Visit Every City

Day 4 – 17th January 2023

First thing’s first … wake up at a ridiculous hour to write blogs and check emails (by the way if anyone read my previous blog before I thoroughly proofread it, my apologies for the errors … my proofreader is in another time zone). Then of course … get ready for the day and sit in the quiet waiting for someone else to be awake. Oh and of course … early morning chats with the wife in NYC before she goes to bed. And how could I forget … morning cartoons with the girls before they go to school. And last but not least … coffee with the pastor, discussing life, the church, the work, and solving all the problems (or at least coming up with some suggestions).

I’m thankful that Mabasa had planned to take it easy in the morning. I slept well but had woken up so early it was like I had already had half a day behind me, and he didn’t sleep very well. I had a quiet living room to myself so I read for a while and checked a few emails. I wasn’t exactly hungry yet but the maid brought out some breakfast foods and more coffee so I decided it might be time to eat. I finished another cup while continuing to read up on some biblical history for a future sermon. Then, as happens sometimes after traveling half way across the world, I needed a nap.

One nap and some food and coffee later and I was refreshed and ready to face the day. I sat down with Mabasa before leaving the house. We discussed the creation of the world, various teachers we’ve had, and eventually headed out the door.

If we didn’t leave by midday we would’ve been late to pick up Cristal from school. The school pickup line was just how Mabasa had described it. There were cars everywhere in a general semicircle around the parking area, but not officially organized. The children left the main gate in small packs, some rushing through the cars, others walking carefully as they kept an eye out for a familiar face or vehicle. There was a second gate that is usually open but had remained locked. For a while children kept coming up to it and trying the lock even though a few parents were waving them on to the other gate. A few boys climbed a mango tree near the fence but I don’t think any of them hopped the fence. I spotted Christal before her father did. She looked ready for the day to be over even though she very much enjoys school.

We headed down the road and out of town toward UCG’s newest property purchase in Zimbabwe. Mabasa had started the tripmeter and we headed out along fairly decent roads through farmland and rural housing areas. We turned left onto a dusty road after a large baobab tree and headed through what could have been mistaken as the bush, although there was the occasional house and farm, as well as a small mining operation. In total we clocked just over 8 kilometers to the entrance of the property past a large stand of trees along dusty roads that seem to hold up well even during the rainy season. That’s a good sign of a decent road. The three of us got out of the truck and began walking along the road that boarders the northern edge of the property. Further down I could see some goats. Next door was a fence that marks the edge of the neighbor’s plot.

We turned down along the edge of the fence and walked southward noticing the amount of trees that are scattered throughout the plot. There was one large tree that seemed to be almost in the center of the plot. It makes sense to leave most of the larger trees in place. They’re well established and will be good for providing some shade on a hot day. Even though I had no phone service in town, suddenly on the edge of the middle of nowhere I had full bars and data! I tried video calling Lena so she could see what I was seeing, but no such luck. I continued taking photos and a couple of videos for the folks back home to see.

For the next hour we walked the land and hunted for hidden markers left by the surveyors so we could get a better idea of the shape and scale of everything.

Along the eastern edge of the plot there is a small pond. Really it’s a hole in the ground where water has collected and tadpoles swim. Mabasa said the hole was probably from people living on nearby plots who needed sand for construction. It probably seemed easier to harvest the sand from an uninhabited plot than from their own land. Installing a fence around the property will help establish boundaries in more way than one. While a random hole could be a nuisance, it could also be easily repurposed as a fish pond, providing food or a bit of income for a caretaker and the brethren.

Before leaving the plot of land, I wanted to take one more walk back across the southern edge to see if I could find the last marker. While I didn’t find it on this visit, I did get a chance to see more of the property and imagine the potential. I imagine the tall grass cut and the shrubs cleared. A field just beyond the large prominent tree in the center. An open-sided shelter nearby or perhaps around the base of the tree large enough to hold Holy Day services. A few cabins on one end where a caretaker could stay. An outdoor kitchen or two near designated tent plots on the edge of a stand of trees. A fish pond just beyond a wide gate at the entrance.

(Shameless Plug)

This year’s class of Ambassador Bible College (ABC) are planning to raise funds to help build up the property so the brethren can use it for this year’s Feast of Tabernacles. They will host a charity auction on Sunday, March 19th from 1-4pm EST (here’s the official announcement for the event: https://www.ucg.org/members/news/save-the-date-abc-charity-auction). Even if you can’t be there in person the event will most likely be webcast live. The initial funds to purchase the property came from the Good Works program. Good Works receives donations (mostly from UCG members) that are used to provide for unexpected needs of brethren and their communities in various parts of the world. This includes, but is not limited to: youth camps, disaster relief, transportation needs, farming and food relief during droughts, and even occasionally providing volunteers for various projects. Before I was a pastor, and before Lena was the coordinator for Good Works, we were volunteers on several projects. Make sure to check out the links above for information about ABC and Good Works.

The three of us got back to the house while the sun was still shining. I had felt a couple of rain drops on my face as we walked around on the church plot, but other than that it had been dry out. I even got a little bit of a sunburn. Just after we pulled in through the gate the clouds started rolling in. Christal and I headed outside to pick some mangoes from the trees in the back yard. One tree has small yellowish mangoes that are very sweet. The much larger tree has much larger mangoes. I haven’t tried the large mangoes yet. Christal showed me how to use a long piece of sturdy wire to tug on a ripe mango so it will fall down and can be collected. As the rain clouds rolled in so did some gusts of wind. The danger of picking mangoes in the wind is that you have to watch and listen for random mangoes falling down through the branches. Dodging mangoes can be dangerous work! Thankfully neither of us got hit by any mangoes.

As the clouds came and went, and as Chisomo arrived home with Layla, we continued to play random games in the yard and under the safety of the covered patio. We sang some songs and played a game like Jacks with rocks. Layla joined us in picking more mangoes, playing school, and playing catch with our makeshift music shaker.

While in the airport in Addis Ababa I had bought two bags of coffee. The first bag was ground coffee and claimed to be “Best Quality Coffee.” I had originally intended to share one bag of coffee and bring the second home with me, but I hadn’t realized there was a difference between them other than the fact that the second bag was whole bean. It turns out that while they are both organic the second bag definitely has a far better quality smell and freshness, being “Ethiopian Finest Flavor Organic Coffee.” It also turns out that we will definitely need more coffee by the end of the week. Plus I never mind sharing coffee with anyone. At home I often drink coffee by myself since neither Lena nor Lola enjoy it. The only problem with whole bean coffee is you have to grind it before making the coffee. Thankfully Mabasa saved the day with his mortar and pestle! While he pounded I let everyone smell the coffee and taste some of the beans. I thought it might be interesting to make Turkish coffee. If only we had some cardamom. Maybe next time. I figured we couldn’t be too picky with the grind under the circumstances, and I didn’t want Mabasa to have to work too hard, so the coffee wasn’t exactly authentic. But it was very tasty! I sweetened it and cooked it in a small pot, watching the crema form on top. I split it between two mugs and we enjoyed the fruits of out labor. Delicious coffee grown, roasted, and packaged in Ethiopia but proudly processed and brewed in Zimbabwe. As I drank my portion I noticed a slight spiciness even though all I added was sugar and water to the brew. I got to thinking … Mabasa likes spicy food and even has his own homemade chili sauce. Sure enough he had ground some chilies in that very same mortar and pestle. Some of the chili oils had made their way into the coffee grounds. The spiciness added a lovely layer of flavor and depth to the already sweet and tasty coffee.

Chisomo cooked another delicious and filling meal. We all sat down and enjoyed some fellowship before concluding the evening watching cartoons before bed. Unsurprisingly Layla still had plenty of energy until about 8:30pm which coincidentally was the time that I started feeling the remnants of jet lag hitting me as well. I fought as long as I could, but eventually it was everyone’s bedtime so I gave in, got ready for bed, called my lovely wife, and quickly fell asleep. I’ll need my rest if I want to be awake for morning cartoons.

– Lewis VanAusdle