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Christians Living in an Islamic State
Covert-Black Ops Evangelism
We live in a remote part of southern Africa, in northern Mozambique, a region that has historically been predominantly Muslim, even during the colonial era under Catholic Portuguese rule. We are here on a work visa provided by a very small church, placing us in a somewhat ambiguous position. This is why we refer to our discipleship efforts as covert evangelism, or "Black Op Evangelism.” This approach became especially critical when the insurgent group Al-Shabab began attacking our district back in 2018, causing widespread fear, disrupting commerce, travel and making missionary work perilous due to their violent actions, including indiscriminate killings and burning of villages. Al-Shabab is a jihadist group originally based in Somalia, linked with Issis and Al-Qaeda. They've been causing significant unrest and displacing approximately 700k to 1 million people within the country of Mozambique. Four of the children in our lives have been directly affected by this islamic group.
In our village, several churches have been established, some for over fifty years. However, as we venture into more remote villages in the African bush wilderness, the situation becomes unpredictable. We never know if the villages have been visited by Al-Shabab, potentially leaving them radicalized. In response, we've devised a creative and unconventional method to evangelize these remote communities with the help of missionaries who have come before us. One mission group undertook the laborious task of translating the Bible into Makua and recording it in audio format. So we ordered thousands of MicroSD memory cards from china preloaded with the Bible in Makua. The cards, which cost us $2.50 each landed in Africa, still offer the user about 13 GB of free storage. We then load up our motorbikes with fuel and supplies and begin our journey into the remote wilderness.
Upon arrival to a remote village, we formally introduce ourselves to the village elder, often the Imam of the mosque, and present him with a solar-powered speaker, one that can be purchased in the city for under $15 USD. After inserting a microSD card into his new radio, we request permission to sell these same cards in his village, to which they invariably agree. When the elder plays the card, he will hear the story of Jonah in his native language Makua—a gripping and exciting narrative of disobedience from one man who ignored the command of the Creator GOD, the consequences he suffered, and the redemption of a wicked and perverse nation. The story always resonates well with local audiences. We strategically preload the microSD cards to provide a foundational understanding of the Bible, starting with Jonah, followed by Genesis, Proverbs, and then the Gospels. We sell each card for about 50 cents—knowing well it's a business loss—to ensure the villagers see value in them and don't perceive our efforts as mere propaganda.
Our method of selling the cards at a low cost rather than giving them away aims to add the impression of us as greedy businessmen who have arrived in search of new markets. This strategy has proven effective and immensely successful, with nearly 5000 microSD cards distributed. We see high demand for the cards in every new village we visit. Following an initial distribution, we allow a few months for the communities to absorb the content before returning to “sell” more. Our follow-up visits always welcome eager villagers looking to buy, some ready with more questions and a deeper interest in the stories they've heard. This method has helped our local church establish several new churches and bolster existing ones. One poignant instance was when a newly built church in Miezi survived an attack that targeted radicalizing a nearby mosque—a testament to the resilience of the community and our mission. The the terrorists killed several villagers and burned the mosque when they could not influence or radicalize the village, somehow the church we helped build was miraculously spared from an Al-Shabab attack.
Living in a predominantly Islamic area, we are cautious but committed to spreading the gospel as far as we can, prudently avoiding unnecessary risks. We invite you to support us by praying and partnering in our mission to fund the purchase of more microSD cards and maintain our motorcycles. Your support helps us continue our vital work in this challenging environment.
