Meet our Missionaries
VICTOR AND LORI SELEMANI
Victor and Lori serve with YWAM in Nampula Mozambique.
December 2024 Update
Dear friends and family,
A belated Happy Thanksgiving!
Last week our kids were happy to wake up and find snow on the ground! It was just a dusting, but it was snow. And with it has finally come the cold winter weather. Meanwhile our teammates in Nampula are reporting the normal hot weather of high 90s F almost every day. Our thoughts now turn to preparing to return to Mozambique, with our departure day, January 1st, just under a month.
Please pray for our family as we enter this time of transition and preparation. Pray for our oldest three children as they work hard to wrap up their online courses before returning to Rift Valley Academy.
We pray that we all would prepare Him room this Season -- room in our hearts, room in our families, room in our schedules, room in our lives. The Angel told Joseph so long ago, "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins." He is our Savior! He is our Hope! He is worthy of our praise and our lives.
BIBLE (About Bible translation, our Bible course, Bible distribution)
The Ngoni Bible translation team held their year end celebration. Pray for a good rest for the team and that they can return strong in January to continue their work.
In the last month, the Lord has connected us with 3 different people/ groups who are working on Oral Bible translations (OBT) or Oral Mother tongue Bible translations (OMT). We are pursuing different options of how we can help other languages in northern Mozambique have the entire Bible in their mother tongue.
GET INVOLVED: The first step is always prayer and all of us can be involved on this level. Every translation team needs prayer coverage as getting God's Word into local languages is a spiritual battle of making TRUTH accessible to people who have not had access to God's Word. This website lists the languages around the world and in Mozambique and you can sign up as a family or small group to pray regularly for one of the language groups. http://prayomt.com/
CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, COMMUNITY OUTREACH
LITERACY COURSE: Pictured up above is staff member, Lidia, handing a certificate to a community woman who participated faithfully in this year's literacy classes. The literacy program celebrated the graduation of 14 ladies at the end of November. As you can see from the picture, some of the ladies come from Muslim backgrounds. Besides learning to read and write, the ladies also learned some sewing and participated in weekly Bible lessons. The ladies have testified that they have learned that following Jesus is a good way of life. We are so thankful for the YWAM Nampula staff ladies who faithfully met with, taught, prayed for, and encouraged the women in this program. Most of all, we praise the Lord for His work in the women's lives.
KING'S KIDS # 2 has sadly been postponed until next year due to the unrest in Mozambique. Since the presidential elections on October 9, there have been protests and uncertainty in Mozambique. The ruling party of 49 years (since independence) claimed victory, but a young opposition leader has gained a large following and has been organizing ongoing protests since then. His lawyer and his right hand man were murdered a week after elections, and he has fled the country. Up to today, no resolution has been found. Inauguration of the new president is supposed to happen January 15. There is much uncertainty in the country as to what will happen. A very insightful news article can be found at https://allafrica.com/stories/202412060012.html Pray for peace and for a just and good resolution.
November 2, the second DTS of 2024 celebrated their graduation. Thank you so much for praying for the outreach teams. They all returned safely. They returned early due to the election protests, unrests, and uncertainty across the country. But that didn't stop them from celebrating the work that the Lord did in the lives of the 33 students. We are so grateful for the staff who gave of themselves selflessly these last 5 months to walk with and disciple these students.
DISCIPLE MAKING MOVEMENT TEAMS -- MOVING! - PRAY for the transition of the Nahara team, made up of Daniel and Amos and families as they plan to move to Quissanga village this month.
Before they go, Daniel and Lemi are legalizing their marriage and having a wedding. They got together when they were both Muslims, but have wanted to have their marriaged blessed before God and His people and the government before heading out to church plant. Pray for God's blessings on their family.
Pray for the transition of the Ngoni team, Antonio and Jonas and families as they plan to move to Pemba, in Cabo Delgado, to begin forming relationships in the provincial capital, before moving out to the rural village. Pray for God's grace, peace, and good foundations for new relationships where they are going. This is a critical time for them all. They need our prayer cover!
CLICK HERE to watch a Ministry Video -- Get a glimpse of what God is doing in YWAM Nampula!
TEN YEARS! 2014 - 2024 Ten years ago this time, we were in the midst of a season of watching God provide finances in an astounding way through all of you to purchase the Training Center in Nampula from SIL/ Wycliffe.
Every year on December 15, our team pauses to remember and celebrate God's provision back in 2014 and His faithfulness since then. We will be sending out a paper update about the Center and YWAM Nampula. If you don't normally receive our end of year newsletter and family pictures, send us your address and we can send you a copy.
The end of the year is also the time to thank you for walking with us through 2024, offering up many prayers and giving financial resources. In 2024, we were able to train 57 DTS students and 18 Bible course students. The King's Kids program reached 150 kids and teens through the one week discipleship camp. Our church planters have seen people come to the Lord in over 8 villages. Fourteen YWAM staff children have completed another year at a private school because of scholarships provided by you all. We celebrate the leadership team of 5 who have carried the team during the 6 months that we have been in the States. Thank you for being part of our team! Obrigada! Assante!
We seek the Lord's provision in 2025 for scholarships for the YWAM school aged kids, for DTS and Bible course students, and for supporting the church planters. As far as capital development, we hope to build the 3rd storey of our family dormitory building and a classroom for the Bible course. Pray with us!
Pictured below: Some of the 14 YWAM kids benefitting from scholarships to a local private school. Pray for them to grow in their walk with Jesus even as they advance to the next grade in 2025. Scholarships of $50 per month x 15 kids are needed for next year.
Family facts, frolics, frustrations, fruitions
Leaving Home - Heading Home:
"Why are you going back to Africa to live?" my daughter Victoria has been asked by the elderly she cares for in the Nursing Home. Yesterday, a classmate of Mikayla asked her, "Why do you like to go back there?" "Well, I call it my home," Mikayla answered her.
As our family turns our thoughts towards returning to Mozambique and Kenya, there are mixed feelings. Like Mikayla said, "I wish Mozambique and America could be neighbors." The distance from family and the anticipated years of separation again are not easy. But there is a joy and anticipation of being reunited with friends and God's family on the African continent.
While we would have loved to visit more of you, our hearts have been warmed and our spirits uplifted by those of you that we were able to visit. Thank you for being used by God to encourage us to keep going!
In this Season we worship our Lord who left His Home to walk this earth we call home. He is still Living, preparing a future Home for all of us where we will not have to say anymore goodbyes. Let's introduce others to our Father. There is still room in His Home for more! And our time in America has convinced us that there are many many people here who need to be introduced to Jesus and who need a brother or sister to walk with them through this life.
By His grace,
Victor and Lori, Victoria, Clara, Joshua, David, and Mikayla
A belated Happy Thanksgiving!
Last week our kids were happy to wake up and find snow on the ground! It was just a dusting, but it was snow. And with it has finally come the cold winter weather. Meanwhile our teammates in Nampula are reporting the normal hot weather of high 90s F almost every day. Our thoughts now turn to preparing to return to Mozambique, with our departure day, January 1st, just under a month.
Please pray for our family as we enter this time of transition and preparation. Pray for our oldest three children as they work hard to wrap up their online courses before returning to Rift Valley Academy.
We pray that we all would prepare Him room this Season -- room in our hearts, room in our families, room in our schedules, room in our lives. The Angel told Joseph so long ago, "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins." He is our Savior! He is our Hope! He is worthy of our praise and our lives.
BIBLE (About Bible translation, our Bible course, Bible distribution)
The Ngoni Bible translation team held their year end celebration. Pray for a good rest for the team and that they can return strong in January to continue their work.
In the last month, the Lord has connected us with 3 different people/ groups who are working on Oral Bible translations (OBT) or Oral Mother tongue Bible translations (OMT). We are pursuing different options of how we can help other languages in northern Mozambique have the entire Bible in their mother tongue.
GET INVOLVED: The first step is always prayer and all of us can be involved on this level. Every translation team needs prayer coverage as getting God's Word into local languages is a spiritual battle of making TRUTH accessible to people who have not had access to God's Word. This website lists the languages around the world and in Mozambique and you can sign up as a family or small group to pray regularly for one of the language groups. http://prayomt.com/
CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, COMMUNITY OUTREACH
LITERACY COURSE: Pictured up above is staff member, Lidia, handing a certificate to a community woman who participated faithfully in this year's literacy classes. The literacy program celebrated the graduation of 14 ladies at the end of November. As you can see from the picture, some of the ladies come from Muslim backgrounds. Besides learning to read and write, the ladies also learned some sewing and participated in weekly Bible lessons. The ladies have testified that they have learned that following Jesus is a good way of life. We are so thankful for the YWAM Nampula staff ladies who faithfully met with, taught, prayed for, and encouraged the women in this program. Most of all, we praise the Lord for His work in the women's lives.
KING'S KIDS # 2 has sadly been postponed until next year due to the unrest in Mozambique. Since the presidential elections on October 9, there have been protests and uncertainty in Mozambique. The ruling party of 49 years (since independence) claimed victory, but a young opposition leader has gained a large following and has been organizing ongoing protests since then. His lawyer and his right hand man were murdered a week after elections, and he has fled the country. Up to today, no resolution has been found. Inauguration of the new president is supposed to happen January 15. There is much uncertainty in the country as to what will happen. A very insightful news article can be found at https://allafrica.com/stories/202412060012.html Pray for peace and for a just and good resolution.
November 2, the second DTS of 2024 celebrated their graduation. Thank you so much for praying for the outreach teams. They all returned safely. They returned early due to the election protests, unrests, and uncertainty across the country. But that didn't stop them from celebrating the work that the Lord did in the lives of the 33 students. We are so grateful for the staff who gave of themselves selflessly these last 5 months to walk with and disciple these students.
DISCIPLE MAKING MOVEMENT TEAMS -- MOVING! - PRAY for the transition of the Nahara team, made up of Daniel and Amos and families as they plan to move to Quissanga village this month.
Before they go, Daniel and Lemi are legalizing their marriage and having a wedding. They got together when they were both Muslims, but have wanted to have their marriaged blessed before God and His people and the government before heading out to church plant. Pray for God's blessings on their family.
Pray for the transition of the Ngoni team, Antonio and Jonas and families as they plan to move to Pemba, in Cabo Delgado, to begin forming relationships in the provincial capital, before moving out to the rural village. Pray for God's grace, peace, and good foundations for new relationships where they are going. This is a critical time for them all. They need our prayer cover!
CLICK HERE to watch a Ministry Video -- Get a glimpse of what God is doing in YWAM Nampula!
TEN YEARS! 2014 - 2024 Ten years ago this time, we were in the midst of a season of watching God provide finances in an astounding way through all of you to purchase the Training Center in Nampula from SIL/ Wycliffe.
Every year on December 15, our team pauses to remember and celebrate God's provision back in 2014 and His faithfulness since then. We will be sending out a paper update about the Center and YWAM Nampula. If you don't normally receive our end of year newsletter and family pictures, send us your address and we can send you a copy.
The end of the year is also the time to thank you for walking with us through 2024, offering up many prayers and giving financial resources. In 2024, we were able to train 57 DTS students and 18 Bible course students. The King's Kids program reached 150 kids and teens through the one week discipleship camp. Our church planters have seen people come to the Lord in over 8 villages. Fourteen YWAM staff children have completed another year at a private school because of scholarships provided by you all. We celebrate the leadership team of 5 who have carried the team during the 6 months that we have been in the States. Thank you for being part of our team! Obrigada! Assante!
We seek the Lord's provision in 2025 for scholarships for the YWAM school aged kids, for DTS and Bible course students, and for supporting the church planters. As far as capital development, we hope to build the 3rd storey of our family dormitory building and a classroom for the Bible course. Pray with us!
Pictured below: Some of the 14 YWAM kids benefitting from scholarships to a local private school. Pray for them to grow in their walk with Jesus even as they advance to the next grade in 2025. Scholarships of $50 per month x 15 kids are needed for next year.
Family facts, frolics, frustrations, fruitions
Leaving Home - Heading Home:
"Why are you going back to Africa to live?" my daughter Victoria has been asked by the elderly she cares for in the Nursing Home. Yesterday, a classmate of Mikayla asked her, "Why do you like to go back there?" "Well, I call it my home," Mikayla answered her.
As our family turns our thoughts towards returning to Mozambique and Kenya, there are mixed feelings. Like Mikayla said, "I wish Mozambique and America could be neighbors." The distance from family and the anticipated years of separation again are not easy. But there is a joy and anticipation of being reunited with friends and God's family on the African continent.
While we would have loved to visit more of you, our hearts have been warmed and our spirits uplifted by those of you that we were able to visit. Thank you for being used by God to encourage us to keep going!
In this Season we worship our Lord who left His Home to walk this earth we call home. He is still Living, preparing a future Home for all of us where we will not have to say anymore goodbyes. Let's introduce others to our Father. There is still room in His Home for more! And our time in America has convinced us that there are many many people here who need to be introduced to Jesus and who need a brother or sister to walk with them through this life.
By His grace,
Victor and Lori, Victoria, Clara, Joshua, David, and Mikayla
