Our first full day!!

We finally made it to Zimbabwe after approximately 30 hours of traveling!  Tom, Lois, and Donya were so very welcoming!! Yesterday, we were very tired so our night was mainly spent touring the guest house and getting ready for bed ;)

Today was our first full day in Harare, Zimbabwe. I want to start off with a Bible verse that will definitely help us understand and remain strong in our purpose for serving here.  Colossians 2:1-9 uses a comparison of roots and buildings to our relationship with God.  "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." (Colossians 2:6-7)  In the culture of Zimbabwe, the people accept Christ as a spirit, some faraway mystical creator who brings or withholds the rain.  They are typically more concerned about making God happy so that He can bring the rain.

Rafiki Girls Center: A registered independent Christian organization that seeks to empower disadvantaged and vulnerable girls with life skills for self-reliance.

This morning, we participated in TEAM orientation with Tom.  We focused on learning more about the Zimbabwe culture as well as how the schools are operated.  Afterwards, we took a tour of the guest house property seeing as it was actually light outside!  Foundations for Farming (click on the link to learn more) is held on the grounds of the TEAM guesthouse.  "Foundations for Farming is an initiative aimed at bringing transformation to individuals, communities and nations through faithful and productive use of land. God has revealed a very simple conservation farming method with an implementation management teaching, which when applied help people to apply the Gospel to their lives." Later, we visited Hands for Hope with Steve Love (a missionary supported by Westover).  Through Hands for Hope, men and women learn farming techniques, Aquaponics, assembling materials, renovation, and so much more.  On Mondays, Steve Love and his apprentices start the week off at the top of the hill (WHAT A HIKE!!) with a devotion and pray over the week to come.  At the end of the week, they meet at the bottom and give God all the glory for everything He has blessed them with that week.  The neat thing is, discussing and meditating over the gospel and working are not two separate entities.  "Gospel Talk" occurs at all hours of the day and is integrated into their work.  We ended the day off right with a Braai, or cookout, with the Loves and Jacksons.  We had such a feast and were able to try a new food as well, called Boerworst (a mix between beef and pork, otherwise known as Farmer's Sausage).

The team at Hands for Hope

A panoramic view of the Hands for Hope property

At the Braai with the missionaries and their families.

It is now bedtime for us and we will be headed out to Mushumbi Pools in the morning!  We will be in a very rural area and will be with limited to no access to internet.  We will definitely update you once we have access to internet again!  Until next time :)