Circle of Light - Energy to lift the world's poor out of darkness

Reaching the Poorest of the Poor

Brothers, pray for us. - I Thess. 5:25 NIV

Our in-country director in Mozambique is currently working hard to strengthen and fine-tune the ministry of bringing energy to the poor. With each different African country, Circle of Light (CoL) encounters unique economic, social and cultural challenges, for which we need prayer and wisdom. We have been working in Mozambique to adapt the CoL program in a way that ensures long-term sustainability within this specific country.

For example, we recently created new “pricing” options. Families can purchase just the stove or just the lighting system and do not have to acquire both, which can be a financial challenge for some. Also, we now offer three different cooking systems (including one with just a single-burner). With these new product options, the “buy-in” cost to the program is greatly reduced, making it easier for the poorest of families to have access to affordable energy.

In Mozambique, there have been rumors that propane is dangerous and more expensive than buying small, daily amounts of charcoal. Both of these perceptions are false and must be corrected with education. Our in-country director needs wisdom to organize creative and effective strategies to overcome the incorrect information.

Also, please continue to pray for the Christian outreach portion of the Circle of Light program. Our Mozambique country director is passionate about spreading the Gospel message and has been organizing activities, like audio-Bible listening groups and discipleship Bible studies for new believers. Below are several prayer requests, which the director has emailed us to share with you. Thank you so much for continuing to lift up Circle of Light through your financial and prayer support.

Prayer requests:

A team of volunteers is needed to help educate communities about the benefits of using propane systems in the home—dispelling false rumors about safety and cost.
Pray that the large outreach events, like Christian movie nights, will bring people to Christ.
Pray that new believers will grow in spiritual maturity through discipleship courses.
Pray for students who have volunteered to help with evangelistic outreach on Fridays in the community of Nyampondzwene.