Pastor Forcibly taken to Suero, Mozambique to Proclaim the Gospel

Shauen Addresses the Congregation in Chemba with Members from Suero (photo by Carlotta Cisternas Tiews)Across Mozambique, villagers gather together in the shade of the thatched roof covering the bicycle repair kiosk, the covered porch of the trading center shop, or each other’s homes to listen. Community radio stations give a lifeline to these remote and rural hard-working farmers and entrepreneurs, connecting them to Mozambique and the rest of the world through FM broadcast. As they all do, community radio station host Sinalo Christiano gave airtime to the local pastors in Chemba, Mozambique. But when Pastor Julio Castomo of the Igreja Luterana da Concórdia em Moçambique (Lutheran Church of Concord in Mozambique) had his first moment on air, the host was intrigued. Here was a message quite different from the other preachers who came for their 5 minutes of proclamation. A little girl looks towards the photographer (photo by Carlotta Cisternas Tiews)Sinalo talked to Pastor Julio extensively after the broadcast about the message and about the church. The next day, Sinalo came to Pastor Julio’s home to continue the discussion. On Sunday, the radio host came to church and saw for himself. Immediately, Sinalo traveled to his home village of Suero to tell his extended family about Jesus Christ’s amazing love for us to which the people mandated that Sinalo go back to Chemba, collect Pastor Julio, and bring him to tell them himself. After a few evangelistic visits, the people of Suero organized into a church and invited Pastor Julio to come to their first Sunday morning time together. Sixty people were gathered to hear him. The next week there were 80. Today God’s people in Suero rejoice in Word and Sacrament alongside God’s people around the world.