The Koti people of Mozambique

Further background information regarding the ethnic people group that the church has prayed for recently:-

Since 739 AD, the Angoche Islanders have been trading with Muslim Arabs and Persians. Angoche Island was established as the main site for slave trading after the second wave of traders arrived. The Arab slave traders intermarried with the Makhuwa people and as a result, the Koti people was born. They developed their own language and today Koti is the main trade language on the island.

They live in the town of Angoche on the coast of the Nampula province, Angoche Island, and on other smaller islands near the coast up to Moma. A large Koti community can also be found in Nampula city. Historically, the Koti dominated the area economically. This has brought them much fame and as a result, they are a very well-known people group today. Fishing, cashews, coconuts, copra, and sisal are all part of their main products and economic activities.

Even though most Koti people can understand Makhuwa, they despise the language as they see their own language as being more superior. Being a very proud people, they avoid speaking or reading Mahuwa. However, the Koti language has no alphabet.

Angoche is a very strategic town as it is considered to be the centre for Muslim influence in northern Mozambique. In order to complete school some of the Koti went to be baptized in the Roman Catholic church. Most of them, however, returned to their Islamic faith.

1. HAVE THEY HEARD THE GOSPEL?
0.2% Believe Jesus is the Son of God
99% Believe Jesus is a Prophet, Teacher, Good Man, but not God's son

2. HAVE THEY RESPONDED TO THE GOSPEL?
Believers to population: 1 believer to every 497 persons
(total believers: 83)(0.2%)

3. DO THEY HAVE A CHURCH?
The Evangelical Assemblies of God was established under the initiative of Koti believers. More than half of the members and leaders of this church are Koti believers.

4. DOES THIS PEOPLE HAVE THE WORD OF GOD TRANSLATED INTO THEIR MOTHER TONGUE?
No, the Koti language does not have an alphabet. A translation project was started in 1996.

5. ANY HINDRANCES TO SCRIPTURE DISTRIBUTION?
Literacy Rate: 20%

6. WHAT OTHER FORMS OF GOSPEL PRESENTATIONS ARE AVAILABLE?
Recordings: ? (probably none)
Radio: ? (probably none)
Literature: ? (probably none)
Video: ? (probably none)
Films: ? (probably none)

7. ARE THEY RECEPTIVE TO CHANGE AND TO CHRISTIANITY?
No. Many of the older people agree that the Christian faith is the right way, but see themselves as too old to change.

8. DO THEY REQUIRE OUTSIDE (CROSS-CULTURAL) ASSISTANCE?
Yes. The gospel needs to be presented to them in an effective and clear way.


- Adapted from the World Mission Centre website

For more details, please do check out the Koti of Mozambique Ethnic People Profile on the Joshua Project website.

Here is also a blog, Koti Journey detailing a first-hand experience of the work done among the Koti people in Mozambique.

Some brief notes from MTN...

MALAYSIAN TENTMAKING NETWORK
... a track of the Malaysian Center for Global Ministry

Purpose Statement:-

To create an environment where the Malaysian Church can work together to mobilize the whole church towards fulfilling God's purpose using "tentmaking" principles as a strategy in the nations.

Developments in Tent-making:-

There are a few thoughts that are currently being bandied around at the MTN Steering Committee meetings:-

1. Tent-making is not just another method of missions.

2. Tent-making is the natural outcome of a Christian whose entire life is lived for God's mission i.e. he is doing what he already is doing in his home country.

3. Every church should have an intentional discipleship program that results in tent-making as a life-style.

MTN Upcoming Events:-

1. MCGM National Youth Mission Conference
– 20th to 23rd September 2009

2. MCGM Local Church Missions Committee Seminar
– 19th October 2009


- Adapted from the MTN E-Newsletter, January 2009

Looking out on other parts of the world ...

Sudan

In line with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, legislative elections are due to be held by July 2009. A year ago, the situation looked futile in the face of the provocative separatist rhetoric from the south and the belligerent jihadist rhetoric from the north.

There has been much prayer for a unified opposition to contest the 2009 elections and unseat the Arab Islamist military regime in Khartoum. Praise God that the late Dr John Garang’s vision of a ‘New Sudan’ (united, secular and rights-affirming) is now catching on and a campaign to forge an opposition that could contest the elections is emerging.

Both the Islamist government (based in the north) and the Southern People’s Liberation Movement (a national movement based in the south) are re-arming and conflict appears imminent and unavoidable. But if a strong, broad political opposition can be built around the SPLM and given a mandate to govern, then the Islamic regime’s days could well be numbered.

Pray for the nation: that God in His mercy will bring life and energy to the ‘New Sudan’ vision, and raise up wise leaders of strength and conviction who will advance justice, liberty, equity and hope in a brighter future.

Pray for the Church: for the Holy Spirit to fill the long-suffering, traumatised, war-ravaged and persecuted Church with a Spirit of grace that will equip them to advance reconciliation and gospel witness amongst those who have persecuted and terrorised them for so long.

India

Continue to pray for India where anti-Christian violence in BJP-led states has caused many deaths and the displacement of multitudes.

Pray for the nation: for God to intervene and restrain Hindutva violence and use this tragedy to awaken Indians to a reassessment and rejection of Hindutva ideology.

Pray for the Church: for God to protect and provide for the hundreds of thousands of Christians displaced by genocidal Hindutva terror in Orissa, and unsettled by the Hindutva violence.

Iraq

Iraq’s Christians are under siege, facing genocide, and running out of places to go. After serious threats and 12 assassinations within two weeks in October 2008, 750 Christian families totalling 3,750 individuals fled for their lives between 4th and 12th October to seek refuge with relatives or in churches and monasteries in various Christian majority towns across Nineveh (WEA Religious Liberty Commission Prayer Bulletin, 15th October). BBC reported that up to 12,000 Iraqi Christians have fled Mosul in October (20th October, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7696242.stm).

This is the most concerted campaign against the Christians, although they have had their share of fallout from the Iraqi upheavals that followed the 2003 overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s regime. Since the invasion, Iraq’s Christian population is believed to have fallen from around 800,000 to about 500,000, with many emigrating for good.

The escalation in terror may be linked to the Christian community’s recent attempts to protect its interests and future:

(1) Assyrian Christians are increasingly taking up arms for self-defence and joining the police force in record numbers;
(2) they are protesting the loss of their political representation – on 24th September, the al-Maliki government voted to abolish Article 50 of the Iraqi Provincial Election Law which reserved seats for minorities; and
(3) some Assyrians are calling for the creation of an autonomous Christian-ruled province adjoining the Kurdish region, a controversial issue dividing the Christian community.

Currently, there is an urgent need for humanitarian assistance for the displaced Christians. The Kurdistan regional government has joined Christians, Iraqi government and international organisations in providing relief and support to the displaced Christians, who come from some of the world’s oldest Christian communities, including Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syrian Orthodox and others. Some of their languages, both liturgical and everyday, go back to biblical times, including variations of the Aramaic spoken by Jesus Christ.

Pray that our suffering brethren will experience God as their shield and encourager, hearing their prayers, intervening on their behalf and increasing their faith. Pray for God to frustrate the plans of the wicked, bringing their unjust, repressive and genocidal plans to ruin.

"The LORD preserves the strangers; he relieves the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turns upside down.",
(Psalm 146:9)

May the Spirit of God breathe love and mercy over the land and into hearts so that his people may be preserved and empowered as his witnesses in Iraq.

Philippines

In August 2008, the Supreme Court intervened to postpone the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The MoA would have given the MILF jurisdiction over a de facto Islamic state in Mindanao.

When the signing ceremony was cancelled, Muslim militants who were aligned with the MILF attacked Christian rural areas of Mindanao,murdering and wounding dozens and displacing many thousands. In October the Supreme Court ruled that the MoA was unconstitutional. Tensions are high. Some Islamic elements are threatening jihad.

Pray for the Church to stand firm and for a peaceful solution.

- Content extracted from Berita NECF (Nov - Dec 2008 issue)
- Maps obtained from MAPQUEST.COM