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Joyful Farewell

Recently at the hospital it seems there have not been as many patients. I think there is currently a shortage on medication, so people are being sent home to wait until it arrives. Still, there are the few, the few that are worth our time and worth our energy.

Amigos

It isn’t often we see friends who have been in the hospital a long time go home with hope for a healthy life. This Wednesday, however, Sobú, a man from Jon’s Bible study will be released. He has lost 11months with his wife and children and his right eye to the hospital, but he has not lost his life… or his smile. Today we talked and rejoiced together with him about the fact that God has not abandoned him. How faithful is our God. While healing and health is not the only way the Lord reveals His faithfulness, it is a breath of fresh air.

We also talked about the sweet upcoming reunion with his family, the impatient waiting until Wednesday, the first meal he wants to eat, etc. While we will miss his presence at the hospital, our hearts are full of joy and hope for his future. We want to send him home covered in prayer. Will you pray with us?

  • Pray that the tumor will not return to Sobú’s eye, or anywhere else.
  • Pray the the current wound where his eye has been removed will heal completely and without infection.
  • Pray that his left eye would properly adjust, as he is currently having some trouble seeing properly, especially when reading.

We'll miss him!

Thank you for your involvement in our ministry, your involvement in Sobú’s life. Thanks for making it possible for Jon and I to be here; it is such a privilege.

The following a song we’ve recently been singing from the Passion: Awakening album. It is our heart, our mission.

King of Heaven (Isaiah 61)

Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh
King of heaven come down

We’ll sing the gospel to the poor
We’ll go to comfort those who mourn
You’ll put together what’s been torn
King of Heaven

We come together in the wave of God
We stand together in Your great compassion
Pouring out our hearts and lives
Fill us up with an expectation

We’ll sing the news of all Your grace
We’ll help the broken-hearted praise
You’ll put Your glory on display
King of Heaven

You help the broken cities rise
Out of the wreckage You’ll bring life

October 11, 2010
Hospital Ministry
5 comments

Our Lives

A (long and maybe boring) Jon Post

Life is hard to understand sometimes. It’s also hard to do sometimes.

Thinking about life with my dog

Thinking about life with my dog

Gasher agrees "Life is hard but fun"

Gasher agrees "Life is hard but fun"

Layne and I are in Botswana right now as this is posted. We own a vehicle from when we lived in Botswana (for those of you who tracked with us back in November of last year we bought one there to replace a vandalized/ruined one we owned previously) and dearly wish to keep it. I was speaking to Layne about “dream cars” for our current life here in Maputo and, honestly, I wouldn’t pick anything different than the Land Cruiser we own. It’s an amazing vehicle and has taken us across the continent of Africa 3 times and seems ready to do it a hundred more.

Working on my dream car

Working on my dream car

Well, to keep it here in Mozambique it turns out there are some papers and costs.
We need a “Police Clearance Letter”, essentially saying that we own it free and clear and didn’t steal it from anyone. This letter must come from Botswana and the vehicle must be there in order for it to be issued. Hence, we find ourselves driving 13 hours across the continent (again), simply to pick up a letter.

And we need to come up with some money. We’re not sure how much at this point (we need to get the afore mentioned letter to start the process and find out) but it looks to be anywhere from $1800 – $3500. No… we’re not trying to raise this money here and now on this blog (though we may later, heck… it’s a lot of money), I just mention it because it’s there and it’s on my heart and I like sharing what’s on my heart here with you.

On my heart… I don’t know if I communicate it all that well at times. With a daughter coming and an incredible wife I often find myself a bit preoccupied with thoughts of them and their safety.
Pray with me please. Pray with me that God grants them safety.

I heard a song a couple weeks ago by a desperate husband and father who simply wants to do both of those jobs well. He sings of his wife and children calling out to him and at times I can hear and see the same thing in mine.
Lead me with strong hands.
Stand up when I can’t
Don’t leave me hungry for love…
Show me you’re willing to fight
That I’m still the love of your life

And his/my response is simply to cry out to Christ

My beautiful wife loves me so well

My beautiful wife loves me so well

Lead me
To lead her, with strong hands.
To stand up when she can’t
I don’t want to leave her hungry for love…
I’ll show her I’m willing to fight
That she’ll always be the love of my life
So lead me, because I can’t do this alone.

I want so badly to lead, provide for, cover over, and protect my wife and child. Pray with me please.

Me and my Angel

Me and my Angel

October 3, 2010
Mozambique, Personal
8 comments

What Happened to Winter?

A Layne Post

As the United States transitions into Autumn and Winter, here in Mozambique the days are turning from Spring to Summer all too quickly. Did we have winter? No, no we did not. With some days already nearing 100 degrees, this pregnant woman fears December. I think we’ll plan baby #2 for the winter! Our Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are/will be spent sweating in our house trying to keep cool in any way possible.

My sister mentioned to me that maybe Anaya will just be used to it, since she is going to be raised here. I hope so. Our friends at the hospital, however, seem to complain about the heat as much as we do!

A few ways you can tell summer has come to Maptuo:

  • You no longer can use covers while sleeping at night. If you use a sheet, it is only to block the mosquitoes.
  • There are more mosquitoes. Hard to believe, but true. And somehow one always sneaks into the protective net.
  • If you have an air conditioning unit, you begin to think about skimping in areas financially to be able to pay for the electricity to run it every night and making deals with yourself, “If you make it until 7, then you can go get in bed and turn on the air.”
  • The beaches are busy on a daily basis, as kids flock to the cooler water after school in the afternoons,  and weekends are packed full with people of all ages ready to party in their Mozambican way.
  • Due to the busy beaches, traffic and driving on the weekends, especially Sundays, are just nuts.

Along the same lines, I feel as though I am slowly transitioning out of a sort of winter of the soul. Maybe I am alone, though I don’t really think so, but I feel like my walk with the Lord comes in and out of seasons. Sometimes I feel warmer than other times. Sometimes reading the Word is exciting and fresh, while at other times it feels more like a discipline. Sometimes the Lord feels near, while at other times you must hold on to the faith that He promises to stay near.

My mom used to always say she wanted to live somewhere with 4 seasons. It seems ideal, doesn’t it? Each season makes us appreciate the next. While I may not be appreciating the heat of summer here in Maputo, I am enjoying basking in the warmth and the presence of the Lord.

September 27, 2010
Mozambique
4 comments

My Little Girl

A Jon Post

We’re having a little girl.
I get to be a daddy to a little girl.

Anaya Hosanna Heller will be here some time near the middle of February.

Over the next 20+ years I’ll learn what it means to raise a princess.
I’ll try to show her how a husband loves his wife. I’ll teach her how to drive stick shift. I’ll try to demonstrate humility. I’ll show her how to swim. I’ll teach her to clothe herself in strength and dignity and laugh at the days to come (Proverbs 31:25). I’ll teach her how to ride a bike. I’ll show her how to open her arms to the needy and extend her hands to the poor (Proverbs 31:20). I’ll teach her to climb cliffs and find hand and footholds where ascent over the crux seems impossible. I’ll hold her hand and dry her tears and pray away fevers and kiss away fear and drive out rebellion and usher in truth and shoo away ghosts and beasts that come in the night and I’ll love and care and hug.

My little girl.

Anaya (Look up to God) Hosanna (and SHOUT with praise)…

You’ll bring forth poetry, and song, and dance.

You’re little hands, wrought by tender scarred ones, will show love and comfort and gentleness.

You’re little feet, dancing in the footsteps of those of us who go before you, and standing on the shoulders of those of us who stand beneath you.

Look my little one… Look little Anaya.
Look at your mother and her compassion for the lost. Look at her loving submission to her husband and her firm wisdom and her ready smile. Look at her patience and her grace. See how she clothes herself in her gentle, quiet spirit (1 Peter 3:4), how she prays and fasts and buries heart in the depths of her Lord.

And look at your savior.
Little Anaya, look to the cross. Look to the one whose blood stained the ground and in whose grace and mercy we are purchased. Look to the cross my dear Anaya.

Oh, Lord Christ, save my daughter. In your mercy and compassion look past the sin that she is born into, that I pass on to her in my fallen flesh. Chose her for eternity, Jesus, and breathe life into a dead spirit. Save my daughter. Save her please. Have mercy on her. Don’t let her go into the night, don’t leave her in sin’s darkness, don’t let her pass into that shadow. Call her out into your marvelous light. Save my daughter, Lord Jesus. Oh… save my daughter, Lord Jesus.

I get to be a daddy to a little girl.

September 19, 2010
Personal
9 comments
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