War survivor in Mozambique searches for and finds peace

Mozambique, like many African nations, endured a period of brutal civil war.  So, with war in Mozambique as the backdrop of his childhood, Sousa had learned to be a survivor.  Though Mozambique had been in a state of peace since 1995, Sousa was still raging a war in his own soul.  Having never been introduced to God’s Word or the security that comes from a relationship with Jesus, Sousa was desperate for the daily inner turmoil he experienced to end, and he longed to find peace.   

The emotional scars from years of war in Mozambique caused Sousa to seek peace everywhere.  First, he turned to his job and the local witchdoctor whose charms he hoped would hold the answer.  Sousa had worked for the Mozambican police force for years, so he had relative economic peace, but his job was dangerous, so Sousa placed his faith in the charms he received from the witchdoctor. The charms, he believed, protected him and gave him job security.

Despite his job security and the witch-doctor’s charms, Sousa still had no peace. Still searching for relief from the painful memories of war in Mozambique, Sousa turned his focus to alcohol as the battle for his soul continued to rage.  But rather than providing the peace he so desperately desired, the alcohol only deadened his feelings and there, too, he found no satisfaction.

Personal Turmoil

Perhaps beginning to hone in on the root cause of his personal turmoil, Sousa realized what he wanted was a relationship.  But instead of seeking a relationship with the One who knew him and loved him most, Sousa decided to look for peace in relationships with women.  But still, the war in Mozambique continued to haunt Sousa and this wounded man found nothing.  He couldn’t maintain long-term relationships; no one satisfied him.

Then, one day Sousa met an African Christian woman who had also survived the war in Mozambique, but who shared about a different kind of relationship – a personal relationship with Jesus.  Sousa was curious. This believer, who had been trained by the Bible League to open the Scriptures and to help someone understand the peace in the Gospel message, shared her faith with Sousa in a way that captured his attention.

In the day’s that followed, Sousa’s interest intensified. Slowly retreating from the wounds of war in Mozambique, Sousa found he was eager to study God’s Word on a regular basis for himself. Then he realized he needed to make a choice, so he did: he placed his faith in the Truth of God’s Word and in Jesus.  Destroying the witch-doctor’s charms and through baptism, Sousa made his new faith in Jesus known.

Sousa had finally found peace – a peace that does not depend upon whether or not there is war in Mozambique, whether or not he has job security, and without alcohol or wild relationships with women.  Having been captured by the Holy Spirit, Sousa’s inner war finally ended in the surrender to the peace and protection of God’s Word.  And he has found love in the woman who led him to Jesus. They plan to be married soon.