A multiplying disciple making movement has been launched among the Yao with some Holy Spirit creativity and the help of eight-dollar phones and cheap Bluetooth speakers. This movement has led to hundreds of people hearing the gospel of Christ in an unconventional manner.
Pedro is a church planter working among the Yao people. The Yao are predominantly Muslims, though many of them also follow traditional beliefs with unique practices. They are an unreached people group with three million people living in Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania.
Recently, the COVID-19 travel lockdowns have made it difficult for Pedro and his team to reach the remote villages where they had seen God moving powerfully.
It was at this point that an ingenious, indigenous gospel media strategy struck Pedro’s mind. Pedro knew that one of the major cell companies was offering low-cost feature phones, along with cheap phone lines that gave unlimited talk minutes very inexpensively. He also saw that there were now Bluetooth speakers selling for only $10-15. What could be done if, in the midst of COVID-19 travel restrictions, he combined the Discovery Bible Study model with pairs of these low cost phones and speakers, if they could be distributed among widespread villages?
Pedro did just that, and the results have been amazing. Groups will gather at a set time in villages, then Pedro will call their mobile phone. Seated around the phone and speaker, the group can hear Pedro and interact, ask questions and have fellowship. With this method, Pedro has been able to reach people in villages hundreds of kilometers away. Pedro and his trained movement leaders now use this mobile media package to increase their sphere of ministry. Hundreds of new Yao believers have joined the movement since the pandemic hit their country. In two weeks, 300 people came to the Lord! Even the Makua tribe (a nearby people group)began having their own Bible studies (with the help of translators).
Pedro believes their ministry has been accelerated with the use of this new method of remote media technology. The challenge now is to train people who will lead and equip the new believers and see them multiply out into new fellowships. His desire is to distribute this equipment to all their movement evangelists and disciplers as they travel to other villages. When Pedro and his family started years ago, they didn’t have any idea what would happen. But now Muslims are coming to the Lord. God, by His grace, has opened the door for them to know Christ. These scenarios draw attention about how media can enhance, spark, and accelerate movements. When indigenous people who are sharing the media, it is even better.