Welcome to Compassion Acts VisionCast:

Mozambique Trip 2007:

Laying Hold of God!

We have all returned home...
full of God, full of hunger for more, full of quiet desperation that we must lay hold of Him, in every way! He is our all, our passion, our life!

by Michal Ann Goll
VisionCast | February 2007
1-877-200-1604 | www.michalanngoll.com

MOZAMBIQUE - THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD!

I find myself with the daunting challenge of trying to paint a picture of amazing depth and layers of purpose, challenges and breakthroughs. During our days in Africa, several of us kept asking each other, "Where are we?" We would quietly laugh among ourselves, and answer, "We are on the other side of the world!" After a while, that answer was not sufficient. We amended our answer to, "We are on another side of the world!" This was the truth - as I hope to be able to convey in this writing.

We began our journey, being 26 individuals, from different places of origin. Most did not know one another when we first started out, but our hearts were melded together by the end of the trip.

Mozambique is not an easy place to get to. It takes about three days to get there. One of our goals is always to take extra suitcases filled with needed supplies for the missionaries there and for the children. This time we carried over a new desktop computer (interesting challenge!), 1000 solar powered Portuguese audio bibles (another interesting challenge!)- in suitcases, and several other suitcases filled with food items, supplies, hats, plastic pants for the babies, etc. Through much prayer and wise handling of the situation - we were able to get all the items through the Mozambiquan security and into the hands of those for whom it was intended.

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Pemba - Beloved Pemba!

For me, Pemba is Mozambique! I feel such a call there to pray! Pemba at this time of year is especially hot, although we were told when we arrived that the temperature dropped! (It was still HOT!) The breezes off the ocean are such a blessing! Mosquitoes were flying around at night, and we discovered many holes and gaps in the doors, the closets and the walls, where they had easy entrance in many of our hotel rooms. Thank the Lord for air conditioning at night, and mosquito netting to sleep beneath!

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Highlights of our time in Pemba:

THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE OF MOZAMBIQUE

How amazing to see the pastors' faces once they held their audio Bibles in their hands, out in the sun, and hearing the scripture in their language! How beautiful was all the dancing and celebrating that followed. A few women came up along side the pastors asking for a Bible too; their request was fulfilled - and great joy was upon their faces!

We joined Heidi on the evening outreach and saw two youths who were deaf be completely healed - and many came to Jesus! We were able to join in on the negotiations of buying land for a new church to be built, and actually, our team took up an offering and purchased the land. Plans were made for us to help build the building, but heavy rains prevented us from being able to get into the area. There was so much mud to drive through, up and down steep hills, etc.

We had beautiful times with the children during church gatherings; they would pile on our laps and many times would fall asleep in our arms! I felt such a burden to pray for the release of the young girls - for apostolic anointing to fall on them; the young "Pauline's", who would preach the gospel to their countrymen, even as Paul had in the days of the early church!

Then there was the bush outreach in which Leon and several of our team trekked out into the unknown and saw miracles and many wonderful things. I haven't even really gotten to hear a full report on this part of the journey yet!

COMPASSION ACTS TEAM

Our team had great depth of teachers and preachers, so several invested in teaching at the Pastor's school and did such a great job explaining the scripture.

We had the tremendous privilege of having Rick Lopez volunteer his time to work as a videographer for the entire trip. We have over 30 hours of amazing footage, from the beginning to the end of the trip. This will help us in multiple ways to get our message out: promoting and informing through our web site, authenticating the work we are involved in, and helping release help for Iris Ministries, and for Africa.

We also had a great group of Blood N Fire brothers, who were always looking for ways in the future to serve, bring help and relief in various forms to this area.

CONTENDING FOR THE PLACE OF PRAYER

We contended to make time for prayer! We spent much time praying for the missionaries. They remembered us from previous years, and they all looked forward to our arrival - they were so thirsty! We had wonderful times of prayer over our team itself, breaking off fear and intimidation, and releasing a breaker anointing. Everyone was so impacted, and truly, we came back empowered, released, and freedom fighters for the gospel's sake!

But even with all this prayer - we had to contend for the deeper place - I was so stirred and troubled by the need to travail, to "lay hold of God"! It seemed at times we could easily have done other things that would have been good, but those things would be the enemy of the best! We all ended up in a pile on the floor, with many tears, groans, and agonizing travail! Men, women - it didn't make any difference as we all labored for God's heart for this land and this people. We prayed into Isaiah 11:10 - the root of Jesse - to be planted into the heart and soul of Mozambique! There was such a release to cry for unity of the brethren - for the mothers and the fathers to come together and guard the new life Jesus was birthing here! We saw the enemy as hyenas - trying to wile their way in to devour the birth. I don't know if I've ever entered into such a severe time of warring, growling as a lioness who would be guarding her young, teeth barred, and feeling as though we were ripping into the flesh of the enemy.

RICE SHIPMENT INTO MALAWI

Another major thrust of our trip was that we were delivering a container of vitamin fortified rice into Malawi, valued at $65,000, providing 432,000 servings, with the help of Blood N Fire, Minneapolis, Minnesota's Mike Lynch. Compassion Acts raised the $9,000 for shipping costs for the container, with the rice being donated free of charge. (I want to give special thanks to Patricia King at this point, as her ministry donated $5000 toward the shipping costs. Patricia, thank you for joining with us in this project, and helping make this possible!)

The delivery date originally was within the time frame of the trip, and then it was delayed so that four of us had to stay a week later than the rest of the team, to document the rice being delivered to the Iris base in Blanytre, Malawi. However, our best laid plans had to be flexible, and actually, we saw the protection of the Lord as heavy flooding and some complications prevented the rice from being delivered while we were there. We are assured of documentation of the delivery. Had the rice been "on schedule" it is very possible it could have been compromised due to the flooding. So we thank the Lord for His saving, keeping hand. We will pass on to you news of the delivery of the rice into Malawi as soon as we can!

VISIT TO SOUTH AFRICA

So, while the four of us were waiting for word on whether the rice would arrive in time or not; the Lord had more assignments for us. We spent a week in Cape Town, South Africa, visiting compassion based ministries in the area. We visited Beautiful Gates, a ministry that cares for HIV infected children. They are doing amazing work and have not lost one child since 2003. Eagles Rising is a ministry that rescues youth out of a very rough area that is filled with shacks made out of bits and pieces of tin and wood; extreme poverty and deplorable conditions, established during the days of apartheid. These youth are being transformed by the love of God! They are receiving inner healing and being taught about character and integrity and are surely being raised up as leaders for their land.

Then there was a ministry called The Ark, which will take in anyone needy. They feed about 1000 daily, and never know what food they're even going to have to work with until that morning (imagine having that job!).

During these days, we prayed, talked and strategized concerning building for the future. There were times of angelic release and impartation. It was amazing and we never knew what the next day was going to bring. It was definitely a time for building for the future!

FUTURE ANNUAL TRIPS TO MOZAMBIQUE

We are making plans to go into Mozambique in January every year, from now on, and have it cleared with Iris Ministries. We want to help people to be able to make plans into the year ahead, get their money and provisions together, with the least amount of stress and worry. So, now you know - make your plans - watch for info on our web site! We'll be putting updates on upcoming trips as quickly as we can.

HOW YOU CAN HELP COMPASSION ACTS

Now, I want to mention something to you at this point. This trip has cost us more money than other trips previously, as we've had unexpected expenses and changes of plans. We had some financial provision fall through, and so at this point, are short the finances to pay everything out, never mind being able to pay either Leon or myself for our time investment. I am also in need of being able to pay Lareasa Bowman, my assistant, for one day of work a week. I've got to have help to move forward, and Lareasa has volunteered a day a week for months now - to serve. It's time to move forward and honor her heart of passion for Jesus!

I would ask you to prayerfully consider helping us out, as at this point in time, Compassion Acts has no regular contributions coming in. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Checks can be made out to Encounters Network, and write Moz trip, Compassion Acts, in the memo. That would be wonderful!

• Click here to donate online.
  
  • Choose the fund code Compassion Acts Donation to give to start up expenses, and other projects for Compassion Acts.
    
  • Choose the fund code Emergency Relief Fund to donate to the Rice Shipments. All donations to this fund code will be used for the rice shipment(s).
    
    
• Please write your check to Encounters Network and mail it to:
       Encounters Network
       PO Box 1653
       Franklin, TN 37065
  
  • Write in the memo what you want it to be used for: rice shipment, Mozambique Trip, etc.

We have all returned home full of God, full of hunger for more, full of quiet desperation that we must lay hold of Him in every way! He is our all, our passion, our life.

Blessings to each of you!

Michal Ann Goll