Sabbath, March 31, 2007

“And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.” Revelation 14:6.

“The work of preaching the gospel has not been committed to angels, but has been entrusted to men. Holy angels have been employed in directing this work, they have in charge the great movements for the salvation of men; but the actual proclamation of the gospel is performed by the servants of Christ upon the earth.” –The Great Controversy, p. 312.

The Republic of Mozambique, or simply Mozambique, is a country in southeastern Africa bordering on the Indian Ocean in the east, Tanzania, in the north, Malawi and Zambia in the northwest, Zimbabwe in the west and Swaziland and South Africa in the southwest. The country is a member of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries and the British Commonwealth.

The coast of Mozambique was colonized by the Portuguese in the XVI century and the interior of the country toward the end of the XIX century. In 1962 several anti-colonial political groups formed the Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO), which initiated an armed campaign against Portuguese colonial rule in September 1964. Finally, the Portuguese withdrew and Mozambique became independent on June 25, 1975. Civil War, sabotage from neighboring states, and economic collapse characterized the first decade of Mozambican independence. The civil war ended in October 1992 and under supervision of the ONUMOZ peacekeeping force of the United Nations, peace returned to Mozambique.

About 45 % of the territory of Mozambique is fertile but only about 4% of Mozambique is under cultivation at any one time, and more than two-thirds of the land is not exploited in any way. Nevertheless, agricultural pursuits support almost 80% of the population. The native forests are a good source of tropical hardwoods. Industrial development has been slow as a result of the civil war that destroyed the transport system and other infrastructure. To this can be added the floods of 2000 and the fact that there are still unexploded mines!

At present, church members are scattered in the rural areas of the country and most of them are farmers with a low income. Evangelization advances very slowly due to lack of means and the political and economic problems in the country. Nevertheless, in the last months there has arisen a great interest in the truth.

Mozambique needs our help to register the church, build chapels in different parts of the country and have publications available.
We kindly make an appeal to our brothers and sisters in the whole world to consider the urgent needs of this field so as to be able to preach the three angels’ messages.

“May God help you who can do something now to make an investment in the bank of heaven. We do not ask a loan, but a freewill offering, –a return to the Master of His own goods which He has lent you. If you love God supremely, and your neighbor as yourself, we believe you will give tangible proofs of the same in freewill offerings for our mission work. There are souls to be saved, and may you be coworkers with Jesus Christ in saving these souls for whom Christ has given His life. The Lord will bless you in the good fruit you may bear to His glory.” –Counsels on Stewardship, pp. 51, 52.

–The Brethren of the General Conference