Extreme poverty – you can smell it ….. but you have never seen it. You can hear people complain and listen to children crying ……. but you have never seen them. It’s a survival game out here in the bush but to add to your survival skills you are surrounded only by darkness.

Meet Mateus. He is 20 years of age and I met him the first time in 1999 when I taught English and Bible Education to a rural community. He was sitting in the corner listening carefully to every word. When it was time to write exams he politely asked if he could do a verbal exam. And he passed them with flying colours every time. When I started a Bible School in the area he attented again. Same procedure – he passed the Bible School without a problem. He is a brilliant scholar. The friendliest kid I have ever met – polite, well mannered and blind.

The mission decided to help Mateus so he could attend a School for the Blind in Beira. They helped him to read and write braille (Portugeuse). He finished his course and is attending a normal school to live out one of his dreams – to complete school. Mateus visits us often on the base – easily walking 30 km by himself and his walking stick to keep us updated on his progress. Please pray for Mateus and help us to support him and others like him.