Suffering Women Portion:
even men read it!

MAPUTO, Mozambique — The Bible Society in Mozambique is gathering an impressive array of testimonials to its Scripture Portion Suffering Women.

The Rev Amos B Zitha, the Society’s Executive Secretary, described the Portion, containing Old and New Testament texts, as “helping suffering women understand that God takes care of all those who trust him as their refuge”. With help from the Opportunity 21 initiative, the Society published 110,000 copies of the booklet, in Portuguese, Tsonga and Xitsha (see Special Report SR 29/2).

Orpa Matsinhe, Executive Secretary of the Women’s Fellowship of the Presbyterian Church of Mozambique, was one of several church leaders who has asked for more copies. And it is not only women who are reading the book, she added.

“Even men read [it] and ask us for them,” she said. “They say that they can understand the role of women in the Bible better and bring it to their own context.”

Gilda Litsure, Executive Secretary of the Women’s Fellowship of the Christian Council, was another who asked for more. The 3,000 copies in Portuguese which she received for her members were not enough, she said.

“I can assure you that it is changing people’s lives in a positive way,” she declared. “It’s working! Especially in our context, it’s necessary to teach women to rely on God’s providence as they face the suffering, poverty and injustice.”

Minelda Sevene, who belongs to the United Church of Christ, said it had helped her to know her own relationship with God. She has also used it to teach others about the role of women in the church, in the family and in society generally.

Nora Feliciano, a district chairperson of the United Methodist Church in Inhambane Province, summed up the value of the Portion in these words: “In reading the book we can better understand God’s purpose in human beings – especially women. We can be inspired to develop ourselves and help others overcome the difficulties they live in.