(Faith Telegraph, July 16, 2009)  A missions team from Sugar Creek Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, recently returned from a trip to Zimbabwe and Mozambique where they distributed food, facilitated health and hygiene classes, drilled a water well and showed the "Jesus Film" to over 400 villagers.

Due to the travel schedule required to do all of this in a two week period, it made logistic (and economic) sense to use the services of Mercy Air, based in White River, South Africa   Mercy Air is a missions oriented organization that provides aviation services throughout Southern Africa.  The two pilots met the group in Johannesburg, South Africa, and first flew them in small planes to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

There, the missions team worked with African Outreach Ministries, an organization whose objectives in Zimbabwe include a ministry to orphans.  The group played games with the children, offered health and hygiene programs, and helped distribute food.

The team then flew to Inhambane, Mozambique, and drove by 4 wheel drive vehicles to the small village of Masavane where they participated in drilling a water well. "Being from Houston, a number of the group knew a thing or two about drilling wells," reports Paul Middleton, a missionary aviator that piloted one of the group's planes.  "The group hit water at about 36 meters."

The team had previously raised funds to purchase and transport the necessary equipment to drill the well and install a hand pump.  Many of the team have drilled wells in Central America working with another organization, Living Water International, a ministry that provides clean water and medical attention to third-world countries.  To date, Living Water International has drilled over 7,000 wells around the world. 

 
Some team members also gave health talks and, one evening, showed the "Jesus Film" to over 400 villagers on a big screen under the stars. 

On the final day, team members and villagers stood hand-in-hand around the well and took part in a dedication ceremony.  Several of the villagers were baptized later in the evening.

Paul Middleton and his wife Cathy work in South Africa for the organization Mercy Air, an independent Christian-humanitarian aid aviation service that provides medical support flights as well as evacuation and supply flights during disasters.  You can follow their adventures, and track Paul's latest flights around Africa, at http://pcm-mercyair.blogspot.com.

Links: Read More

PCM News: Paul, Cathy and Matthew Middleton News

Sugar Creek Baptist Church

Mercy Air

Living Water International: Providing A Cup Of Water In Jesus'  Name

African Outreach Ministries

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