Mozambique: The Story

“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.

 

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

Sports Wishes for the New Year

Two of my biggest dreams came true in 2013. Tim McCarver retired and Major League Baseball

expanded instant replay for the coming season. In light of these two Earth-shaking events, here are my 2014 wishes for the sports world:

A retirement party for Dick Vitale. He’s become completely unwatchable. His shtick has become even more overbearing and annoying than it was 20 years ago. I had to get a new TV remote the other day. It didn’t have a “mute” button. Then I pushed a button labeled “Vitale” and it cut out the sound. I recently tried to watch a game that Vitale was working with closed captioning. The captioning couldn’t keep up with Dickie V. He was raving about Duke freshman Jabari Parker so rapidly that the captioning flat-lined. It just went blank. Then it made the same frustrated head-shaking sound as the Aflac Duck in the commercial with Yogi Berra. It’s time for Dick to follow McCarver into the sunset.

A very, very slight down year for Miguel Cabrera. I still hope he continues to rack up homers and RBI, but Mike Trout of the Angels needs to win the MVP award in 2014.

A time machine for Angels’ owner Arte Moreno. He could set it for 2009 when Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, and the recently acquired Raul Ibanez all started in the All-Star game. But those three have to make sure Trout doesn’t tag along for a joy ride. In ’09, he was still in high school.

A giant clue for Robinson Cano. Quick, name the two Yankee second basemen in the Hall of Fame. It’s a toughie. If you said Tony Lazzeri and Joe Gordon you’re a baseball history stud. Cano, a certain Hall of Famer, was on track to be the best Yankee second baseman in the team’s history. And he goes to Seattle? He must really like coffee. And rain. And cross-country flights. Players usually take the big bucks to go to New York. He was already there, playing in a stadium with the shortest right field porch east of my high school field. I’ve never understood leaving a good team for a bad one. Just for more cash. I know money talks, but the Yankees made him a fair offer. I long for the superstars like Cal Ripken and Tony Gywnn who played out their Hall of Fame careers with one team. Robby, the Mariners are not going to the playoffs anytime soon. Don’tcha Cano?

A chauffer for Yasiel Puig.

A vat of Barbasol for the Boston Redsox. I’m tired of outfielders looking like Civil War reenactors. Today’s players look like the cartoon characters in which Bugs Bunny square-danced with a Hatfield and a McCoy. The NFL has a very strict uniform policy. It fines players for wearing socks incorrectly. But in baseball, players can look like coal miners with beards as long as a Louisville Slugger. The Yankees have a facial-hair rule banning anything other than mustaches. It’s time for commissioner Bud Selig to expand this rule league-wide. Goatees and beards can still be worn, within reason. Just like umpires can issue a “cup check” in Little League, General Managers will have to do “beard checks” on their players. If he can grab a fistful of whiskers, like in the above picture, it’s time for a shave.

A really, really, really good head coach for the Lions. You have to go back to the early 70s to find a Lions coach with a winning record (Joe Schmidt. 1967-1972. 43-34). Even good ol’ Wayne Fontes was one game under .500. By Lions standards, they should rename the stadium after him. I don’t want another retread or unproven upstart like Jim Schwartz, Rod Marinelli, Dick Jauron, Steve Mariucci, and Marty Mornhinweg (combined 60-148 since 2001). The Ford family needs to either sell the team and take the nearest Ecoboost vehicle out of Motown, or pony (Mustang?) up and pay for an all-time great to come out of retirement. I’m talking somebody like Bill Cowher. Or Bill Parcells. How about Don Shula? At 83, he’d probably do better than Schwartz did over the last two months. The Lions have been bad for over 40 years. That’s longer than it took the Israelites to walk from Egypt to the Promised Land. Every team has a bad year or two. But 40? Look at the Carolina Panthers. In 2003, they lost the Super Bowl. In 2010, they finished 2-14. This year, they’re 12-4. They have a menacing defense and are the second seed going into the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Lions have been rebuilding, and rebuilding, and rebuilding.

A new two-point conversion play for the Michigan football team. The Wolverines need much more than that, like an offensive line, two new coordinators, and a better head coach. But I don’t want to be greedy. After the U of M Basketball team lost in the championship game, and the Tigers lost in a brutal manner in the baseball playoffs, a Michigan win over archrival Ohio State would have healed my sporting soul.

All in all, it wasn’t a bad year in my sports atmosphere. Michigan’s basketball run to the Final Four was magical, the football team beat Notre Dame, the Lions won on Thanksgiving, and Alabama was denied a chance to three-peat. I really hope a few of the above items can come true.

If so, 2014 will be flat out scary, babeeeeeeee!!

Happy New Year.

A Duck Dynasty Sermon

I’ve never seen an episode of Duck Dynasty. I’m sure you know by now, Papa Duck Phil Robertson has been all over the news for stating what he believes the Bible says about homosexuality in an interview with Gentlemen’s Quarterly magazine. A&E, the network that airs Duck Dynasty, has suspended him indefinitely. His picture has filled my Facebook page more than all of those Bitstrip comics. I want to see photos of my nieces and nephews. Not Phil and his scraggly beard.

This issue has dredged up so many things that I’m either just plain tired of, or don’t understand. The first thing that utterly baffles me is why in the world is GQ interviewing Phil Robertson in the first place? I mean, nothing says “GQ” more than rednecks in bandanas and camos. Phil and GQ go together like People Magazine’s “Sexiest Men of the Year” issue and me.

What I’m tired of the most is how this has become such a rivalry. I’m tired of all the animosity.

Christians vs. Homosexuals.

Liberal media vs. Conservatives.

Republicans vs. Democrats.

The only rivalries I want to read about are on the diamond or on the gridiron. Michigan and Ohio State is a rivalry. A few days ago I saw a news clip about a Republican congressman who is dealing with the recent death of his son. The senator, Jim Inofe, was surprised when his democratic colleagues offered him sympathy and condolences. Is this what our world has come to? We’re dismayed when someone from the “opposition” acts humanely. I’m tired of it.

Another thing I don’t understand is why are members of the media so interested in what Christians believe about homosexuality? Don’t you know by now, Mr. GQ reporter? Is it because you want to sell issues, and drive ratings, and create a social-media firestorm? Yeah, I thought so. Nice.

And you Mr. Robertson? What you said, albeit your personal beliefs, was mean and insensitive. Yes, you can say what you want. Freedom of Speech, blah, blah, blah. But, as a follower of Christ, how about mixing in some humility and love? How about quoting some of James and the Proverbs about taming the tongue and speaking with wisdom. Or how about not falling for the trap that interviewer set for you with his line of questioning. I believe you know a thing or two about hunting. Well that reporter had you in his sights like a duck floating on a pond.

I’m also tired of Christians and Christian groups waging wars of words with themselves over this issue. I read a blogger who wrote that Christians shouldn’t be up in arms over Robertson’s suspension because of bigger issues happening all over the world, like the 500 people who die in the Sudan every day.  Apparently somebody can’t do both. You can’t voice your opinion about a current news event here in the states, and at the same time devote your life to rescuing the Invisible Children in Uganda? I disagree.

I’m also tired of the self-righteousness of liberal Christian groups thinking they do a better job of loving the LGBT community and championing its rights and equality. Maybe they think they’re doing it in love, but often it sounds pompous and comes across as finger pointing. There’s a group on Facebook that I follow called the Christian Left. Many times this group uses satire to poke fun at the Christian Right. The group also blames the Right for the country’s woes and is quick to point out how wrong the Right is. This isn’t very Christian.

As my dear sister said to me the other day, it’s time everybody sat down and read the story Jesus told about the dude with the speck of sawdust in his eye.

The Christian Left Facebook page recently posted an image of a bible opened to a pair of blank pages titled, “What Jesus said about homosexuality.” So yeah, Jesus didn’t mention homosexuality. But He did mention sin. He told a woman caught in adultery to stop. He equated being angry with a brother to murder. He likened a man looking lustfully at a woman to adultery. I wonder if that applies to a man looking at a man lustfully, or a woman looking at another woman lustfully. Seems to me it should.

And when it comes to sin, why are Christians and the Liberal Media so freaking laser-eyed focused on homosexuality? Why not just focus on what the bible says about sin in general: THAT ALL MAN HAS SINNED. Straight or gay, why not worry about all of the other things that the Bible clearly says is sin: lust, gossip, greed, malice, slander, debauchery, drunkenness, to name only a few. And don’t forget a few of those all-important Ten Commandments: lying, checking out your neighbor’s wife, and drooling over your neighbor’s Lexus.

 It seems to me that the only one who should care about what the Bible says about homosexuality are those who are Christian and homosexual. If they truly are Christians, then they’re hopefully living according to what the Bible says about all areas of their lives. And it’s they’re prerogative to decide how to act sexually. It’s between them and God. This doesn’t mean that there can’t be debate and discussion on this issue. But the church, Right or Left of the pew, can no longer be judgmental or superior. The Liberal Media need to stopping trying to trap Christian celebrities and CEOs. They need to stop creating social media frenzies. They need to stop turning this issue into a war between rivals.

Now back to what the Bible says about sin. We’re all guilty. Everybody. You can buy that or not.

It says the penalty of sin is death. You can see your need to be rescued, saved, and redeemed from this death sentence or not.

It says that Jesus came as a baby, fully God and fully man, died a death that paid for your sins, and rose from the dead to show his power over death.

It says that anyone who believes in these things in the core of their hearts can be alive to God and dead to sin. Born into a new life, freed from the wages of sin. Reconciled with God. Loved by God as Father loves a son. Anybody.

Left.

Right. 

Even an Ohio State Buckeye.

As the Herald Angels sang:

Mild lays his glory by,

Born that man no more may die,

Born to raise the sons of earth,

Born to give them second birth.

Merry Christmas.