Mozambique bible notes
Key Facts:
Project Name: Portuguese daily Bible reading notes
Programme: Enable
Partner organisation: Scripture Union – Portugal/Mozambique
Location: Mozambique – Maputo, Beira, Chimoio, Nampula
Key contact: Ranti Williams (JMT/SU UK), Andre Mota (SU Portugal)
Support provided: Cost of printing and distributing books of annual daily bible reading written in Portuguese specifically for Mozambique, to churches in several Mozambican towns who are requesting access to such materials to help Christians to understand more of the Bible.
Project since: January 2006 - present
Summary:
The language barrier of speaking Portugese in a predominantly English-speaking Southern Africa, means that Mozambique is in many ways isolated from its neighbours. A key impact is the lack of readily available written material in Portugese, and this applies to Christian material including Bibles, books and daily reading notes. Historically, the impact of language, poverty and low literacy levels has meant that churches in Mozambique find that few members have read and studied their own Bibles. JMT supports the efforts of Scripture Union that self-study is a critical way for Christians to test and challenge teaching they here against the Bible’s own words, and to learn for themselves. To this end, JMT has been assisting with the printing and distribution of specially-designed reading notes to Mozambique.
Churches in Mozambique are seriously under-resourced, in what is still a very poor country
Detail and background:
Mozambique is a not only a country made famous for its poverty and the tragedies of natural disasters and wars, but it is a country often isolated from its neighbours and much of the world by its language barrier; large numbers of people only speak their local languages, and those that do speak a European language speak the national Portugese, meaning that for those who speak English (the language of all their neighbouring countries) it is their third language.
One readily observable issue within Mozambican churches is a real need to deepen the knowledge and understanding of Christians of the Bible, to enable them to challenge the ever-common new fads and teachings. As part of our desire to see God's word made available and accessible to Christians to grow and mature in their faith, providing much-demanded daily Bible reading notes has been a key project: as many Christians know how reading our Bibles regularly deepens our knowledge and understanding of God and what He is doing in the World – past, present and future. We also know how valuable a set of structured notes are to focus that reading and time, and to provoke our thinking with context and questions.
Churches and contacts in Mozambique have been requesting such resources to help provide their Christian congregations with some material and assistance, and have praised efforts to provide these. Given the lack of availability – really only available from Brazil currently – and the costs involved, they are not able to afford to purchase them.
Christian charity Scripture Union, through their Portugal office, have developed a number of Portuguese language Bible reading notes, including one set, called "Pao de Ceu" (Bread of Heaven), specifically orientated towards the African portuguese-speaking countries. These provide simple studies for 365 days with some text and questions, put into the context of contemporary African life.
JMT has been working with SU Portugal to have copies printed and distributed to Mozambique via their office in Maputo. In 2006, JMT supplied 500 copies to Mozambique, where they were distributed to churches in a number of key cities, including Baptist churches in the major cities of Maputo, Beira and Nampula. In 2007, JMT has expanded the distribution to 1,200 booklets; half of these have been distributed through SU Mozambique and their network of churches, and half have been distributed through our work at Vila Maninga and the churches in the area of Chimoio. This has helped to ensure that pastors from more areas and churches – those attending college and conferences at Vila – have received copies.
The notes are so highly-valued that they will keep them and use over and over for multiple years, ensuring that as we put more out each year, we’re reaching and providing for an increasing number of people.
Latest updates:
This year’s 1,200 copies reached Maputo early in the year, and the SU office has distributed their consignement. There has been some delay in getting the copies to Vila Maninga, due to the logistical issues involved, but it should be sorted shortly (as Nick and Ian Marsh’s visit in May ensured arrangements were made). Despite the fact that they are “2007” notes, the dates are really not an issue, as the 365 days of readings will be used for many years.
Everyone at Vila is excited about their arrival and we’ll keep you updated once they’re being distributed!
Links and info:
Find out more about Scripture Union and its work in many areas, but particularly in developing and printing daily Bible reading notes: www.scriptureunion.org.uk
Ways to get involved:
Financial support:
It costs us approximately Euro 1.40 to print, package and transport a copy of ‘Pao de Ceu” to Mozambique, so £1 will deliver a year’s worth of daily reading notes to a church or individual in Mozambique; it is a wonderfully simple way to have an have an impact. Please do let us know if you’d like to support this work.
Prayer:
• Please pray firstly that the notes would all arrive safely in the different towns and locations, and especially at Vila Maninga, given its remote location
• Please pray that the notes would be distributed effectively and used wisely to help encourage people to read and study their Bibles more
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