What’s happening in Zimbabwe?
The locals here are asking the same question. Amidst crazy inflation due to a slew of other interconnected problems the people are living on less and less. Many are just scraping by for essentials. Power outages are frequent and last for 8-16 hours at a time. Water is also an issue – I haven’t seen extreme water poverty as I’ve seen it described in other areas, but the water is only on through taps at certain times during the day. For our team it runs from 4am to 8am. So, everyone is up early to do laundry and dishes and shower and all the things we do with running water and take for granted back home. The power is usually working late at night, so everyone stays up later if they have to do anything with the power other than charge a few things for the coming day. For the locals it’s a daily annoyance, but the people are resilient and full of hope for the future.
In Zimbabwe our team is working with Youth for Christ in a town called Chinhoyi (the h is silent I was pronouncing it wrong for a while). We work alongside and minister to young people. Let me tell you, these young people are passionate about the Lord and they are hungry to do their part to make the world a better place. What I’ve been learning here is this: No matter what God is on our side, and He always comes through.
Despite all difficulty, dispite all adversity, dispite all odds — our God is a faithful one who keeps His promises. As I’m learning to be faithful myself in the small things, as I face adversity — it’s difficult! I want to be as 100% as God is, and eventually – but I’m not there yet. However, I can see that it’s worth the fight because if you are faithful for others you build trust and they know you will come through for them, and I wanna be someone who comes through for people when they need it most. I want to be an agent of God’s faithfulness. Zimbabwe has been a great training ground because the people here are so trusting! I’ve had many opportunities to be faithful! Our team has been trusted to plan a worship and preaching event, trusted to provide a lesson on forgiveness to school kids, to put on a church service for a boarding school, to plan and build a playground for young kids at a local church, to train students in evangelism, and I’m sure we will be trusted with even more. Pray that we be faithful to complete the work that God has sent us here to do, and that we would trust in the faithfulness of our God to come through where we fall short. He is so glorious to do that. The world would be a better place if we all grew in our own faithfulness, but I believe that faithfulness is a process. You learn faithfulness step by step one decision at a time. It’s easier when times are easier and harder when times are harder, so as you grow and learn your own faithfulness realize and hold onto the one constant in an ever changing world, the One who is faithful. The One who loves and forgives us of our shortcomings in exchange for lives and hearts devoted to Him. No striving, but a desire to grow.
Press on everyone.
I’m sending my love to you all. I’m so thankful to be here to learn lessons like these with my team Kindle. This month has been awesome growing as a team. I feel like I’m really getting to know everyone and the more I get to know my team the more I love them and believe they are going to do amazing sharing God, His love, and His Kingdom this year and beyond wherever they go. I’m very proud of them, but in a good way I think. When I’m at home please excuse my bragging about getting to be around such amazing people as Jeff, Brieanne, Daniel M, Kearstin, and Jamie. I wouldn’t be here without your support and prayers. I’m still praying to be fully funded for the second half of this journey and for the rest of X Squad. Please hit the donate button if you feel led to support our work. I’ll include a link for you to find others on the squad to fund as well who will still be on the field even after I return mid November!
X SQUAD – support link
1 John 1:9
God bless you all.
-Daniel
