Tete and Shekinah

Yay! I'm finally getting around to writing about where I'm going and what I'll be doing.

Nick and Marlene Boyd are a young missionary couple who just got married in January and moved to Tete, Mozambique to start their ministry called Pioneer61. Now, these two people are so incredible. I love them dearly! They actually met in Mozambique last year through Iris and that's a whole other story how Jesus put them together. :)

Marlene went to the Harvest School two summers ago and after the school, she moved to Tete for a year by herself as a full time missionary. While there last year, Jesus brought her to a group of boys from the city. There are 30 boys between the ages of about 8 to 18. They are all homeless and live on the streets in the middle of the city in Tete. They are considered the lowest of the low, nobody loves them. They are thieves, alcoholics, into drugs, and just living lives in sin. They have built up a bad reputation for themselves since they steal so much, that everyone in the city pretty much hates them. Even the police beat them sometimes. It so messed up. So, Jesus brought Mar to the boys and He immediately broke her heart for them. He told her that they are who she needs to be ministering to. He  gave her such a momma heart for them.

When her and Nick got married in January, Jesus told them to move on February 20 to Tete and feed the boys and love on them. They are the only people who have ever looked out for them and loved them. Some of them either have a mom or a dad or another family member, but they don't want them so they kick them out in the street. Children in Mozambique just have no value. It's so sad.

So, Nick and Mar moved back to Tete and began ministering to the boys and bringing them two meals a day and bringing them to their church and doing small outreaches with them. Their heart for the boys is to see them completely transformed into men of God and they want them to be the ones preaching in the streets and sharing the love of Jesus in their city. Jesus has told them very clearly that it is not their job to transform them. They have simply been called to feed them and love them. It's Jesus' job to transform them. They bought some land and they are going to build a home for the boys too! It will be called the Shekinah Healing Home. Shekinah is the name God gave Nick and Mar to call the boys. It basically means "the manifest presence of God." The verse God gave them for the boys is Jeremiah 29:11. Since they have been ministering to them, a few of the boys have been transformed and are so in love with Jesus now. It's so beautiful! Although most of them are still stealing and drinking, Nick and Mar know that Jesus will transform them and all they can do is love them with their Jesus love!

Tete was our last stop in Mozambique on our trip in June. I didn't really know anything about their ministry before we went. I already knew Nick and Mar though. We met last year and God kept connecting us in several ways. I thought my purpose in going to Tete was to see them and bring Mar some stuff from Emily, a friend here in Nashville. Well, Jesus had other plans!

From the moment we landed in the airport in Tete, my heart was beating on fire and I had such a peace and it felt like home. I was like "ok what the heck Jesus? I don't even know anything about this city or their ministry or anything. How can this feel like it's where I'm supposed to be? I don't get it!" We landed at like midnight and the next day we took breakfast to the boys and prayed with them. The minute we met them, Jesus broke my heart for them. He told me He wants me to be a part of their transformation. He wants me to love on them too and watch Him transform them.

Growing up with brothers, I'm used to being around boys and I really have a heart for raising up men of God. Nick and Mar have been praying for people to come be interns with them and help them out and love the boys. I had no idea about that at all and the whole week our team was there, Nick kept bugging me about coming back to be one of their first interns. I was like "psh yeah right!  There's no way that's Jesus' plan for me. I just graduated high school. He can't be calling me to come to the other side of the world to love on a group of boys." But, as the week went on, Jesus kept showing me through several ways that that's exactly what He wants me to do. He wants me to go to Harvest School in October, then go straight to Tete and be an intern with them for about 3 months!!!

This is completely crazy and not at all the plans that I had for myself. But that's how I know it's Jesus! His plans aren't always our plans. But His plans are always better! Since this is so clearly what He is calling me to do, I know without a doubt that He will provide all that I need. It's going to take a lot of funds, but I'm not worried about it:) He will provide!

Now that I know Tete is where I'm supposed to be, it was super hard leaving. Nick and Mar told the boys to call me "Titia Brooke" cause I'm coming back to be one of their aunties. That made it even harder leaving because I feel like they are my boys now too! But I also know that Jesus has me here in Franklin for a reason too.

There is SO much more that goes into this story but I'm running out of room on here. If you want to know more, please please please contact me somehow! I would love to share the rest of my heart about this with you!