We’ve arrived in Zimbabwe, and what a refreshing place it is. Children run to the street to wave as you drive by, and everyone greets you with a huge smile. Laughter is present in abundance. The joy of the people here is contagious, and it makes even the smallest of moments enjoyable.
My new team and I (see the lovely women on the left) are working with an organization called Lasting Impressions run by a married couple, the wife from America and the husband from Zimbabwe. They run a camp on 470 acres of beautiful woodland. We were told we would be running leadership camps and environmental camps; I tried not to get my hopes up too high because things often change, but we really are!
This month is an absolute gift from the Lord. I joked around with my team that I don’t believe in celebrating birthday months, but apparently our Heavenly Dad does. Our home is incredible, with monkeys running around in the trees and a river in our backyard that we take nightly canoe rides on (though we have to pause due to a crocodile that’s showed up). The property is literally a garden oasis in the bush.
Shelley, the wife, is an incredible woman of God. She is wise, kind, and asks great questions. Al, her husband, is a professionally trained hunter and tracker with a lot of local natural knowledge. I love sitting in the passenger seat of the Land Rover, hearing dozens of new ecology facts as we explore the property.
We’ve helped run a retreat for the locals in the area. The men learned practical ways to increase their farms’ yields, and the children enjoyed running around the camp and learning how to swim and canoe. A couple of my teammates and I worked with the local women, and it was incredible. We got to talk about dreams and gifts and how the women could use their gifts to accomplish their dreams. We even got to have a session where the women got to spend time telling each other what gifts they saw in one another. It brought me so much joy to see these incredible women light up with passion as they talked about opening up orphanages or businesses or loving their children and in-laws well.
Back in Nepal, I remember thanking the Lord for such a beautiful country. In reply, He told me to wait because while I thought Nepal was great, there would be a country that would absolutely make me come alive with joy. I’ve loved countries along the way, but Zim is the country God promised. Each night I get to marvel at the galaxies He’s created. We have hosts who welcome us in as family, so I’ve gained a mom and dad and little brother. We get to teach kids about nature and help them see the wonder in God’s creation. We get to encourage women to believe in their God-given passions. I’m able to learn endless amounts about local plants and animals.
This month is an extravagant gift from the Lord. He always follows through on His promises, and they’re always better than I could imagine. Thanks Dad.
