Sweet Blessedness

75 days until departure to Mozambique! Seventy-five! I felt like just two weeks ago it was still well over 100 days. Even though I have been to five other countries outside the States, I have never been to Africa so I have no idea what to expect. However, I have been doing my research! My grandparents were missionaries in Sierra Leone and my mom was born there and returned after college, so I'm excited to return to the land where my missionary roots were bred!

MOZAMBIQUE - The country- Located in southeastern Africa
- Bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east (the island nation of Madagascar is also straight east), Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest.
- Around twice the size of California
- 1500 miles of coastline (California’s coastline is 840 miles)
- Population: 23 million people
- 75% live in rural areas
- 4th poorest country in the world (according to the United Nations)
- 77% live below poverty line of $1 a day
- Average person makes $188 in a year compared to $29,000 for the average American
- 5th highest death rate
- Life expectancy is 40 years
- 7th worst infant mortality rate – 1 in 10 children die before the age of 1
- 1 in 5 children are malnourished
- 1.4 million orphans – .5 million due to losing parents from HIV/AIDS
- 14% of population have HIV
- Only 43% of the population have access to clean water
- The literacy rate is only 40%
- Only 50% of children finish primary school
- Only 7% of students go on to secondary school
- Religion: 20% Muslim (although many Muslims claim this percentage should be as high as 50%), 20% Zionist (mixture of Christianity with African traditional beliefs), 25% Roman Catholic, 20% Traditional African, 15% Protestant
- Gained independence from Portugal in 1975
- Had a 16 year civil war that ended in 1995
- Struggle with cycles of drought and severe flooding – both of which create famine

MOZAMBIQUE - The Wesleyan Church
- 1902 – work began with Mozambican miners in South Africa
- Rev. Graca Nhatelo – national superintendent
- Unprecedented growth – 3850 in 2000, 5850 in 2004, 15000 in 2008, 20000 in 2009 – fastest growing Wesleyan work worldwide
- Priority is training pastors
- Wesleyan Bible College is located at Xai Xai – 50 students have graduated within the past 4 years, currently 65 students are enrolled
- Graduates have planted churches in 8 out of the 10 provinces
- The Jesus Film – 647760 viewers in 2008 alone, 250305 that wanted to make decisions, 794 baptized in 2008, 35 new church plants
- 187 total churches in 2008 (work has recently begun in the Muslim north and in 5 years there have been 40 churches planted)