Communities where Christ is least known

Yao

About 500,000 Yao people live in northwest Mozambique. To be a Yao is to be a Muslim. They often mix traditional African beliefs with Islam to form a syncretic belief system. The Yao people were once the fierce slave hunters of the north. Today, they are subsistence farmers, mostly illiterate, with a low life expectancy. Although missionaries have been working with the Yao for many years, the fruit of their labour has been slow to come. However, we believe that the Yao people will increasingly come to faith, and the time for the harvest is now. Churches are being planted, and interest in the Gospel seems to be growing.

Makuwa-Metto and Makuwa-Chirima
There are about 1 million people in each of these groups. The Makua peoples are matrilineal, tracing their family lines through their mother’s family. Most people are subsistence farmers, working their fields only with hand-held implements, but there is a trend of Makua moving to the towns and cities. Most adhere to folk Islam. In urban areas where some small churches exist, there is need for well-trained leaders.