God in Distant Land

A Visit to the Diocese of Niassa By Vincent Dippenaar

As the newly appointed link officer of the Diocese of Natal for the Diocese of Niassa, I had to find my way to Lichinga in north west Mozambique, where Bishop Mark Van Koevering and his family live to arrive in time for the many diocesan festivities in October 2008. At the end of my journey there, I wondered whether I could compare it with that of the Magi when they set out in search of the Christ child, in what must have been for them a distant land fraught with many dangers. At the outset I planned to travel by Greyhound from Durban to Johannesburg and to Maputo. Then by local bus to Lichinga. Bishop Mark warned that it was 1 500 km from Maputo to the beginning of his diocese and from there 1 200 km to Lichinga. The unreliability of public transport did not make this a viable option. To fly by light aircraft would be too expensive. I decided to go via Malawi. It would take two days by bus from Johannesburg to Lilongwe with grueling stops at six border posts as officials go through luggage of passengers most of whom would be traders. I got cold feet and flew with SAA to Malawi instead to be met by friends and driven a further 600 km to Lichinga. However, part of my return journey was to be more eventful, as I was forced to use public transport. The taxi ride of 150km in an un roadworthy minibus with 26 people and luggage on board from Lichinga to the Malawian border became a nightmare. So too the journey, thereafter, in an open bakkie carrying 22 people along a curving mountain slope. My protest did little to get drivers to slow down. Such reaction was probably regarded as normal for strangers. It became clear to me that human life counted for very little as profits were pursued. Later, after my ordeal, I thought of the vulnerability of the Christ child and of how his parents, valuing his life, fled to Egypt to preserve His life from Herod. Thirty three years later He was to give this very life to save ours. I was struck by the large number of children in the villages. They would descend on strangers like swarms of bees. Looking into their radiant faces was a bitter sweet experience. Their youthful zest for life was clouded by a high mortality rate amongst children. Two out of five make it to adulthood, I was told. How correct this is, statistically, I don't know. Many fall victim to malaria, cholera, AIDS and malnutrition. Was this a modern version of the slaughter of the innocent - Rachel weeping for her children? (Mt 2:18) Education, for both the Church and State, remains a priority. However, scarce human and material resources swell classroom numbers to eighty in some instances. The Diocese of Niassa got parishes and schools in England to invest in children's education. It made me wonder whether some of our Anglican parishes and schools would consider doing the same in Niassa. The cathedral lay 150 km north of Lichinga, along Lake Niassa towards the Tanzanian border. It was in the process of being renovated. Two civil wars that scattered communities and drained Mozambique dry of scarce resources contributed to its dilapidation. During these October festivities people from all parts of the diocese flocked to the cathedral. It was as if they had received word, just as the shepherds of old did àHe is born amongst you. There was great rejoicing as people celebrated their faith in the One True and Living God. Young people sang and danced deep into the night. The senior citizens chanted in traditional fashion their prayers. It was good to be there. At the end of it all, I could say, I met God in a distant land. There is a great desire to grow the Church. In other words, the Believing Community wants to bring the God of Niassa into as many hearts and homes as possible in this vast and expansive land that stretches from the Zambesi to the Rovuma river on the Tanzanian border. The Diocese has a 5 Year Plan (2008 2013): Plant 1 000 Church communities; Disciple 100 000 members; Grow 2 500 small communities; Touch 500 000 people; Form 2 new dioceses. The vision that's to guide them is them becoming a Communion of communities in Christ Jesus. Value and promote an all member ministry, build small Christian communities and develop leadership. Presently, there are 4 archdeaconries, 29 parishes, 300 congregations, about 50 000 members, 40 priests and 11 seminarians. In the past 5 years (2003 2008) the diocese experienced a 25% growth in members. The Mothers Union grew by 30% during this time and is actively involved in pastoral work. The Diocese of Niassa needs and deserves our help. By our generosity we can assist in making it possible for them and for God. Priests need motorcycles; children, books and clothes; families, mosquito nets and seed for planting; etc. If you want to help please contact me, Fr. Vincent Dippenaar at St. MartinÆs Diocesan Home for Children, 239 Clark Road, Glenwood, Durban 4001. Telephone: 031 201 1261. Fax: 031 201 3120. Email: stmartinshome@pacernet.co.za

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