Christmas: Hope realized

Dearest friends and family,
It is December 21st - 4 days from Christmas, and it is almost impossible to convince us here in such a tropical climate that the Christmas season is upon us (already on top of us!). Each morning before 6am the air is already thick with humidity & the sun bearing down. Today was 45C=115F in the shade! This convinces our bodies & minds that anything "Christmasy" is far from us - but the truth hurts each time we look at the pile of unwritten Christmas cards that wait to be sent to our loved ones. This is our attempt at a timely Christmas greeting...the handwritten ones will sadly be sent sometime hereafter.

It is this time of year where nostalgia of Christmases past tug at our heart strings...Memories of special times spent with family amidst all those traditions that are familiar & lovely fill our minds and thoughts, and pull us toward a yearning of being amidst such familiar & lovely & comfortable surroundings again. As the Christmas season is about fellowship & being close to friends & family we almost tangibly feel something missing; that something is all of you. Lacking familiar environmental reminders we are brought to the very genuine (not sugar-coated or beautifully wrapped) truth of what Christmas is. It's not about the presents, or decorating the Christmas tree, it's not about eggnog by the fire, or Santa Claus, it's not about snow, or holiday time or a big Christmas dinner - all these are benefits that we experience in the Western world because of celebratory traditions.

Christmas is truly the celebration of a gift that is so misunderstood and even twisted at times - sometimes people remember that Christmas has something to do with a nativity story - baby Jesus in a manger; something about shepherds & a star; 3 kings; something about no room at the inn; maybe an angel here & there...but let us go one step further...what is it all about? For me, I cannot think about Christmas without seeing Jesus on the cross & then His resurrection...Christmas blending into Easter; the gift of Jesus is in His birth, His death & His resurrection. Our King came to earth to redeem us all, humbling Himself in His sovereignty & wisdom, limiting Himself to humanity. For thousands of years all the people waited in anticipation of He who would bring freedom...and Jesus' birth is to be celebrated as it is the beginning of hope seen - and this hope is only fully realized in Jesus' obedience to death & His resurrection thereafter. We have victory as His resurrection broke the chains of death. There is now HOPE for humankind - & not just hope, but hope realized that the veil that separated has been torn. This is the amazing & complete wonder of Christmas; the whole picture; the extravagant mystery of God's perfect plan. Jesus embodies a fathomless, extravagant grace, mercy & love that we will not fully understand until we meet God face to face. And THIS is what we are celebrating as we celebrate Jesus' birth on Christmas day.

The gospel of Jesus Christ - the meaning of Christmas is pure & simple & untainted in Mozambique. It is life giving hope to those who have none - now making what has always been impossible now possible.
We try to live this reality of Christmas day in, day out here in Mozambique. Giving hope to the hopeless, food to the hungry, shelter to the homeless, family to the orphan - all along demonstrating this hope realized - demonstrating & speaking the good news that Jesus has come and overcome sin & death- Jesus is victorious and in Him people find life even in a world where one can see sin & death everywhere if they choose so. In knowing & believing we no longer need to be subject to what we see with our eyes as we can now walk by faith & not by sight. Yet, here, by faith AND by sight we are privileged to see death overcome day in, day out.

This December has brought us many gifts & opportunities to be the hands & feet of Jesus. Our gifts have come in the forms of many little babies who had no hope & now are finding their hope realized. Please welcome with us baby Jeremias 4months, baby Silvia 2months, baby Horacio 2years, baby Cacilda 2months, baby Alda1year, & our tiniest gift, baby Sheila who was 4 weeks old & less than 4lbs on her arrival last week. They are growing more healthy by the minute & we're loving every moment as we get to unwrap more & more of these precious gifts, whether it be a first smile,a first step, or even just a peaceful sleep.

It is true that we miss each & every one of you. But we thank God that our family here is so full. God has surrounded us with friends & "family" that we laugh with, cry with & celebrate with. God is faithful to supplying our every need. Our Christmas celebrations are full - feast for the workers, candlelight service for all, gifts & festivities for the children, even special moments for just us missionaries. And we look forward to sharing our song of Deck the Halls as the missionary staff of Zimpeto singing Fa la la la la, la la la la for all who wish to laugh, & sing along.

Thank you for the gifts that each one of you have imparted to us during our time in Mozambique, whether it be a word of encouragement, your prayers, your support & gifts. We thank you & love you. Please send us pictures & correspondence of what Christmas has been to you this year.
May you experience joy this year as your hopes are realized.
Blessings & love from us this Christmas & this New Year.
Sheri & Matthew

Delight Yourself in the Lord!

"Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret - it only causes harm. For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth"

PSALM 37: 3-9

Many friends have been wondering where we've been and have been concerned as the last posts referred to the riots - We're sorry -  everything has settled down - it's been so peaceful one almost forgets that they occurred. We are thankful for this, but it also leaves questions in our minds.


Matthew's parents were here towards the end of September, & left us the beginning of October and ever since then it has been go, go, GO!!

Having Matthew's parents here was such a rare treat for us!! I (Sheri) was able to get enough nursing coverage during their visit that I was able to spend the majority of my time enjoying their company and showing them our beautiful children & country(ies - as we spent some time in SA with them as well). They shared some very "Mozambican" experiences with us (and fortunately did not, but almost consisted of the Mozambican Olympic sport called car pushing - we think the Mozambicans would win a gold for their country if this really became an Olympic sport).

We explored the worlds of Iris (Zimpeto & Machava), Catembe, Kruger National Park (& the big 5 - YAY!) & the Mpumalanga region of South Africa. All very beautiful in all their unique ways! And it all felt so natural to have them here with us that it was difficult to say goodbye come the beginning of October!


As we said goodbye - busyness overtook us once again - but with hope & a future!! 
2 new nurses arrived from Russia & America individually towards the end of October. To help them settle in & become independent & competent Sheri put together a 1-week training & orientation course. Please continue to pray for Sveta (from Russia) & Rebecca (from America) who are amazing nurses who have been called by God to love & care for our children during such a time as this. Please continue to pray for Meghann, Jannie (& me, Sheri, of course ;-D) - our Western Medical team.  Please pray for wisdom, understanding, love and unity as our medical team, Mozambican and Western come together from different cultures, different languages & different training to care for these children together. We love how God takes what seems impossible and makes out of it a beautiful tapestry of love & unity!
We just had an overwhelming outbreak of Varicella in our babyhouse where 35 babies over a stretch of 3 weeks had chicken pox...not such an innocent childhood illness as many think - but through the grace of God and amazing hard work of our medical team every baby has bounced back fully!
Matthew has been busy enjoying training up some of our older boys in an advanced computer course every week. Teaching them how to prepare & present power point presentations and so much more. The boys eyes are being opened  to possibilities they've never known.
Matthew is constantly trying to improve the overall network connection on base - which often times is out of his hands. We've been waiting for months for a new aerial to come in the mail which will help amplify a stronger network signal across the base.
And there are always broken machines (laptops and computers alike) to fix -  we're now dealing with the problem of machines overheating.

Two weeks ago, due to the generosity of some discerning friends back in England, Matthew & I were able to afford a 5-day break in which we chose to explore some coastal areas north of where we are in Mozambique. We traveled 9 hours north to Vilanculos with the intent of specifically seeing the Bazaruto islands. It was a gorgeous time - full of more Mozambican experiences of which you would only understand if you came and visited. ;-P

Back at the centre it's getting very hot and humid. Summer weather is kicking in which means we're all moving a bit more sluggishly. It's terribly hot and humid by 0600 which means no chance of sleeping in even if we had the time to do so.
These are some of our gorgeous babies (of whom I call "mine" - at least for the moment).
Alberto to the left is still struggling with severe asthma at times. We're trying new medicines which may be making a difference. His father desires to have him back at home with him so we are praying for miraculous & complete healing of his reactive lungs so he can be at home with his Daddy! If you desire to contribute to the cost of his asthma medicines which are expensive (Seretide inhaler & Singulair pills) please contact us (sheristeer@gmail.com). You'll remember Manuel to the right who is thriving and cheeky as ever - not  malnourished any longer, but chubby & healthy now, & a bit of a bully - but still cute as ever!
We're loving this! What a privilege to be loving on His beloved children!! And seeing such tangible transformation in everything He has us put our hands to.

Last night we celebrated Thanksgiving for the sake of us Americans who treasure this holiday as a special tradition! About 15 of us missionaries had a delicious meal and wonderful fellowship together, sharing how thankful we are for what the Lord is constantly doing in and through us. His provision and love and grace and mercy are deeper than any of us can even fathom and we relish and benefit from this with every breath that we breathe!

I read this recent Iris Newsletter written by the founders/directors of all of Iris Ministries.We continue to be touched by & benefit from the perspective, heart and vision that our dear directors run with.

Enjoying our God!
Rolland and Heidi Baker

Iris Ministries

Pemba, Mozambique

8 May 2010

"The Westminster Shorter Catechism, written in the 1640s by English and Scottish divines to educate lay persons in matters of belief, is part of the grandest doctrinal statements to come out of the English Reformation. It is composed of 107 questions and answers, and the most famous is the first:

Q. What is the chief end of man?

A. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

After thirty years of missionary work, Heidi and I understand more than ever that God wants to be our greatest pleasure. He is most pleased with us when we are most pleased with Him! And when He is pleased with us, He grants us the desires of our heart (Ps. 37:4).

Our whole aim as Christians, and as Iris missionaries, is to glorify God by everything we think, feel, say and do. For us this finds expression particularly through ministry to the poor, and to "the least of these." By giving the cup of cold water, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, inviting the stranger in, healing the sick and visiting those in prison we love and serve Jesus Himself (Matt. 25).

But there is more. We do this through the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. And here begins the controversy. There is an attitude that sees fiery revival and a life of miracles as the rare exception, not to be expected in normal Christian living. The idea is that most of what God does in the world is done in a natural way through the holy virtues of dedication, hard work, faithful endurance, sacrifice, generosity and compassion, etc. We should learn to live most of the time without the miraculous, overpowering intervention of God, and prove our love for God by our quality of character…" 

(if you would like to read more of this exerpt go to www.irismin.org and check out past newsletters)

But we all know we would not last here if it were just to do with our quality of character. Rolland is saying just this - There HAS to be so much more! What is it that strengthens, encourages and motivates us to press forward especially when it seems there is no way forward?

It's His Holy Spirit manifested on earth that guides, strengthens and encourages us. His word says "we overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony" - the blood of the lamb cleanses us, sets us free and puts us in right relationship with God our Father; the word of our testimony - these testimonies that we have the privilege to witness and live through daily, speak constantly of His faithfulness. These testimonies are tangible God - meaning, these babies that we care for on a daily basis, those who were never supposed to make it and are now thriving - they are God's love tangibly expressed - we get to live these testimonies day in, day out and therefore we will never grow weary of doing good!

"We hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10:23)- and this is not just a hope but a daily reality for us. We pray that you would be encouraged by our daily walk, but that you also would have an opportunity to see God tangibly at work in your life and that you would delight yourself in the Lord!
With all our love and His blessings on your lives. We love you and miss you so much!

Sheri & Matthew Steer

Resolution

Riots in Mozambique - The angry poor; Why Mozambicans took to the streets

http://www.economist.com/node/16996835?story_id=16996835&fsrc=rss


Dearest friends and family,
All appears to have returned to normal here in the land of Mozambique. Except for the heavy police presence evident on the streets, everyone is operating as if there was no conflict. At the beginning of this week the government backed down; bread prices returned to what they were, water prices were diminished and the cost of a bag of rice was decreased. The people have backed off and we are guessing that means they are content with this resolution.
We thank you for your attention and prayers in response to our blog postings during this time and will continue to communicate with you in regards to our experiences here in Mozambique and what God is up to.


Yesterday we had a bit of a play day. We were able to take a group of boys to the beach in Maputo and they just LOVED it!!! How freeing it is to watch children abandon all and just play, relishing every moment as giggles burst out and smiles touch each and every face! It's so fantastic to see!  Matthew played soccer with the boys and I waded in the water as each boy wanted  Mana Sheri to watch them do their tricks. It was a beautiful afternoon escape. We SO thank the Lord for those kind of days! (pictures to come ;-D)


We are very excited as in less than 2 weeks time, Matthew's parents will arrive for a visit. How very welcome that visit will be!! They are the first visitors we've ever had here in Moz and we cannot wait to show them all that we have the privilege of taking part in on a daily basis - I can now understand how very proud parents feel as we will be introducing them to "our gorgeous children."


We pray that each and every one of you are well and ask that you would please write us e-mails and tell us what is going on in your lives. We are not too busy to listen and pray.


So much love and appreciation from us,


Matthew & Sheri Steer

Quiet before the Storm?

Friday it was a bit calmer and quieter in the city of Maputo, there were some small pockets of unrest, but basically the unrest moved further North and more deaths ensued. A total of 10 they say.

The weekend has been quiet, almost too quiet...Matthew was able to get out of the centre on Saturday & and pick up a few food items. The foodstore was out of many items, most notably bread. It's been peaceful, but there are many rumours and texts going around that the riots will start again tomorrow. Please pray that there will be resolution soon!

I think it goes to show that we have taken the peace in Mozambique for granted. I've only ever known it to be peaceful here, unpredictable for sure, this IS AFRICA, but the peace was at least predictable. It's been a week now that there has been unrest and I find myself getting agitated and wishing things would return as they were - predictable, that is. But we learn as in most situations in life, life is not predictable, nor is any thing for sure - except for His faithfulness to us - His love which is steadfast and never turning. But most of what is SURE is not physical and yet we are such physical beings. So what do we do during these times when what we knew is no longer? What do we do when we no longer know what tomorrow will bring? What will all of this rioting mean for the stability of this nation? What of the freedom we have known? What does the future hold? 

We cannot know and really we should not be surprised by any of this. All we can do is press into the one sure ONE - the One who holds the answers and holds us in the palm of His hands.

For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.

Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?

But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. 

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weakness. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered...

...And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:22-28

with love and appreciation,

Sheri & Matthew 

continued chaos

We would appreciate your continued prayers. We found out that 6 people (2 children) were killed in the rioting yesterday. Today we all remain once again inside our gates, but we can hear constant loud gun fire throughout the day, and it's often very close. The rioting continues in the streets and it seems the police have stepped up their action. The people are building barricades and looting and burning anything they can get their hands on. Highly costly damage and vandalism is occurring and most concerning is the deaths. Please continue to cover us in prayer. As it is unsafe to leave the centre another prayer concern is our food supplies. I have been told by some workers on the outside that nobody is selling anything on the streets, food included. There's only so long that can go on. But we are so thankful that God is our provider!! We will continue to keep you informed.
Always trusting in Him!
Sheri & Matthew