Over ten years ago, it became apparent to a lady in Mozambique that more and more children were coming to her hoping to appeal to her emotion and gain for themselves some food.  Of course Delci could not refuse these poor little ones.  So she tried her best to accommodate their hungry tummies by providing for them one meal each day. She soon became known for her caring provision, and decided to set up scripture teaching for the children.  This became very popular and with the aid and support of churches in different parts of the world, the Lord blessed the work and now meets the needs of up to five hundred children and young people, providing food, clothing and Christian teaching.  

Delci is presently in Portugal raising support for the needs in Mozambique. One of the encouraging but demanding aspects of her work is that she has recently received more than two hundred young children into her care.

Each weekend she leads teams of the older youth in evangelism in Alfredo’s hometown.  (Alfredo is a co-worker with Delci).   Considerable commitment is needed for this work as it involves traveling a long distance, (over one hundred miles which in Mozambique is arduous.) The young people remain enthusiastic to serve the Lord in this way.  

They need our prayers

News from Delci

House of Ants – Mozambique

Maputo, 14-03-2005

Dear Brothers,

Grace and peace to you.

I would like to share with you some of the matters which the Lord has accomplished at the House of Ants these past days during the first quarter of this year.

Bakery – We have completed building a new oven, a room where the dough mixer will be housed, water supply and a table for cutting the dough.  We hope shortly to tile the walls and floor.  We have funds to purchase 10 sacks of flour at 232 dollars and wood to fire the oven, which has to be kept heated for one week before we can start to bake bread, hopefully before the end of March.

Joaquina Madalena – This week she had to stay in the hospital as her lungs are still weak from the effects of TB.   We have to be very careful with her health, which is not always easy for us with many other problems to attend .  I have thought of having her staying  with me at the apartment, but only if the doctor alows this. She cannot stay out in the evenings or take cold baths etc.  Pray that she will soon be released from hospital into my care.

Samuel (2 years) Teresa (3years) Miguel (4 years) are children of a man called Pedro Kunbane.   These children were living with an 80 year old grandmother who suffers with serious elephantitis (badly swollen legs) and cannot walk or move properly.   I have had to take these little ones to live at my apartment and have gone back to changing nappies again.  Can you imagine what God is doing with me?  We need sponsors for these three children.  Pray about this.

Education Fund -  As planned we have deposited 2 us.dollars per child for the month of January into this fund which is building up monthly for the future education needs of the children as they get older.

Difficulties – Our greatest difficulty at present is the theft and non return of our main means of transport.  We have done all we can to recover this vehicle without success. The evening Bible School classes are beginning to suffer since we cannot transport the young students to and from their classes.  We have a very old vehicle which has been used as an alternative but this is now 30 years old and regularly lets us down at most inconvenient moments.   I have agonised before the Lord about this situation for many days now and feel discouraged and weary.

Bible School – Praise the Lord this is showing good results and we have started 2 new  Saturday groups with 25 students in each. Two of the teachers of this group were once Bible students at our evening classes.  So we are seeing fruit for this work, which has been our objective.

Children – We have 300 youngsters who daily come to the House of Ants Centre.   These all need spiritual assistance and we have a daily Bible Study time at their level of understanding.  We would like to have more input here and are considering asking a missionary worker to teach these children, since only 1% of them attend any church meeting and get no teaching at home.   Please pray that we may have a trained children’s missionary next year, supported by her home church for this vital work in the lives of these children.  We need someone who is willing to stay for as long as it takes, not just weeks or months.

Brethern, I have shared these matters with you so that you can rejoice and pray with us and help us share the load, which is not light.   As I am writing this news letter, Alfredo has just come to inform me that the 30 year old vehicle has just packed up again.  How are we going to transport people to the House of Ants next week?

Thank you for your support and help,

Delci and Alfredo.