My life...on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

I've been here in Vilanculos for two months and in my blog I want to give an accurate picture of what I am doing here, including things from my daily life and ministry as well.

  I’ve started up bible studies with ladies from the church…which has been challenging as many do not know how to read and have minimal if any Scriptural knowledge.  A few weeks ago a friend from the States visited and made the statement that the average American Christian has enough biblical knowledge to teach a bible school here…which I think is an accurate portrayal of just how little people know.  In some ways it makes teaching people  easy because almost any bible story is new.   But its also challenging because I cannot refer to other bible stories as examples.  For instance David and Goliath is well known, but here people  just do not have that same background.  They don’t value biblical stories in the same way because they don’t know them.    Also, people here either speak Portuguese and/or Sitchwa- a local Mozambican tongue.  Therefore 2 interpreters are needed for bible studies.   Fortunately I can speak Spanish which is similar to Portuguese; sometimes the words are very similar and other times not so much. 

  One group is in Pambarra- a town 18km away and they are the most consistent group.  The other group is in Vilanculos, where there have been different people hosting the study but no one has really committed to coming every week.   In Pambarra Mama Eliza, a woman old enough to be my mother, is one of my favorites because every week she says thank you for coming and teaching.  Even though she only speaks Sitchuwa I can see how she listens intently and soaks it in.  Her hunger and attitude of gratitude speak volumes; she values the teaching of the Word.  One of my challenges is simplifying the message so that it is easy to translate, with  examples that listeners can relate to, without diluting the power and truth of the gospel.  

There is a group of early teenage girls and I am hoping to start something with them as well.  They are literate and they have more free time than the older women.   Plus I think it’s a great age to reach as they are open to learning and are not set in their ways, the way adults are.

Hopefully this gives you an idea of what I am doing and give you insight to how you can pray for me.  God Bless.