Getting used to Pemba...

Hello,

It's been a couple of weeks now since coming back to Mozambique and I'm happy to say that things are definitely picking up since my last email. Some of you have been so kind to email or even call me to encourage me through my rough re-entry back to the mission field. Thank you!!!! It was such a pick me up.

I have some praise reports.

1) To my surprise, I've become more acclamated to the life here and amazingly, after not speaking a word of Portuguese in a year and a half, my Portuguese just picked up where I left!

2) I'm very happy that one of Yilo's very good friend, whom since his death has also become a good friend of mine, is here with me in Pemba. She's so awesome. We are having a blast and God is really growing us both and stretching us in areas of missions, love, and the prophetic. She's such a blessing to share life here in Africa. She's an awesome cook and has been and awesome blessing to the bland diet that we have here. She's packed lots of Chinese ingredients for us to cook while we're here. She's become a part of my family both in the US and now in Mozambique.

The old medical clinic and it's responsibilities have been handed over to a team of medical doctors, nurse, and Mozambican medical staff. Within the last year, the clinic, to my amazement, acquired official status as a medical clinic which now allows us to care for the many thousands of villagers around us. Getting official status is a total answered prayer!!!!!! This has been my hope since I first started the clinic from scratch 3 years ago. The medical team has been so strong thanks to some great missionaries. They have a vision to expand what we already have to make it bigger. With the new facility, they're praying for a minor surgical room, 2 dental chairs for visiting dentists, and more consultation rooms.

Because of the many medical perssonel that have volunteered to help out at the clinic, I was able to step out of my physician assistant hat and step into a different hat that allows me to explore the more creative side of me. I've been building relationships with the older girls and boys at the children's and encouraging them to write their own songs and help them record their worship songs on my computer. We're hoping to make a CD one day that Iris can sell where the children could benefit from their own profits. I'll be helping in putting together a picture autobiography of the Baker's life journey of their many years on the mission field. This book will tell their life story in pictures. I've been helping out as staff with the 3 month Iris Harvest Mission School of 120 mission students. Also, I'm organizing groups of students, visitors, and Mozambican students in helping to rebuild a house for one of our provincial pastors.

It sounds like a lot, but it's not....my heart is at perfect peace and I'm really enjoying my work here. I'm trying not to take missions and work too seriously but I'm very serious about the love that I put behind everything that I do. I believe in God's eyes, He weighs the love behind our works and no the works itself. It's very easy to loose focus of this here since we're daily met with so much need and work.

Thanks for reading my blogs. I pray that you're doing well. Drop me an email sometimes.

Prayer Request:
Please pray for one of my good friends.....his mother needs your prayers.
He wrote to me:

"I need some prayer support. word came through this afternoon that my mom has an invasive form of breast cancer and that she will need to get a mascectomy within a week. At that time they will find out if the cancer has spread to other areas (a possibility at this time). My parents are quite upset, understandably so. I would greatly appreciate your prayers for peace and of course for healing."

Much love in Him,
Yonnie