We have been back in Mozambique for a year now after our extended furlough due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. As I reflect on the year, I can’t help but think of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (CSB).
1 There is an occasion for everything,
and a time for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to give birth and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to uproot;
3 a time to kill and a time to heal;
a time to tear down and a time to build;
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance;
5 a time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
a time to embrace and a time to avoid embracing;
6 a time to search and a time to count as lost;
a time to keep and a time to throw away;
7 a time to tear and a time to sew;
a time to be silent and a time to speak;
8 a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.
We have experienced a lot of loss and mourning in the last year. I lost both my sister and half-brother. We lost our dear friend and colleague here in Nampula. Dave just recently lost his aunt. In some cases we were able to hold our loved ones in sorrow and in other cases we have been too far away, or quarantine restrictions prohibited those embraces.
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| Julie and Doug |
We have rejoiced with friends who have gotten married, and Mozambican weddings are full of dancing. We have been excited to meet new babies who have entered the world and to make new friends with folks who have moved to Nampula. We have said goodbye to those who have moved on.
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| Dancing at the wedding |
We have seen the victims of war up close. Uprooted.
Some wounded or traumatized. Some
steady and determined. People both frail
and yet resilient. And we have seen
communities of people come together to help others with basic needs. We have also seen some refugees be able to
return to their homes and attempt to start again. See our newsletter for more on that here.
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| Loading food that was donated for the refugees |
We have experienced sickness. Dave had typhoid and COVID. Others had to step up and shoulder our responsibilities. We have also had to step up and do more when it was time for others to leave. For a time, Dave will be the only pilot on the program.
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| Dave inspecting the Caravan |
We have experienced anonymous gifts from strangers (or friends who want no credit). We have experienced friendship in deep meaningful ways. Friends who called frequently to check in even when it was inconvenient for them. Friends who drove long distances. Who showed up. Who listened. Who brought a meal. We experienced love when we most needed it.
We have seen a lot of building and are about to see some tearing down. There has been drilling for a water well on our property. We have just made a temporary move so that our house can be upgraded (which brings a "time to keep" and a time to throw away" as we sort through our things). In the coming days, we will see the roof come off and part of the wall come down.
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| Drilling the water well |
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| House remodel project |
Sir Robin, the tortoise (which turns out is a female but the name will stick), is shedding scales on her shell. Hopefully this is part of the growing process and not a dying process.
We have had a flea infestation on the property (that is the “time to hate” and the “time to kill”), but we have also seen some beautiful birds come visit us.
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| Narina Trogon |
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| A blurry pic...but you have to see the bright red breast of the Trogon! |
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| Blue Waxbill |
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| Paradise Flycatcher (male) in a cashew tree |
I was recently listening to a podcast on the Wisdom Literature of the Bible (which includes Ecclesiastes). It made the observation that the authors of these books often express doubts and questions which drives readers to have an honest faith. While we can always trust in God’s goodness, we don’t have to have be a Pollyanna in times that are hard. God allows us to wrestle and struggle with the tensions presented in Ecclesiastes 3. Wrestling with God does not mean we have a weak faith, it means God is growing and strengthening us.
So wrestle well, my friends.
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| Cool looking Scarab Beetle |
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| Malachite Kingfisher stuck on the veranda for a moment (my phone does not do it justice) |
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| Grey-Headed Bush-Shrike |
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| A front-lit Striped Kingfisher |
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| Lizard Buzzard (who got a lizard) |
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| Some deer (in velvet) I saw while running in a park in San Antonio |
