Hoje choveu! Louvo o senhor!

It rained today! Praise the Lord!

Well, actually it has now rained twice - for about 30 minutes on Friday, starting at a spit and becoming fairly heavy, and then again on Monday night, soft and prolonged, just the kind we need. By morning, though, the ground already seemed pretty dried up and the sun was out. While we thank God for his answer to prayer in this wonderful precipitatory gift, the farms still need so much more if they're going to survive and people are going to have enough to eat next year. So please keep praying.

I've been asked about the students in our (shortly to be Tom's) English class. There are six, all Christians, whom we know as Kito, Tome, Aguinaldo, Benjamin, Cassoma and Madalena. Some of them it's their first names, others surnames, and in the case of Kito it's nothing like his real name - but everyone knows him as Kito. We get on with them all very well, and Aguinaldo (sometimes with Benjamin) quite often pops round to our apartment to practise his English, and I try to practise my Portuguese. Aguinaldo is always willing to have a go. I loved it when he said (we were doing a lesson based on Jesus' death and resurrection) that "Jesus died and res-, resur-, re-, got up!"

Tom has found a real niche here with his guitar teaching on Monday afternoons. Everyone, but everyone, wants to learn the guitar. I have started to explore what I might do then, as I can only sit in awe at guitar lessons. I was going to ask about childrens' ministry or perhaps teaching in the school, but it looks like there might be the possibility of giving some piano lessons. Please pray that the right doors will open and that I will be wise in accepting the right opportunities.

There is obvious poverty here, as you would expect, and beggars on some of the streets. A couple of weeks ago coming back from the internet cafe, I felt challenged that I had spent a couple of hundred kwanzas sending emails and yet a bread roll costs only 5 kwanzas. So now I try to remember each time to buy some on my way, or take some with me, so I can at least give a bread roll. Interestingly, I've just found out that Connie and Hannah are doing something similar in Kenya, but with fruit. I hope to befriend them in time, particularly as my language skills improve. I know how to say "God bless you!", so I can always start with that.

So, some points for prayer above.

We've been in contact by EMAIL with most of the others on the GAP programme. Please pray for Beth and Jenny in Thailand. They have made really strong relationships with some of their students, but at times there are so many opportunities and invitations that there just aren't enough hours in the day!

And give thanks that Tom's sister, Hannah, seems to be on the mend.

Sorry that the formatting is not quite up to the normal standard - something seems to have gone wrong with the interface I'm using. Hopefully it will correct itself for next time.