Ninth entries: 5-26-10
Good morning! I’ve had a HOT shower this morning! Now outside with a cup of coffee, enjoying the warm morning sun and the sounds of birds. Glorious.
After the girls discipleship time yesterday, we got into a truck and went to Crossroads, where we connected with the two Andy’s and Gloria from the Nehemiah Project, which works with HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness. There, Stephen shared his heart for Crossroads--they built toilets and currently have chickens and goats, with plans to build a children’s building, a main worship center, grow some crops according to Farming God’s Way perhaps even a sewing business and a bicycle shop. Big vision for the community. We prayed there and it was powerful. One of the Andy’s had Stephen hold a log and pound it into the ground, saying that as the shockwaves would ripple across the land, so would the shockwaves of the work they are doing spread.
Then we “nipped” to a piece of land that a prominent woman in the community had given to Stephen-which is a BIG DEAL, Since land is scarce, and it serves as the source of power and income. (A word about nipped: people often “nip” into town “just now” in Southern Africa. This, though it sounds like a quick trip, is not so. Nipping often takes a while, and the “just now” means in a little, or long while...you get the picture). Stephen had a sense to go ask for land to plant sunflowers to press into oil, so cooking oil would be readily available to the community. He went to go ask this prominent woman, very concerned, and she had a dream wherein God said a man would come to ask her about oil and she must give him what he wanted. So, she gave him the land. There is now vision to build houses for the Ebenezer guys who aren’t from that community. I had a picture of sunflowers with flower pointed to the sky, the light coming out of them, showing the community the face of God. I don’t know how it was received, but I hope it encouraged.
Then, we went to a women’s house to pray for her upcoming court case--a man had stolen three of her cattle and rebranded them, but their brand is similar to hers. Now they are playing the political card, saying she is an MDC supporter (ie not a Mugabe supporter). It’s a very hard time. We prayed that truth would prevail and we prayed for her two boys, and then returned to Ebenezer.
There, Brilliant took us on the rest of the tour, showing us his fields. Then, we had a celebration lunch of sudza and meat. The apprentices sang and danced and did a skit for us. Very funny. My favorite was the young men singing.
After that, it was sadly time to go. We said goodbye and then went back to Pamula to pack up. We got back to Bulawayo, talked with Stephen some more and then had tea and cookies, a nice meal and slept.
Also, Marlene made and brought several cookies (aka biscuits) to Ebenezer, one flavor of which was snickerdoodles. We taught Stephen and the apprentices that word and they thought it was sooo funny. Laughter erupted every time we said it. The girls, and the cook, Andrew, want to learn how to bake them. So, next week for the girls’ discipleship time, they’ll learn to make peanut butter cookies. They’ll call it Baking God’s way! (Post-trip remark: the totally did this, and there was no wastage!)
The faith here is so big, though resources are small.
Tenth Entries: 5-27-10
Long day in the car yesterday from Bulawayo to Harare, but quite comfy in the back of Renee Cunningham’s truck. We got in about 6:00pm and met at River of Life Eastlea with Tongai, Teach, and had the good fortune of running into Bones and Tash. Tongai took Ginger and I home with him for the night. He pastors/is elder at River of Life Westgate, but lives about 1K from Estlea. We met his wife, Joy, and 2 children, Joel and Shane--very cute! We hung out for a while and then had a delicious meal. Then, we had a really good time talking to Joy and Tongai--Tongai had to pull Joy away because we’d be back on Friday.
Then we got up early today and let for Dotitto at 6am. I slept most of the way here, and I’m still tired. Luckily, many of the guys here for CBS Training are just as tired, having walked upwards of 20K to get here. Everyone is so kind here-they made a big spread of tea and bread for us upon arrival, with some cookies. They had praise and worship and now it’s time for training. So cool to hear the guys’ hearts for the local churches out here. They ask good questions and have good feedback for CBS.
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