Friends of Root of Hope,
“ Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love- but the greatest is love.” I Cor 13:1 (CSB)
The church is in ruins! Please don’t rush to the wrong conclusion until you read the whole article. This was the title of one of the videos brought by a church that saw its building fall apart because of hurricane Idaí, a powerful category 4 cyclone that destroyed about 90 percent of the city of Beira, the forth largest city in Mozambique, in the middle of the country, and situated about 700 miles north of where our organization works. We thank the Lord for sparing us. Beira was not the only city devastated; other towns and villages had tremendous damage and some villages disappeared. As if this flagellation was not harsh enough, the waters released by damns in Zimbabwe and also in Mozambique scarred the souls of the people on some of the affected areas again. I cannot feel the hurt of the people but I am aware that this dire situation only brings grief. Among the many fake videos I took notice of some churches that focused on their buildings instead of on the people. It is sad if we do not prioritize people above possessions. I pray that every person mistake becomes a building block on my own life. I also unveiled a few tricksters that appeared out of nowhere seeking help. That’s all fine. What for? What is the biggest demand? People or cinder blocks? Roof shingle or a crying soul? A broken door or a hungry body? Please Lord, help me to keep priorities straight! Love transcends everything and anything. In the podium of life, eternal and the present, love takes first place. No ties. No sharing space. At the same time, not looking down on the others below. Love conquers all and the place of love is the heart and not a man-made location. It’s appropriate for me to applaud those that were there in Beira and are still there doing their best to help mankind. May the Lord bless them. Do not misunderstand me and build a wrong conclusion to what I’m trying to say. We do need homes, hospital, temples but on times of need people are first. The best of all God’s creation is people. People above sand and stone. People above animals and cars. People. You and I before anything else. Some people wanted to donate thru Root of Hope but we recommended that they helped those organizations on the devastated areas. It made sense to me. May the Lord help them to rebuild: their souls, their families, their houses, their farms, their hospitals and schools. You must understand that Elsa and I have a special connection with the people. They, really, are not ‘them”. They are us! Help them if you can.
In three months Elsa, Paloma and I will be traveling back to XaiXai. For Paloma it will be her second trip. The Lord is doing something great in her life and not because she is going to Mozambique again but because her heart is opened to listen to Him. When we least expect the Lord opens up our ears, and by doing so we open up our hearts to Him. His way is the best! It is perfection being carried by flawed bodies like you and I. The little children are doing well. You are the ones blessing them. The Lord is also in control of both congregations. We already know that some brothers and sisters will be baptized. We also were pleased to be informed that a young lady that we helped to become a teacher is already assigned to a school. Her sister, a second year Biology student, is also being helped by people that care, people like you.
Please pray for our Mozambican brothers. Please intercede for Elsa and I and Paloma regarding this upcoming trip. We need all prayers. Do not ignore this request, please. We thank you for your faithfulness regarding your donations. In a way,when you help our brothers it’s like you are helping us. You make our soul weep with joy. If you wish you may donate online by visiting rootofhope.net. May the Lord keep our priorities in line with His will and may He keep on doing on you what He knows you require the most.
Kanimambo!
Root of Hope 