Of Oregon and Africa

Dear friends,

These last months have been a whirl of mixing work in Lichinga and family.

In January I learned that my mother, Rosella Peters, had cancer. The doctors were giving her a year to 1 ½ years to live; should I go home? No, my mother said. So I stayed. I made a trip to visit Jodi, our missionary who lives furthest from me, and picked up our new short term missionary, Jenny who was going to help with the homeschooling of our missionary kids in Cuamba. When I returned to Lichinga, I heard that my mother was going to have surgery to remove some of the cancer, she went though the surgery well, but they found more cancer. The doctors were talking 6 months to a year. So I headed down to South Africa to a leadership meeting. I missed my plane in Maputo on the return trip, so stayed on overnight in Maputo compliments of the airline. I was returned on Tuesday with SIM Mozambique Executive meetings on Wednesday and Thursday and a counsel meeting on Friday with Mozambicans and missionaries. I called home and my mother wasn’t feeling very well, but was okay. My return to Lichinga was on the 28th of February. As I finished my meetings, I heard that my mother was worse and had been to see the doctor, I was told that the medicine should help her. Then Thursday evening I got the call that she had been to see the doctors and now they are saying she only had 2 weeks to live. What to do? I booked flights to leave on Saturday morning, over-nighting in Johannesburg and arriving in Oregon on Monday noon. In Johannesburg I got the phone call to say that my mother had passed on to glory. The funeral was a tribute to the life she lived for the Lord. As some of you know, she had lived in the family home until the day that she died, so my brother and sisters and I had to sort lots of things; some sorting we were able to finish before I returned to Mozambique, other things I left for my siblings to finish.

Oh yes, and then there were weddings!! My nephew got married in Florida the weekend after the funeral. I hadn’t planned on being in the states for the wedding, so I didn’t go. Then you will remember that my roommate, Lori Jones, was also getting married, I had cancelled other things so that I would be in Lichinga for that day, but God had other plans as I was in Oregon, too far away to get back. But Victor and Lori got married even if I wasn’t there. It is nice to have them as neighbors for a while yet before they leave for YWAM training at the end of July.

I returned to Lichinga at the end of April to find that I still had a job and things were running smoothly.

Diana was well looked after by a good Mozambican friend, who stayed with her while I was gone to Oregon. She has flourished in her use of Portuguese and in making lots of friends. She took over my T.E.E. (Theological Education by Extension) classes when I was gone, so they continued well. Besides the children’s class she has on Saturday, she has also started a youth group meeting on Sunday afternoon. So weekends are busy around our house.

The TEE classes have been studying the poetic books and will finish at the end of July. I am hoping that we will be able to begin the prophetic books in August. It is exciting to see the young people committed to studying the Bible.

I want to thank each one of you for your prayers over the last months. There have been difficult days and I know that because of your prayers, I am able to continue.

In Christ,
Janice Peters
Mailing address: C.P. 265, Lichinga, Mozambique, Africa
Phone: 258 271 21186


Praise:
1. Mom didn’t have to suffer for a long time and is now rejoicing in Heaven;
2. My TEE classes are going well
3. I am in the place where I feel that the Lord wants me now, in Lichinga
Prayer:
1. Continue to pray for our family as we continue to process the fact that our mother is no longer with us.
2. The future prophetic books TEE class and possible new students.
3. Wisdom in leading the SIM Mozambique team.
4. For Diana as she looks to whether God would bring her back to Mozambique to continue working with us.

Looking ahead:
22-28 July –The SIM missionaries from Malawi and Mozambique will meet together in Malawi for our annual Spiritual life conference.
August: Visit by the Tomas’ who were instrumental in Diana coming to do a one year mission trip to Lichinga.
September: Diana will finish her year in Mozambique.