on zim, weeks six/seven

blog five

“only one life,

‘twill soon be past;

only what’s done 

for Christ will last”

• a plaque in john piper’s kitchen

“when you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” 

• colossians 2:13-15 (emphasis added)

hello again. the time has flown by. in less than a week, i will be on a plane, heading home. it’s been a wonderful, enriching time, and it certainly isn’t over yet, but it is time to start tidying up and preparing to return home. ‘tis bittersweet. and will always be bittersweet, i suppose. but maybe that just shows its character. just bitter would mean that nothing of value awaited me at home, and just sweet would imply that i would leave nothing of value behind. but bittersweet means (in this case, at least) that neither are true. i am truly blessed. 

here are just some notes on what’s been going on around harare these past couple of weeks. i’ve divided them up into three easily-accessible sections (baptists love sets of three. and tea. and preserving Biblical truth. but mostly tea). so here goes nothin’.

holiday club - a couple of weeks ago, we hosted a holiday club (vacation bible school) for the kids in the neighborhood around our church, the avenues, during the mornings of  the 3rd through the 6th. during the school year, awana (yes, just like the one in the states) is held at cbc every friday night, and so this was not only an attempt at further outreach to those kids, but also at reaching the kids around our church who had never been to church and would never come to a normal sunday service. another goal was to (indirectly) reach the parents through the kids themselves, and hopefully secure their collective interest in Jesus, community, regular attendance at a church, etc. in the weeks before, some of us went out and passed out flyers to all the kids in the nearby apartment blocs, inviting them to games! food! singing! and prizes! our energy was contagious, i think, and the responses that we got were pretty much always enthusiastic, but the actual turn-out was a reality check as to the spiritual conditions that many of the kids are being raised in. our goal for the week was 70; we began the week with about 30, and most of them were awana regulars. but we didn’t have time to be disappointed, for 30 was certainly enough to keep us busy. i was one the leaders for the yellow team, and we kicked butt. not really. we finished gloriously in last place. but we definitely has the most fun (isn’t that always how it works out? or maybe i just never win, so i can’t even speak for that side of things). the mornings consisted of games, singing, devotions, teaching, craft time, and a quiz on what we had learned that day. it might seem like a lot (it did to me, that’s for sure), but i must say, we had a fantastic team. lots of people were willing to volunteer their time, and the Lord saw to it that each of our needs, personnel and otherwise, was met. my duties included leading the singing, which turned out to be harder than i ever expected, leading some of the games (sharks and minnows...works every time), and assisting in the kitchen, preparing biscuits and juice for the kids and tea for the workers. for those of you who are campus by the sea family camp regulars, you’ll be glad to hear that i introduced the butterfly song, i am somebody, i am a c-h-r-i-s-t-i-a-n, and jesus’ love is bubblin’ ovah to the kids, and they absolutely loved it. and they weren’t the only ones. one of the workers is a teacher at an elementary school down the road, and she asked if i could come and teach the songs to the kids at her school next week. so sweet. i’m so pumped. 

anyway, the week was splendid. we actually ended with just over 60 kids because the ones who had come on the first day ran home to tell their friends about where they had been. so sweet. and the kids were so cute, their faces just full of excitement and joy. on a deeper level, i think the ministry done was truly significant. i saw a few of the kids at our next sunday service, many of who had come alone, and some who had walked all the way across the avenues alone on a sunday morning just to come to church. who knows what kind of seeds were planted. i do know that my friends and i here at cbc poured a lot of love, the love of Jesus, into the lives of those kids, and i just hope that they were as blessed as i was. it was one of those times when you realize that it’s just not about you, but all about Him.

victoria falls - one of the primary consequences of this year of travel has been my (partial) understanding of how absurdly blessed i am. this past weekend, i was able to travel to victoria falls to enjoy God’s creation and the other side of zimbabwe (also God’s creation, but...you know what i mean). note to my sponsors - the only expense from the trip that i charged to my official account was the bus ticket, nothing else. this was a combined gift from my parents, who are incredible, and central baptist church in harare, where i’ve been interning. just so that you don’t think that i went gallivanting across zimbabwe, using your money to bungee* jump off a cliff and gaze at lots of water going off that same cliff. but anyway, just so you know. so after 13 hours in a bus, we arrived at the falls, and i caught a cab to my lodge. upon my arrival, i was informed that i was the only one in the entire place, and so i had been upgraded to the presidential suite, for free. starting the trip off right, in my opinion. i woke up early, ate breakfast in the company of some friendly local warthogs, and caught a bus to the place where i was to jump off the cliff. i wish i could just say bungee jump (note the asterisk above), because it was essentially the same thing, and the consensus around zimbabwe is that what i did is actually more hard-core, but alas, it was not pure bungee jumping. it was called the gorge swing, and basically it was just a 300-foot free fall into a  swinging motion over the zambezi. it was shnuts. i was so pumped after the first time that i promised to buy all the guys beer if they would let me go again. they were initially game, but their boss had decided to show up whilst i was jumping, and he vetoed the idea, saying “the white man can pay if he wants to go again.” blast, plan foiled. so they offered to give me a lift into town, which i gladly accepted. that night, despite being tired from a day of walking around town, i went on a sunset cruise down the river, hoping to see some wildlife and a beautiful sunset. 

so this night was one of most amazing i’ve had in a long time. i was in a bit of a sour mood before getting to the boat. i guess i was just tired, and worried about where to find dinner, but whatever the case, i definitely wasn’t in the mood to meet any new people.  i just wanted to get to the boat, sit at my own table, and enjoy nature in peace. but the Lord had other plans. first, i met a lovely german couple on the bus to the river, and we ended up sitting together and enjoying the first part of the cruise together, just chatting about germany and photography and lions and pretty much everything else under the sun. when the sun started to set, i rushed up to the top deck to get a better angle for pictures. up there, i met the most wonderful group of americans. they were travel agents from all around the country visiting vic falls so that they could give their clients insightful and up-to-date information on traveling there. sweet job, i know. anyway, they struck up a conversation with me and, despite the foul mood that i was in, they were so gregarious and kind that the mr. scrooge in me wore away and i came to just truly enjoy their company and the beauty of the sunset that we all were experiencing together. ‘twas wonderful. but that’s not even the half of it. when the cruise was drawing to a close, they approached me and asked me if i would like to come back with them to their hotel for dinner. i said yes immediately, just on principle, because bachelors should never say no to free food. but as they explained the situation to me, my jaw gradually dropped to the floor. they were staying at the victoria falls hotel, the premier lodging option at the falls and the oldest, most historic hotel in town. and not only that, the five-star restaurant that we would be eating at would be an all-you-can-eat buffet. ohmygosh. i was so pumped. what began as a night with little promise ended up blowing me away, all thanks to two sets of people who took it upon themselves to reach out to me. these are the kinds of things that stick with you, that you remember. i doubt that i’ll remember exactly how it felt to stand on the banks of the zamezi. but i’ll always remember those people who showed me, a stranger, love.

the last day was spent on the zambezi river, canoeing. we left early early in the morning, and to get to the drop-in spot we had to drive through mile of bush, during which we saw baboons, impala, warthogs, vultures, kudu, etc. nothing too special, but when you see them for the first time they might as well be unicorns. we got to the spot and embarked on our epic, action-packed journey... well, it was actually quite mellow. the zambezi has a strong current this time of year, so the paddling required was minimal, which was nice. on our way, we saw a few hippos, hordes of elephants, and even a few crocodiles. ok, story time - i legit came within six inches of a crocodile while walking along the shore, waiting for our canoes to be unloaded. it just jumped out in front of me, into the river. i screamed like a little girl, then tried to recover by puffing my chest out and ensuring everyone that it was ok, just a baby crocodile (lies, it must’ve been at least fifty feet long), and that i had it all under control. reflexive macho-ness = ridiculous, yes, but a reality. all in all, it was a sweet time. being outdoors and getting to observe the wildlife was amazing. but it couldn’t hold a candle to the falls. after we disembarked, i rushed over there for fear that i would miss the rainbows, which i guess are best in the afternoon. what i witnessed is impossible to put into words. it’s one of the few places that i’ve ever been where the might and power of our Lord was put on display. it was truly breathtaking. i’ll put up some pictures, but it’s just one of those places that you’ll just have to visit yourself. anyway, after spending a few hours there, i walked back into town, back to my lodge, showered and changed clothes, and hit the town for the night. i grabbed dinner at this little restaurant that was showing the superugby match between my team (the cheetahs) and the crusaders, and i ate my burger and chips in contented silence as i watched my boys roll to victory. afterwards, i asked around for where to find the best nightlife in town. the bartender pointed me to the shoestrings lodge, where they often had djs and local bands performing live. so i went, and honestly, didn’t plan on talking to anyone. i was just gonna go, have a couple of drinks, listen to some good music, and be on my way. but again, God had different plans. as i was just chillin’ on the fringes somewhere, i was approached by two locals who asked me to buy them drinks. i declined and turned away, but they didn’t seem at all interested in returning to their seats, so we just started talking. the conversation (don’t ask me how, i legit have no idea) turned to spiritual matters, and two hours and zero beers later, we were standing right where we met, working through the basic tenets of the Gospel and why it applied to their lives. it eventually got too late, and their ride was waiting, so we had to part ways. we never really got to wrap up the conversation. but who knows what kinds of seeds were planted. i hope and pray that they were led back to Christ, or at least set on that path, through that conversation or resulting ones. it’s all in His hands. anyway, the weekend was amazing, and was one of those times when you realize that it’s just not about you, but all about Him.

life around church - ok it’s getting late, so this will have to be quick. everyday life around the church has been wonderful. i’ve set about tackling all the work that i’ve been procrastinating on (some habits never die, i suppose), so it’s beginning to become a bit stressful, but it’s ok. if my college study habits are any indicator, that’s when i’m my most productive. but ya, a couple of sundays ago, i was asked to sing in the chorus for the praise and worship team, and i (very) warily said yes. i had never done anything like that before; i felt totally naked without a guitar in my hands haha. but it went well. on the shona songs, i just tried to hum the tune and make it look like i knew what i was doing. gotta fake it ‘til you make it, i guess.

lately i’ve been interviewing some of the girls who have come through the rafiki girls’ centre over the years for our “significant change” booklet. the stories are at once horrifying and inspiring. these girls have been through so much. hearing their testimonies has spurred me on in my work at the church. the knowledge that i’m helping in some small way is enough to keep me pushing forward. the picture below is of one of the girls that i interviewed yesterday.

at the beginning of the month i moved in with another family, the idukus, and it has been truly wonderful. they’re so sweet and their hospitality is beyond description. they have a three-year old named khula, and tonight he asked if i could read him a Bible story, so i chose the beatitudes. he lost interest very quickly. i think i should just stick to high school ministry.

on social concerns distribution days, i’ve begun to recognize some faces, which has been so sweet. two stories stand out from the past few weeks. first, tom and i drove a blind lady and her one-year old baby to the hospital a few weeks ago when she showed up at the door to the church with her baby covered with untreated third-degree burns. but not only were the untreated, she had covered them with some kind of paste, which the baby was clearing having an allergic reaction to. it turns out that she had gone to see a local witch doctor, paid him the last of her savings, and received the sound advice to purchase any over-the-counter drug, crush the pills and mix them with cream, and cover the baby’s burns with the resulting paste. the result? well, it definitely didn’t work. so we took her to the hospital, paid the bill, and asked her to update us when she knew more. so she came by the church yesterday with her bouncing baby boy who seemed fascinated, even amused, with his own scars; he kept lifting up his shirt to show passerby his scarred belly. so cute, in the saddest way possible. second, there’s promise, a lady with only one hand who has started her own knitting business! with one hand, she manages to knit clothes for the kids in the neighborhood around where she lives, and can almost fully support her family off of her income. i’m a miserable knitter, as i’m sure most of us are, and i even have both of my hands! she is a wonderful example of someone taking initiative and grasping the business sense that so many lack. when asked about her business, she glows, but when i asked about her husband, she looked down and became quiet. “i haven’t seen him in a while. he just comes and goes. i don’t know what to do.” tragically, she’s not the only one. it’s a pattern we see all the time. if he keeps with the trend, he won’t stay around for long. he’ll move on, maybe move to mozambique or south africa, leaving her to care for the kids herself. the kids, growing up without a loving male presence in their lives, will be at greater risk of teenage pregnancy and abusive relationships and, for the guys specifically, behaving just as their father did. and the cycle will continue to repeat itself until someone makes a decision to change. but there’s no telling when that could be. idk, it just makes me so sad. anyway, that’s what’s been going on around central.

geez that was a long one. i don’t even know if that’s gonna fit in one post.

please pray for me, that my last week here would be wonderful and enriching. and that i may never cease to love.

(on that note) love,

h

on zim, weeks four/five

jeremiah 9:23-24 - “this is what the Lord says: ‘let not the the wise boast of wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast in about this: the he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight.’”

colossians 2:8 - “see to it that no one takes you captive through hollow or deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”

the cost of discipleship, dietrich bonhoeffer - (on cheap, self-imparted grace) “even if he absolves himself from his sins a thousand times, he has lost all capacity of faith in true forgiveness, just because he has never really known it.”

so i’m currently lying in bed, listening to damien rice, burning the midnight oil, trying to plan games for vacation bible school tomorrow. forty kids with boundless energy. one multi-purpose room. thirty minutes. piece of cake. 

these past couple of weeks have flown by. i seriously cannot believe that i only have three weeks left here in zim. but maybe that’s a good sign. my mind hasn’t been focused on things ahead - i have managed to stay in the present, learning and sharing as much as i can. it has been such an enriching time. because it’s late, and i still have work to do, i’m afraid that this one will be short. but hopefully i’ll be able to write again soon.

• one of the ministries that i am working with while i’m here is the social concerns ministry of central baptist church. social concerns is a ministry which, in partnership with international aid organizations and benefactors, brings physical assistance in the form of food and cooking supplies to the poor of harare. distribution takes place every tuesday and thursday afternoon. but aside from participating in the distribution of the actual materials, i’ve also accompanied some of the ministry leaders on “home visits”, when they drive around the city and visit the people who come to the church for assistance at their homes. as i’m sure most of you already know, zimbabwe is a country in crisis. economic, social, and spiritual crisis. but just as in any conventional third-world country, it is not the policy-makers who suffer - it is the poor. this i understood academically before i even began to plan the trip, but did not truly understand until it stared me straight in the face. we’ve taken trips all around town, but easily the most memorable experience we had was in the neighborhood “mufakose”, known for being one of the worst. five of us, in a beaten-up toyota pick-up, pulled up in front of a house, and three went inside - itai, tom and myself. we were there to see an elderly lady and her husband, who was suffering from leg problems, skin cancer, and a host of other maladies. on the way there, i asked if we should call ahead, to let them know we were coming. you know, just to be polite. everyone laughed, and informed me that i was in africa - there is no such thing as a closed door. hospitality at all times is the mantra to live by. i sighed. her grandson greeted us at the door and sat us down in the front room (there were only two in the house, besides the kitchen). she came out shortly after, full of energy, and greeted us as honored guests in her home, giving us the grand tour. proudly she showed us the patch of sugarcane which she was growing in the back yard and insisted on cutting down about seventeen million sticks for us to take home to our families. the tour ended back in the front room, and there we sat and read from the Word. itai and tom spoke to her and her grandson in shona, the native language, so i just tuned out for a little while, soaking up the room and examining every picture frame from the comfort of my armchair. ten minutes later, the sermon was over, and tom offered to pray so that we could be on our way. i bowed my head to pray, but felt a tap on my shoulder. “she wants you to pray,” said tom. “what? she can’t be serious. she knows i don’t speak shona.” “i asked if i could pray, but she wants you to pray.” “umm...alright.” truthfully speaking, it was a mediocre prayer. the whole time i was just trying to wrap my mind around the situation, wondering what to pray for, how to communicate the love of God clearly, how to speak slowly and use simple words so that they could understand, etc. i finished, looked up, and was shocked to see her crying. she stood up, wiped her eyes, came over to where i was sitting, and gave me the biggest hug of my life, whispering “i love you child” and “thank you, thank you” over and over again. my eyes returned her tears. thank goodness we have a God who is more powerful than our shortcomings.

• two weekends ago, i traveled to bvumba heights, a beautiful region in the eastern highlands, with ten other young adults from central baptist church to attend a baptist union of zimbabwe (buz) youth retreat. we met up with other churches from the eastern region at the eagles training centre, nestled in the mountain range which separates zimbabwe and mozambique. i could write a novel on that weekend alone, so i’ll spare you the details. basically, it was a wonderful time. it was my first real experience with shona culture, and as a foreigner, i didn’t quite know what to expect. but the efforts taken by everyone at the camp to make sure that i felt included in their activities made the transition easier than i ever thought possible. we played lots of soccer and rugby, ate lots of sadza and beans, sang lots of songs and danced lots of dances, and spent a lot of time just hanging out. i was admittedly a bit shy at the start of the camp, but as the days wore on and people kept pursuing me, inviting me into their community, i had no choice but to take the leap. it was wonderful. they even asked me to sing for them, which i did on a few occasions. on the last night, they asked me to share a testimonial from the weekend, just something that i would like to pass onto them, something that had impacted me in a significant way. i told them that, to me, they were now the face of the global church. thank goodness we have a God who is King over all the world. 

• last week was hifa (harare international festival of the arts) at the harare gardens, zimbabwe’s equivalent to central park in manhattan, a few blocks away from church. it felt a little bit like heaven. musicians, artists, poets, dancers, and actors from across the world met up in harare to participate in the festival, and i was fortunate enough to be able to go to a several shows. much of the material was polemic and political (as can be expected from a festival like this, artists tend to be an opinionated bunch) but managed to retain its professional quality. quite impressive. everything was wonderful, but two shows stood out as exceptional. nneka, a nigerian/german warrior princess, is the next lauryn hill. outdoor concert, standing room only, rain, mud all over my clothes, and it all went away when she started to sing. look her up. plus her drummer gave me a hug. the last show i went to was semtam, a dj duo from the czech republic. it was late at night, and i went with a couple of friends from church. as soon as they started playing, i could tell that they were good. ridiculously good. and i wanted to dance, but i was nervous. dancing for me always involves some kind of embarrassment. the certainty of this almost kept me chained to my seat. but i was feeling brave, so i went down and joined the few people on the dance floor. eventually everyone emptied out of their seats and made their way to the floor and i, feeling emboldened, just decided to let loose, to dance the night away. so i did, for over an hour. i just danced as i would dance, unfettered by anything. and it was great, until it ended and i looked up, panting, to applause from a section of the audience who had apparently just been watching me the whole time. seriously, i wish i was joking. they were all giving me the thumbs up and requesting the i try some of my more acrobatic moves again. needless to say, i turned bright red, gave them a courtesy wave, and made my way quickly for the exit. i’m laughing as i write this, but i was absolutely mortified at the time haha. oh well. thank goodness we have God, the Father, who created us in His image.

in conclusion, i’m doing really well, except that i’m fairly tired, which i can remedy by ending this blog post. so goodnight, good people. please continue to pray for me, and for my community here in zim. pray that i can use my time well, and that the vacation bible school can go well. please e-mail me if you want to know anything more.

holland.stewart@gordon.edu

love,

holland