Youth Conferences in Mozambique
Early Friday morning on 28 August 2026, a team of 20 started on the 20-hour trip to Zavora, Mozambique. At midnight when the team arrived, we were welcomed by Mario Rocha. We all spontaneously sang and thanked God for travelling mercies. On Sunday, part of the team attended the service in Simbi and the rest attended the service with the Zavora congregation.
From Monday to Wednesday, open air services were held for approximately 300 youth from Zavora. The services were centred around the same theme as the youth conference at KSB in July: Above all else, guard your heart. The big tree on the neighbouring property offered adequate shade and the weather was favourable. Meals were served on the lawn and enjoyed by all. We witnessed how people’s faces changed as they put their lives right with God. The sport events on the last day were, as always, a delightful experience.
On Thursday morning the team set out further north to Simbi for a 3-day conference at the branch there. When one of the vehicles got stuck in the sand on the way out, the whole team disembarked and helped push! After a 5-hour trip, we were welcomed by Zaqueu Chichongwe, his family and congregation. Their vegetable gardens provided fresh produce for healthy salads served with the meals. The local mothers and our mothers worked hard in the outdoor kitchen and prepared delicious meals throughout the conference. We stand in wonder at God’s guidance in the cooking quantities, as the conference attendance ranged between 300 to 400+ daily.
Despite the language barrier, communication is steadily improving as local and SA team members use familiar words in Zulu, English, Portuguese, Tsonga, the local dialect, hands, feet and most effective of all – a smile of relief when understood. Powerful messages were preached by various team members and people committed their lives to Christ and confessed their sins. Saturday afforded the perfect opportunity for soccer and various games and drew more children to the services. In addition to the children’s choir and the congregation choir, the team from SA formed a combined choir to sing at the closing service on Sunday.
As we returned home on Monday, 7 September, we reflected on one of the most special aspects of this trip – the sweet fellowship and the Lord’s perfect guidance in every step. Each team member can testify of a fresh supply of mercy and strength from the Lord for every day. May the Lord’s name be held high by our dear congregation members at Zavora and Simbi who stayed behind to be a beacon in the darkness - in a country so desperately in need of the Lord’s saving grace.
Arno Combrink:
It was amazing to see how the Lord undertook in the practical needs of the conferences. From near seamless police stops, good weather - with rain starting once the conference was over - to only getting slightly stuck once with no punctures or breakdowns.
The most amazing was the borehole experience. During the first service of the conference at Zavora, the taps went dry, the water tank was empty and the borehole had stopped pumping.
When the pump was extracted, it was clear that it had failed that morning. Uncle Mario Rocha remembered buying a spare pump 12 years ago but was under the impression that it would be too small. Once we had fetched it from the storeroom, we discovered that it was identical to the pump we had just removed, down to the make and model. 2 years ago, someone wanted to purchase the pump but Uncle Mario said it might be needed one day. The fact that the exact pump was at hand, purchased over a decade ago, and the correct waterproof cable join needed was available in the small neighbouring village of Inharrim, was amazing to experience. That the pump failed and was replaced on the very same day, with electrician Victor Vermaak on hand to complete the wiring, made the experience even more amazing.
