What can wash away all my sin? Living Water..

My heart sang with shouts of joy this morning as David Domingos walked into the church holding his baby son. David has brushed against the grip of death in the last 6 weeks. The church has been faithfully praying and visiting David each Sunday. It was such a tremendous blessing to see God’s hand in this.

Today was just an overall great day concerning our worship and celebration at Centro Emissor. We had a packed house this morning and the singing and dancing was such a great time. I know that God had to be smiling upon His people as we all praised His name.

A visitor from Chicago is here now and gave a message about Moses being called by God to serve Him and to lead the children of Israel into the promise land. I would imagine living life during the time of Moses is somewhat similar to what our friends at Centro Emissor experience. Living in sand and dirt, cooking over fire, water wells, houses made of mud and sticks with no electricity or water in their home.

Our brothers and sisters at Centro Emissor are like any other people at any other time in life and anywhere around the world. We are all sinners and all have a need for a Savior. We have idols, God shows His grace, some turn towards Him and others turn away. We are praying now about how to move forward to encourage our friends to trust in the Lord with all their heart when most of them remain to believe in witchcraft and visit the witch doctor.

The prayer requests from the members for this week are:

Jessica – asthma attack
Deborah 9– was burned on the fire cooking and has a cold and cough
David Domingos – continue to pray for recovery and his appetite to increase
Sammuel – 8 months has a fever and is sick. Pray that his mother will be diligent to take him to the hospital because this child is more sick than what his mother is willing to admit.
Maria – had a broken arm and had surgery and a cough
Zito – is asking for prayer that God would provide transportation for him. He and I have been talking about this and he needs around $450.00 for a motorbike plus fees for drivers training. He is making cards and maybe some of you have seen some of the ones I have brought home and given out. They are $2.75 each so if anyone wants to order some please let me know☺
Big Mamma – continue to pray for the church building and God’s blessing upon that.

I have a tremendous praise the Lord!!! The Texas team came in on last Friday to drill clean water wells and tomorrow we are going out to our future church building site to drill a clean water well! I am so excited to be part of this. I believe this will bring people to the well when they find out that the water is clean and healthy for their babies. We can then preach the gospel to them and not only will the people of Centro Emissor village get clean water but they will receive the true Living Water.

Home Visits

There is a team from Wooddale church in Eden Prairie, Mn here now for 10 days. 10 people 10 days and 10 million things to do on any given Sunday.

Whenever a team is here on a Sunday I need to take them first to the big church in Dondo but somewhere along the line if we have any time I like to make sure we are able to get to Centro Emissor.

After the last guitar string was strung we tried to get away from all of the people in the court yard to make a mad dash to Centro Emissor. It is only 7 klms. from Dondo but it is just hard to escape the Dondo church. Everyone that you make eye contact with wants to shake your hand, say, "Good morning and ask how you are?" and that can take a while to get to the car and then get out of dodge. This is one of the many things I love about this culture, that everyone embraces you and welcomes you.

We were able to get out of the courtyard, jump in the cars and high tail it to Centro Emissor just in time to sit down and be asked to introduce the Americans to the church and then say a prayer and church was over. One of the guys asked, "why did we come here if church was going to be over?" Here's the deal, each Sunday is so very different from the other. There have been times when we have had 3-5 different presentations of singing and dancing that was prepared ahead of time. Some Sunday's we have visitors and we need to find out where they are from and sometimes they have a song for us too. And some times we do home visits to sick people, and the entire church goes to visit and pray. Today unfortunately for our visitors happened to be a short service at our little church.

Last week and this week we did a home visit to a man who lives near by who has been sick for about 6 weeks now. If he lost anymore weight he would be invisible. He did say that he felt better but WOW this guy is thin. Val is worried about him and his health. He told us he feels better than he did but to me, he is still not looking the greatest.

I missed the prayer requests at church but we do know of David the man we visited. Last week Val and I drove home and gathered some food together for this family because David had not worked for 5 weeks and they did not have any food. When we returned with the bag of food no one was around the church and we could not deliver the food for the safety of David and his family. One other time I had visited a friend in Centro Emissor from church and later that night she had been robbed because some thieves saw us at her home and they thought we had taken something of value to her and gave it to her. Because of this incident we are very careful about how we give and when we make this happen.

Pray for David and Wednesday a team of us will be going to the church to do some medical work and one of the team members will give a message to the church. I am always thankful when Americans come ready to give the message of hope in this dark culture. Everyone desires to have hope and without it we will have to effect on helping to change this culture. We all need Jesus!

I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me (John 17:23).

Obedience,
Kathy

Lord You are Good!

Lord You are Good and Your mercy endureth forever. I am listening to this song at this very moment and I have to tell you how exciting it is to live in this land of Moz. At every turn of every day you can see the hand of God and I just love it!! I can't wait for you all to come here and take a journey with me:)

Sunday at Centro Emissor was another day of rejoicing that Jesus is Christ and Lord of all. Zito our leader, had a opportunity to speak at one of our other church plants about 2 hours north of here. When I spoke with him about the other service he said that, "God was there and the spirit was moving and God spoke to the people." It just excites me to hear things like this! This encourages him as a leader and this reminds me of the scripture in Jeremiah 20:9 that says, "But if I say, "I will not mention him or speak any more in his name, his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot." When you start speaking about Jesus and speaking the truth and what God has done and will do, it just makes me crazy. I want to jump up and down and dance and sing! I have to talk about Jesus!

Here are the prayer requests from our little sister church in the bush:
`Philipi - has a cold and weakness in his body
`Moises - stomach problems
`Zinha - back pain
`Isabella - back pain
`Fatima - baby boy has bad cough - he is in the picture
`Marisa - mouth pain from bad teeth
`Antonio - headache

Sad isn't it? Simple pains that we would in America use Tylenol for but this is not available to people here. They would have to walk 6 miles to the nearest clinic for help. (I understand there is a clinic in this village but does not always have medicines.) Even I could be a nurse here... hand out a couple of tylenol for a headache and back pain. Don't tell Val I said that!

These people are survivors. I guess that is why I love it here so much. I am a survivor too. Well, if you think about it... we all are survivors. We will survive the depths of hell because we know a risen Savior called Jesus the Christ. Let me encourage you to tell others about Him. Shout His name from the mountain tops! Jesus is Alive!

Obedience,

Kathy Knight

July 25th, 2010

A goal that I have doing ministry work in Mozambique is to become so invisible so that when I am gone things go on as usual. The bottom line to my greatest desire is to leave them stronger because they were loved and heard words of life from the scripture.

I am home for a month. I received a phone call just a short week ago that my Mom was failing fast and she wasn't expected to make it through this illness. She was on a vent, a feeding tube and her vitals were grave. I immediately started the process to get home and 3 days later I landed in the states having prayed all the way home that God would grant my prayer of letting me see Mom before He took her to be with Him. Psalm 62 kept going over in my mind, "my soul finds rest in God alone, my Rock and my Salvation." I read through Psalm 23, that is Mom's favorite and then 139 because it tells me that God knows it all about me. The Word was my comfort and exactly where I needed to be for 3 days. I never peeped a word to anyone the entire trip, oops except for, "coffee, black please." Today she is doing well and on the road to recovery. My family and I are praising the Lord for His grace and mercy.

So for now I am here and yet able to receive word from Centro Emissor about what is going on and what their prayer requests are for this week. There were 7 women, 12 men and 25 children today in church with some visitors from YWAM, the orphanage located near to where Val and I live in Dondo. Zito spoke this morning from Genesis 22 on walking in faith. I guess that could be somewhat along the same line of what we heard this morning about obedience. They pretty much have to go hand in hand.

This week's prayer requests are:
Luisa - has pain in her shoulder
Venisa - has stomach pain
Antonia - stomach pain
Adelino - back pain
Marta - her teeth are bothering her
Inez - headache
As simple as these requests are, none of these people have simple Tylenol to help relieve the pain. Hard to believe isn't it? No Tylenol?

Another request is for Deborah Zito's daughter. Since her mother died last November she has been spending more time with her Aunt Anna. Now Anna is moving to the states to attend a private Christian school in Tennessee and this is effecting Deborah's behavior. She is very confused and has been acting out. Pray for Deborah and also Zito as he deals with her behavior.

One more important message I received from Val this morning was that our staff member and field pastor, Pastor Todd's, his son Adain who is 4 years old has malaria. This is his first case of malaria after spending the weekend in the bush last weekend with the guys. He is a very sick little guy and his parents are very worried. He is on medication for malaria and is improving but this still is very unsettling for his parents. And Val too being the field nurse.

I am sending along a short video that I took a few weeks back of the young adult choir one sunny Sunday morning.
Click and Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPWQPoF008U

Thanks for loving these fine folks. I know that God is gloried by our obedience to love our neighbor.

July 25th, 2010

A goal that I have doing ministry work in Mozambique is to become so invisible so that when I am gone things go on as usual. The bottom line to my greatest desire is to leave them stronger because they were loved and heard words of life from the scripture.

I am home for a month. I received a phone call just a short week ago that my Mom was failing fast and she wasn't expected to make it through this illness. She was on a vent, a feeding tube and her vitals were grave. I immediately started the process to get home and 3 days later I landed in the states having prayed all the way home that God would grant my prayer of letting me see Mom before He took her to be with Him. Psalm 62 kept going over in my mind, "my soul finds rest in God alone, my Rock and my Salvation." I read through Psalm 23, that is Mom's favorite and then 139 because it tells me that God knows it all about me. The Word was my comfort and exactly where I needed to be for 3 days. I never peeped a word to anyone the entire trip, oops except for, "coffee, black please."

So for now I am here and yet able to receive word from Centro Emissor about what is going on and what their prayer requests are for this week. There were 7 women, 12 men and 25 children today in church with some visitors from YWAM, the orphanage located near to where Val and I live in Dondo. Zito spoke this morning from Genesis 22 on walking in faith. I guess that could be somewhat along the same line of what we heard this morning about obedience. They pretty much have to go hand in hand.

This week's prayer requests are:
Luisa - has pain in her shoulder
Venisa - has stomach pain
Antonia - stomach pain
Adelino - back pain
Marta - her teeth are bothering her
Inez - headache
As simple as these requests are, none of these people have simple Tylenol to help relieve the pain. Hard to believe isn't it? No Tylenol?

Another request is for Deborah Zito's daughter. Since her mother died last November she has been spending more time with her Aunt Anna. Now Anna is moving to the states to attend a private Christian school in Tennessee and this is effecting Deborah's behavior. She is very confused and has been acting out. Pray for Deborah and also Zito as he deals with her behavior.

One more important message I received from Val this morning was that our staff member and field pastor, Pastor Todd's, his son Adain who is 4 years old has malaria. This is his first case of malaria after spending the weekend in the bush last weekend with the guys. He is a very sick little guy and his parents are very worried. He is on medication for malaria and is improving but this still is very unsettling for his parents. And Val too being the field nurse.

I am sending along a short video that I took a few weeks back of the young adult choir one sunny Sunday morning.
Click and Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPWQPoF008U

Thanks for loving these fine folks. I know that God is gloried by our obedience to love our neighbor.

Rice Harvest Season Is About Done

Sunday morning several more women were able to attend services because they had finished their harvest of rice in the fields. This is a good thing, they have food and produce to sell. What makes me really sad about this season ending is, so is the finish of fresh pineapple. Boo Hoo! The pineapple is so very good here. I mean never before, pre-Africa did I ever have pineapple this delicious!

The baptism class has grown too! They recited their verse for today James 4:8. This makes my heart beam like a proud Momma. We are up to 4 now attending class and I told Molbino that next week i wanted a few minutes to speak and encourage other's to come to class and learn more about what God has to say to us. Before Val and I left in the morning I pondered the thought of taking cookies to those who had gone to class and remembered that probably more than not, had anything to eat yet. Probably since the day before at lunch. It just didn't seem right to take cookies and give them to only the one's who came to class when many of the children, I knew had not had anything.

Zito was home today with his 3 year old Robinson (Robson) who has malaria. Usually when one person in a household gets malaria, it just seems to go around and round. Especially when you live in a small house and there are no nets to protect you and others from you when you are sick.

Next week I am going to start to introduce you to each of the men and women in leadership.

Here are the prayer requests for the week:
Robinson - has malaria
Cipriano - has body aches
Victorino - a visitor not feeling well
Domingo -his knees were aching
Leopoindia - for safe travel

Have a great week friends. I have found some great quotes from Mother Theresa and have been sharing them. Enjoy one of my favorites.


Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired.
Mother Teresa

July 4th in Mozambique

All of the interns and John and Cindy Pieper piled into our cars and off we went to Centro Emissor this morning to listen to the message to be given by Lee Wilwert. Lee is a young man who has grown up in the Maranatha church. I remember Lee when he was about 10-11 years old and I looking into a classroom during Sunday School and seeing him worshipping the Lord with his eyes closed and singing to the King. This is a mother's dream come true to see her child connecting with God in song. I watched him grow up in the youth group and he has always been one of those guys that just likes to connect in worship.

Today was a good day at Centro Emissor because Lee, from our home church was giving the message to our African Sister church. Before he came to the front to speak, Zito our leader, told the members that Lee came from our church in America and that he would be witness to sharing at home what he sees here in Mozambique. The church greeted him with song and prepared their hearts for the message with prayer.

We know from the scriptures that when we hear the truth being spoken from the word that our faith is increased.
Romans 10:17 - So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Today our faith was increased as we looked at scriptures in Matthew, Mark and Luke on prayer. Whenever a visitor comes to speak afterwards our leader goes after the speaker and again goes over the information in a way that he knows the members will receive. Because of their lack of reading and not having bibles hearing it all again is so good. For me too!

Zito then told the church that i had mentioned to him that it was Independence Day in America. I said that there would be all kinds of celebrations, good and not so good. That people would be celebrating everywhere in America. I said, "We are a privileged people and our country is blessed" Zito then asked the church to turn around and stand before the Americans and pray for our church, for healing of the sick and our country. He asked them to pray for a blessing and that many would come to know Jesus and to know the blessings of being an American.

I said I would get the prayer requests this week and they are:

Luisa - has pain in her side
Domingos - not felling well
Anita Domingos - needs work
The nutrition class on Wednesday - that many will attend and learn more about their health
The church - that it will grow in numbers and that many will follow Jesus
Pascoa - is a man wanting to marry in the church and needs direction on how to proceed to be married and committed before the Lord.

Thanks for staying with me on this. May God be glorified and many many blessings come to you all who pray for us at Centro Emissor.

"A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor." Proverbs 22:9