Thanks for stopping by! We weren't able to post to this blog while in Africa, but we did journal our experience. Please be sure to visit the North Metro Global site and click on the Zimbabwe tab. We will continue to post about personal experiences here, so be sure to check in from time to time.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Amos (Day One)

Amos. He was my day one initiation into full heart wreckage.
Each time we arrived at a children's home, the kids would immediately swarm us, eager to shake our hands, be held, or to give us a tour of their home. At one of our first homes, after all the initial excited greetings occurred, we discovered Amos sitting in a nearby doorstep.
He is a tiny little guy with a mangled foot, abandoned by his parents. I spent most of my morning holding Amos. He spent the morning touching my face, playing with my hair, mashing the buttons on my camera and trying on everyone's sunglasses. (It turns out that a toddler is a toddler!)





At the end of the day, Amos made it back into my arms. He clapped my hands with me as the rest of the children sang for our group and he held my face in his hands. But then, as we prayed for the kids, and all eyes in the room were closed, I felt his lips touch my check. And he kissed me softly five or six times until all of our eyes opened again.

In that moment, I received confirmation that raising money and travelling thousands of miles to Zimbabwe was right. It felt right to love on him...my heart connecting with his. If only for a moment.
~Rebecca

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Journey to Zimbabwe

On Saturday, April 3, we set off on a journey to a distant land. With teary eyes, we gave last hugs to family, threw on our backpacks and faced the thrilling reality that we were headed to Zimbabwe. We were excited and expectant, but also fighting fears, doubts and a massive sense of inadequacy.
It was in those first few hours that I laid it all down and asked God to begin a good work in me. I gave Him the trip, gave Him my fears, and began exchanging myself for Him. I boarded a plane with 14 teammates, certain that a refining, life-changing experience (and 26 hours of travel!) was ahead.
After our marathon flight from DC to Johannesburg, South Africa, we arrived weary, but still filled with expectation. It was in these airport waiting areas that pretense began to fall and bonds started to form.

While waiting for our flight on to Harare, we discovered Lindsay's amazing gift of massage. Oh, Lindsay, you do have a gift!
First animal encounter in Africa....
And when we finally arrived in Harare, tired and dazed, it was late in the night. Our weary group stepped into an airport where all of the lights were out. We stood by the luggage carousel feeling deeply grateful that we had arrive safely, and that all but one of our 25+ bags and 5 wheelchairs made it to Zimbabwe.We loaded cars and trucks and drove in the dark of night through pot-holed streets, anxious to catch a glimpse of Africa.

What we found when we arrived was a beautiful sight. Our accommodations FAR exceeded what we were expecting. They were downright DELUXE! We stayed in a large home with bunk beds, meeting space, and two bathrooms (and lots of massive spiders).
Tired from travel, we threw our sleeping bags over old, thin foamy mattresses. We opened the windows and were blessed by a cool, comforting breeze that would be our air conditioning. We closed our eyes, grateful, and filled with anticipation.
In just a few weeks, this home will become yet another Hands of Hope home for orphans.
Hymn
by Brooke Frasher

If to distant lands I scatter
If I sail to farthest seas
Would you find and firm and gather
'til I only dwell in Thee?
If I flee from greenest pastures
Would you leave to look for me?
Forfeit glory to come after
'Til I only dwell in Thee
If my heart has one ambition
If my soul one goal to seek
This my solitary vision
'til I only dwell in Thee
That I only dwell in Thee'
Til I only dwell in Thee

~Rebecca

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Messed Up by Their Joy

They live in poverty.
Most have lost moms, dads, sisters, and brothers.
Many have HIV.
Many have been abused.
They have clothes that are too small or too big.
Their stories hurt your heart.
They carry a bowl to a feeding station to get one meal a day.
Yet, they smile.
We returned this week from Zimbabwe, wrecked by their joy.
~Rebecca

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Check out NMC Global!

I know a lot of people were hoping to find updates here about Team Zimbabwe's time in Africa and I apologize for the lack of stories to read. Unfortunately we weren't able to update this particular blog while we were gone, but we DID have access to another blog so please, stop by North Metro Globa's site (www.nmcglobal.org) and click on the Zimbabwe tab to read about God's amazing work in Zim!

As we settle back into life here and begin truly processing our time in Zimbabwe, we will still add posts to this blog so don't forget to keep stopping by. Our trip was amazing, our team was amazing, and we have you, our supporters, to thank. God Bless each of you!

In Him,
Karyn
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Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Wheelchair Challenge




Our team got together recently for a service project/wheelchair challenge. We'll be taking five (very rustic, all terrain style wheelchairs) to Zimbabwe to donate. The challenge was that they needed to be put together prior to leaving.


Our leader, Rick, made this into a team-building challenge by dividing us up and making it a contest. Everyone was given a slip of paper with an individual task. Each team worked together (with only a few tools to share among groups) to be the first to complete their wheelchair. This turned out to be the equivalent of an Amazing Race Roadblock! The directions were minimal and the task a true challenge.


After the wheelchairs were (mostly) complete, we learned that the task slips included things like:
1. "Build the wheelchair. Win a prize if you finish first."
2. "Pray without ceasing."
3. "Complain and be negative."


We debriefed after, discussing the challenging tasks that we'll face in Zimbabwe. We'll be tired, we'll possibly experience culture shock, we may be grumpy, and we might possibly be obsessed with "task" completion. Our work in Africa will stretch us in new ways.Our conclusion was that we'll need to stay positive, flexible and prayerful. We'll have to release our personal agendas, and let God move. To not stand in the way of His plans for us.


We know already that one of the wheelchairs will be given to an 8 or 9 year old girl who has been carried on her mother's back her whole life. Before even travelling, God gave us an opportunity to serve and be stretched.


Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4
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Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Team Retreat

This past weekend, our team had the opportunity to spend time together on a mini-retreat. It was a time to bond, to learn about Zimbabwe and to prepare and plan for the work ahead.

What did we learn? This will be hard, emotional, exciting, uncomfortable and life-changing. This will be a time for us to set aside personal comfort, agendas, and desires. This will not be a vacation, but a true opportunity to serve. The fact is that true service usually isn't easy.

For us, serving will mean setting aside most forms of personal comfort:
· 27 hours of travel time to get there.
· Being away from family with little to no communication.
· Sleeping in one room with 14 others.
· Sharing one bathroom, and lots of opportunities to experience local "toilets".
· Showering 2-3 times over a ten day period.
· Trying new and unusual foods that may or may not be enjoyable.
· Planning ahead to have traveler's sickness with Montezuma's ReLeaf, Pepto, and prescription Cipro.
· Wearing the same clothing over and over.
· Witnessing the heartbreaking reality that the hundreds of children that we'll be working with have no parents and have to come to "feeding stations" for food every day.
· 32 hours of travel time to get home.

These things will challenge us and stretch us. Sometimes, though, being made uncomfortable is a gift: the gift of God’s refinement. When we signed on to be “the hands of feet of Christ” to the orphans of Zimbabwe, we weren’t promised comfort. We weren’t promised that it would be easy. What we were promised is an opportunity to serve and love on God’s people in Africa.

Through our service, we’ll have the opportunity to let go of all things that are not of God: all personal agendas, all selfish motives and all obsession with personal comfort. We will trust in Him alone for our physical and emotional ability. We’ll let go of “self” and let God use our hands, feet and hearts. It sounds both exhausting and wonderful. Refinement isn’t easy, but is truly a beautiful thing.


At our retreat, our leaders, Rick and Lindsay, shared with us a hand washing method that we will experience in local homes.
Rick then shared a traditional food staple that we will encounter in Zimbabwe called sadza, which is a cooked corn meal porridge. Sadza is usually served in a communal bowl and is taken with the left hand, rolled into balls, and dipped into meat, sauce, gravy, or stewed vegetables.
Our Zimbabwean adventure started early with the sadza tasting.

This was a precious time for our team. Together we’ll travel. Together we’ll serve. Together we’ll be refined.


1 Peter 1:7 So that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

~Rebecca
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Follow You

The past few weeks have been a bit of a struggle for me. Some days have been full of distractions and uncertainties, while others have been mixed with joy and unexpected blessings. Admittedly, there have been times when I questioned whether I should participate in this particular trip to Zimbabwe, if I have a place on this particular mission team. The stumbling blocks I encountered seemed insurmountable at times yet without fail, each time those doubts entered my mind, God provided me the encouragement, inspiration and desire I needed with the song below.

The video may have been shot in Cambodia, but the song's message spreads worldwide (even into our own backyards here in the US). I am grateful and blessed to have the opportunity to serve as I...
Follow You into the homes of the broken
Follow You into the world
Meet the needs for the poor and the needy God
Follow You into the world



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