March 2002

Dear Friends,

Our Story, Your Story, The Lord’s Story: Tete Province, Mozambique

It is a story of some 25 years of armed conflict. Fighting with the Portuguese for independence followed by years of civil war has brought mass destruction of people, agriculture, livestock, and wildlife. During the war years, people in Tete province fled to the neighboring countries of Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe where they settled far enough from the border to be safe, but near enough to be able to return to their homes when the war ended. Most were away for more than ten years before cautiously venturing back in the early
Nineties, when peace treaties were signed. Upon their return, they were said to sleep "like rabbits, " with one eye open.

The PC(USA) missionaries got involved in 1992 with evangelism and Christian development. Working together with pastors from the Presbyterian Church of Mozambique (IPM), the work has been very fruitful. In less than ten years, 48 churches and many community-based projects, under the initiatives of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Evangelism and Church Growth in Southern Africa program, have been established.

God had prepared the way for all of this to happen. People eager to work, hearts prepared to receive the good news, and a common language, Chichewa, have all served to cause the work of the Church to go forward. Into this mix, we have helped by providing direction, leadership training, and development aid for churches, schools, wells, and maize mills.

From February 20 to 24, Bobbi and I traveled to Tete with the Rev. Bill Young, our supervisor, the coordinator of international evangelism for the PC(USA). We visited and worshiped with folks in 10 different churches. We were in awe of all that God is doing. We saw how the Jesus Film, preaching points, word of mouth, and community development have worked together to build the
Kingdom of God. Eleven new church fellowships were established in 2001.

The Church at Madzimbawe captured our hearts. This church is a great example of our partnership with IPM in Tete Province. Madzimbawe, which means "water from the rock," is located far from the main road on a rocky hill with a great view of the mountain. The little church was packed with joy-filled Christians. Together with their white-faced (Azungu) friends from Zimbabwe and America, they sang, danced, prayed, and heard the Word preached. It was here that we saw, with great clarity, the way in which Christian community development projects actually promote evangelism. The people provided the labor, sand, bricks and stones while we provided cement and roofing materials to build their church and then a school. While we were inside the church with the "baptized members," a crowd of equal size was gathering outside, composed of the new, yet-to-be-baptized-members, who were coming to Jesus because their children were benefitting from the yet-to-be-completed primary school. Madzimbawe, what a beautiful sight! "I tell you, open your eyes and look to the fields. They are ripe for the harvest" (John 4:35). "Then he said to his disciples, the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field" (Matthew 9:37-38).

In His Service,

Bob and Bobbi Snyder
PO Box 7080
Harare, Zimbabwe

rpsnyder@mweb.co.zw

The 2002 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 53