A Letter From Ryan

15/May/2007 03:10 Filed in: Updates from HG students

To get to Mozambique we flew to Australia and then Singapore and a big jump to Africa on the other side of the globe. We flew over India and over my friends in Tanzania, Pastor Lucas and Mama Hellena. She makes good chapattis (let me know if you do not know what chapattis are. It's like pancakes. You put jam on it.) So, back to the story. We are in Mozambique. The first day it was dark. If you think about it, when it is 10.20 a.m. in New Zealand, they would be asleep. Just gone to sleep.

It is sad. Every couple of minutes a kid has died and we do nothing about it. A cent to them is a lot, a cent to you and I is nothing. A dollar to them is a miracle, to you and I ... not much! They do not want money. People just say, "Here, I have money for you!" and they throw it to them and run to the plane. They do not want money, they want love.
- By Ryan Berney (7Years)

Ryan wrote this at school after spending June-August 2006 at the HG2 school in Pemba. It was amazing experience for our family, stretching us all. I look at our photos and think of all the wonderful friends we made, and how great it was living in community. Lesley-Anne is incredible with an amazingly big heart and the ability to be a genuine friend to all who come in contact with her. That has got to be supernatural!

Learning about Missions under the tent and then leaving the tent to face the very issues we have just addressed makes it a challenging and life changing experience and this was another reason we chose to go. The theory is the easy bit - mental assent is one thing, walking it another. Nearly a year later, and I am still processing the experiences and what my response should be to them, and what God requires of me.

One of our motivations for going to Pemba was for our children to see God move in a powerful way, which they did. The encouragement they received from the other students was awesome and I am so grateful for their input into all of our lives. Our children have really grown in their relationship with Jesus from having been there and all experienced him in an amazing way. Since coming home it is obvious that their commitment to the things of God has really grown, and they all want to go back to Africa.

Thank you Lesley-Anne for your incredible servant heart and love for Jesus. You are an incredible role model. We love you.
- Glenda and whanau