The ride was quite bumpy, the heat very intense, all of us (foreign students) sang Makua worship songs along with our happy Mozambican bible students for most of the 2.5 hour trip to Napulimuiti, the village we visited last weekend.
This village was literally in the middle of nowhere as we diverted many times from the main roads into fields to follow mud tracks along banana and mango trees.
As we arrive, the children start to run behind the truck with smiles on their faces and very amazed at the unexpected ‘white’ visitors.
I start to feel excitement bubbling within me as I think of the fact that the gospel has reached this semi-remote place and the beautiful name of Jesus is being preached. It’s just incredible to see a church here, not only the building - in this case, the dusty mud hut with a few bamboo pews – but the living body of the living Christ.
It’s dark already when we get out of the truck. We make our way into the local pastor’s hut where we will camp out for the next 2 nights. Men, women and children greet us and stare at us as if waiting for something….. We are part of something much greater than us, still we are united as one, white, black, or mixed (latino like me), carrying the message of the Cross in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Minutes later we set up the projection of the Jesus movie; a few hundreds gather around the truck where we have set the big screen to watch the movie. This is what Heidi Baker rightly calls pre-evangelism, where through the movie people get a glimpse of this Jesus we are talking about. At the end of the movie I had the blessing of “explaining” the movie and bring the message into a personal level. My friend Abdul translated into Makua. To be sincere, it’s kind of chaotic. With the crowd, the translation, the people moving around, children being children, it’s a bit difficult to know that you are connecting with people. Still, after the altar call, people, mostly children and women come forward for prayer. We pray for them for faith to receive Jesus as Saviour and for the Holy Spirit to fill them. After this, we make an invitation for those who are sick. The Jesus movie shows Him healing people, and the same can happen for them. Many with back problems, stomach problems and headaches are healed this night. Who knows about the dozens of others we pray for but that we couldn’t ask right away about their healing because of language limitations… God is faithful to His Word! The book of Acts is still being written all around the world by common people like you and I who simply say “Yes” to Him.
The next day Heather and others of our team lead a children program, teaching mainly about prayer and the love of God. It’s vital for the transformation of this community to bring up children in the knowledge of God. And we are very thankful that we can invest at least this little bit on them, knowing that the seed of the gospel will bring much fruit as they grow up to be the agents God will use to transform their villages.
That night we show the Jesus movie in a village close by. There are a few dozens and many receive Christ as Saviour and many are healed.
I said before this is called pre-evangelism. After we leave, the local believers and pastors will do the work of evangelism in a personal level.
This type of outreach happens every weekend in several villages around this northern area of Mozambique. Praise God!
I’m very thankful to the Lord for allowing me to see revival among the poor. For bringing me here to experience the gospel in new ways, and changing my heart as I see Him work among those He loves and died for.
May He continue to receive the reward of His suffering…. through you and me.
Much love,
David
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