| Returning to Rover, the mechanic
found an expensive part missing, and I walked up the road to look
for it. A car passed, braked, backed up, and a Mozambican leaned
out the window with the part in his hand. He had picked it up,
going one direction, now happened to be returning. The mechanic
said a “knuckle” on a 4x4 shaft was broken and the
replacement was not available in Mozambique. Just so happened
he was going to South Africa next day and he could buy it there
and return Friday. The good mechanic “rigged” the
parts to drive without 4x4 use. But I was told not to go to Macuacua
because of all the sand.
Thursday I felt the effects of travel and being in the hot sun
the day before. There was no way to phone Macuacua, a two-and-a-half-hour
drive. I studied in the hotel.
Friday morning I learned the mechanic would be late. (Next afternoon
he solved the problem for under $100.) I decided to try driving
to Macuacua anyway, but not wanting to take chances, I first drove
to Mausse, near Manjakaze, where a pastor would guide me to Macuacua.
I was singing a praise song when I stopped for four young men
hitchhiking. As I drove I had them read the Bible out loud, and
I jubilantly preached. It was a precious little time when we all
sensed the Spirit!—and abounding life!—revival in
Rover!
Dropping them off in Manjakaze, one young man insisted on giving
me money. I accepted but gave it back and told him to put it in
the offering plate Sunday and say “halleluiah!” when
he did. No hitchhiker in Mozambique has ever offered us money
and I found this remarkable!
I stopped again to give a ride to a schoolteacher heading to
Mausse. I shared Scripture. As I dropped her off, she pressed
money into my hand. I gave it back with the same instructions
to the young man. This made me glad!
From Mausse I was guided to Macuacua. The countryside offered
serene scenes of rice paddies and cattle grazing. At Macuacua,
Sive was surprised I showed up. That afternoon on the way back
I picked up a family, and when I stopped to let them off, the
father handed me money! I repeated my request and he hollered
“halleluiah!”
Not just once, three times!—this giving of money in Mozambique
is a first. Since then a missionary told us that recently for
the first time a “bush church” took an offering for
him. We also heard about spontaneous giving for another missionary.
Saturday morning, driving into the Macuacua community, I saw
the elders (about 70 of them) walking on trails. Sive was following
a suggestion that Diane made last year about evangelism training.
Diane suggested that instead of talking about it, the leaders
actually go out by two’s and “share Jesus with someone.”
Sive burst out laughing at the thought but loved the idea. Now
he was using it!
My presentation followed the elders’ return. They reported
four persons giving their hearts to Christ. After this delightful
report I was inspired to give a prophetic message (translated
into Shangan) about the blessings of giving breaking through the
heavenlies. I loved the response. Sive was blessed, wanting a
copy of the presentation.
I preached in Portuguese (translated into Shangan) in Mausse
on Sunday, with an enthusiastic response. I asked them to confess,
in Portuguese and Shangan: “I am blessed!” not once,
but repeatedly. It began sounding like waves of a new song!
Back in Chimoio, Diane was fervently interceding. At one point
she envisioned the army of light massing for battle. She saw that
the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, does not need to fight
the darkness so much as be proclaimed in liberty. Light is victorious,
quenching darkness, and Christ is the Light and Life of humanity.
She began singing a chorus over and over, “The light is
shining in the darkness, the light is shining in the darkness,
the light is shining in the darkness; and the darkness comprehendeth
it not!”
Charles and Diane Wonnenberg
The 2003 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, page
52 |
