Wednesday, April 27th, 2022
The chickens got up at their usual time, but for some reason it seemed that the turkeys slept in. Since many if the brethren who had come from far away headed home the night before, the morning was quiet. I sat up in bed and carried on with the writing I hadn’t finished the night before. Thankfully Matt doesn’t seem to wake up when I move around in the room. As soon as the last few words were completed I was up and prepared for the start of the day. The women and their children were already heard at work building fires, making porridge, boiling water, feeding babies, and preparing to feed the men. I brought out my collection of instant coffee and shared it with whoever wanted a cup. I enjoy drinking coffee in the morning. There’s something about the process of boiling the after and getting everything ready and then enjoying the end result. It’s made even more enjoyable when I’m able to share the experience with others.
I probably don’t need to go into any details about bathing. Those who have grown up in the African bush or have visited in the past have experienced life without running water. Really the process begins at a well where people draw water from deep below the surface of the earth. The water is carried in a bucket or some other container on their heads across unstable grown and delivered to someone tending the fire. The water is heated beyond a comfortable temperature but is also mixed with cooler water. The rest of the process involves buckets and pails, soap and splashing. The trick is not to get your dry clothes wet and to save enough water for rinsing the soap off. After my bath I felt clean and refreshed. My hair dried thoroughly in the breeze and the sunshine.
Today was the sort of day where most of us felt like we had not much to do and yet we had to prepare for doing quite a bit. I don’t know if I could walk you through every step of the day, but as I go along I’ll do my best to at least give you details of the major events.
The events of the day include touring Vensen’s farm, watching a cow being milked, meetings with chiefs, saying goodbyes, Bible studies, discussions among friends, eating a goat’s tongue, and of course eating plenty of delicious nuts.
The technique used for getting a cow to start giving its milk was fascinating. I’ve seen cows and goats being milked before and I think I understand the process just fine. But here are definitely elements of the process I wasn’t aware of. I’ve shears heard about cows kicking people as they are being milked. Well the quickest way to avoid that is to tie the cow’s legs together. To get the milk flowing you can bring out a young calf. Apparently a cow can keep the milk back even if a calf is trying to drink so the calf will sometimes nudge the udders kind of roughly to encourage the poor cow to let go of the milk. The calf then drinks until it gets some milk at which point the farmer swats it away and begins milking the cow by hand. We had some of this milk in our afternoon tea several times over the pest few days. You can really taste the difference that fresh milk makes. The Zimbabwean grown tea is also very delicious.
Vensen has a motorcycle which was purchased by Good Works. With the tough terrain in this area, and an increasing number of prospective members to visit, a motorcycle really is a good idea. Not too long ago he had taken a small spill on the bike and has a few actively healing scars to show for it. There are some minor but essential repairs that will need to be done, but the bike and Vincent are still in good running order. He now has a good helmet to wear and will hopefully be able to get some riding boots of some kind. Bike parts are cheap in Zimbabwe so the repairs should be easy to take care of. Misheck, who is a jack of all trades and a well dressed man, pulled the bike out and started it while wearing the center white suit I’ve ever seen. Did I mention that the man is about 70 years old and wears a tie and suit every day no matter what he is doing? He believes that God wants His people to be clean and dress smart. He also believes we should be servants and work hard in life.
In the late afternoon Bailey and his family, and those who had traveled with them, packed up their ox cart and headed home. They were among the families who had traveled quite far to be here. Bailey and one of the ladies traveling with his family were among those baptized. It was a delight to get to know them and their dusting really meant that our time was running short. Having been together these post few days was kind of line having a mini Feast of Tabernacles. But even the Feast comes to an end each year. Families go home and begin placing for the next year.
At one point along our trip Mabasa and I had talked about the possibility of some kind of meeting hall for the congregation here. It’s not a new idea but one which recently has resurfaced after having held the Feast of Tabernacles in Chemba a few times. The current meeting hall is a tarped wooden structure with logs for seats which basically sits in Vincent’s front yard. There is property available but there is need for three brothers, who are the head men of the village, to agree that UCG can be given the land. Vensen and Paul know these three men. In fact one of Vensen’s daughters is married to one of the eldest brother’s sons. Paul also has relatives related or intermarried with these brothers. Throughout the week and at various parts of the day, Vensen has been in discussions with these brothers, trying to make sure things are done properly and completely agreed upon without assuming anything. That way in the future there might not be any disagreements between anyone. Land given to a church is generally seen as beneficial to a village because development of the land might happen. The congregation benefits because they might have a permanent place to meet which allows them freedom to come a go, to hold activities including the Feast, and to have room to grow physically as God calls more people. Before some of the last negation talks with these chieftain brothers, we prayed for God’s will to be done. In the afternoon something happened which does not always happen. The three brothers came together to sit with us and to officially state that they would allow a specific piece of land to be given to UCG. The piece of land is part of Vensen’s family land. He is willing to give it to the Church so the congregation might have a permanent place here in Chemba. To show our appreciation to the brothers, Mabasa and Vensen suggested we give a small cash donation to them for their generosity.
Halfway through the day I was able to connect to the internet while standing in the very particular spot Matt had prayed to find. The connection was so good that I decided it might be time to try holding a live Bible study on YouTube. I spoke with Mabasa and Vincent about it and we decided on a time. It would be morning for most of the brethren in the US who might watch, but it would also be recorded so others could see it as well. At about 4:30pm Paul, Vensen, Mabasa, Matt, and one of the older men joined me in the field just out front of the homestead. We brought a table and chairs rather than just standing in the field. Matt held the phone and monitored the connection. The older man was our audience. Paul, Vensen, Mabasa, and I would be the presenters. We prayed that God would allow us a good connection so the brethren might get to know the laborers that He has serving His people in this area, and hopefully to encourage some through the study of His word. The connection stumbled a bit here and there, but we made it just over half an hour in a place that is know for having poor connectivity. I’m still not sure that the video saved. I’ll find out when I have better network connections while on the road.
In the evening, as became our custom, the men sat around a fire and discussed the Bible, life, church history, science, the stars, our shared faith in God, and so many other things. One discussion with Paul was about the blessing which come from standing firm in our commitment to keeping God’s weekly and annual Sabbaths holy. Got is the only one who can sanctify time. He calls us to follow Him and to worship Him on specific days. Not until someone commits to and experiences the reality of the Sabbath rest and the benefit and blessings of the annual Feasts can a person begin to understand the plan of salvation which our God is working out.
Dinner was prepared and served by Mrs. Moyo and their grandchildren. We had rice and goat. At the end of the meal the goat head was also brought out. In some cultures the head is a delicacy saved for the guests. We shared the meet together. Matt and I decided to be adventurous and try some. I’ve had similar experiences in the past, but I did experience something differently than I had before. I got to eat the tongue of the goat. I turned it inside out since that’s where the meat is. Everything was delicious and very much appreciated.
On into the dark the discussions continued. Everyone grabbed jackets except for me. I was warmed by the fire and by a slight sunburn to my arms. As the sun crept further and further below the horizon the stars became brighter and brighter. Just before heading out into the dark of night across the valley on his bicycle with a headlamp, the older man who had joined us for the Bible study asked if I would pray and all God for continued blessings over His people here. I happily obliged. Soon after, Paul headed to bed. Then Misheck, by this time in a different suit more suitable for the evening, headed home. Mrs. Moyo and the children had gone to bed. Vensen walked Misheck halfway and returned to find Matt, Mabasa, and me still sitting by the fire admiring the heat, the stars and the memories of the past few days. Vensen expressed the fact that he won’t soon forget our time together and we all agreed.
Matt and I enjoyed a few more stars before heading to bed ourselves.
– Lewis VanAusdle
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