12Stone Mozambique Blog: 12 Stone??? More like 12 Shoes!

We had another great day today! Todd, Danni, Logan, and Ellyce started out with another beautiful sunrise at the beach, while the guys got some rest. We got to visit a village that was getting their well drilled. George, Ellyce, and Danni were able to help clean out the mud that was being pushed with the water while they were drilling the hole. Daniel helped the men by placing a large drill stem into the system. After about 30 minutes of staying in a village (that we thought we would be spending the whole day at), one of the World Hope International workers came up to us and told us we would be leaving soon to go to another well dedication. It was very unexpected, and was something we were not prepared for.

All of the villagers were excitedly standing in a group singing as we pulled into their village. Ellyce had the great privilege of cutting the ceremonial ribbon and pumping the well for this dedication. George helped a lady from the village pump the well, too. After the dedication, our group headed to the area where they used to get their water. It was a large area that had tall grass. It was also an area that had been filled with water during a flood. They told us when the land started to become dry, they would dig holes so that the water could be preserved. It was very hot while out in the sun and the insects were very prominent. It is easy to imagine the struggles they had to go through just to get water to do their normal routines of cleaning clothes, bathing, and drinking. Next, we headed back to the village to start the ceremony program. Unfortunately, when it came to doing our skit on how 12 Stone got its’ name, our sheet that we used to represent the river was left behind at the Lehman house. So, instead of using our blue sheet, we used Danni’s blue-green bandanna to represent the water. We also weren’t able to find any of the monkey fruit that we usually use for the stones. Instead, we used our shoes. The villagers greatly enjoyed our last minute choice in props.

We divided the village into men, women, and children and began speaking (or playing) with each group. Chris and Todd were leading the men and shared good discussion with them because they were believers and already had strong faith. Daniel, Logan, and George told the story of David. While George was slaying the impromptu Goliath, Logan recited the popular bible story. Danni and Ellyce sat with the women of the community and discussed how God provides us, even when we feel hopeless. The women also taught the girls some songs and dances. Even George had to join the dance class with some of his own special moves. We ended the celebration with a meal and some good laughs about the possible proposal and dowry payment of what appeared to be a lemur’s tail.

For dinner, Rachel and Jason made delicious tacos and homemade chocolate chip cookies. It wasn’t until after we had all finished the meal that Jason told us that the supposed ground “beef” was actually Kudu. We enjoyed relaxing with the Helm family. Tonight, we discussed how we are leaving God’s mark on the people we are in contact with and how we see God changing, not only our hearts, but the hearts of the villages here in Mozambique. It is simply amazing that we have been here for 7 days and will be heading back home so soon. Our time here is precious and we are so thankful for the opportunity to witness and actively participate in God’s plans for this nation. As always, please continue to pray for our team and the people of Mozambique. Your prayers are powerful and important to the heart of this mission team. Tomorrow we head out to visit a cattle project. We hope to learn more about the other project that World Hope is implementing here in Mozambique. Thank all for your support!

Love,

George, Logan, Ellyce, Chris, Daniel, Danni, and Todd