Uncertain Times, in God's Hands

We must have looked like the Beverly Hillbillies when we first arrived in Maputo in 1993. We had packed all our earthly belongings, including one German Shepherd dog, into 2 pick-ups plus two small hauling trailers. Dwight’s parents, Arthur and Gladys Lagore, helped us every step of the way despite having serious reservations about our move to Mozambique--a country that had been embroiled in civil war for over 20 years.

1993...moving to Maputo

The trip from Umtata, Transkei (South Africa), to Maputo, Mozambique, took several days. We departed against the backdrop of the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa, of which Transkei was still a part in most respects. 

We first arrived to serve in South Africa in 1987 during a state of emergency, but by 1993 that had been lifted. 

During our five years in Transkei, South Africa, we had grown somewhat accustomed to political unrest. There was a bloodless coup in December of 1987, the area was known for allegedly housing terrorist training camps, anti-white graffiti in town “kill a white a day” was commonplace, and gunfire rang out in the dark many a night. Our first set date to move was postponed by a week because of unrest following the murder of Chris Hani, former leader of the South African Communist Party (SACP) and Chief of Staff of the armed wing of the African National Congress (ANC). So, we had an extra week living with the senior Lagore’s before our eventual departure to Mozambique. 

We decided to leave on our big move at 4:00 a.m., under cloak of darkness, due to increasing incidents of whites being shot on a nearby stretch of highway. We had barely made it through the dangerous stretch when our pick up’s oil line to the alternator burst and we were forced to stop for repairs at a service station. 

After several hours of waiting idly we continued our trip. Our travel group consisted of Dwight’s parents in their mid 60’s, us in our early 30’s, our kids 4 and 6, and our dog who was rather sedated at the time on recommendation of the vet. 

 I feel I should take a moment to tell you about our dog. We bought him as a pup shortly after our place had been burgled in 1988. He was a pure-bred German Shepherd (named Apollo by the breeders). Our thought was he would provide us with some security in what was an insecure environment. German Shepherds were good guard dogs, or so we were told. He turned out to be a lovely dog who loved people. All people. Anyone and everyone. He was not discriminatory, suspicious, or wary of strangers in any way. We thought his “fight” would emerge as he grew, but no. He did a lot of tail wagging but precious little barking. Thankfully he was a big black dog, so he was perceived to be a threat. So, when we moved from one insecure environment (Transkei) to another one (post-war Mozambique), we felt we should take him as part of our security system. 

 But back to our moving story. We drove all the way to Johannesburg that first day and overnighted with friends. The next morning, we set out to buy some items we would need to set up house in Maputo—a fridge and dining table set. The dining table set we decided on that was the right price, and that would fit on the trailer, was a white plastic one. It would serve the purpose until we could replace it with a proper wooden set. (That “until” turned out to be a 20-year time span!) We then purchased a fridge and grocery supplies. We had very little carrying space for our new items, so I had the amazing idea to pack whatever I could inside the fridge itself for the journey. Among the items I put inside was a refill package of fabric softener called “Sta-soft”. My scent of choice was “Spring Fresh”. 

And so, we set off, east-bound for the Mozambique border and Maputo. To say that trip was overwhelming is an understatement. The border was chaotic, the highways marked by the presence of tired ex-combatants since the recent signing of the peace accord, and the vestiges of war were everywhere.

Bullet pocked walls from the war

Early post war days with heavy UN presence

Some relics remained in place for a very long time as you can tell by Russell's age here (photo c. 2004)

Maputo itself was the most dilapidated city I had ever been in. Streetlights didn’t work, sewage ran in the streets, and rats scurried between heaps of garbage piled wherever each neighborhood deemed the most convenient spot. To create space for more refuse, these heaps were often set alite to burn and smolder for days and weeks on end. This lent an acrid and unforgettable smell to the air. 

It was well after dark when we finally arrived at our rental house. The neighborhood looked sketchy, but that was true of the entire city. Neighborhood kids sat on the wall of the property and watched closely as we opened the rickety gate to drive in. The gate’s hinges were broken so closing the gate again was a matter of propping them, so they leaned together “just so”. We then lashed them together with rope in hopes our dog wouldn’t easily find his way out. We noticed that most of our neighbors had guards for protection from the criminal element; some even armed with AK47’s. Us? We had Apollo… 

As we drove toward the house, our headlights sent cockroaches running back into the gray water/septic tank in the back yard that they’d emerged from. We stepped out, carefully, opened the house and started unpacking our things. I plugged in the new fridge and first removed everything, including the Sta-soft, that didn’t need refrigeration. 

The fragrance of “Spring Fresh Sta-soft” filled the air; a welcome one in the moment because it made that strange place feel more like a home. Little did I know that scent would linger in the fridge for as long as the fridge survived. The smell itself is pleasant enough, but a fridge is a weird place for that type of a scent. And thus, both the smell of burning garbage and Spring Fresh Sta-soft were etched in my smell memory.

During the first week, while Dwight’s parents were with us, his mom would say worriedly, “Oh my, I can hardly bring myself to leave our kids and grandchildren in this place!” We assured her we would be fine. When you’re still young, you have such strong convictions and feel quite invincible. Things tend to change as you get older. 

(Image from later that year when we visited Transkei)

Fast forward to the current day. Much development has happened in our 30+ years here but politically things have always smouldered. Unrest and discontent have often raised their heads, especially around election time, and 2024 elections proved no different. In fact, the current political climate and dynamics are as charged as we have ever experienced. We have go-bags ready in the event we feel the need to evacuate to a safe place, but thankfully so far this has not been necessary. 

The protests since the October elections have seriously disrupted life and security for the entire country. Last week, when things were more peaceful than they had been in a while, we made the hour-long trip to town for supplies. I scanned the shelves for items I should stock up on, not knowing when it would be safe to be on the roads again. 

Lack of supplies due to protests and road blocks at border with South Africa

I haven’t used Sta-soft since forever, but my eyes locked on the shelf holding Sta-soft Spring Fresh refillable pouches. My hand instinctively picked one up and I lifted it to my nose. The smell brought back a flood of memories and mixed emotions. So much has changed since 1993! To say life has been etched by tumultuous and uncertain times is an understatement, but we are still here and our only prayer is that peace can once again return so that the people we came to serve can know a better and more prosperous 2025.

Yesterday's visit by 3 of the many who have come through SAM Ministries' sponsorship program. (Left to right: Dwight, Paulina (Industrial Electrician), Nezi (Welder/Turner&Fitter), Gervasion (Pharmacy tech grad now in 1st year studying medicine.)

Pray with us for Mozambique's youth, and for their tomorrow. We know the Lord has good plans for them!