After SO MANY years of not having little ones around, the Zimabwe Evangelism Team is enjoying having 8 children as part of our team. What a joy it is to have the Moore family and Barnhill family with us now. How much more fun it is to celebrate birthdays too! Recently our team all gathered at Antelope Park to celebrate the birthdays of Beau Barnhill and Sophia Moore. Here are some pictures of our celebration.
Monday, November 14, 2016
Birthday Celebrations
Posted by Zim Team at 4:28 AM 0 comments
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.
Posted by Zim Team at 4:12 AM 1 comments
John Ivins Worship Band Ministers in Zimbabwe for Second Time
The John Ivins Worship Band from Richmond, VA, paid their
second visit to Bulawayo in October. Last year in December, the band came to
lead worship for the annual youth camp at Bulawayo Baptist Church, so this most
recent visit helped them to solidify and build on relationships that were begun
at the camp.
During a whirlwind two weeks, the band was able to help with
several ministries, by leading worship at Bulawayo Baptist, sharing with the
youth and young adult ministries, the twice weekly soup kitchen, and in several
area high schools.
One of the highlights of their visit was an afternoon block
party and braai (barbeque) on the street in front of the church, where the band
played (and I, Ramona Beam, got the opportunity, once again, to sit in with
them on keyboard). Several local choirs
and dance groups also had an opportunity to share.
There were jumping castles
for the kids, candy floss (cotton candy), and hamburgers for all of the more
than 400 people who came out for the Saturday afternoon fun. It proved to be
very effective as an outreach to the neighborhoods around the church. The
pastor of the church has declared that this was the “first annual” block party,
so hopefully we can convince the Ivins Band to return again next year for round
two. Please pray for the church as follow-up is done during the coming weeks
with those who came who are not members of the church.
The following week, the band was asked to come and share
music and a devotion at the bi-weekly soup kitchen at the church.
That morning,
as we arrived, a man met us as we were getting out of the car, asking for help
as folks often do. He approached one of the band members specifically, but I
sort of brushed him off and we went on inside. After the band started playing,
I was just sort of roaming around, taking pictures, helping to serve tea, and
all that. I noticed that this same guy was there, and he was really into the
music, even getting up and dancing around. I just felt a really strong sense
that I needed to go and talk to him.
As he told me part of his story (his name is Malcolm), I
found out that he was raised in a foster home, and his foster parents were
missionaries. I also found that he knew lots of things about the Bible, so I
just bluntly asked him, “Have you ever accepted Jesus as your Savior?” His
answer was, “No, but I would like to.” Well, how easy is that?!?
So I was able to share the Gospel with him, and as I shared,
I noticed that the guy sitting next to him was listening, very intently. At the
end, both of them accepted Christ. I was able to talk more, about baptism, and
the need to share what Jesus has done for them with family and friends. As I
watched Malcolm the rest of the day, I could see a new joy on his face. And I
did notice that he was talking to other guys around him, sharing his new faith
with them. Praise God!!
One of the most helpful aspects of the band’s ministry for my
strategy was time spent at the Bulawayo street market, playing music, and
visiting with some of the vegetable and curio vendors. This area has become a
significant outreach for the church, with a specific ministry to a group of
widows who work there. The band’s music and sharing will help serve as an
introduction for me to begin further ministry with these widows and others at
the street market, through Bible study, holistic ministries, and just loving on
them.
One of the band members said about this most recent visit,
“Our first time in Bulawayo was limited to leading the youth camp. Though we
did a few other things, that was our focus. This time has been so much richer,
because we not only were able to build on relationships and friendships started
last December, but we have seen deeper insights into the lives and culture of
the people of Bulawayo.”
Posted by Zim Team at 4:01 AM 0 comments
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Multiplying Leaders
In Zimbabwe, few men can afford to go to seminary. They can't afford the fees and they can't afford to not work for four years! (We don't offer night classes and students are in class on weekdays from 7a.m. -2p.m.) In order to train pastors and church leaders we have partnered with World Hope Bible Institute.
We are praising God
for five successful Bible Institutes which took place in September and October. September 19-23 we had
an institute in Gweru at which approximately 19 were in attendance. Partners
from South Africa came to facilitate the subjects for this institute. Then On October 10-13 we had
4 simultaneous institutes in Kwekwe, Zvishivane, Mberengwe, and Mutare.
Four trained men from Kentucky came to help us in these four institutes. (Pictured below are the men from Kentucky and in the center are Nick and Kyndra Moore, missionaries in Zimbabwe who work with our Baptist Seminary.)
Altogether, there were 95 in attendance for these. So a total of 114 people
were trained in at least 3 different Bible Institute courses over the past two
months!
One
of the neatest things about these institutes was the pairing of
partner-teachers from the US with co-laborers from Zimbabwe. These co-laborers
are men who completed the courses required and graduated from the Bible Institute back in
November 2015. Without exception, the common response I received from the
partner-teachers from the US was how well-equipped and masterful their recently
trained co-laborers were in teaching/equipping the next generation of Bible Institute
students. It is exciting to see what God might do through this multiplication
scheme in the years ahead!
Posted by Zim Team at 4:21 AM 0 comments
Labels: leadership training
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)