The 25/40 Connection
This Christmas I have been thinking about my last six months in the wonderful country of Zimbabwe and of how best to express what it has meant. That took my thoughts to past mission trips in the Dominican Republic and Peru where I first heard the song "Celebrate Jesus". Their worship was pure joy. It was always overflowing with joyful praise and worship, singing, twirling, dancing and clapping. Of course, all faces were glowing, including mine. I loved it!
Christmas is about celebrating. We celebrate many things; our families, friends, home, church, our country, the sheer joy of being alive, of having been created. We celebrate our Creator who made us and then gave us Jesus to make our joy complete.
My thoughts then turned to what Least of These Ministries has to celebrate. Our mission is to connect the talents and resources of God's Kingdom with those left out of this world's goods, bringing health and hope to forgotten people. The Zimbabweans would often tell me that although they believe in BaBa (our Father), it seemed as though He wasn't hearing their prayers because nothing was changing, and in fact things were getting worse. I told them that God was listening, that sometimes He uses people to accomplish His Purpose, but people have to respond. And that I represented some who were listening; that there are those who answer God's call to help their brothers and sisters.
Land Rover and goods arriving perfectly; good water new readily available in three villages and one school;
This year, thanks first to God, and then to you who have responded to God's call, we have lots of reasons to celebrate. Here are a few.
Land Rover and goods arriving perfectly; good water new readily available in three villages and one school;
Medicine, vitamins, and clinic supplies for Kamativi; help for people with HIV/AIDS (food, Vitamins, medicine, encouragement); laying to rest in her village, a good friend who otherwise would have been buried anonymously; food for people, and visible evidence that they are not forgotten; textbooks and school supplies for two schools, primary and secondary; training for community health workers; vegetable seeds for gardens; helping two runaway girls and one boy; small business start ups for three people; official registering of Least of These Ministries, Zimbabwe a base from which to operate with a five year renewable contract; facilitating transportation and fees for people to visit hospitals for care; being included and a real part of the HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan for Zimbabwe; continuing with school fees; ministry coordinators in Zimbabwe and Uganda.
Music is part and parcel of the Zimbabwean culture. In every situation, there is a song to express their feelings. I love to hear them and be part of it. Heaven must sound like that! I pray that all of us will sing the song that GOD has given us.
There is a prayer that I have prayed for years. It was especially comforting in Zimbabwe. It goes something like this: "We choose you, Good Jesus, we choose you. Count us among the victories You have won in bitter woundedness. Keep us safe from all that seeks to destroy us, and keep us always and everywhere choosing You in the world."
