How Shall They Hear Without A Preacher? (GMA Part 2)

How Shall They Hear Without A Preacher? (GMA Part 2)

The Gospel Music Association Team was composed of songwriters, composers, worship leaders, singers, and musicians, as well as pastors and men involved in other types of Christian ministry. While they came for the specific purpose of distributing the BGR exercise books (written about in the previous blog – GMA Part 1), they also shared their music, testimonies, and gospel presentations with the students and faculty at each school. As the programme began at each school, introductions were made.

The students were invited to sing songs for the GMA Team.

Then the team sang songs for the children.

(Jeff Junie, Corey Voss, David Gentiles, Kevin Jones, Erskin Anavitarte, Hank Murphy, and Todd Thomas) The songs the musicians sang were catchy Christian choruses and the children enjoyed listening to them.

Then the team taught songs to the children to sing with the team.

Near the end the students began to dance with the music.

When the musicians began to dance, even the teachers joined in!

The presentations turned into a time of joy and celebration. (Shown here are Corey Voss and Erskin Anavitarte)

At each school testimonies were given. (Shown here is Robert Coppedge)

The gospel was also presented at each school. (Shown here is Tommy Rowe.)

If the preaching went a little long, one could always find a way to entertain oneself!

It was estimated that 5,000 students and teachers from eight different schools heard the gospel during the two days of ministry!

Praise God for these godly men who came to sing and preach the gospel in Zimbabwe.

How Shall They Learn Without Any Paper? (GMA Part 1)

Many of the rural schools in Zimbabwe struggle along without the basic resources needed to educate their children. Baptist Global Response (BGR) has helped us meet the need for writing paper by providing 150,000 exercise books (notebook paper stapled together instead of bound in a spiral notebook) to be distributed to orphaned and vulnerable students in as many rural schools as possible. “One Life” is an opportunity for young people or groups to engage in a project on the mission field in which BGR is an integral part. Mike Lopez is one of the IMB personnel who helps match people with a project.

Zimbabwe has two “One Life” projects which are currently ongoing. The first project is called “One Orphan” and is a response to the one million orphans in Zimbabwe. (About 1/10 of our population.) This project is to refurbish three huts, provide funding for self-help projects such as raising chickens, goats, and gardening. The “One Notebook” Project seeks to provide orphans and vulnerable children with writing paper and pens to help children be able to take class notes, do homework, and take tests. The covers of exercise books given out have a gospel witness as well as messages concerning God’s plan for purity for young people who are not married. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE ONE LIFE PROJECTS AVAILABLE CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE: http://www.onelifematters.org .

Members of the Gospel Music Association USA rose to the challenge of the "One Notebook" project. Their team of 15 came to help distribute exercise books to orphans and vulnerable children in 9 schools in a remote part of Southern Zimbabwe. Matt Nations is seen here carrying a box of books into one of the schools. Then the books were counted out four per student by the GMA Team members.

One of the primary (elementary) schools they visited was established in 2008. The headmaster (principal) told us that the first year the school opened there was no paper on which the children could write their lessons. When the Grade 7’s took their Secondary (High School) entrance exam there was only an 8% pass rate. Their school was ranked #99 out of 109 in their district.

The following year, 2009, the school began receiving BGR exercise books.

Since then their students have improved dramatically in their Grade 7 exam results. Currently their school is ranked #13 in their district! The headmaster and the teachers all thanked Baptists for helping their students in this way.

Before leaving the school, the team members were treated to boiled corn and sugarcane. (Shown here are Kevin Jones, Hank Murphy and Aaron Blanton. The children followed us out as we left the school and team member Barry Brown is shown here saying farewell to some of the students.

Missionary Kid Returns "Home" to Wed

On 8 March 2013 missionary kid Jason Fort returned to Zimbabwe with his sweetheart Shay King

where they were married on the “verandah” of their lodge

overlooking the Zambezi River Gorge.

After viewing the Victoria Falls

Their “reception” was High Tea at the famous Victoria Falls Hotel.

Later they enjoyed a romantic sunset cruise on the Zambezi River.

Missionaries Jennilee Phillips, Ramona Beam, and Steve and Jane Beaty welcomed the couple as they passed through Bulawayo.

A dinner and “wedding shower” was given for the couple in Gweru, Jason’s hometown. Missionaries Mark and Angie Byler, and Barry and Marleen Robinson as well as other local friends attended.

Pastor J. Ncube, Pastor Isaac Mabvumba and Esinath Mabvumba, along with Willie Green shared some Shona wedding traditions with the couple. They were given flowers to wear to honor them.

They also learned about the “uncovering” where the groom’s family must pay to "uncover" the future bride and meet her.

Jason and Shay were also treated to sadza, nyama, and muriwo - a traditional meal.

Before returning to the states Jason and Shay also visited the Great Zimbabwe Ruins.

While there they located a potential “homestead”.

A real fixer upper!

A special treat for some widows

One of the highlights of the FBC Bryan, TX volunteer team was sponsoring a dinner for the widows of Mkoba Baptist Church in Gweru. Before eating a meal, one is always given the opportunity to wash one's hands. Some of the ladies of the church volunteered to prepare the meal. They cooked up big pots of rice and sadza (thick mealie meal porridge). They also prepared chicken and beef dishes, vegetables, and coleslaw. It was a real feast. A meal one might only see at a very special occasion like Christmas. The team members enjoyed sitting with the widows during the meal and getting to know them. Each widow was very excited when she received her gift bag of goodies. After the meal, team member Lynette shared a devotional with the ladies to encourage them and remind them of God’s watchcare and love for them. Then the widows were given an opportunity to share their testimonies. It was very powerful to hear how lady after lady shared all that God had done for her and provided for her needs. The team stayed at Antelope Game Park while ministering in Gweru. While there, they were treated to a donkey carriage game drive which is a great way to get up close to the wild animals Later the team enjoyed a "braai" or African barbecue at the Serenity Lodge where they were staying.

Highs and Lows of the Sanyati Makeover 2013

I’m sure many of you have played HIGH/LOW or at least know of it: What is the high (or best thing) about your day and what is the low (or most difficult thing) about your day? I would like to give you some of the Highs and Lows of the past 2 months to try to sum up all the work and ministry that is being done at Sanyati Baptist Hospital Makeover 2013. High: The roofs and coverings for the walkways at the hospital are being completed. Low: Trenches were dug and new pipes were laid at the volunteer house to help with waste removal.

High: Painting of boards for walkways, chapel and overhangs done. Low: Volunteers going home with samples of the paint colors, not ministry tattoos, on their body High: Electricians helping supply outlets and some solar to dark places in the hospital. (Nurse in Green is smiling, sometimes) Low: Still continue to have some blackouts. High: Water tanks secured and stabilized on previously sagging stand. Low: Still some lack of getting water to be put in them.

Low: One Sunday a Commuter Bus wrecked and 6 people were dead at the scene but 11 people were brought to our hospital that morning, many critically wounded. High: The volunteer team that week happened to consist of a nurse, 2 paramedics and a med asst. that were all able to help with the crisis in the hospital. (A seminar on Effective Triage had just been given by the volunteer RN and after the incident we were able to debrief with the staff and try to make some future plans for the hospital on how to deal with such instances more effectively) High: New Road sign painted pointing the way to the hospital.

Low: Traffic jams while people get their picture taken by the new sign. High: Numerous school children all over the area hearing about the Good news of Jesus Love for them. Low: Children screaming in fear seeing Murungu (white faces) for the first time.

High: Middle school age children hearing the message of Abstinence and Waiting for True Love and Marriage to have sex from Dr. HIV! Low: Watching a 15 year old girl who was dying of AIDS and praying with her grandma who sat helplessly in the hospital with her every day till she passed.

High: Beautiful murals adorn the inside and outside walls of the hospital and some surrounding facilities Low: Seeing birds try to perch unsuccessfully in the branches of the painted tree. High: ACTS (African Christian Tours and Safaris) has been providing transport, cooking and assistance with culture for all the volunteer teams. Low: Gaining weight eating all the wonderfully prepared food while serving on mission in Zimbabwe. High: Teachers in area receive training in creative ways to help children learn. H: highly I: intelligent instructors G: giving H:Helpful teacher training L: lectures are O: old W: way

High: Volunteers watching the local blacksmith create his hammers, axes, machetes, knives and hoes in his thatched shed as he operates the bicycle wheel type billow. Low: Getting all those ‘weapons’ purchased through security at the airport. High: Eating a wonderful “traditional meal” of sadza and greens under the Milky Way and Southern Cross constellations in the beautiful moonlit sky at a friend’s village. Low: Tasting Mapani Worms for the first time (and LAST). High: Volunteers in nursing school getting to see a C-section and ‘assist’ in another delivery of baby. Low: Volunteer teaching Sunday school is distracted by a Mother nursing her baby in the front row. Low: Encountering many people affected with HIV and dying of AIDS in the community. High: Taking ‘Love Buckets’ filled with necessary supplies for those severely ill people in their homes and being able to show Christ’s love in a tangible way. (BGR Project)

Even Higher: Providing an opportunity of witnessing and for one of these same young people to accept Christ’s love and forgiveness a few days before she died Higher still: A 24 yr old mother of 4boys, sick with AIDS, also received a love bucket and Christ as Savior High: Roofing put up over containers that store the supplies for the Hospital Makeover. Low: The termites enter the container from underneath. High: 86 volunteers (+ 15 more to come) from the US this year to help with the makeover; Low: One volunteer was very sick and received news of a cancer diagnosis upon her return home. Please be praying for her. HIGH: Mark and I desire that it is GOD who is High and Lifted Up. We continue to seek His will for our involvement here at Sanyati Baptist Hospital. WE are seeing God move in our community but more importantly in our hearts. LOW: Is our position on our knees before His throne. We continue to request and appreciate your faithful prayers and support. May your Highs be occasions for Praise and your Lows be opportunities for Prayer, Dr. Mark and Angie and Luke Byler