Taking the Gospel to villages of elderly in Zimbabwe.

Mazwi is a resettlement area where people who formerly lived in a squatter camp have been given a small plot of land, and enough building materials to build a 2-room cinderblock house.

It is a large area and home to thousands of people, many of them elderly. There is no electricity or running water in Mazwi, no schools, no shops, really not much of anything. Residents have to travel up to 20k just to buy basics like mealie meal and cooking oil. Ramona, IMB missionary in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe is very excited about developments in the Mazwi area. Several months ago she went recently with an IMB Nehemiah team to a Thursday morning gathering in a very remote community.

They went with two national young men who were going to translate for the team. “As we were waiting for people to gather, I overheard a conversation between one of the translators and a member of the Nehemiah team. He was telling her about how God had laid Mazwi on his heart, and how much he would like to see people there come to Christ. Well, obviously that was a God moment, so I joined the conversation.” Ramona says she only had about a minute to share before the meeting began, but she tried to encourage the young man to continue to be involved in the training of church members in evangelism and discipleship. “I figured I'd have a chance to continue the conversation afterwards. But God had another plan. He translated while one of the girls on the team shared her story, but then when she finished and sat down, he remained standing in the front. As he began to speak, I pretty much just sat there in amazement. There he was telling them everything I was planning to tell him after the meeting! God had certainly prepared his heart, and as he spoke, it was so evident that God was giving him the words to speak. And the best thing of all was that he was telling them in their heart language much better than I could have done!”

Ramona reports that as the months have gone by, “Samson continues to show a heart for evangelism, and it’s apparent that he has a true anointing from the Lord on his life. He is eager to complete the church planting training, and take it to more and more of the people of Mazwi.” “We are still meeting on Thursday mornings with the original group. Most are elderly women. Often when we go, we are asked to go and pray for someone who is sick, and in one case recently to pray with a family who had just lost a loved one. Just this past week we arrived to find that one of the ladies who lives just by the church meeting place was very ill, and they were waiting for the ambulance to come and take her to hospital. We went to pray with her, and then continued to pray as we watched the ambulance come and take her away.” “So far, they are in eager agreement that they need to share their story and share the Gospel with their friends and neighbors, but we have not yet seen the fruit. This past Thursday we challenged the people yet again, asking them if they were willing for their neighbors and family members to spend eternity in hell, or were they going to tell them about Jesus.” Considering that most of the residents are elderly time is certainly short for most of these residents. Ramona asks that you, “Please pray for them to be convicted that they must share their faith—now. It’s not enough just to say “amen” when Samson challenges them to go, but they need to actually go. Pray that Samson, Maria, Noma, and I would know how to proceed—stay with this group a little longer, or start looking for a new group.” Please pray for the people of Mazwi, that they will catch the vision and, like the apostle Paul, feel compelled to share the gospel with their neighbors and friends, and that new churches will form all over the Mazwi area. “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (I Corinthians 9:16b)

Famine of Hearing God's Word

“Behold days are coming,” declares the Lord God, “when I will send a famine on the land. Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, but rather for hearing the words of the Lord.” Amos 8:11. The fastest growing “church” in Zimbabwe is a blend of African Traditional Religion and well known stories from the Old Testament. No scriptures are ever read or studied. In fact, members are not allowed to own a Bible or have one in their home. They must listen and obey their leaders – who call themselves prophets.

A Baptist Church member who used to be a prophet in this “church” testified that the only reason he wanted to be a prophet was to make money when he made prophecies for people. He openly admitted that his “prophecies” were fabricated lies that people wanted to hear and were willing to pay for. When he heard the true gospel preached he was convicted of his selfishness, repented, and is now a lay-leader who guides people to the Truth. Recently team member Gregg Fort had an opportunity to speak with some who follow this religion. They had become dis-satisfied and hungry for the Truth found only in God’s Word. Pray that the “famine” caused by the absence of God’s Word will cause these deceived people to Hunger and Thirst for the Truth. Pray that this “famine” will end in an abundant harvest for the kingdom of God.

Farming God's Way

Brett Barnhill of Reclaimed Ministries and volunteer Jesse Carver from Mississippi have spent this week in Zimbabwe to assist us in teaching widows in Mkoba township how to plant their gardens in a way that is based on biblical principles. While “zero tillage” was developed in Texas during years of drought, the idea has been expanded here in Africa. The basic principles of Farming God’s Way are: 1. Plant after the first heavy rain of the rainy season. 2. Plant In a standard/uniform manner.

3. No wastage – no plowing, no burning. Use the grass in the field for mulch to cover the plants and hold in the moisture. This will eventually disintegrate and add to the soil. Holes are dug a specific distance apart along straight rows. Fertilizer, seeds, and water are measured out for each hole.

4. Do your work and reap the harvest with great joy. Take pride in your work. Share what you have learned with others. Use it as a witnessing opportunity to others.

About 30 women participated in the three day workshop. In the morning they were taught the basic principles. In the afternoon the women put what they learned into practice as they prepared an experimental plot on the grounds of Mkoba Baptist Church. The women formed partnership groups based on the neighborhoods in which they lived so they could help one another. This helps build support and encouragement groups for the widows. Carver said he was amazed at how well received he and Barnhill were by the women. “They were respectful, listened, took good notes, they were humble learners and willing to try something new.”

Barnhill noted, “These women are already living out their faith in their community. This is just one more way they can reach out to their neighbors. We have encouraged them to share their seeds and their produce.” Next year Barnhill hopes to return to do a followup training where other important issues such as crop rotation and dealing with diseases and insects will be discussed. Pray for these women that God would take the seeds and fertilizer they have been given to produce an abundant harvest so the widows can take care of themselves and their children, and even have some left over to share with their neighbors. Pray that the women would be faithful to share what they have learned with their neighbors. Pray for their lost neighbors as well, that God’s Holy Spirit will be at work in them to bring about an abundant kingdom harvest.

Impending Drought

Last year was not a great year for rain for Zimbabwe. It apparently was not a great rain year for Angola and Zambia either as their rain feeds into the upper Zambezi River which flows down to Zimbabwe where it makes the stunning Victoria Falls.

About May or June the rain waters reach the Victoria Falls and it will look something like the first picture. Due to poor rains the Zambezi River is running far below normal capacity and second picture shows what the Victoria Falls currently look like.

After going over the falls, the Zambezi River continues through some gorges then becomes part of Lake Kariba. A large portion of our electricity in Zimbabwe is generated by the power station on the dam at the eastern end of Lake Kariba. Because the water level is so low, the generators are only working on 1/2 their capacity. (Our other major power source is currently not working at full capacity either as it is undergoing a three year re-furbishment plan.) SO - we are experiencing major power cuts once again. Even though the rains were few last year, some people were able to grow crops. In most cases, their stocks are now depleted and people don't have money to buy food in the shops. We have been told by weather experts to prepare for another cycle of drought years. Of course it won't only be the crops, but the livestock and the people who will suffer. This is not a pleasant thought at all. Pray that God would find a way to provide for His own living in Zimbabwe.