The Besfords in Mozambique
March, 2007
From Steve and Rebekah Besford
World Outreach Missionaries to Mozambique
Dear Friends and Family,
Greetings from Maforga Christian Mission!
We have now been here for two months and are well stuck into the work! It's been great coming back to somewhere where we know and have been before. We have another couple of months before we return to the UK in May to have the baby.
Let us tell you a bit about Maforga Mission. The vision of Maforga is to bless the people of Mozambique and to see them built up, discipled and trained in the Christian faith.
The mission is on the site of a farm which was previously owned by a German baroness. During the war Roy Perkins, the leader of Maforga, would come into Mozambique from Zimbabwe to bring relief to the people. The farm became a stop over point and eventually the baroness handed it over to Roy for his use. During the war years children would flock to the farm for refuge.
Today, Maforga is a community of Westerners and Mozambicans working on a variety of projects which continue to evolve to meet the changing needs of the local people. These include:
- Orphanage for about 100 children
- Primary school for the orphanage and local community (about
450 pupils)
- Technical School to provide skills training in woodwork and
metal work
- Medical Centre
- Community based orphan programme, this includes giving milk
and healthcare to babies who have lost their mothers or their
mothers are HIV+
- Farm - rearing cows, goats, sheep, chickens, ducks
- Wood mill to generate income for the mission
- Maize mill for use by the local community
- General store and cafe (to open soon)
- Church and outreaches to villages
Rebekah is working in the Medical Centre. The clinic sees up to 300 people per week coming from a 40km radius. Many illnesses and conditions are treated but the main health need of the area is malaria.
More complicated cases are referred to the city hospital, a one hour drive away, which has X-ray and theatre facilities.
Steve oversees the administration of all the medical work at Maforga. He is also involved in the prison ministry and visiting a local Church on a weekly basis.
We
have also been overseeing the Community-based orphan programme
while other team members are away.
The project aims to support orphaned babies in their own homes by providing milk, oil and sugar to the main carer of the child (the father or grandmother, etc.) and medical care.
The child has a weekly/fortnightly check-up to monitor their weight and general health, and the carer is taught how to prepare the milk, and principles of good hygiene.
Children considered 'at risk' because of ill health, severe malnutrition or poor weight gain are admitted, with their carer, to the baby unit at Maforga where the child receives food, health care treatment and supervision, often round-the-clock. There are currently 120 babies on the programme.
We are looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible during May to September 2007, when we will be in the UK.
Lots of love,
Steve, Rebekah and Nyasha
"And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with
your God." Micah 6v8
| Contact Address: | Steve and Rebekah Besford Caixa Postal 484 Chimoio Provincia de Manica Mozambique |
| Email Address: | beks_moz yahoo.com |
| Please do not send attachments
or photographs to this email address. Because our line is slow,
we cannot handle them. |
|
| Mobile Telephone: | 00 258 82 5661717 |
| Please note: If you dial a special number before the mobile number, you can get cheap (at present 5p/min) calls to Mozambique. Dial 0844 566 4848 and then when you hear the recorded voice message, dial the mobile number: 00 258 825 661717, followed by the hash # key. | |
Support for the work in Mozambique
Thank you for all your support over the last year. This is how we have used your gifts from April 2006 to March 2007: 26% Maziotela, including the Cashew Nut Factory, 24% feeding programs, 12% car maintenance, 11% the Naherenque Pastor's house, 8% Maforga Clinic, 7% our Rent, 5% Gifts, 4% miscellaneous including DIRE flights, 3% Church Ministry.
All gifts received before March '06 went towards set up costs, the main one being the purchase of the car.
Wanted
A Nurse or Doctor to cover the clinic while Rebekah is on maternity leave from May to November 2007. Experience of tropical medicine is preferable but not essential. Basic Portuguese is preferable but not essential.
For further information please contact Rebekah
at: beks_mozyahoo.com,
| Telephone: 01858 434 609 |
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UK Registered Charity No. 1101264 Registered Company No. 4837413 World Outreach, PO Box 9256, MARKET HARBOROUGH, LE16 0FH |
Email: mission wouk.org |