A lot of people die in Mozambique. In fact, yesterday (21
October) I went to the funeral of the third person I know of who has died this
month. Since returning to Mozambique in
July someone has died each month…almost like clockwork. Even though death is the inevitable given
affecting every person on the planet, I think the rate at which people die here
reeks of diabolical interference. God is revealing to me that there is a spirit
of death operating and thriving in Mozambique.
Here are some reasons why I say that- life expectancy is usually about
45-50 years old. 138/1000 children die
before they turn five…and Mozambique has one of the highest infant and child
mortality rates in the world. When I
returned in July, someone asked me if my parents were still alive. I said “Yes” and thought “What a strange
question” Then I remembered most Mozambicans don’t live to be as old as my
parents.
Although AIDS kills many in
Mozambique and sub Saharan Africa, Malaria
remains the leading recorded cause of death
in Mozambique. Other contributing
factors include but aren’t limited to: poor sanitation, malnutrition, poor
health care system, lack of resources- doctors, nurses, hospitals, clinics,
medical supplies and drugs, mosquito nets, inadequate medical training and
knowledge, ignorance of basic hygienic principles (like wash hands after going
to the bathroom and limited use of soap), unclean water, many parasites and
harmful bugs characteristic of undeveloped areas, many rats, lack of access to
health facilities especially in rural areas, depression, alcohol abuse,
poverty, cyclones, floods, draughts, traffic accidents, etc.
Here’s a list of the people I am
aware of that died since last September- in the last 13 months:
*Thinus- South African man in his
50s, was hit by a truck while riding his bicycle.- Sept. 2011
*Maria’s son (Maria was my neighbor
in Ngalumwe, when I lived a few miles outside of town). He was in his twenties and either he was
drunk or hit by a drunk driver…I just know that drinking and a vehicle were
involved. Sept. 2011
*Ismael’s mom died. Ishmael is a church member, and his mother
was in her 40s or 50s. Cause of death unknown.
Oct. 2011.
*Claudina, another neighbor in
Ngalumwe, was in her last month of pregnancy when her baby stopped moving. We prayed over her womb but the baby was
lost. This was her second miscarriage and the first pregnancy also ended within
a few weeks of the due date. She feels
that there’s a demon in her womb killing her children. November 2011
*Maria’s 3 year old granddaughter
(who lived with her) died of malaria. I
will never forget that day when all of a sudden we heard people whaling loudly-
we knew someone had died. January 2012
*Vovo Beka-another neighbor in
Ngalumwe- her uncle Jeremias died. He
was older and sickly- the first one of the list where death was not a surprise
~March 2012.
*Clementina-I wrote a blog about her
in July entitled Tangerine..July 2012
Her sister Elisa who lives in the same house is depressed and afraid
that the evil spirit that got her sister will take her out too.
*Jeremias- another neighbor in
Ngalumwe in his forties, who died suddenly and unexpectedly, leaving his 10
year old daughter (Arina- one of my favorites and wife behind. He was always
so joyful and friendly. Also Vovo Beka’s nephew. August 2012
*Louisa- Vovo Beka’s sister who had a
disgusting and cumbersome sore on her foot, like a huge blood blister that kept
her from walking…twice she was taken to the hospital to have it removed and
twice it returned. Honestly, I thought
she would outlive her sister Beka- since both were elderly, impoverished, and
weak. It seems to me Vovo Beka is alive because she wants to be; she has a
desire to live which is something Louisa seemed to lack. September 2012
*Philip-South African living in Maputo. Has Mozambican wife- Bela and an active 3
year old son and a newborn. I would
usually stay with them when traveling to South Africa and back. I always felt welcomed and taken care of with
them. He was 46, large, stereo-typically South African enjoying red meat, rugby and cricket. He had gone on a diet and lost weight but
that didn't ultimately matter. He had a sudden heart attack Oct. 2012
*An uncle of the family I’m staying
with now earlier this month.
*Tina’s 22 year old cousin named Gina had cerebral
malaria…she was very sick, then mentally ill (became mute and started imitating
animals) for about 2 weeks and died after a few days in the hospital. At her funeral I learned that her 8 year old
sister died the year before. Also, 6 out
of 7 of Tina’s siblings have died.
Another friend of mine, Marlene is
16 and I've known her for a few months, but it wasn't ‘til last week that she
told me her biological mother had died in childbirth in 2008 (with her would
have been sibling) and the mother that I had met was her step mother.
Do you see why I say there’s a
spirit of death operating in Mozambique?
I know many more people in America than I do here, yet I've never known
of so many deaths within 13 months. Were all these deaths influenced by Satan and/or
his minions? Probably not but I think it would be foolish to assume that none
of them were. He can’t create diseases
or depression or poor health care but He is the ultimate opportunist- attaching
to problems and prolonging them.
As I was making this list one thing
stood out to me: no Jesus for Africa church
member has died. God’s protection?
You
know what the best part of this blog is?
You can actually make a
difference and pray for life and healing in Jesus Name over Mozambique.
Here’s my list of people rescued
from death:
1 1. Tomas- a 4 year old boy who could have been the
poster child for starvation and malnourishment. I've never seen anyone so skeletal in my life.
No one wanted him. His parents separated and one parent went to
a witch doctor to help him/put a curse on him (depending who is telling the
story) and then left him for the other’s family to take care of (the other
parent is in South Africa). He was
terribly sick and couldn't really eat…but that changed. After getting parental permission demons were
cast out, he was hospitalized to get medical attention necessary, and now the
child actually has cheeks on his face. July/August 2012
2 2. Julia.
When I left for Maputo and South Africa I wondered if she would survive
the next three weeks and how I would hate to miss her funeral. She was so weak and pathetic. Lying on her mat in the shade, with little
strength to do anything else. Her
husband had stopped working to stay home and take care of her. She was connected to an organization that
distributes medication and food, but it was obvious she would need an act of
God to survive. Hopeless AIDS victim. But God did answer prayer and in His mercy
healed her body. When I visited last
week it was like seeing a brand new person.
She greeted me loudly from a distance…I had heard she improved but
that’s when I knew it was true. She wasn't sickly and confined to her mat- she was up and moving and cooking and it
was obvious she had been working in the machamba (field) and was preparing to
plant peanuts after the next rain. She couldn't stop smiling and she knew that God had healed her. This week her blood
test came back positive- so she still has AIDS. But that fact that she’s not
dead and is physically active and energetic –and able to do normal things again
is definitely from the Lord October 2012
33.
Elias - A Mozambican friend living in Beira was
in a terrible accident last month. He was on a motorcycle and was hit by a car…apparently
it was a very ugly scene in which he lost a substantial amount of blood and was
expected to die. I talked with him on the phone today and I don’t think I've ever heard someone so excited to be alive.
Despite going through this difficulty he knows God spared his life and is so
grateful. He said even doctors commented
“You have a great God because you’re still alive…you should have died”
Do you know what the best part of this
blog is? You can actually make a
difference and pray for LIFE
and HEALING in Jesus Name over
Mozambique.
We need more stories like Tomas, Elias, and
Julia’s.
Jesus
came to bring abundant life, not premature death. God alone can bring
supernatural healing in so many hopeless hearts and circumstances.
Please pray for healing, life, hope and the
opposite of everything listed in the second paragraph. Also pray for those mourning the loss of their
loved ones. And encouragement for Elisa
and Vovo Beka- both are alone and have lost dear ones.
Prayer is so powerful. If you are a born again follower of Christ
you have the privilege and responsibility to bring Life and Truth to the dying
world around you. God could snap his
fingers and instantly heal all diseases, feed all the hungry, shelter the
homeless, save all the lost, etc. but
instead God uses us. We are seated with Christ in the heavenly
realm (Eph. 2:6), above powers and principalities. We inherit all power and authority through
Christ- and because He has already died- we now have that inheritance- all we
have to do is believe it and claim it.
He wants us to share in His authority!
He wants us to make a difference- in the physical and in the spiritual
realm. So boldly and authoritatively
pray in Jesus Name (the Name above all names, the ultimate authority) for LIFE
and HEALING knowing that you are his ambassadors on the earth. Your words have the power of life and death
(Proverbs 18:21)…use them wisely.
