Arriving in Pemba

I flew into Pemba and was ready to see this place I knew so little about.  I got off the plane and walked into the very tiny airport.  We all crowded around the luggage conveyor belt and I realized how much I stood out.  I was guarded and kept a close watch on my things because of all the warnings I had heard. I prayed that the couple who helped coordinate my visit to Iris would be there waiting for me.  I gathered my huge backpack from the belt, tried to move through the crowd and walked outside to see a sea of people waiting for others who had just flown in.  I saw a white woman and figured that may be my ride.  It was!  John and Cindy are missionaries and they help with visitors who come to serve at Iris.  I was so happy to see them.  There was another young man named Nick who had just arrived the day before.  We put my luggage in their truck and piled in.  Nick and I spent so much time talking in the truck that I barely looked out the window to see the landscape.  When I did, I saw the ocean and people walking everywhere.  I saw mud huts and people congregated in various spots.  I wondered what they were up to, how safe it was and what I would be experiencing in the weeks ahead.

Nick was in a similar season of life in that he had a great job in New York City, but felt God calling him to something different.  He and his family are close friends with Heidi Baker, the founder and director of Iris, so he realized that a short visit to serve in Pemba would be a good way to continue to seek the Lord.  I was thrilled to know there were others that God was calling to this same place.

When I arrived at the base, I tried to take it all in.  However, the way my brain works, I really need time to process.  I can't look around, see everything and take it all in within seconds.  I did notice the guards at the entrance, the gates around the Iris "base" and the red dirt.  It wasn't until I got a tour of the base that I was able to begin digesting it all.  John and Cindy gave Nick and me an orientation about Iris, what to expect, how to stay safe, the rules, and opportunities to serve.  We then walked around the base to familiarize ourselves with everything.  We made our way to the "baby house" where the littlest children live.  Suddenly, a stout little boy with short legs raced toward us and threw himself in my arms.  It was beautiful!  I loved it.  What a welcome!  Later Nick was laughing and told me how disappointed he was because he thought the little guy was racing for him.  I guess he likes the ladies:).

This is a picture of the Iris base.

After getting settled into my room a bit, two young women arrived with backpacks, long skirts on and looked exhausted.  It was my bunkmates Sarah and Sandra who had just arrived back from the "bush outreach".  This was a four day outreach to some villages in the Nampula province to share the gospel. They hadn't showered in that time and were quite eager to bathe and get some clean clothes on.

In the meantime, I met a group of 7 from the YWAM organization (Youth With a Mission).  They asked where I was from and I said NC, but had been living in Seattle the last 6 years.  One guy yelled something loud and favorable, although I can't remember what.  He was from Washington and stoked to find another lover of the northwest!  His name was Forrest and he has the most amazing energy and love for life.  That was the first of many outbursts that I heard from Forrest, which still makes me smile.  So there I was in Pemba, getting to know some of the other visitors from around the world and eagerly anticipating what was next.

Below is a picture of one of the huts on the base.  This one was used as a place for people to pray and worship.