Pastor
Egon Kopereck, President of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil – IELB;
Pastor Dieter Reinstorf, Bishop of the Free Evangelical Lutheran Synod in South
Africa – FELSISA; Pastor Leonério Faller, President of the Concordia Seminary –
Brazil; and Pastor Carlos Walter Winterle, Coordinator of the Theological
Education- TEE in Mozambique, currently pastor in Cape Town, SA, met at the
airport in Johannesburg, SA, and flew together to Beira, Mozambique, on 5th
August 2015, a Wednesday. Pastor André Plamer Buchweitz, from Brazil, was
already in Mozambique since 15th July ministering TEE training
sessions for the eight graduating students and for the new class of 20
students.
While in Beira, we purchased 200
Bibles in Chisena Language for the TEE students and for the leaders of the
congregations, thanks to several donations collected in Brazil especially to buy
Bibles for Mozambique.
We also bought New Testaments in
Chisena Language and Study Bibles in Portuguese from the Bible Society in
Mozambique.
The day after, Thursday, we travelled
to Vila de Sena, we took an alternative
route, 150km shorter, but it was a dirt road through the forest. It was a good trip.
People were waiting for us and
welcomed us with songs and dancing. Pastor André and the new students joined
the celebration.
We were well hosted in the
Kuwangisana (Social Work Project|) new Guest House.
We went immediately to see how the
place for the Ordination Service had been prepared by the eight
students/pastors. It looked great!
Pastor André was finishing the first
course with the new class: Bible Stories of the Old Testament and from the New
Testament. They will now come together once a month to revise the course and to
study together, orientated by one or two of the newly graduated pastors.
Pastor André led also three courses
with the first class of eight students.
Friday: The gifts we bought were
delivered to the students.
Each graduating student received a
tunic (alba) and a set of stoles and altar clothes for their churches, donated
by Ladies Aids in Brazil.
They were very happy with the gift,
and they rejoiced as they were trying on
the Graduation Hats.
The
Lutheran Hour Ministry from Brazil also sent several pamphlets and booklets.
The
Concordia Seminary – Brazil, sent several books purchased on their weekly
offerings at the Service at the Seminary, always destined to Mozambique
Project.
The Mensageiro Luterano, with the report of the June visit to Mozambique, was distributed to all as well.
A
very important step was taken by the publication of the Small Catechism in the
Chisena language. Pastor Andre led the translation of Luther’s Small Catechism
into the Sena language in 2013. For this a translator was hired, named Abel
Sifa (brother of Mateus, one of the new pastors). He translated the Catechism
and submitted it to the students/pastors for revision. The translation was
evaluated according to understanding and style and has been used to teach
church members. Now, the Editora Concórdia (Brazilian CPH)
published it. In spite of Portuguese being the official
language in Mozambique (therefore the church in Brazil, who speaks Portuguese,
enters as an important partner in this project), the ordinary people do not
understand Portuguese and still speak their tribal language. The training
sessions are presented in Portuguese because the students had attended school.
But the sermons of foreign pastors have to be translated to the tribal
language, Chisena.
Pastor Alfazema, hugged by Pastor
André and by Pastor Egon.
Bishop Dieter gave FELSISA’s bags to
each graduating student.
St. Thomas, Cape Town, SA, sent
T-shirts with the Luther’s Rose embroidered to all students. The new class wore
them as they ushered at the Ordination Service.
They got also the Bibles bought in
Beira.
The graduating students presented
eight wooden sets for Holy Communion, made by a youth leader, according to a
sample sent by St. Thomas Congregation in June.
After this, we visited the Chief of
the Village, Mr. Adamo, who asked us to offer a prayer and always receives us
very well.
In
the afternoon we visited the church in Chemba.
Pastor Nota and pastor Júlio with
their families.
We also visited the church in Três de
Fevereiro, a branch from Chemba.
The current church, just a hut. Pres.
Egon got two pigeons as a gift.
The new church, almost ready, donated
by one single layman.
The church inside.
Saturday: Service in Mpango, Pastor
Paulo. People were waiting for us. Pres. Egon led the Service, assisted by the local pastor, Paulo.
People in the line for the Holy
Baptism.
53 adults and children were baptized
by Pres. Egon. He got a copy of all the names of the baptized.
He offered the Holy Communion as well.
In the afternoon: Visit to the church
in Mutarara, the other side of Zambezi River crossing a 3.5km pedestrian
bridge.
The church was built by reed and straw.
Making plans to buy a plot and to
build a brick church.
Sunday, 9th August: The expected
great day: People coming to the
Graduation/Ordination/Installation Service.
Lorries brought people from the 10
congregations.
They got a breakfast when they
arrived – bread with eggs.
They organized themselves by
congregation to receive the breakfast.
Almost ready to begin the procession
from the Kuwangisana premises to St. Paul Lutheran Church.
Beginning
of the procession.
The
graduating students were leading the procession, carrying a cross.
After a 30 minute walk along the main
street of the village, we arrived at the stage especially prepared for the big
Service. Many visitors joined the procession. Around 1.000 people attended the
Service.
The name of the graduating students
and their Moto: “Our competence comes from God” – 2 Corinthians 3:5.
The Graduating Students waiting for
the beginning of the Service.
Many relatives and friends came from
far away to attend the service.
The liturgy of the Ordination Service
was led by the founder of the mission, Pastor Joseph Alfazema, an ex-refuge
from the civil war and currently living in Canada and member of the Lutheran
Church Canada - LCC.
Pastor André read the Gospel
The preacher was Pastor Carlos Walter
Winterle.
The Graduation was led by the
President of the Concordia Seminary – Brazil, Pastor Leonério Faller, assisted
by Pastor André and by the other pastors present.
The
Ordination and Installation were led by the President of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church of Brazil – IELB, Pastor Egon Kopereck, assisted by the Bishop
of the Free Evangelical Lutheran Synod in South Africa – FELSISA, Pastor Dieter
Reinstorf,; by pastor André Buchweitz Plamer, one of the teachers of the TEE
program; and by the other above mentioned pastors.
Greeting the founder of the mission,
pastor Joseph Alfazema.
Almost finished, after the two-hour
Service.
Bishop
Dieter greeted the newly ordained pastors on behalf of FELSISA
The
three representatives of the government also greeted the newly ordained
pastors.
The
Chief of the Village, Mr. Adamo, delivered his message holding an issue of the
Mensageiro Luterano (Lutheran Witness, Brazil) in his hands.
The 20 students of the new TEE class
were the ushers, organizing everything, helping people and distributing
missionary pamphlets to all.
The newly ordained pastors.
Each of them received a Concordia
Book as Graduation gift. Behind: two of their professors; Pastor Carlos Walter
Winterle and Pastor André Buchweitz Plamer. – Pastor Horst Kuchenbecker was one
of the Professors as well, but he was not able to come from Brazil for the
Service.
The eight newly ordained pastors are: Ernesto Domigos Raposo, born on 23 April 1969 in Beira, son of
Domigos Raposo and Laura José Nvula. Married to Joana Ernesto. They have nine
children and six grandchildren. He received the call of the Igreja Luterana São Lucas – Murrema, and
Igreja Luterana de Sabonete.
João Luis Nota, born on 7 April 1977 in Chemba, son of Luis Nota Catondo and Lúcia Mozolande
Chate. Married to Chica Armando Lapuquene. They have nine children. He received
the call to Igreja Luterana São Pedro – Chemba.
Júlio Albano Castomo, born on 14 April 1980 in Cheringoma,
son of Albano Castomo Thiquite and Luísa Limbo Chiou. Married to Ângela Manuel
Gabriel Castomo. They have four children. He received
the call to Igreja Luterana São Timóteo – Três de Fevereiro.
Júlio Mineses Nhapigode, born on 6 August 1951 in Chemba, son of Mineses Nhapigode and
Pintondia Chicandeda. Married to Vaida Araujo Thuboi. They have nine children
and nine grandchildren. He received the call to Igreja Luterana de Zambeze.
Manuel Jone Jambo, born on 19 August 1969 in Sena, Caia, son of Jone Jambo
Macualo and Medina Vinte Camanguira. Married to Maria Araujo Lisboa. They have
nine children and two grandchildren. He received the call to Igreja
Luterana São Paulo – Sena, and Igreja Luterana São Tito - Mutarara.
Mateus Domingos Sifa, born on 10 October 1989 in Sena, Caia, son of
Domingos Sifa and Anita Bulande Chissai. Married to Ângela Benjamim. They have
two children. He received the call to Igreja Luterana São João – Cado.
Paulo Ernesto Minesês, Born on 22 December 1987 in Sena, Caia, son of
Ernesto Mineses Mpango and Joanita António Meque. Married to Margarida Domingos Eduardo Mineses. They have
two children. He received the call to Igreja Luterana São Mateus – Mpango.
Rui Jalene Souza, Born on 12 March 1961 in Caia, son
of Jalene Souza e Nsai Quembo Alfazema. Married to Imaculada António Chipordeni, They have nine
children and five grandchildren. He received the call to Igreja Luterana São
Marcos – Kapasseni.
Pastor Egon
gave an interview to the TVM station of the city of Caia. A clip of 12 minutes
was presented on the national chanel. You can watch the clip of the service on:
http://ielb.org.br/noticias/video+da+formatura+em+mocambique+cod+2513--
A
cake was brought to celebrate.
Preparing food for all: One cow, 10
goats, one pig, 10 bags of rice 25kg each, lots of potatoes onions, tomatoes, spices…
Beginning to serve: very well
organized.
Preparing the pork.
Waiting for the “sacrifice”.
Everyone brought their one
plate/container.
It was almost late evening when
everyone went back home.
Monday: Prof. Leonério presented a
Mission Course to the newly ordained pastors. They will continue to have
training sessions once a year.
From Tuesday to Thursday Pastor
Carlos offered a course to them as well.
On Monday afternoon we visited a
property with five houses which was for sale
for US$ 20,000.00, plus a plot behind this property which was for sale for US$
2,000.00.
The main house is for the husband,
.…the other three each for one of his wives
(polygamy is allowed in Mozambique), and the fifth one is the common kitchen.
The property is well localized in the main street of the village, has
electricity and a water well.
It was decided to buy it, after
consulting the Chief and the secretary of the Village. Both gave us good
support.
It was night when we signed the
contract and the Chief signed as witness. Much has to be done: The property
needs to be fenced and several adaptations are needed: toilets and bathrooms, a
water tank tower, plus some repairs and painting of the houses. They will serve
as training centre and as dorms for the TEE students. A first instalment was
paid as deposit, and as soon as the rest of the amount is paid the pastors will
received the key. You are welcome to help the Lutheran Church in Mozambique to
refurbish the property. See details at the end of the BLOG how to send your
donation.
Mozambique: The church is located in
the centre of the country, in the Province of Sofala, on the shore of the Zambezi
River, a strategic place to reach out to the whole country. Many other villages
and cities are asking the Lutheran Church to preach the Gospel among them as
well, after they have attended the Ordination Service. Even one of the governmental
representatives present at the Service asked the church to come to her city.
Most
of them are very simple people who suffered under many years of civil war.
Early in the morning you can hear the women preparing the grain for the daily
bread for their families.
Informal economy and small farms are
the main source of livelihood of the ordinary people.
A baobab: a huge tree, a symbol of
life in the midst of the dry soil. It’s also a symbol of the church, as Jesus
compared the church to a little seed that grows big. Ezekiel prophesied: “This
is what the Sovereign Lord says: … I will plant it; it will produce branches
and bear fruit…Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in
the shade of its branches…I the LORD have spoken, and I will do it.” (Ezekiel
17:22-24). The Christian Church is growing fast in Mozambique, and many are
finding rest in the shade of its branches – the rest that only Jesus can give
us. Soli Deo Gloria!
Just for fun, some things that happened to us while in Mozambique this
time: Pastor André brought
two suitcases full of books mixed with his personal belongings. He was so eager to bring the many books that
he forgot to put his T-shirts in his suitcases. When he realized it, he bought
some local fabric and ordered to sew some shirts for himself. The students
loved to see him dressed in their local fabrics.
Another case:
My wife Lidia and I went together from Cape Town to Johannesburg airport. She
took the plane to Brazil at 10:30am to visit our children in Porto Alegre, and
I took the plane with my colleagues at 11:30am to Beira. But unfortunately we
swapped our suitcases at the check-in: she took mine to Brazil and I took hers
to Mozambique. You can imagine the panic at the first moment when we realized
this. But after the first shock, we just laughed and made fun about it. As I
had a second suitcase full of used clothes donated by my congregation in Cape
Town, to give to the students, I chose some of them, wore them during the week
and gave them to the students when I
came back home. I had to wash some clothes every night. Lídia was lucky: Pres. Egon took her suitcase
with him to P. Alegre and she got it.
What about my tunic (alba)? Pastor
André took me to the Taylor who had sewn his shirts
And in one day he made a new tunic
for me. It was not the perfectly taylored, but it fit and I had a tunic for the
Ordination Service.
The five of us were very well hosted
in this guest house, in one single room. Which of us snore the loudest???
Mrs. Branca, our faithful cook,
prepared everything on her charcoal stove.
Beans with rice, some cassava and
sweet potatoes, always friendly served.
Pastor André was used to drive a
motorcycle,
But Bishop Dieter hadn’t driven a
motorcycle for years. But he did it well. Even Prof. Leonério took a lift with
him.
Pres Egon, (a little scared) accepted
a lift of one of the local pastors. But when he dropped, he fell down on the
ground.
Pres. Egon got two pigeons as a gift
in Três de Fevereiro. His grandson wanted him to bring the pigeons to Brazil…
So, another exciting missionary trip
to Mozambique comes to its end. We are eagerly waiting for the next one. God is
pouring out many blessings upon Mozambique, and you are in God’s plan to help
and support this mission with your prayers and donations, as some of you are
already doing it. Thank you so much for your support! See below how you can
send your donations. (Pictures from: Pastor Dieter, Pastor
Egon, Pastor Leonério e Pastor Carlos. Thank you).
USA: (Note that the address has changed:)
The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
PO Box 66861
St. Louis, MO 63166-6861
(Designate: Winterle – 60606)
OR: LCMS– Mission Central C/O Gary Thies 40718 Hwy. E16
Mapleton,
IA 51034
(Designate: Winterle 60606)
GERMANY: Bleckmarer Mission: Volksbank
Sudheide e.G. (BLZ 257 916 35), Konto 100 423 900 BIC: GENODEF1HMN; IBAN: DE09 2579 1635
0100 4239 00
SOUTH AFRICA:
Mission of the Lutheran Churches (MLC) Nr.
1913-137-538, NEDBANK LTD.,
Cresta/Randburg, Swiftaddresse: NEDSZAJJ
