I glanced out the window at the dry earth as we bumped along on our three-hour drive to Nhamantandah and Narashonga. We had just landed in Beira a few hours earlier, the second largest city in Mozambique. However, the city bustle had now faded into a brown countryside. It was August, and the drought held the land in a brittle grip. The people were hungry. The crops had failed the previous year and food prices had doubled. The Mozambique currency, the Metical, had also dramatically dropped, which shot the price of goods even higher.
The Mozambique Union had requested we go to the rural towns of Nhamantandah and Narashonga for an evangelistic series. Only a half-hour drive separated these two locations, which made it easy for our team of my daughter Mikhaela, Jayden Gardner and Pastor Miguel Simoque, the Mozambique Union Evangelism director, to travel between each day for meetings.
Our first task upon arrival was to meet with the 35 Bible workers that had been sent into the area several months ahead of our arrival. They reported that the ground-work for the evangelistic events had been very successful, as they were studying with around 2000 people; many of them showing great interest.
We spoke at three different outdoor soccer fields, with our words translated into the local Shona language. The evenings were warm and clear, which helped attendance. Each night, we appealed to the crowds to accept the gospel.
I had the privilege to watch the Holy Spirit touch hearts. Many people made decisions for Christ. Most of these converts became new believers because of the seeds planted by the Bible worker’s previous studies.
The evangelistic programs kept us busy in the evenings. During the day we would visit outlying areas where our Bible workers had been working. Some of these people were very poor. We were able to give them some secondhand clothing and conduct small worship services and studies.
The local pastor also secured us a spot on the local radio station. I was able to present several messages over a one-hour program. Pastor Simoque then translated my English over the radio. Many people told us they listened in, which helped boost our attendance at the evening meetings.
Our final Sabbath meetings in both Nhamantanda and Narashonga were very special moments, as 623 souls were ready for baptism.
In Nhamantandah, we didn’t have any body of water to baptize the new converts, but that didn’t stop us. We dug a large hole in the dirt, lined it with a tarp, and then hired a water carrier to bring water. We baptized the new Christians in our makeshift baptismal font, and then gave them a Bible, Final Events book and a baptismal certificate.
Narashonga, fortunately, did have a nearby shallow water hole. However, since there had been no rain, the water was very stale and the pastors wouldn’t allow me to get in and help with these baptisms.
“A white man is not used to such grubby water,” they told me. “You will get sick and die!” I listened to their advice and politely took pictures from the sidelines. We also gave these candidates a Bible, Final Events book and baptismal certificate.
After the newly baptized believers had received their Bibles in Nhamantandh, we noticed there were still several boxes left over. The crowd noticed as well, and soon many church members pressed around the local conference president begging for a Bible. They were so excited to own a Bible that they almost flattened him as he handed them out in their desperation to get one.
I was humbled by the hunger in their eyes, and their longing to own God’s word. Many church members in Mozambique can’t afford to buy a Bible. In contrast, most of us own several Bibles and often neglect reading them. The passion these brothers and sister showed just to own God’s word was a crucial reminder of the amazing gift we all possess, and too often take for granted.
Since the programs have finished, several new congregations have started. Other people are still studying with our Bible workers to be baptized, like the local headmaster of the school and two of his teachers in Narashonga. While they didn’t make decisions for Christ during the time I was there, I recently learned that they are now new believers studying to be baptized in the future.
While we are blessed to hear of the growth of God’s church in Mozambique, we also ask for prayers for the new congregations and individuals who joined our spiritual family. Please pray that they continue to grow in their love for Jesus.
In His service,
Tony Rykers
