Mundimwe Church

Today we traveled about an hour and a half outside Quelimane to a village called Mundimwe. Their language is Chuabo. Even though it took us 1 1/2 hours it really isn't far from town. The roads here are mostly dirt and look like a race track for indoor motorcycle racing. Huge potholes everywhere. Some are the size of swimming pools. The roads are very narrow and filled with people walking, riding bikes, motorcycles, and cars. Makeshift stores line some of the streets selling what ever their speciality is. We are out in the country where the rice fields are. There are a lot of coconut trees however disease had taken a large portion of them.

Just like in movies the women carry large amounts of just about anything on their heads while carrying a baby or two strapped to her back. They walk for miles.

But today we went or see 9 new believers in Jesus Christ get baptized in the Indian ocean. The village has mud huts with coconut leaves as roof. The church was the same however it had coconut tree stumps inside for chairs. We were asked to sit up front facing the others since we were guests.

There might have been 50 or more Mundimwe people crammed into that tiny church about the size of most back yard sheds in the U.S.. It was very hot but we managed with the wind blowing
One hard part for me to get use to was the strong smells. I don't know how often they can shower since they have to carry their water and I'm pretty sure they don't have deodorant.

After much beautiful, loud, worshipful music the 9 were asked questions about why they were wanting to be baptized and give an account of what baptism is. Then they were asked to leave and the church body decided if they understood it well enough to be baptized this time. Jessica Riemersma one of the missionaries here and the daughter of the friend I came with said, that is hard for her because if they don't answer the questions right she feels like she hasn't taught them well. They all passed with flying colors. Off to they ocean we went!

We went in a long per session through the other villages singing loud all the way.

We reached the ocean and one by one they were baptized with their village church looking on.

One of the reasons this day was so important to Cheryl and I, as well as John, Wanne, Jessica, the other leaders Sobrinho and Sipriano was, This was the Church Jeremiah Johnson help start when he passed away. To see this church growing is such a testament to Jeremiah. I wish his parents and sisters could have seen this today.

After the baptism we walked back for a church service the the church fed us rice and chicken. I'll have to do another blog about the food. There is just too much to say about the food.

It was a long but wonderful day.