On April 16, 2019 I'm headed for an adventure...Zimbabwe. What a way to celebrate our Risen Savior--spreading the Good News! He is Risen and Alive! He conquered death and sin for us! He gives purpose, peace, power, His Holy Spirit, a home in heaven....so many gifts!
My friend Tammy Scorziel and her husband Jeff live in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe full time, ministering to the people of ZImbabwe. Jeff is a pastor, and Tammy has a huge heart for children. Tammy said that Zimbabwe is regularly listed in the poorest handful of countries on the planet. Tammy is determined to help...raising chickens in order to feed the local poor kids with an egg a day, teaching them about Jesus, as well as their parents, ministering to women, visiting kids in hospitals and local children's homes.
Tammy has been sharing our music with the children of their church and in the area there in Bulawayo for years, and has asked me for years if I could ever come. Well, as He often does, I just felt the Lord tapping on my shoulder, whispering in my ear, "This is the year." So, I stepped out to test the waters, seeing if going to Bulawayo for Easter was truly possible.
Could Ron come? No--he is slammed over Easter with work at the church where he runs sound and audio. Okee dokee, no problem. I will be well cared for by Tammy and Jeff.
Could I raise enough money to pay for the travel needs? Yep--I created my first GoFundMe page and with a sweaty hand clicked the "Send" button to thousands of people. My flight was covered in two weeks! The rest that keeps trickling in will go to the massive needs there in ZImbabwe*
Could I get shots in time? Don't need them! We definitely won't drink the water, but Tammy and Jeff have never gotten shots, and have a local malaria medication they can give me that has way fewer side effects than the prescriptions from the USA.
My calendar was miraculously clear over Easter. The details were all lining up, and with each day, my heart beats faster every time I talk and pray with Tammy!
What's the schedule? I will be singing for the local kids....LOTS of that. But also I'll be helping Tammy and Jeff run a VBS-type Holiday Club kids in the local schools (hundreds of them), helping Tammy give out eggs to the kids, which they desperately need now with ZImbabwe's crushing economy. Tammy and some of the women of the church are putting on a special Easter lunch for the ladies of the area where I will sing and share my testimony (and play a borrowed guitar). Easter Sunday I'll be singing for the kids of Bulawayo Baptist church who apparently know all my songs, but don't know the face behind the music (mine). They might like meeting me, or I might scare them ("Who is that OLD white woman?"). Probably some honest kiddos will comment that I'm older than they pictured, whiter, fatter, who knows? But I am HIs vessel and the Lord can do things we can't imagine when we just say "Here I am." So, Lord, here I am!
You might have read about the devastating cyclones that just hit Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi. Although Tammy and Jeff's church is far inland from the devastation, she has seen people with so little giving so much to help those even needier. Tammy said hundreds of homes have washed away, many lives were washed away, and as the land flooded miles inland from the coast, people scrambled up trees to escape from crocodiles. Many people are still in the trees, waiting to be rescued. Tammy is wondering if we might be able to do something to help.
In the next few weeks, I might rally help for some kind of need we could address. I'm already bringing a suitcase of crayons and balloons for the Holiday club...there will be more needs to shop for and carry over. The inflation in Zimbabwe has made it extremely difficult for people to afford for even the basic necessities, let alone craft items for kids (who will be SO blessed).
If you would like to make a contribution towards this trip (at this point, mostly to purchase items for the Egg a Day program, food for the chickens, supplies for the Easter Outreach luncheon), the needs are endless. The needs truly are endless. Here is the link to my GoFundMe page.
I'll do my best to post photos and updates, but apparently wifi and cell service is spotty.
I just got home from a wonderful weekend at a cozy conference center in Maryland with the women of Cavalry Chapel Central Bucks PA. They trusted me to do the teaching for the weekend, which is a tall order for me (and a courageous leap of faith for them). As God would have it, preparing for that retreat as well as the time at the retreat were things He used to pour into me and prepare me for this Easter trip to Zimbabwe. The theme was about this Invisible Kingdom we live in, the Invisible God we love and serve who sees everything and abides with us--always, guiding, teaching, growing, transforming, refining, with every twist and turn. He LOVES us and loves to WALK with us. So, I'm excited to walk with Him over in Zimbabwe.
Hasta Luego!
Jana