27 May, 2025

Baptizing 108 new believers in Mozambique

Oliver Mhande reports on his recent trip to central Mozambique:

Ten years ago, much of Inhambane province had not yet heard the Good News of the Kingdom of God. Most villages are remote and far from the main road, but it was through the boldness and faith of Calmito—one of the movement leaders—that outreach efforts began. It was during one of these trips that he met Pedro.

Recently, Pedro invited my wife, Tebo, and I —through Issachar Alliance— to help baptize “a lot” of people. Our mission had two parts: assist with baptisms and witness what God is doing. After two long days of travel, we arrived in Mafuiane.

Over the course of the Easter weekend, we saw Pedro’s deep love for his family and the church. Having received the gift of a motorbike through some of our partners, his passion for reaching out, praying, and sharing Jesus with nearby villagers has only grown. We had the privilege of accompanying him as he prayed for the sick—and we witnessed moments of healing, deliverance, and comfort being ministered.

Pedro also asked me to teach on water baptism and the death of Jesus. The response was overwhelmingly positive. A striking characteristic of the participants—who had come from 10 of the 17 churches Pedro has planted and now oversees—was their deep hunger for God and commitment to prayer. Some of Pedro’s missionary friends also joined in preparing the 108 new believers for baptism. On Easter Saturday, they fasted in anticipation, spending the night praying and sleeping in the coconut-leaf-walled church.

At 4 a.m. on Easter Sunday, we gathered at the river to baptize these zealous disciples of Jesus. The singing, the prayers, the joy and celebration—across generations—brought tears to our eyes. It was a beautiful expression of genuine, pure faith.

We returned home filled with awe, having tasted what true revival looks like. Please pray with us for this same Spirit-led awakening to sweep through every village and town across Mozambique.