Church in Mozambique.  I have written much about it and the last chapter has still not been written.  (And will not be for a long time …. RED)  Reaching out to people in the bush has little to do with ‘evangelism’!  The term is understood different by many – depending where you come from.  In Africa ‘evangelism’ has a strong ‘presence’ flavor.  If you don’t spend time with people, eat together, laugh together and at least spend time around the fire ….. you have very little right to speak and then to be really heard.  It works pretty much the same when it comes to The Message of the Gospel.  So we’ve spend a whole weekend with the people of Tsaka.  Attending their church service was an explosive experience.  The singing, the choirs and the preaching was wonderful.  BUT it was the ‘ministry of presence’ which made all the difference.
When the people were asked what the team could do …. it was anonymous – please pray for us.  Hundreds of people who came from far in the rain – in the dark and early hours of the morning, came out for prayer.  There were so many people that we had to ask them to leave the church so that we could pray outside.  And God worked as only HE knows how to.  But God uses people and I was deeply touched as I saw how the people responded.  They simply came in faith and shared their lives with us.  No ‘turn or burn’ message – simply just … God loves you deeply and longs for your presence!  And the people opened their homes and their hearts to GOD.
Again the Taberna Dei family members reached out without holding anything back.  Here is a few moments: 

  

When it was time to greet the wonderful people of Tsaka it was a touching farewell.  Everybody simply had to great the visitors … and it took more than a hour to shake hands.

And as is the custom – there was always going to be a gift.  A goat was chosen (scapegoat if you want to) and it was given to the visitors as a token of appreciation.

Even after the service on our way back we made one last stop to hand over a few boxes of scarse Shona Bibles.  Hannes and Steven from Taberna Dei had the honors.

Meet the team … who dared to go beyond and a little further.  They are standing on the women training center which Taberna Dei are helping to build.