Pastor Pascoal Naminha

We were encouraged to hear the testimony of Pastor Pascoal, who is the director of the Bible school here at Dondo. He was born into a Muslim family, but was sent into the city at the age of 12 to take college classes. This was during the Mozambican civil war, and college classes were open to youth. While he was there, a boy told him about Jesus, and Pascoal decided to give his life to this Jesus. When he returned home on holiday, he told his parents about what had happened and what Jesus was doing in his life. But they told him “We won’t agree with another religion here. You need to leave Jesus.” But Pascoal would not agree. From that time on, his father decided to persecute him, often beating him with a large stick and sometimes throwing him out of the house at night. Pascoal would have to sleep outside in the bush, which was dangerous because of the civil war. His father would also burn his Bibles and anything else he received from the church, including clothes that were given to him by Christian brothers. This continued for three years. When Pascoal was 15 years old, his father told him “As you haven’t left Jesus yet, from today until forever, you are not my son.” He cast Pascaol out of the house, and told him that he would ask Allah to kill him. Pascoal answered and said, “Okay father, if you have decided, you have decided, but I will continue with Jesus. I know Jesus is more powerful than Allah.”

At this time Pastor Pascoal was a Bible student, and felt moved in his heart for missions. The Lord gave him many dreams and visions about what he would be doing in ministry, and has brought many of these dreams to pass. Pastor Pascoal has a vision to plant churches and train leaders, and has already planted seven churches, and is currently pasturing five churches in the Dondo area and supervising a church in another district, in addition to leading the Iris Bible school at Dondo. He is married to a wonderful Christian woman who also feels the call for ministry and missions.

Seven years after Pastor Pascoal gave his life to Jesus, his parents were killed. His father was a general, a government solider in the civil war. He was not reconciled to them, but since that time two of his siblings have come to the Lord. We were glad to hear his story, as our ministry has such a heart for seeing people come out of Islam. Please pray for this precious couple!