Posting Thursday 5 March.  Sorry no pictures yet. Still navigating the internet here….Its even slower than Swaziland!!! 

So here I am in Zimbabwe, the country I will call home for the foreseeable future. I have been here since Wed the 25^th of Feb, its now Tues the 3^rd of March, I have been able to access the internet just once since arriving. I suppose Swaziland was preparation for the real “black hole of communications” that is Zimbabwe. If the power is on, the internet is down or so it seems. Lately the power has just been out so of course there is no network. So I decided to write an entry and lets see when I will be able to post it.

Crossing the border into Zimbabwe was quite an interesting experience although not as eventful as I had feared it may be.  Gods favor was surely evident as we passed thru all the lines that needed to be navigated to finally emerge on the “other side”. Every line, or queue as they are called here, involved some kind of form that had to be filled out and of corse a fee to be paid. One to pass immigration, one to temporarily import my vehicle into the country, one to get a visa, one for customs declarations and on and on.

Bulawayo is a 3.5-4 hr drive from the border crossing. The first thing one notices is the potholes in the road. Unbelievable, they are everywhere. Really keeps you on your toes when driving although I did manage to find a few of them. Pastor Dixon had arranged for all of the pastors from Celebration Zimbabwe to be in town that evening for some food and hang out time at his home.  What an incredible blessing to be able to connect with these awesome men of God. 14 campus pastors in all, a few I had met already but most of these guys have joined the team since I was last in Zimbabwe. Our locations are scattered all over the lower half of the country and most of these men do not own their own transportation and it can take quite a long time just to get to Bulawayo.  Heres a great example from Pastor Godfrey, who pastors our campus in Chiredzi (sometimes called Chambuta). This is one of the most desolate, seemingly forgotten regions in the country. Hot, dry and very much uncivilized would probably be what most Westerners would think if they were to see this place. It is probably around 650 km (403 miles)  from Bulawayo but it is a 2 day journey for Godfrey. The area is largely unaccessible during the rainy season just ending as there is a river that needs to be crossed which vehicles cannot get thru until the water is at a low level. Heres how he explained his journey when I asked how he had gotten there for the pastors meeting. First a cart drawn by mules to get to the “hard road” Public transport (always way overpacked and slow) from there to the river.  The river is crossed by a small boat, the likes of which you cannot even imagine.  Oh and by the way did I mention there are also crocodiles  in the river?  Once you survive that then its more public transportation to arrive in Bulawayo. All I can say is Pastor Godfrey is a true servant of Jesus to answer the call of God to preach in such an uncomfortable place.

Please continue to pray for the nation of Zimbabwe and all of the brave men and women of God who continue to persevere through a very difficult social and economic season in their world. Thank you Jesus that you are so much bigger than any of the problems we face each and every day.