Episode 155

What moves a missionary to uproot their families and their lives and transplant into a country many would struggle to find on a map? Today on the Removing Barriers podcast, we sit down with Missionary Jacob to discuss this very thing. He is preparing to go to the mission field in the very near future, hoping to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the lost souls in Mozambique. He will tell us what the spiritual climate is like in Mozambique, what barriers exist between the people and the Lord, and how he hopes his efforts will bring souls to Christ. Join us on this continuation of the On the Mission Field series here on the Removing Barriers podcast.

[Missionary Jacob]

The thing that I was worried about is it would be very easy after going on a trip like that from the emotions, from the excitement and those sort of things says really just like, call yourself to be a missionary. But I didn’t want that to happen. I didn’t want emotions to call me. I didn’t want the missionary to call me. I didn’t want my friends on that trip to call me. I really wanted. Like to call me.

[Jay]

Thank you for tuning in to the Removing Barriers podcast. I’m Jay and I’m MCG and we’re attempting to remove barriers so we can all have a clear view of the cross.

[MCG]

This is episode 155 of the Removing Barriers Podcast, and this is the 14th in the series of on the mission field. And in this episode, we’ll be going on the mission seal with missionary Jacob to Mozambique. Jacob, it is indeed a pleasure and welcome to the removing barriers broadcast.

[Missionary Jacob]

Yes, Sir. Well, thank you so much for having me today. We’re excited to be here and get to share with you all a little bit about what we do and about Mozambique.

[MCG]

Great. Thank you for putting us in your busy schedule.

[Jay]

Hi, this is Jay. MCG and I would like for you to help us remove barriers by going to removingbarriers.net and subscribing to receive all things removing barriers. If you’d like to take your efforts a bit further and help us keep the mics on, consider donating at removingbarriers.net/donate. Removing Barriers, a clear view of the cross.

[MCG]

All right, Jacob, tell us about yourself, your family, your calling, whatever you feel comfortable sharing with the general public.

[Missionary Jacob]

Yes, Sir. So, my name is Jacob, and I grew up in a Christian home in East Tennessee and I drew really praised the Lord that had the opportunity at a young. Age from my parents to hear the gospel, to be faithful to church and just being a faithful attender of church. Hearing the gospel over and over, the Lord began to work in my heart at a young age, and I remember just being a six year old boy in church on the Sunday night. And the Lord really spoke to my heart. And it’s interesting to think about. Because at that point in my life, just being six years old, I could have really. I could quote Scripture, I could tell you Bible stories. I could tell you all sorts of things about church and about the Bible, but that day was the first time I realized that Jesus died for me and that I needed to be saved. So I went up to the altar I and put my faith in trust in Jesus Christ alone, and really praised God for that opportunity. This point. Now we are missionaries, my family and I headed to Mozambique. So it’s myself and my wife. Her name is Kristen and we have a daughter as well. She will be two here in just a couple months. And her name is Everly. And we’re excited to. Get to most and beat and excited to do what God has called us to do there. I guess going back on my testimony a little bit and talking about my I guess my calling when I was a so say that the age of 6 but then when I was a teenager I really dedicated and surrendered. Life to the Lord preacher got up and preached from the Bible and I was convicted. I knew that Jesus Christ had shed his blood to save me and I wasn’t my own just to do whatever I wanted to do. I was supposed to be living for Jesus. I went up and surrendered my life to the Lord as a teenager, and then it was just a few years after that in my early 20s, the Lord began to work. My heart about missions, and I never expected that this is what God would have me to do. But I’m really excited that we get to do this. It’s really a privilege that we get to serve the Lord. The call to missions really began by, of course, #1. By just reading my Bible, seeing missions all over God’s word. But then the Lord gave me the opportunity to go on a mission trip to visit some missionaries in China and just really getting to see a missionary on the field getting to meet people that by their testimony. They said, hey, if the missionary had not come and told us about Jesus, we never would have heard about Jesus. We never would have known how to be saved, that we even needed to be. Saved and the Lord really used, you know, some of the testimonies of the people that we met in China to really begin to burden my heart about being a missionary. And it really wasn’t too long after that trip, the Lord. I really believe that he had called me to be a missionary. And Chris and I were married. And we began seeking the Lord. We already have us to go. And now we are headed to Mozambique.

[MCG]

Man, that’s.

[Jay]

Credible. Could you go a little bit more into God’s work in calling you to the mission field? How old were you when you went on this missions trip and when was it confirmed in your mind? Were you already married at that point or was it something that you had already known? Could you go into? That just a little bit more there.

[Missionary Jacob]

Yes. So I believe it was 24, maybe 25 when I went to China and getting to see the mission filled, getting to hear those testimonies like I. Said. Mm-hmm. But the thing that I was worried about is it would be very easy after going on a trip like that from the emotions, from the excitement and those sort of things. So it’s really just like, call yourself to be a missionary. But I didn’t want that to happen. I didn’t want emotions to call me. I didn’t want the missionary to call me. I didn’t want my friends on that. To call me, I really wanted God to call me, so I started every day when I would open up my Bible. You look and you can kind of see that maybe. Well, I was probably already called at that point, but I wanted a guide to really confirm it. So as I opened up my Bible each day to read, I asked God to show me through his word that he really wanted me to be a missionary, and I did that for right out of year every day, just saying, hey, God, do you want me to be a missionary if you do? Give me something. You’re worried that really speaks to my heart about this. And the Lord gave me. I’ll share this first. I don’t always get to share this first, so I’m excited too.

[MCG]

Right ahead.

[Jay]

That’s awesome.

[Missionary Jacob]

It’s in the book of Ezekiel. That’s how you know it.

[Jay]

OK.

[Missionary Jacob]

Had to be the Lord. And he wasn’t that. I was looking for first. I was really looking for God to speak to me through his word. So just doing my everyday devotions and Bible reading, I came across this verse in Ezekiel chapter 38, verse 21. And the Bible says thus will I magnify myself and sanctify myself? And I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord. And you know, or read that verse. And the Lord just spoke to my heart right there in the middle where it says, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. And the Lord is going to be known in the eyes of many nations, and someone’s going to have to go to the nations to tell them about Jesus Christ. So the Lord really used that verse to really confirm that he wanted me to be. Mission hearing. I was not married. At that time, and it’s just amazing how the Lord works because it was just maybe a week or so after I came across this verse. I’ve been talking to my pastor quite a bit about this already, but we sat down and I shared with him what I really believe. The Lord wanted me to do, and I got up in front of the church and I told my. Church. And then it was just maybe a week after that that the Lord brought Christian into my life and we started seeing each other. And the Lord brought us together. In marriage.

[MCG]

You know who’s ever find it a wife? Find it a good thing and obtain a favor from the Lord.

[Jay]

It’s still not.

[Missionary Jacob]

Yes, Sir, absolutely.

[Jay]

Man, I think that’s wonderful because when many people talk about their call to the mission field or let me backtrack a lot of times when you hear people preach or when it’s like missions conference and all these sorts of things you often hear. Will quote Lamentations 351 mine eye effective mind heart and if you really want to get a burden permissions go out there and seek well. You did go out there and you did see the reality of missionaries living on the field. You were on the ground. But you made that decision not to let I love what you said. Don’t let your emotions call you. Don’t let your fellow missions trip participants call you. Don’t even let the missionary call you. Let it be the word of God. Let it be God himself that called you, and God went back and confirmed it with Ezekiel 3823. That’s incredible. Praise the Lord. That he not only moved your heart toward the things of God, but also confirmed it in his word. Equipped you gave you a wife to Co labor and and support you. And here you are on your way to Mozambique. Praise God for that.

[MCG]

Yeah, definitely. I have a curious question. Going back to your salvation testimony, you said you got saved at six. Just out of curiosity, how much did you understand about sin and punishment to come at that age?

[Missionary Jacob]

Yeah. So like I had a pretty good understanding of a lot of those things just because I had always been in church, I’d been taught. My parents taught me at home. Being in church at Sunday school classes and those things, and I really understood that if I were to die that I would go to hell because of my sin and recognized that I had sin and Jesus paid for my sin and recognizing that he was the only way. So yes, I did have a good understanding enough. To know that I needed to be safe.

[MCG]

Man, you know, that’s one of the things the world kind of used against to say ohh a child can’t really understand all that. But yeah, I definitely have seen testimony of people getting saved at 5:00 and 6:00 and whatever age. And they definitely understand the gospel. Gospel is simple enough for a child to understand. Alright, well, let’s Fast forward. You know, I’m a software engineer and the process of becoming a soft engineer is simply either go to college or do an online course and get a job. What is the process of becoming a missionary?

[Missionary Jacob]

So once you, you know, actually know that’s what the Lord wants you to do, I think it’s very beneficial to have some sort of Bible training to some level. For me, it is a little bit of a unique situation since I was. Was in my, you know, early mid 20s when the Lord called me to be a missionary. I was already in a career. I went to college and got a degree. I was working for a company. But in that time I also had the chance to go to a Bible institute hosted by a local church in my area. So I did a two year program with them. And really getting a better understanding of. God’s word in the Bible and then when and then I’ve done some other Bible courses. I think a good understanding of God’s word is essential if you’re going to be serving the Lord. If you’re going to be preaching and teaching God’s book, then you need to know God’s book. And then besides that, when I knew the Lord wanted us. To go. I contacted well, of course I sat down with my pastor and we talked and considered some options of what I could do in order to receive the right training and preparation, and we ended up praying about it. And there’s a mission board that is based in Georgia and I contacted them and they actually moved to Georgia to work with that. Mission board and we did an internship with them. We were with them for about 8 months in the internship. And the internship consisted of, you know, reading a whole bunch of books, missionary books, leadership books, all those kind of things. And then I’d sit down with the leadership and with other missionaries, veteran missionaries, and talk to them. And they would teach me just, you know, kind of like life on life, discipleship. In some ways of teaching. And helping me know what I need to know. Of course, there’s a lot that goes into missionary work. Besides, even just being on the mission field, because there’s the deputation part there’s you’re raising support, there’s keeping in contact with pastors and a whole number of things and taking care of your family. So we did that internship with them to help us to learn. Really what we needed to do, so it was explained to me several years ago. There’s several questions that need to be answered when you consider being a missionary. And often we think the big ones are when and where. When am I going to go? Where am I going to go? But really the most important question is the third question, which is how, how am I going to do like gods called me to to so a season of preparation I really believe is essential, whether that be going to a Bible college to learn the Bible, a local church Bible Institute and doing some sort of. You know, missionary training program of some degree in order to be equipped to do what guys cause you to.

[MCG]

Hey man.

[Jay]

So how long have you been on deputation? When does your deputation end?

[Missionary Jacob]

OK, so that’s a great question. So we started deputation in January of 2022 and we have actually finished deputation. OK. So we praise the Lord. So we finished really right at the end of November, we had a couple meetings in December, but now we don’t have any scheduled meetings. We are fully supported. With the goal that we set our financial goal. And we are all ready to go. The only thing we’re waiting on is the right paperwork that we need in order to get into most. And because the visa paperwork and those sort of things.

[MCG]

Great. Sounds good. Sounds exciting times, huh?

[Missionary Jacob]

Oh, yeah, absolutely. So we’re supposed to leave four days ago, actually, but unfortunately, we were not able to get the paperwork we need yet. You know, we’re trying just to. You know course in the Lord’s timing, but we just need to get the paperwork and then we will be off. Lord willing. It’ll be just a few more weeks and then we’ll get to head over to Mozambique.

[Jay]

OK, so besides the papers, what other things can we be praying about for your trip there?

[Missionary Jacob]

Oh yeah, so some big things, of course, that paperwork that we need and then we’re just really praying for a smooth transition and we get to most in peak and we’ll be able to find a place to live quickly, get a vehicle, be able to get everything set up quickly.

[Jay]

OK.

[Missionary Jacob]

And smoothly. And we’re praying that the Lord would provide. A couple people that could help us, we’re praying for possibly someone that we could hire as a translator for, you know, maybe a month or two just so we’re able to do some important things like it would be good to have someone that could help us with language as we’re going to find a house to live in and those sort of things. The other thing we’re praying about is the Lord would provide some language school teachers that we could meet with that we could learn the language from. And I guess those are really, I guess the big prayer request.

[MCG]

OK. Well, why don’t we going to work then we’ll come back and we’ll talk some more about Mozambique. You’re listening to the removing Barriers podcasts. We’ll sit down with missionary Jacob. And we are discussing all about his deputation, his calling and his going off to Mozambique. We’ll be right back.

[Jay]

This is the removing barriers podcast. If the podcast or the blog were a blessing to you, leave us a rating and a review on your favorite podcast platform. And don’t forget to share the podcast with your friends, Removing Barriers, a clear view of the cross.

[MCG]

Alright, so missionary. Jacob, you’re going off to Mozambique. Where in the world is Mozambique?

[Missionary Jacob]

Yes. So Mozambique is in Southeast Africa, it’s just above South Africa. And if you think about the, I guess the map, most people know the Big Island of Madagascar. Off the coast of Africa, if you go.

[MCG]

Wait, my God, that’s real.

[Missionary Jacob]

Yes, yes, it is. Madagascar is a real place, but if you go from Madagascar just over to the mainland of Africa, that’s where Mozambique.

[MCG]

Great. Well, tell us about the capital city, the population, the People group.

[Missionary Jacob]

Yes. So the capital city is called Maputo. And there are about 3 million people that live in and around the city and total population of Mozambique is just around 33 million. Wow, so there’s. A whole lot of people that live there, the land mass of Mozambique, it’s about twice the size of California. So it’s a really a large area, yeah, they’re about 57, I believe 57 different people, groups in Mozambique and eleven of those are considered unreached.

[MCG]

Ohh wow. What’s the main language in Mozambique?

[Missionary Jacob]

Yes, the main language is Portuguese.

[MCG]

Ohh I didn’t know that I would have guessed it was probably English, but I guess they were colonized by.

[Missionary Jacob]

Yes, yes, they were called nice by Portugal all the way back in the 1500s, so that’s where they get the language from.

[MCG]

OK. Oh wow, what did it really? Just breakdown? What do most people believe in, in in Mozambique?

[Missionary Jacob]

Yes. So about 35% of the people would be Catholic and then 25% Islam. And then there are a whole bunch of different tribal religions too that people would. Worship the tribal religions. It’s a big part of the culture as well, so the tribal religion and superstition is going to be kind of mingled in, even with the Catholic and Islam religions.

[MCG]

Oh oh, you have your job cut out for you over there to share the gospel and a culture like that.

[Missionary Jacob]

Oh yeah.

[MCG]

So and now you talk about how the Lord called, but between all your testimony and the calling, when did the Lord lay particular month and beat on your heart?

[Missionary Jacob]

Yes. So once I knew God wanted to be to be a missionary, then that’s when we really start praying about where God would have us to go. So a little Lord brought Kristen in my life and we were married. And then we moved to Georgia. But even during all that time, we’re praying. Hey, where does God want us to go? And I had been to China. So China was on this list, well, started making a list of countries and praying over this list, asking God to send laborers into the world. So China got on the list because I went to China, had the chance to go to India as well. So India was on the list and Mexico was on the list. That missionary would come to our church. Present their work and what they were doing, and that country would get on the list. So we were praying over this list. Mozambique got on the list because I had a friend. He’s also looking to be a missionary and he went to Africa and he went to several different countries, one of them being Mozambique. So I talked to him on the phone and he was telling me about all these different places that he got to see. And he said, Jacob, you ought to put Mozambique on your list. He’s like, that’s a really needy place. So Mozambique got on the list, and it was on the list for. Or probably about, I guess probably about a year and we’re praying over this list. And as we’re praying through the Lord kind of started narrowing it down for us and we were narrowed down to just a few countries in Africa. So we decided to take a trip to go and see these countries. And see if the guard would like you said limitations 351. Might I affected my heart, see if God would burden us for one of these counts. And it was really, we were in Mozambique, we got to see the people meet some other missionaries. Here’s some testimonies. And the Lord really started working our hearts about Mozambique. And again, the Lord used a verse. And it’s interesting because I had this Bible verse that I was praying over. There’s a pastor friend of ours. That shared this Bible verse and he said, hey, we ought to be praying this verse. It’s Psalm 90 in verse 16. The Bible says let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. So I was really praying over this first because I want a guide to show me the work that he wanted me as his servant. To do and I remember right when we got back from Africa, I was at my house and I was just praying, really seeking the Lord. And I was praying over this verse. It was like the Lord like slapped me in the. Face. Not really, but just it was like I was pouring over this verse and. It was like Jacob, you. Saw the work that I want you to do right there in Mozambique and I just got on my face right there. And I said, well, Lord, if that’s what you want us to do, then then that’s it. That’s where we’re going to go. And then we started deputation right after that.

[Jay]

Yeah, praise the Lord and thank you for sharing that verse with us. I can’t say that I’ve ever seen that verse before and in in the light of missions work, that is an incredible verse. So. Now that you’re preparing and you have prepared for Mozambique, what are some things that you’ve learned about in your preparation that folks should keep in mind if they’re called to serve the Lord in that same country?

[Missionary Jacob]

Yes, I would say that if someone’s call to go to Mozambique, some things that they need to keep in mind, of course one thing would be the language. Most people don’t realize that Mozambique they speak. Peace with it being in the southern part of Africa, a lot of the countries there, they speak English, but Mozambique is one of the few that actually speaks Portuguese. I think that’s something important about Mozambique to remember. I think something kind of I guess more general to remember. If you’re thinking about missions, whether it be in Mozambique or not. Is that? If God calls you to a work, then he has a work for you to do and there are souls that he wants to see saved, and we’re not just going out, I guess in vain for no reason, for no purpose. But God has something for us to do, whether that be reaching one person or that be reaching thousands of people. God has something that he wants us to do wherever he calls us to.

[MCG]

Go. Yeah, definitely. So culture is a big topic and can be a touchy issue for missionaries when they go to the foreign field. How do you think you will handle the differences in culture between the people of Mozambique and you?

[Missionary Jacob]

Yeah, that’s really interesting to think about. In some ways, it’s kind of hard for me to answer that question since I’ve not really spent a lot of time in Mozambique yet since we’re getting ready to go. So some of the little things of the culture, I don’t even fully under. And yet I’m excited to learn about it and to meet the people and really get to know them. It’s definitely a totally different culture than what we’ve experienced in America. And I think that we just have to really approach the culture with a good attitude and open minds that the people there is like. We see someone doing something and think ohh that’s the wrong way to do it. That’s not how you do that. Like in Mozambique, they drive on the opposite side of the road as us in America and the steering wheels are on opposite sides. And it’s an interesting thing and we think, man, that all these people are driving on the wrong side of the road, but to them, it’s not the wrong side of the road where they come to America and they would think, wow, all the Americans are driving on the wrong. Side of the. Road, we have to remember that the people in Mozambique are doing really the same things that we would do driving. Going places, living, trying to survive, trying to make money, all these things and they have just a different way of doing it than we do. It’s not wrong. It’s just different. So we have to keep that in mind. Let me think. When we were trying to remember story like when we were in Mozambique. You go to buy meat in Mozambique and you go to like a meat market and it’s like, OK, it’s just totally different than what we would do in America. But it’s not wrong. It’s just a different way of doing. It’s different way of getting your food. So culture is really interesting. I think that at times we really will struggle with. Culture. We don’t want to sugarcoat it. We’re going to have culture shock. We’re going to struggle. We’re going to think, man, we’re going to have hard days. But at the end of the day, it’s all about trying to reach souls for Jesus Christ, and we have to do our best to keep a good attitude and really remember why that we’re there, which is to do something for Jesus Christ.

[MCG]

Amen. Yeah. Speaking as a person who’s from a country that missionaries come to you, that my encouragement for you is to just love the people, just love the people. So regardless of the culture, just love the people. I remember the first time I took Jay to my country talking about driving. We were driving. We were driving around the place and stuff like that, and we were heading back home. And one evening. And I pulled the car over and say you want to try to drive on the left and you could even get the car to move. But she’s a good driver in the US, but yeah, when the steering wheel is on the opposite side and they drive on the left, yes, for some reason she was crippled. But.

[Jay]

It threw me off a little it. Threw me off but. So we’re talking about culture and some cultures. Are what I like to call Christianised or Christianized, and so you have a culture where people have a general understanding of perhaps who God is, what sin is, and who Jesus is. Those types of things kind of like in acts chapter 2. But then when you get into some cultures and they haven’t the faintest idea of those things, it’s more of a traditional or ancestral understanding. Or even animist understanding of the world and of themselves, more like an Act 17 type culture. Which one do you think?

[Missionary Jacob]

So for my understanding, Mozambique and the culture there, I think that you really would have a little bit of both because you’re gonna have a lot of people in Mozambique that come from a Catholic background. So they’re going to have heard of Jesus, they’re going to have heard of the Bible, many Bible stories even have an idea of what sin is. And the need to have, like forgiveness, of sin. But they’re not going to have a clear understanding of a true gospel that would lead to salvation, because they would be really be doing a lot of workspace salvation. They’re also going to be some charismatic groups that. Well, which again, they’re going to know maybe of Jesus, but not understand a clear presentation of the gospel, whereas you go out into some of the villages and they would be very animistic, very tribal religion, making animal sacrifices to the spirits so they can have a good life so that they can. Favor with their gods, so you’re going to see both sides of it. I think Mozambique is a country that is, I think they’re really seeking for truth. I’ll tell you the story. When we were in Mozambique, we were at the missionary church. And he got up and said we’ve got some Americans here. Why don’t you go and talk to them and tell them what Christ has done for you tell. How you got? Saved. So a young lady came up to me after service was over and we’ve been to talk. She shared her testimony. How the Lord saved her and it was really exciting to hear what the Lord had just done in her life. But then I asked her, just really a simple question. Just out of curiosity, I asked her why should someone come to Mozambique to preach the gospel? And she said the younger generation in Mozambique, she said the people that were really, you know, her generation, she told me that she was 18. She said that this younger generation, they are looking for something that’s real, she said. They see all the religion in Mozambique, they see the Catholic Church, they see Islam. They see the animism, she said. They see all of this and they see all these empty promises, all the vanity that’s in there do this. Do this. Do this and God will love you and God will give you favor. God will give you a good life. He’ll give you a lot of money. And she said they see it doesn’t. Work the promises that are made by religion of this world. Go unfulfilled, she said. But the people are looking for something that’s true and something that’s real. And she said, really they’re looking for Jesus. They’re looking for the real Jesus of the Bible, she said to me that there’s this whole generation that’s really looking, she said. But there’s hardly anyone in Mozambique that’s actually here sharing the gospel. So, she said. Of course, there’s a great need, but there are also people looking for this truce. So got me really excited. I mean, I guess it it got me excited about going there, but it kind of made me sad to think that the state that the people in this country, Mozambique are in.

[MCG]

What do you think are some needs that if they should be filled would make your tires of going to Mozambique and reaching folks like this young lady you just told us about?

[Missionary Jacob]

Well, of course, like knowing the language, learning the language that they speak. Of course that’s a big need, but that’s not something that, you know, other people can do, I guess to help us.

[MCG]

Right.

[Missionary Jacob]

That’s something that I’ve just got it too. We’ve got to get the language. We’ve got to love the people. I think having good Bible literature that we could hand out gospel tracks, having Bibles in their language that we could give. I think those would be big things. I know that there are some missionaries that have. Like a radio ministry. Like if we get on the Radio One day, I think that would be something that could really be a great. Tool to help us reach more people. They are Mozambique. I’ve even seen missionaries that will have some sort of media ministry where they can get like Bible and preaching and literature on like flash drives and things like that and hand out to people. So I think anything like that would be great tools that could help us reach more people.

[MCG]

Yeah, definitely. We interviewed the missionary missionary Tim Barrett in Brazil, and one of the challenges he said he has, especially with Portuguese, is that finding materials in that language, you know, he said. You can. Well, of course, because he’s in Brazil, lot of other countries around him speak Spanish. It’s so easy to find material in Spanish. But then you can’t really find much in Portuguese, and I wonder if that will probably going to be a challenge for you as well.

[Missionary Jacob]

Yeah, it certainly could because it’s the same kind of situation. All the countries really around Mozambique speak English, but really most of the people in Mozambique are not going to speak really any English at all. So that could be a challenge one day for us to get. Materials or literature that we need to really help the people? Yeah.

[Jay]

Speaking of challenges, I realize that you might not be able to answer this question fully because you haven’t spent as much time in Mozambique as you will be in the future. Of course, when you get there, but is there anything that you either see or can foresee that the church in the US is doing that may make your job in Mozambique just a tad? Bit more difficult.

[Missionary Jacob]

Can you explain that question like? Maybe a little bit.

[Jay]

Yeah, sure. We interviewed a missionary in the Middle East and he couldn’t reveal specific details of himself. Obviously, it’s a closed area and his life would be in danger. But he talked about how in the Middle East. Everyone looks at what America is doing and calls that Christianity, so all of the LGBTQ woke agenda, all of that stuff. The Middle East looks at that and say ohh, that’s what Christianity is. We don’t want that here and it’s so it makes his. More difficult because he has to not only explain to them what the gospel is, but explain that what America is doing is not what you think. This is not Christianity. This is not things like that. So sometimes I don’t think the church here in America realizes that some of the attitudes or philosophies or even bad theology that we may adopt. Full scale has far reaching. And negative effects on, you know, people in other nations, particularly Christians, that are laboring in other nations to bring the gospel to the people because they are always having to fight disinformation, as it were, or misinformation. Do you see or foresee anything that the church in the US is doing that might make your efforts in Mozambique a little bit more difficult?

[Missionary Jacob]

OK. Yeah. So I understand your question. I can definitely see how that could be. An issue in like in the Middle East, I know that a lot of the people in most hemp could look over at America and really see America has like the promised land. There’s like heaven see it as like they can’t imagine Americans having any problems or having any struggles or difficulties. So, but as far as, is there something that the church is doing? I I don’t know if I can really answer the question as far as like how American church culture is affecting. I guess would affect our job in most MPQ. I think one thing that I’ve noticed in churches as we’ve been on deputation, we’re in just over 200 churches, well sharing what guides call us to do, and I think churches have a sometimes people in churches have a very incorrect view of what. Missions even is hmm. Like they look at us and they say, oh, well, you know, enjoy your running water while you have it, because you won’t have. It in Mozambique, but I mean just running water in Mozambique enjoy like your hardwood floors because you’ll have dirt floors in Mozambique, but we’ll have like a normal. Nice. I mean, not above our means type of house in Mozambique when we go, but we don’t have to go live in like the jungles in order to reach people for Jesus. I think people they think that ohh. If God calls me to be missionary then I might have to go live in a jungle or I’m gonna have to go live in a Hut in Africa. There’s so much more opportunity. There’s so much more to missions than just that. Even though God may want people or want us to go live in the Hut. But that’s not what missionaries have to do. Yeah.

[MCG]

Definitely. I know missionary Matt Allen in Papua New Guinea. I had the privilege of visiting his parents over there when I was. College and we went up actually into the tropical rainforest about 4000 feet above sea level, and most of the folks there lived in the heart and stuff like that and wear grass skirts at least back in 2009 when I was there. But they were able to bring in a sawmill and cut down the forest and bill and Nice. Both for themselves and they too had running water. He had to be improvised. But yeah, there’s ways even living way up in the mountain, in the tropical rainforest where you can live. For double and reach people, so definitely.

[Jay]

Yeah, that’s a little bit of a trap, right, Americans? Well, I don’t wanna say Americans because anyone in the first world country would look at a country like Mozambique and just think ohh you’re gonna be living where there’s dirt floors and no running water and you’re gonna have to carry the water on your head. 3 miles each way. You know, we just kind of have these uninformed, uneducated, almost kind of Snooty. Look down your nose. Type attitude toward countries that may not be more as technologically advanced as the countries we come from, and that might affect how we see the people or how the people here in the country in the US see the people in Mozambique and it can make for some really difficult cultural interactions. But that was the premise of the question there. Yeah, I could see what you’re.

[MCG]

Right. All right. Well, you’ll listen to the removing by risk podcast. We’re sitting our missionary Jacob, and you’re learning all about his mission field. We’ll be right back.

[Jay]

Hi, this is Jay. MCG and I would like for you to help us remove barriers by going to removingbarriers.net and subscribing to receive all things, removing barriers. If you’d like to take your efforts a bit further and help us keep the mics on, consider donating at removingbarriers.net/donate. Removing Barriers. A clear view of the cross.

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[MCG]

Alright. Well, we’re gonna go into a bit of a fun section and find out some of your favorites. So tell us, what is your favorite scripture verse?

[Missionary Jacob]

My favorite scripture verse is first Corinthians chapter 6 verses 19 and. When he these verses or what really God used when I was a teenager, where I really surrendered my life to the Lord. But the Bible says in these verses, what know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price therefore. Glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are gods.

[MCG]

You know.

[Jay]

What is your favorite biblical historical account? Not Bible story? Because you know, story has this connotation like ohh it’s a story. It’s a myth. It’s not real. We know everything that happened in the scripture. It’s historically accurate. What’s your favorite account in the scriptures?

[Missionary Jacob]

Probably my I guess favorite historical account is really the story of Nehemiah the Lord just used Nehemiah in my life just so many times to really help me and to encourage me. So really that story is probably or not story that Bible history. Is really one of my favorites for sure.

[MCG]

Great. Yeah. Name my. That’s a new one.

[Jay]

Yeah, I don’t think we’ve had anyone say Nehemiah in the podcast yet. Yeah.

[MCG]

He’s the most convicting scripture passage to you.

[Missionary Jacob]

It would be second Corinthians chapter 5, verse 15. The Bible says and that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again.

[MCG]

Man, oh man, that’s a powerful one right there.

[Missionary Jacob]

Yeah. Yeah, that’s the verse that I kind of made. I don’t know if the theme is the right word, but kind of like the focus of like our ministry. And so on. All of our prayer cards that we handed out while we were on deputation that versus on there because he died for us. So we shouldn’t. You can, if you want to. I mean, the Bibles that say you will live for Jesus, but you should live for Jesus. We should live for him. He died for us. So we can, and we should. Live for.

[Jay]

For him. Amen. What is your most comforting scripture verse?

[Missionary Jacob]

This is one I’m really sure, as no one will say or said before because I’ve rarely ever hear this verse, but it’s when I quote this to myself all the time and I memorized it many years ago. It’s Nayeem 1/7. And it says the Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and he knoweth them that trust in him.

[MCG]

Actually someone have used that really. OK, I don’t remember the episode number, but it is.

[Jay]

That’s a good thing, yeah, yes.

[MCG]

Charity. How were your barriers removed? So if you look that one up, I think she and her husband are missionaries as well. We interviewed her husband.

[Missionary Jacob]

OK.

[MCG]

He, the missionary to Nepal and then we interviewed her afterwards, getting her salvation testimony. And that was one of her either comforting or favorite. I don’t remember which one, but she did mention that one so.

[Jay]

That’s really awesome because our pastor just started a series sermon on going through the Book of Nahum, and he gave us time to kind of go through the scripture. So because it’s a book that you typically don’t go to. OK, So what is your favorite hymn of the faith?

[Missionary Jacob]

So I put down to that. I really like the first one being at Calvary is just. Growing up, singing that song over and over all the time, and I love it. The other one is kind of a I just found that maybe a couple of years ago, but it’s called complete and knee. I never heard it. I don’t know if you.

[Jay]

Yeah, yeah.

[Missionary Jacob]

All know that.

[Jay]

Yes, yes.

[Missionary Jacob]

But I love that song. The Lord really used it to speak to my heart many times.

[Jay]

Hmm, that is a great hymn.

[MCG]

Great one, our oldest son, used to have like 5 perfect colors, so that’s fine. You can have five favorite hymns. Yeah. Who do you say is your favorite giant of the fate?

[Missionary Jacob]

Really big one would be Nehemiah and I already mentioned the book of Nehemiah, right? But another one. Really would be Moses. I love reading the story of Moses and or the history of Moses and how God used him and like different points of his life. The 1st 40 years where he was in Egypt, the middle 40 years being in Midian and then that was last 40 years began that. Leader that really I believe God wanted him to be the whole time, but he finally got there and I just see a great example from Moses.

[MCG]

All right, what would you say are some of the biggest barriers that are preventing the people of Mozambique from receiving the gospel?

[Missionary Jacob]

Some of the biggest barriers, number one, I would say is religion. People have.

[MCG]

That’s the formidable.

[Missionary Jacob]

Yes, absolutely. I mean you could look at that for almost any culture that religion is keeping people from really seeing Jesus Christ for who he is, for what he actually did for them. People don’t always understand that salvation from God’s a free gift. People don’t always want to accept a free gift. And it sounds so crazy. But people want to try to earn be good enough when you can’t. Christ has done everything for us. So I would say religion is probably gonna be one of the biggest barriers that prevents people in Mozambique from hearing the gospel. The second one I would say is laborers, they’re just simply not enough laborers in Mozambique preaching the gospel, telling people about Jesus Christ. For my current knowledge, I only know of two families in Mozambique today, or No 3 three families that would be Baptist missionaries. That are preaching the gospel now. Certainly there are probably some other missionaries there from other denominations that might preach the gospel as far as Baptist missionaries only know of 33433 million people. But praise the Lord. There are other people that are going, but certainly we need. We need more laborers in mosambique.

[MCG]

He, the Lord of the Harvest Men, the labourers are the indeed few.

[Jay]

So when you discuss these barriers, particularly the barrier of religion preventing the people of Mozambique from seeing Christ and receiving the gospel, how can those barriers be removed? Let’s go into the gospel and how that can tear down those barriers.

[Missionary Jacob]

Yeah, absolutely. I believe really the biggest thing to remove a. Barrier is clearly preaching the gospel. I know that’s very sounds so simple. Sounds so basic, but it’s really so powerful. Yeah. I mean, what the Bible says in Romans, chapter one, verse 16. The Bible says for I’m not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. For it is the power of God unto salvation, to everyone that believeth to the Jew 1st, and also to the Greek, I mean the gospel is powerful enough to remove any of those barriers. I think that we need people that. Go and people that would clearly preach God’s word because it works. It works. The Gospel still works. The gospel still save souls. The gospel still makes a difference, but it can’t make a difference if people don’t hear it. Yeah, I had a quote. Think I wrote it down in my Bible. Let’s see if I. Can find it really quick. Yeah, go right ahead. I probably have written it in one of my Bibles, but I don’t know if it’s in this one, but I can’t remember who said it, but off the top of my head. Basically the quote is the gospel is only good news if it makes it in time.

[Jay]

Ohh wow.

[Missionary Jacob]

And I mean it, the Gospel’s good news. But it’s like if your house was on fire and someone outside sees it and they know your house is on fire. If they don’t come in and tell you and help you get out, help rescue you out of that fire, then what good is it for the person on the outside knowing your? House is on fire. If what good is the gospel if we don’t share it, it is good. It’s a good thing, it’s good news. It’s the greatest news in all the world. But it doesn’t help people who don’t know lovely.

[Jay]

Great quote, I just did a quick Google search of it here. It looks like it’s Carl, FH, Henry. The gospel is only good news if it gets there in time. That’s a great quote.

[MCG]

Amen. All right, missionary. Jacob, it was a pleasure. Thank you for joining us on the Removing Barriers podcast.

[Missionary Jacob]

Yes, thank you guys so much for having me. Certainly appreciate the opportunity.

[MCG]

Right.

[Jay]

Hey, thanks so much for listening to the Removing Barriers podcast. Did you know that you could find us on Twitter, Gab, Parlor, Facebook and Reddit, go to removingbarriers.net/contact and like and follow us on social media? Removing barriers, a clear view of the cross.

[MCG]

Thank you for listening. To get a hold of us to support this podcast or to learn more about removing barriers, go to removingbarriers.net. This has been the Removing Barriers podcast we attempted to remove barriers so that we all can have a clear view of the cross.