Tinotenda: We are thankful

We were constantly blessed with the hospitality of the Shona people today.  We had a long day, but it was one of our best yet.  It took two-and-a-half hours to drive to Karanda, so we got an early start.  It was a beautiful drive, and we saw everything from rivers to mountains to orange orchards to a Chinese military base.  It was also an adventurous drive, as the road went through the Ruya River to get to our destination.  It was only possible to go this route right now because it is currently the dry season. 

Along the way, we visited several of Bud's friends in their villages.  First we visited Chidzenga, a 94-year-old farmer who still rides his bicycle when he needs to go somewhere.  We also met his two wives and several children and grandchildren.  They were incredibly kind and offered to give us a honeycomb, but as we had no empty container, we promised to come back at the end of the day with one. 

We stopped at Chironga, a school of several hundred kids, where they all came out and sang us several praise songs in Shona, including "Hakuna Wakaita." We also visited the gravesite of an early missionary and his two-day-old son, which was a moment of prayer for those who have gone before.  A huge baobab tree adorned this village. 

Next we visited Solomon and the Josiah family, which consisted of several brothers and their wives and children.  They invited us into their cooking hut, which was built by hand out of bricks and thatching.  The women sat on a floor mat while the men sat on the bench.  They brought us masau fruit (aka the "smelly socks fruit"--liked by some more than others), and white sweet potatoes baked on the coals.  One little boy had a bloated stomach, a sign of malnutrition, although they made a point to feed first visitors, then adult men, and then adult women before children. 

Our next stop was Karanda Missions Hospital, another TEAM ministry.  We handed out some handmade dolls to kids in the pediatric ward and baby hats in the maternity ward.  We also saw the male and female wards, the operation ward, and the teaching college.  It appeared that this hospital had most of the conveniences of American hospitals, but the sad part was seeing lines of people waiting outside for treatment.

We held fast to our promise to Chidzenga to stop back for the honey.  We also received "Karanda Fried Chicken" and again, a huge bag of sweet potatoes.  This family too invited us into their cooking hut, where we found they had a cell phone despite not having electricity!  They apparently walk into town to charge it.  When we were getting ready to leave, Bud asked Chidzenga if he still played his mbira (thumb piano), so he got it out and played a short concert, accompanied by his daughter on maracas made from dried gourds.  It was a special moment hearing authentic African music. 

For dinner, we did a traditional send-off dinner at the Great Wall of China, a regular Chinese restaurant.

Tomorrow our only plan is shopping for souvenirs at the Harare Flea Market, before heading to the airport for our 5:15 flight. 

--Laura

Praise & R&R

Well, our Sunday just ended and out of all the days here, it was probably the most non-evenful, but relaxing and fulfilling, nonetheless.

We started the day by attending a church service at City Evangelical about 15 minutes from the ANESU base. The church rents a building, as it doesn't have it's own facility, but it doesn't temper the worship inside. The congregation truly praises and worships. There were 7 singers up front and only a keyboardist and drummer, but it sounded like so much more. We sang hymns in Shona and, although we didn't understand the meaning, it didn't matter, as the Spirit of God truly filled the place. The pastor spoke of making the most of opportunities and not wasting our short time here. Live the life God has given you to its fullest everyday. Give thanks to the Lord for just opening your eyes in the morning and embrace the day. Everyone on the team was truly moved. I needn't mention that the Zimbabwe people, as usual, were extremely inviting, friendly, loving and welcomed us with open arms.

Due to the outstanding weather, we all ate our lunch out by the pool and Steve, as all of us have been doing all week, shared his incredible faith story. It's amazing how all 9 of us have all had such different journeys - like a snowflake - not one alike, but God has shaped us and drawn us near to Him in one way or another.

The mid-afternoon saw some down time. Some slept, others read, a couple just vegged. A group of us took a walk around the neighborhood, admiring all the different types of trees and occasional color during this 'winter season'.

Dinnertime saw us at the home of TEAM missionaries Doug and Nancy Everswick. Nancy made sure we left full with her potato and squash soups and chocolate dessert. We had a chance to share what has impacted us this week and Doug closed the night with scripture and prayer.

At this writing, I am the only one awake, as the rest of the team has hit the sack. We have a 6am depart time for Karanda, which is a rural village a couple of hours away. So, it's time for me to get some shut eye as well.

We pray that your Sunday was as full of praise and rest as ours was.

The Big Wedding Day!

Today, our team was honored to participate in the wedding of Freedom and Shylet out at Rugare.  It was simply a once in a lifetime experience!  As we arrived to the church, we were instructed to bring the ladies from our team around the corner to the girls' home to help with Shylet's final preparations.  The bridal party looked beautiful and the young girls were all dressed up in beautiful purple dresses.  The procession began right there as the ladies laid their Zambias (outer skirt wraps) on the ground so that the bride's feet did not touch the ground.  At the gate of the girls' home was the team van and two other vehicles to bring the bridal party to the church.  They followed a small mob of people on foot to the entrance of the church...singing and dancing most of the way there!

I was given the privilege of preaching at the wedding this morning.  I am so thankful for this opportunity and grateful to God for equipping me to do something that I feel completely unable to do on my own.  God prompted me to both encourage the happy couple and challenge those in attendance and provided just the message to do so.

Terry and Walter were the designated wedding photographer and videographer, respectively.  They were commonly referred to as TW Productions (T Dubs for short).  I'm pretty sure they have a very promising future in this field in Zimbabwe, should they choose to accept it.

One of the most frightening moments of the wedding was when the wedding officiant asked if anyone objected to the wedding.  In fact, he gave a number of opportunities for people to speak up.  On one of these occasions, a woman rose and said in Shona, "I am carrying the child of this man and now he is with that woman!" (referring to the groom and bride).  Fortunately, the crowd laughed and the officiant played along with this fairly dramatic 'joke'.  One of the more entertaining moments was a dramatic entrance and exit of the bridal party, inclusive of dancing, singing and acting out a short story with a plot, believe it or not!

The Halfway Point

Imagine a one room school house with twenty-nine children of all different ages and all different abilities with only a couple books taught by one teacher.  Imagine a children's home with one toilet and a roof so low that you can reach up and touch it, that radiates the rising heat back into the home.  Imagine a leaky water tank connected to a broke pump that is meant to supply a church, school and community with water.  Those are all circumstances that we were blessed to see changed today.

In the morning, we went back to Rugare to formally give the bridging school the Happy Readers Program.  If only you could have had the experience of hearing 29 joyful children's voices raised in praise, thanking God for the people that brought them books that will teach them to read.  Thanking God for the chance to read signs that will warn them of danger, but most importantly thanking God that soon they will be able to read God's Word.  It truly was an amazing and humbling experience.  We also got the chance to give two laptops and a lot of easy reader books that the children at South Ridge had collected to Pastor Henry and his team.  In addition, we were blessed to give Hands of Hope, a Zimbabwean non-profit ministry, the money needed to fix the broken tank and pump at the church so that they can again provide water for the needs of the church, school, and community.  We also got the chance to visit the boys and girls homes and see the advancements made there; the raised roofs to allow better air circulation, the new toilets, and the new additions.  The girls home also brought us into contact with the chickens and rooster that they use for eggs and extra income.  It was an amazing experience that culminated with seeing the Happy Reader Program begin to be implemented in the bridging school.

This afternoon Bud and Mandy blessed us by taking us to the Lion and Cheetah Game Park, a misnomer because there sadly were no cheetahs.  BUT, we did get up close and personal with a giraffe, some impala, wildebeest, blesbok, and lots of lion...and I do mean up close; not in cages.  We had a wonderful picnic in the middle of the game park that included some rock climbing.  Our trip ended with a visit to Snake World where we all took turns holding a brown house snake, some chameleons, and Terry S. got to hold a python.  We saw a snake so deadly that within 10 minutes you are beyond all help and the black mamba, the world's fastest snake and causes the most deaths in Zimbabwe.

Our day of adventure full of the grace and awesomeness of God, ended with a TEAM Italian themed dinner at the TEAM base.  It was great to meet some of the other TEAM missionaries and hear about all that God is doing in Zimbabwe and throughout Africa.  Tomorrow...the wedding!
                                                                                                                           ~ Kelly

Good evening from Zimbabwe!  This morning we woke up and had a lovely pancake breakfast with bacon.  Then we went to Harare Theological College to meet up with Pastor Henry and his team to educate them on the Happy Readers program.  Mary shared all the instructions with the team and were able to give them examples of some of the games that the teachers could play with the students to help them learn the ABC's and how to create sentence structure.  Then Pastor Henry's team expressed their thoughts and concerns for the future of the school.  The headmaster's attitude was very positive and was excited for the program to launch and while sitting in the class I could tell that this program was only the beginning of the educational partnership that South Ridge would have with the Bridging School.

Before dinner the team was able to visit Pastor Peter who lives across the street from Bud.  Pastor Peter and his wife run an amazing ministry of opening up their home to children who deal with abuse and are struggling with HIV/AIDS.  Pastor Peter's childhood was very hard, however he lives a true testimony by allowing the Lord to work in his life and giving yourself fully to the work of the Lord.  They also have a partnership with Covenant, a church in Pennsylvania that was able to bless the couple with two laptops to help them further their ministry.  We were able to deliver these gifts to the couple as well as distribute dolls to the children that lived there.

Tomorrow we are going back to the Bridging School to see the students in action, and visit the boys and girls home.  Personally, I am continually blessed by the joy the children have despite all of their individual situations.  This afternoon I read Psalm 8.  Verse 2 says this, "From the lips of the children and infants you have ordained praise."  What a blessing!

Thank you for your continued prayers and support!
Love,
Devyn

Today, our team ventured out to the ACOP Bridging School in Rugare to assess each student's English reading level.  What a wonderful reunion with our church partner family!  Each child was tested to provide a baseline for future assessment. 

Mary also taught the children a new song..."Peanut Butter and Jelly"!  What a great time the kids had....they'll be driving Eliza crazy with it for months :-)

After a full morning out at Pastor Henry's, we returned to the ANESU base for lunch and a meeting with Nyasha, founder of Bridging the Gap (www.bridgingthegap.org.zw).  Nyasha's story is incredibly inspirational and her passion for the Lord and her love for the people of Zimbabwe overflow with abundance.  One of Nyasha's ministries involves personally counseling over 60 victims and offenders of violent acts.  Her comprehensive process includes reconciliation with God, with self and then with others, often including both victim and offender.  Nyasha herself has worked through this process and courageously continues to visit her offender.  Truly an extraordinary woman with an extraordinary calling!

Zim2012 Team on top of Domboshava

Sunset from Domboshava

Almost lost Steve at Domboshava.....

And Walter!

Our team awoke to a beautiful morning, with everyone having experienced a restful sleep.

We were briefed by Conor O'Beirne of Happy Readers. Aside from giving us the background of the literacy program that he and his wife, Emma founded, we discussed best practices implementation at the Rugare bridging school, which will begin tomorrow. Everyone is excited to meet the kids and to see God's hand at work.

Conor O'Beirn

This afternoon, we traveled to Domboshava, a granite mountain that was full of majestic scenery. Others saw wildlife and Bud was quick to point out a nocturnal bird called a nightjar. We also saw ancient bushmen cave paintings that were thousands of years old. The hike culminated with a breathtaking sunset.

Mangwanani!  (Good morning)  This morning when I awoke in the chilly, but fresh Zimbabwean winter air, I couldn't wait to step outside and breathe that first full breath of sunrise over the ANESU base.  The first few steps were groggy, but as I made my way through the gate to the garden, I began to weep as I reflected on how privileged I am to be back in this beautiful land.  Standing beside what is now a lush vegetable garden, overflowing with sweet peas, beetroot, lettuce, carrots, and more, God's holy presence overwhelms me as He shines His face upon this team and the warmth of the morning sun on my face brings new joy and gratitude. 

Yesterday, the team was met with warm embrace by Bud Jackson, as well as, our church partners from Hope Valley Assembly in Rugare (Pastor Henry and Maridzo Zihove, Pastor Oscar, Leonard, Eliza and beautiful new baby in tow).  Also joining them was Amanda Burleson (she and her husband Ryan and their two beautiful girls are the newest team members of ANESU).

Our day ended in celebration with an incredible, traditional shona feast (sadza, beef and greens - no utensils needed) with an amazing group of friends, new and old.  We were joined by Bud and Mandy Jackson, Doug and Nancy Everswick, Ryan and Amanda Burleson (along with their two precious little girls, an infant and toddler), and Julie VanZevern (ANESU team member). 

Time for breakfast (left over sadza, called 'bata' for breakfast), then time to get briefed by Conor and Emma from Happy Readers.

What a day we have in store....the team is looking 'bright eyed and bushy tailed'....lol!

Steve

Team has arrived

After nearly 18 hours of flying time, we have finally arrived at our destination in Harare, Zimbabwe. Praise to God for allowing things to go smoothly. Aside from the standard waits in security lines, the team didn't experience any hiccups. We came out unscathed and with all of our luggage. We are all tired, but everyone is excited to be here.

Before going any further, I need to mention that Steve Sargent was given a 7-10 day window to recover from his flu-like virus, but God's '2nd opinion' is what really mattered, as Steve made a dramatic turnaround and was able to fly without issues.

Rob Chifokoyu and his wife of 3 weeks, Lisa, visited the base in the afternoon and the SRCC team presented them with much needed equipment: a camera, Go-Pro mobile camera, and microphone equipment, which will be used primarily for a media company, serving the Dare to Serve ministry that he has founded.

(Left to Right:  Rob Chifokoyo and his new bride, Lisa; Steve Sargent)

 The weather in Zim today is very similar to our Garden State this time of year...seasonable temperatures during the day with chilly evenings.

All of you should know that because of the tremendous giving by ANESU Alliance Churches, including SRCC, the Harare base was able to address the following:

 - replaced the borehole pump (well)
 - improved the security with electric fencing around the outside wall
 - repaired and repainted all of the existing building's exterior
 - purchased new carpeting for veranda area
 - purchased new refrigerator and washing machine
 - addressed power issues with solar power (now no electricity downtime!)
 - installed 2 full bathrooms

Bud & Mandy Jackson, along with the rest of the ANESU team, can't thank everyone enough for the outpouring of funds towards the ministry.

Tomorrow, the team will be meeting with Conner and Emma O'Bern, founders of the Happy Readers literacy program, followed by an excursion to Domboshava (scenic granite mountain).

Thank you all for your continued support and prayers. We are excited that we are finally here and ready to dive into whatever God has in store for us.

In His Service,
Terry

Prayer Need

Hey, everyone. Welcome to blog post to at the Zim2012 site. As I type this, there is roughly 48 hours to go before we take-off from JFK on our way to what I'm sure will prove to be an exciting, challenging, fulfilling and God honoring missions trip to Zimbabwe in the continent of Africa. I'm sure my other 7 team members are rushing around to complete those last minute errands.

However, it is team member #1 who needs our prayer. Our fearless leader, Steve Sargent, woke up this morning with a fever and all the other flu-like symptoms. Last I spoke with him, he seemed in good spirits, but was headed to the doctor. Pray that God will be the ultimate physician and that his strength returns ten fold before we fly out. Steve has orchestrated this whole trip along with other 'minor' duties, like his job and his primary role as husband and father. Pray also that he not be discouraged while he's recovering.

That's all for now. I will update as often as possible before we shove off.

In the meantime, keep us in prayer and we look forward to updating our progress during our incredible journey to minister to God's people in Zim.

In His Service,
Terry

The Countdown Begins...

Well, just a little more than a week before the next South Ridge team departs to Zimbabwe.  With the looks of our itinerary, I can't promise much more than the occasional post, at best.  However, I'll do my best to capture and share as many highlights as possible.  Blessings, Steve