Mozambique - The Suffering Continues

A Pastor in Sofala province reported that his whole village had been destroyed by Soviet attack helicopters in July. He himself had scars from the schrapnel. Quite a large number of people were killed by these Frelimo helicopter gun ships.

​​There are so few pastors left in the war-torn rural areas of Mozambique that they are often responsible for 3 or 4 congregations. Because the vast majority of church leaders have had no formal Bible training, our teams have spent much of their time conducting leadership training courses, evangelism seminars and Discipleship workshops. These courses are very popular and our missionary reports that he often has between 20 to 40 keen pastors or evangelists at each of his bush training seminars.

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One of our Field Workers reports that the average lifespan of a Bible in Mozambique is about 6 months. Each Bible endures much reading by many people, damage by rain, and are often eaten by insects. Many Bibles are lost during the incessant fighting, burning and fleeing. Often they are confiscated or destroyed by the communist soldiers. Because of vigorous Bible distribution there are now between 2 to 3 Bibles in most churches in the rural areas of Zambezia and Tete provinces of Mozambique. The churches average 30-40 members each.

The greatest problems encountered by our field workers in Mozambique include:

the starvation and suffering caused by the communist government, the ongoing civil war, witchcraft, polygamy and immorality amongst church members, lack of Bible knowledge amongst church leaders, and lack of roads, gasoline or spare parts for vehicles.

The greatest need in Mozambique, as in South Africa and America, remains: that God may grant a gift of true repentance and revival that we may hunger after God’s Word and thirst for His righteousness — that we may love the Lord our God with all our hearts.