A few weeks ago, we made our second trip to Salem/Campbellsburg, Indiana to visit Westview Christian Church. It was so lovely to reconnect with some familiar faces, and especially lovely to make new connections and build new relationships. We truly appreciate building a partnership with each of our supporting churches. We desire relationship with the individuals that make up the congregations. 

This was the first time giving a full JM2Z presentation to this congregation. We cannot stress enough the great appreciation we have for churches who give us the full sermon time to share an update. We know this is a privilege (not the norm) and we know that it’s an honor, and that great trust is put in us when so much time is allotted to us. Thank you! (We are grateful for any time we get during a main service at a church, no matter the length. We feel blessed for the opportunity).

It was also the first time we had fair-trade items for sale from our display table at this church. As expected, everyone adored the crocheted safari animals the ladies made and they were snatched up pretty quick (don’t worry we kept some to bring to YOUR church too *wink, wink*). The below pictures of our display tables are from the next church, since we forgot to take pictures at this one. But they're pretty similar.

We also enjoyed visiting with Ben and Karen Pennington. Ben and Karen pastored Yolanda’s home church, as she was growing up in Zimbabwe. We were able to go down memory lane, sharing stories of years gone by, and updating each other on friends we have in common that are now living all over the world.

It was lovely to have some intentional time with a few elders and their wives over a meal in the Pennington’s home. In addition, we were able to pick up a few new monthly supporters, to fill a few squares on our 100 to 100 Fundraising Campaign. We also received our largest individual gift to date, that we plan to use towards a special project - more details about that when we return to Zimbabwe. It’s worth mentioning that we value every single gift given, whether continual monthly giving, one-time gifts, or special fundraising gifts. Every single dollar makes a difference in allowing us to be the hands and feet of Jesus in Zimbabwe, Africa.

We traveled to Minnesota the following week to visit Albion Evangelical Free Church. We chose to fly rather than drive, as this time of year is unpredictable with the weather. One previous visit, we found ourselves in a blizzard driving back, with at least a dozen cars in the ditch on the side of the highway. We decided then that we would be flying after that if we visited in the middle of winter. Ironically, the weather was uncharacteristically warm for this time of year without much snow on the ground.

We once again stayed with friends in South Haven (who Andrew has known for 30 years) and were blessed to visit in the home of other friends in Cokato. We visited with the mission board, some elders, deacons, and church staff. In addition, Yolanda spoke at a special ladies’ breakfast and Andrew spoke (Q and A) during the men’s Saturday morning Bible study. 

Since the church has supported JM2Z for several years now, it felt like coming home, as it so often does with our supporting churches we have visited many times. We feel so blessed to have this kind of relationship with our supporting churches - one of true partnership and ownership in the ministry of JM2Z.

The 5 year old in the picture below (she had just celebrated her birthday the day before) was very excited to get a zebra! She lit up when we asked her about it. She told us that she named him Grapes, because his nose looks like a grape 🙂 It has been fun in recent weeks when parents from various churches have sent us pictures of their kids playing with their animals that were purchased from us in previous years. We will be sure to report back to the women who made them, how well they are holding up even with so much use.

As is so common for this time of year in Minnesota (the land of 10,000 lakes) we saw the many huts and vehicles parked out on frozen lakes for ice fishing, each time we passed one. We heard a few horror stories of trucks getting swallowed whole by a lake, when the drivers were too eager and didn’t wait for the ice to get thick enough earlier on in the season. The stark difference between the extreme cold in Minnesota and extreme hot weather of Zimbabwe, always tickles our fancy (and the chill is refreshing to Andrew).

For the second time, Wrapped in Love, in Buffalo (a nearby town), blessed us with free clothes shopping. It’s a ministry that is a thrift store of sorts, that blesses children in foster care, immigrant families, and in our case, missionaries, with necessary clothing. We are always humbled by the generosity of many who give to organizations like this so that people like us can benefit from it. Needless to say, we were thankful to both get several lovely items of clothing!

Back in Zimbabwe, ministry continues on the field. Janeece is hard at work accomplishing the many things we laid out for her to do and oversee in our absence. She has met with both ladies’ groups for a Bible study on angels, which they have thoroughly enjoyed so far. In addition, they continue their John Bible Study with our Zimbabwean friend, Emily. Janeece’s immediate task upon her return to Zimbabwe was to get all the ladies squared up with school fees and school supplies for all the kids in our Education Sponsorship Program, because the school year just began in January.

We had also met with our contractor friend, before leaving Zimbabwe to discuss adding an extra room to the domestic quarters. It has become very apparent that finding suitable housing for Western and his family has been a struggle. With a new baby in October (child #3),  we thought it best to build one extra room to accommodate them accordingly. We like having the peace of mind of having a man on the premises, especially in our absence and of course they like having the access to clean/free water, free electricity and housing, and the extra help with homework for the kids.

You can see Janeece is keeping up with the young men who are building the addition!

We leave in a few days to head out west. We will be in Oregon for about a month, then on to California for a couple weeks.

• 2/23 - Santa Clara Church (Eugene, OR)
• 3/2 - Myrtle Point First Christian Church (Myrtle Point, OR) - Faith Promise Weekend
• 3/9 - Christian Church [Warrenton] (Warrenton, OR) - morning service
• 3/9 - Christian Church [Knappa] (Astoria, OR) - evening service
• 3/16 - Lighthouse Christian Church (Warrenton, OR)
• 3/18-3/28 in San Diego (Pine Valley, CA)
• 3/30 - Willows Christian Church (Willows, CA)
• April - In Illinois to visit individuals locally or within traveling distance
• 5/3 - JM2Z Board Meeting
• 5/4 - Weiser Christian Church (Weiser, ID) - and Boise for the week
• 5/11 - Lander Free Church (Lander, WY)
• June - Visit other individuals and return to Zimbabwe at the end of the month

If you’re in any of these areas or nearby, we would love to see you!
​

We are a bit behind with our Campaign, but are still making steady progress. Our hope is to fill 3 squares before we get to Oregon at the end of the week. Our goal is to have 20 squares filled before heading to the West. See the squares available in the below picture. We continue to do weekly Facebook live updates on the banner and share which squares are filled. If you are reading this and feel compelled to partner with us, JM2Z, monthly (pick a square and that’s the dollar amount you commit to give monthly) then please reach out.

If you pick a square, we will give you a JM2Z ornament for free! Please send us an email if any of you signed up, but did not receive an ornament, and we'll get one to you. jesuministries2zim@gmail.com

We received a warm reception, as always, at Barrington Community Church in New York when we visited the first weekend in January. It was such a blessing to reconnect with them in person and share exciting updates from the past couple years. Yolanda spoke in the two Sunday morning services and also the Sunday school hour. So she was able to share many stories of God’s work through JM2Z.

The week after that, our plans got derailed when we both came down with the norovirus. The vomiting and diarrhea lasted multiple days and then the aches and exhaustion came, so we couldn’t get out of bed for the next few days, but thankfully a prescription helped us get going again.

This week, we are preparing to visit Westview Christian Church in southern Indiana this coming weekend. We are looking forward to once again be able to visit with everyone there!

Our missionary relief worker, Janeece, just arrived in Zimbabwe at our home last week. Ideally, she would take several days to get adjusted to the time (7 time zones away) and get readjusted to “life in Zimbabwe.” However, she hit the ground running, already getting lots of things done in several different areas, bills, house fixes, car issues, our workers, and even helping Little Western and Angel with second grade and preschool homework, etc., etc. She is a lifesaver for us and we’re very thankful she is there to serve in this way. She gives us great peace of mind.

Most of the month has been spent communicating with supporting churches and individual partners as we plan out our schedule and speaking engagements and the many gatherings to meet with each of YOU! 

We’ve also been communicating with folks back in Zimbabwe. We had electrical issues at the ministry base that needed fixing, which entails communicating with multiple individuals on the ground to make it happen. We also had a few folks requiring medical assistance. As a new school year just started last week, some kids had their first day of school, several of these kids just joined our Education Sponsorship Program.

We have started a Fundraising Campaign called 100 to 100. This is because over 100 days, we want to gain 100 new MONTHLY ministry partners. The 100 days will be counting Monday to Friday of each week. We started the Campaign the first full week of January and it will run until May 23rd - which will be the full 100 days, and after we have visited all our supporting churches. We have a banner (see below picture) with 100 squares, each with a number. Each row of 10 squares is the same numerical value - starting with $10, each row thereafter increases by a $10 increment, $20, $30 all the way to the last row where each square is $100. Our hope is that there is an amount for every budget, but most importantly, we pray that each person who hears about this campaign will be open to the Lord’s leading in if they should partner with JM2Z monthly.

Once we have filled all 100 squares, we will be bringing in $5,500 additional monthly support. This is essential for us to continue doing what we are doing as a ministry. Over the past few years, we have implemented multiple new programs - Education Sponsorship Program, Food Hampers, Medical Assistance Program, etc. All of these programs along with increased monthly expenses and the increase of our regular programs, we need more financial support to continue the work we are doing. Every program plays an integral role in the ministry of JM2Z and helps fulfill our mission as a ministry. 

We introduced the Campaign on the JM2Z Facebook page last week (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064368412095). We will continue to do weekly Facebook live video updates (may be watched live or after the fact on our Facebook page). We will also be bringing the banner with us to every one of our supporting churches. We are so excited to see what God will do and we fully believe that all 100 squares will be filled and taken by the end of May. 

After our first church visit this month, our goal was to get 1 square filled. Our first church is a small church of 25 people and we wanted to set a realistic goal. But we should know better by now to get out of God’s way, because 7 squares were filled after Yolanda’s 3 speaking engagements that first Sunday. A present partner wanted to increase his support and 6 new individuals wanted to partner with JM2Z - wow! All honor and praise to God for His generosity through His people and His provision through the Church!

If we can gain just 9 new individual partners from EACH of our supporting churches that we are still going to visit, and 12 individual partners from those who follow the JM2Z Facebook page and receive our blogs via email, then we will have all 100 squares filled. We know this is completely doable. So if YOU already know after reading this post that YOU would like to pick a square, please reach out to us at jesuministries2zim@gmail.com or click on the button below that will allow you to state in the comments what square you’d like to pick and sign up for monthly online donations or get information about where to send a monthly check.

To those of you who already partner with us and with the ministry of JM2Z - thank you! You help us be the hands and feet of Jesus on the ground in Zimbabwe, Africa. Thank you for grabbing a hold of this vision and finding partnership alongside us in fulfilling our mission!

We made it back stateside! We’ve been back for a couple weeks now. Already, we have been blessed to see several friends and of course family too. As we enter the season of Thanksgiving, we are reminded of the many things we are so incredibly grateful for and YOU are some of them!

Right before we left Zim, we gave Elizabeth (our groundkeeper’s wife) a break a few different times to rest as we looked after Yvert - pretending we didn’t have bags to pack and last minute things to accomplish ;-)

We are very thankful that our vacuum bags arrived in time from SA, so that we could pack majority of the crafts the ladies had made.

We are thankful that we were once again able to send all the Tuesday and Wednesday ladies to the capital city to have their annual breast cancer screenings during breast cancer awareness month. This has become a yearly affair and the women always look forward to their outing to the big city and of course prioritizing their health.

As usual, we made a short stay over in the UK to visit with my (Yolanda’s) family. We got to meet a new nephew, whom we’re incredibly grateful for. We are so thankful we could help Yolanda’s brother and sister-in-law for even just a few days with all the baby duties. We also got to visit with Yolanda’s mother.

Once we arrived in the US, we made plans to get back on the road just a few days after our arrival. Unfortunately, Yolanda ended up getting a cold which slowed her down for a few days. Needless to say, we were able to visit the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter in Kentucky, which were on the way to our conference. We are so grateful to Andrew’s parents for treating us to a lovely trip with them. We had been wanting to visit these 2 museums for a few years now and are so grateful we have had the opportunity to do so now

Just after leaving the museums, Andrew’s parents dropped us off in Lexington, KY for the International Conference on Missions. We try to attend this every time we are stateside. We spent the first 24 hours attending the pre-conference for Missionaries Only, which involves some missionary-care focused activities. 

The next few days, we thoroughly enjoyed attending main sessions and mission-specific workshops that very much act as extended learning for us in our field. We are so thankful that a conference like this exists. We especially enjoyed the corporate worship with thousands of other believers with over 60 different countries represented in attendance! As in other years, it was once again a beautiful time of encouragement and inspiration for us. Hearing the many missionary stories and all that God is doing around the world - we praise You Lord, thank you for inviting us to be a part of your mission!

Of course our absolute favorite part of ICOM is seeing both old and new friends in one location. We shared every meal time with friends - some who we hadn’t seen in 8 years, others we only get to see at this event, and others from supporting churches, previous Bible colleges and seminaries, and even some who Yolanda has known for about 32 years. These times of fellowship are so incredibly sweet and precious to us. We absolutely loved being able to hug, pray with, laugh (and even cry) with, and visit with so many of our friends in Christ. Thank you for taking the time to prioritize us and spend your time with us. We appreciate YOU!

We even got an opportunity to meet with Janeece, our Missionary Relief Worker, who fills in for us in Zimbabwe while we are stateside. We had a several hour meeting time with her, going over everything (or most of the things) that she needs to be aware of when she arrives in January. She is a God-send and we are so thankful for her ministry to us and JM2Z as she fills our shoes on the ground while we are traveling and updating you.

We saw many more people than we took pictures of, it’s often hard to remember to take photos when one is being present.

Although we have been away from Zimbabwe for several weeks now, work continues in our absence. Both the Tuesday and Wednesday ladies continue to meet bi-monthly. My (Yolanda) dear friend Emily, who filled in for Bible Studies back in January and February, has agreed to continue with the John study in my absence. In addition, the other 10 Accountability Groups (72 women in total) that started up soon after the Women’s Conference, back in August, continue to meet weekly to read through the Gospels, discuss it and then pray together. We are so thankful for the ladies in the Tuesday and Wednesday groups who continue to lead in this way.

Along with the spiritual wing of JM2Z continuing, so are the many physical elements. The next food hampers were delivered in early November, money for extra lessons for school kids was handed out, and even the beginnings of a new micro-enterprise was started, all in our absence. 

In addition, we had some necessary maintenance items that took place at the ministry base. New boards were installed, treated and painted to uphold our water tank that stores water from our well. 

We have NEW temporary stateside phone numbers. Please save these in your phones if you wish to contact us. Delete any other stateside numbers you may have for us in your phones. Our WhatsApp and Viber numbers never change and stay the same.

Andrew’s cell number: 331-600-2866
Yolanda’s cell number: 331-600-2986​

You can still contact us via the JM2Z FB page as well as our personal FB pages through messenger and our email addresses - none of that has changed.

The below dates for church visits reflect the Sunday service when we will be there. However, we will be visiting/speaking with small groups, mission committees, youth groups, individuals, etc. at each church location in the days before/after our Sunday visit, according to the desires of each church.

January

• 1/5 -  Barrington Community Church (Penn Yan/Barrington, NY)
• 1/10-1/21 in Florida
• 1/26 - Westview Christian Church (Campbellsburg, IN)

February

• 2/2 - Albion Evangelical Free Church (Cokato, MN)
• 2/23 - Santa Clara Church (Eugene, OR)
• In-person JM2Z board meeting (our board meetings are usually done via video chat)

March

• 3/2 - Myrtle Point First Christian Church (Myrtle Point, OR) - Faith Promise Weekend
• 3/9 - Christian Church [Warrenton] (Warrenton, OR) - morning service
• 3/9 - Christian Church [Knappa] (Astoria, OR) - evening service
• 3/16 - Lighthouse Christian Church (Warrenton, OR)
• 3/19-3/27 in San Diego, Pine Valley, CA

    Sunday TBD

• 3/30  - Willows Christian Church (Willows, CA)

April

• In Wheaton, IL for Palm Sunday, Easter, Andrew’s birthday
• Visiting Individuals locally

May

• 5/4  - Weiser Christian Church (Weiser, ID)
  
• Boise, ID - Boise Bible College Spring Conference
• 5/11 - Lander Free Church (Lander, WY)

June

• Traveling to visit individuals TBA locations
• Return to Zimbabwe, end of the month

Other locations and dates will continue to fill in the blank dates we have available. At present, these dates mainly only reflect our church locations and planned Sundays. If you will be in any of the locations above and would like to see us, please reach out, as we would love to get together over coffee or a meal to visit and catch up. Or if you are near any of the locations and would like to see us, reach out in case we can make a drive in your direction.

We will also be in need of a vehicle in all the different locations where we will be. We will fly into most of our locations. We will have to get a rental if we are unable to borrow someone’s vehicle. Please reach out if you have a vehicle we can borrow. Thank you in advance to those who may be able to help in this area.

For the month of December (coming up), we plan to be in Wheaton. We will be able to enjoy Christmastime with Andrew’s family. In addition, we hope to see some individuals locally. We also have a few dentist appointments and doctor visits. Please be in prayer for some additional medical testing Yolanda will be undergoing during this month. Our prayer is that some medical answers will be provided that will not result in another surgery this year. In addition, Andrew may require extra dentistry work, please pray that with additional evaluating, this will not be necessary.

As we approach Thanksgiving, we also approach Giving Tuesday, which is December 3rd. We will not be planning any big fundraising event for this day, but we do have some specific needs you may like to consider blessing us with. We have created 2 Amazon wish lists. One wish list is very ministry specific for needs in Zimbabwe (that we will take back with us) and the other wish list is a missionary wish list where you can bless both Yolanda and Andrew (one may choose to do this as special missionary Christmas gifts instead). Our hope is to have everything on the JM2Z wishlist bought by Giving Tuesday (the total cost of gifts is $450). 

If you wish to bless JM2Z or us personally in this way, just follow the Amazon wish lists below. Purchase through the links to ensure the item is removed from the list (items will be sent directly to Yolanda and Andrew at their Wheaton, IL address). 

JM2Z Wish List
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2853I4UX9YLGB?ref_=wl_share


Missionary Wish List
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2UOA8RL9TROYK?ref_=wl_share

We wish each and every one of you a very happy Thanksgiving! We are so grateful and thankful for YOU! We are thankful for the financial support that keeps us on the field. We are thankful for the prayers that sustain us and carry us through more than we even realize. We are thankful for the encouragement through cards, emails, phone messages, and FB posts. We are grateful for the care packages we receive while stateside that bless and encourage us (we have already received one upon our arrival back). We are thankful for the many for you who will host us in your homes over the next several months. We are thankful for those who will lend us your car or drive us to our next destination. We are thankful to the many who give their big end-of-year donations to keep us out of the red each year. We are thankful for those who challenge us to receive the necessary missionary care we need and those who provide for those things. Thank you for every single role YOU play in partnering with us in ministry - we are so grateful for YOU! And we are most thankful to the Lord who makes all of this possible and is continuing to work in the hearts of the women and children we work with in Zimbabwe. Praise the Lord!

We are sooo excited to share that we finally have a van! We praise the Lord for this incredible blessing that He has provided through the generosity of others - YOU!

Thank you to the many people who gave towards the van! We had been fundraising for this need for the past 2+ years, since our last furlough visit. Thank you to the first person who gave us a $50 check in person and the last church who gave us $14,000 this year. Every single gift was needed and such an incredible blessing! There were kids who gave through their VBS missions offering, senior groups gave through their monthly senior gatherings, women’s Bible studies, special church gifts, and several individuals. At the end, the van was more than we initially anticipated 2 years ago, but when it came time to purchase, we were only $1,200 short of what we had specifically fundraised. Thankfully, we had enough in our general fund to cover that expense. The price included all the import duties and taxes, the license plates, permits, and temporary insurance. We’ll include our annual insurance in next year’s budget.

To see the whole process of how we finally purchased the van, watch the video below!

After recently, when a couple things broke down or batteries went out, Andrew said, “It’s such a blessing that things are going wrong BEFORE we leave.” This may sound like such a strange thing to say. However, what he meant was that if the pressure tank switch at our borehole burnt out while we were gone, it may have taken our groundskeeper a long time to realize and then he wouldn’t have had the necessary funds to call the electrician and plumber to get the new parts and get it all fixed, etc. In addition, we realized an issue with our solar system and it all needed a good cleaning and updating, something our missionary relief worker may not have realized. Certain other essential items needed new batteries, but again our missionary relief worker may have assumed the item is broken or not in use. We can list multiple things just like this. Being here, in country and in person to deal with these issues is indeed a blessing. 

Elizabeth (our groundskeeper’s wife) gave birth to a new baby girl last week. She needed to be induced after her due date and had an incredibly difficult pregnancy, so she had been seeing a private doctor at the public hospital. Her delivery costs ended up being $500 - this would have been impossible for Western (her husband) to cover and impossible for us to get the money to them immediately, if we were stateside. Again, a blessing that everything was happening right before we were leaving. 

Little Western (7 years old) is very excited to have a new baby in the family! He is smitten with his new little sister and has already told all his classmates and teacher about her. Angel (4 years old) on the other hand is not impressed. She does not like the fact that she’s no longer the baby of the family and told her parents there’s not enough room for a baby and they should give her away. Mai Innocent, our housekeeper, jokingly told her that if she wasn’t nice to her sister that she’d take her instead. To that Angel responded, “No, you can’t, she’s ours.” So hopefully she’s starting to warm up to the new family member.

The kids were with us while dad was with mom at the hospital during the evening of the labor and delivery. They got to enjoy some pizza and a kid’s movie, which was extra special for them. 

It was getting later, so we got them into the bath to get cleaned up before bedtime. Andrew told little Western when he was drying off that we need to let the water out of the bathtub once he’s done. He was so confused and asked Andrew how he was going to get all the water out, after all there was no bucket in sight. We hadn’t thought of the fact that he had never been in a bathtub before. So Andrew showed him how you just pull out the plug and drain the water - he was amazed. (In their bathroom, there is a shower, but no tub, so the kids bath in a big plastic tub.)

After story time and prayers, we set them up on makeshift sleeping bags in the living room, as dad would be coming to take them home before the night was over. 

Of course it’s only October - it’s hardly the end of the year. But since we will be leaving at the start of November, we needed to have our regular End of Year Reflections with the Tuesday and Wednesday groups earlier. We usually have a special meal, hand out gifts, and then spend a few hours just visiting and reflecting over the past year. We usually each answer a short list of questions like: 

• “What has God taught you this year?” 
• “What is something new you have learned during Bible Study?” 
• “What are you most grateful for in this past year?” 
• “What area do you need to grow in?”

Mai Tamoline who grew up in an animistic cult said that one new thing she had learned was from the conference. She said, “God is a jealous god and He wants all of us. We can only follow Jesus and Jesus alone. We can’t also follow our traditional religion and call ourselves Christian at the same time. Also, being a Christian doesn’t mean being perfect, it just means we are forgiven and that His grace is enough.” For someone having been so involved in animistic religion (ancestral worship) and living in fear of needing to do all the right rituals and traditional requirements, this is a wonderful thing to hear! Ironically, I (Yolanda) have been speaking about these things for years, but for some reason the specific teaching style and information at the conference is what made it click for so many of the women. The conference seemed to bring so much clarity to so many of the women.

Mai Tracy said, the one new thing she learned this year (biblically) was, the importance of repentance and its true meaning. She said, she felt as though before, repentance was just saying sorry and moving on, but that the conference finally opened her eyes to it’s true deep meaning of changing and turning away from sin. 

Mai Whisper said she couldn’t pick just one thing she had learned this year, as there were so many. She said, “The more I read the Bible the more I feel I’m changing from the inside out. Because I read my Bible regularly, I’m starting to learn what it says in all the different areas, so when someone asks me a question, instead of just answering them, I always say, “Let’s open the Bible and find out what it says.” Now I use the Bible for all my answers and decision making. Even at church, everyone turns to me. They ask my opinion and ask me where this or that is in the Bible. It’s impossible to name just one thing - I have learned so much. God is teaching me all the time!”

When asked what is the one thing they are grateful for, several of the widows said a similar thing. Several of the widows in the groups said that before this group, life seemed unbearable. All they ever thought of was how to get a husband so their needs can be met (this is a cultural mentality and often the only social way to gain stability and financial provision). They spoke about their loneliness before, and how the group now meets that need in such a beautiful way. They spoke about their struggle with hunger and literal starvation, until the food hampers ensured they not only received necessary nourishment, but could sleep at night knowing their kids were going to bed with full tummies. They also shared about the blessing of the education program and how they know due to the educational needs of their kids being met, that their children will have a brighter future, something they could only dream of before.

Another one of the ladies said, she’s especially grateful for her chicken business, because she was able to send her son to university (trade school) which seemed impossible before. She spoke how it hadn’t been easy through the years, but the chicken business allowed her to ensure that her son finally graduated this year.

There were soooo many more stories like these, but space doesn’t allow to share each and every one, but we do look forward to sharing more of them in person next year!

We did things a little differently than in years past at this final gathering. We did make a special meal, but we hadn’t planned any gifts. We felt it was far too early in the year and that so many gifts had been given to the ladies this year. When our mission team came, they came with very generous gifts, at conference they received gifts, at the kids’ program they received gifts for serving and so forth. We want our relationship to be one of equality not one where one group always receives and another always gives. Of course God is a God of generosity, and it just so happened that I (Yolanda) had purchased far too many packets of soup grain mix during wintertime. For our special meal, I had used some of the grain mix and all the ladies kept asking what it was and how it was prepared and where it could be purchased. I went to the pantry and realized that there were exactly enough bags of soup grain to give each lady one bag as a gift. They were so excited - this time nothing was wrapped or made to look special, but we felt like it was such a God thing that we had exactly the precise number of bags available to give away.

Of course the ladies are also generous and some showed up with the first fruits from their trees - white guavas and early mangoes - delicious and generous!

We plan to fly stateside on November 6th. We already have some things planned for November. Some time will be spending time with family and Thanksgiving, and other plans are for education and missionary reflection and care like ICOM (International Conference On Missions). 

We have already started reaching out to our supporting churches with possible visiting dates (winter/spring). If you have not heard from us yet, please know we haven’t contacted everyone yet, but will be working on that over the next few weeks. We only contact a couple churches at a time and wait for responses to ensure we don’t have to change dates. We contact churches we plan on seeing first and work from there onwards across the country.

If you are not in one of our supporting churches and would like to see us, please do reach out. We will give a tentative list of dates and places most likely later next month (November) and if we’re in your area please let us know if you’d like to get together for coffee or a meal. In addition, if we will not be in your area and you still would like to see us, contact us anyway so we can see what can be done. We love getting together with friends and sharing about JM2Z… in addition, we love being able to just get together with YOU and visit in general and learn all about what’s happening in your life.

Please pray for us as we finish up the many last minute things before we leave. Also pray for traveling mercies as international travel is always so exhausting. Lastly, pray that we receive some travel vacuum bags from South Africa in time. We have many, many crocheted safari animals and other things. Unfortunately, our space is very limited and these stuffies, although light, take up plenty of room. We attempted to put one of the 9 black bags of animals into our suitcase and it filled up. We only have 3 suitcases to use (and we need to pack for all our clothes and essentials for the next several months while on furlough). Pray that the vacuum bags will allow us to bring as many of the crocheted items as possible. The women have worked so hard and are so excited about the possibility of what the income will provide them.

The women also made a trip to Harare this week. Like last year, we provided for their transportation and lunch, in order for them to take advantage of the $1 breast cancer screenings that are being offered at the main hospital throughout October (breast cancer awareness month).

The first bus (first of 2) arrived on Tuesday morning with the ladies dressed in their finest clothes. You could tell they had both excitement and apprehension, not quite knowing what to expect. The bus was surprisingly early (unheard of here), so we were scrambling along with the caterer to get the teatime snacks all set up. Our friend (who was also our Shona tutor when we first arrived in Zimbabwe, as well as a daughter of one of the Wednesday ladies), who acted as emcee during the conference, quickly took the lead and had all the ladies gather in a large circle outside (we had already put chairs out into small groups under trees). She took the opportunity to welcome the women and share some housekeeping announcements. That was all the time we needed to then welcome everyone indoors, which immediately resulted in ladies’ mouths wide open, gasping in amazement of the set-up room. Each woman who entered the doors, gazed from side to side, looking at every corner and scanning all the tables and the many details of decor that the Tuesday and Wednesday ladies had painstakingly been working on for the past 6 weeks. I could see the pride on the faces of each of the volunteers, beaming with pride that their hard work was being appreciated. Immediately, women started taking out their cell phones and taking photos of just about everything they saw.

Every day, we welcomed the ladies in the main hall and started with teatime refreshments. As they found their seats, they’d be welcomed with a different gift - notebook, bracelet, bookmark, etc. They’d enjoy a warm drink and a baked good and spend some time fellowshipping at their tables. When the second bus of women arrived, they followed the same procedure.

Over the 3 days, we had 9 teaching sessions - my (Yolanda) friend Rumbi did the opening session, addressing animism (ancestral worship) and syncretism (mixing animism with Christianity). Rumbi also taught one other lesson on how being a Christian does not mean an easy life - this topic made great sense for her talk, especially as a counselor. She spoke in Shona during her sessions.

I (Yolanda) spent my longest teaching session sharing the Gospel message and 3 of my other teaching sessions explaining how to become a Christian and what it means to be a Christian (Christian living). I had a couple translators and women reading Scripture - this was a great way to involve the Tuesday and Wednesday ladies.

We were so happy to see everyone being very engaged during the teaching times. There was great interest on everything that was taught. The ladies made good use of their notebooks and pens, and it seemed everyone was taking notes, especially Bible references. 

After each main teaching session, everyone gathered into small groups. The Tuesday and Wednesday ladies were leaders for this. This stretched several of the ladies out of their comfort zones, but all of them did excellent jobs and we received lots of positive feedback concerning small group times. It’s when everyone got to open the Bible for themselves and read Scripture. They worked through a handout that referred back to the teaching session they had just heard. They were also given an opportunity to respond to the teaching. This was an opportunity to be asked questions they could answer or ponder for themselves.

Our time each day in the sanctuary was started with worship and prayer. This was such a sweet time of singing, dancing, clapping, and raising hands for Jesus. We experienced how the worship intensified from day to day as people’s biblical knowledge grew and their understanding of needing Jesus became more and more relevant to them.

Every day, everyone enjoyed a delicious catered lunch. Of course we had to adjust our schedule daily to accommodate when lunch would actually be ready, but that was not unexpected. Everyone enjoyed the delicious meal! Lunchtimes were also once again an opportunity for ladies to fellowship at the tables and visit with one another.

Lunchtime and teatime were also opportunities for ladies to get individual photos taken of themselves. We created a photo wall where the photographer could use our instant camera to take an individual shot of each person. This was a gift given on the last day as a reminder of this conference and the fact that each person is created in the image of God. The ladies also enjoyed standing in front of the photo wall with their new-found friends and took some selfies with their own phones. It made for lots of laughter and good times.

The last day was unique and followed a different schedule than the previous 2 days. Yolanda spoke at all 3 main sessions. She opened with a Question and Answer time. The previous day during one of the small group times, everyone was given the opportunity to write down any questions they might have concerning any of the teaching topics. Yolanda spent the night working on all 68 questions. The questions regarded a wide range, including repentance, baptism, animism, witchcraft, family relationships (conflict), cults, Christian life, dietary restrictions, burial rituals, prayer, and speaking in tongues. With the variety of church backgrounds and beliefs, it was essential to give Scripture references whenever possible when answering the questions. 

Following the Q & A time, the next session gave everyone an opportunity to make a commitment to follow Jesus and accept Him as their Lord and Savior. This was a sweet time of contemplation, personal reflection, and moving of the Holy Spirit. These decisions were not merely emotionally based, which are so often true for revival gatherings and altar calls in Africa, but rather decisions that were informed and based off of learned biblical information, addressed over the past days at conference. Our prayer is that these decision are like the parable of the sower when the seeds fell on fertile ground - we believe these decisions were built on strong foundations. In total, 16 women accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior (those are the ones who came up front, but we made it clear they could be sitting in their seats and still accept Jesus - who knows what the Holy Spirit was doing in the hearts of those listening or may continue to do in the coming days/weeks/months).

We then immediately offered the opportunity to be baptized to anyone who made the decision to follow Jesus. We also received additional women coming up for that opportunity - some who had been following Jesus, maybe for years, but finally realized this is a step they have not yet done and should. The response was amazing! A few decided to wait to be baptized in their own churches, surrounded by their families, which we fully supported. In total, 18 women were baptized (this included 7 women who did not come up front originally and 3 women from the Wednesday group, our MC for the event, and also Emily, who taught Bible Studies for Yolanda when she was recovering from surgery, back in January-February).

What followed the conclusion of the baptisms was the most beautiful reaction from the crowd. As Yolanda finished changing into dry clothes after the baptisms, the crowd gathered around those who made decisions and/or were baptized, and hugged them, congratulated them, and then everyone broke out in spontaneous worship, which we dared not interrupt. The pure joy and happiness that filled the room was palpable. The energy was contagious and the Spirit was very present in the room with us all that day!

After a short small group to gather names and phone numbers of those who made decision, along with those who would like to sign up for accountability groups, we finished up the final main session of the day. We started by finally telling them that the Shona Bibles they had been using over the 3-day conference would be their final gift to keep - uproar, complete chaos, and so much joy ensued! (Before the conference, we had also bought 5 Ndebele Bibles. Ndebele is a minority tribe and language in Zimbabwe, and most people who speak Ndebele live in a different region of the country from Chinhoyi. But we are glad we had them, because there was 1 lady who requested a Ndebele Bible instead of Shona, so we are thankful we had that as an option for her.)

Over the 3 days, Yolanda provided 3 different methods on how to share the Gospel message. One method was spread out over multiple teaching sessions - sharing the discussed steps of salvation. Another method was explained during the first Gospel message in session 2, which was the 3 circle method (this entails making a small drawing, for visual learners). And the last method was briefly touched on during the handing out of bracelet gifts - the salvation bracelet method. Therefore, she used this final session to discuss the Great Commission found at the end of Matthew 28. She explained how as believers, once we have received salvation, it is now a requirement to tell others about the free gift of salvation. She reiterated each of the 3 Gospel sharing methods, ensuring some interaction from the audience. This was a wonderful opportunity to share some real life situations. Like referring to the red bead on your salvation bracelet when speaking to a woman at the market, selling beautifully red ripe tomatoes. Or discussing step 5, when standing in a long line, waiting for water and discussing its significance. Or the 3 circle method, when seated between 2 people on a kombi (taxi van) ride (for brevity reasons for the blog I’m not discussing all the details here, but much more descriptive explanations were given during the session). The women were in awe with every real life situation. Agreeing with “amens” and nodding heads in understanding, and laughing as they related with each scenario personally.

Our time was running short towards the end, but clearly all that needed to be said, was said. We closed in prayer and sent everyone off with one final blessing. We closed the conference by getting a large group picture of everyone. And as the first bus left (75 women), we handed out certificates to all who got baptized.

We immediately met up with the Tuesday and Wednesday ladies the very following week after conference. We wanted to hear all that they had to share and stories they had heard, as well as to hear about their own experiences. We also went through all the surveys we had handed out on the last day to the attendees of the conference. We discussed what was successful and what we could adjust for a possible future conference.

Several of the ladies shared that in the time since the conference took place, they had already bumped into ladies who attended and they were so excited to see them, to greet them, to briefly visit, and to share how transformative the conference had been for them personally. One response was, “Thank you for preaching about salvation, something we never hear about. Our churches mostly preach about prosperity and how sad your life will be if you’re not constantly giving the pastor money.” One of the ladies said she bumped into one lady who was selling tomatoes and another one was roasting corn on an open fire, in the marketplace. Both ladies shared passionately about their experience at the conference and one said, “I have been revived and feel like a brand new person!”

Both the Tuesday and Wednesday groups mentioned how several of the ladies they invited, had made a home visit to them, to personally and profusely, thank them for inviting them. Their invitees reiterated what a blessing the conference was to them and how honored they felt that they had been invited. One can only imagine what this does for their relationships and friendships, some who had just been acquaintances beforehand. 

The ladies also said they met many other women in their communities and neighborhoods who said they had heard about the conference (but had not attended). They asked if they could possibly receive an invite the next time, as they had heard so many excellent things about it. 

Since that week, we have 8 accountability groups. These 8 groups signify 72 women, along with their leaders, who will be reading through the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) together. In addition to 7 groups who will be reading the Scriptures, one group will be our first Listening Group. One of our ladies has always struggled with reading and we have provided her with a Proclaimer - a device that has the Shona audio Bible preloaded and ready to listen to (These handheld devices cost $60 each, are preloaded with audio translations of the Shona and Ndebele Bibles, and have a built-in solar charger. When we bought the Ndebele Bibles, and the guy heard what we were doing, he gave us 2 of these devices for free!). I spent time this past week showing and explaining to the leader of the Listening Group how to operate the device and she is so excited to host the few women who attended conference who also cannot read, but are interested in an Accountability Group. They will be meeting weekly in homes or outdoor areas. The leaders will facilitate to hear how the group members are doing with the past weeks, 5 chapters of Scripture reading. They will discuss anything they found interesting or any questions they might have. They will also open in prayer and close in prayer for one another. The leaders will take note of any questions there are and together with the other leaders and myself we will provide some answers. This is VERY exciting news! By the end of December, 72 women would have gone through the Gospels together - most, if not all, for the very first time! At this point, we don’t know what the future holds beyond the end of the year as that’s the commitment we’ve asked of them. No matter what, if all the women stay committed to weekly gatherings and consistent Bible reading, we expect some transformative work to take place in the lives of these women. Please pray with us for these women. Pray they will continue to grow in their knowledge and love of Jesus. Pray that their biblical literacy will increase significantly through these groups. Pray also for the leaders who are committed to serving, ministering, and giving of themselves in this way.

We also met with the leaders of the accountability groups to ensure they were prepared. To help to hold them accountable with what day they had decided to meet, ensure they have contact information and names of all their group members, and to answer any other questions they may have.

Some direct quotes from the anonymous survey we gave on the last day of conference. The question was asking what was their favorite part of conference:

• “I was very happy with the teachings from our presenters. It opened my mind to know more. I have learned many things I never knew before, especially what it means to be a Christian and how to live like one.”
• “The explanation on baptism was so very clear. I learned how to forgive others and that God gives us the Holy Spirit freely when we become Christ-followers.”
• “I was so impressed by Yolanda. She is like a normal person. She is not like other white people. She really cares about us. She wants to know us and speak to us. She loves us.” 

It’s only fitting to end with a very short highlight reel of the 3 days of conference. Thank you to the many of you who gave financially, who prayed intentionally, and continue to support regularly - YOU are making an impact in the hearts and lives of women here in Zimbabwe for eternity!

We give God all the glory for this event and for the hearts and lives changed! We thank the Lord for moving in the hearts of the women who have given their lives to Him and also for those who individually may and whose family members may choose to do so in the future, whether we know about it or not. Seeds have been planted. Praise God!

This month has been crazy busy, filled with challenges and event planning in Zimbabwe. If you’ve followed global news, it’s been quite a month from a p01itica1 standpoint for the country too (typos on purpose) - not much more can safely be said here on that front. A google search will update you in that area. It goes without saying that we need to be more cautious with posting pictures concerning any struggles we may be facing here, in country.

The start of the month saw us attending the wedding of a son of one of our Tuesday group women. It was our first experience at a Shona wedding, although it was the white wedding. The “white wedding” is when the bride wears a white dress and has a vow ceremony and signing of a marriage license. Not all weddings in Zimbabwe are legally binding with a marriage license. Some only go through with a traditional ceremony, which do hold some rights locally, but none that protects a woman.

Even if Shona people have a “white wedding,” they always first have a “Roora Ceremony,” also called a traditional wedding. It entails paying the brideprice and wearing traditional Ankara fashions and fulfilling the many marriage rituals that are customary. We did not attend this ceremony, but were grateful to be invited to the “white wedding.” 

Of course in common Shona fashion, the “promptly be seated at 9:45am” wedding, only started at 11:20am. The couple was married in the bride’s parents’ house. The ceremony in the back yard and the reception in the front yard. The dress code called for white and gold for women and black and white for men. Wearing white for a wedding doesn’t feel right to American standards, but was the expectation at this wedding. 

Both the groom’s parents - a lady in the Tuesday group and her husband, who is our “fix-it guy” for all things building related, were so excited that we attended. They made a special effort to come greet us and thank us profusely for our presence. As the only white guests in attendance, we created quite the staring affair among the rest of the guests. No matter how much one tries to blend in, it’s quite impossible. At one point during the ceremony, the bride and groom had a whole host of pastors surround them in prayer. Andrew was quickly called upon by the mother of the groom to join the pastors in this blessing (we didn’t know this would happen beforehand).

After the ceremony, the bridal party and immediate family went to a park for photos, while the rest of the guests gathered at the reception site to start lunch. After Yolanda tended to the restroom, squatting over a questionable toilet with purse in mouth and scrambling for that last crumpled tissue in her handbag (you ladies all know the struggle), the groom’s parents invited us to attend the photoshoot. They insisted that their son called them and requested our presence. We hesitated, feeling a little uncomfortable, having only met the groom once and the bride not until today. As the parents and their daughter waiting on us, we realized we were also their ride to the photoshoot, so we agreed and off we went. We were ushered into family photos and even private photos with just the bride and groom. We smiled and made small talk with the bridal party as we patiently waited. While other pictures were being taken, Yolanda wanted to get a quick selfie with Mai Mukandi, the groom’s mother. Quickly, her daughter jumped in for the photo too and the next thing we knew, the groom paused his professional photoshoot with just his wife to jump into our selfie. The whole situation was rather comical.

After a few more pics, the groom’s parents informed us we could leave, so that we could go have lunch. We felt like we’d be taking them away from photos and insist that we’ll wait. Of course, they insisted that they were done and we could go. So off we went, back to the reception site. Upon arrival, the music was blaring and the number of guests tripled in number from the ceremony time. All the tables were full and chairs lined under any shady spot filled with people balancing a plate of food precariously on their laps. An attendant noticed the groom’s parents and directed them to a table up front, to which we stayed back and ready to sit on the dirt floor in our formal attire, as no other seats were vacant. Counsol and Mai Mukandi (the groom’s parents) insisted we are their special guests. We brushed off the title and made every attempt to scurry to the background, but they coaxed us toward their table of honor and seated us with them. We were promptly served drinks. Then we were directed to the front of the food line where at least 40 people were patiently lined up, awaiting their meals. We grimaced and insisted we would go to the back and wait like everyone else. “No, absolutely not,” came the reply from the groom’s father. “Our special and honored guests will be served with us, the immediate family.” Before we could cower away, plates were placed into our hands and we were pushed right in front of someone already literally being served food - embarrassing would be an understatement. We were offered sadza, spaghetti, rice, salads, roast vegetables, and then an array of meats - chicken, beef, pork, duck, and goat. Each server put meat on my plate (Yolanda). I tried my best to keep it to a minimum - there were still so many people who needed to eat. As we sat down, I realized, sitting near the father of the groom, who got one piece of meat, chicken - that I have a piece of every meat served. I’m so embarrassed attempting to cover it with vegetables and rice. I swallowed and chewed without looking at the servers whose hands looked like they needed to be washed, or the organs still attached to the ribcage of the chicken, or the long black hair I found curled up on my goat. Everything was tasty. This meal was certainly gourmet at Zim standards and, no doubt, cost the father a small fortune to be catered. 

It was hard to hear anything and to speak to each other, since the speaker for the live music was right next to us (maybe we’re just getting older, haha). The place was beautifully decorated and everyone was chatting and enjoying it. We took our wrapped gift to the gift table, where we were met by two ladies with a credit/debit card machine - we clearly missed the memo that gifts would be given via swiping one’s card. We already bought a gift and felt it would suffice.

In any case, we enjoyed the rest of our time there and left before dark, though the celebration clearly went much later. We could still hear the music from our house, about a mile away!

Below is a video of the bride's entrance at the ceremony. You'll see the grandmothers leading the procession. Then behind the bride, are all the aunties, trailed by the mothers of the bride and groom. Listen carefully to all the ululating of the women.

No matter how well we plan or how far in advance decisions and orders are made, somehow, chaos still seems to ensue. As each issue and problem arises, as soon as we brainstorm or actually solve it, another creeps up to take its place. Not every issue is an essential need and so we adapt, move to plan D, E, or F or simply scratch that idea or item altogether. We constantly remind ourselves what’s most important and how to prioritize. This unfortunately, is especially difficult for those of us who have a particular vision for an event, are detail oriented, and have a tendency of perfectionism and being a type A personality (obviously, I’m talking about Andrew, LOL - not really).

After the sixth order for tablecloths fell through from the third person we enquired from, we decided to go the route of renting them. Unfortunately, that turned into being 8 times more expensive or in the wrong colors that would not even be enough to cover all our tables anyway (insert eye roll). So days before the event, Yolanda reached out to a fabric factory and ordered a roll of white fabric from Harare. There was no time to cut and hem and actually make table cloths, but we simply rolled out the fabric across multiple long tables and made cuts and called it good (letting go of these little things is essential, otherwise we would drive ourselves nuts).

Andrew went to multiple stores to try to find just enough of one item we needed. Then once he had his entire order with trolleys in tow, he found out they don’t take card and there’s a major discount on cash and so he left all he’d been shopping for with the intent of returning. We have purchased items from South Africa, Harare, online through Facebook, and lots of local shops in our town and even small secondhand stalls on the roadside, for all the items we needed for the conference.

The week before the conference, almost half the ladies in our groups became ill with either a cold or the flu, which meant we had half the amount of helpers to get everything done. Of course those who came worked tirelessly to assist in any way possible; everything from decor to counting handouts, stacking gifts, packing hundreds of paper flowers, and painstakingly tying ribbons around notebooks, etc.

Yolanda also practiced some of her talks with the ladies, in order to go over translation and Scripture reading and to make sure that the translation is accurate and timing allocated would work well. Two of the ladies would be translating the talks, each one for a different talk each day. However, it quickly became apparent during practicing that the translating was a group effort. After each phrase was spoken, the translator would say what she thinks then look to the others who would all throw in their 2 cents and make their corrections or additions. Then it quickly became apparent that for purposes of speed, a third lady should handle reading out all the Scriptures during the talks - so now there was Yolanda, a lady to translate, and another to read the Scriptures from the Shona Bible. We spent all afternoon going through half of one talk, out of 7 that needed doing (oh no!). Our week was jam-packed with an unplanned, but necessary, trip to the capital, 4 meetings, and the rest of the preparations that went unfinished due to only half of the ladies present for both gatherings. When would we practice, would we ever get through it all, would I (Yolanda) need to slash my talks in half even though 45mins are allocated for each talk and if practiced alone I can get through it within 20mins easily (planning for the additional time needed for translating). As I practiced with the ladies, I found myself correcting their translations, noticing the words being used not carrying the same nuance as my message or their translation being too literal. Although I lack the proper ability to teach an entire message in Shona (as it’s never been needed), my language skills do hold a formidable number of vocabulary words.

My (Yolanda) Shona friend who hosted a women’s conference a few months ago, did their entire conference in English. And although English is a national language in Zimbabwe, we have found English skills to be much poorer than years gone by (before Andrew moved to Zimbabwe). We also heard feedback from several of the ladies who attended the conference that some words were lost and the speed of communication made it so that not everything was understood. Of course having said that, they could not stop talking about how wonderful it was and so this is by no means a criticism of the event, rather just an observation. With the great importance of the message of this conference - salvation - we decided it was essential that everything be understood! The added benefit of translating is that attendees hear the message first in English and again in Shona and repetition is always helpful in memory retention and fuller understanding of content.

There are literally so many more stories I could share of things just not going according to plan, and yet at the same time, there are little glimpses of light and hope sprinkled throughout. We have an old little generator we use only for the kids’ programs, but each time, it needs so much work (since it’s not used much) and new parts that it’s often not worth using (as was the case back in April for our last kids’ program). We knew though that we’d need a backup source, due to how bad the electricity has been lately, so Andrew took it in for a service and changed parts, etc. The guy fixing it (literally some guy on the side of the road) said that it was running, but needed some other parts ($50 worth) and that it could just stop running in the middle of use - not something you want to happen in the middle of worship time. Then the guy says to Andrew, “Is this for church work?” Andrew says, yes for a women’s conference. Then the guy offered to loan Andrew a generator that he has for the 3 days. Andrew asks after we put in our own fuel, how much would he charge for its use, reminding him that it would be needed over 3 days. He says, “Nothing, it’s church work. You need it and I have it. It’s free, as long as you put in the fuel to run it.” And Andrew had just met him for the first time that day. Well thank you God! And yes, there are several stories like this too, where God reminds us that He is in control and this is His work, that we just have the privilege of joining in.

After almost 2 months since Andrew applied, once again (3rd time), for permanent residence in Zimbabwe we heard from the immigration office that we were scheduled to have an interview (we’ve done several of these through the years). We attempted to reschedule it for the week following the conference, but they insisted it needed to be the week before. So we made arrangements to make a trip to Harare in the midst of a crazy busy week, to attend the interview.

Now we’ll wait at least a month to hear back from immigration to know if Andrew finally got his residency after a decade and 3 attempts of applications. We would appreciate your prayers concerning this. 

Wow! God is good! What a fantastic week of conference! We have so much to report on, but that will have to wait for the next blog post. The conference will take up an entire blog post as it deserves. Thank you to the many of you who prayed for this week! Thank you for those who sponsored ladies to attend and gave to other needs pertaining to it! We know that without a doubt this will be a conference we will replicate again in the future - same material, just a different audience. After envisioning this event 2 years ago, it was exciting to see it come to life and transform into something much larger than we ever expected or anticipated. Thank you for your parts in it!

Below is a bit of a preview of the next blog. The first picture is at the very end, of everyone who attended!

We put a Shona Bible on each chair, for them to use during the conference. At the end, we announced that this Bible would be theirs to keep. The video below is their reaction to that news!

Since it’s been “winter” (June and July), we’ve been enjoying soups during our weekly gatherings. The ladies love the variety and addition of meat since our lunch rarely consists of meat, except during winter months. I put out several blankets each week and the ladies huddle together under them. It’s quite funny because during the day (10:00am-4:00pm) the weather is very comfortable. Andrew and I stay in regular short-sleeved attire as we would normally. Back in April, our mission team brought a couple packs of socks, which we put away specifically for this time of year. We were able to bless each of the ladies with a new pair of warm socks, which they love! When they arrive at our home, they leave their shoes outside by the door. During winter, most would be wearing a pair of socks (some quite thin and with holes) then as soon as they sit down inside, they pull out their brand new pair of socks to pull over their feet. It’s as if their brand new pair are now their special “indoor socks."

It’s been a relatively mild winter this year, all things considered. Winter seemed to arrive early and our coolest days were back in June, which is surprising as they are usually in July. We feel winter is certainly finished now, as we packed away our little electric heater a week ago and we’ve already started getting sweaty during the daytimes, which is common in summer. We’ve switched the large fan back on in our bedroom at night when we sleep, just to be more comfortable. The women no longer ask for the blankets when they are here and I stopped making soup for our gatherings, starting last week. We’re back to our usual lunch menu, which is sadza and a green relish. The teacups and water urn have also been packed away until next year. 

No doubt all of this sounds so strange to you, as a majority of you are still in the middle of summer!

The ladies continue to work on their crochet and knitting projects, each showing off their handiwork to the others each week. One of the ladies posted a picture of some slipper socks she made on her WhatsApp account because she was so proud of her work (picture to the left). We’ll be bringing these back with us stateside to sell. The women are so proud of their hard work and they should be. We are excited to share a few new items with you all that they have been making! Don’t worry there will be plenty of their safari animals too!

The ladies have also been able to test out the teatime treats that the caterer will be making for the Women’s Conference (pictured below). We are keeping the ladies central in all the planning and decision making, so they can find some ownership in this conference. 

The ladies have been working diligently on preparations for the Women’s Conference. They have been making all the decorations, which means literally a couple hundred tissue paper flowers. In addition, they’ve been doing lots of cutting of bookmarks, handouts, and invitations. They’ve been making decorative string and paper curtains for a photo backdrop and book page paper table runners. Their excitement as they learn a new craft or a new decorative item to make is palpable. We love seeing their excitement! All of them already have their 7 women in mind who they plan to personally invite. They’ve already been praying for the conference, the individuals who will attend, and all that we believe the Holy Spirit will do then.

You can scroll through the pictures in the slideshow below, which show the women hard at work on making decorations.

We chose not to make a trip to South Africa for our regular ministry and grocery run. We decided we could save some money (with flights, food, etc.) if we chose to do our shopping through a runner (a person who makes purchases in another country, brings them across the border, and delivers them in the capital for a percentage fee). We prefer to make the trip usually, because it allows us to go to the many stores that runners do not. Our shopping through a runner is limited to big box stores, which means not only slightly higher prices, but also limited on selection. So I (Yolanda) spent hours shopping online (really it’s looking for a store that has an online catalogue, then taking a screenshot of the item and price, so one can send it to the runner who will then go purchase that item in that store). Between slow Internet and online shopping being very limited, this process takes several hours. I placed the order a month ago. Usually our runner delivers within a week. Each week, the runner had a different excuse as to why the order hadn't arrived yet - the truck was delayed at the border, the online purchases were delayed, the store didn’t have the item in stock, etc., etc. Yesterday, all our items were meant to arrive. I had specifically asked the runner the day before if he was able to get our entire list. He said, “Yes, except for one item.” Needless to say, the following day, I get an early phone call stating how nothing has been bought from the main store which is all of the items we need for the conference. Many of the items are things we need now, so we can make stuff, not just items we need for the actual week of the conference. So I frantically got online, started looking at other stores, hunted down similar items, resent pictures and prices and lists to the runner in hopes of receiving these things in time. I also ended up prioritizing which items are essential and which we can just scratch and do without. This is unfortunately the reality of shopping in another country and dealing with runners who are not reliable (and yet the best in their field). This just happens to be some of the struggles of the missionary lifestyle. We commiserated with a fellow missionary in Chinhoyi, who grew up just a mile down the road, and he feels the exact same way. So it’s a comfort to know that we aren’t alone. We adapt, pivot our direction, make a new plan, and forge forward.

We are very proud of one of the ladies from the Tuesday group - Mai Mukandi. A few weeks ago, she was one of the main speakers for her church’s denomination-wide women’s conference here in town. She spoke to a crowd of 3,000 women about sharing the Gospel, being bold to tell others about Jesus, and fulfilling the Great Commission. Our housekeeper attended the conference and recorded most of the message. Mai Mukandi spoke with passion and conviction. She both encouraged and challenged her audience. As I listened to her message, I heard my own words that I’ve been sharing with the ladies these past several years, “When you go to the market and you buy some tomatoes from the lady, do you work on building a relationship? Do you take an opportunity to share Jesus with her? Or when you’re standing in line, waiting to purchase an item or get water, do you start a conversation with those around you, do you share Jesus with them? When you’re traveling in a kombi (taxi) or bus, do you talk to the person sitting next to you, do you give them Jesus?” My eyes welled up hearing her speak. Some may say she was just parroting what she has heard me say before, but I instead believe this was discipleship at its finest. She heard the Gospel, then went out and shared it with others and challenged them to do the same.

Lots of planning and preparing has been happening this past month in anticipation of the Women’s Conference. We have settled on a theme, “Salvation: The Greatest Gift!” We changed the theme, but the topics and teaching will still all be the same - “How to become a Christian.” I (Yolanda) have been meeting regularly with a friend to discuss all things conference related and she has agreed to speak at 2 of the teaching sessions. This helps me as I only now have to prepare and plan for speaking for 7 of the teaching sessions. My friend, who is Shona, will speak at the opening session. I had been doing plenty of research in preparation for this session because it will be addressing animism (ancestral worship), Shona traditions, beliefs, and milestone rituals, as they relate to spirits. We feel it is essential to address this right off the bat, as it seems futile to speak on issues of salvation, when not addressing the very things that prohibit so many Shona from becoming “true” Christians. By “true” Christians, I mean that 84% of the Zimbabwean population identify as Christians, but 57% of the population follow a syncretistic form of Christianity. Most Shona accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, BUT also continue to practice their Shona traditions, although they stand in contradiction to Scripture. So it begs the question, have they truly accepted Jesus as King of their life or merely added him to their list of gods? Culture in general is not bad and nor are traditions, but if they stand in contrast to God’s Word, then that’s when it’s a problem. This first opening teaching session will ask the question, “Can I be a Christian and still…” fill in the blank with some form of animistic belief system. Of course we all know that’s the wrong question to ask, but ultimately we will be pointing out how God is a jealous God who wants all of us, not only part of us and true Christianity is very simply (and obviously grossly oversimplified) Jesus plus nothing. The following days and teaching sessions will address in greater detail what exactly is our part in the salvation process, i.e. faith, belief, repentance, etc. and ultimately God’s part - saving us through His grace and the shedding of the blood of Jesus, not by our works or deeds. In addition, we will be providing an opportunity for all in attendance to respond after each session during their small groups, as well as providing an opportunity for any who may desire to be baptized on the final day. Again, we have no idea of the result of all of this, but are excited to see how the Holy Spirit will work through us and in the hearts of the ladies in attendance. We want to ensure that this conference provides everyone with enough information to make an informed decision, rather than a mass emotional one that is so often seen here in Africa. As missionaries, it is very freeing to know that the results are not something for us to worry about because our job is to do the sharing of the Gospel and it’s God's job to do the saving (not ours). 

A Shona Bible will be waiting on each chair in the sanctuary at the conference for the ladies to use during the 3 days. On the last day, we will have everyone open the Bibles to the first page where you can write a name and date and tell them to write their name. It is then that we will tell them the Bibles are a gift for them to keep - this was the ladies’ idea (ensuring we only gift it on the last day). The ladies all asked if they would also be receiving a new Bible. We first said no, because they already have Bibles. But after some thought, we realized they all have family members who do not and they would love to regift the Bible to someone else. To us it’s a no-brainer to make a (Shona) Bible available to anyone who might want one.

The caterer has been booked, tables have been hired, delivery has been ordered for them, the bus has been rented to transport everyone, the photographer has been booked and a downpayment made, teatime snacks have been tested, Shona worship music has been gathered, decided on, and downloaded, and decor is actively being made. Much has happened in preparing to make this event a success!

I’ve designed and made some bookmarks that have a Bible reading plan of the Gospels and Proverbs. Several of the ladies have agreed to lead an additional small group that will meet weekly post-conference to encourage and challenge whomever desires to read through the Gospels. If the groups start in September and run until December and they read 5 chapters a week, they will read through all 4 Gospels. In addition, they can start 2025 off with the wisdom of God by reading a chapter of Proverbs each day and they’ll finish the book in January. These little bookmarks are in Shona with Shona Bible references and will serve not only as a practical Bible marker, but hopefully a useful tool for accountability. It’s our goal to provide multiple avenues post-conference for the ladies to get connected, either through a church, a small group, reading Scripture, and even a WhatsApp support group. Discipleship has always been at the core of what we do in JM2Z and we feel it’s not enough to just share the Gospel message. Discipleship and intentional followup is essential in being obedient to what the Great Commission expects of us!

In addition, we are gifting salvation bracelets to each lady as an easy, tangible, and duplicable way to share the Gospel with someone else. We plan on teaching multiple ways on how to share the Gospel, since everyone learns differently and repetition is key to longterm memorization. 

We are so thankful and blessed to have received sponsors for just over 75 attendees so far! Thank you to all who have already contributed! Our hope is to have all 150 ladies sponsored at $15 per person. Will you consider giving towards this need? In addition, if you’d like to just give a special designated gift for the conference that will allow us to cover some extra, last minute supplies we are in need of (i.e. covering the hiring additional tables [$115], covering runner fees and decor supplies [$200], ordering toilet paper, soap, and napkins, etc. [$27], purchasing notebooks and pens [$190]). You can give at the link below, and be sure to state that it’s for the women’s conference. Thank you in advance for making this event possible! As a reminder of dates, the event will be August 27 - 29. Please be in prayer for this event, the ladies serving and working hard for it, and all the many ladies who will attend, that their hearts may be open to His leading. Please also pray for Andrew and Yolanda as we put in many hours and late nights into preparing and planning for it.

Mai Whisper, who was expecting during HBF week, has finally had her baby (2wks ago). She was three weeks past her due date, so she went into hospital to be induced. Unfortunately they said the baby was too large for natural child birth and that she would require a C-section. She stayed overnight in the hospital with surgery due to take place the next day. Of course the surgical room had none of the necessary supplies for her operation. So her husband had to go to the pharmacy with a list of items to get - syringes, needles, gloves, iodine, gauze, surgical blades, etc. They used up all the money they had, so she reached out to us for assistance. It was early evening at this point. We filled up a large thermos with tea and a large ziplock bag with cookies and gathered the necessary cash to take to the hospital. We put twice as much cash in the envelope than they asked for, knowing there would be more expenses. Any time we hand out cash for any of our programs, we expect to receive receipts and change, if due - the ladies are very good in following up with this. I walked through the labor ward then into the maternity ward, past tiny little babies in incubators until I finally got to bay six where Mai Whisper was laying in a bed in a dormitory-style room with about 12 beds filled with expectant mothers. She was grateful for the tea and cookies and of course the money that she desperately needed. I stayed briefly and visited, then prayed over her before leaving. Her husband would go to the pharmacy the first thing in the morning to get the remaining supplies. Then she would go into surgery for her C-section. The following day, she called to say her baby girl was delivered and that she was recovering well! Unfortunately, she lost a lot of blood during surgery and they had to perform a hysterectomy, something she only found out about afterwards. Although Mai Whisper has three other girls, a boy is always desired within the Shona culture. Not being able to have more children was devastating news. No doubt the decision to remove her womb was most likely due to the blood loss she was experiencing and the hospital not having enough blood on hand. They gave her one bag, but she required more. However, there was no more to give. The womb was most likely the easier fix to limit her blood loss (these are assumptions based off the healthcare service within the country and this specific hospital).

We spoke on the phone for a while, as I (Yolanda) asked how her heart was doing. I could hear her well-up on the line and I empathized with her feelings of loss and grief. Three days later, she called again, because they wouldn’t discharge her from the hospital since they had an outstanding bill. This is common practice at hospitals in Zimbabwe. The patient is made to stay on the floor with no assistance and no food (unless someone brings them some) and not allowed to leave until the bill is paid. She was needing $38 USD, which sounds like very little, but if you don’t have it, the figure is irrelevant. So after gathering up cash again, along with a baby gift of cloth diapers, a stuffed sheep, baby socks, and a diaper bag, I was off to the hospital before it got dark. Upon arriving, she told me about her experience. She introduced me to her baby girl, who does not have a name yet - also common since it usually takes about a week before the baby is named. Her baby also has albinism, just like her eldest daughter, Whisper. She shared her fears of having to protect yet another child with albinism. Children with albinism are often targets of kidnappings and murders, because their internal organs and genitalia are considered to hold magical powers. Their body parts are often used in witchcraft. She also shared the additional expense of continued need for sunblock, hats, long-sleeve attire and lip balm - all essentials for someone with albinism and something she has dealt with, with her eldest daughter. Ultimately, she was grateful her baby was healthy and she praised God for that! She shared how her eldest daughter prayed during each pregnancy that the baby would have albinism like she does, so that someone in her family would look like her. She said that Whisper, who is in her first year of high school, is so excited to have a sister that looks like her! She smiled as she shared this news, knowing all to well the discrimination and stigmatization her daughter has experienced within her own community.

I held the baby while Mai Whisper went from desk to desk to deal with paperwork. I watched as a nurse shouted a name in the ward and a woman would call back and hurriedly stand up, leave her newborn on the bed, and rush to the desk. Those who had obviously endured C-sections stood up more cautiously, but the nurse’s screeching voice would keep calling the name until the woman answered. A woman would attempt to quickly walk, hunched over in obvious discomfort, towards the bellowing voice. I watched as women lay in bare, wood-board beds, with their babies wrapped in thick winter blankets, towels, hats, and tracksuits (it is wintertime now in Zimbabwe). There were countless exposed breasts, as babies screamed for food and nourishment. Occasionally, a nurse would enter and yell instructions or commands to a patient, but for the most part they are left to fend for themselves, with little to no assistance. As a white woman, I was something different to look at and stare at in the bay. Most women sat up or moved their babies to face me as they gawked at my presence. This is something we’re accustomed to, both living in Zimbabwe and having visited the hospital on many occasions. My mere presence made it so that Mai Whisper was instantly receiving better attention and being spoken to more compassionately and tenderly (sometimes the color of my skin is an advantage, even though it’s a disadvantage other times. It just depends on the location and situation - we have learned how to navigate such situations). They would ask who I was and my answer is always the same, “This is my sister, do you not see the resemblance?” They would laugh and then go on with what they were doing. I stayed much longer than I had intended, but it was quite obvious Mai Whisper needed my presence, if nothing else, to hold her baby while she tended to things (she is a highly protective mother). It quickly became apparent that she needed much more than the initial $38 that I had brought. I had no other cash on me so I quickly drove back home to get more cash. Andrew met me at the gate at our house with the money, so I could do a quick turnaround and hopefully return before it got dark. I got the extra cash needed with a few extra dollars just in case - which ended up being a good idea, since they needed those few extra dollars for a prescription that was written. 

Once I returned to the hospital with the necessary funds, Mai Whisper called her husband, who had been standing in line to pay at accounting since 3 hours prior to when I had first arrived. He had someone hold his place as he quickly came to to get the cash. We greeted, shaking hands in the typical Shona way. I congratulated him on his new baby, “Makorokoto,” I said, clapping my hands and congratulating him. I knew I would need to leave soon before the sun went down. So I finally got a couple pictures (the baby was screaming non-stop earlier, because all she wanted to do was feed and Mai Whisper’s milk is coming in slowly), and then offered to pray for her and the baby. Of course the whole bay filled with beds of new moms with their babies quieted down (even the crying babies) as we bowed our heads in prayer. I heard several amens all around me after I opened my eyes. I made sure to leave money for a taxi too. I didn’t trust myself to know how to get home in the dark after dropping off Mai Whisper at home. She recently moved and there are many turns on a very bad road to get to her place. I picked up my thermos I had left several days earlier with her, and after ensuring she had all she needed, I made my way back home. Even in our small, little town, returning home during “rush hour” is always an adventure. Kombis (vans that are taxis) and cars swerving in front of you, cars pulling out on the main road at a moment’s notice, stuck between semi-trucks at traffic lights that are out, pedestrians running across the road with oncoming traffic, and poor visibility with the time of day doesn’t help the situation. Needless to say, two extreme brake stops were needed (that made stuff fly off the passenger seat) due to a car swerving in front of me and an almost head on collision with a semi-truck (to no fault of my own), I arrived alive. And this is just a regular day of driving in Zimbabwe.

In addition to helping out Mai Whisper, we’ve assisted several others recently under our Medical Assistance Program. Mai Innocent’s (our housekeeper) 7 year old granddaughter was driven home from school and was sitting in the backseat of a car. Unfortunately, the car door was not completely closed, so when the car drove over a pothole, the door flew open and she fell out, hitting the road head first. She was rushed to the local hospital about 15 miles from us. She had sustained some head and shoulder injuries. She received multiple stitches on her shoulder and was transported to Harare, the capital, to have a head CT scan and see a neurologist. Thankfully, her tests were all fine and she was able to return to the hospital near her town. She stayed there until her fever broke and she was stable and well enough to return home. We had given Mai Innocent some time off to go be with her daughter and granddaughter to support them. She is presently recovering well and her wounds are healing.

Western (our groundskeeper) asked for a loan because his grandfather was in the hospital here in Chinhoyi. Instead, we enrolled him in our Medical Assistance Program. He needed oxygen and other medication. We gave Western time off to go be with his grandfather. The next day, he and a cousin were starting to drive his grandfather home after the hospital had discharged him. Unfortunately, soon after they left the building, his grandfather felt ill and started vomiting. They immediately returned to the hospital. Unfortunately, soon after that, his grandfather passed away. His grandfather had ulcers and some other medical issues that required him needing to come to the hospital sooner. But as is so common in Zimbabwe, people only end up going to the hospital in severe cases and often when it’s too late. This is due to lack of transport, distance to healthcare facilities, cost of medical services, and lack of necessary support, especially due to the financial burden. Western, being the eldest cousin and one of the only working family members, was required to handle transport of the body back to his rural home, four hours away. Funerals are very expensive endeavors with the cultural requirement of transporting family to burial sites and providing food for all in attendance, etc. Again Western asked for a loan (one that would take him several months to repay and eat up most of his income). So once again, we decided to assist by covering these needs through our benevolence fund. It’s these types of emergencies and unplanned expenses that debilitate individuals and keep people in poverty. And in Zimbabwe, it’s not as simple as having medical insurance, life insurance, or a neat little emergency fund tucked away in a private account. These are not realistic options, especially or primarily because of what most individuals earn for an income.

In addition to the several medical crises we’ve assisted with recently, there have also been the minor cases of colds and flus running through our Tuesday and Wednesday group ladies and their families. The country has a seen a huge spike in flu cases, which has resulted in a bit of a panic because people were not sure if it was Covid. But the health sector has made several statements, making it clear that it’s just the normal flu and cold that is common during this season. Many have taken to wearing masks again to help curb the flu symptoms. We’ve asked the ladies to not attend group if they are sick, since it’s not uncommon for a lady to show up coughing and splattering everywhere and looking worse for wear and advising all of us that she’s been suffering from the flu for a few days. In the last two weeks, I have handed out multiple packets of cold/flu symptom meds - vitamin C, tablets for coughing, throat lozenges, headache tablets, etc. We’ve also covered for some of the more immune compromised ladies to go to the local clinic, with several of them receiving shots for their severe symptoms.

Two years ago, we discussed hosting a women’s conference. However, the timing has never been right. We are feeling the Spirit’s urging that maybe the timing will never be right and it’s just time to actually do it. We had hoped to host the event in October to give ourselves some extra time, but the ladies all insisted that August would be best as it will be school holidays. The school holidays allow their older children to take care of their younger children and ensures that no children need to be picked up from school in the middle of the day, meaning that women who attend the conference, will not have to worry about what to do with their children. This all made a lot of sense, so we are hosting the event during the last week in August (27th-29th). The women in both the Tuesday and Wednesday groups are very excited for this! Since we had already discussed the opportunity for this event two years ago, we had a head start and list of ideas of how we anticipate the event to be carried out.

We have decided to make this event extra special, providing lunch, tea time treats, table decor, worship music, multiple main session topics, small groups, notebooks, pens, and a Shona Bible for each attendee. Our audience will be women who may never otherwise be able to afford or have the opportunity of attending such an event. The Tuesday and Wednesday ladies will all personally invite a certain number of women to attend. We plan to have the event catered (at a very reasonable $5 per plate) to ensure all the ladies can attend the entire event (which will also greatly reduce our stress levels). We will not host an August HBF kids’ program and, instead, put the funds towards this three-day Women’s Conference. Even with utilizing funds we would have used for HBF, we are still in need of supplementing the event. We hope to host 150 women and it will be free for everyone to attend.

Would you like to sponsor a woman to attend? We are asking any of you who are willing, for donations of $15 per attendee. This will specifically be an outreach event. Our theme is, “Salvation: the greatest gift!” (how to become a Christian and a follower of Jesus). It doesn’t get more to the point than that! We believe this will most likely be one of the most eternity-minded events we have ever done in JM2Z. We have no idea what the outcome will be or even if we will be blessed to see the results thereof, but we are believing that something amazing will take place. If you would like to sponsor a woman (or more) for $15 each, you can donate at the link below.

The two weeks the ladies’ groups met following HBF, we spent some intentional time in prayer and visiting with one another. We had spent the previous six weeks so busy and rushed each time we gathered. Although we had opened/closed in prayer each time we met, we had not taken time to go around the circle to truly listen and hear what had been happening in the lives of each woman. Therefore, we took two back-to-back weeks to focus on just that. What unfolded was some fantastic group and peer counseling opportunities. All of the women opened up with so much vulnerability, rawness, and authenticity, about what had been happening in their lives. Each lady shared with great trust about a struggle or what they had been suffering or a traumatic even or encounter. Everything from family conflict, childhood trauma, domestic violence, verbal abuse, loss, pain, and grief - were all shared among them. Everyone quietly and actively listened as each lady shared her story. Hugs were given, hands were held, backs were rubbed in support, and tissues were handed out. Others in the group would offer up their thoughts on the matter, giving examples from their own lives and experiences. Without negating personal experiences or cultural norms/expectations, I would share a biblical story or analogy asking them to compare their advice/opinions to that of the biblical one. I would challenge them to read a verse and ask if their advice was contradictory to Scripture or lacking in compassion and understanding. Overall, the women showed great compassion towards one another. Each showed immense empathy and active listening skills, while also attempting to help, assist, and support their sisters-in-Christ. Most came to the consensus that being a part of each other’s lives outside of group was vital and checking in on each other more often was necessary. 

These two gathering times made me so proud of the ladies. The fact that the group has grown to a place of such immense trust in one another that each felt comfortable and safe enough to share extremely private and personal struggles and sufferings, spoke volumes. The women each showed great empathy and compassion, as well as wisdom in dealing with one another. Our times together also highlighted that every individual still endured great pain and that our Christian walk does not equal a bed of roses. Our time together was so sweet and our prayers so raw and open. Sharing in each other’s burdens as well as celebrating in each other’s praises was doing church at its finest. 

These times together were once again reminders of why we are closed groups. I (Yolanda) am often asked when we will be adding more women to our groups (especially as a few have gotten jobs and unable to attend the groups) or why not - and this is exactly why. It takes literal years of building relationships to get to this point, where an entire day of meeting can be about sharing, trusting, praying, crying, listening, and counseling. (Out of respect to the women I will not be sharing any specific stories the women shared).

After the two weeks of intentional prayer and group/peer counseling, we returned to our regular schedule of Bible study and fellowship. However, we have been doing things a little differently lately. I have not been preparing specific Bible studies, but rather, we have been gathering to have times of “being in the hot seat” as we call it. We all read a meatier chapter of Scripture and each lady shares her understanding of that passage. I (Yolanda) then jot down if the lady said something not quite accurate or if she gave a “correct answer,” but too simply. I then return to each lady and ask “why” she believes “a, b, c, d” or to explain her answer in more detail. In some cases, it’s helping the person get to the true meaning and understanding by allowing them to read multiple Scriptures on the topic. Other times, it’s playing devil’s advocate and challenging the person what they believe to ensure they truly understand the issue or topic at hand. 

Another week, I ask different salvation/essential and belief related questions. “How are we saved?”,  “Why?”,  “Is that all?”, “What does that mean?”, “Are you sure?”, “Where does it say that in Scripture?” “Explain yourself?” I have also been challenging each woman on church and denomination specific beliefs and traditions. I don’t tell them if something is right or wrong, but rather, question why they believe that certain thing. I’m challenging them to think for themselves and to have biblical literacy. They all know the “Sunday school answers,” but I’m pushing them to know why they believe that and not just because I said so. Sometimes they directly ask me if  “x, y, z” in their church is wrong. I don’t answer them, but instead open it to the group to discuss and then we open to several Scripture passages to read. Then I ask what they think and why. Out of these teaching times, wonderful discussion and conversation have taken place. The women represent many different denominations and schools of thought, not to mention one is a Muslim. All of which have made for very interesting learning opportunities. 

We call these times, “sitting in the hot seat” because it’s uncomfortable. The topics are hard, personal, and difficult to digest. When a question seems especially difficult to answer, all the ladies begin to blow toward the one to whom the question was asked, pretending to stoke the fire. The women joke that they need a glass of water to cool down or need to stand up from the hot seat. There is laughter to break the tension during these times. 

Obviously these times have challenged me immensely too. I can prepare for a Bible study, but these times can lead down many different rabbit trails, forcing me to do much research in advance to be prepared to turn to certain passages in Scripture or lead the conversation in a certain direction, etc. I never know which questions the ladies will ask or how they will interpret a certain passage. I never know how they will respond or how their own experiences have molded their belief systems. Although these unknowns prove a challenge, they also create wonderful opportunities for learning. You would think you’d only find these types of interactions in Bible classes at high school, college, or even seminary level classes, but instead, these conversations are taking place among African women, some who speak no English, some who struggle to read, some who have never made it to high school, and all who would be considered uninterested in these types of topics. These women never cease to amaze me! Please continue to pray for them, for their continued desire to learn and grow and ask questions. Pray that they may impart this type of desire and knowledge to those around them and within their realms of influence. Pray that this discipleship would be a part of their everyday lives among others.

Wohoo! We have great news! Finally, after 19 months, we are getting back to finishing the ministry building. We shouldn’t be surprised that this is how long it has taken just to get restarted, but with how unprecedentedly fast the building went up (six weeks), we had high hopes - our first mistake. We had hoped the building would be completed while we were stateside last year. But the contractor was dragging his feet and finally reached out, explaining he’d prefer to complete the building upon our return to Zimbabwe to ensure everything was done to our standards. We agreed, especially because we did not want to add one more thing to Janeece’s plate during her missionary relief of us. Once we returned (August 2023), we had hoped to get started immediately, but one thing after another was getting in our way to be present for the work. Finally as our schedule opened up (by end of October 2023), we reached out again attempting to get them to come and get started. Unfortunately, the main guy was out of the country in Tanzania overseeing a major project in training non-profits on how to build these prefab buildings. Then my health got poor and I ended up having surgery and we were unavailable for two months for this project. The new year (2024) came around and still we had not started. We reached out again. Finally someone was sent to meet with us. We went over all the improvements, changes, and undone work. Then we heard nothing for weeks upon weeks even though we kept reaching out. At this point, our patience was waning. Then another individual was sent and once again ALL the information needed to be shared again. Measurements of cupboards, paint colors, fixtures, adjustments, improvements, corrections, etc., etc., etc. More WhatsApp messages were sent back and forth between countries and multiple employees. We were starting to feel like everything we had already paid for was never actually going to get done. We made phone calls and once again someone (or rather a team) was sent to meet with us. Again, we went over it all step by step and then finally, a week after they said a painter would arrive, he finally did. This last week, a painter has been staying here, filling cracks, plastering corrections, and painting the ceiling. This week, the painter has been painting the interior walls, window frames, and burglar bars. Hopefully, next the external part of the structure will be touched up and bathrooms painted.. 

We expect to see electricians, builders, carpenters, and plumbers over the next several weeks in hopes of finally finishing up the building. The deadline for the building has moved many times - before we return to Zimbabwe (2023), before the end of the year (2023), before our mission team arrives (April), before the next event, and now finally hopefully before we leave to return to the US again. On the positive side, things are actually happening now and we are confident that the building will in fact be completed.

We have been raising money for a 15 passenger van, and our goal has been to raise $25,000. So far, we’ve received donations from individuals and churches, totaling $12,000. Last week, we were blown away when we received news from another one of our supporting churches, letting us know they will be donating $14,000! This will give us an extra $1,000 for licensing and insurance. This was an unexpected surprise for us, but God knew! We are very appreciative of everyone who has given for a van! After watching the women pile into the back of our pickup truck just last Tuesday and Wednesday for the umpteenth times in the last decade, we know they will be so thankful to sit in regular seats when we drive them back and forth each week and other places at different times. We will now also be able to host more visitors, i.e. bigger mission teams (although we still prefer to keep groups relatively small, we will now be able to host more than 3 at a time).

We feel very blessed and are excited to now be able to look at specific vans to purchase! Thank you so much to all who have given and have made this a reality! Your generosity is much appreciated!

The Sunday night, the day before Holiday Bible Fun started, Emily, who had taught the ladies while I (Yolanda) was recovering from my surgery, had to cancel last minute on teaching the older kids for HBF week. She had gone away for a couple weeks with her family to SA and had just returned. She was more tired than she realized and requested the possibility of not helping out for the week. This at first caught us off guard and was a little frustrating, as our regular teacher, Mai Whisper, didn’t want to commit to teaching because she was due for labor and delivery any day. I joked with Pamela and Michael (both retired teachers) that I may need to call on them at the last minute to teach for the week. They laughed and agreed, and then I realized that they were literally my only answer on such short notice! I reminded them of the need to be flexible and God stretching us on mission trips and then asked if they would be willing to take over teaching for the week. You may think this was obvious, but understand that the kids are from a different culture than they are used to, language is still a deterrent as some children are not fluent in English, so even though the lesson is taught in English, usually Mai Whisper still takes advantage of some Shona as is needed. In addition, the sun was literally setting on Sunday evening, and it was the night before the event. They had not yet seen their classroom, the space they would be teaching in, the curriculum, or even the schedule for the day. They were meant to be extra helpers in multiple capacities, coming alongside the women who were already teaching crafts or cooking meals, etc. Needless to say, Pamela and Michael were more than willing, albeit a little anxious, to take over and teach the older groups. 

The first day, the children were very quiet in their lesson times. They didn’t laugh at jokes, they didn’t interact, and it seemed like Pamela and Michael would have to fight an uphill battle to reach the kids. Needless to say, Tuesday came, and the kids were quickly feeling more comfortable with their foreign, expressive teachers and began to come out of their shells! The rest of the week proved how well suited Pamela and Michael were for the job, as well as how much the children enjoyed their teaching!

It was once again a wonderful week of pouring into kids and sharing the love of Jesus in very tangible ways: feeding them nutritional, well-balanced meals and snacks, allowing kids to be kids while they had fun with games and activities, enjoying puppeteering skits that introduced the lessons each day, boisterous, exuberant worship with dancing actions and praising, crafts that introduced necessary skill sets like cutting with scissors or fine motor skills in weaving yarn through holes, crafts that were not only fun, but also pointed to the daily lesson, lessons that opened Scripture and taught children Psalm 23 in applicable, biblically accurate ways, object lessons and daily memory verses, coloring pages and worksheets to drive the lessons home, and lots of hugs, high fives, “you are special,” “Jesus loves you,” and “the Good Shepherd is always with you.” 

What a joy, what an honor, and what a privilege to pour into kids in such intentional, proactive ways that highlight the biblical story and show the love of Jesus!

Since HBF, we have met with the ladies to debrief and revisit everything that went well, highlights of the week, and also areas where we can improve and make adjustments for the future. The ladies always come prepared with countless stories from children who attended and the parents and grandparents of the kids. 

We know that this time, we had the opportunity to minister to kids from cults, Christian and animistic sects often called “white-robe” churches that meet in open air areas, don’t open Bibles, are led by polygamous “prophets,” anti-education (especially for girls), and clearly not Christian. We also had the opportunity to minister to kids from Seventh-Day Adventist churches and Roman Catholic churches. We ministered to children who were unchurched, as well as children from multiple Christian denominations. In addition, we ministered to 27 children from the local orphanage, all of whom have experienced unbelievable trauma in their lives from sexual, physical, emotional, and mental abuse. These kids have also experienced food insecurity. Some have experienced homelessness and lack or no education (we had 12 year olds who are in second grade from this group). We also once again ministered to children with special needs and even a few from private schools and well-to-do families. We ministered to children who’ve attended since first grade and are now in seventh grade, as well as children who attended for the very first time. For the first time, we even ministered to a few 4 year olds (grandkids of volunteers), who sat in classes and made crafts and even had an older high school kid who had attended for years, volunteer and help with craft time. In addition, we were also able to minister to a handful of kids who had come all the way from the rural area to stay in the “big city” (note, we live in a small town) with one the ladies, all week, to attend HBF for the first time. 

We know that HBF is far more reaching than we could ever imagine. These are only some of the children who we know of and whose stories we’ve heard, but there are so many more stories we haven’t heard, so many more children who were impacted and whose families were impacted and we may never even know about… and that’s perfectly ok. The point is the Gospel is being preached, lives are being impacted, and we have the distinct privilege to play a small part in all of it because of YOUR continued generosity to JM2Z.

So, who is ready to come and serve on a mission trip?

At the end of a crazy few weeks, Michael and Pamela treated us to a week in Victoria Falls with them. We became unofficial tour guides for them for the week, as we showed them around and helped book a few fun activities for them to enjoy. They graciously covered our airfare, accommodation, and an overnight camping experience an hour’s drive away in Botswana. Their hearts from the beginning was to bless us as missionaries and to include some missionary care during their mission trip. This was very much appreciated and is often forgotten as a possibility on mission trips - missionary care (which can take different forms).