19 Nov 2008

It is pouring down rain in Vic Falls. This is a season that I find magical in Zimbabwe. Tonight it is dark, except for the occasional bolts of lightning that light up my neighborhood. I have my rain coat on and I find the gold flip flops that my grandma sent me for my birthday sinking into the mud puddle that is usually my driveway.

I pass by my neighbor’s house, whose yard I need to pass through and manage to chat with them for only 2 minutes…a miracle by African standards, but they are trying to contain some leaks in their roof and I am standing in a downpour. I love this country.

I wade through their yard and wonder how their chickens can still be alive as the standing water is touching above my ankles. I realize at that point, #1 that I am concerned about the animals that I will be slaughtering next week at their son’s birthday party and #2 that I am ankle deep in a puddle of mud, water and chicken poop. So I keep walking.

I remove the thorny branch that is serving as their back gate and pass into the neighbor’s yard. I manage to only make myself bleed in 2 places from the thorns and wonder if that would really deter someone from breaking in… I decide that a metal gate and pad lock might serve them better, maybe I will get them one for Christmas.

I am now entering the yard of the family that keeps my food in their freezer. I knock and am forced into their house at dinner time, I am somehow able to get out of eating sadza with them, but still must chat for a few minutes before I can remove what I need. This time I am taking everything… not just one piece of meat or one bottle of water!

I pass back through the yard and close the thorn bush gate, run past the Nyati-Ncube’s house trying to move unnoticed, when Mai’Bridget hands me some chicken and says, “put this in our freezer!” with a huge smile on the face that I have loved since the moment I moved into my house.

I race back through my muddy yard and open the door. What is that humming noise that I can hear over the rain on my asbestos sheet roof? Ah, that is my very own freezer. I no longer have to use the freezer of anyone else. Today my veggies and my 1 kg of beef are secured under my own roof. I am settling in. I am making a home.

The first time I set foot on Zimbabwean soil was 3 years ago yesterday, I would say that it is about time.

More Prayer

Please pray for this nation.

We are facing immense difficulty. I know that the world is in economic crisis right now and we are all feeling it, but the financial crisis in Zim is unbelievable. I heard an estimate the other day that 80% of Zimbabwean families cannot afford to by adequate food supplies for their family.

We are in a massive clean water shortage.

We are dealing with an outbreak of Cholera that is devastating Harare and surrounding areas.

These are human rights issues: Food, water, health.
Pray for justice, pray for a solution, pray for a miracle.

We have a team coming, they arrive on Friday. Pray that they will be open to see what God has in store for them. Pray that they will love without growing tired. Pray that they will remain healthy.

Something big is happening...

Please Pray

There is a lot going on here.... and I am tired of being tied up in government offices all day, when I know that there is so much to be done.

Please pray for the people that are suffering from Cholera. Please pray for the people that are starving. Please continue to pray for the relief workers that are here, they are tired and many of them do not know Jesus... how they make it through a day here, I am not sure.

Pray for Zimbabwe.

Pray that I can be patient and trust that for whatever reason God wants me to be in these meetings. Pray that I will allow Him to guide and direct my thoughts and my words. More than anything please pray that i don't miss an opportunity to minister and to be a light wherever I go.

Today I go to the Ministry of Health and back to my 2nd home... Immigration

It is time...

To go to immigration.

Monday I ran out of the building filled with fear.

I forgot who I am: I am Gigi, Warrior Princess
I forgot whose I am: I belong to the Lord Almighty, The host of heavenly angel armies, The King of Kings, The Lord of Lords, I AM, The Lord of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
I forgot who I fight: The enemy of my soul
I forgot why: To bring Glory to God, to bring the Kingdom to those who don't know
I forgot How I fight: By putting on the full armor of God and STANDING

Ephesians 6:10-18
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take cour stand against the devil's schemes.For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

I actually learned this passage in the King James Version... and I remember "principalities" and "having done all to stand. Stand therefore." And wondered what that meant.

But today I am taking this passage from The Message because it almost knocked me over when I read it after Monday...

A Fight to the Finish

10-12And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

13-18 Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

I feel like I am walking out of boot ca.mp

I wish I had good news...
but at least I can say that I have not given up.

Things did not go well at all on Monday, in fact they did not go at all. I was not allowed to have the meeting that was schedule so nothing at all was accomplished! I was scheduled to fly to Vic Falls on Tuesday. I have been sick with some sort of throat infection since I arrived and am fighting NOT to lose my voice. I am flying back to Harare now and will meet with some high ranking government officials before I head back to immigration tomorrow.

One thing that did become clear on Monday, was how much of a spiritual battle this is. I don't understand it, but I know that it is true.

Please pray for me to have the courage to stand, and the wisdom to let God do the fighting!

I'm on my way...

So, I had one of the most difficult work weeks of my entire time in Zimbabwe this past week. I guess it should be expected as I understand spiritual warfare, but seriously... I am tired! I was supposed to leave Gweru on Saturday and get to Harare in time to sleep nicely and go to church on Sunday. I thought it would be nice to be rested up for my meeting with immigration....

Instead, keeping with "Regina" fashion, I ended up in Harare around 10pm on Sunday night! As I was sitting in a family counseling session LATE on Saturday night I felt my mind wander into "Oh, I really should be back in Harare by now" and immediately I stopped myself and refocused, trusting that God has a plan, and that He will sort out the details.

I will tell you though, I started to feel a LITTLE stressed Sunday afternoon at 4pm when I was doing a family session on the lawn of a gas station...with NO plan as to how I was going to get to Harare. Here is how it happened.

I finished with this new family (homeless, 2 kids ages 12 & 7 that have NEVER been to school for even 1 day, parents HIV positive, but without a home and healthy diet the effectiveness of the ARV's is decreased.) at 5:30pm, it was starting to get dusky and there were over a hundred people standing on the side of the road waiting for lifts in Gweru.

And then, a friend of mine drove by and saw me, he picked me up and drove me to KweKwe (the next town, about a 40 minute drive) thinking that there might be less people and a better chance of getting a lift. He knew that I was meeting with immigration this morning and how important it was, so in KweKwe when people said they had been waiting for lifts all day, he continued to drive. At one point we saw a little bus that was going to Harare, so he raced up to it, flagged it down, stopped it in the middle of the road, and got me a seat on a very overcrowded bus that got me to Harare at 10!

I was so relieved to be back home at the Williams' house, and Asher and I had so much to catch up on, that it was after midnight when I got to sleep. I had to be up at 5:30 this morning to get ready for my appointment.

I am ready. I am as ready as I will ever be. I am glad that I didn't have time to prepare, I am sure that I am walking in, allowing God to give me words. I do not have all of the letters that people recommended for me to take. My file already has over 50 letters from people, I will let those words continue to speak of my work here. I think I will go in and just be me. After all, it is not my skills, and others opinions that are going to keep me in Zimbabwe, everything I do is for an audience of one. This morning as I woke up, spent and tired after what was a very busy week, I know that my God is saying, "Well done."

If I ever have to leave Zimbabwe, I want to do it exhausted, dirty, with an empty wallet. I will leave everything I have here when I go... but today I am not going anywhere except to Laquenda House, where I will meet with a man who will see about giving me permission to be here. It is everything, and yet nothing at the same time... I got my permission to be here in November 2005, when I met some kids in Vic Falls and my eyes and ears were opened and I heard my call. God is so good!

Pray for me.