![[Ashlee Cladek Blog]](http://www.andrelefebvre.net/ashleeblog.jpg)
From a thankful heart - Mozambique - Dec 2, 2007
Hello and Happy Belated Thanksgiving to all those in America who just celebrated this beautiful day of thanks in November. This was the first year being away from my family on Thanksgiving. Thankfully I got to at least spend it with a good missionary friend of mine Octavia who is in Pemba . Our special meal consisted of spaghetti, garlic bread, corn and cooked egg plant. For dessert I made chocolate chip cookies – yummy. From the time I woke up until I went to sleep that night I felt the smile of Jesus raining upon me. My heart was overflowing with a rhythm of joy to the Lord for all that He has done and will do. Octavia and I spent the whole evening glorying in His goodness and what He has done in our lives. We had a beautiful time together loving and bragging on Jesus!!!
As I reflected on God’s goodness and how thankful I am my heart was touched with such gratitude (as happens often) for each one of you who faithful support me while I am here in Mozambique . I know many of you pray for me; even some who have never met me face to face, and this touches my heart so much as I know my Father is caring for me. There are those of you who have financially supported me while I have been here in Mozambique . This always overwhelms me with awe as Father always seems to take care of my needs and you are surely part of that blessing. Without your support of love I could not be here.
With this said I would like to tell you where the finances go that I receive so that you can share in the blessing and have more clarity. Though I am here in Mozambique with Iris Ministries I do not get paid by the ministry. I am here on a volunteer basis. Iris provides me with a base to work out of, use of their vehicles and equipment, food which we all eat at the center daily, finances for the clinic and our boys. But some of the projects that I do are paid by the support I receive. In my last update I mentioned that I am going to start to do more evangelism into the bush area, but these trips are not financed by Iris as our base does not have money to help with this. I have been given permission to use our Iris vehicles and sound system for evangelism, but I have to pray for God to supply for these trips (diesel, food, offering to pastors we visit, needs for sound system such as oil etc.) The support I receive helps with all my personal needs, flights (within Mozambique and between America and Mozambique), all visa/DIRE issues, medical and travel insurance (which is required by Iris), communication (phone and internet) and other special projects such as building a home for widows, help pastors with orphans they care for and anything else the Father tells me to help with.
As I have said before, without your prayer and financial support I could not be here. Please know that every transformed life and every person who hears the Good News of Jesus Christ is part of the harvest that we are reaping together. In January I would like to return to the District of Buzi for another evangelism trip. Right now I am praying and planning on going to three places in this region. One place I want to go is named Bândua. The people of Bândua have never heard the Gospel message before. They are a people that are lost in ancestral worship and traditions of the witchdoctor. When I spoke with Pastor Miquel about this place my heart was lit with passion and fire to go to these people and bring them Jesus. The second place is named Estãquinha. In this place we have a church, but it is basically non-existent as the people are lost in sin and witchcraft so my heart is to go there and spend a day evangelizing house-to-house and doing discipleship in the church with a strong salvation message in the evening. The last place is in the Village of Buzi (which is within the District of Buzi) to visit and encourage a church that was just planted after our last visit there in October. Right now this is my heart and vision which I am praying about doing. Please join in prayer with me for this trip that it would happen in God’s timing and that the people’s hearts will be ready. Also for protection and that the rains would be held back as we are in the rainy season.
Another door has opened to me to go to a place near Buzi which is a sacred place for Muslims. There is no church there and no Christians that we know of. I heard there is a small group of about 5 or 10 people who want to live for Jesus, but are oppressed greatly by the Muslim tradition. I am praying for God’s timing when I can go to this place to preach the Gospel, but it must be in God’s timing as it is dangerous.
A Praise Report: On November 30th I went to the immigration office in Beira and picked up my DIRE. I am now officially a resident of Mozambique . This is a big blessing and the end of a long wait in prayer. As a resident I can freely come and go from Mozambique as I need without dealing with visas with the exception of renewing my DIRE each year.
May God’s continued blessings rest upon each of you and your families this beautiful season.
With a heart full of gratitude for what the Lord has done!
Ashlee
As I reflected on God’s goodness and how thankful I am my heart was touched with such gratitude (as happens often) for each one of you who faithful support me while I am here in Mozambique . I know many of you pray for me; even some who have never met me face to face, and this touches my heart so much as I know my Father is caring for me. There are those of you who have financially supported me while I have been here in Mozambique . This always overwhelms me with awe as Father always seems to take care of my needs and you are surely part of that blessing. Without your support of love I could not be here.
With this said I would like to tell you where the finances go that I receive so that you can share in the blessing and have more clarity. Though I am here in Mozambique with Iris Ministries I do not get paid by the ministry. I am here on a volunteer basis. Iris provides me with a base to work out of, use of their vehicles and equipment, food which we all eat at the center daily, finances for the clinic and our boys. But some of the projects that I do are paid by the support I receive. In my last update I mentioned that I am going to start to do more evangelism into the bush area, but these trips are not financed by Iris as our base does not have money to help with this. I have been given permission to use our Iris vehicles and sound system for evangelism, but I have to pray for God to supply for these trips (diesel, food, offering to pastors we visit, needs for sound system such as oil etc.) The support I receive helps with all my personal needs, flights (within Mozambique and between America and Mozambique), all visa/DIRE issues, medical and travel insurance (which is required by Iris), communication (phone and internet) and other special projects such as building a home for widows, help pastors with orphans they care for and anything else the Father tells me to help with.
As I have said before, without your prayer and financial support I could not be here. Please know that every transformed life and every person who hears the Good News of Jesus Christ is part of the harvest that we are reaping together. In January I would like to return to the District of Buzi for another evangelism trip. Right now I am praying and planning on going to three places in this region. One place I want to go is named Bândua. The people of Bândua have never heard the Gospel message before. They are a people that are lost in ancestral worship and traditions of the witchdoctor. When I spoke with Pastor Miquel about this place my heart was lit with passion and fire to go to these people and bring them Jesus. The second place is named Estãquinha. In this place we have a church, but it is basically non-existent as the people are lost in sin and witchcraft so my heart is to go there and spend a day evangelizing house-to-house and doing discipleship in the church with a strong salvation message in the evening. The last place is in the Village of Buzi (which is within the District of Buzi) to visit and encourage a church that was just planted after our last visit there in October. Right now this is my heart and vision which I am praying about doing. Please join in prayer with me for this trip that it would happen in God’s timing and that the people’s hearts will be ready. Also for protection and that the rains would be held back as we are in the rainy season.
Another door has opened to me to go to a place near Buzi which is a sacred place for Muslims. There is no church there and no Christians that we know of. I heard there is a small group of about 5 or 10 people who want to live for Jesus, but are oppressed greatly by the Muslim tradition. I am praying for God’s timing when I can go to this place to preach the Gospel, but it must be in God’s timing as it is dangerous.
A Praise Report: On November 30th I went to the immigration office in Beira and picked up my DIRE. I am now officially a resident of Mozambique . This is a big blessing and the end of a long wait in prayer. As a resident I can freely come and go from Mozambique as I need without dealing with visas with the exception of renewing my DIRE each year.
May God’s continued blessings rest upon each of you and your families this beautiful season.
With a heart full of gratitude for what the Lord has done!
Ashlee
posted by Ashlee at 12:48 PM
0 comments
