on zim, week one

(in humility, for this comes out of my own conviction). what comes to mind when you think of the African continent? political unrest? disease? Invisible Children? safaris? obviously, there is no “correct” answer, but any genuine inquiry should result in the realization that Africa is too diverse and too dynamic a place to be generalized in a few thoughts. divided between North and South, white and black, rich and poor, diseased and healthy, rebels and the government-faithful, Muslim and everyone else... as a Westerner, and one that (for better or for worse) has been deeply entrenched in popular evangelical culture, it has been easy to simplify the continent into a few vague concepts to make it fit inside my hopelessly narrow worldview. but it does not have to be that way. as you read this blog (which hopefully i will have the time to update regularly), give it your best attempt to think about Africa - and the rest of the world, for that matter - holistically, abandoning the paternalistic approach that so many Westerners take, often subconsciously, to interacting with our brothers and sisters from other nations. in my opinion, there is a wealth of knowledge to be gained from humbly seeking other cultures. they always go deeper than initial perception can hope to capture and often will surprise you entirely. so lay it down, let it go, and come to learn. you will not regret it. 

with that being said, my first few days here in Zim, meant to be my orientation of sorts, have been active and informative. upon arrival on thursday afternoon, pastor bell and i dropped off my gear at his house (at which i am staying for the first week or so) and headed off to run some errands and meet some people. most of those whom i met are affiliated in someway with the Central Baptist Church, where i will be interning for the next eight weeks. among those whom i’ve met so far are the church elders, the administrators of the Rafiki Centre, the pastoral staff, the staff of the nearby theological college, and the youth group, which seemed to welcome me with open arms (i don’t want to count my victories too early haha). my travels this year have shown me a new meaning of the word “hospitality”, and the africans which i have interacted with so far have only exceeded my expectations. the Bells have been absolutely wonderful hosts, and Naison, a pastoral intern at CBC and local Hararian, was kind enough to show me around the city by foot, informing me on the dos and don’ts of life in Zim. drivers are crazy, get used to the weird smells, and everyone drinks tea.

as i stated before, Africa completely blew away my expectations. i’m not foreign to third-world poverty, but this is different. Zim is a country in crisis. infrastructure has fallen apart, state law is virtually obsolete, the national currency is worthless, the unemployment rate is over 90%, police and politicians (and seemingly everyone in any sort of power) are corrupt, and the list goes on and on. the systemic problems plaguing this place are mind-blowing. and yet, it is a beautiful country, with beautiful people. even having only been here a few days, i can already see that. today i had the opportunity to head out into the country to the bally vaughn game sanctuary with david and katherine (brits, friends of the bells), and enjoyed myself immensely. the countryside is breathtaking and the animals lived up to all expectations (except for the leopard, which was dismally fat and non-agile). hopefully i can post some pictures on facebook tonight.

it is in circumstances like this that i am forced to seriously wonder what i could possibly have to offer these people. my native culture could not be more different. i don’t know what it’s like to call this place home. but i am comforted and reassured by the Holy Spirit and the knowledge that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the most culturally transcendent message i could possibly be bringing. hallelujah. it was never about me, and never will be. thank goodness. 

blessings,

h