When visiting one of the rural districts surrounding Zvishavane in the south of Zimbabwe 3 months ago, we were struck by the resilience of those who lived on the parched plots with little easy access to water, healthcare and education for their children. We were exploring a program run by the Zimbabwe churches with whom weContinue reading “On the fourth day of Christmas… an orientation to praise and thanksgiving.”
Tag Archives: Zimbabwe
Melons, chickens & goats
Thinking today of a young lady I met in the back blocks of Zimbabwe. She’s 17 years old, orphaned and living with her grandmother. Her industry is inspiring – she grows melons and tends her flock of six goats (started with one). The two chickens given her two years ago have grown to a flockContinue reading “Melons, chickens & goats”
Wilderness Community Garden
Whilst bashing about the parched back-blocks of rural Zimbabwe, we came across a large fenced off area above a slow flowing river – the district community garden supplementing hamlets and farmsteads for many kilometers around. Known locally as a “garden of Eden,” the plots of a variety of vegetables, including spinach and kale, were surprisinglyContinue reading “Wilderness Community Garden”
Out of Zimbabwe
It’s now a few days since completing a three week stint working with Churches of Christ in Zimbabwe as part of a volunteer team from Australia and New Zealand. The dust has started to settle, the Africa in our veins is distilling to something quieter and more reflective. The next few posts will describe someContinue reading “Out of Zimbabwe”
Facing the Future in Zimbabwe
The hope for Zimbabwe lies in its future leadership, well-educated and founded on the trust that is realised in the gift of the gospel of Christ. So claims Antony Dandato, representing the Fellowship of Christian Unions in Zimbabwe (FOCUS) speaking at the Church of Christ Wembley Downs during an extended visit to Perth. The goalContinue reading “Facing the Future in Zimbabwe”
Breakfast with BJ
Part of the Saturday morning crowd with BJ and Chipo Mpofu (right) Folk from over half a dozen Perth western suburbs churches gathered for an early Saturday morning breakfast with BJ & Chipo Mpofu. Under his role as President of World Convention of Churches of Christ, BJ opened the proceedings with a celebration ofContinue reading “Breakfast with BJ”
200 years
Things are beginning to happen amongst the individual and diverse communities of what began to emerge 200 years ago as the Restoration Movement and ended up under a plethora of monikas covering most of the countries of the world – variously Churches of Christ, Disciples of Christ, the Christian Church, churches (small c) of Christ.Continue reading “200 years”
Bonhoeffer, Zimbabwe and the Prodigal Son
In recent times I have often used the illustration of a rope with its many strands to urge the contemplation of how the seemingly unrelated issues with which we wrestle can provide a unifying strength. This last week has seen me attempting to come to grips with Bonhoeffer’s approach to ethics, a challenge to participateContinue reading “Bonhoeffer, Zimbabwe and the Prodigal Son”
Well, well, well!
The challenge to the church was to raise $4000 to sink a well in the remote drought stricken hinterlands of Zimbabwe. Individuals and groups set about to devise their fund-raising schemes. Our resident artist devised a working model that would show week by week how far the bore had sunk towards the water table farContinue reading “Well, well, well!”