Sherry and I have made seven times since we got to Chiredzi. Several projects needed to be dealt with. The guest house needed equipment delivered. We got a metal storage locker and a plastic tote. We had to bring down some kitchen utensils and silverware, plates, bowls, and food items.
Then we had two painting trips, one turned into an unexpected overnight stay. (I blogged that earlier.) I am not one to enjoy painting, but the local boys who came to learn to paint were quite pleasant and willing to learn. We have hauled chairs, water, food, paint, plumbing items, tools, sleeping mats and cots, sheets, a door, paint, and so much more.
Needless to say, we know the road (now two roads) to the mission at Maranda well. And we have one more to go, tomorrow through Wednesday. As an aside, we have a pickup that we drive, and we finally had time to take it to a mechanic to be looked at. It had a bad oil leak and not a lot of power. He tightened some hoses and changed some tubes for the turbo and now it runs awesome. The road to Dine has been improved with a long section of new highway opened up. but it is still almost three hours with an hour of bumpy dirt to traverse.
Our last trip was to meet the second team from the states, Highline Christian Church, for a revival meeting. It is Saturday as I write this and the meeting is ongoing. (Sherry and I skipped out today to return to Chiredzi to preach one last sermon and say goodbye to our dear friends and Chiredzi Christian Church). We return tomorrow. Friday my job was collecting people from churches that were some distance away for the revival and taking the chief’s younger brother home from a graduation party. I can now say I know an interim chief of an African tribal area.
I had the privilege of speaking on the first night of the meeting. My sermon was from Philippians 3:12-14, “Forgetting what lies behind, I press on to the goal to win the heavenly prize.” One thing that I talked about under things we leave behind is the fear of the enemy and what he can do. Our enemy is powerful, true, but “Greater is he who is in us, than he who is in the world.”
As I said, we return to Dine tomorrow. I am not sure what is happening on Monday, but Tuesday we, Donna, Sherry and I, are going to meet the chief. We have some gifts for him, and we are making ourselves known to him, as he is an important man if we are to keep doing our work in the Maranda region.
Wednesday we leave Dine for the last time this trip and return on Chiredzi. Thursday we are going again to the game park, this time with the whole team and several Zimbabweans. On Friday we return to Harare and Saturday is souvenir shopping. Sherry and I are hoping to get yellow fever vaccinations for Kenya. (They are a lot cheaper here.) Sunday the team is dividing up and attending three different churches (preachers will be preaching). Monday we start our thirty plus hour trip home. I imagine one more blog is coming. Thanks everyone for the support and your prayers. God is good and the work has been blessed.
