Life as we knew it ground to a halt on April 1st when Mozambique succumbed to Covid 19 restrictions with varying and increasing limitations . As a base we quickly limited the movement of our children in and out of the centre and school came to a halt. Six months later and things are pretty much the same and we are still in a self imposed quarantine. Several of our team have been "stuck" outside of the country - stretching the few of us that were able to remain.
You might be thinking - that's ridiculous - how on earth have you survived...
BUT GOD!
This 6 months has been an incredible season of seeing God work in the lives of our 170 children. With church closed, each dorm "stepped" up to lead their own services "in house". The children rose to the role of worship leader and team, preacher, overseer - and continue to do so. A group of girls have met daily for 5 of the 6 months to pray - for the centre, Mozambique and then for people around the world as Covid stories reached us.
It has been very special to watch these changes. We held a week long "Encounter with God" programme in June and then last month, a 2 week Discipleship course for everyone - building on the evidence we see before us of new growth.
In the midst of this we also demolished our old girls dormitory and phase one of a total reconstruction is underway. Time for a new home, with smaller housing units, more bathrooms (yeah!) a kitchen and space for our sewing programme. The girls packed up all their belongings and carried them and their beds (literally!) from their rooms to our visitor's centre - which is their temporary home for the duration of the construction project.
This has been a dream of centre directors Steve and Ros Lazar for more than 10 years - and NOW it is happening - in the midst of a pandemic, when life is anything but normal, when big construction projects seem less than wise!
BUT GOD....
He is always about "doing a new thing" - and in the ridiculousness of 2020 , HE is in the process of doing many new things here in Zimpeto!
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