Strong Faith

When I left Pemba in April I had mixed emotions. I knew it was the right decision and I had peace that God was in it. Yet I had a hard time saying goodbye to people, not knowing when I would come back. The Holy Spirit reminded me that He would still be in Pemba. He would still be working in the hearts of the people.

These past few days I had the privilege of seeing God's faithfulness in that. I'm back in Pemba right now to grab some things and check in on a few people. While here I enjoyed attending a Mwani Bible study on Thursday and the Mwani fellowship this afternoon (Saturday). The strong faith of the believers touched my heart and encouraged me.

I sat in the sand under the mango tree listening to one of the women share a testimonial. She boldly proclaimed the Word of God to a man claiming to be a Christian but had acted inappropriately towards her. Her faith had stood strong in a culture where inappropriate behavior is normalized.

Another Mwani believer, after being snubbed, replied that there is only one God. The same God who sent foreigners to share the Gospel sent him as well. He wouldn't back down from being a witness for God even if the other person only wanted to hear from "white" people.

I also talked with an American family here encouraging the Mwani believers in their faith. I feel challenged, through talking to this family and interacting with the Mwani believers, to be bolder in my own witness. As I prepare to go back to Nampula tomorrow, I thank God for the opportunity to see what He is doing among the Mwani in Pemba. It's humbling to realize that He doesn't need me to do His work, but I'm thankful for the privilege to be a part of it.