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.

125th Jubilee Celebration IPM

Jubilee Celebration Sat-Sun 14-15th July. The formal synod meeting ended and therefore today saw the special jubilee celebration start. Bus and car loads of people arrived from all over Mozambique across dust and potholed tracks. Merchandise of jubilee tea shirts fabrics and hats dominated dress. Maputo contingent had not arrived so the 9am bible study took the form of hymn practice. Then breakfast while we still waited arrivals. Breakfast was traumatic as Didier’s translator collapsed and received emergency medical aid before being to hospital where we later heard he was improving.

The jubilee consisted of each presbytery and group in IPM offering a choir contribution with much dancing. These ranged from traditional to highbrow to rap. There was a choir from the Swiss Mission Church who were in attendance and they offered several contributions during the celebration which were well received. There were three lectures scheduled for during the day but the timetable got further and further behind. The first by Reinaldo from Ricatla explored the historical identity of IPM. He used the image of a snake shedding its skin as an image of IPM becoming a church in its own right with the departure of the Swiss and how it needs to do so again now to move forward and transform Mozambique in the name of Christ. The other two lectures were not audible and certainly not translatable and most people slept or talked through them on account of this. One was on IPM’s contribution to the nation and one to society in general.

Special guests were fed in a hospitality tent with buffet normally of chicken and rice or maize plus fish or another meat. All cooking was done on open fires by an army of women. Water was manually pumped up by people by rotating a ‘roundabout’ manually and brought in by lorry. Hundreds of others were fed with a main meal each day – an incredible operation. There was a festive air with people sleeping in tents, cars, buses, on the ground and groups singing and dancing whatever they were doing. For some the event carried on all night but we went off at about 9pm to get some sleep and rest taking Christine from Switzerland with us.

Sunday saw great anticipation as the President of Mozambique was coming. The Presbyterian Church of South Africa had provided gowns and preaching scarves for each pastor of IPM and there was a grand procession of them all to start the day’s proceedings. Then we sang to welcome President Guebuza, who unveiled a plaque that was only completed on Friday, planted a tree and renamed the school. The President joined us for worship which was brilliant. It included the ordination of six new pastors that Rowena along with all pastors present was invited to share in the laying on of hands for. This was very moving.

The president of the United Presbyterian Church of South Africa (EPCSA) peached and one of his colleagues translated for us. He was very challenging talking of God’s nature being that of spirit and truth (John 4v 24) and Jesus having been anointed in the Spirit being given a job description found in Luke 4 – to bring sight to the blind, liberation to captives etc. This is our job description now as we follow Christ’s job description. As the church cannot be made without this Spirit and job description being followed neither can good government. It was good and challenging for a sermon in front of the nation’s president. Various presentations were made to the nation's president and some choirs sang before he responded. By then our translator had departed but folk said afterwards that it was full and comprehensive indicating IPM’s contribution in the history of Mozambique and today.

Special guests then had lunch in the presence of President Guebuza although he left soon to travel on. The huge cakes remained uncut. We then returned to the jubilee celebration for further presentations from the Swiss but time ran out and at 1pm Ernesto declared the jubilee celebration at an end. Bart then drove us back to Maputo and we stopped at a women’s project at Minchot on route. They are building a new prayer station church, conference centre and accommodation. It is not yet up to the roof.

We arrived in Maputo about 5.30 to find no rooms in the guest house and so ended up in a seafront hotel for the night. This was very relaxing after the basic accommodation at Antioch. Poor Bart had still to take others to a hotel after dropping us off and then take them to the airport for 5am on Monday. The jubilee celebration especially the worship on the Sunday was great and moving to share in. The whole atmosphere was vibrant and full of hope for the future of IPM.

Synod meeting 13th July

We overslept but still managed to be ready for a 6.30 pick-up and 7am bible study. The theme for the Jubilee synod was based on Luke 4v16-18/Isaiah 61 was ‘125th jubilee year transforming life in Jesus Christ’. Then we had breakfast before synod sessions. The section report for the activists was received with acclaim, that is with song and dance. This section of young couples brought forward new by-laws / constitution for their work. There remains confusion between legal state marriage and church marriage in Mozambique and they want to encourage couples to make sure they are married in both ways as government clarifies and simplifies the process. Currently obtaining state marriage can be costly and involve travel and therefore is prohibitive. This group also want to continue to expand their work with HIV/AIDS projects and education.

Then special guests were welcomed and made presentations. Doug Tilton from the Presbyterian Church (USA) but based in South Africa told of a dispute that went to law between a presbytery and the wider church. He used this illustration to stress the importance of good governance and management. Rowena offered greetings from the URC and presented a communion chalice and plate that had been used at the URC General Assembly until this year when a new set for the 40th anniversary were dedicated. Didier Crouzet of the Reformed Church of France presented a picture of their logo of a cross with the dove of the Holy Spirit below and talked of the significance of resistance in his church's history and for the IPM’s identity. The son of a missionary pastor who was born in the 1980’s in the now derelict house at Antioch and lived there until he was seven and his daughter Nicole also made a presentation. Northern Synod was acknowledged when the sewing project, that we raised funds for, presented a communion cloth that had been embroidered by them.

A competition had been held for the best hymn based on the history of IPM and the jubilee theme. Before lunch we learnt one of the runners up. The winning hymn which was great and learnt later was sung in front of the country’s president during the jubilee. Rather than stave music IPM use ‘do re me’ notation so everything is taught by cantor.

After lunch the synod executive report was presented. The two students with scholarships for a Brazilian theological college are now not going until 2013. This gives us in Northern synod a bit longer to raise funds for one of their flights. Do consider this in your churches – it would be good to have the £3000 by the end of this year. Meg’s visit with Rosa and her return visit as a pastor’s exchange was also mentioned.

There was a discussion on which languages should be used with a request for local languages to prevail. But the executive resisted this out of concern for not having adequate skills and resources to translate everything. Some said that the evangelists could be used more but then there is anxiety about the quality of their Portuguese. This is already a concern and the pedants in synod were quick to correct Portuguese grammar. In Mozambique there is an even more pronounced North / South divide than in England. A pastors' refresher course had been held in the South and there is a strong desire to hold one further North. But finance and transport costs are a real issue. Although there was a suggestion for regional or clusters of presbyteries we are not sure this issue was resolved. IPM would like partners like us to fund a gathering for Northern pastors and presbytery officers. However this probably needs much more thought first.

There was then a debate on a single development plan for the buildings of IMP and a proposal that all new building projects should in future be agreed by synod (assembly). Both of these proposals were rejected. However it was agreed that presbyteries and parishes’ should inform the synod of any building developments taking place. It was anticipated that the synod meeting would finish its business at 6.30pm but guests were given a tea break at 5.30pm and when we returned there was the most heated debate yet. It was gone 9pm when we got to dinner.

So what was the debate that caused this? IPM is concerned to improve governance and transparency and have therefore set up in the last year a verification committee and its work is now impacting on the presbyteries. Their report led to protracted and heated debate. Before closure for the night the Mozambique Christian Council (ecumenical body) whose general secretary is an IMP minister shared a poem written for the occasion. There was also a presentation from pastors asking for a living salary and to be assured of payment. They asked for a commission to be set up but others felt that finances were simply not available. This is an on-going concern for IPM. It was gone 10.30 pm when we returned to our guest house and tackled getting the door opened due to a temperamental lock.

Travel and first day of arrival 12th July

Travelling to Mozambique. The flight to Heathrow was delayed in part due to rain and in part to technical problems at air traffic control in Swindon. We missed our Heathrow connection and ended up travelling via Lagos in Nigeria. This was a longer flight with an additional change and thus we arrived 30 plus hours later than anticipated.

Moving through Lagos airport was an experience. The military took our passports and escorted us to baggage collection. Mine seemed to take for ages to arrive on the conveyor. Perhaps it was still in Heathrow somewhere and the communion ware bought for the parishes here from various closed churches would never see the light of day again. Then we were frog marched, through a crowded airport and through security so we departed from the airport and then along the front of the airport to arrivals, in African heat and bustle. All the time the military guy holding our, by then the group's, 14 passports. We were processed through departures and through security. Then we received our passports back. Johannesburg would have been much easier.

We were met at Mozambique airport and driven straight to Antioch a 2.5 hour drive where the 125th meeting of the synod was already in full swing. After lunch with huge chunks of special birthday cake for IPM we joined the sessions even though tired.

Note on Antioch: The Swiss Mission Church planted their first station on this hill and therefore this special synod was held here. The first mission church burnt down. Other buildings are now derelict following the confiscation of much property by the government in the civil war and due to lack of resources for rebuilding the infrastructure from that time. However in the last year much work has been done on this significant piece of land. New accommodation has been built including the white house built especially for the President of Mozambique’s visit so that he can use the facilities. Synod agreed further finance to restore a derelict large house. It is hoped that the hospital built for the synod can be sustained. The largest project though has been putting electricity in – although its reliability was proven to be patchy over the synod meeting.

Synod Meeting: This equivalent of the URC General Assembly took place from Tues-Fri and we were only part of the last two and bit days. It took place in Portuguese rather than Shanghana, the local language as that is the only language in common across the country as a former Portuguese colony. The North of Mozambique uses a different local language. Translation was patchy and therefore it is difficult to fully aware of the subtleties of what was being discussed. There was an emotive discussion about alcohol and drug abuse and recognition that it is difficult for the church to challenge people of this when pastors are often drinkers. Someone proposed that pastors who drank should be suspended and lay people disciplined. I wondered what the reaction to this debate might have been if it had happened on the floor of the URC Assembly as the issue is similar. In the end this was left to Presbyteries (our synods) to decide.

As with the URC finance is a big issue for the IPM. They currently have no accountant and this is a concern. There is also a massive deficit on the equivalent to the M&M fund. This means that central staff and pastors in poor areas have not been paid for several months. At this point we were exhausted having been travelling all night and the electricity failed so that IPM were concerned about us coping with finding our accommodation so we left without knowing the outcome.

Accommodation for synod and jubilee: We were taken to a guest house but the assumption was we were married so there was not enough space unless we shared a room. So we were driven to the local pastor’s house and a key for another place was found. This has two rooms and was ours on our own until Christine from the Swiss Mission church joined us for the final night. It was basic, no flushing toilet and only a cold shower that at best trickled. But the mosquitoes were not rampant thankfully. For neighbours we had chickens and very loud early morning music from the shack next door.

Mozambique Blog 2012 Rowena and Danny

Mozambique visit 2012 Danny Pigeon, Synod treasurer, and Rowena, Synod Moderator will be flying out to Mozambique on July 10th over-night, arriving July 11th 2012. We will be visiting with IPM, the Presbyterian Church of Mozambique, the Synod’s world church partner for a 125th anniversary synod meeting in Antioca, where the first mission church was planted. Ernesto Lange, the General Secretary and Bartolomeu Lange (not related) from the Administration and Finance department will hopefully visit the Synod in October for our 40th birthday celebration of the formation of the URC. The synod is currently seeking to raise £3000 towards the flights for a theological student from IPM in Mozambque to a college in Brazil. Danny and I are hoping to meet the student before he leaves for college. This support is good in seeking to develop partnerships across the global church community. Donations welcome. I ask your prayers for safe travelling and for the synod meeting and hope to keep you posted during and following our stay.