Since its earliest days, EHC has included reaching the unreached with the gospel in its mission. We have a long tradition of going to extremely remote areas to bringing the message of salvation and eternal life to people who never see a visitor.
To reach everyone everywhere requires creative and trackable strategies. It also necessitates partnering with willing workers and relying on the abundant grace of God.
Nhamissenguere in Mozambique is so remote that maps often don’t show roads leading to it.
As far as the World Wide Web is concerned, Nhamissenguere appears to be an impenetrable, unimportant spot on the map.
However, Nhamissenguere is important because it is home to people made in God’s image. Believers working with EHC in Mozambique were convinced there had to be a way to get there and they began to work and pray.
Launch
An EHC outreach usually begins in a believer’s heart. Pastor Clerisnan Costa ministers in Mozambique and told our EHC team about the burden he felt for the isolated people of Nhamissenguere. But the question remained: How do we get there?
Most people in the Nhamissenguere area must walk between 48 and 72 hours to reach an urban area. Imagine walking for several days barefoot to seek medication or sell the charcoal that residents of isolated villages produce to earn income. That’s their reality.
Dead End: No Roads
Mozambique is a coastal nation veined with mighty rivers. Seasonal cyclones, like Tropical Cyclone Idai, have buffeted Mozambique in recent years, washing out bridges and submerging roads. Even agile motorbikes can’t reach isolated areas like Nhamissenguere.
Need a Lift?
The flooded landscape around Nhamissenguere is not accessible by land, but what about by air? In 2022, Mercy Air began partnering with EHC in Mozambique, transporting our workers by helicopter.
Landing
“You mean you came here by helicopter to tell us about Jesus?” asked a man in Nhamissenguere. Tears streamed from his eyes. Someone had come so far at such great expense for him?
“Me and my household want to receive this Jesus you are telling us about,” he said. The good news moved this man. He did not have to travel to find it. The gospel came to him.
Field Notes—EHC Mozambique Team
“We have worried about the number of places in Mozambique that remain unreached due to limited access. Reaching these places sometimes seems like a mere dream because of the resources needed. For this reason, many don’t attempt to reach these places.
In order to reach the all and every everywhere, we must think, pray, plan and work in creative ways.
The EHC team in Mozambique made this commitment:
“As a team, we dedicate ourselves to be the bearers of the good news to the secluded places of our land. Every place we step, we leave a wave of change as the ripple effect, training church leaders, and conducting outreaches as we journey toward fulfilling the great commission. We don’t rest. We continue engaging partners in every possible way. The area is a fertile ground for sowing the good news. This calls, therefore, for relentless efforts to bring the light of Jesus to every village, home, and person.”
Today we are told that there are more than 200 Christian believers who live in Nhamissenguere. Glory be to God who sent Jesus to seek and to save the lost.