MOZAMBIQUE 2009 - IRIS Harvest School of Missions

Pemba, Mozambique
Sunday, October 11, 2009
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IRIS Harvest School of Missions
We have been praying about what the Lord would lead us to do during this coming rainy season in Lichinga. It just so happened that Jesse and Tanya were hoping to make a trip to Pemba for a week or two, to help at the upcoming Harvest School, which they attended and completed two years ago, to help their friends who are leading the school, and to just enjoy the presence of the Lord. We had the idea to go with them, just to have a break, enjoy the beach (Pemba is a beautiful city right on the east coast of Africa, on the Indian Ocean), get to know the folks from IRIS some more, and hopefully ctach a few teaching sessions and worship with them.
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The Lord had placed on our hearts that it would be awesome to explore the option of us attending the school someday. Then the thought came to us, “What if the Lord opened the door for us to attend the school which is less than two months from October to December, during the beginning of the rainy season?” So Jesse and Tanya made a call to Pemba. Peter and Debbie, the base leaders here in Lichinga, also sent out an email. We figured this was a huge fleece that we were putting out, and that it would have to be a supernatural work of the Lord for there to: (1) Be enough room at the school, as it is often packed to full with students, and (2) For us to be accepted to the school last minute, as the school starts tomorrow.
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Wow! God is amazing. Everything has fallen into place for this to happen. There was enough room and we were accepted. Jesse and Tanya will be staying with us the entire time at the school, and will be on staff at the school. We have been in a season of giving and giving for years now. This short break of receiving more teaching from Spirit-filled believers, and just basking in the Lord’s presence during worship times resonates so much within us. We are so thankful to the Lord for opening this door for us. It is amazing the other things that have fallen into place as well. We have just had the title for our new vehicle transferred over to my name, allowing us to drive 14 hours across Mozambique to Pemba, with our family and Jesse and Tanya. We will leave for Malawi in two days to get three month visas, which will carry us through the time we are in Pemba at the school. After completing the school, we will be able to officially come under the umbrella of IRIS Ministries, as well as Whipple Creek World Missions, and will be able to have residency in Mozambique, meaning we don’t have to travel to Malawi every three months to extend our visas, which is costly and time consuming. Also, the first part of the rainy season, the men are in their machambas (gardens) all the time during the planting and early stages of the crops, which means from October to December, they would not be able to come to leadership conferences anyway. So it is God’s perfect timing to attend this school right now.
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When we go to Malawi in two days, we will not only get our three month visas, but will also try to purchase more “Proclaimers,” so that we can still take them to the chiefs of the villages we have marked on our maps, before the rainy season and before we leave for Pemba. We will just arrive one week late to the school. But God has confirmed to us that we are still to accomplish this task before we leave for Pemba. God is so amazing! We will keep you updated on how things are going while in Pemba. Please pray for us during this time of rest and receiving, and that we will return to our ministry among the Yao villages near Lichinga energized by the Holy Spirit.
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Christian Young