Sanyati Baptist Hospital Makeover Team Part One

Six Volunteers from Tennessee (left to right Jordan Fray, John Carlisle, Doug Kelley, Cory Miller, Peter Sierson, and Bud Fray) came to Sanyati Hospital the last week of August to inspect the hospital and get an idea of what all was needed to complete the renovation.



Sanyati Baptist Hospital opened in 1953 as two huts in which patients could receive medical attention from Drs. Giles and Wana Ann Fort. The first incubator at the hospital was an apple crate with blankets and a hot water bottle. By 1956 the first wing of the hospital was built and other wings were added later on. Today the hospital is a large complex.



Even though the hospital was “nationalized” in 1980, Baptists continue to support the work there and currently Dr. Mark Byler is a physician there.



Every nook and cranny of the hospital was inspected and the volunteers had a number of “light” and humorous moments as they made their rounds.



It didn’t take long to notice how outdated the equipment was throughout the hospital.



Continued in Sanyati Baptist Hospital Makeover Team Part Two

Letters from GA Camp

A couple of weeks ago we were surprised to receive some mail from the U.S. It was a large bundle of letters from children and I didn’t have time to sit down and read them so I laid them on my desk to read them later. This week I was not feeling well, and since I didn’t feel like doing much more than reading I decided to read the letters.

At first I just enjoyed laughing at the comments like:

I hope you are “filling well”. (Actually I’m filling a little too well these days!)

I’m glad you are planning churches. (I think she meant planting churches)

I hope you will be safe and enjoy your mission trip. (We do too!)

Where is Zembobwira anyway? (We aren’t exactly sure, but we’ll let you know when we find out.)

My favorite was from a 7th grader who is the eldest in her family. She wrote this advice to us: “About the church planting; I would suggest you at least start churches a little bit closer to the homes, maybe even right next to the schools. Do your best to convert ALL the people in Zimbabwe.” Good advice Martha, we’ll try to do that! (She almost sounds like the apostle Paul! I hope the IMB grabs her quick!)

Reading the letters was a truly humbling experience. Not only were there lots of letters from the girls at the GA camp, but surprisingly a number of letters from camp staff and counselors as well. Some of the staff and counselors mentioned their own calling to missions and a desire to serve God wherever He placed them. The letters expressed prayers for our health and safety. They were filled with words of encouragement, words of thanks and words of affirmation. It has been a long time since we received letters like this and God used it to fill my cup to overflowing!

Those precious letters led me to take 2 actions. First of all I want to make a point of sending more handwritten notes of thanks, encouragement and affirmation to others. It seems like that is nearly a lost art, but one I think should be revived!

Second, instead of throwing the letters away as I usually do, I burned them in my fireplace one by one. As I did I prayed over the staff, counselors, and girls that God would encourage them, affirm them, lead and guide them in the way He has for each of them. I hope their written prayers for Gregg and I and my verbal prayers for them will ascend together as a sweet fragrance that is pleasing to the LORD.

Donna Fort

Special Occasions

When Gregg and Donna Fort were newlyweds, Donna asked her mother-in-law how it happened that she raised 5 sons on the mission field and they all turned out so fine! All were walking with the LORD and serving Him in the vocations to which God called them.

Wana Ann Fort’s reply was – “We prayed for them everyday that God would teach them and call them to Himself.”

This is good advice for any parents and it is never too late to start! It is of course, no guarantee, but giving God the freedom to work in their lives certainly won’t do them any harm.

May was a big month for SPECIAL OCCASIONS for some members of the Zimbabwe Evangelism Team. Graduations and weddings can be challenging for missionaries considering how far away we are from our grown children, but Martha and Quinn Morgan were blessed to be able to attend the graduation of two of their sons, Paul and James, from Southeastern Seminary.



Martha writes, “We celebrated with many family and friends and were blessed with special family times during those few days. Both received a Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies and will soon begin their ministries...Paul and Laurel with SIL/Wycliffe in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo and James and Sarah with the IMB in South Asia. Pray for them as they make their final preparations and put into practice these things they have been able to learn under very committed teachers and mentors.”

Gregg and Donna Fort also returned to the U.S. for a few weeks to attend son Stephen’s graduation from Texas A&M University along with his fiancé Sushila Mathai.



A week later they were married in College Station.



Then they went on a lovely honeymoon to Jamaica (the same week as the manhunt for the drug lord – don’t you know all the parents were charmed!) They are currently in West Texas where Stephen has begun his studies in physical therapy. Sushila has been offered a teaching position and will be teaching ESL to elementary school children. We are so thankful for God’s protection and provision in their lives.


Stephen and Sushila write: "Our photographer sent us this link a few days ago of the slideshow he put together from our wedding, and we thought you all would enjoy watching it!
Remember to turn up the volume! http://www.agungfauzi.com/sushila_stephen_wed/

While in the U.S., the Forts met their eldest son, Nathan’s fiancé, Ashley Cashwell. They will be married in November 2010 so the Forts will be returning for another wedding this year!





Ashley has a precious 3 year old named Landon, whom Nathan hopes to adopt once they are married. Nathan is studying Biblical Counselling at Seminary. Pray for them as they prepare not only for their wedding, but for their marriage as well.



Thank you for rejoicing with the Morgans and Forts over these children who have been and continue to be the subject of much prayer. We are thankful they are walking with God and discovering how they can join Him in the work of His Kingdom.

Baptism in Mberengwa Resettlement Area

Excited shouts and laughter could be heard as people from 4 villages in South Central Zimbabwe walked swiftly toward the baptismal site.


The drizzling rain and temperatures in the upper 60's could not dampen the enthusiasm of the 97 new Christians awaiting baptism in a ditch filled with runoff rain water.


Two pastors entered the water then led the new believers in a hymn, a scripture reading, and prayer. As the names of the new believers were called, they lined up and waited for their turn as they watched the baptism of others before them.


Among those who were baptized were young children, teenagers, as well as young, middle-aged and seemingly ancient adults.


One elderly gentleman could barely walk from shaking so badly with Parkinsons, but he was determined to publicly demonstrate his new life in Christ.



The head men of two of the 4 villages were baptized as well as the headmaster of the local school.


The joy on the faces of the new believers was evident as they came up out of the water.





In African culture, baptism is very significant. It publicly demonstrates a person's willingness to break with his traditional religious beliefs and practices.


"Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old things passed away, behold new things have come." (II Corinthians 5:17 NAS) Pray that these new creatures would truly leave their old ways and ancestral spirits behind and learn to walk in the Spirit of the Living God!

Tongaland

Before school let out for the April holidays, Gregg Fort and our pastor from Mkoba asked the headmasters (principals) of the schools in town to identify the 100 most needy school children to receive exercise books. After praying with the students, the books were distributed to the students.



These exercise books are simply books of bound notebook paper for which the Baptist Publishing House has been printing covers. The notebook paper and blank covers were supplied by Baptist Global Response. The covers have different messages, but they all speak of moral purity and tell the students how to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We used cultural stories to teach biblical truths.After praying and thanking God for His provision for these students, each child was given his/her books.



Even though school is out right now, we are still busy delivering the exercise books. The books in this picture were delivered to a pastor in Tongaland who will see that they are distributed to the students in the 5 schools near his church when school resumes in May.



While Gregg was in Tongaland distributing the books he was excited to see that the pastor had an excellent harvest of maize from the seeds we distributed last year which were also supplied by Baptist Global Response. (In this picture you see a raised hut full of maize.)

We are so grateful for people all over the U.S. who contribute to Baptist Global Response to help meet the very real needs of people in Zimbabwe. Ministering to people’s human needs helps them understand that you care for them and gives you the credibility to discuss their spiritual needs with them as well.



Pray with us that the harvest of souls among the Tonga people will be as fruitful as this year’s maize crop has been in Tongaland. We are also anticipating an outreach into an area known as ‘Denmark’ sometime in the next several months in this area of Tongaland.

Mberengwa with Volunteers from FBC Bryan TX

WOW- look at that sunrise. The welcome in this village is unlike anything I have ever experienced. Did you hear that donkey braying last night? We came out at 3 am and just had to turn off our flashlights as the Milky-way was mesmerizing. We started to wake everybody up - it was that incredible.




Seeing and experiencing Africa again through first time eyes reminds us of what a special place Africa can be. After 22 years, as missionaries in Africa, many of these experiences are taken for granted. It is renewing and humbling to be able to see it all again for the first time.



Sometimes our faith can become common place. The holy can become profane, the presence of God taken for granted, the gift of salvation can lose its awesomeness.
Being in Mberengwa this past week reminded us again of how unique Africa is and seeing the Gospel impact lives for the very first time humbled us and made us so grateful to the Father for his amazing offer of salvation at the sacrifice of His Son. Do not lose sight of the preciousness of the gift and the privilege of walking in His grace daily.

Posted by Gregg Fort

The Joy is in the Journey

An unanswered ringing on the other end of a telephone line in Zimbabwe, from an office you know is open and staffed, may mean only one of two things. Either thieves have stolen the telephone lines again, or there is no electricity to power the phones. In either case it means it could be days, or even months before the phones work again. If the need to call was urgent, it definitely means a long, three hour, bone jolting journey (each way!) down a cratered road that would put a military equipped Humvee through its paces.

Such was my lot recently when I urgently needed a letter from Sanyati Baptist Hospital requesting the renewal of the work permit for the hospital’s long-term volunteer doctor. On days like this, most certainly the only joy would have to come from the journey, not from the drive.

This particular drive started at 6:30am, on a beautiful African day. With petrol now in good supply, the myriads of vehicles, that at one time had disappeared from the roads due to the absence of fuel, have now reappeared. Even though it is early and the traffic is not yet at its peak in the bustling capital city, one must be ever on guard. Red robots (stoplights) are only a suggestion, and if one turns on his emergency flashers, all rules of the road are suspended--- or so many drivers think.

Having first been buoyed by the beautiful day, I was quickly brought back to reality by a “near miss” in which I most certainly had the green light. I certainly could not afford to be complacent until I was further out into the rural areas.

As the city buildings faded in the rear-view mirror, the jangled nerves began to calm down and the beauty of the brilliant green, rain washed, elephant grass and newly fattened cattle grazing along the roadside lent an aura of peace and contentment in this tortured land. Songs of praise to the Lord filled my head and heart as I “pot-hole dodged” down the main road.

If my timing was right, about an hour and a half into the drive some joy would be added to the journey by a short stop at a “Take-away” where I knew they prepared tasty samoosas. (a triangular shaped Asian origin fried pastry filled with curried meat) Unfortunately, I was a bit too early and they only snack available for a bite of breakfast was a meat pie and coke.

Anything can happen on one of these journeys, and as I got back into the vehicle a fairly well dressed man began to beg for a short ride. His story seemed plausible enough (his truck was broken down and he only needed to go about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) to get help from where he worked at a local gold mine. Being somewhat inebriated by the beautiful morning and my time alone singing to the Lord, I agreed. It didn’t take too long to learn the real intent of his “need” for a lift. There was a police roadblock just at the edge of town that he needed to get through, and he needed a buyer for the “goods” he had secreted in his pocket.

Recently gold had been found in the town and it was near enough the surface that panners could recover it just like what you read about in the U.S. gold rush days. Either he or his friends had been doing just that. Obviously a white man, with unlimited money, would be unable to resist such a good buy that he could offer. “Did I know anyone who was in the market for what a man working for a mine like him could offer?” Of course I had to let him know that I was not a “business man” and really had no clue as to who would be in the market for what he could offer. He countered that possibly I would be in the market. This was my opportunity to “sell” him what I had to offer. I didn’t need any gold, or know anyone who did, but because of a relationship to Jesus that began a number of years ago, I know that someday I will walk on streets paved with gold. I didn’t need any now because of what I will have then. Anyone who knows Jesus as his savior can live life with a peace that passes our present understanding right now. His response to my comments let me know very quickly that his interests lay more in what part of that “heavenly asphalt” he could sell me right now. Perhaps if he pulled out the little plastic pouch wrapped in a rubber band, and a melted nugget the size of a 50¢ piece I would be enticed into being a client. With it obvious that I was not a client, and that we were passed the police roadblock where he and his goods might be sniffed out, so we had now reached his destination. There was nothing but deserted bush where we stopped. In one last ditch effort he enquired if I would give him a dollar for airtime for his phone.

The morning was still beautiful, my voice was still like George Beverly Shea in the closed vehicle, so the journey continued. It wasn’t too long before the pot-hole dodging became a search for any piece of pavement that would give my battered teeth a rest. Ever the entrepreneurs, young men and even some women, were tamping “African Asphalt” (damp mud mixed with gravel) into the potholes and asking for “donations” with their upturned, outstretched hands. Some had even printed signs on cardboard that said, “Volunteer Labour, Donations Please”.

After arriving at the hospital on a drive that was already sure to end with visit and donation to my local chiropractor, I learned that the electricity had been gone since early in the morning. The computers and printers were out of commission until it returned. I also needed to note that the hospital doctor that must sign the letter for the TEP renewal had disappeared from the hospital. No one was sure exactly where he was or when he would return ---possibly an hour or two. They would send someone to the nearby business center to see if they could locate him to come sign and stamp a letter if they could print one. Having thought through how we could get a letter printed from a computer with no electricity we still needed to find the doctor. Everyone would sign at the bottom, and when I got home I would type the letter at the top. The only problem with that plan was the doctor was still not back. I volunteered to drive someone to the business center to locate the locater. Before too many bone jarring potholes had passed the doctor approached from the other direction in someone’s car. We stopped in the middle of the road (typical African action) and greeted each other. He handed me a signed, stamped, sheet of paper. I proceeded back to the hospital and got two more signatures and stamps. I was now overjoyed. After 5 hours of waiting in the sweltering heat I could now see if the other side of the potholes was as inviting as the first side. They were.

On the journey home, after a number of hours, the entrepreneurs were still manning their chosen pothole. On my return journey, each one received Gospel tracts out the vehicle windows as I passed. The smiles on their faces would have led you to believe that they had received the money that their upturned palms were soliciting. Perhaps out of my journey, they received some lasting joy.

I now had in my hand, the letter needed for the renewal of our Doctor’s Temporary Employment Permit. For sure I had joy in my heart.

At seven that night I arrived home, not too much worse for the ware. As I look back on the day, there were bits of joy all along the journey.

Pray with us that our joy will be made complete by the TEP for Dr. Byler being approved in the coming weeks.

Barry Robinson