When Kathie and I joined OC’s Southern Africa Regional Team at age 27, we lived in a small country (Swaziland – now known as Eswatini). Across the border, a brutal civil war was raging in Mozambique with a million people (mostly villagers) killed by widespread warfare, merciless atrocities, and conflict-related famine. 

Moved the cry of Mozambican leaders, our team was led by the Spirit to “run to the roar.” Spearheaded by my Brazilian teammate Barbosa, our team began holding leadership conferences for pastors and leaders who had little or no access to training, most of whom only had a third-grade education.

When the war began to subside and travel no longer required armed convoys, Kathie and I took a ministry trip to Maputo (Moz. capital). After driving across the border, we began counting bullet-ridden vehicles abandoned alongside the road: 120 of them in 18 short miles! Each represented a horrific story. Conditions were tragic.

But God was powerfully at work. As the war drew down, the number of Christ-followers mushroomed, thatch-roofed churches multiplied by the hundreds, and thousands of indigenous leaders were mobilized by the Spirit. Barbosa led our efforts across Mozambique. It’s amazing to see the ripple effect of the Spirit’s work when you invest in leaders who go on to train others (2 Tim 2:2). When Kathie and I joined OC’s Southern Africa Regional Team at age 27, we lived in a small country (Swaziland – now known as Eswatini). Across the border, a brutal civil war was raging in Mozambique with a million people (mostly villagers) killed by widespread warfare, merciless atrocities, and conflict-related famine. 

One of those leaders is Pastor José Madeira. Through Barbosa’s influence, José had been invited to a Movement for African National Initiatives (MANI) Continental Consultation held in Ethiopia. (My role at the event was to host global delegates). Shoulder to shoulder alongside leaders from Cape Town to Cairo, José’s heart was captured by the crying need of the 1000 unreached people groups remaining on the continent.

José returned to Mozambique with a restless heart. At the very next gathering of his denomination, he not only shared his heart cry for unreached peoples, but he also shocked everyone when he resigned from his denominational leadership role in order to serve an unreached group in his country.

José proceeded to move his family 550 miles south of his home and began sharing with those who had never heard the gospel. Soon one man gave his life to Jesus, and after being discipled, said to Pastor Madeira “I must go back to the countryside and tell my entire family what I found here in the city!” Soon his whole family, 41 adults, came to faith in Jesus. Today they are part of a church with over 100 active members.

THAT is the power of the Gospel. What is next for Pastor Madeira? He told Barbosa, “Well, I want to train believers to go to three other villages and plant three new vibrant churches to reach others for Christ. I am indebted to you all who introduced us to the reality of unreached people groups in Africa.”

THAT is why OC serves in over 100 countries today: we serve, equip, and connect the body of Christ and its leaders to advance God’s kingdom among all people.

You are an integral part of this amazing story. Thank you for praying, for loving us, for giving, and for caring! You are touching leaders like Pastor Medeira all over the world.

Shared by Dean Carlson 

President of OC USA