Annette Griffith, Evergreen United Methodist Church, writes:
On Tuesday we visited the Gondola Training Center where the theology students greeted us with song. We had a short tour of the dorms and the directors house before meeting with the 24 students and their teachers. Rev. Torres gave a history of our involvement with the Training Center and introduced the first level students and then the second level students who will graduate in June.
Pastor Alex stayed with the students as they resumed their class while the rest of us worked with Cynthia who demonstrated how to build a rocket stove with sun baked bricks that were at the center.
We presented Rev. Torres with the sheets, Bible, book bags and other gifts. The necklaces that Mary gave were given to Rev. Torres so that he could distribute them at this and future graduations.
A festive lunch was served by the Gondola Center cooks assisted by the women students. After lunch Cynthia cooked a corn based pudding that included local vegetables, on the newly build stove. The students and cooks were impressed how efficiently it burned twigs and coconut shells. The women especially liked that the stove was high enough so that they did not have to bend over to stir the pudding.
We ended our visit with song and dance led by the students.
Tomorrow we head back to Beira and Thursday we will be on our way home.
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers on our wonderful experience with our brothers and sisters in Mozambique.
