news from zimbabwe
BINDURA
I am grateful for the textbook, ‘Where There Is No Doctor’; it is quite an interesting and helpful book in our environment and very educative. I am in touch with a lady who is very interested in the truth which I have proclaimed to her. She has been convinced and is willing to be posted the Bible literature lessons from any interested tutor, brother or sister. I am appealing for an old Oxford dictionary to refer to the complicated vocabulary either in the Bible or in the literature. Brothers and sisters, we are living in the last days and we should choose the narrow and not the wide road. The ‘free agency’ is with us – for good or evil. We were created in the image of God so that we can pray to Him and follow His commands. In the Bible we are told that there shall be famine, war and outbreaks of diseases. These are actually signs of the times. We should be ever prepared for the return of Christ. He can come like a thief. There is no way we can elude death, it’s the penalty which was imposed on Adam and Eve after they had been deceived by the serpent and had eaten of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. We too must die (unless Jesus comes soon) and wait for the resurrection and judgment. Whenever I fall asleep I want to be laid to rest in Christ with Christadelphian members. Through them I found the well pronounced truth. The present is the only time we have to repent.
Bro. Joseph Mucheri
BULAWAYO
I am now in Bulawayo looking for a better job. I was working as a gardener, but the money I was earning was below living conditions. If I fail to get employment I will go home and try to look for land to grow crops that are cash-crops. My question is, Why are brothers and sisters going back to the world? Many are not going to the meetings and some are fighting for positions in the ecclesia. Romans ch. 12 says there is one body and many members. The theme of ‘one body’ is very common: God chose one nation, one land, one covenant, one temple. We have read in Exodus that God delivered the people of Israel – His people, His family – from Egypt. God said that man and woman would be united and become one flesh. An example: if one part of a car wears out the whole system will stop. If one brother or sister draws back to the world they are a loss to the body of Christ. According to Romans 12 we each have a part to play in the one body and we must use our gifts according to the grace given to us by God.
Bro. Dzingai Sumburera
CHEGUTU
I would like to thank you guys for the good work you are doing by Gospel News. Keep up the good work and God bless you.
It takes two to argue. Without warning the driver of a car (driver A) changed lanes and cut in front of another driver (driver B) who had to brake suddenly. The incident could have ended there, but driver B showed his annoyance by loudly and repeatedly sounding his horn. After that the matter could have been dropped, but driver A put his hand out of the window and made an obscene gesture. Again, the episode could have ended there; instead, at the next set of lights driver B opened his window and shouted, ‘Idiot!’ The contest escalated until, finally, both drivers were out of their cars expressing themselves with punches. Opportunities to defuse the situation had been presented but ignored. This pattern of escalating hostility is an unfortunate aspect of human nature, souring friendships, marriages and other relationships. Both sides in such conflicts fear that letting the other side have the last word would be seen as a sign of weakness and defeat. People seem to believe that to walk away from contention would be humiliating. Humiliating? This word is interesting. You may not like someone else mistreating you, indeed, you should try to avoid it, but what is wrong with humility? James (4:6) wrote, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." God’s word declares, "It is to a man’s honour to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel" (Prov. 20:3). In God’s eyes it is honourable to swallow one’s pride in order to halt strife. Stopping an argument is not necessarily difficult; if one person stops, often the arguing ends there. It takes two to argue. The book of Proverbs tells us, "The beginning of strife is like releasing water". A small leak in a dam can quickly grow until there is no stopping the flow. Finally the dam bursts. "Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out" (Prov. 17:14).
Bro. Tapera Bandare
We have Sunday service at a school in our community which sometimes attracts more than 30 adults and about 15 scholars (who are attended to by Bro. Bautie Mbewe and sometimes Sis. Susan Phiri). Our main service is a devotional session which is proving very interesting to every one. Also, we recently opened a class which is being run by Bro. Farai Phiri for the Bible students and every elder is free to assist. We always pray and ask for more prayer for the growth of our ecclesia and for our Brother Delory Mbewe who is unwell.
Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and, indeed, to every one. We should pray continually in every circumstance and give thanks to the Almighty. We should ask for forgiveness and deliverance from our sins because His love endures for ever. Therefore, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to all the people. Above all, brothers and sisters, we must have love and try to live in peace with each other. Read 1 Thess. 5: 15-28.
Sis. Memory Lunando
CHINHOYI
Thank you very much for all the publications we receive regularly. May God kindly add more blessings to this job well done. May Jesus soon be here for us to enjoy his partnership in the new Kingdom. May peace and grace be with you for ever and ever.
Bro. Gift Lungu
I am in isolation and write to request the book, ‘Where There Is No Doctor’. I live in a remote area where our nearest clinic is about 27km away, and from where I live to the main road is 12km. Mode of transport to the main road is either scatch-cart, wheelbarrow or bicycle, where he/she (the sick) can be carried by either a bus or a car to the clinic. In some cases there is no medication at the clinic and no money to get the person to the provincial hospital. I do appreciate the book, it will be most helpful to people like me. Many thanks to the author and to God who gave him such thoughts.
Bro. Moses Ajiweka
We have seven children at Zumba 7 where we also have our Sunday service. Our Sunday session starts at 10-11am. After Sunday School we have Bible studies with our four students and it is now two years since they began learning the truth about the Kingdom of God. We break bread every Sunday with Bro. Moses Ajiweka, Bro. Emmanuel Kondowe and Sis. Joyce Wiki. We have a problem: we only have one Shona Bible which belongs to Sis. Joyce. Most of our students speak only Shona, therefore there is a need for more Bibles. If you can supply one or two Shona Bibles it will help a lot. I am also requesting the book, ‘Where There is No Doctor’. We hope to have an ecclesia here as soon as we have more baptised brethren and sisters. Greetings to all Christadelphian brothers and sisters world-wide. Our prayers are with you. Please pray for us as we preach the truth in a world infested by evils.
Bro. Obert Wiki
Photo:
Bro. Obert Wiki at work at Zumba 7 Anchor Store where he displays
Christadelphian books and discusses with customers the truth in the
Bible.
CHISHUMBA
Christ said, "There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth". We are pleased to announce the baptism of MISHECK HONDOMA and EVELINE SHAMBASUNTO on March 27th and of RANGI NAJIKADZINO, FADZE ZTARARE, GLORIA ZTARARE, and one student from Mpukufa village on April 17 We pray that God will bless our new Brothers and Sisters in their walk to the Kingdom of God and we give thanks that the Lord has blessed our ecclesia in strengthening our numbers. God willing, we hope to have additional baptisms soon. I am requesting a reading glass, dictionary, Shona Bibles, Shona Bible Basics, NIV reference and concordance Bible and. ‘Where There Is No Doctor’ and Bro. Thomas, His Life and Work. Please also try to send Hymn Books and Sunday School material because now I am dealing with pupils. I wrote to the Canadian, Save the Children’s Fund in March, but as yet have had no reply.
Bro. Emmanuel Maugente
CHITUNGWIZA
My aunt, the owner of the house to which my letters were sent, has sold due to certain hardships we are facing here in our country, so please note the change of address. In my ecclesia we have started a Sisters’ Union. We Sisters are a helping hand to our brothers. Many marriages/homes are breaking due to the fact that we do not fear God. We might be baptised, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we know what we are doing in His eyes. I do feel His call each and every day. I think another way for the Sisters to advertise our church is to have it printed on our headgear, then people will want to know about us. We can spread the truth even by having choir competitions among our ecclesias, making our own casettes with our own music, not always hearing those from other churches. I feel pained by this. Please let us help each other in letting the truth be known.
Sis. Maureen Chimunya
DETE
I am so glad that I have heard the word and followed it and that my family are also Christians. The Bible tells us that we should be shining lamps which shine brightly. We should shine from ourselves in our homes and be seen to shine by our Christian works, so that people may follow our Lord and repent. I was in hospital in 2002 for over two months when I nearly died, but the Lord has done great things for me. I think of Job and all his sufferings, but he was blessed in the end.
Sis. Miriam Ncube
Don’t cease to post me some books and other reading material. Regarding my problems, I will wait and pray to God so that things will be easier.
Sis. Precious Phiri
Photo: Sis. Ratidzai Magadzire, wife of Bro. Tarirai, Nyandoro.
GURUVE
Abraham and his wife Sarah waited a long time and then the promise came of a son. As brothers and sisters we must be faithful believers, having been baptised (immersed) and made clean from our sins. Let us not be like the prodigal son who had half of the inheritance and spent everything. Then came the famine in the land where he was and would have eaten the pigs’ food. Then he thought it would be much better for him to go back to his father. This is like us when we repent, we work God’s work preaching the gospel.
Sis. Loveness Ngunga
HARARE
I praise God for being with all of us during our troubled world. We should live with hope that one day the Son of God will come and rescue us, as God did to the people of Israel during their living in Egypt. God was with them, for He loved them. Hosea tells us of the love He had for His people. God is also with us if we keep remembering the love of our Lord Jesus in dying for us. Regarding my work, things are a bit better than they were. My work gives me much pressure which means that I sometimes work on Sundays. But God may provide me with a better job. God provides everything a man asks for through prayer and faith and according to His will.
Bro. Israel Mutundume
KADOMA
Life today is hard. From the beginning of March there was no food in our town. The business men are hiding it for the high price. The main thing is I must be sure about my salvation (1 Peter 2:13-15). We must put Jesus as a part in our hearts. People are greedy for money. Please pray for us that we will not lose our Hope. God’s eyes are always upon us.
Sis. Alice Wilanbo
KARIBA
When one member suffers the whole body also suffers. Here we are praying with one accord for our Brother Revy who has been unwell for some time and has been moved away from us to his rural home, where he is in isolation. Please pray with us for all in Christ to remain faithful. We are now nine Brothers in Kariba with the baptism of Decent Mashili and Emmanuel Mhenella last year.
Let us consider how we may spur one another forwards in love and good deeds, contending for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints (Hebrews 11). I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my song. I turned 40 recently and my years have been few and difficult, and the Lord has become my salvation.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name. Blessed is he whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit, only truth and freedom. For freedom, Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive the Bible, the written word of the Lord is true and is no lie. Just as it taught you, obey Christ’s commands and abide in the Lord.
The Free Gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more has the grace of the one man Jesus Christ abounded for many So that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. God will give to each according to what he has done. "To those who by persistance in doing good seek glory, honour and immortality, He will give eternal life."
The Lord says, "See, I have refined you, I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed. I will not give my glory to another." God created man in His image to be transformed by the renewing of his mind, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared, obeying Christ Jesus’ commands, living in him as he does in us.
Do not give way to fear. Your prayers have been heard, you have found favour with God. Be faithful, truthful and watchful.
Bro. Joshua
Photo, back from left: Brothers Witness, Joshua, Richard,
Innocent. Seated: Brothers William, Revi and David. This was taken at
the 2004 Annual Conference.
Photo: Sunday evening daily reading and Breaking of Bread. From left: Bre. David, Levi, William and Joshua.
It just seems as though the time which has been prophesied has come concerning both deeds and events that are happening. There have been earthquakes and the Tsunami disaster which killed thousands of people; houses and other buildings, seaports, gas pumps, water supply networks etc. have all been destroyed during that deadly event. Not only so many lives lost, but there was hunger and disease outbreaks. But what do world leaders think about this? We know that God is the head of all leaders; leaders in this world should therefore acquire their power and knowledge from God before ventuiring into any projects like the ‘Disaster Warning Systems’. All world events taking place today have been foretold in the Bible, and God, as the Creator, has a purpose for the world. As world events trumpet the soon return of our Lord, are we fit to stand for judgment and rule in the coming Kingdom? To the affected people in the Indian Ocean nations, we pray for them and hope God will always be with them in their time of need.
Bro. Witness Majecha
MABVUKU
Thank you very much for continuing to send me Gospel News and thanks be to God for His mercy and everlasting love and His grace. Now, here are my problems: as I told you some time ago, I have been residing on a small farm compound paying monthly rent. Although I have poor health since years ago, through God’s care and the love of His only Son, Jesus Christ, I am kept from many temptations. As you know, I am isolated, living far away from my ecclesia and brothers and sisters. Last year I only met with them on April, 11th , 12th and 13th at the Resthaven Bible School when we had four visitors from the UK and since then I have had no opportunity to meet with them. From that time the farm has been invaded by ‘war veterans’ or ‘ex-freedom fighters’ and nobody is accepted to live on this farm. Since then I have not found any place to live and have tried hard, but in vain, I just have nowhere. I am still in the truth, although I cannot attend the weekly ecclesial meetings.
Bro. Maxwell Mlakah
MAGUNJE
Many thanks for all books you sent . They arrived safely and were received with great joy. Here in Zimbabwe things are not yet settled. Here, in the rural areas, more and more political gatherings are taking place and people are forced to attend. However, God is still with us as we do not even participate due to our beliefs. People are beaten and some killed. When I read of the ‘signs of the times’ these happenings shew us that the Lord is now around the corner. The world has been preached to, and the preaching still goes on, so people are hearing the gospel. Help us with this, and that God will keep us secure in Magunje.
Bro. Weston & Sis. Ruth Kamota
I want to write more articles until our Master comes to his vineyard, so that he will find me at work. We are blessed here through your work. God bless you, you are on the right channel. I don’t know how to express my heart on what you are doing on my side. The rains are now falling [Feb]; in the month of January we had very hard sun – three weeks without rain – so we have now got hope. I am preaching hard here at our place and the surrounding areas – buses, houses, banks etc. – giving leaflets, ‘Glad Tidings’ and other literature. Many people are responding to the word of God and some ask for some books, but I have got none to distribute. If I can get more leaflets, Bible Basics and Glad Tidings, I will do my level best to find the ‘lost sheep’. On March 21 we visited a Brother who is sick and is one of our members. He is now at his home at Bururuka. We encouraged all members of our ecclesia to visit him any time. We gave some prayers and sung hymns – our Brother loves hymn singing and at our ecclesia we sing and feel God near us. And we do sing – and I mean sing good! Our sick Brother was very happy and felt comfort from our visit to him. God willing he will be back to normal through God’s blessing and our prayers and support.
Bro. Stanford Kuuzha
My wife and I are strongly edified by Gospel News and monthly exhortations. In the past it was easier for us to travel to our nearest ecclesia, which is about 86km, once per month. As a self-employed person I was using my home-made gas bottle to raise fares for us. Now, carbide stones (these are stones which dissolve in water to form gas) are hard to come by – if you happen to find them you buy them at an exorbitant price. At our ecclesia they mostly say there is scarcity of money (bus fares) due to sky-rocketing of prices. This directly implies that my wife and I benefited much from monthly exhortations and Gospel News.
Bro. Christopher Mugwagwa
Thank God for the 10 Bible Basics in English which I have distributed to brothers and sisters. We also need more Shona Bible Basics. Though the parcel took a long time to arrive, I was glad to receive the books. Here we have many brethren and sisters who are studying Bible Basics, but we need a dictionary for some of the more advanced words. I enclose a photo of Chishumba ecclesia.
Bro. Emmanuel Mangente
Photo: Chishumba Ecclesia
MASVINGO
I am pleased to see the publication of my articles since they help develop those of my colleagues who are not in the truth and have the conception that only those from Europe can write articles! I have now found a vacancy at Morgenster Teachers’ College. I thank God for you in all my prayers for your sincere help. I’m facing a lot of questions from various denominations, since the College I am at is a Reformed Church Institution where you are supposed to attend their services. There is also a lot of pagan belief, so pray for me to remain in the truth revealed in the Bible. I couldn’t cope with the preaching here because there are so many pagan doctrines. God willing, they will get to know the truth. I would like to send greetings to my tutor, Sis. Rebecca Paul, whom I have not heard from. I have tried to contact her, but with no response. If she can, may she please contact me. I hope that this year will herald the Lord’s coming, since there are many facts pointing to his coming – wars, poverty, drought, increased theft and crime etc. Even so, come Lord Jesus. Finally, all of you have unity of spirit, sympathy, love of brethren, a tender heart and a humble mind (1 Peter 3:8).
Bro. Simon Mudavose
MATHABISA
I thank you for your faith. I say, God bless you for giving us the book, ‘Where There Is No Doctor’ which I received on February 7. We are now busy reading it so that we can fight off the different diseases which are facing our country.
Bro. David Ngwenya
RIMBI
April was a very busy month for me. On the 8th I went to Mozambique visiting students and only managed to meet a few of them, the reason being that I didn’t inform them that I was going. I left them with money so that one or two of them could come to my place in Zimbabwe, but they haven’t turned up. On the 15th I left Chipinge for Bulawayo to attend the South Sub-Committee and while there I met several brothers from other ecclesias. I had an opportunity to give an exhortation. On the 29th I left Chipinge for Mutare for my personal business as well as taking the opportunity of visiting brothers in Mutare. I telephoned Bro. Stanford who came and met me and we also met another brother, so we went straight to a quiet room where we did the daily readings. They asked questions and I helped answer them. From Mutare I went straight to Rimbi where I had an appointment with students on the 30th. Then on May 2nd I proceeded to Mozambique visiting students.
Bro. Moses Dhlakama
