Sunday in Maputo

Sunday in Maputo: Our first service, the IPM English service, started at 7am at Khovo in easy walkable distance from our hotel. It was held in the Khovo church hall as a Portuguese service was taking place in the church at the same time. The congregation doubled to 35-40 after the beginning of the service. The leaders try to lead worship in the style of IPM but in English. Therefore there was much singing between opening prayers and the praise and thanksgiving part of the service. Rowena preached and Danny brought greetings.

We also gave greetings from John Durell who when he was over last year established this service. These they were very pleased to receive as they have a lot of respect for John’s contribution. Soon they will celebrate their first anniversary. We presented them with prayer cards and some Wee Worship books from Iona that they think will be very useful. We have also sent an electronic version of the URC service book as a resource. We also gave a few English gospels for their use. The leadership of this service is very keen for it to develop and grow.

We joined them for refreshments and then they had a hymn practice to learn a newly composed hymn in English based on the Psalms by their musician. We then went back to the hotel and waited to be picked up – this didn’t happen in true Africa style until 30 mins after the stated time. The drive to Polana Parish was an experience as the Sunday markets of fish seemed to have spread across the dusty roads leading to sellers having to move for the 4x4 to get by. We met with the elders before worship and shared greetings and welcomes. The service proper then began.

There were two singing groups the youth and the choral group of anyone who wanted to be part of a choir. They were excellent. The Parish has won many awards for their singing in festivals and had certificates on the vestry wall to show this. Some were taking part in a televised competition already recorded but being shown this afternoon. (They did not win but then people had to buy the votes and IPM and the choirs supporters are not well off) Many people participated in the worship by leading prayers and a lay preacher gave the sermon looking at the importance of prayer in the challenging context of the church today.

We noted with interest that the pastor only gave the blessing. Our interpreter said that it was important to the church to recognise that all people can share God’s message and so they tried to show that in their worship. We noted that we say the same but perhaps live it less frequently in practice. There was an opportunity for us to bring greetings and we distributed prayer cards although we had not taken enough as there were probably 250+ present. They then welcomed us by dressing us, including Danny, in capalanas. Danny did not escape this time and much laughter and fun was shared in.

At both services IPM leadership and representatives involved in the jubilee issued apologies in the notices. As at the jubilee 2000 more people had attended than had been anticipated. Therefore many did not receive food on the Saturday night. Also after the nation’s president left on the Sunday and the leadership and dignitaries went to have dinner at the same time so that many people left and the programme seemed to be curtailed. There is recognition that having only one kitchen area – open fires and a tent for preparation - was not sufficient and several kitchen stations were needed. There was also a shortage of water due to the greater numbers than expected. It looks like some people who are not members of IPM came along simply for free food. IPM leadership is calling a meeting to review the problems and learn from reflecting on them. It was interesting to note the open communication and sharing of these concerns in both congregations as part of morning worship.

After both services the congregations shook hands with us and especially at the first then joined the end of the queue so that everyone shook hands with everyone. The latter was too large a congregation to do this as we would probably still have been there in the evening. The Paloma service had lasted almost 3 hours and but did not seem too. Driving back it was interested to note some of the markets were closed and people had gone.

After changing we were hosted by Revd Ernesto Langa and his family for Sunday lunch at his home. It was good to meet his whole family. We then had a rest back at the hotel - a much needed snooze. At 4pm Vasco Sitoi a youth worker for a group of 5 parishes in Maputo came and met with us. He has so far only been at English language school for a month. It is amazing how well he managed to converse with us. He is hoping to take up one of the two scholarships granted to IPM for study at a Brazilian theological seminary in order to receive a degree. Northern Synod has agreed to raise £3000 to fund his travel to Brazil for the course and for one trip home during the four years. He is very dedicated and keen and it will be good to support Vasco in this way. We agreed to try and keep in touch by internet so that we can be aware of how he is getting on.

Isabel our driver for this morning’s service at Polana and one of the IPM vice presidents and her son Alfredo were hosting us for dinner at their home with the other vice President of IPM Agripa and his wife. This was a short walk away although we were expecting to be picked up by car so wondered where we were going. The meal was lovely with fish once more. Those present were very interested in what it is like in England and what we thought of Africa and how we felt we could offer support. Jose the General Secretary equivalent and his wife joined us later. It was good food and good conversation. However we were tired and are flying back tomorrow and so by 10pm we were back at the hotel ready to sleep.

The journey home with Rosa was trouble free but tiring and we were pleased to be met by Meg at the airport having landed a few minutes early. It was an amazing, spiritual and social trip and we hope that others also have the opportunity to share in such an experience.

Trip North to Imhambane

 Normal Africa time - we were meant to leave at 8am but it was 9.30am before we did so. We drove nearly 500km to Imhambane in one day. Ernesto the President of IPM visited with us. Double espressos were needed every two hours for Bart our sole driver. The N1 route is the equivalent of our A1 but potholes and driving style are not to be compared nor are they for the nervous.

We stopped in Chicumbane at Bart’s family home which was 4 hours down the road. He commutes for weekends and stays on the synod site mid-week. His wife Cidalia provided lunch. We then called in to Rosa and Americo’s home where Meg Robb stayed last year. Rosa is returning with us to England and it was thought on this day that she needed to travel to Maputo for a yellow fever vaccination. However as Danny and I did not need one to travel here this was checked on and she was saved a journey and a needle. We then had a second lunch provided by Rosa. We have been fed extremely well and will return needing to diet.

Arrived in Imhambane at 7.30pm, this made a 10 hour drive on incredible roads with some stops. We were welcomed at Pastor Marta Mungui’s home sand went to the church to exchange greetings and prayers with a few of the elders and church members. Rowena visited here 2 years ago and with Ernesto the IPM President planted a foundation stone for a project for a new church building and tourist centre overlooking the sea. There has been a change of pastor and no real progress on this due to lack of funds although they still hope to achieve it. It was good to be able to encourage them. They are running an evangelisation programme in two zones and along with the main church are working together to gain growth and momentum so that the project may be realised.

If any of Northern Synod ministers would like to take part in an exchange as Meg Robb has done, this could be the next setting for such a visit. Marta provided dinner including fish that we had seen being sold freshly caught on the roadside. We were then taking to a house where the four of us stayed overnight; the house belongs to the railway company, a manager of whom is a member of IPM. Danny and I once more had to explain that one room was not appropriate as actually we are not married.
Thursday saw a more leisurely day as we started our drive back as we had met Imhambane parish the previous evening as many of their folk worked and so were not available during day time. We had breakfast at Pastor Marta’s and drove to a beautiful lake resort called Chidenguele in Manjalaze District. It took us a while to find it and it was further off the beaten track than expected. We were the only people in the restaurant it being winter in July in Mozambique. We watched a couple of fishing people casting their nets off a boat on the lake, sat through various showers (just like England) and enjoyed a leisurely meal. The drive was an experience as we kept stopping to get shopping in for Bart’s family including a pork joint that was cut off a half pig hanging on the road side that had been slaughtered we trust that morning.

Cashew nuts by the tin full were nibbled at all day and water, coffee, apples and tangerines consumed regularly. We arrived late afternoon at Xai-Xai and booked into a hotel opening onto the beach. Ernesto stayed with us but Bart went home for the night. While Ernesto did a visit we walked along the sea shore, until dusk fell rather quickly, as it does in Africa. Then we rested before eating once again in the hotel and calling it a day as the travelling has been very tiring.

A leisurely breakfast and walk along the sea shore in the sunlight was possible given that the 9.30 pickup turned into a 10.50 one = African time again. We met Stephen a beach seller who showed us his wares that were made by his family and this led to us parting with some money. His English was good and apparently he is saving to go to university to train as a translator. We then visited Rosa’s patch having previously visited her home in her husband’s parish. We visited a zone where many houses have been built on church land and the church is now squeezed. It is necessary to take urgent action to deal with this land conflict in order to enable the church to construct a more permanent building (Xinunguini).

We then picked Rosa up at a bus stop and went to her main church, Bethlahema. Here the foundations are laid for a new building that it is anticipated will take two years to complete. When Meg visited last year it had not been started. Rosa has a third church in her pastorate and with two building projects and a great distance to travel by public transport between them she has a difficult role to fulfil. In Xai-Xai we stopped for lunch at a restaurant and had a huge meal of pork. We then drove for several hours inland to the parish of Mausse along very sandy, bumpy roads where speed was impossible. People were carrying heavy loads and some were riding bikes and all seemed to be in danger of being run over. The scenery was beautiful. We arrived at 2.40pm not bad as we were aiming at 2.30pm. We were greeted by the Pastor’s Wamba – Lizi the wife who is pastor in this Parish and Dionisio of a parish in the village. We sat and drank tea under the shade of the trees in a beautiful setting with the children, chicken (one of whom met its comeuppance for our dinner) chicks and guinea fowl all showing an interest in our presence. Food was served once more – chips, bread and salad – afternoon tea number 1.

We were joined by Timoteo Fuel, a wealthy businessman, for these refreshments. He is a generous benefactor to IPM and sponsored the costs of the large meeting tents for the jubilee. Timoteo owns several properties including one near the church and so he took us there and showed us where we would be staying. It seemed like a mansion in comparison to most guest houses we had stayed in. It also had a beautiful landscaped garden. We then visited the newer church of which Timoteo had sponsored a recent refurbishment which was done in time for the local jubilee some weeks ago. While in the church we exchanged greetings, with women from the church and presented prayer cards that Northern Synod has had produced encouraging each of us to pray for one another. Timoteo then left us for another appointment although his wife was to join us for dinner and breakfast, presenting us with kapulanas to remember our visit and the parish.

We then toured the parish which is very historical. The old church/ classroom (built 1926) is a historical building although it is quite dilapidated now. One of the first presidents of Mozambique, elected after independence, was a Presbyterian and attended the school here. There is also a government run hospital and school on site surrounded by IPM property. These were nationalised following the civil war and so were lost to the church. It was good to see the provision of these facilities, although by our standards they are very basic and small, for the number of people served by them. (400 children attend the school) We then had afternoon tea 2 – chips, beef and bread before departing the 3km (we do not believe the sign) along sandy bumpy roads to the local village in the dark to quench our thirst.

Danny discovered during our visit the wonders of 2M the local beer and so some had to be found – it was. After our return dinner itself was served in the house where we were staying – everything we had already had plus the chicken that had met its end earlier. Then we went to bed to rest leaving the locals watching TV. A five/six hour drive back to Maputo was Saturday’s agenda. We left at 8.45 – pre expected time amazingly. We stopped in the village of Mausse to take photos of the village garden that it was too dark to see last night. There is a tree in the garden that legend says when it was cut down it grew back over night. We also saw various buildings that were damaged during the civil war and that still remain in a derelict state. On the drive before getting back to the main road we saw some amazing rural scenery of people working in the fields, some carrying water and often with babies strapped to their backs. We drove past 2-3 parishes some of which had serious land right issues outstanding. We also stopped for coffee every couple of hours including another visit to Bart’s home where Rowena was dressed in a gift of a capulana, Danny escaped with one simply being presented to him. Eventually at 3.30pm we made it back to Maputo and the fish restaurant again where two red fish were already being grilled due to an advance phone call. Then it was back to the guest house near the synod office to rest and prepare for Sunday worship including a 7am service.

In Maputo – Mon 16/7 and Tues 17/7

In Maputo – Mon 16/7 and Tues 17/7 We spent a relaxing morning in the bar of the hotel overlooking the sea completing our blog and reflecting on the synod meeting and jubilee celebration. For the latter press reports said 8000 were present and 5000 were expected so the number attending was probably somewhere between. In the afternoon Bart picked us up and we booked into a guest house at a third of the price of the hotel. Then we went to the synod office where the staff were in a meeting with the pastors from the central and north discussing their issues of non-payment of pastor’s salaries and other concerns. Officers came out to greet us and dinner was served. Then a visit to an internet café for Revd Jose Tovola to pick up his e-mail which took a long time before decamping to a café for coffee. Then we turned in and slept – even in a noisy street - bliss!

On Tuesday morning after breakfast we explored changing money at a bank before going to the synod office. We visited the sewing and knitting project that Northern Synod had raised money for. It has not yet expanded as more funds are required  to run a training scheme. We arranged to bring some goods back on sale or return. Keep your eye open for them at Northern Synod events. It was good to see that this project is progressing even if the anticipated growth is not yet apparent.

We then spent time in the Administration and Finance Department with Bart Langa looking at their synod (assembly) processes. He has one admin assistant (the second is on long term sick leave) and one desk top and one old laptop. Yet this office organised the jubilee celebration – a magnificent feat! Then we had lunch and greetings were shared between officers of their synod and ourselves. We presented them with some communion ware from churches that had closed in Northern Synod for which they were very grateful to receive. They have decided to use these in the synod itself rather than the parishes. Then we returned to finance where we discussed various financial information that Bart feels could be more effectively produced. We suggested to Bart that when he visits in October we show him our financial systems which might be of benefit to IPM and which we could support. Although finding appropriate software useable to those whose language is mainly Portuguese is tricky.

We then presented the admin and finance office with two laptops we had taken with us. Bart was overjoyed to receive a newer lap top and carried it around with him for the rest of the week. After a brief freshen up at the guest house we went down to the coast to the local fish market. We chose (already dead) our red fish and it was cooked before us in the restaurant. It took an hour to prepare with fresh vegetables but it was wonderful to eat.