“I’m so glad he went.”  How often I said those words over the weeks that Mark was in Canada.  Not that I was anxious to get rid of him or anything.  I was just so happy that he was able to make good on his promise to his parents to help them when the day arrived that they were ready to sell their home.  What a privilege to be able to be there to take care of the overwhelming details, official address changes, and “just being there” for his parents.  An added bonus of this trip was the chance to connect with family, friends and supporting churches.  Mark’s emails were very encouraging as he told of the love and support he felt from those of you that spent time with him.  Thank you so much.  We have been blessed beyond words by your love.

On his way back to Mozambique, Mark was able to take a couple of days to visit with our two oldest children in Kenya.  Esther and Jonathan still have a month to go at RVA.  It sounds like they are enjoying their last term for this year.  We keep hearing about new hobbies they are taking up – photography, choir, guitar, Celtic harp, bonsai trees??  Then there are the class parties and movie nights …  I assume they do some studying in there somewhere.  We are looking forward to getting them back home again on the 14^th of July.

Another school year is almost done for Jesse as well.  He has only a couple more lessons to do in most of his subjects and Grade 5 will be a thing of the past.  He still has a couple of weeks of math to go, and we’ll take some of our “down” time to work some more on Portuguese and several other projects that Mom has up her sleeve.  But the excitement level is running high.  As I type here this afternoon, Jesse is having intensive Portuguese training.  He’s playing in the yard with a number of Mozambican friends.  About twice that number are standing at the gate wishing they could come in.  We’d have our yard FULL of kids if we would let them all in at once.  That’s a bit too overwhelming for Jesse.  We’re just so glad to see him finally showing an interest in learning the language.

It’s always a neat experience to share “our Africa” with our friends from home.  We are blessed right now to have Vlademir Klimenko with us for about a month and a half.  He’s spent a month in South Africa doing a Missions Exposure Training course and having his eyes opened in a very unique way to missions in Africa.  Now he’s getting a taste of what the day to day life of a missionary is like.  His servant’s heart has been very evident as he’s been working on manual tasks such as painting walls and windows.  He’s been making such an effort to learn Portuguese as well.  The Mozambicans which he has built relationship with love to teach him Portuguese as he teaches them English.  He’s taken one community especially to heart and has spent some time out there visiting with the people and giving out toys to the children.  Now that Mark has returned, Vlad is traveling with him to various places.  Last weekend, they went “to the end of the earth where the road runs out” to show the Jesus film.  They ate their chicken and “chima” with their hands and slept in the Roof Top Tent.  Next week, they’ll be making a week-long trip to Northern Mozambique to do some training for the Theology by Extension (ETE) programs up there.  By the time he gets back to Toronto, he’ll be full of stories to tell.  If you are nearby, be sure to give him the chance to share his heart with you.

Please continue to pray for the Bible School ministry.  We have 30 students studying at the moment.  We have many different denominations represented in this group, as well as education levels ranging from Grade 2 to Grade 10.  Some speak Portuguese very well, while others struggle just to make themselves understood or to read their Bibles with any level of comprehension.  Eventually, we will be able to raise the educational requirements of the school, but at the moment, these are the leaders of our churches.  This is our reality.  Please pray that we would be wise in our teaching methods and be able to give each of them something to take back home for their churches.

Together in service for Him,

Mark, Donna, Esther, Jonathan and Jesse Haug

****

Prayer Requests:

1)      Bible School – 30 students.  Wisdom to teach EACH of them the truths of God’s Word.

2)      Mark’s trip to Nampula and Cabo Delgado, Northern Mozambique – Safety on their journeys, spirit of cooperation and encouragement for ETE leaders.

3)      Vlademir’s stay – protection, God’s vision for His work to be implanted in his heart.

4)      Haug children – finish up school year well.

5)      Future missionaries are needed to fill coming vacancies with Stuckless’ and Mercer’s upcoming retirements.

6)      Finanacial and Prayer Partners are needed to support this opportunity to make a difference in the lives and ministries of many Mozambicans.  $60,000 needs to be raised in the next 6 months.

Dear Family and Friends,

We feel like we’ve bounced to the ends of the earth and back again. 

The two day trip to Maputo from Nicoadala is getting so much better then it used to be … but it still is a very long, tiresome journey.  The third day of traveling from Maputo to Pretoria/Johannesburg seemed like a breeze in comparison.  Gerald and Pat Golbeck welcomed us at the MET center allowing us to stay in their facility for the duration.  We were able to get the medical appointments completed in less than a week from our arrival and with a clean bill of health as well.  To those of you who remembered to pray for us during those days, thank-you! 

Since we were able to get everything done so quickly, we were able to take a few days to do a little bit of sight seeing in the area.  South Africa is full of fascinating history and cultural experiences.  But, the highlight for us was the chance to reconnect with Leonard and Lorie Rutten and be blessed by their amazing “tent church”.  What a refreshing experience.  It’s wonderful to see how God is moving among the African people – black, white, rich, poor … and all those in between! 

We were able to book a flight on April 21st for Esther and Jonathan to return to Kenya from Johannesburg.  Nine other RVA students were flying on that same flight!  I feel for the flight attendants.  After dropping them off at the airport and a tearful good-bye, the remnant of the Haug family began the return journey to Mozambique.  Esther and Jonathan were at RVA before we even crossed the border!

After a couple of days in Maputo filled with meetings and preparation, we embarked on yet another adventure.  An old missions vehicle which had been sitting in Maputo for a while trying to sell itself needed to be towed up north where it would have a much better chance at a new life.  Mark attached a tow bar to the back of his Land Cruiser and dragged it for the two-day drive to Nicoadala.  What should have been a 21-hour drive, turned into an almost 27-hour drive.  I kept looking in the rear-view mirror and thinking, “Man, that guy is following awfully close.”  Thankfully, we arrived home without any mishaps.

This is a week of intense prayer for Africa right across this land.  Churches are uniting in an effort to cover every hour of every day this week in prayer for the family and the issues working against the family in Africa.  Our local church in Quelimane was assigned to pray on Tuesday.  The 24-hour period was divided up into 4-hour groupings.  People were asked to sign up for one of the 4 hour periods and to spend that time in prayer.  There was no hesitation.  People raised their hands indicating the time of day they preferred to pray.  What blessed me was to see the church leadership quickly volunteering to pray during the period from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m.  Praise the Lord.  “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face, then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land.”  2 Chron. 7:14  The African church is praying.  Lord, hear their cries.

Last weekend, Mark was finally able to make good on his promise to show the Jesus film in the Morrumbala district.  Taking three Bible College students along with him, he towed his trailer with his roof-top tent perched on top, and made the trip in four hours.  That evening they were able to show the film to a group of about 250 people.  Many seeds were sown and the church was encouraged.  Following the Sunday morning service, Mark had to make a “short” detour to another village to pick up some bags of corn before returning home.  It took him over 12 hours to drive less than 150 kms.  The bicycle tracks signaled the general direction for one set of tires, while the other side of the vehicle went “bush-whacking” in grass that was taller than the roof of the truck.  Hidden in that grass were rocks, stumps, and wash-outs, just to make the ride a bit more interesting.  To top it all off, Mark had given a ride to a man, woman and child who were all riding in a car for the very first time.  All three of them took their turns getting car sick.  Somehow, in the middle of all this excitement, people were sharing their testimonies of how they came to the Lord and discussions were held about dealing with fear of spirits, witchcraft, and other spiritual issues.  Who says you can’t have ministry time on a 4x4 excursion!

In the coming week, Mark will be making yet another big journey.  This one might be a bit easier on his system then the last few he’s made.  I’m sure air turbulence can’t compare with Mozambican roads.  He hopes to see as many of you as is feasible while he’s in Canada without taking him away from his primary purpose - assisting his parents through their transition into Shepherd Village.

While Mark is gone, work at the Bible School continues full steam ahead.  In this second group, we have 28 students.  He has just finished teaching Hermeneutics.  Rex and Rita have started a 2-week session, and after that, Rita and Donna will be teaching.  Our heart’s desire is to see pastors and leaders trained to effectively lead the church in the province of Zambezia.

Please do continue to pray for the Haug family and for the Lord’s work in Mozambique.  Eternity will reveal what we have been able to accomplish as we’ve worked together in this land.  Thank-you for being faithful in your part of this calling.

Have a blessed week.  And to all you mothers out there … You’re awesome!  Happy Mother’s Day! ;)

Mark, Donna, Esther, Jonathan and Jesse Haug

… Like MALARIA – A couple of weeks ago, Mark had his second experience with malaria since arriving in Mozambique.  The last time Mark had malaria he had terrible fevers, and we discovered he was allergic to that particular malaria medicine.  This time around, we started Mark on a different medicine right away and in just a couple of days he was up and around.  The second day after he was able to get out of bed, he drove all the way to Blantyre to pick up Esther and Jonathan at the airport – about 8 hours on a terrible dirt road most of the way.  But thank God, the Lord gave him strength.

Many of you prayed for Mark during that time.  We are so grateful to have a prayer support base that will lift us up in prayer when urgent needs arise.  I would like to form a list of prayer partners whom we can count on to pray specifically for urgent needs as they arise.  If you would like to be a part of that list, could you send us a little note?  This will be a separate list from the general one advising everyone that the site has been updated.  You can be a vital part of this ministry in Mozambique.

… Like CHANGING PLANS - Because of this bout with malaria, Mark’s planned trip to Morrumbala to show the Jesus film in two different places and interview students had to be cancelled.  They were so disappointed. 

On Sunday, the Haug family is making an unexpected trip to South Africa for some doctor’s appointments.  We must take advantage of the children being home from boarding school to get this done, so even more of our schedule is being juggled.  We would appreciate your prayers for this journey.  We’ll be traveling 3 days to get to Pretoria, and we’ll be there for a couple of weeks.  On around the 20^th of April, Esther and Jonathan will be flying back to Kenya  (Thank God we were not successful in our previous attempts to get them tickets flying out of Blantyre.)  The remnant of the Haug family will then go to Maputo for a missionary meeting and drive back up to Nicoadala.  Jesse’s home schooling is being severely affected by all of this.  He’ll have a lot to catch up on when we return.  Pray for God’s peace and protection. from Joburg, if all goes well.

In yet another shuffling of plans, Mark will be making an unscheduled trip back to Canada in May.  He’ll be assisting his parents who are in the process of selling their home of many years in Toronto and moving into The Manor at Shepherd Village.  It’s a major move for them.  Mark had promised that when that day came, he would come home to help them.  That day has arrived.  He hasn’t booked his tickets yet, but he plans to be in the Toronto area for 2 weeks around the 14^th. 

… Like UNEXPECTED FREEBIES – We received free of charge a large pile of lumber from a friend of Mark’s who runs an import/export lumber yard.  A large portion of it will be put to use building book shelves for the Bible School library.  The library is not all large at the moment, but what we have, we want to be able to put to good use.  We are so grateful for the Lord’s provision in that way.

… Like STUDENTS REALLY GETTING IT! – Mark has been teaching this past two weeks in the Bible School about man and sin.  Most recently he was teaching about the importance of responding to the conviction of the Holy Spirit.  After class, one of the students asked him if he could look at a test he had taken at the end of last week.  Instead of pointing out an error in the grading that would profit him, he actually wanted to show Mark something he had marked right which was actually WRONG!  The Holy Spirit had been convicting him about not speaking up about it.  After sitting in on that class, he felt he had to respond to the Lord.  Praise the Lord!  God is doing a work in the lives of the students.

… Like BUILDING IT CHEAPER THAN BUYING IT – After Mark’s incident with sliding into the cafeteria building a few weeks ago, he thought it was important to get a protective bull-bar on the front of his truck.  He’d been looking around everywhere from Malawi to South Africa trying to find the best deal.  The best price he found was $1,300.  After much debate, he decided to build one himself for all of $40.  He worked hard at it, and it looks great.  You can be the judge.  Check out the pictures.  (OK, so that wasn’t really unexpected for anybody who really knows Mark, but that’s all right.)

… Like PEOPLE GETTING SAVED IN A SANDPILE – Rex had taken the brick layer and his assistant, who have been working on plastering our walls, to get a load of sand for their work.  As they were loading, they started asking him questions about the difference between Christians and non-Christians.  Rex shared the gospel message with them in such a way that both of them knelt down right there in the middle of the sand pile and said the sinner’s prayer with him!  Praise the Lord!

Even as we live in the UNEXPECTED, we are finding that God knows it all beforehand and has it all in control.  His ways are higher than our ways.  We are trusting in HIM to carry us through it all.  We also depend very much on YOU - your prayer support, your love, your financial partnership with us in this ministry.  Thank-you for doing your part.  Together let’s EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED.  We serve an EXCEPTIONAL God.

Have a wonderful week!

Mark, Donna, Esther, Jonathan and Jesse Haug

   “Pastor Mark, do you remember that church in Longozi where you dedicated the baby girl and gave her the name Esther?  Would you come back out to that village to preach in that church?”  Last Sunday, it was Mark’s privilege to return to that little church.  Esther is now 2 1/2 years old and looking wonderful.  She also has a new baby brother.  Mark was asked to dedicate this child - and name him as well!  He decided to name the child Timothy.  Together with another little baby from a different family, who he named Rachel, Mark announced their names to the congregation and prayed over them.  At the end of the service he made an interesting discovery.  Esther has a four year old brother who was also named Timothy!  Mark quickly offered to change the name he had given the new baby.  “No, no!” they insisted.  “This name has already been announced in church and it’s official.  We’ll change the other boy’s name.  His was never made official in the church or anything.”  It seems “Timothy the First” has now become Barnabas!  

   Following the service, the visitors were offered a meal of “chima” (cornmeal) and chicken.  This village is quite far from the ocean.  The farther away you are, the harder it is to get salt.  Mark was fully expecting a very bland meal, but instead he had a pleasant surprise.  In the place of salt, the cook had used chili peppers.  There you go - a pleasantly spicy meal without salt.

   The showing of the Jesus film in Machichini, a village between Nicoadala and Quelimane, went very well.  The film was shown on the public school grounds with the written permission from the school and from the village chief, both of whom were in attendance at the movie to see what it was all about.  Pastor Carlos, one of our most active local ministers, has just planted a new church in this area in December.  Over 600 people watched the film that night.  Now, as Pastor Carlos goes from door to door doing his evangelism, he has a wide open door to share about “this same Jesus”.  Pray that God will use this enthusiastic young man to bring many into His Kingdom.

   Teaching at the Bible School is going well.  Of our 19 students this term, we have four different languages represented, not including Portuguese.  Thank God for this unifying factor left behind by the Portuguese colonists.  Nonetheless, many of these students struggle with their understanding of the Portuguese language.  Some read with great difficulty.  Others just don’t have the reasoning capabilities needed to work through their studies.  Still others are very knowledgeable and participate very actively in class discussions.  We have such extremes in our classroom!  However, step by step we hope to draw them closer to the Lord in knowledge and understanding of the Word of God.  Please pray for us as we struggle through these issues as teachers.

   Mark had a disappointing encounter at the Bible School last week.  As you have heard, we’ve been having lots of rain for quite a while now.  We don’t have flooding in our immediate area, although the rice fields between here and town are looking rather like grassy lakes at this point.  Mark had to unload some things at the school kitchen.  He came down the hill off the highway and headed between the dining room and the dorm.  Suddenly, he hit a patch of black slimy mud and headed straight for the dining room wall.  He was able to maneuver the truck somewhat, but not quite enough.  The corner of the dining hall caught the corner of his Cruiser.  I’m pleased to say that the Bible School building is still intact!  As a matter of fact, there isn’t even a scratch on the wall.  Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the truck.  The driver’s fender got crunched, the turn signals gone, the headlight lense shattered, and the driver’s door wouldn’t even open properly.  So, the truck has spent the last week in the “truck hospital” getting a “nose job”.  We are actually quite pleased with the quality of the work being done, but in typical African form, things don’t go quite as quickly as one would hope.  Maybe he’ll get it back tomorrow?  Maybe?

   One encouraging thing from all of this is that during all the business negotiations in dealing with the truck or Bible School needs, Mark has built some very good relationships in the Muslim and Hindu business community.  He has had the opportunity to listen to them speak of personal family issues and financial difficulties and point them to the Lord.  Please pray that he would be able to share the gospel clearly with these men so that they will recognize Jesus as the answer to all of their needs.

   We had company this past week from Nampula (northern Mozambique).  Some missionaries who work with SIL will be assisting a church in constructing a new building.  They flew down for some meetings with the assistance of a MAF pilot.  You should have seen Jesse’s excitement when they flew nice and low over our house to greet him!  One thing we really appreciate about working on the mission field, particularly in this country, is the camaraderie between those in the missionary community.  Regardless of denomination, we are one in Christ, and we are on the same team.  Thank God for that!

   Esther and Jonathan are doing well up at RVA.  Things seem to be settling down in Kenya.  We hope and pray that a permanent solution will be found for that country soon.  In the meantime, our children enjoyed a wonderful mid-term break with Steve and Heather Chaloner in Nairobi.  Between sleep-ins, petting baby elephants and getting stepped on by them, “hangin out” with a friend, and attending church at Nairobi’s largest Pentecostal church, it sounds like they had a great time.

   Jesse is enjoying his shortened school days as Mom teaches at the Bible School for one more week.  We do our “together” part all in one shot first thing in the morning.  Then he starts on his homework list.  He is usually finished before lunch time and free as a bird from then on.  He has discovered an online community of friends through NorthStar, his online school.  He’s been keenly working on getting trained to join a creative writing community on there.

   Each time I begin writing these updates, I tell myself to keep it nice and short this time.  A challenge I need to work on obviously!  Thanks for keeping in touch with us and sharing life with us in this way.  We covet your prayers, and we are so grateful for your support.  We pray for you regularly as well.

God bless you with a wonderfully fulfilling week for His sake,

Mark, Donna, Esther, Jonathan and Jesse

“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace

Where there is hatred let your love increase …”

I’ve been hearing many songs this week declaring Jesus as the Prince of Peace, our SHALOM, the One who brings forgiveness and peace.  There are many times that we need to claim Jesus as the Prince of Peace in our own lives.  However, this week I have been claiming Jesus as the Prince of Peace over the continent of Africa.  Only through Christ can there be a healing of the divisions, hatred and unforgiveness which cut through this land much like the Rift Valley cuts through the African soil.  Last week as we were driving through the streets of Nairobi, our taxi driver, who is also our brother in the Lord, was saying that the only lasting hope for the nation of Kenya was when all would acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the true authority in the land.  Christians across this continent are joining with their brothers and sisters in Kenya and calling out to God to bring about a solution not only for Kenya, but for so many other African nations who are hurting these days.

It’s funny how international news suddenly becomes very personal when it involves you and your loved ones.  Our schedules have been shuffled and re-shuffled since the beginning of this unrest.  We finally did leave home on January 18^th to take Esther and Jonathan back to RVA (Rift Valley Academy) in Kenya.  Jesse stayed at home with Grandma and Grandpa.  (Have I ever mentioned how privileged I feel to have my parent right next door to us here in Africa?)  We drove the 7 hours from our home to Blantyre, Malawi that morning and caught the flight from there to Nairobi that afternoon.  Arriving in Nairobi at 10:30 p.m. was a little bit unsettling in light of the last few weeks.  However, we arrived safely at the PAOC guesthouse around midnight without any difficulty.  Thank the Lord.

That following week we spent out at RVA with our kids.  They jumped back into their school schedules and we just kept interrupting them.  We took them out for orthodontist appointments and doctor’s appointments. They were troopers though and put up with it all without complaint.  Esther and Jonathan both have their braces on now and sporting the sore gums and cheeks to prove it.  Our doctor’s appointments were in Nairobi itself.  Even though there was unrest during those days, and even though we accidentally drove right through the heart of the Kibera slums (google it!), we personally never witnessed any violence.  We thank God for his protection.

We are now back home in Nicoadala.  Mark and I watch the news via the internet regularly.  We are in contact with the school, and we pray.  So far, the unrest has been mostly in the cities.  RVA feels that their rural setting is still safe.  They are in close contact with the US embassy.  I know many of you have been praying for our kids and for Kenya.  Please continue praying.  Next weekend they are supposed to be leaving RVA for their mid-term break.  Our kids are scheduled to spend the long-weekend with Steve and Heather Chaloner in Nairobi.  A busload of RVA kids will be traveling into Nairobi on Friday, the 8^th, and returning on Monday, the 11^th.  Please pray for them especially on those days.

In the meantime, life must go on here in Mozambique.  The new year has begun for the Bible School.  Mark and Dad have started teaching the first set of classes.  We have 19 students for this first term.  Mark is teaching Hermeneutics.  He is so enthused about challenging the students to really study the Word of God in its context and applying its teachings correctly.  Mom and I start the second set of classes on the 11^th.  This is still a new venture for me, so I would appreciate your prayers over that two-week period.

On this coming weekend, Mark will be showing the Jesus film at a location somewhere between here and Quelimane.  Then on Sunday, he is scheduled to preach at the English speaking church in Quelimane.  During the two weeks that Mom and I are teaching, Mark plans to do a little bit of traveling.  He will be visiting a number of our graduates and doing an evaluation of the school, the curriculum, and making some plans for the future.  We would love to see different levels of Christian leadership education made available through the school.  We are considering a grass-roots level which would hopefully be done in local dialects and taught by our graduates.  We also would like to reach those who are better educated and would like to study at a higher level than we’ve been able to teach up until now.  Pray for clarity of thought and that God’s vision for the work here would be made very clear.  We realize that all our efforts are in vain if we are not following His leading.

It is a joy to serve the Lord in the country of Mozambique.  We are blessed knowing that we are where God has called us to be at this time.  We have a caring missionary community who are a constant encouragement to us.  But most importantly, it is very fulfilling to know that we have even a small part to play in building up the church of Christ in the province of Zambezia and through out central-northern Mozambique.  Please, join with us in prayer.  Support us financially as you feel God leading you.  Drop us a line every once in a while.  We’d love to hear from you.  Remember our new email address:  revnahead@gmail.com   I’m sure Esther and Jonathan would love to get a note from you as well.  Here are their email addresses:  Esther – ehaug10@kijabe.net   and Jonathan – jhaug11@kijabe.net

God bless you!

Mark, Donna, Esther, Jonathan and Jesse Haug

Dear Family and Friends,

Many of you have been watching with vivid interest the happenings on this side of the world.  Somehow, world events have a bit of a different twist to them when your life is tied into them.  Though we don’t have access to CNN or BBC on television, we are doing our best to keep up with things on our frustratingly slow internet connection.  This coming week promises more tension in the land of Kenya.  This coming week, Friday, is also when Esther, Jonathan, Mark and I are supposed to fly into Kenya ourselves.  Naturally we will not consider making the trip unless we feel it is safe to do so.  Therefore we watch the news with an unusual interest, wait for further direction from Rift Valley Academy, and pray that God will bring peace and stability to that beautiful country.

The bright side of these events in our personal lives is that we have been blessed with three extra weeks of having Esther and Jonathan home with us.  Let me give you a peek into the events of the past month for our family.

On December 23^rd, the Haug family and Grandma and Grandpa Stuckless climbed into our loaded truck and began the seven hour drive to Nampula, northern Mozambique.  We were going to spend Christmas on the beach in Nacala!  The highway north of here has improved tremendously from what it used to be.  That being said, it has a long way to go!  Large sections (80 kms) of the tar road are filled with potholes.  Many of the bridges are not yet built, so we take detours to cross on temporary bridges.  At one point, there was even a detour on the detour because the temporary bridge had caved in.  However, we arrived safely at the SIL Guesthouse in Nampula and had time to do a little bit of shopping. 

That day we also discovered that the scheduled flight that was to take Esther and Jonathan to RVA in Kenya on the 1^st of January was canceled by the airline due to the holiday.  Twenty-two RVA kids were now scrambling to try to get another flight to Kenya.  School was to start on the 2^nd.  We were so upset with the airline for leaving us stranded.  The next available flight was on the 5^th.  The children would miss three days of school, but worse then that for us, we would have to miss our missionary retreat in Malawi which was scheduled for the 2^nd to the 7^th.  We were finally able to book another flight out of Blantyre, Malawi on the 2^nd of January.  Thinking this was all resolved, we proceeded to enjoy a week of holiday at a beach house about 2 hours from Nampula. 

Nacala is a beautiful bay, sheltered from the waves of the Indian Ocean, and full of coral reefs and crystal clear water.  What a treat.  Our whole family loves snorkeling, so we took full advantage.  We were in awe of the beauty and vastness of the underwater world God created.  Mark took Esther and Jonathan on an introductory course for scuba diving.  They loved it.  Mark is now hooked on it, and wants to get me to join him in doing a full course soon.  I’m a little more hesitant about being that far underwater.  I’m not the water baby he is.  However, it does sound fascinating.  I just may have to try this out.  One more highlight of the week – we now have a new pet.  He’s the cutest thing you ever saw.  You’ll have to look at the pictures to see what I mean.

Two days before we were to leave for Blantyre, we got a phone call from Steve Chaloner in Nairobi telling us about the events in Kenya.  After a few more phone calls, we found out RVA had delayed their opening day of school until January 7^th now, in hopes that things would settle down in the country.  Being the masters of flexibility, we rebooked the children’s flights to the closest date, now January 8^th and once again the upside – we now could take Esther and Jonathan to the retreat with us!  We were so thankful that they had not been able to leave on that first flight after all.  God knew!

So, on January 2^nd we once again piled into the truck and began the long journey on dirt road (well, 90% of the way) to Lake Malawi.  Thirteen hours later, feeling rather “pressed down and shaken together”, we arrived at our destination.  We were quickly rejuvenated as we joined in the fellowship, worship, prayer times and leisure times with our fellow missionaries from Southern Africa.  Rev. Gene Clarke (Hamilton) was our special speaker.  He spoke from the heart and encouraged us all to be people of Passion, to keep our Perspective, to Persevere under difficulty, to Protect the breached walls of our souls (Nehemiah), and to depend on the power of Prayer.

Meanwhile, intense prayer was being raised to heaven on behalf of the nation of Kenya by believers all over the continent, many who have experienced the chaos of similar situations.  We finally made connection on the internet mid-week and discovered that RVA had once again delayed the opening of school, this time till the 19^th of January.  Although relieved that we had a bit more time to allow things to hopefully settle down before sending our children there, we now had to rebook those flights.  Thankfully we were able to change the plans once again, this time till the 18^th.

So now we are back at home enjoying a couple more weeks of respite from the turmoil of our outside world.  Due to our very active rainy season this year, we cleaned up many dustpans full of bugs from our floor.  We’re still trying to get the smell out of our living room.  Ugh!  Jesse started back into his homeschool this week.  Esther and Jonathan had thought they were home-free for a couple of weeks, but their teachers have started sending them homework via email!  ;)  They weren’t too thrilled with that idea, but the teachers are doing their best to not have to extend school into their next break.

Today’s news is not too encouraging for Kenya.  The opposition is calling for protests for next Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.  The police commissioner says the protests will not be allowed.  And we are due to fly into Nairobi on Friday.  Needless to say, we are keeping our options open and trying to keep flexible.  Please do continue to pray.  Pray for peace in that land.  Pray for our brothers and sisters in the Lord who are very distressed for their country and many who have already lost loved ones in the conflict.  Pray for wisdom for RVA as they decide what to do about this term at school.  Apparently it has happened in the past that they have had to cancel the term completely (ie. During the events following 9/11).  We certainly do not want that to happen in this situation, but we need to be confident that our children will be safe.  Pray for peace of mind in the coming weeks for our family as well.

Meanwhile, we are looking to the future of the Bible School here in Zambezia.  A new school year begins on January 27^th.  Classes are being assigned to the various teachers.  Plans for future development of the programs offered at the school and of the physical building are also being evaluated.  There is much to do.  Our focus has been re-sharpened as we remember that we are not only pouring into the lives of individual students at EBZ, we are preparing them to be able to strengthen and build up the bride of Christ here in Zambezia.  Please pray for God’s direction as we make our plans and as the new term begins at the end of this month.

Please pray for our church leadership in the area where we live.  We feel that they are very much under attack in the past year.  Without strong church leadership, the church struggles and flounders.  Please pray that God would raise the standard of holiness in our churches and that His people would live as “bright lights shining in the darkness”.

Please pray as well for God to provide what we as your missionaries need to meet our budget.  We have not mentioned our budget on our updates to you till this point.  Last year we were responsible to personally raise 60% of our budget.  The rest was covered by the Mission Link general budget.  As of the end of November, we were still short on reaching that goal.  In this coming year, we will be responsible to raise 80% of our total budget.  If you are committed to supporting us on a regular basis already, could you send us a note to let us know what that amount will be?  If you would like to increase your regular giving or if you have not been contributing to the mission in Mozambique on a regular basis, would you consider doing so?  Regular contributions that we can count on give us peace of mind.  In coming newsletters, I will be including an update on our budget and the commitments we have received from you.  Together we are working to further the kingdom of God in Mozambique.  We count on your support financially and prayerfully, as well as your love shown by emails, letters, phone calls and visits.  We want you to know that we are praying for you, and that we appreciate all you do.

Together in service for Him,

Mark, Donna, Esther, Jonathan and Jesse

Dear Friends and Family,

Life’s like a dream.    How often Mom and I have said that over the years.  You look forward to something for so long, then all of a sudden it’s over and all you have is the memories.  Would you like a peek at my “dreams” of late?

The Warden team finished their task of installing the ceiling at the Bible College.  What a difference it made!  Not only has it cut down on the heat baking the building through the tin roof, but it has also cut down on the noise level incredibly.  Every time it rained hard while someone was teaching, it was impossible to continue teaching until the rains let up again.  We had a sneak preview of the difference it made one night when the guys were working late and the skies opened up.  Jim walked into the office area which still did not have the ceiling installed and was blown away by the racket in there.  We are so grateful for all their hard work, dedication, determination, and their sweet spirits as they “rolled with the punches.”  Thanks Jim, Corey, Matthew and Rommel!

On Sunday, October 28^th, we had our 3^rd graduation at the Bible School here in Zambezia.  We had a small graduating class this year with 11 men marching down the aisle giving God praise for helping them through three years of studies.  Many of these men sacrifice greatly to be able to invest in themselves and their ministry.  Their families also make a great sacrifice.  Please pray for our graduates as they jump back into their churches and share the knowledge of the Word of God that they have gleaned over their time at EBZ.

Mark drove the Warden team back to Malawi on the 31^st.  Then came a bit of a reward for all their hard labors - they went to Liwonde National Park.  In the space of 24 hours they were able to take in a night drive and a day drive in an open Land Rover through the park, a hike with a guide, and a boat safari (game ride) down the river.  Among the great variety of God’s creatures that they saw, it sounded like the most captivating was watching the elephants pushing each other around in the river.  We were so glad that they got to enjoy that treat.  They left African soil on Friday, November 2^nd.  But, somehow I think they took a little bit of Africa home with them in their hearts.

Mark arrived back home on Saturday afternoon, only to turn around on Sunday morning to begin yet another journey.  Mark, Donna, Jesse, Rex and Rita piled into the Cruiser and headed south toward Maputo for our National Conference of the Assemblies of God.  It takes us two 12-hour days to drive down there.  We decided to break up the trip just a bit this time around.  We spent the day on Monday resting in Inhassoro enjoying the beach and exploring a little bit.  It was a time of refreshing and family time which was much appreciated by all of us after the busy couple of weeks we’ve had. 

National Conference was a blessing.  One thing we were all so very happy to see was that the church is taking its role seriously when it comes to disciplining pastors who have erred.  It is a sign of maturity for which we are grateful to the Lord.  The sermons brought to the conference by their leaders were inspired and anointed.  Conference culminates each year with the Graduation Ceremony for the Maputo Bible College on Saturday and then the closing service of the Conference on Sunday.  The large church where these services were held was packed and overflowing.  Somehow, the three and four hour services don’t seem quite as arduous as they used to.  I’m not sure that Jesse would agree.  ;)  Jesse was blessed that week with the privilege of being able to go to a “real school”.  He attended classes at his old school, the Christian Academy of Mozambique, in Maputo.  He so enjoyed making some new friends and renewing old acquaintances.

After a quick trip to South Africa to do some Christmas shopping and haircuts on Monday, and a PAOC Missionary Field Fellowship business meeting on Tuesday, we started our return journey home. Two days later, we arrived in Nicoadala, glad to be back in our own beds again … if only for four days.  In those four days, Jesse and I packed as much homeschool in as we could to make up for our time away.  Also, we were FINALLY able to find a floor tile the right size and at least a similar pattern to what was missing in the children’s rooms upstairs.  We called our “tile guy” in to lay the tiles in the bedrooms and on the landing at the top of the stairs.  By 12:30 a.m. on the night before we were to leave to pick up the children, I was able to finish getting their rooms ready for them to come home.

At 5 a.m. the next morning we were up again to begin yet another 7-hour journey to the city of Nampula where we were to pick Esther and Jonathan up at the airport.   They were coming home for their Christmas break.  This was their first term at RVA in Kenya, and this trip was their first airplane ride without their Mom and Dad.  Apparently, leaving Kenya they had a bit of trouble because they had too much luggage.  They were not aware that they could not take two bags each.  Jonathan has learned the art of negotiation very well from his father, and Esther did her part by sitting there and crying … but thankfully, they allowed them to go through and take their luggage as well.  We were so relieved to see them come through those doors.  It was a long awaited hug for each of them. 

OK, so we don’t want to travel anywhere now for a while.  We just want to stay home for a bit - at least for another month.  ;)  I’m setting the table for five again.  Jesse has someone to play with.  I have teenagers lying around the house, staying up late, sleeping late in the mornings.  I’m washing PILES of laundry.  And I’m happy.  

Thank you for your prayers for us over the past few weeks.  In the five months that we’ve been back in Mozambique, Mark has put over 30,000 km on his odometer.   I certainly hope this pace will not continue at this rate, but we are so grateful for the Lord’s protection on these African roads.  God is good.  We will be making the most of family time in the next while, but there is still work to do.  This weekend, Mom and I are both teaching at a Ladies Convention in Quelimane.  Next weekend, December 8-9, we will be making a trip to Taquane to participate in the launching of the Bible in the Taquane language as well as a translation of the Jesus Film in the Taquane language in cooperation with many other missionaries.  The trip will be interesting (involving crossing on a causeway – part of which is underwater - through a river since the bridge is not yet finished), and it will be a great celebration.  Please keep us in your prayers for these ministry opportunities.

Have a blessed weekend!

Together in Service for Him,

Mark, Donna, Esther, Jonathan and Jesse Haug

Just for interest sake – We shared American Thanksgiving yesterday with the missionary family in Quelimane.  We had turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce … but we also had BBQ’d hippo and reedbuck.  And it was GOOD!

And just for fun, it was 47 degrees Celsius in the sun today (at 10:00AM).  Anybody want to trade in their snow for some sunshine?  Maybe we could just share and both be comfortable!  ;)  Well, maybe only in heaven.

I’ve been getting a couple of notes lately wondering when I’d be updating my blog again. Can it really be that long?

Since returning from our trip in Nairobi, it feels like we have been rushing from one major event to another. Let’s see if I can summarize them for you.

1. HOMESCHOOL – After allowing ourselves a day to recuperate from our journey and catching up on laundry and dusting, Jesse and I turned our eyes to homeschool. We have embarked on a new adventure this year. We are using Northstar Academy, an online Christian School curriculum based out of Alberta. Because of the rather high cost (comparatively speaking), we decided to do only one course using the Academy itself. This means that we download all the lessons to our computer, Jesse completes his assignments, and we email them back to his teacher in Canada who grades the work. The rest of the courses, we are using their curriculum, but I do the grading myself.

Our biggest challenge has been the internet. Even with our new wireless telephone line, we have our frustrations. However, we are thankful that it has been serving us well for the past couple of weeks. Jesse is becoming a pretty accomplished typist, and he enjoys the work – most of the time.

2. TRIP TO NORTHERN MOZAMBIQUE – One of mark’s new responsibilities will be taking over the supervision of the E.T.E. (Theology by Extension) Program in Central/Northern Mozambique. Missionary Bill Mercer started this ministry 20 years ago. It has grown to over 110 centers, teaching over 1,500 students basic Christian theology and Bible knowledge. Each year, Bill visits all of the centers doing graduation ceremonies, handing out certificates to undergrads, encouraging the leaders, and resolving issues. This year, Bill took Mark along with him to introduce him to all the centers and to meet the people.

The journey began with difficulties. Bill’s truck broke down in Chimoio, a town 6 hours southwest of us. It turns out he blew the head gasket. So now Bill, all his E.T.E. books, the grad gowns etc. were stranded. Mark hopped in his vehicle, and so began the journey of over 9,500 km.

In a matter of two weeks, Mark and Bill visited 24 centers in 4 provinces, and slept in 11 different beds. Needless to say, they were both pretty tired by the time they returned. However Mark came back with a fresh vision of the importance of the E.T.E. program, and with a few new ideas of how to encourage the growth of the program both quantitatively and qualitatively.

3. VISITORS FROM TORONTO – Just a short time later, Mark and Jesse drove six hours once more, this time northwest to the country of Malawi. Four of those hours were on dirt roads. Mark left Jesse to play with some Missionary Kids in Blantyre, and the next day continued his journey, another four hours north, to the city of Lilongwe where he was to meet a team of four men from Warden Full Gospel Assembly. Jim Fifield, Corey Jenkins, Matthew Morgan, and Rommel Vivas arrived safely. Unfortunately, they got an initiation into life in Africa. One of their bags did not arrive. After waiting one extra day in Lilongwe, it still did not arrive. They had to leave without it, after purchasing a few necessary items of clothing and medicines.

In their first week here, they discovered what they had already been told … TIA – This Is Africa! The wrong materials were delivered to the school. The wood was not “Home Depot” quality. It is HOT. The food is different – they have been eating their lunches at the Bible School with the students. They have come up with their own acronym – TAC – This Ain’t Canada! There was much progress, however, and to our eyes, the work seems to be flying along.

On the weekend, three of the guys joined Mark on a ministry trip to the Luabo area. Corey was disappointed to not be able to go, as the traveler's diarrhea which had touched each of the guys over the week, got a stronger hold on him. The others drove the five hour drive with a large portion of it over progressively worsening dirt roads. Jim’s 4x4 driving skills were put to the test, and he came through with flying colors … and dust. They were literally “in the bush”.

As they arrived at the church well after dark, they were greeted by a singing welcome that blew them away. They showed the Jesus film, ate lots of “traditional” African food, slept in a tent, showered in a thatched grass stall standing on rolling logs, laid out the foundations for a new church, had a church service on the Sunday and then began the long ride home. It was an eye-opening experience for all of them.

This week, they are back at the construction work once more. They have been inventing very interesting scaffolding using ladders, boards and a Land Cruiser?! They have been learning that when replacement parts for your electrical tools are not the exact fit, you need to MacGyver them to make them fit. With three days of work left before it must be finished so that preparations for our graduation can get underway, there is still much to do. However, with perseverance, we believe they will finish on time.

4) RVA – Meanwhile, Esther and Jonathan are at boarding school in Kenya. We keep in touch through phone calls to their cell phones (Mom’s life-line) and the occasional short email (like pulling teeth!) They had a mid-term break in Nairobi with Janice Foss, a PAOC missionary who came to our rescue when both of our guardians were unavailable to take them. Their mom was ready to “just bring them home!” However, Janice offered to take them, and they enjoyed a relaxing five days away from the school. They are both enjoying it at RVA. They have made many friends and have done better academically so far than they did in Canada. So, we are grateful. We look forward to November 20^th when they will be coming home for their Christmas Break.

5) TEACHING AT EBZ – Today, Mark is teaching his last class at the Bible School for this year. He has compressed four weeks of study into two weeks by teaching double classes – four hours in the mornings. It’s been challenging, but so very rewarding for him. He loves teaching and enjoys “seeing the light come on” as the students grasp a new concept. Tomorrow will be the final exam and then graduation will be on Sunday morning.

We love hearing from you. Drop us a line when you think of us and when God lays us on your heart for special prayer. Here are some areas you can pray specifically for us:

PLEASE PRAY:

1) HOMESCHOOL – Pray that Jesse would continue to be motivated to do his best in his “virtual school”.

2) ETE COURSE – Pray for the leaders of the course, that they will be encouraged and that God would supply their every need.

3) TEAM FROM CANADA - Pray for health. Pray that the work would be completed in time. Pray that God would lay a strong burden upon their hearts for the people of Mozambique and the ministry to the church here.

4) ESTHER AND JONATHAN AT RVA – Pray for continued health and perseverance in their studies.

5) BIBLE SCHOOL STUDENTS – Pray for provision as they return to their families after three months of being away. Pray that they will use what they’ve learned to be even more effective in ministry.

6) TRAVELING MERCIES –

October 31 – November 2 – Driving to Lilongwe to take the team to the airport.

November 2 – 3 – Team flies to Toronto

November 5 – 15 - Haugs and Stuckless drive to Maputo for National Conference and Field Fellowship Meetings.

November 19-21 – Haugs to Nampula to pick up Esther and Jonathan who will be flying (back to Moz from Kenya) without Mom and Dad for the first time.

September 8, 2007

Dear Friends and Family,

It’s Saturday afternoon, and they’ve left me all alone. Mark and Jesse have gone into Quelimane for the afternoon.  I must sit down and write a long overdue account of the past few weeks for you.  I know that so many of you have been praying constantly for us.  We want you to know how much we deeply appreciate it.  We have felt those prayers carrying us through the challenges of the past couple of weeks.  The Lord’s peace has been so real through it all.  Let me fill you in on some of our adventures.  First, let me warn you, this is a long letter – it was a long trip! ;)  If it’s too long for you, skip to Days 9-11 to read about RVA.  But really, you don’t want to miss the ride.  Let’s go.

We left here on Saturday, August 18^th.  The Land Cruiser was packed to the hilt inside with suitcases, sleeping mats and sleeping bags, coolers, 5 people and a few books, Ipods and toys to keep us occupied.  The roof top tent was mounted on the roof along with two extra jerry cans of fuel “just in case”.  We left the house at about 5:30 a.m., and so began our adventure. 

What is traveling like in Africa?  Well, at this time of year the mornings and evenings are pleasant enough (even cool on some parts of our journey).  It warms up during the daytime, but we thank God for air conditioners in the vehicles.  We usually drive for 2 – 3 hours at a time and then make a stop along the side of the road.  We typically search for a place with no huts or bicycles in sight (sometimes that can prove a bit of a challenge!) and where Mark can get the vehicle off the road enough to feel safe.  There is no such thing as Tim Hortons here, so we bring coffee in a thermos, cool drinks, and snacks along in our cooler.  The toilet facilities are huge and well ventilated ;) … but they never have toilet paper.  We always venture into the bush well armed in that way!  We are typically on the road 8 – 12 hours in an African travel day.  This particular journey averaged about 12 hours a day.  The entire trip summed up to just over 100 hours!

So …

Day 1 – Nicoadala, Mozambique to Lilongwe, Malawi

The first four hours or so of our journey was on dirt roads – our most direct link to Malawi.  This time of year is the beginning of what they call the “burnings”.  Bush along the side of the road gets burned once a year.  It can be quite a spectacular sight at times.  It’s also hazy and dusty.  At the border, we had a 2 hour delay as they insisted that the three of us who had not yet had our yellow fever shots would need them to leave the country, even if we did not plan to live in Kenya.  God provided a Christian lady who took us to town, opened her clinic, and gave us the shots so we could continue on our way. 

Once we crossed into Malawi we sailed along on lovely paved roads and soaked in the beauty of the mountains and tea plantations.  What an oasis and a contrast from what we’d just left.  We stayed overnight at a missionary’s house … and they were not even there.  They were in South Africa for a month’s training at the MET center.  We were met by other missionaries who brought us a pizza supper, fresh towels and a warm welcome.

Day 2 – 5:30 a.m. – Lilongwe, Malawi to Tukuyu town, Mozambique

Northern Malawi is blessed with the lovely Lake Malawi.  Its crystal clear blue water looks so inviting.  It’s unfortunate that most fresh water lakes in Africa are contaminated with snails along their edges that give daring swimmers a sickness called “bilharzia”.  We also had to drive over a range of mountains.  I have never been on such narrow roads with switchbacks and drop offs and such breath-taking views.  Mind you, meeting any one of the dozens of heavy trucks coming around those corners was enough to take anyone’s breath away! 

Crossing the border into Tanzania was not an issue.  It took a while as usual, but Mark was able to work through all the paperwork, and I sat in the car reading our book out-loud to the kids.  What a life-saver those books were!  I read literally for hours almost every day we drove.  Makes for a mom with a rough throat, but a much more pleasant trip for all! 

At the border they suggested a nice place for us to stop would be in Tukuyu town at a hotel called “Landmark Hotel”.  The hotel rooms were HUGE with two double beds, a TV with a couple of channels (all in Swahili), and a good sized bathroom.  They even had toilet paper!  ;)  We all got a chuckle as we read their brochure describing the location – “Greenish plays a big role in the area.”

Day 3 – 5:30 a.m. – Tukuyu town to Tabora, Tanzania

It turned out that “greenish” was a very accurate description of that area.  Its hilly countryside was so very lush and abundant in all kinds of produce.  The views were spectacular – once the fog burned off.  We drove an hour or so to the city of Mbeya.  In his rather rusty Swahili, Mark spoke to several different people about the best way to get from Mbeya to Mwanza.  It turns out that there is no GOOD way to get there.  After a bit of a detour, we ended up finding the most direct route north. 

It started off as a little bit of a narrower paved road than we had seen up to that point, but it wasn’t too bad …  Then we started climbing.  Our paved road ended and a narrow, rutted, rocky dirt road took its place.  I started sending side-long glances in Mark’s direction which he avoided with a slight smile.  The kids started saying, “It’s ok, Mom.  Where’s your sense of adventure?”  After a good while of bouncing, we finally reached an old sign announcing that we had reached the “highest trunk road in the country”.  We took a little break, seeking out the best bushes and then taking some more pictures.  While the kids were occupied with their exploring, I pulled Mark aside – “Are you SURE about this?”  But, really we had no options that were much better at this point.  We searched our map on Mark’s good old GPS and followed the road all the way to Mwanza.  This was really the only road available to us at that point.  So on we went.  (By the way, when we zoomed IN on the GPS we found an interesting little comment beside the road we were now traveling – “Not recommended” ….. Really?!)

Well, we didn’t arrive in Mwanza that night.  As a matter of fact, we didn’t arrive in Tabora until 11:30 at night!!!  We drove on every type of off-road experience you would ever want to try:  narrow, wider, rocky, sandy, deep sand, washboard, rutted, black cotton soil, etc.  We didn’t realize we had also driven through a wildlife reserve.  Supposedly there are all kinds of animals in that area.  We didn’t see a thing besides an impala or two (little deer-like creatures). 

We arrived in Tabora to find they had “rolled up the sidewalks after dark”.  And it was DARK.  There were very few street lights anywhere.  We had the reassurance of having our tent along if need be, but we really wanted a hotel.  We drove by an Arab-looking man at the edge of a street and asked if he knew of a hotel in town where we could stay.  He climbed in the truck with us and took us through dark, quiet roads until suddenly we arrived at the most gorgeous old hotel.  How on earth did it get HERE?  It turns out that Tabora was the headquarters for the Germans when they had colonized Tanzania.  This hotel had been built specifically for Kaiser Wilhelm – who by the way, never made it to visit his hotel.  After independence the hotel had been taken over by the government, but over the years it had fallen into a terrible state of disrepair.  A third generation Arab-Tanzanian who had spent about 20 years abroad, decided to purchase the hotel from the government a few years ago and invested a couple of million dollars into the facility.

What a welcome!  The owner was still there at that hour.  He welcomed us, chatted with us for a long time, opened his kitchen for us so that we could order some supper … Unbelievable.  We didn’t get to bed until about 1:30 a.m., but our tummies were full and we had a cozy little room in which to sleep.

Day 4 – Tabora, TZ to Mwanza, TZ

We slept in a bit that morning (I wonder why?), had a nice breakfast and then hit the road again.  The first two hours were on a “nice” dirt road, but then we hit a brand new highway that took us the rest of the way to Mwanza.  I wanted to get out and kiss the pavement!  Soon we started hitting towns Mark recognized.  Most of you are aware that Mark grew up in Tanzania as a missionary kid.  He lived in Mwanza for many years.  His father built their house there as well as the Bible College facilities and church.  When Mark was 15, they had to leave suddenly after his dad had a brain hemorrhage and had to be flown to Canada.  He hadn’t been back since.  Twenty-five years later, this was a bit of a pilgrimage for Mark.

We arrived in Mwanza in the early afternoon.  Mwanza has grown considerably since Mark had been there last, but he was able to find his way around without difficulty.  He found the Bible College straight away, and it only took a little bit of wandering to find the entrance to the house.  We were welcomed by LouDell and Ron Posein.  It was wonderful to walk around the property and house and see how things have been so well taken care of and renovated over the years.  Esther slept in “Joyce’s room”, the boys slept in “Mark’s room”, and Mark and I slept on what used to be his balcony!  What a trip down memory lane!

Day 5 – A DAY OF REST – Mwanza, TZ

The next day we just stayed in town.  We wandered around looking at all of Mark’s old stomping grounds.  We visited the old yacht club where he used to spend his holidays from school.  We drove by the first apartment block they lived in in Mwanza.

Then we went out to visit the Starehe Orphanage which the Poseins started many years ago.  What a lovely place – a testimony to the provision and direction of God and of what can be accomplished by people of vision who trust in God.  I was so blessed as we walked around that property and saw what was being done for those children.  It’s so encouraging to see first hand the work that our fellow missionaries are doing in other parts of the world.

Day 6 – 5:30 a.m. (again!)  Mwanza, Tz to Just south of Arusha, Tz

We said good-bye to Mwanza and headed north out of town.  We had to drive right by Nassa, which is the site of the Victoria Primary School.  This was the boarding school Mark and Joyce attended for their elementary years.  The school was all closed up at the time and overgrown with disuse; however, there are plans to use the facilities as a Bible Training Campus in the near future.

Soon we arrived at the entrance to the Serengeti National Park.  Driving through the park is the better route to Kenya, but also much more expensive than driving straight north and through more of Kenya.  With such a great chance to let the kids see this famous park, we had to do it.  Having traveled through several other parks such as Kruger National Park in South Africa and South Luangwa National Park in Zambia, what struck us in this particular park was the savannah.  The wide open spaces with hills off in the distance were incredible to see.  One disadvantage, however, was that we could see lots of animals, but they were WAY off in the distance.  We used our binoculars an awful lot just to tell what kind of animals we saw.  The dirt roads and lack of signs on the roads were very good indicators that this was not the developed tourist attraction that Kruger was.  It is much more geared to the tour guides in their safari vehicles taking people around to see the sights. 

We exited the Serengeti at 4 p.m., and then we were in the Ngorongoro National Reserve.  We had two hours to cross this reserve, climb the Ngorongoro Crater, and get down the other side and exit the reserve by 6 p.m.  The climb up and over the crater was another awe-inspiring event.  The views were astounding, and the roads … once again were breath-taking – in every sense of that word!  We didn’t go down into the crater itself, but it looked so inviting.  It would have cost us another “ton” of money, and so we decided to keep on going.  We followed a Parks truck all the way down the other side of the crater.  Once more we faced narrow switchbacks with edge-of-your-seat drop offs, only this time we were on a time limit.  We had to exit the park before they closed the gates!  It was rather nerve wracking, but we got down there by 6:20 … and they were kind enough to let us through.  Whew!  After rejecting one hotel because they would have had to keep our firstborn to pay for it, and then rejecting another because it did not look like a safe location at all, we finally found a safe, simple, yet comfortable hotel in a town an hour south of Arusha.  Once again, God had provided for us.

Day 7 – 5:30 a.m. (such a wonderful time of day) Karatu, TZ to Nairobi, KE

Now came the day we had been most praying about.  We had been told that we would have big problems crossing the border into Kenya because of a particular document they would require in order for us to take our vehicle into the country. It was absolutely impossible for us to get this document, so we went, just trusting in the Lord.  Mark was awake during the night before praying about this for a long time.  As we arrived at the border, Mark was met by a guy who asked if he had this document.  When he said he didn’t have it, the guy said, “They won’t let you in.  You’ll never get through.”  Mark left to “face the lions” and the kids and I sat in the truck and prayed.  We had been praying specifically that God would provide someone who would make it possible for us to get through.  Two different officials had already told Mark that it was impossible for him to take the car across.  It just was not going to happen.  BUT, then God …  We have been told not to tell anyone, so I’m not telling you.  Suffice it to say that God miraculously provided a way.  ;)

We arrived in Nairobi on Friday, just in time to face a traffic jam.  Once again, in spite of over 25 years since his last visit, Mark was able to find his way around the city.  Finding the entrance to the PAOC guesthouse proved to be a bit of a challenge, but after a while we found it.  We had arrived.  Our long journey was over – well … half over.  We still had to drive back home.  But for now anyway, we could rest.  It took us six days of driving, but we made it.

Day 8 – Nairobi, KE

We spent Saturday recuperating, doing laundry, shopping in a MALL(!), and enjoying our last day alone with our kids.  The children played together so nicely.  The guesthouse has the most perfect “climbing tree” which quickly became all sorts of things as the children enjoyed the freedom of not sitting in a truck!  I felt like it was the calm before the “storm”.  Our emotions have been keyed up for the next couple of days.  We enjoyed our time there to the fullest.

Day 9 – 10   Rift Valley Academy

On Sunday morning we drove out to RVA and started the first of two days of Parent-New Student Orientation.  RVA is about a 45 minute drive from Nairobi.  It is located on the side of the “escarpment” looking out over the Rift Valley and with Mount Longanot in the distance.  I told Jonathan I was really jealous over his view from his bedroom window!  It is a beautiful school.  But what impressed me the most was the sense of love and concern that I felt from all of the teachers, administration staff and the dorm parents.  The sessions such as “Parenting from Afar” were very helpful.  We got the registration processes all completed and settled the children into their respective dorms.  We met their dorm parents and roommates.  We watched as they ventured off on their own to make new friends and explore their new surroundings.  They have been blessed with Mark’s “out-going and adventuresome” spirit instead of their mother’s “quiet and cautious” spirit.  Both of them settled in so very quickly.  It put this mother’s heart at ease to see them fitting in.

Our original plan had been to start for home on the following day.  However, there were a few things we had neglected to get the kids (such as hangers!).  So, acting on advice from others, we decided to put off our return trip by one day.  We returned to Nairobi, leaving Esther and Jonathan at RVA, on Monday night and did some shopping for them.

Day 11 – Nairobi and RVA

After completing our shopping and packing, we headed back out to RVA after lunch on the Tuesday.  We met the kids and spent about 1 ½ hours with them.  We had to keep calling Jonnie back from hanging out with his friends.  “Hang with your momma for a  few minutes!”  Somehow, I don’t think they will have too much trouble.  When the time came for us to say the final good-byes, we gathered around the side of the truck, held hands and prayed together.  Then the tears started flowing.  (Funny, they’re starting to flow again, even as I write this!)  It was so hard to drive away, knowing we would be so far away for such a long time.  It was a very quiet drive back to Nairobi except for quite a few sniffles here and there.  Over and over again, I prayed committing my kids into God’s care and asking for his watchful eye over my “little ones”. 

Day 12 – 5:30 a.m. (not again!)  Nairobi, KE to Chalinze, TZ

Leaving Nairobi brought on another gusher of tears from Mommy and another volley of prayers sent to heaven.  I knew beyond a doubt that there were people upholding us in prayer in those days.  In spite of the tears, I had such a peace knowing that my children were in good hands.  God was leading our lives, and I could trust in Him.

Crossing back into Tanzania was uneventful, and we once again thanked God for His provision in getting us in and out of the country safely.  We drove through Arusha and Moshi and drove by the beautiful Mount Kilimanjaro.  Then we headed south.  In taking this alternate route home, we were going to be doing some backtracking (almost going as far as the coast and back out again) but at least we were on paved roads all the way.  That first day we pushed to make it as far as Chalinze.  It was a little two-bit town and we arrived after dark.  So, we had a hard time finding a place to sleep that night.  After much searching we found the Maasai Hotel down some hidden pathway masquerading as a road.  They only charged us $6 for the three of us.  Mark was tempted to ask if that was the ‘per hour’ rate.  The hotel had no restaurant – only a bar with black lights making everything white glow.  Interesting.  We pulled out our cooler and ate what we had with us.  Then we slept in a tiny little room that smelled a little moldy.  The bathroom was a cubby hole but it had a toilet and sink – no toilet paper though.  Mark barricaded the door with a chair.  We used our own sheets and blankets and finally laid down to rest.  Then, half way through the night the power went out.  However, we saw no mosquitoes and we were lying down in a bed.

Day 13 – Chalinze, TZ to Tukuyu town, TZ

Needless to say, getting up at 5:00 to leave was a bit more of a challenge with everything pitch dark.  Mark went to get our flashlight and we hurriedly dressed, gather our things and left.  As grateful as I was for a place to rest, I was glad to get on the road again.

This day’s trip was again on nicely paved roads.  We were on the famous highway from Dar es Salaam to Lusaka, Zambia.  It is the main commerce road for that land-locked country.  I have never seen so many transport trucks on a highway in my life.  We saw very few personal vehicles the whole day.  But the trucks and buses have no respect for life.  We held our breath numerous times as buses would overtake other buses or trucks just at the crest of a hill or on a corner.  We were the recipient of one of these dangerous breaks at one point.  Mark had to come to a complete stop in order to make room for a truck to get back in his lane when he crested the hill ahead of us blocking the entire road.  He pulled over as far as he could.  The drop off on my side of the truck made us both take a minute to say, “Thank you, Lord!” before we continued on our way. 

The highway goes right through the top end of Mikumi National Park.  We had never heard of it.  But, in that little park we saw some animals we hadn’t seen up until then, and many that we had only seen at quite a distance.  I love giraffes and we now saw a couple of herds right beside the road.  We saw elephants for the first time too.  They were smaller than Kruger’s elephants, but this one matriarch had the longest tusks we’ve ever seen on an elephant.  They were very thin but almost reached to the ground.  That was a very neat experience.

Thankfully, we made it back to the Landmark Hotel in Tukuyu before dark.  We decided not to push it any further.  We’d had enough of driving in the dark in Africa.  It’s not a fun experience.

Day 14 – Tukuyu, TZ to Lilongwe, Malawi

We left the highlands of southwestern Tanzania and crossed into northern Malawi the first thing in the morning.  The border opened an hour later than we had expected,  so we stopped for a roadside breakfast as we waited.  The crossing was uneventful again.  The next obstacle was that same mountain range again which we had crossed on our way up.  It didn’t seem quite so long of a journey now that we knew where it was going and compared to some of the other things we’d faced on the way.  We made it to Lilongwe before dark and stay with Dr. Chris and Heather Brooks and their daughter, Chloe.  We had a wonderful supper together with Stewart and Zelda-Mae Hunter, and Pat (aka George) and Anne who are co-workers of the Brooks. 

Day 15 – Lilongwe, Malawi to Nicoadala, Mozambique

We left Lilongwe at 7 a.m. after having had a nice breakfast and visit with Dr. Chris and Heather.  We drove the 3 hours to Blantyre where we were to meet up with another missionary couple, Kirk and Jayne Flannigan, for lunch.  We knew them back in the days when we lived in Maputo, Moz.  Their kids were in school with my kids.  It was great to see them again.  Jayne has MS and has to use a motorized scooter to get around now.  She is an inspiration to me of an intense determination to fulfill God’s calling on one’s life in spite of hardships and health issues.

We left Blantyre at about 2 p.m. and headed for home.  We crossed our last border at 4 and were home at last by 8 p.m. that night.  Mom and Dad were waiting for us with wonderful welcoming hugs and a nice hot meal.

It was a trip of a lifetime.  I’m so glad that we did it.  We saw some incredible bits of Africa.  We built a treasure chest full of memories for our family.  We walked down memory lane with Mark.  And we made it home – with not a single flat tire (only one puncture with a slow leak), no mechanical problems, and no accidents.  Thank you, God!

So, now we are adjusting to life at home.  We spoke with both of the RVA-ites today.  They are both enjoying it very much up there.  They’ve made some great friends already and seem to have clicked well with their dorm parents.  They even enjoy school.  ;)  For us here at home, it’s awfully quiet.  Setting the table for three instead of five is hard.  But, we’re doing ok.  Jesse is enjoying home school.  He’s doing well with the new curriculum.  Mark is preparing for yet another two week journey starting next week.  He’ll be traveling around northern Mozambique with Bill Mercer visiting all the Theology by Extension Centers and attending their graduation ceremonies.  Mark will be taking over the leadership of TEE in the northern part of Mozambique in the new year.

Once again, thank you for your prayers for our family over the last few weeks and months.  We have felt the support of your prayers throughout our entire experience.  Please continue to pray for us.

Together in His service,

Mark, Donna, Esther, Jonathan and Jesse

P.S.    If you actually read this whole travel journal, you really should have made the trip with us!  Maybe next time?

Ok so... check list:

1)  New passports are in hand.  Forty-eight blank pages just waiting for visas and stamps to fill them up as we travel.

2)  About twenty pages of Application forms for Rift Valley Academy are filled in and emailed to Kenya.  Only ... about 10 more to go once we get our final medical exams done next week.

3)  Jesse's homeschool application forms are filled in and just awaiting one final bit of information before it gets sent in.  His math materials arrived today.

4)  We have 10 duffle bags and suitcases lined up in our basement.  We stuffed one with clothes to find out how much it would weigh.  With a bit of good news from the airline, we've found we have a much greater weight allowance than we had anticipated.  Now we breathe a little easier.

5)  The china cabinet was the first thing to be emptied.  Beautiful dishes and crystal put into hiding for another 4 years.  Thankfully we have a room in our basement where we can store a few things this time around.  Last time we left a few things at several different people's houses and garages.  "Now, where did we leave that again?"

6)  I've sorted through all the clothes.  We weeded out the winter-wear, worn-out wear, and grown-out wear.  We're in the process of replacing what is most needed thanks to a wonderful gift from the Warden Women's Ministries and also the Mission Link Outfit fund.  Theoretically, once this part is done, when it comes time for the actual packing, it'll just be a matter of "throwing" everything into the suitcases and away we go.      That's the plan anyway!

Little by little.  Step by step.  Day by day.  We'll make it ... right?!

This coming weekend we'll be in Montreal.  We'll be visiting an old friend, Dan Colantonio, and meeting with a number of people from his church on one night.  Then on the Sunday we'll be at what used to be known as the "German Branch" Church in Lachine.  We have a long history in that church.  Mark was born into that church, so to speak.  His parents attended and later pastored that church before they went overseas.  They returned to pastor there again after they had returned to Canada to stay.  We look forward to being with these wonderful people again.

June 24th will be a very special day for us.  Our home church, Warden Full Gospel Assembly here in Scarborough, are planning an "All Out" Sunday for our farewell service.  We are inviting all of our supporting churches and our friends who carry us in their hearts to make this a special "Mission to Mozambique" Sunday.  Whether individually or as a church body, would you consider spending some time calling out to God for the Haugs and for the ministry in Mozambique?  Maybe you would consider making a special donation to our ministry budget for this year or make a monthly commitment to our support.  Any donations or pledges of support can be sent through your church or sent to the following address:  PAOC Mission Link, 491 Westheights Dr., Kitchener, ON   N2N 1M2

The following Thursday, June 28th, we'll be flying out from the Toronto airport.  Waiting for us in Mozambique is the work God has called us to do.  Pastors and church leaders are still in need of training and equipping.  Rex and Rita Stuckless, who are not only our co-workers, but also my mom and dad, are waiting eagerly for our arrival.  One of our Mozambican co-workers was heading out this week to visit one of the areas affected by the flooding a couple of months ago.  We have some ERDO funds donated by compassionate Canadians which is available to assist in some of these areas.  Luis was to research the most needy areas to distribute these funds.  His comment was, "Where is our brother, Pr. Marcos, when we need him?" 

We're coming, Luis. 

It won't be long now.

See you soon.

The Haugs

1. The tickets are purchased - We leave for Africa on June 28th. 
2. You go grocery shopping and before buying some item in bulk you ask yourself, "Can we finish this before we leave?"
3. The weekends are filling up so quickly, you have to start booking "get togethers" in the mid-week.
4. Name labels are ordered and already in hand - ready to iron onto the tags of t-shirts, jeans, underware, and even inside socks.  Getting ready for boarding school!
5. You're offered a free vacation and say "No thanks!" becuase there just isn't enough time left.
6. Your house is up for rent.  The sign is up at WFGA.  We are officially looking for someone to live in our house while we're away.

The month of March was a busy one.  Aside from the typical school schedule for Mark and the kids, other missionary type activities filled the weekends.  It started in Port Colbourne where Mark did three services in one day.  It almost felt like some of his ministry schedules in Africa! 

Then we went away for March break.  No, it was exactly Florida.  We drove to Winnipeg.  Just in case you are unaware, that's a long drive - especially in a rented car!  We have SO enjoyed our mini-van this year!  Well, when we finally arrived in Winnipeg on Saturday night, we were relieved, to say the least.  It was a week of walking down memory lane - "blast from the past" was a favorite saying.  What a blessing to see "our youth" now all grown up, married, with children, and involved in so many leadership positions in the church and community.  Just in that one week we had 13 meetings - either churches, lunch meetings, etc.  On our return trip, we had a stop over in North Bay.   Staying with friends, laughing till the tears rolled down our cheeks, making terrific church connections, sharing our love and heart for Mozambique and its people ... makes it all worth while. 

Just over a week ago we were in Peterborough and Colbourne with my sisters and speaking at my uncle's church. 

And of course, this weekend just past was Easter weekend.  Christ the Lord is risen today!  Hallelujah!  It was a very busy weekend with our choir presentations involving solo specials - including our very own "white, black singer" (Mark singing "I Believe!"), my brother and his family in from out of town, and special Easter meals.  You know, it was such a treat to celebrate Easter in this way this year.  Easter in Africa is a very low key event.  What a pleasure to be with family and to celebrate in our home church.  God is so good.

Wherever you are today, take a moment to appreciate where you are and the blessings God has poured into your life.  We are truly a blessed people.  May the hope of Easter's message fill your hearts today.

With love from the Haugs