Zimbabwean Lay-Leaders Do Construction at Nenyunga Clinic

A number of years ago the old Nenyunga Baptist Clinic in Tongaland was declared unfit for use because erosion from the nearby river was undercutting the foundation and the roof was collapsing.   Volunteers from the states came about 5 years ago to help build a new clinic, but the work was never completed and the clinic has not been in operation for at least that many years. 

In December 2015, in addition to its regular Lottie Moon Offering, Parkview Baptist Church of Baton Rouge, Louisiana took up a “Wana Ann Fort” challenge offering to honor the life of this former missionary doctor to Zimbabwe who had passed away earlier in the year.  

The challenge offering was given to meet needs in Zimbabwe.  About 40% of this sacrificial gift has been used to purchase building materials and supplies needed to help complete the Nenyunga clinic. 

In February of this year Lay-Leaders Mr. Shumba from Shauro Baptist Church in Mberengwa and Mr. Dhubani from Sibomvu Baptist Church in Lower Gweru recently joined Pastor Mabvumba and traveled to Nenyunga in Tongaland to work on the clinic building.   Pastor Mabvumba also hired local Tonga men to help with the work.  

 During the time they were there each morning Mabvumba gave a devotional from the book of Nehemiah.  After that the men got to work.   They put the ridge on the roof, installed window panes and bricked up the gable ends of each building and then plastered them inside and out.  In the evenings the men fellowshipped together.  Much work was accomplished during their short stay at Nenyunga.

Because the drought in Tongaland has been so great, the workers were paid in corn meal.

On the way back home, lay-leader Dhubani asked Mabvumba when they were going to do another project like this.   He said, “It was like a revival to me.”