Light in the Darkness: Radio Nuru
by Tim
Living in darkness is dangerous. When it is dark, it is easy to fall into an unseen hole or to encounter thieves who intend harm. Fear, also, lurks in the night.
For the Mwani, a fishing tribe who reside along the northern coast of Mozambique, living in darkness is normal. Development has been very slow in the north: most villages still do not have electricity, and healthcare is very basic or non-existent. The Mwani don’t just live in physical darkness, though; they live in great spiritual darkness.
As infrastructure development slowly comes to Northern Mozambique, new villages are introduced to the miracle of electricity – light to shine in the night, electricity to run freezers (cheap frozen food can now be brought in) and power to watch the television that brings dubious delights of local programs into the home.
At this time of immense social change, Africa Inland Mission continues to work to bring spiritual light to the Mwani people through the ministry of Radio Nuru (Radio Light). Since 2009, Radio Nuru has broadcasted a variety of music, national and local news, and children’s stories five hours a day, seven days a week. Central to Radio Nuru’s message are the ever-popular and daily Bible Story programmes: Taureti (books of Moses) and Njila ya Haki (Way of Righteousness). In this way, the radio station brings the gospel to small villages along the coast where followers of Christ have almost never been and to the many islands where the Mwani have lived in spiritual darkness for centuries.
To keep broadcasts relevant to the Mwani, Radio Nuru stays connected to the community through its Maoni a Mbarabara (street-talk) programme. Once a week, a Mozambican radio journalist travels to the villages and interviews locals out on the street. Radio Nuru listeners love to hear the perspectives and ideas of their neighbors—fishermen, craftsmen, school children, truck drivers, etc. By giving locals a voice, Radio Nuru gains respect in the local community as well as a willing, engaged audience.
Radio Nuru relies heavily on AIM for personnel and finances to keep the station running. Currently, AIM has only one missionary family managing the radio station, which is taxing on that family’s strength and inspiration. To function at its full potential, the station needs three full-time families. AIM would love to have more local believers involved in running Radio Nuru. Sadly, due to the infancy of the Mwani Church and the young nature of the church amongst the other northern tribes, it has proved difficult to find local Followers-of-Christ with sufficient spiritual maturity and skills to work at the radio.
Lastly, Radio Nuru requires regular funding. It has been amazing how God has provided from 2009 until today and has allowed monthly broadcasting costs to equal only $1000. Please continue to pray that God provides sufficient funds for maintaining and developing this radio ministry that, through its broadcasts, hopes to bring the Mwani people to faith in Christ.
Please Pray:
That many Mwani people will come to fiath through Radio Nuru
For the Mozambican radio presenters to live godly lives
For strength and inspiration for the missionaries who currently manage the Radio
That God would provide African leaders to be trained to run the station
For more missionaries to be recruited to work as a team with the African leadership
To raise sufficient funds to maintain and develop the radio ministry.
Tim and his wife, Bron, have been working with the Mwani people of Cabo Delgado province since 2005. Their work consists mostly of discipleship of Mwani believers, teaching English, and Bible Storying. Currently, Tim is the Unit Leader over the Northern Mozambique Unit, and he and Bron are leading a Curriculum-Based Team in Pemba. They have two children.