“Most kind of stories, save the best part for last.”
Joshua
Radin, Brand New Day
It’s a great story.
It’s a great story about a little church.
The little church though is filled with big-hearted people.
A few years ago, the big-hearted people asked God to use
them in the work he’s doing on the other side of the planet.
So God showed them.
In a few months, a group of people from the little church
(and one big-necked person) is going to Africa to see what God wants to do next.
I couldn’t be more thrilled, honored, and excited to be included.
All great stories have a stirring beginning and this one started
when the little church (Life Covenant in Torrance, CA) felt God leading it to
direct its global missions’ efforts toward the country of Mozambique.
Mozambique is in southeast Africa, directly across from the
island of Madagascar. It is one of the poorest countries squeezed into a
continent of poor countries. On a list of poverty stricken nations, nine of the
top 10 and 17 out of 20 are found in Africa. Mozambique makes this list. It’s a
country vulnerable to floods, droughts, and crop diseases. The infrastructure
is lacking. There’s a HIV/AIDs epidemic that’s on the rise. Mozambique’s
children face serious challenges. Malnutrition and a lack of education are two
of the biggest.
Oh, and there’s approximately 700,000 orphans.
In 2007, a group from Life Covenant went to Mozambique to
scout out some ways to help and serve in Mozambique. While there, the group
teamed up with a couple from World Relief named John and Maria who provided
valuable information about the life and struggles in Mozambique. Soon
thereafter, John decided to open an orphanage, news he shared with a couple
from Life Covenant, Alex and Melanie Viana.
The Viana’s were expecting a child at the time and they
decided to forgo a baby shower and asked friends and family members for
donations to John’s orphanage in lieu of diapers and burp cloths. Tragically,
The Viana’s baby died during the pregnancy. But God used their grief for good,
as people still donated toward the orphanage, now instead of flowers and
casseroles. John was so touched by the Viana’s generosity that he asked them if
he could name the orphanage, “For the Love of Mother Melanie Center.” The
Viana’s reluctantly agreed, and eventually the name was shortened to the “Melanie
Center”.
Opening in 2008, the Melanie Center is a facility that gives
children food, medical care, clothing, and education. Over 50 orphans have been
cared for and transitioned into families. Most of the children come to the Melanie
Center from the government because they are at a high risk nutritionally,
physically, or emotionally. Others need extreme levels of care for being
HIV/AIDS positive. The Melanie Center is more than an orphanage. It acts as a
local community center too, providing much of the same care to the children and
the adults in the area, including free vocational and literacy classes. The
Melanie Center also serves as a place of worship at “Life Covenant Mozambique,”
that is pastored by Maria.
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| John and Maria |
For a while, the Viana’s kept their support of the Melanie
Center private. But the news about what God was doing was worth sharing with
the rest of the folks at Life Covenant. The church decided to come alongside
Alex and Melanie in seeking God’s plan for helping the people of Mozambique.
John is also passionate about seeing God raise up local pastors to start churches
in Mozambique. Six more Life Covenants in Mozambique have been founded, with
one more opening soon.
Life Covenant is also a part of a conglomerate of folks
who support The International School of Theology in Mozambique (ISTEM). It is located in the capitol city
of Maputo, and is the only non-denominational seminary in the country. The
funding helps provide student-scholarships and the purchase of textbooks.
The Viana’s now head up the church’s Global Missions team
and a non-profit group called Life for Mozambique. Alex led teams from the
church back to Mozambique in 2010 and 2012. They provided medical care at the
Melanie Center and visited the local “Life Covenant” churches. They also
researched ways to help the Melanie Center move toward self-sustainment. The
agreed-upon plan turned out to be raising and selling chickens, an effort
dubbed Operation Mozambeaks. Nearly a year now into its production, Operation
Mozambeaks is employing two local families and is generating funds that go
directly to the Melanie Center. Up next is the second Melanie Center in the
village of Chimoio.
So much had to happen for this story to take place, all
orchestrated behind the scenes by a God who loves and cares for the widows,
orphans, and poverty imprisoned people of Mozambique. The next chapter unfolds
this summer (July 3-18), as a team of 13 will be on the ground in Mozambique
for two weeks. We will stay at John and Maria’s home in Beira. We will not only
be bringing suitcases loaded with clothes and medical supplies but also hearts
ready to love, teach, and care for the Melanie Center’s children. We plan to
hold a theological training conference for the pastors in the area. We’ll be
visiting the Life Covenant churches, encouraging our brothers and sisters in Christ
as we worship together.
Oh by the way, in a cool plot twist, the Viana’s adopted
twin boys from Ethiopia in 2010. Here they are during a recent vacation.
Stay tuned for news of what happens next. Not only in July, but
also in the years ahead. If God is saving the best part of this story for last,
then he has something truly remarkable in store. Because what’s taken place so
far has all the makings of a best seller.
More information about this story can be found at: lifeformoz.com
