Change Is Coming

I’m not sure if I’ve ever talked about this before, but about a year ago I got word from Julie that oil had been discovered off the coast of Mozambique near Pemba. Well in the last the oil companies have started moving in. Pemba is indeed in a poor third world country, but it’s coast is lined with some of the most beautiful beaches you have ever seen.

The beach front just up the coast from the public beach is booming! All the empty properties have houses being built. All the rental properties have double or tripled their rents. There is even rumor of a nice house renting for $16,000 per month. To give you and idea a simple house on the coast last summer with 3 bedroom, kitchen, living room and indoor plumbing was renting for $600 last summer. It’s now $1,200. But my guess is if the renter moves out or their lease runs up the rent will jump to around $2,000 per month.

Pemba is changing. We now have high speed internet. A Shop Rite (big grocery store) is coming to town. More banks have showed up and even a few new gas stations. The number of cars driving in and out of town has probably tripled since I first came a year and a half ago. Actually the cars have probably doubled since my last trip 3 months ago.

There is this family who owns the best grocery store in town, they also own our version of Ace Hardware. Apparently he has always kept Shop Rite out of town. I keep joking that he has let Shop Rite in because he could care less about selling groceries. He is selling a toaster for $100, not a fancy one, but one that would go for not more than $20 in the States. I think I looked at a $500 microwave, one that you could easily pick up from Target for $60. This guy must be over selling bags of potato chips, he knows the money is in modern conveniences!

The good thing in all of this is that the oil companies are required to give to local charities. Dream Project is still trying to get in front of some of the companies but we are praying for a positive outcome.

A man from Social Services came by the other day to talk to Adriano and Julie. He is very concerned with the negative impact the oil will have on Pemba. He said the two main things are that people will come from the bush with promise of work, but when they arrive they will find nothing. They will end up on the street. Just today we went into town and looked around. Julie has always known of two children living on the street but while we waited at the one intersection in town (which will no doubt need a light soon) I counted 3 boys. Boys Julie had never seen before. One boy who looked about 13 came to our window and I’m not sure I can even call what he was wearing a shirt. It was ripped beyond recognition and looked more like a few 1 inch pieces of fabric that crisscrossed his chest.

The other issue is that with the influx of single men coming into town, he also tells us that prostitution will likely boom. Nunu has told me in the past of a place where you can find a prostitute at the cost of a chicken dinner… less than $12.

My heart breaks for these children. The need here is great, but the God I serve is even bigger! I will need your prayers more than ever now. Please be praying for focus and that I won’t get overwhelmed. Pray that I continue to find my peace and strength in the Lord and realize that I can’t do this alone. That God would bless Nunu and I with great ideas and that we would be great support for each other. More than anything that we would continue to follow as God leads. I feel like I could ask for a million different prayer requests, but I don’t even have the words for some of them. I will do my best to wear my heart on my sleeve in this blog.