Readers,
While I was in Seminary I developed a solid and close friendship with a family from Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia). Amos and I took classes together, studied together, and were next door neighbors in our living arrangements for a couple years. Our first born children (both girls) were born within 6 months of each other. Once I took my first ministry his family and my family shared a very large garden together on the land that the Manse sat on. We shared in the labors and we shared in the harvest. A few years later I visited Zimbabwe and did a wee bit of missionary work while staying in Harrare (formerly Salisbury). It was quite the eye opener to say the least.
Amos and I have continued to stay in touch through the years. We have continued to support the family and the Church work that they are involved in. We are a small Church and so our support is just a drop in the bucket in comparison to the need.
As many of you might know Zimbabwe currently is in desperate throes as a Nation.
Below I have reproduced a recent letter from the family.
Dear Friends
We take this opportunity to update you of our situation here in Zimbabwe. We can not say much but enough to just say our situation here continues to deteriorate very rapidly. Actually we have moved from three meals a day to one. There is literally no food in our shops, no sugar, no mealie meal, no rice, no noodles, no meat, no milk, the list is endless. We were excited when we received news of your desire to assist our family financially. It is our hope that God will enable you by his grace to do so. We explored several ways of sending money and the only way to do currently is through the Western Union, They are able to pass on the money without any difficult.
Our prayer is that is we would get some hard currency, ie. US$ or South African rands than we we can go to South Africa or Botswana to purchase food stocks for the family. Our thanksgiving and Christmas prospects look very gloomy but who knows what God can do in such a time as this?
Yesterday we had a very exciting Sunday service.It was a Bring A Friend Sunday.Quite a number of new faces visited our church and 3 of them gave their lives to the Lord. So despite of other hardships the Lord is at work.
God bless you,
Zimbabwe Family
If on the off chance you would like to support this family in their physical need and in their ministry you can make a check out to the Charlotte Christian Reformed Church. In the notation space in the left hand corner of the check designate it as Zimbabwe.
The Church’s mailing address is
Charlotte Christian Reformed Church
421 State Street
Charlotte, Michigan 48813
