Friend, language open doors
Missionaries Kent and Jenny Schafer made a long, arduous trip to visit a possible place for their future ministry and were rewarded by beginning to build some relationships.
After taking a ferry across the river they met one of the few trucks available to take them further. However the next leg of the trip was taking a boat ride upriver proved a little more difficult. After they waited several hours along with 60 others who wanted to make the trip upriver, the boat was finally ready. They climbed aboard along with eight motorbikes and eight bicycles. A message had been sent the truck that normally picks up passengers on the other side of the river asking the driver to wait for them as they would be six hours late.
The regular truck driver didn’t get the message but God had arranged for a truck driver to haul some logs to the river and arrive just in time to take them to a motel where they were able to fall into bed at midnight.
The next morning they were able to begin walking around the neighborhood with their friend who introduced them to her relatives.
One of the ladies was clearly terrified when she saw them. Their Mozambican friend who accompanied them, Marcia, was a relative of this lady and greeted her. She sidled over to Marcia but still looked at the Schafers with terror in her eyes. After being introduced she hesitatingly walked over to Jenny. When Jenny greeted her in the Maindo language, her face broke into a smile and she greeted Jenny back. So it was a great help that Marcia and her mom introduced the Schafers as their friends.
After walking around talking to people all morning they knew they had to greet the local regulo or king. Each neighborhood has a descendant of a tribal chief who rules that neighborhood and is also the local government authority. Marcia took them to visit the regulo and he was honored that they had come to his home to visit from such a faraway place.
Their attempts to speak the Maindo language pleased the people and Kent and Jenny feel that God has opened the door to ministering in this area.
Pray for the Schafers as they prepare to minister in the Maindo language in Mozambique.
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