A New Burden for Missions

By Jerry and Lynda Neuman

We who work in Brazil are seeing Brazilians awakened with a new challenge to take God's message of redemption to other peoples. Some are already taking this message to the Amazon area and to Indian tribes within Brazil. A few have actually crossed the greater cultural barrier of going into other countries.

As this new century opens, God is burdening hearts for Portuguese-speaking regions such as Mozambique, a beautiful but impoverished nation along the coast of southeast Africa. The Portuguese colonized this area in 1505. As Portuguese East Africa, it became a province of Portugal until increasing nationalistic feeling and guerrilla activity forced Portugal to grant independence in 1975. As a Marxist-Leninist state until 1990, the government policy was "all-out war on the churches and destruction of religious superstitions." Since May 1999 groups have surveyed the new opportunities of sending Brazilians to this needy country.

The Berean Baptist Bible Institute and Seminary (SIBB) in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, founded by ABWE missionary Carleton Matthews, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. SIBB continues to stress the importance of missions by initiating a new preparatory course for future missionaries.

Almir Cruz, a 1996 graduate of SIBB, has a burden for Mozambique. He desires to assemble a team of Brazilians to serve in that land. Right now he is gaining experience by planting a new church in Brazil. His vision is for that church to support his future ministry in Mozambique.

Revelation 5:9 gives the promise that in heaven there will be people from "every tribe and tongue and people and nation." What part have you played in bringing people from every nation to salvation? What new involvement does God have for you in this great task of disciple-making? Certainly every believer can pray for the Brazilian Christians facing new challenges as they reach out beyond Brazil.