Mozambique - Testimonies of Changed Lives

Testimonies from Mozambique:

“As I was born from a poor family my life consisted of peasant farming. As far as worship goes we had our customs that were passed down to us from our elders. The killing, spilling of blood and burning of animals as sacrifices was part of our religious practices. When I came of age I got married to a woman from another village. She was supposed to be a believer and introduced me to her church. I had no option but to join her but, on the other side, I could continue with my old practices. For decades together it didn’t seem wrong what I was doing. She, with our children, would also take part in the religious sacrifices I made. She also accepted that our children be dedicated in a traditional way to the gods of the land. That is to say that we called witch doctors to ‘bless’ our children when they were born.

Things changed when I had an encounter with Christ through reading a small booklet. The words pierced my heart and I began to realize I was doing nothing pleasing to God. Instead I had to give my whole life to Him by abandoning the practices of the past. After reading the literature I tried to find ways to have my family come to Christ and dedicate them in His ways. An EHC team came to my home and shared with me the Word of God giving much clarity to what I had already read. I did not waste time but instead committed myself to Christ. I saw the Goodness of the Lord and the love and courage I received from the EHC team. I realized that, through believing in Christ, my life will be of meaning.” … Fernando Juntao

Miquirino (aged 71 and married to 12 wives) told how he married 12 wives in the bid to have more labourers in his fields where he grows maize meal and cotton. His life was filled with hardships linked to the control of his large family. He claimed that some of his wives had cheated on him with other men and, he believes that some of the children he called his own, might not be his. The desire to have a big family for labour purposes made him suffer a lot and he became weak in being a fatherly figure. An EHC team passed by his home and shared with him the Word of God. He responded by accepting to be a new creation in life. He now hopes that he will have the power and courage to be a fatherly figure to his tattered family. He intends to share the good news to everyone in his family.

“Before I heard the Word of God I was someone who had no vision about what lies ahead of me. My main concern was just to live a life that brings me pleasure. That is why I got involved in alcohol abuse and promiscuous relationships. The employment status I had was influential and it brought me all the favours I desired. ‘All is vanity’ as they say. When I read from the Gospel literature I received during a campaign I realized that I was doing more harm than good in my life. I realized I needed the Grace of God and His salvation to be considered a worthy person. I began to see how I was wasting my life on things that are of no value to my personal being. I was glad that the message of the Gospel tract left me open minded. I now desire to live a new life in Christ Jesus, life with no sin or worldly things being part of me.” Jose Chipenze

The Power of the Tract

For many years Serafino, a 42 year old man had been a witch doctor aid. To him the position he held was not only for breadwinning, but it was a spiritual call from the ancestors. Witch doctors are given much reverence as they are regarded as messengers of the gods. The aid is responsible in charging people who come to seek help from the witch doctor, also for seeing that he has everything that he needs, including supplies for the most important ceremonies. There are a lot of things that the aid is expected to do but one thing which is very important is to interpret to the audience that the spirit has taken over the master. The aid is responsible for interpreting to the audience whatever weird language the spirit speaks through its bearer. For Serafino all was glory for him as people would give him the same respect as his master, but suddenly things changed. An EHC pioneer missionary had heard of the popular witch doctor in Cocorico and he, and some volunteers, went to the shrine. They distributed some Gospel tracts to the people who were gathered there waiting for the witch doctor to come. It was through these tracts that the witch doctor received salvation. When he announced his intentions to follow Christ people rejoiced but not all. Some people, like Serafino, were saddened because to them it was the beginning of hardships as they depended on what they were given from serving their master. Serafino felt as if he had failed to work properly by allowing enemies of his faith to intrude their religious shrine. As he tried to make things up, he thought of reading some of the tracts in a bid to get the information and discredit everything as lies. But his intentions failed.

As Serafino was reading the tracts he got to understand that there is a man called Jesus Who was called to save the world from sin and He will come back again to judge the world. Ever since he had served his master Serafino had never had the time to know much about Christ. It took him time to understand the messages in the Gospel literature but, at last he felt something in him, that encouraged him to be a different person to serve a new Master. He began the process of transformation, filled with remorse with his contribution to those whom he had led to the dark ways.

These testimonies were sent to us by Bro. Godfrey working with Every Home for Christ in Beira, Mozambique. After the Cyclone he wrote - Cyclone Idai ravaged the whole city of Beira and Sofala and Manica Province. Most buildings and houses were reduced to piles of rubbles and some lost roofs. Our storage facilities lost only two sheets of roof. An amount of literature was soaked but the rest was spared. We thank God for that.

We are now planning to transport the boxes to far provinces in bulk as we are launching the new work in Niassa and Nampula Provinces.

Thank you so much once again for your unwavering support and remembering us during this crucial moment.

Godfrey...