It’s 2007 – the rest of the Western world is somewhere hooked up via internet – sending e-mails, browsing … perhaps downloading the next 77 versions of the Bible on e-Sword for FREE. In Mozambique though this is not true. Why? Well for starters we have NO ELECTRICITY or phone lines. Books and Bibles are a truely rare commodity. Is it possible that in the 21st century people still long to have their own Bible in their own language ….. and to actually OWN their own Bible?
It’s late when I arrive in a small village far in the bush. I cannot spend much time there …. gotto get out before the rain comes and the river comes down. I bring good and bad news. I ask them: “What do you choose – good or bad news?” “Please BAD NEWS first …. we want to go to bed happy” they reply in a choir of voices. “Well …. I could not bring Shona Bibles” their local mother tongue. Their faces drop and some tongues are clicking in the background to show their dissapointment. “But”, I said with a smile “I brought 20 Portugeuse Bibles for those who can read and write.” I choose the local pastor to come forward, but his church followers are following him on thier knees as they are creeping forward to thank God for the Word of Life that came to them today. I have never seen anything like this ……. As with so many people that we hand out Bibles to – they start kissing the Word of God. And then …. singing, dancing and screams of joy as they open the brand new Bibles and start reading …… anywhere ….. does’nt matter.
We have a shortage of SHONA and SENNA Bibles currently in Mozambique. Because of political and economic problems in Zimbabwe we are unable to obtain Shona Bibles. To print Shona Bibles in South Africa we need to print a minimum of 5 000 which is very costly. Please pray so that God will intervine and quensh the thirst for the LIVING WATERS.
Here I am handing out some Bibles that was donated by Dr. Tielman Marais from Stellenbosch to a pastor from the Gorangoza district.