15th August 2025
I had coffee this morning with a few of the children nearby. I asked them questions and they asked me questions. We took turns repeating words which we didn’t understand in different languages. It seems that among the women and children there is only one child who is fluent in English. Most people in Zimbabwe speak Shona. Many also speak Sindebele. In this area many also speak Tonga. The level of English varies across the country. As is in other countries in the region, women tend not to be as fluent in English as men.
Already there were visitors arriving. There was a couple the area of Tshevetsheve who often walk the 12km distance to come to Chemba for Sabbath services. The congregation does sometimes rotate to meet in nearby areas for the Sabbath or for Holy Days to help alleviate the burden of travel and to encourage brethren. This also helps peak the interest of neighbors in different areas which has resulted in an increase in membership or at least attendance.
The early arriving couple came for a final session of baptism counseling. Before the official session began, Derek, Vensen, and I sat and chatted with the husband about his life and about his history with the Church of God. The couple are relatively new but have remained faithful in their attendance and education in the congregation. Both have proven themselves to be knowledgeable about the plan of God, about repentance from dead works, and about faith in Jesus Christ. They’ve been added to the number who will be baptized on the Sabbath.
After our counseling sessions, and after breakfast, with the assistance of Pilani, we (Derek, Mabasa, Paul, and myself) loaded up the vehicle with a large black water hose and headed down the road to the grounds where the nearby COGWA congregation meets. Many of the brethren between the two organizations know one another because they used to be one congregation. Mabasa is friends with the local pastor who actually lives in a different part of the country. They’ve given us permission to use their baptismal pool tomorrow, but we must first make sure it’s filled. Thankfully our plumber thought of the idea of connecting a hose to one of their taps instead of filling buckets and walking the water over a bit at a time. For more than an hour I sat on the edge of the pool and made sure the hose was pointed in the right direction. We sat and chatted about life, the Church, and many things during that time. While searching for drinking water in the vehicle, Derek came across some fruit that Chisomo had packed for our journey. We ate and drank and were refreshed while sitting in the midday sun.
When we returned the ladies were already busy preparing sadza, cabbage, and meat for lunch. Ocean arrived later than he had hoped to. He was accompanied by his wife this time. He has a four wheeler which he had to find some petrol for which was why he was late for helping with the hose and water situation. Derek and I sat with the women and children while lunch was being prepared. We took photos and shared them with each other. This has been a way I’ve been able to make some connections with the women and children (and some of them men) who I can’t exactly communicate with.
After lunch some of guys came carrying a watermelon and a container of cucumbers. These particular cucumbers I might call a horned melon, or at least that’s what I think I’ve seen them labeled in some stores back home. They grow wild in the area. You first cut off the small horns (which aren’t sharp) before slicing them open and eating the insides, or packing them and eating them in slices. They remind me of a cross between an English cucumber and a passion fruit, just a little sweet.
I carried the watermelon around for a little while before slicing it up. Mabasa must have told them I like watermelon because they brought it for me. It was a dull yellow color on the inside and had quite a few seeds. It wasn’t as sweet as the bright red fleshed ones usually are, but it was still tasty. I sliced it up into small pieces and shared it with everyone.
Afternoon calls for afternoon coffee. I sat with some of the guys and enjoyed another cup. This time with milk and sugar. An older man, Zedias Gorondo, who I met on my last visit to Chemba had arrived a little while before. He lives in the village of Nyage which isn’t that close by so he walked quite a distance to visit with us and join us for the Sabbath. He’s been a mentor to many over the years. Paul mentioned it was this man who had first introduced him to the Plain Truth magazine in the 1980’s. He’s faithfully endured in the truth for many years and continues to teach others to do the same. On our way back to Kadoma on Sunday we are planning to stop in Nyage to drop the man off at home and visit with the brethren there. We’ve heard they are eager to learn.
After sitting for so long, and while Derek was getting some rest, I decided to go for a walk. Pilani decided to join me. We walked down the hill towards the river as Derek and I had, but we crossed the dry riverbed and kept walking. We walked and talked about life in Zimbabwe and also in South Africa. We also discussed the world political environment that looks to be increasingly making way for end time powers to arise very soon. Pilani and his wife moved to South Africa in 2010. He said it was tough to be far from home and also to leave their children in Zimbabwe with his parents. Pilani only came home once in 2021 before moving back home this year.
Like many places there is work in South Africa but it’s becoming harder and harder to find and maintain. There are people there who don’t really want to work but would rather try and take handouts or waste their pay on frivolous things. It’s also becoming more difficult for foreigners to stay in the country without paying extra bribes to officials. I think Pilani appreciates his time in SA since he learned many things there, but he’s glad to be home even if life is difficult in Zim. He has a sister trying to make a living in Canada which may open some doors there for more family members to travel there and try and make a living.
Pilani and I walked nearly to where Ocean and his family live before turning back. Along the way we came across another part of the river. It’s obvious to see where the riverbank has collapsed during the rainy season. The past year brought quite a bit of rain which has widened the river in certain places which has caused the local chiefs to make a new law about how close to the riverbank people can plant their crops.
As we neared the halfway point home, we passed by a local football field and a small shop where some young men were drinking away their pay and complaining about how difficult life is. By the football field is well with a solar powered pump used to provide water for cattle in the area. That well is one of a few small gifts provided by a certain political party to encourage people to vote for them. But after elections come and go the promises made stent fulfilled and the roads in Zim continue to be difficult ones to travel.
Usually the men sit apart from the women when they eat meals. I’m not sure if this happens in a small household or not. It’s an aspect of various African cultures which continues even among God’s people. Derek and I sat with the women and children in the evening as dinner began to be prepared and the Sabbath started.
Mrs. Moyo is obviously the senior lady of the group as the other ladies, especially her granddaughters and daughter-in-law, look to her for direction. She would like to learn more English and practices when she can. One way of learning more is by singing hymns from our hymnal. At first she pulled out a radio and we listened to a few Christian songs in local languages. But soon the radio was put away and we were singing some familiar hymns. I pulled out my phone so I could look up the words and try and remember the tunes to some they weren’t familiar with. We ended up singing until supper was ready.
I enjoyed another delicious meal before retiring for the evening. I figured I should take some time to prepare more thoroughly for Sabbath services since I have been asked to give the sermon.
-Lewis VanAusdle
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