Our church in Mozambique is a sand floor, a crumbling cinder block wall and no ceiling except for a small rusted tin covering in the corner. The bathroom is a small cinder block room with the sand on the ground serving as a toilet. Regardless of the lack of a complete building, this is God’s house. It is very intimate to be singing worship in a language you don’t even understand and be able to look up at the stars and feel him surrounding everyone there.
One ministry day midmorning, our team was preparing the church for a crusade. We were moving cinder blocks and spreading sand and small rocks. We were covered in bug bites, scratches, blisters, and dripping sandy sweat. I sat down on the wall to rest and looked up to find two boys watching me. I walked over and greeted them in broken Portuguese and discovered that their names are Romitu and Ralph. Ralph was very shy but was grateful for fresh water in his bottle. Romitu was more talkative and by this time, several team members were talking to them. I happened to look down only to see a bright red-brown stain dried on Romitu’s right foot. I began to wash the layers of caked on dust and dried blood with my water. Under the grime, he had three bloody toes. Two of his toes were only small scratches but on his big toe he had a deep, painful gash. This toe was swollen and so infected that his legs were shaking uncontrollably. I had forgotten my first aid kit back at home so I just rinsed it, dried it with a girls bandana, bandaged it and one of the girls sent him with a pair of her socks to keep it covered. We prayed over Romitu for complete healing and then our translator, Antonino, told him to come back the next day so that I could properly treat it. A girl carried him most of the way home because he was limping so much.
The next day I washed the dirt off of his foot again and stared in awe. The swelling was gone, as well as the infection. The only indication that there had even been a cut was a small indentation in his toe. He had been healed. We prayed over him again, praising God for the works that he performed through us and through Romitu. I cleaned it again and spent the night enjoying watching him dance, jump and run all night at the crusade.
This was one of the first of many miracles we have experienced here in Africa and we know that there are many more to come. I am on fire for what is happening in my heart, in our team and in all of our families. He is shining his light in the darkness that surrounds Mozambique.
