Chamba

While we were at Pr. Simonal and Maria's houe in Beira, we also had the opportunity to attend church and Sunday School at thei church plant in Chamba, a village near Beira.  Three different times we had classes with the kids and each time we had 30-50 kids attend.  Sometimes I told the story and Sonia taught the verse and other times it Sonia who taught the story and I taught the verse and led singing.  Each time the we were well received with joy.

Teaching the CEF course in Beira

 In Beira, Miquitaio, a trained CEF worker who is studying medicine, Sonia and I taught two teacher training courses.  Seven tudents took the basic introductory course and three were in the advanced seminars.  We also had a workshop where they could make a visualized song and a verse to use in their children's classes.


We had a little party on Thursday afternoon to give out their certificates.  The famous chocolate sheet cake has now been made and enjoyed in three countries besides the us.

Returning to Beira

On the way home from Ribaué we stopped to take a picture of this huge tree and the fruit it produced.  The fruit pod was full of little dry "styrofoam" like squares at were sour ro eat.



We also stopped at a market.  Chicken and goats are a very common food sold at the market as well as fresh fruits and vegetables.

Houses and Children in Ribaué

Most of the houses are built with bamboo covered with mud.  and have straw roofs.  Te walls around their property are made of bamboo or straw also.  To get to the church we walked through these narrow passageways of bamboo walls.

I twas always easy to get a group of children together for a picture.  They are so preceious!

Childen's Class in Ribaué

After teaching the class on how to teach children songs verses, and Bible lessons we invited kids to come for a class while the students observed.  We had 118 children who sat on the straw mats while Sonia and Angelinho led the class through Aissa, our interpreter. Some even came with their little sister or brother on their backs. Almost the whole class responded to the invitation at the end.  They were also very happy to recive gifts of lollipops, tract, and wordless book.

Cooking in Ribaué

We stayed in the pastor's house while he and his family stayed in a room outside.  His wife Teresa did all the cooking for us along with some help.  All the cooking was done on small charcoal fires.  One food that they served every day was chima, polenta made with white corn flour. We also was served fried fish along with rice and beans or stewed chicken or goat.

On the last night of the course we had a party and Teresa made cakes.  The dough was put in a cake pan, the the pan was put into a larger pan with sand on the bottom.  The a tight lid is put on the pan set over the coals and hot coals put on top of the lid.  The cakes turned out perfectly.

CEF Course in Ribaué

Our teacher train course began on Monday.  Angelino, a Mozambicano and trained CEF worker from Nampula came and helped teach the introuductory course along with Sonia and me. We had 39 students, mostly young men which I am told they are the ones who teach children.  I was greatly surprised and saddened that half of them didn't even own a Bible. I was glad that I took the few Bibles and New Testaments that I had  extra at home to give out. I found it dificult to teach the CEF conceps to such a different culture. But in spite of the differences, the course went well.  All of the teaching had to be interpreted in Macua.  Aissa, who had converted to Christ from Islam, did a superb job in translating the words and even gesters perfectly.  I think he learned the most from the course. some of the students came from other towns, so they just slept in the church.  They all received their certificates on Thursday afternoon, including two twelve year old girls who took the course.