Reflections from Mozambique // M-Note 10.21.23

Last weekend, I, along with five others from The Gathering, returned from a trip to Mozambique. Thanks to all of you who prayed for us and followed our journey online. It was the first time we’d been able to return since the pandemic, and there was a lot for us to catch up on.

Over a decade ago, The Gathering began a partnership with the United Methodist Church in Mozambique to provide wells for clean water. Each year, 100% of our Christmas Eve offering funds this partnership. To date, we have given more than $2.5 million and have completed 200 wells in villages all over the country. We will once again be committing this year’s Christmas Eve offering to this work, so you will hear a lot more about our trip throughout December. But, I wanted to share a few highlights and observations while they were still fresh in my mind.

• We dedicated a well that we funded in a refugee camp in northern Mozambique. These camps are in extremely rural communities that don’t have the infrastructure to support the sudden influx of people displaced by violence elsewhere in northern Mozambique. The presence of a well and of the church is a visible and tangible beacon of hope for people who have experienced extreme trauma. There are very few organizations able to work in these places, but, because of our existing partnership with the United Methodist Church, we are able to be in ministry here.
• We witnessed the impact safe water can have over time by visiting several villages that received a well three to five years ago. It was incredible to see all the ways water transforms lives. It has relieved women of the burden of fetching water miles away, led to entrepreneurship (especially among women), allowed kids to go to school, improved health, and helped the church to grow. And, we know from experience that this impact grows exponentially every year a community has access to safe water.
• We visited a village named Betula, where we dug a well about five years ago. We learned that the church there has grown so much that they are building their first ever stone chapel. They invited me, and our team, to set the first cornerstone. Betula is just one example of how the church in Mozambique is growing and thriving, and clean water is a big part of the way the church serves the community.
• We saw first hand that church is a central part of life and matters deeply to the people of Mozambique, and were challenged, convicted, and inspired by their faith. They are highly committed to church - a challenge to so many of us that are casual in our church attendance. They are eager to share and invite their friends - a contrast to our hesitancy to talk about faith. They give joyfully and worship expressively - a reminder that generosity and joy are at the heart of the gospel. All of these realities have so much to teach those of us who live in a country where church activity is decreasing with each decade. It was inspiring to see a place where the church is thriving.

Our partnership with the UMC in Mozambique is valuable, rare, and beautiful. It is hard to adequately express how much this ministry truly is a partnership in every sense of the word. The Gathering provides one key piece of the puzzle - funding - but the completion of a well requires so much more. We need the local Mozambican well drillers and solar installation experts (we got to meet and share meals with both of them). We need the local pastors and district superintendents who identify sites for wells. We need Bishop Nhanala of Mozambique and her leaders who work with local and regional governments. We need the staff of the Mozambique Initiative, especially our long-time friend, Ezekiel, who makes sure that all of these pieces come together. These are relationships that The Gathering has formed and strengthened over 12 years, and we had the opportunity to spend time with and thank all of these people during our trip. This is not charity. This is a partnership, and it was incredible to see it in action.

I can’t wait to share more about the impact you are making in Mozambique in December. For now, I just want to thank you. In every village we visited, the people wanted me to share their gratitude with you. As one leader put it, “tell your people not to get tired of us!” I promised him we wouldn’t. If you ever wonder if church makes a difference, it does. And I am grateful for all of you that help make The Gathering what it is. You are changing lives. Not just here, but also 9,000 miles away in Mozambique.

I look forward to being back with you in worship this weekend as we continue our series, No Regrets. I hope to see you there.
 
Peace,
 
Matt