 In Central Africa an epic conflict rages between Communism, Islam and Christianity.
My first visit to Zambia, back in 1987, had an unpromising beginning. Transporting a large quantity of Bibles and Gospel booklets in transit through Zambia, en-route for Malawi and Mozambique, we were arrested at Kazangulu. Stripped and searched at the police station in Livingstone, thrown into stinking cells covered in human filth and infested with flying, crawling and biting insects. Interrogated. Blindfolded, barefoot and transported in chains to Lusaka.
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 Providence and Planning
“Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and He will establish your plans” (Proverbs 16:3). It is amazing to see how God sovereignly works by His mighty Hand to bring glory to His Name. Many ministry opportunities for our most recent Zimbabwe mission were cancelled at the last minute. This was rather unsettling as we tried to be diligent in our preparation. Little did our team know that some of the best ministry yet to be done in Zimbabwe would take place.  By God's grace we returned from our Mission to Zimbabwe.
Family Ministry Our team consisted of my wife and two of my children. Because of my wife's presence, we had many more counselling opportunities. We were asked numerous questions on Home schooling, child raising, family life, marriage, adoption, and more. A vital part in Africa that needs reformation is the institution of the family. Biblical principles for the roles of husbands and wives, marital love, the blessing of children, child discipline, responsibility of teaching children, love between parents and children, servanthood, and family unity need to be established, if we want to see blessed families, Christ-centred congregations and prosperous communities. One rural pastor commented that no one had ever come to minister in their church with their family before, as it is too big a sacrifice. None of our team really thought that we were making any sacrifices and our sons thought it was an exciting adventure. Our family was warmly received by our hosts and every effort was made to make us feel welcome and appreciated. We ministered in a high density area as well as in three rural villages. It was interesting to compare the life of the squashed-together suburbs with that of rural Zimbabwe. To read this Mission Report with pictures, click here. (750kb)
"For You are my rock and my fortress; for Your Name's sake You will lead me and guide me." Psalm 31:3 Our mission team was blessed with guidance and protection as we travelled across 4 countries, and conducted over 70 meetings and outreaches. Blessings and Border Crossings As our team travelled into Zambia we were concerned about the border crossing. We met a man along the way who suggested an alternative border crossing we had not yet considered. He said that he knows the people at the borders and that they are not corrupt. He also assured us that it would be cheaper and easier. We thought this was a good idea so we followed the man's advice. We were nervous as we had books to donate, a massive sign board which could not be hidden, and a huge tent which took up a large amount of space in the back of the vehicle. We knew that these items did not really have a set price and we would not be able produce a receipt for them. This would mean that the customs officials at the border could basically charge us any import fee they chose to! When we went to customs, the customs official said that he would not charge us for religious material. This was the first time an official has ever said that to us. When we went through the vehicle inspection, the border official did not even look in the back of our vehicle; he just waved us through! 83% of Zimbabwe’s wildlife has been destroyed by Mugabe’s state sponsored chaos according to the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force. Inflation is over 4500%. Unemployment is over 85%. Power failures for days on end even in the capital, Harare, are common. Shops are empty. Starvation is rampant.
It takes much longer to build than to destroy. For example, it took the Americans seven years to build the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre in New York, but it only took an hour for Muslim terrorists to destroy that remarkable feat of engineering.  "They promised them freedom while they themselves are slaves of depravity." 2 Peter 2:19
How to Steal an Election and Ruin a Country Zimbabweans are outraged over how Marxist dictator, Robert Mugabe has once again defrauded them with an electoral ambush. The Sunday Times claims that ZANU-PF President Robert Mugabe used US$850 million of blood diamond money to rig the country's latest elections.  Fatally Flawed
Tomorrow, 31 July, Zimbabweans will be going to the Polls. Despite pleas from the opposition parties, from the leaders of the Southern African Development Community, and even from President Jacob Zuma of South Africa, that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission was patently unready for the mammoth task awaiting it, and that the constitutional safeguards demanded by observers, voters and their representatives, have not yet been put into place, Mugabe and his ZANU-PF cohorts are pushing on ahead, against all advice and protests, with yet another blatantly rigged, uneven and fatally flawed election. We are now into our 5th week of price controls and the resultant shortages. I am becoming increasingly alarmed at the situation and hope that my misgivings are not misplaced.
Today there is no rice in the urban areas, very little bread and what is available is being rationed, there is no maize meal, no cooking oil or margarine, no meat and very little milk and dairy products. I called the Dairibord today and they had no product to sell - nothing, they said they were having problems with their milk supplies. Blood Diamonds
Partnership Africa Canada, a member of the Kimberly Process Initiative against Blood Diamonds, has reported that the diamonds from the Marange diamond fields in Zimbabwe have only benefited a well connected elite of ZANU-PF party leaders and the Zimbabwe military, who have dominated the mining concessions. US$2 Billion Stolen Although the state mining firm claims that the gems were sold "transparently", and the Kimberly Process has certified the Marange gems, human rights groups and the diamond watchdog, Partnership Africa Canada, have documented abuses at the mines and estimate the theft of the blood diamonds of Zimbabwe at US$2 billion, since 2008. The proceeds of this looting of the resources that should be helping Zimbabweans, are going into the pockets of ZANU-PF leaders. The Stage was Set
The five and a half hour border crossing into Zimbabwe set the stage for the rest of our Mission trip. It was clear from the word go, that things were going to be tough and people would be sent to test our patience. Even though we were going to minister to others, God was teaching and growing me during the course of our Mission. A Family of Believers When you minister to a foreign church, the congregation can, at times, feel distant. There isn't always a strong connection with the people, as there may be at your home fellowship. This however, was not the case in many of the churches in Zimbabwe. Over time we have built up such a good relationship with the local people in Zimbabwe that stepping behind the pulpit feels more comfortable than it would at home. We had many opportunities to preach to congregations and we were always warmly received. |
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"And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.” Matthew 28: 18-20
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.” Matthew 28: 18-20
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