Sunday Church in Agostinho Neto

It’s Sunday in Maputo! Roger’s interns run two churches. One of the churches is located in front of the Schmidt’s house under a large enclosure. There are about 50 people who attend. The other church is located about 20 minutes north of Maputo in a town called Agostinho Neto. Roger has divided up the interns into 2 teams. Each team is responsible for pasturing one of these churches for an entire year and they all share the responsibilities of teaching, leading worship, children’s ministry and discipleship/evangelism. During the week, Roger meets with the interns to go over the passage that will be taught from that week and to critique the previous weeks service. Roger is training these young men to be leaders, pastors and missionaries, wherever God calls them.

We attended the church held in Agostinho Neto. It is held in a small concrete building. This unfinished building is suppose to be a medical clinic, but since it was abandoned the mayor loaned it to the church for services. There are no doors, chicken wire covers the windows and plastic sheeting covering the openings to what is suppose to be bathrooms. Roger is trying to get permission from the mayor to make improvements to the building so he can put in restrooms and install doors with locks to keep out the people who come in and vandalize the building when the church is not there. Once the improvements are made this building can be the church, the medical clinic and a community center.

David, one of the American interns taught from Philippians today. Roger quietly interpreted for us. David did a great job! We especially loved the worship. At home, our instruments tend to be loud, but here the voices are loud. Check out the video.