Crushed & re-made everyday on our journey to heaven

Note: On a recent phone call with Fibion, I asked how we could be praying for him and his ministry. He began to tell me about the week he’d just had, full of dramatic emotional highs and lows, one after another after another. I was struck by the emotional toll that such a week would take on a pastor like Fibion, but also struck by the fact that this was not particularly unusual for many pastors in Zimbabwe. I asked if he would write about his week for our blog. His account of the week, as well as his reflections on how to respond, are below.
- Ellen Shaffer, Director of Project Management


On November 29th, tired from the chores of activities in town and from traveling 15km away from Bulawayo, I arrived home only to receive the news that my nephew was detained by police for juvenile crimes. I had to put aside my plans to plant maize in my garden to go and hear his story. The following morning as I was working in my garden, I saw one of our church members with a somber face. His father had collapsed and they had taken him to the hospital. Late in the afternoon someone came and told me that the old man had died upon admission. We had to start visiting the family every evening to comfort them until the burial day on Saturday. After the funeral, I had to rush for a class with the candidates for baptism the next day. Sunday morning saw thirty three individuals being baptized and one being admitted into full membership. We also had a Christmas party which included 85 children. Amidst the joy, we also had to announce sad news - the death of the beloved father of some of our church members and also of one member admitted at the hospital. On Monday morning, as I was asleep, I received a call that one of the high school students supported by our partnership with Forgotten Voices, had died and the burial was to be on Tuesday. Another painful moment!

How does one deal with such a mixture of experiences and emotions; sadness and happiness, sorrows and joys? It would seem God is crushing, mixing and molding us into special vessels for his noble purposes. In His Christmas story, Jesus says that He came to do [God’s] Will, to be crushed so that we are saved and receive His joy [Hebrews 10:5-7]. Let us pray that God will enable us to be used and spent for others.

Fibion Ndhlovu - Zimbabwe Program Director

True Sacrifice

As a “missionary family”, people are often saying thank you to us for the “sacrifice” we make in our work with Forgotten Voices. I am always a little taken back and never know quite what to say in response to this. I do not often think of what we are doing as a sacrifice on our part. Sure, Ryan travels quite a bit and Avery and I are not always able to join him. Sure, he works a lot of nights and weekends, since calling Africa and working with volunteers requires odd hours. Sure, we might be able make a little more money doing something else with our time. But sacrifice? After spending time in Zimbabwe and Zambia and hearing the stories from our partners in Africa, I certainly do not feel like we are sacrificing much.

I have seen first-hand what I would consider true sacrifice. Sacrifice is the grandmother taking in her twelve grandchildren after their parents have passed away due to AIDS related illnesses. Sacrifice is the twelve-year-old who stops going to school so he can work and care for his younger brother and sister. Sacrifice is the home-based care worker who volunteers her time to visit with widows and children who are orphaned. Sacrifice is the pastor who conducts many funerals in one week – week after week. Sacrifice is the pastor who works tirelessly to support his congregants as they work to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the hurting families in their communities. Sacrifice is giving when it would be easier not to – when it would be easier to focus on themselves, but instead focus on the needs of others.

Sacrifice was Jesus coming to Earth as a man and dying on the cross so that our sins would be forgiven. Christ’s love for us resulted in the ultimate sacrifice, so that we may have life. This leaves us with an incredible responsibility and blessing to honor Christ with our lives. I have learned so much from the pastors, volunteers and families in Zimbabwe and Zambia about what it means to honor Christ with my life through service to others. This Christmas, join our family in praying about how God may be calling us to serve those in our community and in Southern Africa. May we know what it means to truly sacrifice for the sake of others, and as we do, may we learn more about the love of Christ for us and for people all around the world.

Merry Christmas!

Katie Keith