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After the Storm, Christianity Prevailed
BY AWAKE! CORRESPONDENT IN MOZAMBIQUE
ON THE evening of March 2, 1998, the city of Maputo, Mozambique, was hit by a violent rainstorm. The next morning, storm damage was everywhere. Fallen trees were scattered along the beachfront, roads were scarred by raging waters, roofs were blown off some houses, and other houses had collapsed.
The buildings of the branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses stood firm. But a neighbor’s house, a modest wooden frame building with a roof made of corrugated zinc sheets, did not fare so well. The house was too fragile to withstand the strong winds, and it had caved in. Happily, all in the home, a woman and her five children, were alive and well. In a material sense, however, they had lost practically everything.
Early in the morning, volunteer workers from the Watch Tower Society’s branch office visited the family and found them salvaging their few belongings from the debris. Their material losses intensified their grief, as they did not have enough money to rebuild their house. Without a father, the family had only a meager income, which came from selling food items in a local market.
After assessing the situation, Jehovah’s Witnesses quickly made themselves available to help. It was determined that the building materials left over from the previous structure were not suitable for reuse. So a team of volunteer workers gathered all the necessary materials and started to build a small reinforced house.
At first the neighbors were curious, but soon they were astonished, as they saw how quickly the work advanced. Within five days the house was totally rebuilt and ready to be occupied. Upon entering her new home, the woman was at a loss for words. However, words were not necessary, for the happiness of the mother and her children was evident when the workers saw their smiling faces and eyes full of deep appreciation.
The volunteers were happy too. They were glad to have had the opportunity to demonstrate in a practical way the spirit of true Christianity.—Galatians 6:10.
[Pictures on page 13]
March 5
March 6
March 7
Local Witnesses rebuilt this family’s home
