Christmas just around the corner

December 13, 2009

Dear Friends and family,

This past week has been hectic and exciting for us as Christmas draws closer. We have had several Christmas programs and a wedding to attend. Here are a couple pictures from the wedding of Golden and Olivia on Dec. 4th. Golden is Mozambican and teaches 3rd grade at CAM.

On December 11th CAM presented its annual Christmas Program. It was held at the new seminary chapel and we had the largest turnout in CAM history, packing the chapel full of students, parents and friends. We kept having to add more chairs.

All grades presented something special, from verses to musical talent. The main program was a musical and drama presented by the 3rd-6th grade students, with Susan directing. It was called "Legacy of Love" and the kids did a super job. The 7th - 10th grades helped with the behind the scenes planning and set-up. After the program, there was food for all and good time of fellowship.

With a big sigh of relief that the main Christmas program is over for CAM, we now focus on the Sunday Night Fellowship program tonight (Dec. 13th) in which we both will be participating with music. On Tuesday, Susan and I will be hosting the annual CAM Staff Party at our home. We anticipate about 25 teachers and staff to attend. The week ends with school finishing for the students on Thursday and on Friday for the teachers to allow them to get all their grades turned in before the Christmas break.

December 20th we will be celebrating the Igreja Evangelica Palavra Viva national church's 4th anniversary with lunch and program at the seminary. Christmas for us this year will be in Xai Xai, which is about four hours North of Maputo. We will be with friends, Jason and Rachel Helm. They have invited a few others to join them for Christmas, so there should be at least 13 for the holidays.

We have much to Praise the Lord for this past year, and HE has blessed CAM and our ministries in Mozambique. We do have one major prayer request, which involves our association with the Department of Labor. We hope to find some way to work with the government with its strict new rules regarding foreigners working at the school. This affects who and what CAM really is, and we need much prayer and wisdom to know how to find favor with the government hoping that we will be able to continue to offer a Christian American education to the students who choose to attend.

We wish you all a blessed Christmas and a joyful and Spirit Filled New Year!

God Bless,

Larry & Susan Weil

OMS Mozambique

Much to be THANKFUL for

November 22, 2009

Dear Friends and Family,

In just a few days we will be celebrating American Thanksgiving. It is great to be married to a Canadian as we get to celebrate Thanksgiving twice. This year we have much to be thankful for and we just want to share a few of those things with you.

October of each year since we first arrived in Mozambique in 1996, is the month we apply for renewal of our resident visas. We PTL that each year we have been accepted and our visas granted. This year, we decided to ask for the "permanent DIRE (visa)" which is good for five years at a time. We were able to ask for this special visa after being in the country more than 10 years.

After only a few trips to Immigration to see on the progress, I went Friday (20th) not expecting anything, but PTL they were ready. This means a lot to us as we know we have the right to stay in Mozambique for the next five years.

Another answer to prayer is our health. My back (Larry) is doing very well and other than colds and sore throats (like most everyone I know of), we have been healthy. We are looking forward to a few days off over Thanksgiving and will spend a few days in South Africa on dental and car repairs, as well as some rest and Christmas Shopping.

This is also the time when Susan starts baking Christmas goodies and preparing for the annual CAM (Christian Academy in Mozambqiue) staff Tea at our home. The weather the past week has been unseasonally cool and wet, so she has been baking lots to take advantage of the cool weather. Some of the students will be coming to our home soon to help bake and decorate other Christmas goodies. Susan is already counting the days when she will start putting up the Christmas decorations (her favorite holiday of the year).

We can't forget our faithful and loving (sometimes playful) Felix. Felix is now 10 and continues to amuse us. We are "cat" people, so we love Felix and spoil him all the time with goodies and attention.

Yesterday we were invited by some of the young people at our church (which meets at our seminary) for a fashion and talent show. It was totally put on by a few of the young teen girls and was really cute. Clothes were designed and modeled. Singing and dancing were also on the agenda. It was really important to them we attend and we were glad to be able to support them. Here are a few pictures you might enjoy from the program.

In a few weeks CAM will be buzzing with drama and music at the Christmas Program on the 11th. The school year so far has gone well and we are so blessed by a good staff and "mostly" wonderful students. Actually, all of them are special.

If you are American, we wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving and even if you aren't, may the Lord bless you and abundantly. Remember to give thanks to HIM whom we love and serve...Jesus!

God Bless,

Larry & Susan

Empty Nest...almost

4 October 2009

Dear family and friends,

We have been reflecting that since March, we have had at least one and at times three visitors living with us up until yesterday. So, for a total of two days, we are empty-nesters. Feels kinda quiet around the house. But that will change again tomorrow when Pastor Alfy Austin from World Gospel Church, Terre Haute, IN visits us in country for five days. We are very excited as we have not met Pastor Alfy, and he is the first pastor from any of our supporting churches to visit us in Mozambique. It will be a busy week of showing him our various ministries and meeting our team and staff.

Yesterday we had to say goodbye (sadly) to Christina Folchi, (beside Susan in photo) a student teacher from Connecticut that attends Philidelphia Biblical University. She has been living with us the past two months and doing her student teaching with Patricia, our K-1 teacher. Chris has been wonderful to have around and was a great blessing to Patricia and her 11 students. We wish Chris a wonderful transition back to the USA and as she begins her final student teaching assignment in a public school. Pray for Chris as she is seeking the Lord's will for her future when she graduates this December.

We have wonderful news and an amazing answer to prayer regarding our seminary program. Many of you have followed the saga of not having a director to run the program in our new seminary building, then the good news that Mike and Sarah Thiessen joined the team in may 2008 and Mike was preparing the school to begin this year, only to have that vision end when their son, Gabriel (just 2 1/2 then) was diagnosed with liver cancer and they had to return to Canada for treatment. So, for the past six months, it was back to seeking the Lord's will and searching for a new director. We PTL that a good friend of ours and of OMS Mozambique has accepted the position. Don Hulsey and his wife Aleta, have served in Mozambique since the mid- 1990s (as long as we have) and he is already working with our Dean of Students, Daniel Maduel and Registrar, Xavier Massingue. The next few months will be busy as they work on the final curricuulm details, interview perspective students, and prepare for a February 2010 launch date. We do have two classes going right now, but those will be incorporated and expanded upon with the new program. Pray for Don and our team as we too seek the Lord's will for the seminary program.

One serious prayer concern is for some of our evangelism trainers. Sadly we have had to release three trainers recently due to family issues. These three positions leave major gaps in the training and church planting efforts in Northern Mozambique. We need the seminary program running and producing effective and well-trained pastors and teachers to send to these rural areas, which will provide solid Biblical foundations and teachings to these new churches. Currently we have over 100 churches in the country, with the majority up in the Zambezia and Nampula provinces.

CAM school (Christian Academy in Mozambique) is running well and we are coming up to the end of the first quarter this Friday. Thus, this week is full of quizzes and exams for the students. Space is an ever-present problem, and we are working with a contractor about adding on an offic and three small classrooms to the front of our building. Currently, plans are being prepared to submit to the government for approval. This is a big prayer request as we are asking for permission to build to our boundary wall, and that usually isn't granted. Secondly, we need sufficient funds to cover the construction cost. It isn't confirmed but although the construction is extimated at around $60,000, that is still a huge amount for our little school. But God is good and in control.

Personally, we both are doing well, and my back (Larry) is giving me no pain, which I PTL for. We are encouraged as we have several teams coming in the next two months in which there are some people that may be considering working with OMS at CAM and possibly the seminary. Pray for God's leading in their lives. We are also looking forward to our mission retreat in early November.

(see photo: us celebrating our 28th wedding anniversary on Augst 29th)

Thank you each one for your continued prayers and support.

Larry & Susan

August highlights

23 August 2009

The last three weeks have been full and amazing. So much has happened, and it will be hard to tell you it all. So, we'll save you from some of it and focus on three events: CAM schoolyear starts August 6th, Seminary Dedictation August 15th, and Larry's Neurosurgeon apt. on August 19th.

We knew that it would be a busy month before school would begin. We returned July 12th, leaving only three weeks to prepare CAM for classes again. It was apparent that other than our two graduates, all our former students were returning as well as some new students. Thus, we decided to divide one classroom into two to allow for separate classes of 2nd and 3rd grades. We met the deadline by just hours it seems, and CAM started on the 6th with a record number of students at 61. For the first time in CAM history, we have had to turn students away due to a lack of space. This is in the K-1st grades as that classroom is full with 11 students. We now have a few others on waiting list. We also PTL that we have a full contingent of teachers. It is so important for the students to have consistency, and to have returning teachers is so important for the students. We also have some new teachers. David Restrick, CAM grad 2004, is teaching computers for the year. Honey Davidge is from the US and is teaching 6th grade. Joash Tiarks, missionary with New Tribes, has moved his family from Northern Mozambique to Maputo and has enrolled his four children and he is teaching 2nd grade.

Most exciting news this past week was that our textbooks had arrived in port and were finally released on the 18th. Teachers and students are all happy to have the new materials. They "only" took 3 months by sea to arrive....:)

Another exciting event was the formal seminary dedication on the 15th. Three special people were able to come and celebrate with us. Former OMS Mozambique field leaders from 1996-2006, Bruce and Mabel Callender were here to participate in the ceremony, and Michael Thiessen, the seminary director, was able to fly in from Canada to be here. The ceremony was well attended and one of the highlights was honoring the Callenders by naming the chapel in their name (Chapel Callender, or in Portuguese - Capela Callender) and by hanging a picture collage of the Callenders in the seminary foyer.

We have been very encouraged with some future partnerships with the seminary. Please pray for us and the seminary program as we make decisions as to its future direction.

Lastly, Larry had an Dr. appointment with a neurosurgon on the 19th in South Africa to read his MRI results on his back and to determine if surgery is needed. It is hard to believe that just a month ago Larry was in such back pain with a pinched sciatic nerve, and today there is no pain. I credit this to so much prayer and we give the Lord PRAISE. And the news gets better. The Dr. indicated that I am not a candidate for surgery right now. With the pain subsided and that I still have full strength in my leg, I don't need surgery. It seems the ruptured disc piece that had lodged against the nerve has shifted, and the Dr. feels that has been mostly absorbed by the body in the amazing way the body heals itself. It could happen again, but for now we are pleased. Larry does have a bit of nerve damage in his right leg, but that is minimal and controlable. The Dr. encouraged regular exercise and exercises to strengthen abdomen and back muscles to help relieve pressure on the disc. I think that will be actually the hardest part to do.

Our team is doing well and it is such a pleasure having Mike Thiessen with us for two weeks. We PTL that little Gabriel Thiessen is recovering well after his final chemotherapy treatment and we pray he will be and continue to be 100% cancer free. Our home is full and we have currently two ladies living with us. Aimee Howarth will be moving to the North of Mozambique sometime in the future to work with Mozambican women, and Christine Folchi, a student from Pennsylvania Biblical University is doing her two-month teacher training at CAM. Chris is assisting with our K-1st grade teacher. It is a blessing to have both of these fine ladies in our home.

Have a wonderful week!

Larry & Susan

Back in Mozambique

19 July 2009

Dear friends,

We have been back in Mozambique a week now. The past month in the USA and Canada were both good and bad. We enjoyed so much the reunions with so many of our former OMS Mozambique missionaries at the OMS mid-west conference the end of June. In fact, Mozambique was the largest field represented at the conference. It was fun to catch up with Claude and Marilynn Meyers (former directors of Christian Academy in Mozambique) as well as Bruce and Mabel Callender (former field directors of Mozambique) as well as colleagues Vaughn and Cindy Telfer, Glenn and Kris Berryman and girls, as well as Becca and Melvin and Sharon Kelly. The exciting news was just on Thursday the Kellys called to tell us that they are expecting a baby. The Kellys are currently in the US for Cross-Training, and are funding to come as career missionaries to Mozambique soon. Pray for them as they need to make decisions now that a little one is on the way.

Our time in Canada June 29-July 10th was one of joy to spend some time with Susan's Dad and step-mom, Nathan and Anne Krampitz, as well as visit with the Thiessens (Mike and Sarah) in the hospital while little Gabriel was receiving his chemotherapy treatment. We were also able to see little Maylah who was just two weeks old. She is adorable. We PTL that Gabriel is recovering well from his surgery and that in the next week or so will begin his FINAL chemotherapy treatment. The rest is just watching and waiting. Continue to pray for the Thiessen family as they search what the Lord wants them to do next. We know they will not be able to return to Mozambique for any time soon. We miss them so very much.

The bad part of our time in US and Canada was that I (Larry) had some serious back pain which continued to worsen until it was excrutiating pain while in Canada. Our holiday time with family was cut short as I had to return to Hamilton, ON to go to emergency. As we don't have a primary doctor in Canada, there was little that could be done there. So, we made the 30+ hr flights back to Maputo. PTL the pain subsided considerably so I was able to make the long flights. We know many were praying and I felt those prayers.

This last Friday, 17th, I was able to go to Nelspruit, South Africa and get an MRI to find out what the problem was. It was confirmed I have a herniated disc and a piece of the inner portion of the disc has come out and wedged itself agains the nerve, thus creating the pain. fortunately for now the piece has shifted (I am sure it was prayer) to the side so I can tolerate most things right now.

But, I need to see a neurosurgeon soon to see about having that piece removed as it is almost certian to shift again and pinch the nerve. Pray for this as we are in such busy days here and I need to be able to work. We will know more once we can arrange a visit with the neurosurgeon.

It is good to be back in Maputo and we are busy preparing for the starting of CAM again.

God Bless,
Larry & Susan

Weils are in Indiana

Susan and I are in Greenwood, IN at the OMS World Headquarters attending the OMS field leadership retreat and meetings. We arrived from Mozambique on Monday, 15th, and it has been wonderful seeing our many friends and colleagues with OMS. Today begins our weekend retreat with the field leaders of all the OMS fields. This week we have seen two former Mozambique missionaries, Glen (Tom) Berryman with his girls, Chelsea and Jessica, as well as yesterday Becca Pullin and her fiance, Joey, who drove from Circleville, OH to spend the day with us. That was very special.

I am working on a new newsletter which I will post here once it is finished.
God Bless,
Larry & Susan