AGAINST ALL ODDS

It was in April 1982 when the Lord opened the way for the first Frontline Fellowship field team to cross the border from Swaziland into Marxist Mozambique.

At that stage Mozambique was in the grip of an anti-Christian dictatorship that had already desecrated, burnt down or confiscated over 5000 churches. Bibles were banned, evangelism was forbidden and the missionaries had been expelled. Mozambique was also suffering the effects of famine and a vicious civil war.

In the light of these facts, and because 85% of the population adhered to witchcraft, and two and a half million of its people were muslims, Mozambique was widely considered to be one of the most difficult mission fields in the world. Mozambique was also described by mission research agencies as “the least evangeliseci country in the Southern hemisphere”. Several publications described Mozambique as “closed” and “unreachable”.

It was whilst contemplating these facts that I read in Joshua of the two Israelite scouts who were sent into the heavily fortified pagan city of Jericho to prepare the way for the rest of God’s people. They were able to galvanise God’s people into action with their report: “The Lord has surely given the whole land into our hands..” Joshua 2:24.

God’s word to Joshua became our marching orders: “get ready to cross... into the land... Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you...” Joshua 1:2-7.

All that time Mozambique seemed as impenetrable to the Gospel as the walls of Jericho, yet we were convinced that God who had opened the way for his people - through the Red Sea and through the Jordan - would enable us to bring the Scriptures and “Jesus” film to Maputo. And we continued to trust God for many hundreds of other missionaries to follow us into the “forbidden territory” we were seeking to open up.

Now, 10 years later, we can look back on over a hundred successful trips, tens of thousands of Bibles, New Testaments and Gospel records distributed in 18 languages, hundreds of church leaders trained, many tons of relief aid delivered, and countless Mozambiquans reached with the Gospel. Truly God has multiplied the few “loaves and fishes” we were able to consecrate to His service. And He has fed multitudes of desperate Mozambique tribesman with the Bread of Life and satisfied them with streams of living water.

We can only rejoice as we recall how God has consistently protected our missionaries as we paddled across crocodile infested rivers, drove over landmine endangered territory, rode through ambushes, preached in communist military bases, and sang in prison cells. God has protected us through all danger, guided us through uncharted territory and provided for our every need.

And we praise God for how the walls of Marxism in Mozambique have crumbled, and literally hundreds of evangelists and missionaries have poured into the land that was once “the least evangelised” and, most “unreachable” country in the Southern hemisphere.

“You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed” Joshua 24:16

Peter Hammond