Pray with Mozambique, February 8, 2026

Lectionary Selection: Matthew 5:13-20

Prayers for Mozambique

Almighty God, Heavenly Father, creator of heaven and earth, we bless you for all that you have done for our lives here on earth. We thank you for the health and opportunities you have given us. Lord, we ask forgiveness for all our faults and sins committed unintentionally. For all this, we ask forgiveness from our heavenly Father.

At this very moment, we pray for the countries that are struggling to bring them peace, because without peace in the world, there will be no human or economic development, since war only destroys everything, including the men and women you created in your image, Lord.

We pray for our country, which is being destroyed by war, our Mozambican brothers and sisters, deceived by other external forces, Islamic states, and others who kill and plunder the property of the population in the north of the country, in Cabo Delgado. We pray for the UCCM projects in rural areas in the communities of Guara-guara, Masquil, lnharongue, Dondo and Nhamatanda. We pray for the Spirit of Peace and Reconciliation among our Mozambican brothers and sisters. We pray for national unity among political parties. Finally, we pray for our partners overseas, Disciples of Christ, and Global Ministries as a whole, that they may continue to maintain their partnership with UCCM and to think about and help the Mozambican people.

Written by Rev. Admo Matare Atanasio President of the United Church of Christ in Mozambique (UCCM)

Mission Moment from Mozambique

The Importance of Salt and Light

Many people are advised not to consume salt in their meals, but some people “steal a little salt” because salt is very important and indispensable to humans. And food without salt often does not appeal to many. Salt has a very peculiar taste, unlike anything else. When mixed with other substances, it preserves them from corruption and imparts some of its flavor to everything it is mixed with. Salt is only useful as long as it preserves and enhances flavor; otherwise, it serves no purpose. Christians are the salt of the earth, so they must always be ready to salt the world so that it is not corrupted by sin. The second characteristic of a true believer is to live as light in this world. We know very well that the property of light is to be totally different from darkness. The smallest spark in a dark room is immediately visible. Of all the things that were created, light is the most useful. Jesus wants Christians to be more useful in the world as salt and light in the world.

UCCM exemplifies this calling by actively working to be salt and light in the world. Through initiatives and projects, UCCM mobilizes churches and communities for life transformation by training pastors and church leaders. Beyond spiritual development, UCCM equips beneficiaries with practical skills, such as conservation agriculture, and provides access to clean water through boreholes and cisterns in rural areas. Community members are also equipped to mobilize resources to solve their problems. In this way, UCCM is being the salt and light of the world.

1. Conservation agriculture. Training families to promote agriculture God’s way, or conservation agriculture, prepares them to farm with confidence that their crops will produce well. It is a type of agriculture that produces a lot on a small piece of land, and, on the other hand, crops are protected by grass (they are conserved) and do not suffer from the sun. Even with limited water, crops such as rice, maize, and peanuts can still yield good results with conservation. This type of agriculture is being trained in the Wake-up project in Gura-guara and other communities. After being trained, the communities form associations. A project manager works with communities to monitor their activities. In the Wake-up project, Global Ministries’ support was very helpful.

2. Drinking water. With the support of Global Ministries, UCCM opened a Cistena well in the locality of Gwenjere to collect rainwater, with a capacity to store 91 m3 of drinking water, helping about 500 families in that area of the Chibabava district. With the same support from Global Ministries, UCCM drilled a water hole in Guara-guara, Buzi district, to supply drinking water to around 630 families. The drinking water project is essential because many areas in the districts of Buzi, Chibabava, and Machaze are dry and suffer greatly in their search for water. That is why we continue to ask people of goodwill to help with water projects.

3. Resource mobilization. Training community members in resource mobilization aims to empower local church beneficiaries to discover the resources in their communities that can solve their problems. For example, if a community has water and land, they can use these resources to make blocks and build improved houses, thus solving the problem of a lack of improved housing, etc., based on local initiative.

4. Savings. Another family development project is savings, which is done in an association, mostly made up of women, widows, single mothers, and married women. After six months or a year of savings, they open the box and distribute the profits, which can be used to purchase household items or support their children’s education.

Written by Rev. Lucas Amosse, Project Manager of the United Church of Christ in Mozambique (UCCM)

Mission Partners in Mozambique

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