This link will take you to a very good article on the current economy & politics of Zimbabwe. Takes less than 5 minutes to read, but lots of good information.
Kitco - Commentaries - Alf Field
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
What God Can Do With a Willing Heart - Maforga Mission
About 25 years ago Roy Perkins, a White Zimbabwean, accompanied a friend on a day trip to Beira, Mozambique (about 200 miles round trip) to take care of some business. Mozambique was in the last throes of civil war, the economy was decimated, and extreme poverty was everywhere. For months after returning home, Roy could not get the images of poverty out of his mind and increasingly felt that God wanted him to do something to help. He began to load his car with basic food stuff, drive into Mozambique and distribute it.
The governments of both Zimbabwe and Mozambique became suspicious of his activity and demanded that if he continue, he must have a base in Mozambique to work from (and they could keep track of him). He prayed about it, and the Lord led him to a farm on the east side of Chimoio, on the main road to the coast. He met the owner, a German lady, and much to his amazement, she wanted to sell the farm to him for next to nothing! The local community, as well as most of the country, was not only devastated by war, but also by AIDS and ignorance. The food he was providing was for many the only food they had to eat. Among those being fed were many AIDS orphans, widows, and young mothers with nursing babies.
Roy and his wife in time moved to the farm in Mozambique. God blessed them with more surrounding land (they now have over 2000 acres) and repeatedly He would lay a burden on their hearts then provide the means to meet the needs. They began to take in orphans, and now have over 100 living on the farm. They opened a clinic. Other missionaries have come to join them through the years, so that they now have, in addition to the orphanage, a school, a well-baby program for new-borns through their first year, a technical school, a wood-shop where the students make and sell furniture, a dairy cow project (in partnership with Land O Lakes, Inc. from the USA) that trains destitute families how to care for and utilize a dairy cow, then provides them with one or two cows to begin their new micro-business, as well as other projects.
Roy said they never envisioned all this in the beginning. They just felt led to buy food and drive to Mozambique to distribute it. Then as God opened more doors, they obeyed.
I pray that God will teach me to listen to His voice - and to have the faith to be obedient.
The governments of both Zimbabwe and Mozambique became suspicious of his activity and demanded that if he continue, he must have a base in Mozambique to work from (and they could keep track of him). He prayed about it, and the Lord led him to a farm on the east side of Chimoio, on the main road to the coast. He met the owner, a German lady, and much to his amazement, she wanted to sell the farm to him for next to nothing! The local community, as well as most of the country, was not only devastated by war, but also by AIDS and ignorance. The food he was providing was for many the only food they had to eat. Among those being fed were many AIDS orphans, widows, and young mothers with nursing babies.
Roy and his wife in time moved to the farm in Mozambique. God blessed them with more surrounding land (they now have over 2000 acres) and repeatedly He would lay a burden on their hearts then provide the means to meet the needs. They began to take in orphans, and now have over 100 living on the farm. They opened a clinic. Other missionaries have come to join them through the years, so that they now have, in addition to the orphanage, a school, a well-baby program for new-borns through their first year, a technical school, a wood-shop where the students make and sell furniture, a dairy cow project (in partnership with Land O Lakes, Inc. from the USA) that trains destitute families how to care for and utilize a dairy cow, then provides them with one or two cows to begin their new micro-business, as well as other projects.
Roy said they never envisioned all this in the beginning. They just felt led to buy food and drive to Mozambique to distribute it. Then as God opened more doors, they obeyed.
I pray that God will teach me to listen to His voice - and to have the faith to be obedient.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
George Nsinga - Child Soldier
George Nsinga grew up in a Christian home, with a fairly typical life for a young African boy in rural Rhodesia. At least, as typical as life could be during the war for independence in the mid-1970's. At any moment, life could be interrupted by the arrival of government soldiers or "the boys" from any of the three competing rebel armies. That could mean intimidation, threats, torture, confiscation of property or even death for anyone who happened to be in the way. The worst were ZANU-PF, headed by Robert Mugabe.
One day, while in class at high school, they came - a band of fighters from ZANU-PF. Whatever else might have happened, this we know - they kidnapped the students, including George, and marched them some 250 miles through the bush to Zambia. The march was dangerous and hard - from hunger, other rebel armies, and animals (as large as lions and as deadly as malaria-carrying mosquitoes). There they were sorted and redeployed - some to combat training, some to the USSR for specialized training. George was sent to the USSR for training as an intelligence officer, complete with liberal portions of communism and other propaganda.
After training, he was redeployed back into Rhodesia as a spy - mind you, he was still just a teenager. Caught in an attack, his right leg was shattered, and to this day he limps and uses a crutch.
The war ended in 1980. Today he is married with three children, and he and his wife Musa teach school while he also serves as the preacher for the Senga Church of Christ in Gweru, Zimbabwe. He is a quiet man of deep faith, tested by fire, full of compassion and joy. I wish you could meet him.
One day, while in class at high school, they came - a band of fighters from ZANU-PF. Whatever else might have happened, this we know - they kidnapped the students, including George, and marched them some 250 miles through the bush to Zambia. The march was dangerous and hard - from hunger, other rebel armies, and animals (as large as lions and as deadly as malaria-carrying mosquitoes). There they were sorted and redeployed - some to combat training, some to the USSR for specialized training. George was sent to the USSR for training as an intelligence officer, complete with liberal portions of communism and other propaganda.
After training, he was redeployed back into Rhodesia as a spy - mind you, he was still just a teenager. Caught in an attack, his right leg was shattered, and to this day he limps and uses a crutch.
The war ended in 1980. Today he is married with three children, and he and his wife Musa teach school while he also serves as the preacher for the Senga Church of Christ in Gweru, Zimbabwe. He is a quiet man of deep faith, tested by fire, full of compassion and joy. I wish you could meet him.
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