to have prayer. Many have been testifying that they got healed and the number of sick people there is decreasing – praise God!
The other missionaries who are working on the other side of the prison (the prison is divided) are back from their furlough (they had been gone for 7months), which is good ‚cause they don’t allow big gatherings (it’s a maximum security prison so those in there stay a while and they’re afraid of not being able to control the people) in the prison so more people get to hear the gospel and are being taught God’s ways. Them being gone for a long time explained to me why I was told some months ago that nobody is doing a church service in the prison these days.
I’ve also been able to give them bibles, steras (strawmats to sleep on) and soap to wash their clothes and dishes – thank God to everyone who has been giving to me so I could give!

I’d also like to say thank you to everyone who has been supporting me and what God is doing here financially. I’ve been able to buy new clothes for our children, sandals for each one of them, sheets for their beds, things for the kitchen, will buy new moskito nets this week … and could finally repair my car so I am ready for future adventures!

My health …

Last month I had been sick, constantly feeling like throwing up and having diarrhea for about 2 weeks, so my body became a bit weak … it wasn’t so good, really … I didn’t know what to do … the medicine you can get here doesn’t help anyways, so there isn’t much point of taking it … so on a monday during one of our prayer meetings I asked the other missionaries (and at the same time some people overseas via email) for prayer … the next day I already felt much better and the day after I was completely fine!! Praise God!

Upcoming things …

School holidays are starting at the end of this month, so we are praying about how to best impact our children at the centre during this time. We’ll probably do something like a holiday camp with them, teaching them from the Word, having times of worship and prayer as well as practical work, also inviting other youth from the community and/or other centers … we’ll see what God will show us …

I’ll be going back to Zimbabwe next week. There are 4 cubic tons of maize seed in Harare waiting for us to be distributed. I am excited and thank God for everyone who contributed. We’ll also have sound equipment (including the Jesus film) with us this time so it’ll be easy to doevangelism and church revival meetings. If God puts it on your heart please be praying for usduring this busy time. We’ll be leaving around October 15th and stay for about 2 weeks. We’d like to distribute the seed in the way God wants it to be distributed, touching peoples lives with His love and provision. It is our desire to see God’s kingdom come more and more in this country, gathering in the harvest, see people healed and set free, drawn closer to Him, getting to know Him more and following Him more radically … .

I’m also planning to go to Malawi again with a team at the end of this year or beginning of next year … I’ll keep you updated …

Thank you to everyone who cares, supports us here and stands with us in prayer!

May God bless you a hundredfold!!

Love & greetings from Mosambik,

Claudia

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Liebe Freunde,

Gruesse aus Mosambik!!
Die Zeit verfliegt … es ist schon fast wieder 1 Jahr vorbei und bald bin ich wieder in Deutschland & around …
hier der ganz normale Wahnsinn …

Ich war viel unterwegs, im afrikanischen Busch, mit Katja aktuelle Listen von den Waisenkindern, die wir im Rahmen von Iris Ministries unterstuetzen, erstellen, Fotos machen von jedem einzelnen Kind und Essen (getrockneten Mais fuer Maisbrei, das Hauptnahrungsmittel Afrikas) verteilen…
Als erstes sind wir nach Machaze, eine Gegend, in der es scheinbar nie ein gute Ernte gibt, immer wieder Duerre schon seit Jahren und es gibt kein Trinkwasser. Der Weg dorthin ist weit und die Strasse unter aller … aber als wir die strahlenden Gesichter der Menschen sahen, als wir nach 14 Stunden fahrt endlich ankamen hatten wir trotz allem das Gefuehl, dass es es wert war. Als wir ueber eine dieser „Bruecken“ fuhren versteckte sich ein eher grosses Schlagloch dahinter und wir „erhoben“ uns etwas von unseren Sitzen, unfreiwilligerweise, soweit, dass wir uns die Koepfe am Dach der Lkwkabine anschlugen. Ich hatte auch gerade meine Wasserflasche aufgemacht, um einen Schluck Wasser zu trinken und der Inhalt der gesamten Wasserflasche war auf mir so dass ich aussah als haette ich gerade mit meinen Klamotten an geduscht. Katja, die neben mir sass, sass im Wasser, weil ihre Wasserflasche durch ein Eisenteil hinter ihrem Sitz einen Riss bekam. Wir lachten, auch wenn es eigentlich nicht wirklich lustig war, aber was sollten wir auch sonst tun? Die Autofahrten hier sind immer fuer eine Ueberraschung gut … 🙂
Wir beteten und sangen die gesamte Strecke, die wir durch den Distrikt Machaze fuhren, weil wir wussten, dass es kaum jemand schafft dort anzukommen ohne einen Unfall oder zumindest eine Autopanne zu haben. Wir hatten keines von beiden, nichts wagte sich uns zu naehern – thank God! Viele wurden freigesetzt nach der Predigt, wir haben einen maechtigen Gott, nichts und niemand ist ihm gleich!
Es war viel Arbeit und zeitweise auch ganz schoen anstrengend in all die verschieden Distrikte zu fahren, Gondola, Manica, Sussundenga…, die vielen vielen Gemeinden zu besuchen, aber die Armut dieser Kinder kann einem echt nahegehen. Ich musste immer fahren (ausser nach Tamabara nur die Healfte), weil unser Lkwfahrer in Zimbabwe unterwegs war und einfach wochenlang nicht zurueckkam. Das war eigentlich nicht die Idee gewesen, aber da musste ich wohl durch.
Ihr haettet die Gesichter der Erwachsenen und Kinder sehen sollen als ich an ihnen vorbeifuhr … erstens bin ich eine Frau (und Frauen haben hier meistens keinen Fuehrerschein), zweitens bin ich weiss (und da, wo wir waren gibt es keine Weissen), drittens sassen zwei weisse vorne, Katja und ich, und viertens fuhr ich auch noch einen Lkw, nicht ein normales Auto … viele zeigten mit dem Finger auf mich und manche Kinder schrien lauthals …
Unser Lkw litt auch diesmal wieder als wir nach Tambara fuhren, der Schaden ist wohl schlimmer als beim letzten Mal, bitte betet, dass wir eine bezahlbare Moeglichkeit finden alles, was zu reparieren ist zu reparieren. Ich wuenschte, wir koennte ohne einen Lkw dorthin fahren, aber es gibt einfach keinen Mais in Tambara, nichtmal 20kg auf dem Markt zu kaufen. Ich frage mich, wie die Leute dort leben … . Als unser Mechaniker den Motor aufmachte, schuettelte er den Kopf und meinte, er haette keine Ahnung, wie wir nachhause gekommen waeren, ausser durch ein Wunder, der gesamte Motor voller Wasser! Ich mag Gott, er macht einfach immer, was noetig ist …:-)

Hab wieder angefangen ins Gefaengnis zu gehen – endlich!!
Es war nicht einfach, es dauerte Monate bis ich das ‚Antrags-Papier‘ intern (Leitung Iris) unterschrieben bekam und als ich es schliesslich hatte dauerte es noch Wochen, bis es durch alle Polizeidepartments durch war, bis hin zu dem Polizeipraesidenten der Polizei unser Provinz Manica. Wenn ihr denkt, in Deutschland gaebe es Buerokratie, geht mal nach Afrika … 🙂
Vorletzte Woche meinte der Polizeichef ich muesste erstmal noch Tag & Uhrzeit mit dem Direktor des Gefaengnisses abklaeren bevor sie es genehmigen koennten … ok, dann eben nochmal ins Gefaengnis. Es war kurz vor halb vier, die Zeit, wo hier alle Behoerden zumachen und Chefs nachhause gehen. Ich betete, dass derjenige, mit dem ich das abklaeren koennte dortsein moege. Der Waechter, der mich begleitete, meinte, dass derjenige, der uns gerade entgegenkam, derjenige sei, den ich treffen will. Er war bereit, sich mein Anliegen anzuhoeren, meinte nur, ich sollte „kurz“ warten. Das naechste, was ich mitbekam, war, dass er die Gefangenen zusammentrommelte, in der Annahme, ich wollte jetzt gleich auf der Stelle anfangen … war eigentlich nicht die Idee gewesen, aber ich hatte keine Wahl … wir einigten uns auf mittwochs 9 Uhr morgens ….
So kam ich 1 Woche spaeter zu der vereinbarten Zeit wieder, zusammen mit jemandem aus unserer Gemeinde hier. Leider hatte der Gefaengnisdirektor die Info nicht weitergegeben und die diensthabenden Beamten hatten allebAngst einfach eine Entscheidung zu treffen und dann von ihrem Chef eins auf den Deckel zu kriegen. Sie meinten, wenn ich ein „Genehmigungs-Papier“ haette … . Nochmal zurueck zur Polizei. Der Polizeichef war gerade in einem Treffen. So mussten wir erstmal 2 Stunden warten. Als er dann kam versuchte er echt sein bestes mir zu helfen und herauszufinden, wo sich denn mein „Papier“ befand. Angeblich im Gefaengnis. Also wieder zurueck. Der zustaendige Chef war nicht da. Wieder 1 1/2 Stunden gewartet. Als er dann endlich auftauchte stellte sich heraus, dass er das Papier gar nicht hatte.
Es blieb uns nichts anderes uebrig als uns auf den Heimweg zu machen und weiterhin zu versuchen, dass Papier in die Hand zu bekommen. Wir waren schon fast draussen aus dem Gefaengnis, da kam gerade der Gefaengnisdirektor, der mich ja noch von letzter Woche kannte. Er fragte, wie der Gottesdienst gewesen waere. Ich erzaehlte ihm, was sich so den Tag ueber ereignet hatte. Er meinte, wir sollen wieder zurueckgehen, er sagt den entsprechenden Leuten bescheid.
Die Gefangenen durften oder besser gesagt mussten alles stehen und liegenlassen und zum Gottesdienst. Wir fingen an zu singen und anzubeten. Gott war da. Ich predigte ueber Zachaeus, wie sich sein Leben veraenderte, in dem Moment, als er Jesus traf. Ungefaehr 20 der Gefangenen entschieden sich mit Gott zu leben. Wir beteten. Anschliessend waren die Kranken dran geheilt zu werden. Mehr Anbetung und froehlich singend und uns dankend verliessen die Gefangenen den Raum.
Ich musste an die Bibelstellen denken … „durch Glaube und Geduld werden wir die Verheissungen ererben“ (Hebr 6:12).
Es ist schwer zu begreifen fuer mich, dass in einer Grosstadt wie Chimoio sonst niemand auf die Idee kommt, die Gefangen zu besuchen und ihnen von Jesus zu erzaehlen. Wie sollen sie glauben, wenn ihnen keiner predigt?
Heute konnte ich endlich die letzten Unterschriften und Zustimmungen bekommen – Halleluja! Soweit ich das beurteilen kann, gibt es wohl keinen polizeilichen Chef der Stadt Chimoio / Provinz Manica, den ich nicht im Laufe der Zeit kennengelernt haette… wer weiss, wofuer man das mal noch braucht?!
Ich wurde gebeten, die Gottesdienste doch Dienstag morgens zu machen und nicht Mittwoch, weil da keine anderen Aktivitaeten sind und so saemtliche Gefangenen problemlos teilnehmen koennen. Wenn sich jemand waehrend der Zeit oder auch sonst zum beten berufen fuehlt, gern …

Ich versuche nach wie vor 1 Mal pro Woche ins Krankenhaus zu gehen, den Kranken die Haende auflegen. Jedesmal, wenn ich in diesem Krankenhaus bin (und da gibt es sogar einen Arzt), denke ich mir, wenn Jesus nichts tut geht da nicht viel. Letzte Woche legte mir Gott aufs Herz auf die Intensivstation zu gehen. Die Zimmer waren voellig ueberfuellt, ueberall lagen Leute, wenn auch zumindest auf Matratzen. Medizinisch geht da nicht viel. Aber unser Gott ist gross und maechtig und in dem Namen Jesus ist die Kraft zu heilen!

Naechte Woche will ich nochmal nach Zimbabwe mit nem Team, fuer ungefaehr ne Woche. Dann steht noch die Provinz Tete auf dem Plan, Gemeinden besuchen und wenn moeglich auch Essen an die Waisenkinder verteilen … mal sehen … unser Lkw muss auf jeden Fall bis dahin wieder funktionsfaehig sein!
Mein Auto ist gerade auch mal wieder in alle Einzelteile zerlegt … wenn der „Spass“ nicht immer so teuer waere …

Dann ist auch schon wieder Zeit nach Deutschland & Europa zu kommen, fuer ca. 6-8 Wochen.
Anschliessend wieder zurueck in den Wahnsinn …

Bis bald …
Claudi

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[en]

Dear friends,

greetings from Mosambik!
How are you??

Life here has been crazy as usual…
I’ve been out in the bush with my friend Katja updating the lists of the orfans in our churches we’re supporting through Iris Ministries, taking pictures and giving food to them.
At first we went down to Machaze, a place that doesnt’t ever seem to have a good harvest, droughts for many years and no water for the people to drink. It’s far to drive there and the road is bad but when we saw the happy faces of the people as we finally got there it felt all worth it. After driving over one of this „bridges“ there was a big whole hiding behind. we jumped high, hitting the roof with our heads … also I had just opened my bottle to drink some water and the whole bottle of water spilled all over me so I looked like as if I had just taken a bath with my clothes on … the bottle of my friend sitting next to me broke as well, hiting an iron piece behind the seat, so she was sitting in a lake. We were laughing, even thought it wasn’t funny, but what else can you do?! Life here is always up for a new surprise … 🙂
We prayed and worshiped the whole way, without stopping ‚cause hardly anyone makes it there without either having to stop due to car problems or worse having an accident. I could feel and see some of these creatures living in those areas, but nothing dared to approach us – praise God!! Also people got set free after preaching – we have an awesome God! Nothing and noone can compare to him. There truely is power in the name of Jesus!
It was a lot of work going to all the districts, Gondola, Manica, Sussundenga … the many churches … but the poverty of these children here can break your heart … . I had to do all the driving with our big truck by myself (except when we went to Tambara) ‚cause our driver was in Zimbabwe and just didn’t come back. You should have seen the looks on people’s faces and their open mouths as I was driving by them … first I’m a woman (here it’s usually the men who drive), second I’m white (no white people there), third there were 2 white people sitting in the front, my friend Katja and I and fourth I was driving a truck, not a small car … some of the kids were screaming as they were pointing towards us … .
Our truck sufferd again as we were driving to Tambara, the damage is worse than last time … please pray as we are trying to find an affordable way to fix it. I wish we could go there without a truck, but the problem is that there is absolutely no maize to be bought there, not even 1 lata (20 kg)! I don’t know how people live there, besides by the grace of God. When our mecanic opened the engine he was shaking his head, saying he has no idea how we got back, the engine was full of water. I don’t understand much about cars, but he explained that we drove on only 2 pistons and many of the pieces inside the engine are broken, so he said the only explanation is a miracle. Now we just need a miracle in fixing it, we really can’t buy a new engine … I like God, He always does what is necessary …

Finally it was possible to start ministering in the prison again, it was not easy though, it took months to get the paper signed and when I finally had it it’s now somewhere at the police to be approved. I thought it had already made it’s way though all the birocrasy, but not yet as I just found out … I had been to the prison again last week praying that the person in charge’d be there and as I was walking in the prison the guard accompanying me said that the person walking towards us was the one I wanted to see. He was willing to attend me, I just had to wait a bit. The next thing that happened was that he got the prisoners together, thinking I wanted to start right here and there, even though I had just come to find out what day of the week and what time it’d be possible to minister in the prison. So here I was with all these people, having to do something, pray & share a bit … ok, God, I thought … we agreed on coming on wednesdays 9 a.m … if you’d like to pray during that time (or on wednesday mornings before you go to work) thank God and bless you for that. So I came back the next wednesday morning at the time we agreed on, together with someone from the church here. Unfortunately the information about us coming to minister hadn’t been passed on and the people working that day were afraid to make a decision to just give us permission, so I went back to the police trying to get the paper … nobody knew where it was and the superintendent who is a friend of mine was in a meeting, so I had to WAIT for almost 2 hours … finally he came, really trying to help me … even though he is a busy man he was personally looking for „my paper“ and could finally localize where it had last been. He called there and then asked us to go back to the prison where the paper was supposed to be, but it wasn’t we found out as we got there … before finding that out though we had to WAIT for another 1 1/2 hours for someone to come, tired and hungry ‚cause I had left home without breakfast and lunch time had already passed, but I had to be patient until the person I was told to be waiting for came – and then he wasn’t very helpful … . As we were walking out of the prison someone stopped me, the director of the prison had just come. He was asking me if I remembered him and asked how things were going so I shared with him what had happened that day. He told me to go and see someone and said he was also coming there, so we went back speaking to that person; now things started to move in the right direction. Then the director came just taking authority over the situation. Everyone had to stop working and „come to church“. We started singing and worshiping God, the presence of God came. I was preaching about Zacchaeus how it changed his life when he met Jesus. About 20 of the prisoners gave their lifes to the Lord for the first time, repeating the sinner’s prayer after me and we prayed for the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Then I asked for the sick to come to the front and receive prayer for healing, God was moving … . We worshiped more, joyfully singing they walked out thanking us for our coming and telling us that they’re looking forward to next week. I was thinking of the scripture that through patience and persevernce we inherit the promises of God (Hebr 6:12). Also I can’t believe that in a big city like Chimoio noone is going to the prison to minister to the people there. How can they believe if we don’t tell them? How can God change their lifes if they don’t receive him? Please pray for the paper work to be finalised and permission to be released within the next couple of days … can you?

I’m still trying to go to the hospital once a week laying hands on the sick … every time I am there I’m thinking Jesus really is their only hope. This week God put in my heart to go the ICU (Intensive Care Unit). It was completely overcrowed, people on the floor, everywhere. With the medical care here I don’t thnk they have much hope and this is the provincial hospital, the best you can find here and they even have a doctor (which most of the other hospitals don’t). Nevertheless I believe Jesus is there only hope. People were more than grateful as we ofered to pray for them. In Jesus name there is power to heal!!

Next week I am planning to go to Zimbabwe for 8-10days, doing evangelism and after that to Tete, visiting the churches and hopefully also giving food to the children (orfans). After that time is up here for now. I’ll be going to Germany & Europe for missionaries „holidays“ for about 6 weeks, then will be back in the crazyness …

Grace and peace,
Claudia

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[de]

Mai

Hi ihr Lieben,

es ist lange her seitdem ich das letzte Mal geschrieben habe, ich weiss …
vieles ist passiert in der Zwischenzeit …

bin wie gesagt von Catandica nach Chimoio umgezogen und hab mich ganz gut eingelebt mitlerweile …
Katja ist hier fuer 3 Monate …
und wir sind viel unterwegs …

Ich war wieder in Simbabwe …
Ende Maerz in Mutare, Rusape, Mashvingo, Kwekwe, Gweru und Bulawayo … viele Heilungen … hab den Ueberblick verloren, aber in Rusape gab es mindestens 20 Blinde (oder fast Blinde), die wieder (besser) sahen, Knie- und Rueckenschmerzen verschwanden, Leute, die nicht mehr gehen konnten tanzten …
In Mashvingo hatten wir ein nette Ueberraschung … hatten extra noch voll getankt, weil wir frueh loswollten, da wir sowohl nach Kwekwe als auch noch Gweru wollten an dem Tag … kamen aber nicht weit, nicht mal nen Kilometer … nach einigem Suchen sahen wir, dass kein Tropfen Benzin im Tank war … das verstanden wir nun ueberhaupt nicht, wir hatten doch voll getankt … schliesslich stellten wir fest, dass jemand den Schlauch, der in den Tank geht durchgeschnitten hatte und das gesamte Benzin geklaut hat … grrr … 2 aus dem Team baten das naechste Auto, das vorbeikam sie in die Stadt, zur naechsten Tankstelle mitzunehmen … 2 Wasserflaschen mit Benzin gefuellt … direkt in die Benzinpumpe … dann an der Tankstelle mehr Benzin … konnten aber trotz allem Bemuehen nur 15 Liter in den Tank kriegen und das reicht einfach nicht fuer eine Entfernung von 400 Kilometern … ich dachte mir, irgendwann muessen wir eh einen neuen Benzinschlauch kaufen, warum nicht gleich … war aber auch als dann die Geschaefte aufmachten in der ganzen Stadt keiner aufzutreiben, weil sich wie wir dann rausfanden wohl irgendwelche Leute auf „Benzinklauen“ spezialisiert hatten und jeder Autofahrer, mit dem wir uns unterhielten das gleiche Problem schon mal hatte … am Ende fanden wir jemanden, der uns was aus Metall „konstruierte“ … so ist mein Benzin nun super sicher und klaut mal so schnell keiner mehr … 🙂
Eine andere interessante Erfahrung war die Grenze von Zimbabwe nach Suedfafrika … ich dachte, ich spinne, sowas habe ich definitiv noch nie gesehen, eine Schlange von ungefaehr 3000 Leuten und normalerweise haetten wir dort 2 Tage verbringen koennen, wenn Gott nicht ein Wunder getan und das Herz eines Polizisten (der mit einem Schlagstock die Leute zuruecktrieb) erweicht haette uns vorzulassen … wir sind extra im Mitternacht in Bulawayo losgefahren um auch rechtzeitig am Flughafen in Johannesburg zu sein, Katja abholen, aber mit 2 Tagen Wartezeit an der Grenze hatte ich halt nicht gerechnet … wenn wir Leuten erzaehlen, dass wir in 1 Stunde und 45 Minuten ueber der Grenze waren glaubt und das keiner, aber mit Gott sind alle Dinge moeglich!!
Eine Nacht in Pretoria, dann nach Nelspruit und 2 Tage im Krueger Nationalpark Tiere anschauen … es war wundervoll … Giraffen, Elefanten, Zebras, Nashoerner, Bueffel, Nielpferde, Loewen … und sogar einen Geparden … :-).
Etwas laenger in Maputo als geplant, war aber auch okay und schliesschlich zurueck nach Hause … 🙂

Dann ueber Ostern nochmal … hatte Einladungen auf 2 Konferenzen zu sprechen … in Mutare und Chipinge, ungeaehr Freakstockgroesse von der Anzahl der Leute her (fuer diejenigen, die Freakstock kennen) – aber o h n e Mikrofon! Gott war da und redete … ich war wahrscheinlich mehr ueberrascht als die Leute dort … 🙂

Momentan komme ich gerade von 10 Tagen Gemeinden im Busch besuchen in Mosambik wieder … zuerst in Chemba (ganz oben im Norden der Provinz Sofala, wo ich vorher gewohnt habe) … viele Befreiungen … dann an naechsten Tag in Sena, Magagade und Caia … uns wurde nicht langweilig zwischendurch 🙂 … bei der letzten Gemeinde mussten wir mehrmals aussteigen, um zu schauen, wie wir moeglicherweise weiterfahren koennen, wo weniger Wasser und der Matsch etwas fester ist … Allradantrieb eingeschaltet … alle ausgestiegen, damit weniger Gewicht im Auto war … in Jesu Namen … und wir bleiben nicht stecken … yes!!
Am naechsten Morgen in Inhaminga, ebenfalls 3 Gottesdienste … war eigentlich so nicht geplant gewesen, aber auch gut … und schliesslich „zurueck“ nach Dondo … ueber den Zustand der Strasse sage ich lieber nichts, ausser dass wir aufgrund der Schlagloecher das Nummernschild hinten verloren (war auseinandergebrochen). Gott sei Dank sahen wir es gerade noch rechtzeitig vor der Polizeikontrolle. Konnten ein Stueck Pappe auftreiben, auf das wir die Autonummer schrieben, irgendwie notduertig befestigten, in der Hoffnung keine Strafe bezahlen zu muessen … . Direkt vor uns ein grosser Bus hinter dem wir uns auch erstmal gut verstecken konnten. Ich betete aber trotzdem lieber mal noch vorsichtshalber. Und genau in dem Moment, als wir an dem Polizisten vorbeimussten klingelte sein Handy, sodass er abgelenkt war und uns nicht anhielt – praise God!
Es war gut meine Freunde in Dondo wiederzusehen und 2 Tage Urlaub zu machen. In der Naehe von Beira gibt es eine kleine Kokusnusspalmeninsel mit langem weissen Sandstrand und so … 🙂
Danach wieder in den Busch, diesmal in die andere Richtung, nach Sueden, nach Machanga und Buzi. Ich war vor ca. 2 Jahren in Machanga gewesen mit einem Team, hatten dort eine von diesen Evangelisationen auf dem Fussballfeld gemacht und anschliessend eine Gemeinde gegruendet, die auch noch existiert (gewachsen ist) und nicht nur dass, die auch schon 2 neue gegruendet haben. Ungefaehr die ganze Nacht Gottesdienst und dann Taufen frueh morgens – 39 Leute. Das Wasser war ausnahmsweise mal nicht ganz so dreckig – Danke, Jesus – im Gegensatz zu Kwekwe (in Zimbabwe), wo wir auch getauft hatten, ungefaehr genauso viele Leute, aber in einer Dreckbruehe, in die ich niemals freiwillig reingehen wuerde, ich meine ausser fuer den Herrn … 🙂
Die Fahrt von Machanga wieder weg war auch ganz interessant, weil ohne Bremsen (um es kurz zu machen es war etwas kaputt gegangen, so dass wir fast die ganze Bremsfluessigkeit verloren). In Muchungwe gab es die dann tatsaechlich zu kaufen, was ich eher in die Kategorie Wunder verbuchen wuerde. War doch besser mit Bremsmoeglichkeit weiterzufahren – bis irgendwann auf einmal die Strasse endete und wir mit einer Faehre den Fluss ueberqueren mussten, was auch kein Problem gewesen waere, wenn die Faehre nicht gerade vor unseren Augen im Wasser stehengeblieben waere und der Motor wieder angegangen waere. So mussten wir dann leider dort uebernachten bis am naechsten Morgen das Problem behoben wurde. Vielleicht ist es ein bisschen schwierig das nachzuvollziehen, aber die groesste Herausforderung war tatsaechlich nicht von einem Krokodil gefressen zu werden. Wir beteten und vertrauten dem Herrn und waren auch alle noch lebendig am naechsten Morgen. Direkt zum Gottesdienst und anschliessend Leitertreffen. Auf dem Rueckweg hatten wir noch nen Platten, war aber nicht weiter schlimm, ausser dass wir ewig brauchten, um die dummen Schrauben aufzukriegen, weil es ausgerechnet der Reifen war, den ich im November in Zimbabwe schon mal verloren hatte und der deshalb andere Schrauben hat als alle anderen Reifen. Nachdem Gott uns einen „Engel“ vorbeischickte war auch alles kein Problem mehr.

Morgen fangen wir wieder mit der Essensverteilung fuer die Waisenkinder an … ich darf als mal wieder Lkw fahren, Mais organisieren …

Bis bald …
will euch ja nicht langweilen …
Gruesse aus Mosambik!
Claudi

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[en]

May

Dear friends,

yes, I am still alive – and well 🙂

living in Chimoio (the capital of the provinceof Manica) and I like it, it’s nice to live in the city for a change, having electricity and water (at least most of the time) … 🙂

no, I didn’t forget you … !!

In Zimbabwe again … 🙂

At the end of march we went back to Zimbabwe … it wasn’t the easiest thing to get going there … my new passport was in Maputo (I had to get a new one ‘cause my old one was full, not even one page left for visa stamps) and the people I had asked to pick it up from the embassy weren’t willing to give it to me for some weird reason … my car was in the garage, in pieces and only by a mircale someone found the spare part I needed in Beira (the mecanic had told me I’d have to order it from South Africa which usually takes at least a week), one of my team members whom I really needed to go with was in the hospital, almost dead (due to whichcraft), my residence permit at the immigration ‘cause I need to change the number of my passport in it … as well as some of things … but I kept saying we are going ‘cause I knew it was God’s time for us to go – and we went! My car was fixed, the person who was in the hospital supernaturally healed, God changed the heart of the person who had my passport and he was willing to give it to someone to send it to me and everything else fell into place just in time. I had already gone, borrowing a friend’s car, buying food and seed for the people in Zimbabwe and food for our team for the trip. I kept on proclaming, we live by faith not by sight …

We had many places to go where people were waiting for us, churches to visit and preach at … . To sum it up it’s been amazing … starting of in Mutare, then Rusape, Mashvingo, Kwekwe, Gweru and finished of in Bulawayo. I have difficulties to put the many things God has done into words. We saw many healings, in Rusape f.ex. there were at least 20 people who could see well again after praying for them, the crippled walked, diffrent pains went away … God was speaking … we were able to baptise (in one of the durtiest rivers I have ever seen, but we do it all for the glory of God, trusting in His protection) …

In Mashvingo we had a „nice” surprise as we were leaving there – or I should better say trying to leave there. We couldn’t even get a mile and the car stopped. Trying to figure out what the problem was we finally discovered there was no fuel in the tank, which we didn’t understand at all ‘cause we had filled up the tank the night before ‘cause we wanted to leave early; also in Zimbabwe it is better to put in fuel when you can get it at one of the gaz stations ‘cause there might not be any the next day. Anyways, some of our team hitched a ride into town to get at least 2 plastic bottles (1.5 liters each) of fuel so we could get to a gaz station. Someone had cut our fuel pipe and taken even the last drop out of our tank. I’ve always wondered how much fuel actually fits in my tank, now I know. At the gaz station we could only get in about 15 liters, despite of trying for about 30 minutes. Then I decided it might be better to get a new fuel pipe ‘cause it was saturday morning and on saturday afternoon or sunday you can’t get anything here. Also 15 liters weren’t enough to drive about 400 kilometers (there was no other gaz station on the road before that) and I’d have to buy a new one anyways one of these days. Easier said then done. It was not possible to get a fuel pipe anywhere in the whole town ‘cause the thiefs there have specialised themselves on stealing fuel out of people’s tanks as we found out then. Every single driver we talked to there has already had the same problem – Halleluja! In the end we found someone who was willing to make us a new fuel pipe out of old metal which worked pretty well. Now I have a really secure fuel pipe, out of thick metal. When I am going back there it won’t be so easy for the thiefs anymore … 🙂

As we were driving down to South Africa we left at midnight in Bulawayo, to be on time at the Johannisburg airport to pick up my german friend Katja who is staying with me for 3 months. We had now idea about the Beitbridge border, Zimbabwe to South Africa. You can easily spend 2 days there. I have passed many borders in my life, but I have never seen a queue like that, not even in Russia. We were guessing about 3000 people in line to get their passports stamped. I could not believe that. I was praying, asking God to make a way where seemed to be no way and as you know God always answers our prayers. I asked God to show me the people whose hearts he would touch to help me. One of these people was a policeman who was driving people back with a stick. I walked up time, started to talk to him, explaining my situation that I had had no idea that it was like that at that border and I really didn’t have time to wait in that queue ‘cause I need to go to the airport to pick up my friend who came to Africa for the first time … and thank God I found favor in his eyes, he let me and our whole team in front …. . There was still another queue inside, in which we might have had to wait for another 3-4 hours. I was telling God that I didn’t have time for that and asked Him to show me who’d be the person I could just walk up to, somewhere in front of the queue to become friends with and get in line there. It worked. We also had good talks about Jesus right there in the queue, waiting to get our passports stamped. To make a long story short we were out of the border in 1 hour and 45 minutes which is an absolute miracle. People here don’t believe me when I tell them, but with God all things are possible.

I picked up my friend, we spent a night in Pretoria with friends, it was nice to be in a real house, bought a radio for my car there – finally I have music in my car at all these long drives – praise God – went on to Nelspruit, also staying with friends, then in the Kruger National Park for 2 days, enjoying to spot all the beautiful animals God has created … we saw a lion walking in front of our car right in the beginning as we went in and another four as we went out, many giraffs, elefants, zebras, rhinos, hippos … and even a chita … thank you Jesus!

We were in Maputo a bit longer as planned, waiting for Katja’s luggage, but it was okay, it was good to see friends again I haven’t see in a long time, catching up with them … then back home to Chimoio …

Over easter I got another invitation to go back there, speaking at 2 diffrent conferences, national conferences of 2 diffrent churches … in Mutare and in Chipinge … what a priviledge … the people there are so hungry for the word of God … God was moving … I think I was more surprised than all the people there … I was also amazed by their hospitality …

2 weeks ago I went visiting some of our churches in the North of the Province of Sofala (where I lived before). Arriving in Caia Pastor Phombo said let’s first go to Chemba … so back in the car, another 3 hour drive, but we made it before dark! We were thinking they knew we were coming but unfortunately the person that was supposed to go there and tell them never went there and the leading pastor there (who is the only person there with a phone) never got any of Pastor Phombo’s text messages ‚cause his phone battery doesn’t work anymore (calling is not really possible ‚cause there isn’t really phone reception there, only on some little hill of about 2 meters and if the one you are calling is not up there at that very moment you don’t get a connection). Anyways, they tried to spread the message as quickly as possible and we had a good time with the church there that night and the next morning – a lot of deliverance! Then went on to Sena where God told me to teach about the gifts of the spirit and of course God poured out afterwards. In the afternoon we were in Magagade where God led me to speak about Elia – God was there! Also there hospitality was amazing! In the evening in Caia … so many people … we celebrated, worshiped and God moved in power even though I was a bit tired by then, the third preaching that day. The challenge was to get to the place where the churches were gathered – the rains had destroyed the road well! We got out of the car twice to see how we could possibly pass those places, where the mud was a bit harder and not too much water. I put in 4 weel driver and declared in the name of Jesus …! Every one else walked to have less weight in the car … and we made it!

The next morning (sunday) early off to Inhaminga and praise God we got there on time for their sunday morning service.

We drove (back) to Dondo, by faith now ‚cause the car made quite few funny noises. This time I didn’t have anyone with me who knows something about cars. The road was bad, so bad that our number plate broke! We only saw it though when we stopped for a „bathroom“ break, just before Balanca where there is a police check point. What to do? We quickly organised some card board, wrote the number on it and found a way to fix it in the back of the car, hoping we wouldn’t have to pay a fine. I was praying for God’s grace to intervene and God did as always … there was a big bus before us so I was hiding right behind and the moment we were passing, the policeman seeing us, someone called him on his cellphone so he was distracted and didn’t stop us – praise God and may God bless the angel who called just at the right the moment!

It was good to see everyone in Dondo. Things are changing there it seems – finally!

Then I went with Katja to Savanne which is a beautiful island with a white sand beach and cocunut palm trees just near Beira to enjoy the beauty of Mosambik and rest a bit … .

Then off to another „trip” … this time to Machanga and Buzi. Machanga is in the far south of Sofala and quite a drive, but it was good to be back there. About 2 years ago I had gone there with a team to plant a church and thank God it was still there, not only that, but it has grown a lot and they had gone to plant 2 other churches. They had asked us to do the baptism … I enjoyed … first I was teaching about baptism and then we baptised 39 people!

We wanted to get to Buzi that night, but there were are few hinderances and/or delays. At first we had to drive without breaks until Muchungwe were I was able to get break fluid – thank God – I was driving a bit slower thank usual ‘cause I could only use lower gears to break, not even the hand break worked – anyways God protected us – then still a long drive to Buzi. Finally at about 10.30 p.m (of course without dinner) we were at the river we had to cross with a ferry (which I hadn’t known before) and we saw the ferry stopping to work in the middle of the water. It took them all night, until the next morning they were able to fix it, so we had to sleep right there, in the car, all nine of us. The biggest challenge was not the cold or the many moscitos, but not to get eaten by a crocodile. Many people there die because of that, but thank God he kept them away from us as we asked … . It was good to be with the church there and meet with the leaders to resolves some things that need to be resolved there … . On the way back we had a flat tire, but not too bad, we saw it on time, just that we had some problems to get the screws of the tire, but with the help of an angel God sent to us we were finally able – praise God!

Anyways, I don’t want to bore you … with my normal life here …

We just started again with food distribution last weekend …

going to Machaze, in the far south of our provice Manica … the road there is bad, full of rocks and wholes, so we prayed & worshiped the whole time we were driving there ‘cause there are many accidents on that road … it was far but worth it … people there are literally starving … when you see their maize you will feel pity for them ‘cause there is hardly anything on it … at some point when we were there the pastor told me that they have been praying every day that I’d come there and bring them food … I had no idea … I’d say God answered their prayers … our (orphan) children and their caregivers were happy that day … 🙂

I love you all,

blessings!

greetings from Mosambik, Claudia

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