+ PASTOR FROM ELLSWORTH, KANSAS UMC FINDS ZIMBABWE TRIP REWARDING
9/20/2010
The Zimunya Central Circuit pastor, Rev. Eunice Nduna, second from left, at the Munyarari mission center in Zimbabwe with team members Rev. Bethann Black, left, Sandra “Sam” Pflughoeft, from San Antonio, Texas, and Rev. Kennedy Mukwindidza, pastor at Quinter UMC. (photo by Mary Holland)
By Rev. Bethann Black
Special contributor
ELLSWORTH—As a first time traveler to Zimbabwe, I really didn’t know what I was getting into. I have to admit that I started to get worried as people kept saying, “Be safe.” I hadn’t thought about there being any real danger since the people who had gone before never mentioned any concerns for their safety.
Yet, as a country that is dealing with corruption, poverty, unrest and uncertainty about the availability of electricity, running water, food and other supplies, Zimbabwe is definitely not a vacation spot if you are looking for a luxury get-away.
I was part of a trip to Zimbabwe July 15-28 with four other people from the Kansas West Conference and three from San Antonio, Texas. What stands out most from our trip is the people’s genuine welcome and appreciation. That overshadowed the cautions that had to be taken.
The main purpose of the trip was to support and work on the Zimunya Job Skills Center near Mutare.
Our journey began when we were met by about 15 of our soon-to-be closest friends at the airport. They had driven four hours to meet us and welcome us with open arms. Some would drive us and our piles of luggage back the four hours to Mutare; others had simply made the drive to be there when we arrived.
We were honored guests, not because we were there to work on the Job Skills Center, but because we were visitors. This is something that takes a little getting used to! Yes, the Job Skills Center is important to those who have come to meet us, but we are also important-beyond that project or any of the other ministries.
Our presence is evidence that people care about them as people. This is a concept that we will have to get our heads around if we are to honor the partnership we have entered into. It is so much more than a financial commitment.
Now, I admit that even as I got on the plane to start the journey I did not fully understand the mission we were on. The Job Skills Center had remained an unknown, although I had been involved in a connection with Zimbabwe for almost two years. I hadn’t heard much about it, and I hoped I would understand better where it fit into the partnership by the end of the trip.
What I learned about the Job Skills Center is that it is a priority of the Mutare District, and it is being built in the Zimunya area just outside of Mutare.
This project was started in 2000 by Rev. Kennedy Mukwindidza, pastor at Quinter United Methodist Church. He established the Compassionate Consultative Initiative Project to help make the center a reality. When it is done, the center will make a huge difference to the people living in Mutare and beyond. It will be similar to our vocational schools, teaching students a variety of skills that will allow them to make a living and thus support themselves.
The center was scheduled to start classes in March 2010, but this has been delayed because the funding has not been available to complete key aspects of the project. Funds that we took with us on this trip will complete walls, floors and windows. But doors, electricity and water are needed before the classes can begin.
Recent good news is that the project of bringing electricity to the site is going to cost $10,675; previous estimates had set the cost at more than $32,000. Because completing this project will change many lives and will certainly go a long way toward helping the people in this area of Zimbabwe rebuild their future, I have to admit that I came away wanting to make this a focus of our partnership somehow.
Sandra “Sam” Plughoeft and I—like many others on the trip—brought gifts for our partner church, the Zimunya Central Circuit. It had been fun for members of Ellsworth UMC to gather many items that had been requested for the churches, school and clinic. We also carried with us the funds to help them move forward with plans to purchase a sunflower seed press.
I hoped that by meeting Rev. Eunice Nduna, pastor of the Zimunya Central Circuit, face to face, I would have a chance to better understand how we could be in a partnership that was more than just sending money.
I believe being in mission changes us as individuals because, by coming face to face with others, our hearts are opened. The question was how could this happen. I learned that, as vital as our financial support is to these churches, our genuine willingness to reach out and know them communicates that we really care about what they are dealing with. That gives them hope for the future.
Partnering with churches in Zimbabwe will help transform the world. We can be actively engaged in ministries like schools and orphanages and building church buildings. We can help churches find markets for crafts, thus helping the churches fulfill their visions of establishing other sources of income that will help make a difference in the lives and communities around them. Let’s not forget, however, to build relationships that will give us all reason to hope.
I have returned from Zimbabwe again glad that I am a United Methodist. Thus, I can say I am part of what is happening there in the churches and mission centers and in projects like the Job Skills Center. I also return with God’s call loud in my heart.
How will I help transform the world here and in Zimbabwe? Where will I act, what will I give, who will I pray for, and how will I witness to God’s love? I know those are the questions we need to ask if we are going to be in a true partnership with Zimbabwe that will transform us all.
Rev. Bethann Black is the pastor at Ellsworth UMC.
