Happy new year friends of Shadowland Sojourner! The following is a letter I just received from Filipe Macarengue who is the president of Tai-Xai Bible College. He also oversees the College on Wheels (COW) project which is traveling in the northern parts of the country. Mozambique is quite a large country and one of the ongoing struggles they’ve had is supplying pastors who have theological education to the new church plants. The Wesleyan church has experienced tremendous growth in the southern regions, but now expansion in the north is complicated by the difficulty in travel and getting the Bible students to quality Education. This letter updates us on current projects and future plans. As you read my comments and notes will be in parentheses.
Dear Prayer Partners,
Greetings in Jesus precious name.
We give thanks to the Lord for showing his grace in our lives and in the life of the College.
Through this we would like to present our appreciation for your precious prayers and financial support to the pastoral training in Mozambique. This year we have a total of 28 students here at Xai-Xai Wesleyan Bible College Campus and the classes are going well. (A huge Praise The Lord for rebound from COVID). In these last three weeks I was teaching the Spiritual Warfare course and tomorrow my class students will be writing the final exam. In this class we learned that our war is not against flesh and blood but against Satan who, one of his wiles is to deceive the world and confuse it; causing the individual or group of people to mistreat and kill each other. Basically we were looking at Ephesians, Chapter 6, as the main passage. We also looked briefly on African Traditional Religion – how the Devil is working through his agents – demons and evil spirits among Africans. Where most non-Christians worship and believe that the deceased one can bless, curse and protect the living. (One of the things I believe is so powerful is that the leadership (which is primarily African) sees and understands this at a level that we don’t fully grasp.)
We ask your prayers so that the Holy Spirit will help the students to apply in their lives and pass on to others what they have learned in this class.
We thank the Lord for giving us the Picketts which are a great help in the Lord’s ministry in Mozambique especially in our Bible College. Rev. James and Mom Karen had been teaching these last six weeks. Not only the students who are being blessed by his teachings but also the Churches of southern Mozambique, as a response from Pickets to the invitations of the churches in the provinces of Maputo and Gaza during the weekends. May the Lord bless this couple who in obedience to God left their comfort zone (USA) and came to us to do the Lord’s ministry. (Jim and Karen are dear servants of the Lord, giving their lives for the advancement of the Kingdom in Mozambique! Keep your prayers coming for Jim and Karen Pickett.)
COW (College on Wheels travels to the more remote provinces so the students don’t have to incur the hardship of trying to make it to the south where the Bible College is located)
I would like to tell you briefly about the College On Wheels Project. The classes are running smoothly, Currently Pastor Abel is teaching the third module and next week will take place the last one.
It should be noted that on each trip we teach 4 modules that lasts 4 weeks. Our plan is to have the graduation this year/2022 in the month of November, and we expect to graduate 20 students.
1. Approval of the fence’s project of the College by the Xai-Xai Municipal Council. It should be noted that the construction of the wall was interrupted due to a new law that requires its project, which in the past was not necessary. (Because the area is growing, it has become necessary for the school to erect a wall to secure their property and keep from being overrun by squatters.)
2. Preparation of the requirements for College registration and accreditation.
3. Completion of construction of the College rental building in Maputo.
Yours in the Lord,
Thank you for your continued prayers and support for the people of Mozambique. We are prayerfully considering leading a small team there in late spring of 2023. Your prayers and support are critical to this mission.