God's Provision for Street Vendors

The pastor of Bulawayo Baptist Church felt a great burden for the neighborhood surrounding the church. As he began walking the streets around the church, praying and speaking with those whom he came in contact, he  developed a heart for a group of ladies who work at the street vegetable market located just a couple of blocks away from the church. As he visited with these ladies, many of whom are widows, he asked them, “How can the church help? What is the thing you need most?”

Almost as one, the ladies responded, “We are hungry. We are working, but it is not enough to provide food for our families. We need food.”

Knowing that church did not have resources available to help these ladies, the pastor prayed for them, asking the Father to please provide for their needs. He then asked others in leadership at the church to pray with him for these widows.

Within just a few days, he received an unexpected phone call from the US. The lady on the other end of the phone said, “You don’t know me, but my church has committed to provide food for someone who is hungry, and we want to help someone there in Bulawayo.”

Of course, the pastor said, “Well, let me tell you what God has just done. We needed funds to provide food for some widows here, and your phone call is the answer to our prayer.” The church took up their offering, and instead of the $1000 that was pledged, they raised $4000!

Because of the prayers of the church in Bulawayo, and the generous giving of the church in the states, fifteen widows will now receive food assistance every month for the next six months! During this time of drought in Zimbabwe, God is providing for the needs of these precious ladies and their families. Each lady will receive a packet containing 40 lbs of mealie meal (corn meal, the staple food for most Zimbabweans), a half a gallon of cooking oil, 10 lbs of dried beans, 5 lbs of salt, and a tray of fresh eggs (2 ½ dozen).

Missionary Ramona Beam will be heading up the ministry to these widows, helping to organize the monthly food distribution, which will be at the church after Sunday morning service once a month, and meeting with the ladies to share the gospel and disciple believers among them. Praise God that several of the ladies have already started coming to church. Please pray that as they receive needed food to assuage the effects of the physical drought in this country that they will also receive showers of blessings to assuage the spiritual drought in which many of them live.