Car Problems Lead to Salvation in Mozambique

Jim Pickett was scheduled to be in a northern province of Mozambique for a May baptismal service. But hours away from home–and his destination–his car broke down on the side of the road.

He and Pastor Chicana, a native of Mozambique, got the vehicle to the provincial capital for repairs but were still 10 hours from their northern destination. Jim knew he’d be forced to make other arrangements for the service.

Jim and his wife Karen serve as missionaries in northern Mozambique with Global Partners, the missions arm of The Wesleyan Church. The couple has served since 2000 and comes from a storied past of missionaries: Karen’s parents served in Papua New Guinea and Jim’s in Brazil.

Hands tied, Jim knew he’d never make it to the service. So a local, ordained pastor agreed to step in to baptize the 50 new believers on Friday. By Saturday, Jim and Pastor Chicana were still stranded in Pemba as he waited for a local mechanic to make the car repairs. The wait extended into Sunday.

A frustrated Jim was ready to return home.

As they waited for the mechanic to arrive (who didn’t arrive at the scheduled time), the next-door neighbor of the people Jim and Pastor Chicana were staying with asked to look at the car. As he studied the busted vehicle, he began to ask questions about Jesus.

“I think I know why God has us here,” Pastor Chicana remarked to Jim, out of the neighbor’s earshot.

The gentleman invited the two men into his house, where he asked Jim and Pastor Chicana to tell the rest of his family about Jesus.

“The man had many [difficulties in his life] and couldn’t take any more,” says Jim. “He knew what he needed.” The neighbor eagerly prayed in Portuguese (official language of Mozambique) to receive Christ right there in his home, but his wife was hesitant. A devout Muslim, she was afraid of what her family would think if she decided to claim faith in Christ.

“We told her that Jesus loved her and wanted to be a part of her life,” says Jim. “But we didn’t pressure her and gave her a chance to think.”

After a bit, she made the same decision to follow Jesus, though hesitantly. She knew ramifications might surface as a result of making the decision. Although there are many Christians in northern Mozambique, the country consists largely of folk Muslims where generations of families continue in the faith–a mix of Islam and African culture but unlike religious counterparts in Arab countries.

Since then, the husband and wife have followed up with a pastor and are looking to be discipled in their young faith. Meanwhile, both Jim and Pastor Chicana know they weren’t supposed to travel further north to baptize believers that weekend in May. 

“God had this appointment in mind and saw a reason for our car trouble,” says Jim.

For more information on the international ministries of The Wesleyan Church, go to www.wesleyan.org/gp.