Chuiba, MozambiqueWednesday, November 18, 2009
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Outreach in Chuiba
I talked to Pastor Carlos (who is the leader of all outreach efforts for IRIS in Cabo del Gado) a week ago or so about finding a village not too far in distance from Pemba that there is not an IRIS church presence where I could take some Mozambicans with me to. We had already gone to Mahati, which I found out did end up having an IRIS church relatively near to the village. I even got to meet the pastor of that church and tell him about the people who had come to Jesus. Pastor Carlos told me about a village called, “Chuiba.”
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He was telling me that Chuiba is a very strong Muslim village, and that there were not welcoming when outreach efforts have been made there. But IRIS definitely would like to plant a church in Chuiba, should the doors open for this. He told me that large Jesus film outreaches haven’t worked, and that doing evangelism on a smaller scale and making friends would be a better tactic. A few days later I was talking to Heidi Baker about wanting to go into that village. She told me that she and others were stoned in that village over a year ago. All of this caused my spirit to even more leap at the challenge.
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So yesterday, after praying about it, I took Jonas and some Mozambicans: Tony, Benito, Adelino and two other guys. We drove southeast down the coast to the village of Chuiba. We all prayed in the car on the way there. I had confidence that God was going to give us favor in this village. We drove into the village, and although the atmosphere felt a little tense, mostly among the men of the village, we were welcomed by a group of women and children sitting near a shady tree. We actually ran into an IRIS pastor who was with these ladies. He is a school teacher in Chuiba, and has a church not too far from the village.
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Anyway, after asking their permission to speak with them, I got out my guitar and we sang some songs in Makhua together. They loved the songs, and sang along, dancing to the rhythm. Then I gave my testimony, as well as presented the gospel of Christ I asked how many of them felt that emptiness that only Jesus could fill and explained how they would only go to heaven if they repented of their sin, and received Jesus Christ into their lives. Almost all of them, probably a group of 20 to 30 women, children and a few men, wanted to pray for forgiveness of sins and to ask Jesus into their hearts, where He would live their entire life.
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Since I am unable to teach through the entire Bible in such a short time with people, God generally gives me a certain aspect of the gospel to focus on. Yesterday, I focused on the fact that when we die, we will hear one of two things from God: (1) Well done good and faithful servant, enter into my rest, or (2) Depart from me you worker of iniquity, I never knew you. I believe that this concept, which lined up with my personal testimony, really hit home for them, as almost all of them raised their hands, repeated a simple salvation prayer, and asked Jesus into their hearts. It was a beautiful thing. Another group of precious people added to the Book of Life, and being brought into Jesus’ Makhua bride. Praise the Lord. I believe these to be the first converts in this village. We sang some more. They asked if we could come back and teach on Sundays, starting a church in that village. We said that we must have the leaders of IRIS speak with the chief of that village. But even that they would want a church in that village is a completely different response than when IRIS first came to that village. We also bought mangoes from them and gave them out to all those who were present, just to bless them with some physical food, as well as spiritual food. We gave out Portuguese Bibles to those who could read, as well as Christian Literature for children. Although Jonas and I were hit with some rocks thrown over a fence today at IRIS base #1 while we were with gathered together with our fellow Harvest School students and Mozambican Bible School students (only got hit in the legs, nothing serious), we definitely didn’t get stoned in Chuiba yesterday, and believe that a huge victory was won for the Kingdom of God. We have been speaking to the leadership here about following up now with the new converts.
.
So yesterday, after praying about it, I took Jonas and some Mozambicans: Tony, Benito, Adelino and two other guys. We drove southeast down the coast to the village of Chuiba. We all prayed in the car on the way there. I had confidence that God was going to give us favor in this village. We drove into the village, and although the atmosphere felt a little tense, mostly among the men of the village, we were welcomed by a group of women and children sitting near a shady tree. We actually ran into an IRIS pastor who was with these ladies. He is a school teacher in Chuiba, and has a church not too far from the village.
.
Anyway, after asking their permission to speak with them, I got out my guitar and we sang some songs in Makhua together. They loved the songs, and sang along, dancing to the rhythm. Then I gave my testimony, as well as presented the gospel of Christ I asked how many of them felt that emptiness that only Jesus could fill and explained how they would only go to heaven if they repented of their sin, and received Jesus Christ into their lives. Almost all of them, probably a group of 20 to 30 women, children and a few men, wanted to pray for forgiveness of sins and to ask Jesus into their hearts, where He would live their entire life.
.
Since I am unable to teach through the entire Bible in such a short time with people, God generally gives me a certain aspect of the gospel to focus on. Yesterday, I focused on the fact that when we die, we will hear one of two things from God: (1) Well done good and faithful servant, enter into my rest, or (2) Depart from me you worker of iniquity, I never knew you. I believe that this concept, which lined up with my personal testimony, really hit home for them, as almost all of them raised their hands, repeated a simple salvation prayer, and asked Jesus into their hearts. It was a beautiful thing. Another group of precious people added to the Book of Life, and being brought into Jesus’ Makhua bride. Praise the Lord. I believe these to be the first converts in this village. We sang some more. They asked if we could come back and teach on Sundays, starting a church in that village. We said that we must have the leaders of IRIS speak with the chief of that village. But even that they would want a church in that village is a completely different response than when IRIS first came to that village. We also bought mangoes from them and gave them out to all those who were present, just to bless them with some physical food, as well as spiritual food. We gave out Portuguese Bibles to those who could read, as well as Christian Literature for children. Although Jonas and I were hit with some rocks thrown over a fence today at IRIS base #1 while we were with gathered together with our fellow Harvest School students and Mozambican Bible School students (only got hit in the legs, nothing serious), we definitely didn’t get stoned in Chuiba yesterday, and believe that a huge victory was won for the Kingdom of God. We have been speaking to the leadership here about following up now with the new converts.
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Christian Young
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