What's Jo Been Upto?!

OLA! from Beira again! Some of you might be wondering if I am still out here. YES, I am, but I do have to admit my correspondence has fallen way behind. (You know it is bad when it takes me a couple hours just to find all the letters that need answering and sort them out, never mind getting around to actually writing anyone!)

Well, I finally moved into my own apartment in early February, after staying with friends for a month. I've got a great flat two blocks away from the center of town, and from the YWAM base, way up on the sixth floor. (That's 120 steps up, for those of you trying to figure it out - and OF COURSE there's no elevator - this is Mozambique!) It has needed a lot of work - mostly cleaning and painting, which has been keeping me busy (and whoever else I can coerce into helping). But it is SO nice having a place off of the YWAM base to call home. Thanks for praying I would find something close by and affordable - it is both. I'm on my own at this point, except for a gray kitten I've named Bob. The scariest moment in his life so far has been being thrown off the sixth floor by neighbor children (he's not allowed outside, but he is kind of sneaky). He was back to normal in less than a week. I think the housewarming party I threw comes in a close second for scary moments in Bob's life - it was NOISY - thanks to about 20 of the boys from the centre who showed up and made sure my home was properly broken in for having parties.

The last part of December and most of January I spent just trying to survive. A close friend and the other part of the office staff here, Alison, went home to Zimbabwe for a 10-day break, came down with a whole collection of tropical disease and ended up staying two months. In the meantime, another one of my closest friends here, also called Alison (yes, it did get confusing) went to Northern Mozambique to "spy out the land" and ended up deciding to join the YWAM team up there. This left me with a lot more than my ordinary work to do, two of my best friends gone, and on top of it all, I had twisted my knee in December, couldn't walk very well and was battling a nasty cough/chest infection for almost two months. So, now I am just thanking God that I am almost caught up with my work and in good health! My knee is still giving me some problems, but is much, much better. I'd appreciate your prayers for complete healing. Whenever I go through times like this, I am brought face to face once again with the fact that I DON'T have it together at all (much as I try to fool myself some days). It is GOD who is the one in control.

My big plans to learn Sena, the local language, are being carried out at a snail's pace. Our cook at the kids centre asked me the other day, in Sena, why I wasn't married yet, and I thought she was asking me for money for groceries for the next day. OOPS!!

We had a party for the kids (well that was our excuse, anyway!) to celebrate the Jewish festival of Purim. We all had to come as a character in the story of Esther. I was Vashti, the rebellious wife. (Perhaps THAT is why I'm not married yet - my rebellious streak!) At the end of the party - during which we had read the whole book of Esther and acted out the story - one of the boys wondered in off the street and asked why we were having a party. I asked one of the boys who had been there to explain. "Well, you see.... It's because of a story in the Bible .... It is all about King Haman." I think we need to keep doing this Purim Party for a few more years, until they get the story down!

The next few months... I'll be on the move. As I write, I'm getting ready to go to a regional staff conference in Zimbabwe. When I get back, I will be coordinating a health care team's three week outreach here - organizing their program, translating, etc. In May, after the team leaves, I am off to Kenya for a three week VACATION -at last! I will be meeting my Mom and Dad there and we will spend a few weeks in Kenya and then come down to Mozambique together. Obviously I’m SOOOO excited about going back to Kenya, catching up with friends there, and of course seeing my Mom and Dad again. In June and July I will be helping one day a week with a health seminar in Dondo for key people in the local churches.

And the bad news... I have lost all data files and a whole lot more on my computer. Please take a minute to check that your mailing address is correct, and let me know if it is not. If I have been in touch with you by e-mail and you have not heard from me since the middle of March - your address was lost and I don't have it anymore. Please send me a note just so your address gets re-entered in my address book. I am accessing my e-mail address through another computer at this time, but everything that I had before was lost. It is funny how you get so used to having something that you used to do without, and then when there's a problem, it feels like the end of the world!

We had lots of rain and floods in the beginning of the year. Sanitation is not that great in Beira at anytime, but with all this rain, it has been horrible. There was a cholera outbreak and several hundred died, just in the city. Several the of boys we work with had it, and one died - Eusebio, who had just returned from Teen Missions Camp.

THANK YOU - Thanks for praying for my health, those of you who I was in touch with and knew I wasn't well. And for the Teen Missions camp, the boys are now doing evangelism on the beach with local church youth, and there has been a lot of growth through the camp. It is exciting to see their enthusiasm for God. Thanks for praying for my housing, I am very happy with what God brought my way.

MY SUPPORT... has been so good that I had a whopping (unexpected!) tax bill to pay. (Now you are all asking yourselves if that is a prayer request or a praise!?) Well, both. I think you know that I only want you to give towards my support if you feel the Lord is telling you to do so. I am grateful for many generous supporters, a home church that is behind me and other churches and individuals who pray and give as well. I do, however have some needs at this point - namely my taxes ($1000) and the computer ($1140). (Both rather unexpected and way beyond what I have, after the expenses of moving, appliances, paint, etc.) If you'd like to give towards any of these things, you can send it to:

Youth With A Mission

PO Box YWAM

Cimarron, CO 81220

Thank you for praying about it.

Please pray with me...

· For wisdom as I coordinate the team from Australia (April 19 to May 10).

· Safe travelling for me and my parents, and a wonderful relaxing time in Kenya - I'm ready for it!

· Someone to train up to do my job (accounting and correspondence,) as I look into other possibilities for the future - that is a long term prayer request. My next trip to the States is planned for the summer of ‘99, but we can start praying now.

· His GRACE, to be overflowing out of my heart, so that I minister the LORD to others and not my own agenda!

Much love,

Jo

Postal Address: PO Box 2550, Mutare, Zimbabwe

E-Mail: JoGroff@maf.org