Tete Province, Mozambique

January 2004

What began as one of my many ordinary trips to Tete turned out to be very special indeed. God seems to like to work that way, taking the ordinary or the mundane and turning it into the extraordinary. That, my friends, is grace.

Bobbi and I made the 1300-kilometer trip along with our daughter, Kristin and her husband, Steven. I am glad to report that Bobbi only suffered minor back pain from her first long and difficult trip since having back surgery. Praise God!

On this trip we visited six villages, Kapirizanji, Mawira, Zobue, Khanga, Tchessa, and Ximphako. Except for Mawira, where we are just beginning our work, we have helped local people build churches, schools, and a clinic, and dig wells. All of this always begins with evangelism, usually via the Jesus Film. Several days of follow-up counseling and discipleship proceed from each showing. People from each of these congregations then have opportunities to attend our training seminars in youth ministry, women’s ministry, marriage and family, HIV/AIDS, children’s ministry, evangelism and discipleship, and leadership development.

We were uplifted by the enthusiastic singing and strong faith in Christ displayed by the church members. Even though January is one of the busiest months in the year for cultivating and planting, many came to meet and worship with us at each place we stopped. We, of course, brought greetings and words of encouragement from you.

As he spoke and listened to these marginalized women, he knelt down so he could be at their level. We watched as he spoke only to them, ignoring the rest of the people. We waited patiently, knowing that there was something sacred in what Nedson was doing. It was an excellent lesson in communication for all of us.

Besides having Bobbi, Kristin, and Steven with me, this trip was special because we got to spend time with Mrs. Banda, our new itinerant public health nurse, and see her in action for the first time. The people were so eager to hear what she had to say. Her communication skills were evident as she interacted with the people. In each community she gave a brief talk about a health-related issue she had observed in their village. Then she ably led them in a discussion of the health issues they thought were priorities for their village. The most urgent requests had to do with prevention and treatment of cholera, malaria, and diarrhea. Mrs. Banda said that her aim would be for each community to “own” the solutions to the health problems of their particular village. We believe she will have an incredible impact in our holistic approach to evangelism and Kingdom building.

We pray that you are encouraged by your part in what God is doing in Tete Province, Mozambique.

Yours in Christ,

Bob and Bobbi Snyder

The 2004 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 64