Day 6 - Last day in Liupo

Last night we had dinner late of Xema, chicken, and tomato crillé (sauce). We were all tired and ready for bed. After dinner we broke down the Jesus film and got ready for bed. 

We went to sleep last night to the sounds of the village singing and little kids running around. This morning We woke up to the sounds of roosters and babies crying in the background. We had breakfast at our camp of hot tea, pumpkin and banana bread.

After breakfast We broke down camp and all got ready for the day. The first item on the agenda was baptism. Seven people in the church had made the decision over the last few months to be baptized. 

The location of the lake for baptism was about 5ks away. We started our walk and Brian began to take groups back and forth. We walked about halfway before it was time for our turn. Joseph, Caleb and I opted for the Mozambique air conditioning and stood on the sides and back of the LandCrusier. It was pretty cool. 

The baptism was awesome. In total there were 7 people who had made a decision to be baptized. The first guy to be baptized is unable to walk without a crutch and even then walks extremely slow and labored. It was amazing to see his joy in The Lord relative to his circumstances. How often do we complain in the US and not seek God's glory. This man has nothing including limited mobility but praises Jesus for what he has. 

It seemed like the entire church came out to watch the baptism. It was a time of celebration and thanksgiving. Unlike our services, there is singing and dancing between those being baptized. After each person is baptized, two friends or family members received them on the shore with hugs and kisses. 

The walk back to the church was also a time of celebration and worship. We sang and danced until it was our turn to rifled back in the LandCruiser. It was much hotter today than most of the other days. We even saw a snake on the road walking (luckily John, Whitney, Caroline and Joseph had already hitched a ride back).

Once we got back to the church we had a little down time to play with some. Of the kids. One of the kids was making a soccer ball. The ball is made out of a piece of plastic filled with pieces of cloth and plastic bags. The whole thing is weaved together with a little bit of string. The string cuts into the plastic and even makes the ball look like it is made out of individual panels like a real soccer ball. 

Next it was time for the final session on spiritual growth. Emphasis was out on spending time daily in the bible and prayer. Jorden and Caleb led and told the story of Daniel and the Lions den. Jorden shared how she prays daily and what she has learned and Caleb shared about his quiet time he has each day and the importance of accountability in the life of a Christian. 

Brian closed up the session by leading us all in the Lord's Supper. He invited all the have accepted Jesus as their lord and savior and also been baptized to join in the celebration of Christs death and resurrection. The seven that were baptized earlier that morning were able to partake of the Lord's Supper for the first time.

After the Lord's Supper we finished packing everything in the totes and all of our things went back on top of the LandCruiser. Caroline took the opportunity to entertain a few of the kids in the church. 

We had lunch prepared by the ladies in the church. We had rice, beans, fish and even papas fritas (french fries). They looked different than what we were used to but they were great. We had already packed our silverware so we had the pleasure of eating with our hands (which is common with Xema, not as much with rice). 

We met one last time to thank the church for their hospitality during our stay. We presented them with a few capulanas from the market, a soccer ball, and a few other things. They thanked us for the sessions on the book of Daniel and asked us to come back soon. We were sent off with a warm goodbye with a handshake line including everyone in the church. 

We made it back to the Harrell's and Tracey McDaniel had already started the spaghetti dinner. We had to stop on the way to get bread and veggies for salad. We had a great dinner and Tracey even made chocolate cake. We ate till we were full and maybe even a little more. 

Tomorrow we leave and are hoping to get a last minute swim in the ocean before we have to leave for the airport. If so, we will get a chance do a little spearfishing. 

I would be a bit remiss if I didn't tell you a little about our friend Abilio. 

This is Abilio. He helped make this week a success. He was our translator and helped not only in the bush but also in the city. He can speak 8 languages with Portuguese being his native language. He has three children and his wife works in the Harrell's home. While Brian is able to understand Makhuwa, he is not fluent in speaking and relies heavily on Abilio for translation away from the city.