The Island

OK, we've been out of touch for a bit, and I have too much to write tonight. How about a little info regarding our trip to Mozambique Island?

We flew to Nampula--a two-hour flight--then drove to Ihla de Mocambique--a 2 or 3 hour drive. This island was the original capital of the nation of Mozambique. The nation was colonized by the Portuguese 500 years ago. So the Jesuits showed up early on. They built churches and established Catholicism on the island.

Then the Muslims moved in. The Jesuits left, or were driven out, and the new Sultan took control of the island. To this day Islam is the dominant religious background of the island and the surrounding region. However, very, very few people actually practice Islam straight up. What most people seem to follow is a cultural version of Islam that is acceptable in northern Moz. At 5:00 Thursday afternoon we were outside the island's largest mosque. The call to pray was played over the loud speaker and not one person responded or entered the mosque. It seems clear that Islam is more cultural than spiritual to these people.

But followers of Jesus are not strong here either. Eight Catholic churches dot the island. Only one is still operating. And very few people participate. So the opportunity for the gospel is great.

Our purpose in visiting the Island is to help Rodger & Lynn Schmidt determine the potential ministry opportunities here. Rodger has become friends with Hafish, the local Muslim cleric. However, Hafish had received an invitation to the United States to study for a month, so we did not meet with him. That was disappointing, but we still got a great taste of the island and the region near it.

The opportunities in this region indeed are wide open. Only ten Christian missions workers are known to be living in the two provinces that comprise the area around Ihla de Mocambique. This is an area with hundreds of thousands of people. We saw very little evidence that the gospel is impacting this region. It would be a wonderful thing if the Schmidts decided to move to this region. They definitely feel God calling them here. But that will take a while. They are in the middle of an exciting venture in Maputo, in the southern part of the country. And I'll tell you about that next time.

Thanks for praying for us and for our journey. It has been a huge blessing from God. Please keep praying for us.

Grace,
Brad