As an example, one Sunday we attended a church service in the suburbs of Lichinga. After saying hi to all the kids following us around and giggling to each other we sat down for church, and they started singing in Portuguese and Swahili and all these other languages. We just awkwardly clapped because we couldn’t sing along. They tried to teach us one of their songs, and we taught the kids “This little light of mine.” Jeffrey, a young African man in training to be a pastor who luckily knew English, translated the words, and we taught the kids the hand motions. Then Jeffrey taught the children’s story on the Ten Commandments, and the littlest kid was so excited because he knew all the answers. He is one of the children of Pidi Pidi, and older man who told us how proud he was that he had so many children but just one wife. Most of the country is Moslem, although not all Moslems there practice their faith, the polygamy side of the religion and the limitation of women’s rights are very prevalent. After the children’s story the missionary, Janice, taught the sermon. Even though this isn’t looked at as a good thing in America, it is kind of necessary there. She is training African pastors right now, but there aren’t any in her area that are ready to teach yet. She spoke in English, and Jeffrey translated into the native dialect for the people. Normally she would speak in Portuguese and he would translate that way, but for our benefit she spoke in English. It is quite a different perspective from just listening to a missionary share in church for an hour when they visit every few years. We had the chance to meet the people whose lives these ambassadors for Christ are touching. I was greatly encouraged to see so many young families, a few of them just beginning, and excited to share God’s Word. On my last evening in Lichinga, before supper I stood looking over the valley behind our guesthouse, over the mud huts and distant mountains that are Africa. I wondered if I would ever come back to Mozambique again. And I really hope I will.
