Taking the Gospel to villages of elderly in Zimbabwe.

Mazwi is a resettlement area where people who formerly lived in a squatter camp have been given a small plot of land, and enough building materials to build a 2-room cinderblock house.

It is a large area and home to thousands of people, many of them elderly. There is no electricity or running water in Mazwi, no schools, no shops, really not much of anything. Residents have to travel up to 20k just to buy basics like mealie meal and cooking oil. Ramona, IMB missionary in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe is very excited about developments in the Mazwi area. Several months ago she went recently with an IMB Nehemiah team to a Thursday morning gathering in a very remote community.

They went with two national young men who were going to translate for the team. “As we were waiting for people to gather, I overheard a conversation between one of the translators and a member of the Nehemiah team. He was telling her about how God had laid Mazwi on his heart, and how much he would like to see people there come to Christ. Well, obviously that was a God moment, so I joined the conversation.” Ramona says she only had about a minute to share before the meeting began, but she tried to encourage the young man to continue to be involved in the training of church members in evangelism and discipleship. “I figured I'd have a chance to continue the conversation afterwards. But God had another plan. He translated while one of the girls on the team shared her story, but then when she finished and sat down, he remained standing in the front. As he began to speak, I pretty much just sat there in amazement. There he was telling them everything I was planning to tell him after the meeting! God had certainly prepared his heart, and as he spoke, it was so evident that God was giving him the words to speak. And the best thing of all was that he was telling them in their heart language much better than I could have done!”

Ramona reports that as the months have gone by, “Samson continues to show a heart for evangelism, and it’s apparent that he has a true anointing from the Lord on his life. He is eager to complete the church planting training, and take it to more and more of the people of Mazwi.” “We are still meeting on Thursday mornings with the original group. Most are elderly women. Often when we go, we are asked to go and pray for someone who is sick, and in one case recently to pray with a family who had just lost a loved one. Just this past week we arrived to find that one of the ladies who lives just by the church meeting place was very ill, and they were waiting for the ambulance to come and take her to hospital. We went to pray with her, and then continued to pray as we watched the ambulance come and take her away.” “So far, they are in eager agreement that they need to share their story and share the Gospel with their friends and neighbors, but we have not yet seen the fruit. This past Thursday we challenged the people yet again, asking them if they were willing for their neighbors and family members to spend eternity in hell, or were they going to tell them about Jesus.” Considering that most of the residents are elderly time is certainly short for most of these residents. Ramona asks that you, “Please pray for them to be convicted that they must share their faith—now. It’s not enough just to say “amen” when Samson challenges them to go, but they need to actually go. Pray that Samson, Maria, Noma, and I would know how to proceed—stay with this group a little longer, or start looking for a new group.” Please pray for the people of Mazwi, that they will catch the vision and, like the apostle Paul, feel compelled to share the gospel with their neighbors and friends, and that new churches will form all over the Mazwi area. “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (I Corinthians 9:16b)

Famine of Hearing God's Word

“Behold days are coming,” declares the Lord God, “when I will send a famine on the land. Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, but rather for hearing the words of the Lord.” Amos 8:11. The fastest growing “church” in Zimbabwe is a blend of African Traditional Religion and well known stories from the Old Testament. No scriptures are ever read or studied. In fact, members are not allowed to own a Bible or have one in their home. They must listen and obey their leaders – who call themselves prophets.

A Baptist Church member who used to be a prophet in this “church” testified that the only reason he wanted to be a prophet was to make money when he made prophecies for people. He openly admitted that his “prophecies” were fabricated lies that people wanted to hear and were willing to pay for. When he heard the true gospel preached he was convicted of his selfishness, repented, and is now a lay-leader who guides people to the Truth. Recently team member Gregg Fort had an opportunity to speak with some who follow this religion. They had become dis-satisfied and hungry for the Truth found only in God’s Word. Pray that the “famine” caused by the absence of God’s Word will cause these deceived people to Hunger and Thirst for the Truth. Pray that this “famine” will end in an abundant harvest for the kingdom of God.

Farming God's Way

Brett Barnhill of Reclaimed Ministries and volunteer Jesse Carver from Mississippi have spent this week in Zimbabwe to assist us in teaching widows in Mkoba township how to plant their gardens in a way that is based on biblical principles. While “zero tillage” was developed in Texas during years of drought, the idea has been expanded here in Africa. The basic principles of Farming God’s Way are: 1. Plant after the first heavy rain of the rainy season. 2. Plant In a standard/uniform manner.

3. No wastage – no plowing, no burning. Use the grass in the field for mulch to cover the plants and hold in the moisture. This will eventually disintegrate and add to the soil. Holes are dug a specific distance apart along straight rows. Fertilizer, seeds, and water are measured out for each hole.

4. Do your work and reap the harvest with great joy. Take pride in your work. Share what you have learned with others. Use it as a witnessing opportunity to others.

About 30 women participated in the three day workshop. In the morning they were taught the basic principles. In the afternoon the women put what they learned into practice as they prepared an experimental plot on the grounds of Mkoba Baptist Church. The women formed partnership groups based on the neighborhoods in which they lived so they could help one another. This helps build support and encouragement groups for the widows. Carver said he was amazed at how well received he and Barnhill were by the women. “They were respectful, listened, took good notes, they were humble learners and willing to try something new.”

Barnhill noted, “These women are already living out their faith in their community. This is just one more way they can reach out to their neighbors. We have encouraged them to share their seeds and their produce.” Next year Barnhill hopes to return to do a followup training where other important issues such as crop rotation and dealing with diseases and insects will be discussed. Pray for these women that God would take the seeds and fertilizer they have been given to produce an abundant harvest so the widows can take care of themselves and their children, and even have some left over to share with their neighbors. Pray that the women would be faithful to share what they have learned with their neighbors. Pray for their lost neighbors as well, that God’s Holy Spirit will be at work in them to bring about an abundant kingdom harvest.

Impending Drought

Last year was not a great year for rain for Zimbabwe. It apparently was not a great rain year for Angola and Zambia either as their rain feeds into the upper Zambezi River which flows down to Zimbabwe where it makes the stunning Victoria Falls.

About May or June the rain waters reach the Victoria Falls and it will look something like the first picture. Due to poor rains the Zambezi River is running far below normal capacity and second picture shows what the Victoria Falls currently look like.

After going over the falls, the Zambezi River continues through some gorges then becomes part of Lake Kariba. A large portion of our electricity in Zimbabwe is generated by the power station on the dam at the eastern end of Lake Kariba. Because the water level is so low, the generators are only working on 1/2 their capacity. (Our other major power source is currently not working at full capacity either as it is undergoing a three year re-furbishment plan.) SO - we are experiencing major power cuts once again. Even though the rains were few last year, some people were able to grow crops. In most cases, their stocks are now depleted and people don't have money to buy food in the shops. We have been told by weather experts to prepare for another cycle of drought years. Of course it won't only be the crops, but the livestock and the people who will suffer. This is not a pleasant thought at all. Pray that God would find a way to provide for His own living in Zimbabwe.

Farewell to Mark, Angie and Luke Byler

The true measure of faith is rarely realized in calm seas where the sailing is smooth. The strength of the anchor rarely tested in sheltered harbors. However faith in difficult circumstances and a firm anchor during tumultuous times; these are true treasures indeed. Imagine your power being off for more hours than on. Ice trays melt; drinks go to room temperature. Freezers defrost and food spoils. Imagine water not coming through pipes when you open the faucet and having to carry buckets of water to bathe and flush toilets. Imagine needing a quiet and restful day, yet constantly having people coming to your door, each with great needs which they expect you to meet. Imagine having to drive 50 miles over very bad roads; dusty, potholed, and barely wide enough for two lanes to get to the nearest grocery store, to meet with friends in town, to eat out, or just to have a break from your routine. Imagine trying to run a hospital where government funds, drugs and equipment fail to materialize and becoming reliant on generous donors to supply funds with which you must scrounge to resource scarce supplies. Then imagine doing it all alone. Are you there?

Since 1994, Mark and Angie Byler have served as long term volunteers at Sanyati Baptist Hospital. Mark is a doctor and Angie is a nurse. Their son Luke, just graduated from Rift Valley Academy in Kenya. Their faith is genuine, their joy in serving the Lord is unmistakable, their impact on their community is eternal. They have loved, served, taken care of volunteers as well as patients, have lived a life of interruptions, have done without, and yet their faith in our Lord lies anchored in Christ. Their lives serve as an example to each of us to be faithful and obedient to Christ – no matter where we are or what our circumstances. They can teach us that CHRIST HIMSELF is the true treasure for which we should be seeking and He is worthy of any sacrifice. Mark and Angie – we love you. You have blessed our lives. You will be greatly missed. Maita zvakanaka! (Well Done!) Fambai naMwari! (Go with God!) Submitted by Gregg Fort

Sanyati Makeover Completion Celebration

Just as many different groups of people played an important role in helping Nehemiah rebuild the wall around Jerusalem, so many different groups of people played a role in the refurbishing of Sanyati Baptist Hospital. This is how missionary Barry Robinson introduced the makeover celebration service in the chapel at Sanyati Baptist Hospital.

Representatives from the Baptist Convention of Zimbabwe, the IMB, BGR, volunteers, as well as local community leaders and people joined the hospital staff in the celebration service.

Dr. Mark Byler, long term volunteer at the hospital, shared that in 2007 Zimbabwe was in dire straits and this had a huge impact on the services the hospital was able to provide. There were food shortages, drug shortages, and the plumbing to the hospital had disintegrated so that there was rarely running water at the hospital. In addition to this, electricity shortages caused the power at the hospital to be off more than it was on. Dr. Byler wondered if they could even continue to keep the hospital open. He began praying about what to do.

Within a week he received an email from Mark Hatfield, the BGR (Baptist Global Response) representative for Africa, asking if they could help the hospital in any way: water, drug supplies, or needs of HIV+ patients. Mark said, “I am ashamed to say I didn’t know anything about BGR, but I knew Mark Hatfield.” That was enough for him to say,” Yes!” Soon after that, Hatfield made a trip to Sanyati Baptist Hospital to see the needs firsthand. He was shocked by what he saw. The hospital was empty because there was no running water. Many of the windows were cracked or broken. Ceiling boards were caving in and falling down, the electricity was off and there were limited medicines in the hospital. Hatfield shared that the first BGR project which began immediately was to completely revamp the water system so that there would be a steady supply of potable water to the hospital. They also provided funds with which medicines could be sourced and purchased.

But the needs Hatfield saw he realized could not be met by BGR alone. In 2008 he had the chance to meet with a select group of men in Tennessee. These men thought it would be good to have a five year refurbishment plan to give the hospital a complete “makeover”. Soon after that these men came to Zimbabwe to tour the hospital themselves and develop the plan. Pastor Peter Sierson was instrumental in the plan and became the stateside contact person for volunteer groups desiring to take part in the makeover. He helped match group skills with jobs that needed to be done. (To learn more about the events of the Makeover and see its progress check out these previous blogs: 9-5-2010; 5-20-2011; 11-25-2012; 9-10-2012; 8-26-2013; and 8-5-2014) The makeover began in earnest in 2011. For the past five years over 600 volunteers have sacrificed their money and vacation time to spend time working at the hospital. Some of the projects which have taken place in the overall makeover are: new roofing over the massive hospital complex, painting inside and outside, new electrical wiring with the installing of solar panels for use when the electricity is off, carpentry work and the installing of metal cabinets. Registered Nurse Gora stated that before the makeover there was a lot of disease in the hospital because the staff could not wash their hands and they did not have clean drinking water.

We are so much better off now and there is not a spread of disease now as there was then. She also mentioned that while most of the Sanyati area remains in “darkness” that the hospital is in the “light”. Now the doctors can operate whenever they need to, especially in cases of emergency. The electricity also helps us use the machines to sterilized equipment and run the lab as well as keep the incubators going for our premature babies. It has also helped us have improved communication and keep our medicines requiring refrigeration from spoiling. Mrs. Dhliwayo, a pastor’s wife and community leader shared how many of the volunteer teams also participated in evangelism and discipleship in the community around Sanyati. They shared meals with the folks at Sanyati.

She challenged those from the local community to learn from the volunteers who had come. We need to be sharing the gospel, we need to be discipling. We also need to have pride and take care of our hospital so that it will remain in good condition for a long time. There are many things each of us can do to help keep it up and it doesn’t cost anything to sweep! We want our children to have the opportunity to be treated here. We should not expect money for our work, we need to do it for God, just like the volunteers did. When the five year plan for the makeover was first presented and Hatfield saw the amount of money that would be needed and number of volunteers and man hours it would require, he said in his heart he wasn’t sure we could accomplish the task. “I was right,” said Hatfield, “we couldn’t. But God was able.” Volunteer representative Coy Webb closed by saying how valuable each volunteer team had been. Each had done different jobs, and money trickled in for building supplies from many places.

Many were faithful to do the job God called them to do and with His help the task was completed. This building is a testimony to His greatness! “We are here today to celebrate not what the volunteers have done, but what God has done. We have a mighty God.”

The Next Generation

As a newlywed, my (Donna Fort) first trip to Zimbabwe

was filled with sights and sounds that were seared on my mind.

Seeing Harare from the overlook,

hearing the roar of Victoria Falls, seeing the herds of elephants coming in to drink at the waterholes.

One of the most memorable events though was when my mother-in-law, Dr. Wana Ann Fort, took me on a tour of the Sanyati Baptist Hospital. Meeting the people who ministered to so many in Jesus’ name was awe-inspiring. At that time, I never dreamed that one day I would be giving my own daughter-in-law a tour of Sanyati Baptist Hospital!

Recently, our son Jason and his wife came back for a visit to Zimbabwe. The first thing on Shay’s list of things to see and do was to visit the hospital and some of the patients. First we went to the maternity ward where we admired the newborn babies and Shay prayed over them.

Then we went to the children’s ward. Shay gave each child a piece of candy and some colouring pages with colours.

Finally, we went to the home where expectant mother’s who are due soon stay near the hospital. Shay enjoyed passing out small gifts and tracts, sharing scripture and praying for each new mother and child, for the children in the ward, and for the expectant mother’s to have a safe delivery. What a special time! How blessed we are to see a new generation of godly children rising up to minister in the kingdom of God.