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Written by the first of our guest bloggers – John Gilbert, member of Help End Local Poverty
“Life is murder in Zimbabwe these days…”. These words loomed large on a billboard at the border of northern South Africa and Zimbabwe. The billboard was sponsored by the political party which opposed the controlling dictator’s party in this year’s election. Spending two nights and three days in Zimbabwe was more than enough time to recognize the truth behind this statement. Zimbabwe gained its independence in 1980, and had a relatively stable economy through the late 90’s. Unfortunately the leader which first helped Zimbabwe prosper has been corrupted by his power, and now Zimbabwe is better known for its corrupt government, severe human rights issues, extreme poverty, and rapid inflation (231,000,000% as of July 2008). Times are tough for the people of Zimbabwe.
When traveling in Zim, you must carry food, fuel, and foreign currency, among other essentials. The grocery stores are empty. There is no food. The gas stations are empty. There is no fuel. How anyone is surviving is beyond my comprehension. But, the pastor we met at the border is surviving. He is also caring for 60 orphans, whose parents have likely died of AIDS, or abandoned their child in desperation. How? God only knows. It is amazing to observe the faith of a family which truly lives solely dependent on God’s miraculous provisions.
We met Pastor John in South Africa. We loaded up our van with food and gasoline, and began the long trip to the northern part of Zim. The towns we passed through were filled with people meandering through the streets, likely jobless, and certainly without food and power. Children were scavenging in fields for any food they could find. Harare, the capitol city, was like a ghost town, with its empty buildings, and lack of power. It felt as though we were in a scene from a movie. It was surreal. After bribing a police officer, and discussing our reason for traveling in Zim, the officer asked if she could wash dishes at the orphanage for money. The officer uses her power to strong-arm bribes from passers-bys, to support her family. She can not provide for her family, because her salary is rendered useless as a result of inflation. For example, the cost of a Coke in November of 2007 was $6,000,000! The inflation has more than doubled since then. It is unfathomable.
We arrived at the orphanage, and spent time with John’s family, including the orphaned children. They have two facilities to house the children. Each site has a garden, but they do not produce enough food to sustain the children and workers. They depend on donations, often brought in by our missionary friends in South Africa. When we were there, John confirmed they had a 10 day supply of food. When asked what they would do when they run out, he simply advised that if it is God’s will, food will be provided. He is living on faith alone. As we were playing with the children, a truck arrived at the orphanage. Out stepped a man who had delivered food to a Muslim ministry. He simply said he had heard of John and the orphanage. They had extra food, and he wanted John to have it. God did provide that day, and continues to do so.
Your individual donation may seem small in comparison to the overwhelming need, but God can use you to provide food and basic supplies for the children in Zimbabwe. We must pray, and we must also rise up to fulfill the basic physical needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ. The need is greater than any one person, but those of us who are so fortunate can not fail to act out of discouragement. Pray and give. Serve and act. Do what you can. You will not regret it.
So, 1500 in 150?? Yep, you guessed it… we hope to raise $1500 for Zimbabwe in 150 hours. This post was published at noon on December 5th. That’s when the countdown began to 6 days and 6 hours later which is exactly 6 p.m. on December 11th. If you’d like to help out, contact us at eyestosee2009@gmail.com – Thanks!
