NORTHERN MOZAMBIQUE TRIP REPORT (FEBRUARY 2010)
The building up of this trip took some months to come to a head, due to documentation that had to be obtained from various South African Government offices. But eventually three vehicles and three trailers left South African soil manned by VGR Brother des de Fortier, Brother Rui Frachiquone, and Brother Michael Mathonsi during the first week of February 2010.
The first signs of “flack” were fired upon the workers of God by Mozambique Customs, as the VGR team entered Mozambique soil. The atmosphere became dark as our Toyota pick-up and Bundu Basher trailer were impounded by the authorities and placed in “so-called” safe keeping at the Maputo Airport Customs yard, until all the “so-called” Mozambique documentation was in order. From a South African perspective, all our documentation was in 100% order. But now the spirits of corruption, greed, and jealously in Mozambique started working when the locals saw a very good vehicle and trailer given (free from any changes) to a fellow Mozambican to work for God.
The VGR team realized that something had to be done very quickly as this process could take weeks to finalize, as every sticky finger in Government saw an opportunity to glean some Meticais (Mozambique currency) out of VGR. At first the team was asked to pay the Customs officials a bribe at the Maputo Airport Customs Yard, which was a real test of faith for the VGR workers. Which meant, that they could leave that day. Instead, the team chose to go the “OFFICIAL” route, which they knew would take a very long frustrating time, but which was the right thing to do.
The team immediately repacked most of the VGR boxes that were in the Toyota, onto the VGR Land Cruiser roof rack, having decided to continue with the missionary trip. The Ford was ultimately sent ahead and brothers Des and Rui remained for another two days in Maputo trying to negotiate the release of the Toyota + trailer. The hearts of the corrupt officials however remained rock hard, as their bribe had been refused, and they perceived it as egg on their faces.
The missionary trip continued on the 8th of February and the next 1,000 kilometers to Inchope in Central Mozambique was a daunting affair, as the Land Cruiser with it’s “Big Foot” trailer had to carry much more weight than was initially anticipated. But Brothers Des and Rui rendezvoused with the Ford and Brother Mike at a place called Arco Irish, near Monte Xiluvu, where much of the excessive weight was taken off the heavily laden Land Cruiser and trailer, and was loaded into the Ford. Now God’s work could continue into the far reaches of Northern Mozambique with its infamous bad roads.
This trip in it’s final analysis turned out to be one of the most blessed trips ever to have been conducted into Mozambique over the past ten years by Brother Des and his team of VGR workers. The first port of call to deliver VGR “Lighthouse” allocations and new VGR material for new outreaches in the North, was at the town of Caia, just South of the great Zambezi River. Pastor Dausse with his trustees and deacons received the VGR team with open arms and great warmth, and entertained the VGR team to a scrumptious Mozambican meal.
Thirteen new VGR material “sets”: consisting of an MP3 player, MP3 Portuguese translated discs, as well as Portuguese translated cassettes, and Portuguese translated Message booklets were left with Brother Dausse for the outlying pastors to collect for their NEW outreaches in this sub-region.
The VGR delegation then left for the City of Quelimane, crossing the new bridge over the Zambezi River and met the young and dynamic pastor, Goncalves Isequeil Nhambane, who acts as VGR distributor in the North Eastern Sector of Mozambique.
Two Lighthouse allocations were left at this new, rather very important, junction. All the local brethren to came by bus and collect their VGR material personally, which valuable type of material cannot be bussed or sent by post, due to the extreme high rate of theft.
End of part one of the Northern Mozambique, February 2010 trip report. The remaining part of this report will be completed on the return of Brother Des de Fortier from his Cape Town trip.
Now this may sound unbelievable, but true. As Brother Des was compiling this first trip report in the VGR main office in Nelspruit (at 14h07 on the 22nd of February), he received a telephone call from VGR’s Brother Rui out of Maputo City, announcing that the Toyota and its Trailer were released to VGR some ten minutes previously, 18 days after it had been impounded. The remaining VGR boxes in our previous storage facility could now be collected, giving Brother Rui an open road north and eventual registration of the two vehicles in the name of VGR. Much patience was learnt by the entire Mozambique VGR team with this frustrating episode.