Bringing the Gospel to Remote Areas of Mozambique

“On our journey toward Tete, we used a small bush road hardly, if ever, used by any vehicle. I thought to myself: ‘Lord, how are we ever going to get to the main road with this kind of road?’ As we were traveling through mountainous terrain, we had to cross over about 12 dried-up river beds, some so narrow and steep that I wondered if the truck would get stuck right in the cleft. We had to cross over three very large, dry, sandy riverbeds. In this journey we again felt the Lord’s hand of protection so strongly, knowing that all of this is for His gospel to reach the uttermost parts. Courage welled up in us and on we went. It was late afternoon when we reached a small village—Zenga-Zenga. We found the village chief and asked if we could stay there for the night. Yes, no problem. Wherever we went and wherever we stopped, we always distributed the World Missionary Press Scripture booklets. In this way we planted four new churches. Out there in the bush that is probably the only Scriptures that they have ever received. As I walked with some of the ladies to the river to draw our water, I stopped at the river bank. The ladies climbed down the steep cleft to carry the water back up this steep cliff. As I was waiting for them, a young boy, maybe 10 years of age, came with his bike and water jug to draw his water. As he saw me, he jumped off his bike in fear, left it beside the path and started running back home. He acted as if he had never seen a white person before. I called to him in Portuguese not to be afraid, that I was a friend and that I loved children. He stopped, listened, and then slowly and carefully came toward me, took his water jug, and proceeded to the river. As he returned from the river, we asked him why he was so afraid. He explained that he had never seen a white person. We assured him that all was well. Unfortunately I had no Scripture booklets in Masena with me at that moment. We just exchanged a few words, and he then quickly got on his bike. We ladies walked back together, each of us carrying our water jugs on our head. . . . The chief wanted us to plant a Mountain of Praise church right there at Zenga-Zenga and said his children would be the first to help evangelize in that area. We left two boxes of Scripture booklets, assured that the Word of God had entered there. In remote places like these, where there are no Bibles, no Christian broadcasts, few or no churches, we are so thankful that we have these Scripture booklets as the only source of the Word of God for these dear people. Every time as people read these Scripture booklets, thousands of seeds are planted. I am always encouraged and strengthened by the words that the Lord says in Isaiah 55:11: ‘. . . So is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.’ Frequently in Africa it happens that when a chief gets saved, the whole village gets saved. We will find out next time we visit there. It was a great experience and worth every effort and every precarious moment.”

-Tanneken Fros, Mozambique