Special

The reading is from Romans chapter 10, starting at verse 8.

But what does it say? The word is near to you. It is in your mouth and in your heart. That is the message concerning faith that we proclaim. If you declare with your mouth, Jesus is lord and believe in your heart that god raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

For it is with your heart that you believed and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As scripture says, anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame for there is no difference between you and gentile. The same lord is lord of all, and Richly blesses all who call on his on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the lord will be saved. How then can they call on the 1 they have not believed in?

And how can they believe in the 1 whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news? But not all the Israelites accepted the good news.

But Isaiah says, lord, who has believed our message. Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. But I ask, did they not hear? Of course they did, their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the end of the world. Again, I ask, did Israel not understand?

First, Moses says, I will make you envious by those who are not a nation. I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding. And Isaiah Boldy says, I was found by those who did not seek me. I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me, but concerning Israel, he says. All day long.

I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people. Now it it's really lovely to have the Browns with us. We've got Missus Brown. That's where it all started, I think. And their little browns came from her.

So very welcome. That's Paul Brown's mum. It's lovely to have you with us. And Paul is at the back there. It's lovely to have you, Paul.

Really lovely with Katie. Thank you for waving. Lovely to have you really lovely. But we also have Paul's brother, who is Ken, and Ken come up here, Ken is with us, and Ken's, a missionary, and we we we've sort of decided that it's good for us to hear from missionaries used to always get in church, missionary stories, and they were always fun. I I've got now I've got to not say the 1 that's gone through my mind.

It was a tribe called Yes. Stop it. I bet he knows what it is. Anyway, yes. Sorry.

I've got it out of my mind now. Anyways, lovely to have Ken. Ken and his wife and family, missionaries that were called over, well, over 20 years ago now to Mozambique, and Kenny's gonna tell us some stories, tell us a bit, I guess, about Mozambique. Well, it's really up to you. I don't wanna don't wanna make you do what you you haven't planned.

But we wanna hear those things, how god is working in Mozambique. Anybody know anything about Mozambique? Oh, well, we need to hear that good coffee, isn't it? Yeah. I know a Bob Dylan song called Mozambique.

That's that's really all I know about Mozambique. So it's over to you, Ken. Thank you for coming. Great to be with us, and tell us about what's going on with with you. Thank you.

Thank you, Peter. Well, thank you so much. It's so good to be here with you. And it's it's wonderful to be in a church that's full of friendly people. I just see the love and joy you have for each other and and worshiping god together.

It's beautiful. It's something we shouldn't take for granted because, many people don't have this opportunity to to really have deep fellowship with other Christians and worship openly. So we work with the Muslim people group in Northern Mozambique, called the Makoa Nuhara. I also work with other groups as well as a consultant, but that's where we started, with the Nuhara. And yeah, but I would like to tell you more more of a story.

I was born at a very young age. And, yeah, I grew up in a Christian family. My mother and father taught me about god, and I went to Santa School every week. And, And I was a good boy. I think at least I looked like a good boy.

But but, you know, when I was a when I was 13, I realized, actually, I'm a sinner. I I really I really need god, but I, I was afraid. What would happen to me if I died and stood before god, a holy god, and he would ask me, why should I let you into heaven? And I wouldn't have an answer. But then, I went to a youth camp and heard about the cross.

I knew about the cross already, but for the first time I realized that it was, Jesus died for my sins. He died for me so that I could be forgiven, and I could be accepted into god's family. And that's, that changed my life. I began to see the Bible as a letter from god, a love letter from god rather than just another book. And I couldn't stop reading it, and and god's word has a has a power to transform your life.

And I began to share my faith with my friends at school. But then in in grade 11, I realized, I don't know, like, 4 fifths of, of the people in my country because I was growing up in apartheid South Africa and I didn't know I didn't have black friends. I didn't know anyone except the worker who came to a house. And so I went on a summer campaign. Operation mobilization had a summer campaign to Gazankulu, and we we lived in rough conditions like on the floor.

I had diarrhea. I couldn't I got this terrible headache, but but then god challenged me and said, are you just stop thinking about myself and and start loving people, those people around me. And, and, and suddenly, I had this amazing joy. The joy of knowing that god was smiling on me. And in spite of my circumstances, I saw I saw the joy of giving and loving, and we used to sing a song, a song that went like this What is on your heart?

Tell me what to do. Let me know your will, and I will follow you. I wanna give my life for something that will last forever. Oh, I delight. I delight to do your will.

And and and suddenly god was showing me what is on his heart, showing me his heart for the lost, and and I I learned I want and I I realized I want to keep my life for something that will last forever. You know, having a successful career earning lots of money doesn't have any eternal impact, but but sharing our faith and and seeing other people come to to know god as as a savior. That has eternal impact, and and we are privileged to be able to to do that. And so that there became my calling to missions. And I, I went to bible school and worked in South Africa in a squat to camp, at a church plant that we had there and worked with street children, and all of that prepared me for working overseas.

And, and then god said now is the time. And so I went to Mozambique in 2000, and joined a a youthful crust family that we're working there. And that's when the floods hit. There was I don't know if any of you remember there was stories on the news of a woman giving birth to a baby in the tree because of these big floods and, and And so we, we started doing flood relief and taking, taking these, working with the young people who, who are affected by the floods in these big camps. And I was leading a team of Mozambicans and South Africans up to to to do this.

And there, at a bible school, I met my wife. In the dark. It was completely pitch black and we couldn't see each other's faces, but somehow she she was drawn to me. I'm not that spiritual. I I had to wait for the next day and see your face and then and and it's it's amazing.

God god showed me that this is your wife. And and soon, you know, we were talking about life together and within the year, we were married. And I was just like, God was so good to give me a wife who had a heart for missions and a love for the people. And we had him in common. I was 28 when I met you, and I, before that, I'd been saying, god, okay?

I need a wife. But, but somehow, god, god showed me that it's on the mission field. I meet my wife. And, and, because, because like minded people, would be there. And so, so, yeah, but the, the thing is I, I, I just added her to my life.

She, she was just volunteering at the bible school at the time and, and now came to And it wasn't the the easiest transition. We thought, ah, we saw in love. There'll be no problems, but, but they were. We, we, we learned that's, yeah, I learned to actually, I needed to be much more caring and take care of her. And we saw we hit a bump in the road, and and went back to South Africa to, to get counseling and help.

I think the, the crazy thing is often people trying to keep on going when there's problems and, and, and too afraid to, to ask for help at but but god god helped us to find really good counselors to help us deal with some of the baggage in our lives. You know, I thought I'd I didn't have any baggage, but soon as you get married, you realize you do. And and and, and suddenly, god god helped us to become stronger and more resilient. And we needed to become like that before we went to the north of Mozambique where it was really rough, working with Muslims and, and, and so we, but Wycliffe approached us while we were in South Africa and said join us. Because and, we went to Mozambique to Australia to do linguistic training, and then in 2006 went to Mozambique.

And, Then the North of Mozambique, we're asking god, which group do you want us to work with, and where do you want us to work? And he guided us to the the McCormahara people, 100 percent Muslim people along the coast of Northern Mozambula province. And, we didn't know where to go, which village. And so we, we started from the car and traveled south And and asking god, please show us. And then we got to a t junction in the road, and there was no way further south, and we thought, what do we do?

Okay. So we turned left towards the coast, and And then we saw a small road going off to the right. So we carried on with that road, and we got to this this huge river. It wasn't a it was dry. It was like December.

It should have been raining, but But the, the river was dry and we could cross it in, 2 by 4 and keep going into this thick bush. Eventually, got to this small village called Manangomi, and, and we realized this is where god wants us to be. And god opened the way for us. This was like amazing. We we got, the chief or the king, as they call him, welcomed us, and, and so did the secretary of the Bureau of the the area, and they became our cover.

You know, the, and the amazing thing is, 1 weekend, I was, I went to see the king, but he wasn't there, and So I asked, my carpenter saying, please, where can I stay tonight? And he said, oh, yeah, come with me, and he took me to his brother-in-law and, and I stayed the weekend with him. And, and we became friends. And then I was, in my broken Macua, I was saying, oh, lots of mosquitoes out. So Muskita.

He heard Moskita, and he thought, Oh, you want to go to the mosque because that's what it means. And that's how they say it. So so he took me there. I didn't know where I was going. And there there were some suspicious looking people saying, who's this guy?

And I realized that this man I was staying with was the wallimu of the whole area, which is like 1 of the leaders of the Muslim faith. And and we become friends and and suddenly He he couldn't be my enemy anymore. He he God God just opened the door, opened the way so that we had favor even with the Muslim leaders. And and and so Yeah. It was amazing.

We had a little son of 1 years old. His name's Fin. Now he's 19. And he he he really adapted well. Although, It was kind of rough in the beginning.

Lots of we lived in a, a kind of a shell of a house, which was amazing because it it was solid walls, built by the Portuguese, and I just had to renovate it. But we learned the culture. We studied the culture and the language and began to see how lost the people were and how how little light they had. And as we study the culture, we began to see what the people needed, and We thought we'd be able to play them a local dialect, Makua, they would understand that, but they weren't getting it. And so we decided to actually translate is is a panorama bible stories from Genesis to Revelation.

And and as we we were choosing stories that that would speak to the culture, speak to the issues in the culture, There were certain things that were like open doors, like, and, and bridges, which we could build on, because they they knew the names of the prophets. They called them, you know, Nabi Nohi, Nabi isa. And so, so, we knew if we used the arabic terms, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, terms for those profits, they would be more acceptable, the stories. And so we translated those stories that they knew, well, they knew of the prophets. And, and that was like a common ground, which we could build on.

There was a fisherman, and, and so they loved the stories of Jesus and the, and the disciples who, who went fishing, and, and so there were, there were ways, there were bridges we could use. And, but there were some barriers, like, you know, they don't believe in the divinity of Christ. And so we would find stories that specifically spoke to, to that Like for example, the story of the healing of the paralytic where the the pharisees are who but God can forgive sins. And and and there, we presented Jesus as the 1 who can forgive sins. And and the others like when Jesus calmed the storm and said, be still, and the the the the sample said, who is this?

They can speak to the wind and the waves and they obey. And so we're showing Jesus had power over the natural world. And and there are many stories that we could be told and and translate it into Nuhara that that spoke to specific needs and and broke down some of those barriers or strongholds in a people's minds. And and as people heard the word of god, They began to realize actually what they were told that there's errors in it's in the records is not true because god the truth resonated with them, and they began to become more and more open to, to, to the gospel and the the scriptures. And then I, I met a man called Sahedi.

He was, The first, the first language helpers were were the king and the secretary that actually helped me to to learn the language. And, but their Portuguese wasn't that good. And then I learned the Ahmed Saeedi and he he was at 1 of the bible studies I was leading. We had these these listening groups, we, and discussion groups, and And and he told me directly, he says you're, you know, how it's terrible. You need help.

So he came and he helped me, and he became 1 of our translators. And, And so so, god provided the people we needed, and he he he became a follower of Jesus. He was 1 of the first who came to faith in Christ, and And he he found another man and shared his faith with with Louis. And Louis also became a follower of Jesus. And so, Louis and Saidi and Rodriques who was a Muslim store were were the translators, and we continue to translate, orally, because the nuh-uh, the nuh-uh-uh people are are not, are not a book people.

They don't read books and, and, and they communicate orally. So we, we, we did oral bubble translation using, various techniques to internalize the scriptures and then speak them from memory. And record those. And then obviously check them for accuracy and, and get them consulted checked. But those oral scriptures became available to the people.

We gave them out on little micro SD cards, and they put them into their phones, and they could listen to the scriptures. And people would love listening to them. And was on to digital players, and they, they listened on the players and loved them. And soon the scriptures really had an impact, like 1 of the scriptures that meant a lot, and I was surprised by this, but was was John 14, where Jesus said to his disciples, don't let your heart be troubled. I'm going to prepare a place for you.

In my father's house, there are many rooms, and I'm going to prepare a place for you. And if I go, I'll come back and fetch you to take you to be where I am. You know the way. And then Philip said, we don't know the way. He said, I am the way.

The truth and the life. No 1 comes to a father except through me. And you know the father. And Thomas said, we don't know the father. Show it to, show him to us.

He said, I've lived with you so long. And you don't know me. The father and I are 1. And with that passage, it it spoke of assurance, assurance of salvation. This is something completely new and foreign to to Muslims.

Then they they cannot be sure. Not even Mohammed was sure that he was saved. And the only way to be sure is is through jihad, you know, dying fighting for for for for the faith. And And now we were, we were sharing the revelation of God that Jesus is going to prepare a place for us, and we'll come back and fetch us. And this was like amazing news to them that they could know.

They could know they were saved. They could know that there's a place in heaven prepared for them. And, and then Also, the the truth that Jesus is the only way to the father, and no, no good works, no, no much, you know, nothing can bring us to the father except through him. He's the only mediator. To us and god.

And so these these passages, as we study them together, because when you internalize a passage, you have to to really discuss it and understand it and memorize it before we can translate. And so this whole Arab translation process was really good for discipleship, and, and, and the translators became my disciples. And And then when when Luis tragic tragically his daughter died of malaria, and he had to bury his own daughter, No 1 else would because he was a believer, but but but he used John 14 as a passage and and could preach with hope saying, my daughter is in, in the place Jesus has prepared for her. And, and, and, and, and the people were amazed by the hope he had. His his family members were were angry with him and saying you you're full of Jesus now, and we're not gonna help you with other ceremonies.

And if you die, we're not gonna bury you. And and he said, I don't care. I don't care. You can just leave me there to be to write and be eaten by the animals. I don't care because I know my my soul will be with god in heaven.

And he had real hope because the problem in Islam is is fear. The the the the whole religion is based on fear and and and now they had a problem because Louisis didn't have fear. And so, so, persecution only works when there's fear. And you we have amazing gospel where we are drawn to god by his love. And and we obey him and worship him because of because we love him.

We love him because he first loved us. We love other people because he first loved us. And so that draws us to to him and and and so now people became People who became followers of Jesus started to show real love that people didn't understand. And anyway, so so we finished translating this 90 set of stories. And really felt that we needed to get it out to wider audience.

So so we created radio dramas based on those stories. And those radio dramas are just basically a question in the culture linked to a story in the Bible of the same on the same theme. And the and a very simple dialogue between 2 men or women. And and as they as they share, as the man shares a story, the the guy who asked the questions is, Oh, now I understand, and he answers his own question. So, so it was a simple way of taking the scripture and applying it to the culture to a real need in the culture.

And then giving an application. And and so we created these stories and these radio dramas and started broadcasting them on 2 local radio stations. And these People phoned in and, and, and said how much they loved them, the stories. And I wanted to know where they came from, even though we said clearly it was from the Bible, but they thought these were stories from the, hadith or something like that. And, and so, so, so it wasn't something foreign.

You know, the, the Nuhara people have been exposed to Christianity for over 500 years. The first church built in the southern hemisphere was amongst them, but none of them became followers of Jesus or Why? Because it was it was religion that was was presented to them, not not the Bible, not real faith. So Catholic religion for them is almost, in their eyes, was idolatry because they were worshiping these, well, not worshiping, but honoring these, these statues. And, and so, They they rejected Christianity, but but when when they heard the word of god in their heart language in their mother tongue, suddenly they they became open and receptive to to this message and and began to to understand god's heart.

Another story that they loved is the story of the prodigal son. For, for them, god is far and distant and unknowable. But here, this is a story of a, a father who, who embraces his, his prodigal son, embraces him and restores him, and, and that kind of love and acceptance was unknown to them, but, but now suddenly they're getting to know god as a god who loves them and a god who's a father. And, and so these, these radio broadcasts went out and people phoned in and and spoke to Saeedi and Luish, and they they went out and visited them and started little discovery bible study groups amongst them. They were like men of peace who who who called in and asked them to visit, and then those people discovered their friends and family around them and started little discovery bible study groups.

We'll give them a little SD card or a audio player, a digital plan, and and tell them to ask 5 basic questions to help them apply the scriptures. Like, what did you like about the story? What did you learn about man? What did you learn about god? What difference will the story make in your life?

And who else needs to hear the story? And those those basic questions help them to to to these seekers to actually learn the Bible together. And as they and, you know, with Muslims, it's not, it's often not a sudden conversion because it takes time for them to understand And and as they listened to those, those stories, the, the faith grew, you know, the passage we read from from, Romans 10 says, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ. And as they hear the truth of the word, their faith grows, grows, and eventually they can come to a point where they can change allegiance from Islam to Christianity and not just change allegiance, but be strong enough to, with withstand persecution, because when you're in a little bible study group, at least you have each other to fall back on when your family reject you or speak badly about you. But and so, so 14 of these little bible study groups started all along the coast, and Saide and Luis would visit them and encourage them as often as they could.

And and so, so, and now we can say many of those people have moved from being seekers to, to being followers of Jesus. And, and so god is at work amongst the Nara people. And, and we've gone on to make radio dramas about based on every book that we've translated, the book of Luke and John and exodus. And and all of those those radio dramas, also act as the we we broadcast them every day on on a local radio station. And so every day, people get a 5 to 10 minute, radio drama where they can learn and grow in their faith.

And and praise god, we've been, I've been able to share this method of creating radio dramas with other translation teams. So I've just come back from Mozambique where where I visited 7 other language teams and were able to teach them how to make make the scripture, applicable to to the culture. So if you understand the culture, you, you actually understand the that 1 of the guys said to me, this is amazing. So so god's word can answer any question in my culture. Any question I have.

Suddenly god's word becomes relevant and and and speaks to those deep cultural needs that that most people don't don't know there's answers for. And, but there are real answers. And, and so, I just, I just praise god for, for the way, his word is having an impact. His word is is powerful and doesn't return void. And so we we are, we are privileged to be able to, translate it in a way that is culturally acceptable, understandable.

That gets beyond, you know, the barriers that people put up because it's oral, it doesn't seem too intimidating. And it somehow gets in the back door And that's the amazing thing about God's word and the stories in the Bible is, it's not like, you know, polemic kind of preaching where where you you're saying you're wrong, Mohammed is wrong. We we just let god's words speak, and and and and then, over time people's hearts change, and they become the holy spirit uses the word to transform their hearts and minds. That's that's what the bible says, the truth will set you free. The truth of god's word has been setting people free from darkness, from fear from oppression, and and it's it's amazing to be part of that.

So I just want to say thank you for your prayers and it's, a privilege to be able to share something of that with you. That's that's terrific, isn't it? We can go to a place, think about the culture, but that's the word of god that does it. And that's, you know, we're in this situation here as well, aren't we? We've got to keep learning how to reach people with the word of god and, that that was really helpful.

Thank you very much. I'll ask for anything you've got any questions in a minute, but, there is this little leaflet about what you're doing, and I think that'll be at the back somewhere, or you're not getting you at the door, or you can stand there, and you can come and ask any questions you want to, or take this little leaflet about Whitcliff, translators as well. So that that's brilliant. Is there is there any pressing questions? Yep.

Ken, when you came to our hundred, you told that and made wonderful story about, brother, of the the man who was sweeping outside of that. Oh, yes. Yes. So he's asked a question just in case you can't hear it, about a story about a man sweeping outside your house. Yeah.

So while we were translating John 14, Ibrahim, our worker was was kind of getting closer and closer to, to our translation office. And, and, he wouldn't want to leave, you know? So, so we invited him to come and sit with us and, and listen. And and he was like so impressed by this, John 14 that that's you you can actually be sure that you're saved that Jesus has gone to create a place for you. And, and so he was so impressed that he actually named his cat, Joanne Catorze, which means John 14 in Brilliant.

So the lord uses a cat it's like the word it got out as well. Any other any other questions? Yep. Really like the sound of the the dramas that you do. Yes.

Just an example of 1 of the cultural needs Okay. So the so the question is, love the dramas that you're doing. Can you give an idea of the cultural need and then the drama that goes with it? Okay. For example, 1 of the questions would be saying, oh, I see this brother's fighting conflict in the home.

Why why do why do some siblings, fights. And and then well, I know a story about that. Can I tell you? And I'll tell you a story of Kain and Abel, for example. And and then the guy says, well, now I understand.

It's because of envy that's that brothers can fight and have conflict and and even kill each other. And and so that's just a very simple example. There are many others, that that speak to to real cultural needs like fear, like the story of, of, of the calming of the sea, we, we, 1 would say, you know, I'm, I'm so afraid of, of this or that. Specific thing in the culture. And, and, and, and then, well, the guy says, well, can I tell you a story?

And he tells the story of how Jesus calmed the storm and, and, and then he realized, Oh, wow. So Jesus has power over even the wind and the waves. And and if I fear him, I don't need to fear the the world. And, and all the, so, so there's different ways of linking a specific question in the culture to a, to a story in the Bible, and then applying it to and you were saying that, are they about 10 minutes long, did you say? Or it was 5 to 10 minutes?

5 to 10 minutes. Yeah. Well, we'll be definitely nicking that idea. That's down on the agenda. I can tell you.

So our preacher group will be doing that. So thank you for that. Are we there? Any other questions? Yep.

Maybe just to get practical with some specific prayer request? Some specific prayer request. Well, yeah, this 1 of the sad things has happened is Saidi was, has just recently died. And we, we suspect poisoning, and so so he could have been poisoned. And, so we pray for his family and and also pray for, the person who's gonna take his place.

He had been discipling luis and How how old was he? He was about 55. 55. We were he he discipled Luis and then Luis discipled a guy called Jaha. And Jaha is now taking it further and and and doing the role of visiting these bible study groups that Saeedi had been visiting at and discipling those people.

But, but, but, yeah, there is a real danger, of, of persecution and, in the culture. And, and so we just pray for god's protection over over the translators and, and especially Jaha now in this new role. Are you still friends with the big Muslim man that you first met? No. He's died.

Oh, he's died. Okay. And what about the king? Yeah. I'm still friends with him.

He's, yeah, he's And what do they think then about any persecution? Are they on your side? Or Yeah. They know what it's like. You know, conspiracy theories abound in in in in societies where where there's no truth.

Yeah. Yeah. And and so so even even the king is being accused of of bringing cholera to the, the village and stuff like that. And so there's, there's many, there's a lot of accusations that, and, and the whole thing is maybe the village looks calm and peaceful on the surface, but below the below the surfaces, there's people accusing each other of sorcery and curses, and, and these curses and counter curses, and, and, and, and, and these things are real. They, they, they, they go to the witch doctors and, and try and take revenge for things that happened.

But they will not say anything out loud. They won't fight in public, but they, they use magic and spiritual things to, to try and harm each other. That's why the gospel is so powerful because we can teach tell a story, like the story of balaam, who couldn't curse Israel. And, and, and god protects his people from these curses. And, and so, so, so, the, the beautiful stories that speak against the, the, the lies in the culture and expose them.

And and so, yeah, if you could pray for, for, the nada people who who are many of them are still in darkness and that they would be transformed as they listen to these radio dramas or as they join 1 of these discovery bible study groups and and grow in their faith. Thank you. Anything else? Yep. 1 more.

Could you quickly just tell us the little careens were here. Right? Yeah. And you told us a story about how, you having children, and especially Praveen helped you to really embed in that form. Yeah.

Yes. So the question is about, you and Corinne, your wife having children, how that helped you embed in the, in the culture. Yeah. So, so we we we went to the village with a little 1 year old Fin, and he was Oh, no. It's Finn.

Yeah. So and so, He he he was he was amazing little kid. He adapted really well to to the culture. And and wherever we went, he would open doors for us because You know, I think there's something about, as a, as a man, you know, you're kind of like, you're seen as a foreigner, and but as soon as you have a wife and children and people see you as normal, you know. And, and, and so, god, god really opened up the way, and Queen had an amazing way of of connecting with the woman.

And we had a second child fair there while we were there, and she, she became such an uh-huh, that she would walk around, and Everyone was, was like offering her bread. And, and then she became so in the hara that she would start eating the fish with her head on. She was she she she was, so so what what what we, we basically did was, lived life and showed them what life can be like as a a Christian family. Although we were never perfect Christian family, to be honest. But, but, but, there was, there was that common ground that the children brought, and, and they they broke the ice.

And so we were able to especially Queen. I'll tell you 1 more story if we have time. Green, Queen meets a woman who who had lost 7 children in childbirth. And, she, she felt no. This is wrong.

Something's wrong here. And so she, this woman, I was very afraid of, because she was pregnant and waiting for her next child. And Queen said, no, she's gonna sit with her every day and read early in the morning, read the the the proverbs that she'd been translating. And every every day, they would she would sit in her flat little hut and and read a proverb, and they pray for the woman. But we had to leave to visit another village or area And when we came back, the child was born already, and and Korean went to visit her and felt that the umbilical cord was hot.

They do it was hot, and she knew the child was infected. But the the the woman said, She said, let me take you to the hospital, and and then we said, no. We can't, for 7 days, we're not allowed to leave the huts because the the the child will catch the wind. That's what the words she used. And so, so, so, Corin, phoned a friend who, who is recommended which antibiotics to, to, to get.

And she crushed them up and gave them to the the child. And the child lived and and was healthy, and it was the first child of the 7 deaths. And and and and it turned out that there was the the mother-in-law who used to cut the umbilical cord with a dirty knife. And and and and then later when we when we went back and visited that family, This woman was surrounded by these these little children. And she said, who are these children?

Are they your grandchildren? And she said, no, these these are my children. She had had 7 children. At all healthy and good. And and and that was that was because of, you know, just attention and love and teaching them basic hygiene, and, and, and the proverbs, reading those proverbs with her in the morning, somehow helped her, and god did a miracle.

And now that's a testimony of, of of how god can change practically for someone's life. Brilliant. Thank you, Ken. You can speak to Ken afterwards. He'll have his little leaflets.

That's really helpful. Thank you. Just very, very briefly, Romans 10, there were these these 4 questions says this. How then can they call on the 1 that they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the 1 whom they have not heard?

And how can they hear without someone preaching to them And how can anyone preach unless they are sent as it is written how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news? And the question is, are we gonna have beautiful feet? Yes. So Ken and his wife and family have beautiful feet. They really do.

Don't know what their feet are quite like, but they have beautiful feet because beautiful feet are sweaty and gnarled, and they're taking the gospel out to different places. And we've gotta be a church like that. We've gotta learn to get that gospel and have beautiful feet because how are they going to believe if they haven't heard? We've gotta be ever so ever so zealous about getting people to hear in this country. We're in a in a in a town in a city where nations come to us.

We've gotta welcome nations. We gotta learn how to do the bible dramas so they understand. We've got a nation full of young people with all kinds of problems that the bible answers. Anxiety, depression, sadness, loneliness. We need to do we need to do those stories.

We need to do those stories and get them out and use social media for something decent rather than look at me. I'm now buying some milk at the supermarket, and you can follow me. We need to actually get those out. But also, we need to be sending people out like Ken. To other nations.

And that's a that's a burden that we we want to have more and more, that the lord would raise up harvesters. We're living in a in a country where churches are desperate for, preachers. There aren't many around, and blokes aren't going into ministry. They're not going into ministry. For lots and lots of reasons, I can give you some of them if you want, but there are lots of reasons.

So we wanna train men up. We want to get preachers out. And we want to have preaching here, but we want to send people out into other nations. While that we've heard the good news of Jesus, and the good news of Jesus is for all people, For all the earth, your plan is to take that good news to use feet to take them this message around the world and preach the gospel. And we thank you for what we've heard about Ken.

And what he's doing there in Mozambique, what a joy it is to hear those stories. You're working amongst Muslims, bringing them to Jesus, and that is such good news. And we want to see that in our own area. We have a mosque. Just up the road with hundreds of Muslims that go to every Friday.

And father, they need Jesus, not Mohammed, they need Jesus in their hearts. They need to know what it is to come and hear the gospel help us to proclaim this we pray. Whatever the costs help us to have feet that are beautiful as we take the message out. And so bless us now. We go in the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit, amen.