MOZAMBIQUE 2012 - First Outreach in New Iris Ship

Lom-Dom, Mozambique

Thursday, August 9, 2012

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First Outreach in New Iris Ship

Our new Iris ship named, "Iris Compassion" arrived a few days ago. Heidi Baker invited me to come on our first outreach using the ship to the islands across the channel in Pemba. Her heart was to worship all the way to the village of Lomdom, where she has amazing stories of reaching that once uncontacted village by boat a few years ago. The village has turned to Christ and has even built Heidi a mud hut of her own in the village. Iris has built a church, a school and a water tank to catch rain water as fresh water is inaccessible on the island.

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Heidi shares a great story of buying a kayak in New Zealand as she wanted to use it to reach the islands. It proved hard work for her to row that far, so all these years later, God gave Iris a ship that was once owned by the king of Spain but now belongs to the King of Kings! We worship together as a tribe all the way to the island. Heidi and I, with our Mozmabican brothers board a dingy that takes us from the new Iris ship that is anchored off the coast to the village of Lomdom. Shouts of joy come from the shoreline as we arrive. Heidi greets her friends and introduces us to them. We walk in the dark and greet the villagers. Heidi embraces them. We pray for a girl sick with Malaria. She is healed and gets up to join in the activities. Heidi shows us around the village. We see the church, school, water tank and Heidi's mud hut. With a small generator, sound system and light, the village is filled with praising Jesus. Heidi shares about the woman at the well. Others give testimonies. The children raise their hands and cry out for more of Holy Spirit in the Makhua language. We distribute two boxes of clothes and gifts to everyone. The Jesus film plays into the night. We say our goodbyes and head back to "Iris Compassion" where we spend the night. Most slept inside the beautiful rooms below deck. I spent the night up top and slept under the stars. How glorious!

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The next morning we share a meal together and continue on worshipping the Lord as we travel further towards uncontacted villages on the islands. We pray for favor with the chief of a village that God highlighted to us. Within moments of praying this, a boat with eight men approaches our new Iris ship. They ask for a gift of fuel and oil. We give it to them. Come to find out the chief of that village was one of the men on the boat. What amazing favor! What a quick answer to prayer! Heidi boards the boat with our Mozambican brothers and heads to their village. We stay back and worship. There is an anticipation that something great is going to happen. Hours later Heidi returns on the dingy. She had led the chief, the king and the entire villlage to Christ! She hadn't ever seen such openness. And that says a lot! Heidi dives into the Indian Ocean for a swim to celebrate this amazing victory in Jesus! We all jump in as well. I didn't bring swum trunks so I jumped in with my pants on. We continue to worship God and thank Him for such an amazing first outreach on "Iris Compassion." Stay posted for a video I am putting together!

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Christian Young