Looking beyond The Mark!

Some Sweet sisters in Zion! This is in the garden behind our chapel/apt.

As we sat today thinking about our week we realized we almost missed the good things that were happening and the way the Lord was blessing us by looking beyond the mark.

Let me explain.
For the last few weeks we have been concerned about getting the details for the upcoming wheel chair project finalized. Papers signed, T-shirts ordered, food planned, a building scheduled, people to come to be trained, hotel reservations, a place to store the chairs, etc.
We wonder how we will get everything we need to in order to be ready for the HBB meeting next week.
We wonder how in the world we can get the finance work and paper work for Humanitarian and the distribution center organized ever.
In the middle of this a huge overdue order of garments and etc for the distribution came and we wondered how in  the world we could get all of this received in and stocked in our teeny tiny store.  Deposit to be made, Computer needed more memory.....To top it off we were pulled over by the police for the 11th time on Friday morning at 5:45 am on our way to run and this time they decided to take 30-40minutes to try to scare us into giving the 2000 mtz.Which we never do. Each time we have to go through this big charade.

David and Clere(Claire)

Then sat. afternoon  just as this beautiful couple David and Clere are trying to get married a cyclone comes barging in and so as we are driving home from dinner that night in the pouring rain, howling wind,  there are water soaked people waiting all along the major streets, hoping they will find rides home.Many will be there all night waiting for the next Shappa which could be morning. Water 2 feet deep in the streets. People crossing with pants rolled up. If they fell no one would see them. Remember half the water is sewer. Wondering why this government does not help fix some of this city for these people. Some times it is so overwhelming and really makes your heart ache.

Then today in Sacrament meeting we witnessed a miracle. Inside of us something happened and we realized we had been looking beyond the mark.
Let me explain.
Saturday morning before the wedding here at the chapel there was a district baptism, which occurs at least once a month if not more. At that baptism there were 5 candidates for Baptism. One of these was a young lady in the branch we attend. Maputo2.
So in Sacrament Meeting she was to be confirmed a member of the church.  Her family,Non members, had come to church with her.
As the Brother in our branch began to confirm her a member of the church one of her family members began to chant and moan very loud against what was happening. We had heard of this happening, It sounded almost like witch doctor chant. The Brethren  kept going and as the priesthood stood around her and confirmed her a member of the church the spirit came in the room so strong you could feel it and the lady just quieted and you didn't hear another word from her. As they continued to bless this young lady there also came a very calm feeling over the whole congregation. We realized we had just witnessed the power of the priesthood in action. Not to be taken lightly. As we sat there we both must have been thinking the same thing because after church we realized this week we have actually been very blessed. 
We have just been looking beyond what the important things were.
WE weren't seeing the ways Heavenly Father was blessing the people around us, Helping us with our work and causing his work to go forward.
For examb
1.There are 5 new members of the church just this week in just this district of Mozambique.

 David and Clere (Claire)
We are all so happy for them. They had a time getting families to agree. You see in this country the groom buys the wife from her family. They have to agree on the celebration and price. They have wanted to be married for a long while. The tradition can be a real stumbling block. Like for other cultures. Na?

2.David and Clere(claire) were married Saturday. He a return Missionary who served in Johannesburg and she a very educated young lady with such high standards. They had a beautiful wedding and everything about it was an example to many other families in Maputo.(They have to  marry here first by law and they will go to the Temple in April).

3.The cyclone didn't hit until after the important part of the ceremony was complete and the baptism over.

Vanessa

4. I had a very special experience with Vanessa this week I will never forget. I realize how much Heavenly Father knows and loves each individual no matter where they are.

5. Our Huge order of garments did come in which we desperately needed. And we found out SA is paying for us to build new shelves to hold them.Hurray!
6. Our old but newer old computer with new memory is going to save my neck and back.
7.  Dad has become very good friends with a professor at the park where we run/walk. He has more conversations about the church with him every day.
8. We had a t shirt person show up at our door when we needed one.
9. We have had all kinds of help finding a caterer and have it all scheduled as of today.
10.Best of all we received word from Cantol that the minister of Health came up with a better more favorable MOU than originally written and will sign it this week.
11. Our Truck is still running.
12. All of our family at home are healthy.
13. We decided the police pull overs are like a clown act just to divert you from the rest of the frustration.
They really do leave you laughing once you realize they are harmless.
14. So many sweet people today reached out to try to help us in our meetings to understand. One man is trying to learn a new English word to tell us each time he sees us..
15. We have a wonderful translator we trust completely.


16. We were able to see a little boy in our ward probably 3-4 years old get up today and bare his testimony. His family is getting ready for the temple this April. They are so excited to go. His dad came and held him up to the microphone. As he was baring his testimony he said
He knew the church was true and other things. His dad kid of helped him and then all by himself  He also said 'I know Jesus lives and I know that one day he will come again  to save us'

This is my testimony also. I know that God lives and he knows each one of us. He knows all those children in the villages, in the cities with the 2 feet deep water in the streets huddled under some kind of shelter, He knows the man crouched in the corner with his hoodie pulled over him completely because he is dying, He knows the man finding something to eat in the garbage dumpster tonight, He knows the babies and He knows every one of us. And one day he will come again to save us. May we all be ready at his coming.

I hope we have learned from a very stressful week (created by our own way of seeing things) to keep our eyes on the  Savior. Look for his hand in  our lives.

Video of members preparing a song for wedding. A welcoming chant in english and shangana.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuH7vSzL4TU

Members ask us for a song for wedding. They learn it  and sing it at the wedding. This is just practicing  for wedding. But they are so cute.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDNkmI1oALg

 A little bit of the wedding. Not a village wedding this was a good example to the members of how to conduct a nicer more spiritual wedding with traditions after somewhere else if needed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avQfcNM1e-k

Some of the cute kids at the wedding. Lonna is the girl choking the boy. she is a hoot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4DZGYCKH4s

Traditional Dance from Nampula region where family is from. They will do more dance and ceremony at a Festa somewhere else.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCkMMwFWVlg

More dance. And notice the cyclone approaching. In an hour tin roofs from below were blowing across the lawn.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obDM-ZM4eNg