MAPUTO / MACIA, Mozambique, Mar. 2000 — In the aftermath of devastating floods that hit this country in February and early March crowds mobbed members of the Bible Society in Mozambique (BSM) who were responding to this disaster through the distribution of Scriptures.
Judy Kendall, a photojournalist working for the UBS in Maputo, accompanied workers on a distribution trip. They drove into Macia, not far from a spot where people had recently sought refuge by climbing trees. Some of those survivors had been rescued by helicopter, holding above their heads what in some cases was their only possession - a Bible.
In Macia a Bible Society staff member started passing out Bibles from the relative safety of our truck. Within seconds, scores of flood victims screaming for Bibles had surrounded the vehicle. A sea of arms desperately extended empty hands, pleading for the sustenance of God's Word.
"When one of them would receive the treasured gift, his face would light up and he would hoot with joy," Kendall reported. "Here, in his hands, was potential hope and healing."
This scenario repeated itself wherever the BSM distributed Scriptures. In Chokwe, on the Limpopo River, both young and old dropped their water buckets and ran to the pickup truck in the hope of receiving Scriptures. In Chihaquelane, Chokwe's closest, large-scale, relief-centre, hundreds of people pleaded for Bibles.
Safety became an issue when the crowds swelled in size. In one instance Agosto Jose Zita, the BSM Distribution, Promotion and Fundraising Officer, was forced to quickly retreat into the vehicle and drive off. Some of the crowd followed, running to keep pace with the truck. Not wanting them to lose heart, BSM workers tossed some Scripture portions to them.
In the heart of one relief camp a stampede of flood victims kicked up a cloud of dust while charging toward the BSM truck. The vehicle rocked as the crowds shoved hard to get closer.
"When we had no more to give, the frantic crowd started chanting, 'Biblias! Biblias!' In time the crowd dispersed and we were left to look upon the hopeless faces of those people who remained. The old, the weak and the slow were broken-hearted when we ran out of Scriptures," said Kendall.
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1880 was the beginning of formal Bible work in Mozambique.
The Bible Society of Mozambique distributed 42,753 Bibles and 18,618 New Testaments in 1998-99.
In 1998 the population was estimated at 18,880,000 and the annual per capita income was US$92.
"…half of the population … does not profess to practice a religion or creed. However, scholars at local universities assert that virtually all persons recognize or practice some form of animism or traditional indigenous religions. Of the approximately 8 million persons who do profess a recognized religion, 24 percent are Roman Catholic, 22 percent are Protestant, and 20 percent are Muslim.'
Sources: United Bible Societies, United Nations and U.S. Department of State, Annual Report on International Religious Freedom for 1999: Mozambique. |
Nowhere on earth is a Bible more ardently received than here in Mozambique. Millions of Christians have suffered the loss of family and friends. Most have lost their entire worldly possessions. And from among them, again and again, comes the cry for God's Word.
"The demand for Scriptures is almost beyond comprehension," said Fergus Macdonald, General Secretary of the United Bible Societies.
The Bible means a lot more to Mozambicans than many Westerners can grasp. When someone here loses a Bible, the people count it as one of their greatest losses. The comfort and encouragement of God's Word is a necessity as they try to make sense of the harshness of nature.
"Many would argue that the human needs are for food, shelter, medicines and seeds rather than the Scriptures," said Macdonald. "However, those who say that don't realize that when you are waiting to start your life all over again, the Bible is the one book that will give you strength and courage to go on."
"We need to respond to this situation as best we can," said Bible Society board chairman, the Right Rev. Dinis Sengulane, Bishop of Lebombo. "People have begun to respond generously, but we need to remember that the displaced people will need to be sustained for at least three months until they can start harvesting crops. We need to remind them also that God has more love to give than the water that filled this land."
With God's help, the United Bible Societies plans to make available:
- 12,000 Bibles in Tsonga, Tswa, Ndau and Portuguese
- 10,000 New Testaments in Tsonga, Tswa and Portuguese
- 10,000 Portions in Tsonga
- 300,000 New Reader Portions in Portuguese and in Tsonga
The cost of this initial program is just over US$201,000. The Bible Society of South Africa is standing by ready to print the Scriptures.
- This story is a compilation of reports by Judy Kendall, a photojournalist working for the UBS in Maputo, and Drew Morey, freelance journalist, Canadian Bible Society
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