Namacurra was a dry dusty town when we arrived, as this part of Mozambique was experiencing a terrible drought resulting in food shortages and much difficulty for the local population. Along with the drought and failed crops, a civil war is taking place in parts of the country making life very difficult for many living here.
We arrived to these conditions with some hesitation adding to the fact that Namacurra is also eighty percent Catholic, with the rest of the population made up of mostly Muslim and a few protestant faiths.
We wondered how successful our mission would be in Namacurra until we met with our team of 35 Bible workers who had been busy preparing the groundwork for the program. They reported to us that their work was going very well and they were already studying with around 1500 people!
The three programs were all conducted on small soccer fields. A short health message was presented each night before the main evangelistic program and the messages were all translated from English into Portuguese. The messages were well received and many were making decisions for Christ.
Halfway through our programs I was requested to conduct two funeral services. The first one was for a Seventh-day Adventist police officer killed in a motorcycle accident with a truck. It was a very sad event as his wife and three children were devastated, not only because of losing their husband and father, but also the sole provider for the family. The second funeral was for a sick lady we visited in the small local hospital. She passed away a few days later. The lady left three children behind as orphans since her husband had died two years earlier. It was a very sad time and the devastation of those left behind was heart-rending.
On our final Sabbath in Namacurra, 372 souls were ready for baptism. The baptism was conducted in a narrow river a couple of kilometres from the venue. After the church service and the baptisms had taken place, all the candidates received a Bible and baptismal certificate. The day closed with a large fellowship lunch.
Since we were in Namacurra, the drought has broken and the civil unrest has settled down, bringing much needed relief to the country.
In His service.
Chris Kleinke
