"Akoonya! Akoonya!"

“Akoonya! Akoonya!” they shouted with glee. Their excitement was apparent as they ran from every corner of the village to greet us, leaving behind naps, games, and playmates. With grins from ear to ear their tiny fingers grabbed at ours begging to be picked up and cuddled. Most had been playing or lying in the dirt. They were dusty, dirty, and some were even sopping wet, but we just didn’t care. The joy in their little eyes could melt even the hardest of hearts. So we carried them, cuddled them, and loved on them.

Their unreserved and carefree curiosity spoke volumes about their innocence. It’s not every day that an “akoonya”(white person) visits their village. That made this a special day in their eyes, and they were eager to soak up any attention they could get.

There were four of us “akoonyas:” ourselves and another American (Erica), as well as a young man named Chiago from Brazil. We were accompanied by two Mozambicans from Iris and our Mozambican village friend, Alaska. We were on a mission to check up on an elderly man that Erica had prayed for the day before. I was amazed at how the houses, though made of very simple materials, were lined up so perfectly along the wide dusty street. Many of the properties even had cane fences for privacy. With the absence of street signs, getting to our destination felt more like going through a maze than walking through a neighborhood.

When we arrived at the old man’s house, we were greeted by more excited children. He lived with his daughters and their kids. Walking into the dark house was very humbling for me. No electricity. No water. No plumbing. Just dirt floors, some buckets and plates, and one or two pieces of furniture made from a woven grass. He was sitting on his bed. His pain was apparent. He was frail, weak, and his twisted hands looked as though he had had arthritis for a very long time.

Conversation was a bit confusing at first. Chiago speaks Brazilian Portuguese whereas the Mozambicans who came with us speak European Portuguese and Makua. So we listened as communication was translated between Makua, two types of Portuguese, and then English.

The family is terribly poor. So poor, in fact, that right now they have no food. They had tried taking him to a doctor, but in Mozambique you have to pay first. Otherwise they refuse to see you, so his trip to the doctor did him no good. They had no medicine, no money, and now no food. He said he had been getting a little better until they ran out of food.

We made them aware that Iris could help them out with that. Not only does Iris offer a free medical clinic to the villagers, but they also help feed them and meet their needs. They provide schooling for their children too. In Mozambique, if you want your kids to get any education whatsoever you have to pay. Most families can’t afford to so their children go uneducated, but Iris is helping to change that.

It was hot in his room, and the sweat began to pour. As we prayed for him, Jason and I both could feel a change in the atmosphere. We could feel the Holy Spirit’s presence. We don’t know if he experienced any relief that day or not as he was focused on telling us about other things instead of answering our questions about his pain, but we reminded him to thank the Lord for any improvement he does begin to have. He was very appreciative that we came and prayed for him.

We look forward to checking back with him on his progress.

(On a different note: Lizzy, the staff member with malaria, is doing much better now. Thank you for your continued prayers for her and the student body.)