Brownfield: Pebane, Mozambique

When we first began to survey the Lomwe (people) near the coast, we had no idea how Islam was spreading so fast among this people group who are usually either ATR (African Traditional Religion) or Catholic.

We have now begun to put together a picture of what has been happening in this area for many years.

The Lomwe people have always been nonconfrontational and easily assimilated into other societies, but Lomwe chiefs and government officials are now complaining that Islamic Makhuwa Moniga men are traveling into Lomwe villages to sleep with their women and “marrying” them when pregnancy results as required by Lomwe tribal culture.

They eventually divorce the women and demand 80 percent of their land in the settlement. Even though the Lomwe are [matrilineal], the Moniga fathers consider the children to be Muslim, according to their own religious laws; the children are even said to be no longer Lomwe but Moniga instead (sometimes called Makhuwa Lomwe).

Please pray for us as we literally place ourselves “in the gap” between encroaching Islam and the Lomwe people we love and have served these many years.

Pray for two other missionary families who are engaging the Moniga people.

Bob and Pam Brownfield
Pebane, Mozambique