The mission remains the same….
When Heidi and Rolland Baker first settled in Mozambique, they settled in the capital of Maputo to begin the work of the Gospel buried deep in their hearts. They started several bases including the one at Zimpeto. It would be the place the Bakers began to reinforce the Stop for the One lifestyle by pulling kids from the trash heap, showering them with love, and showing them the power of Jesus Christ. Missionaries, Steve & Ros Lazar now run the Iris Zimpeto Center and carrying on the mission to love the one in front of them.
Steve says, “Our focus is caring for unloved and unwanted children. They are not orphans. They are loved by God the Father, they are loved by all the staff here, and we raise them in the ways of the Lord.” We believe in family and the Iris Zimpeto Center spends a lot of time, energy, and resources reuniting children back with their families.
At the most, Zimpeto housed over 500 children, and today it is home to just over 200 children. There are several reasons the number of children has declined in Zimpeto, and all of them are good. We've seen a relatively long period of peace and political stability in Mozambique after years of violent conflict. We believe this peace is partially due to the work the Lord has done through the people in Mozambique. As such we see fewer orphaned children than we did before.
In addition to social and political stability, we at Iris Global and Stop for the One have adapted our approach to serving the needs of Zimpeto and their children. In addition to caring for children, we also focus on what will empower the community to keep families intact. Our Milk Programs provide vulnerable babies with the nutrition they need so they can remain in the care of their family members. We have seen considerable fruit in our schools as we provide a safe environment for our children to learn and grow in Jesus.
Center Director Steve says, “It’s a great joy to see children go from death to life, sickness to health, from uneducated to educated, but more than that, from not knowing Jesus to falling in love with Him.”
