Being in the developing world always seems to soften my heart, undoing the skepticism and cynicism I tend to develop in the First World. I didn’t really feel like that had happened this time.

Until yesterday.

I led worship at Chapel at Africa School of Missions (ASM), which was good and then we got together to pray for missions. We prayed for a missionary in Mozambique, who is a trained paediatric nurse and teaches the locals about natural medicines. All of her workers are Muslim and I just love that! Reckon that’s the kind of place Jesus would hang out. Then we prayed for Bosnia and I couldn’t hold back the tears as my heart longed for freedom for the Arabs and Orthodox people, and for us to do a better job of loving them. Even as I write this I am tearing up, trying hard to hold back the tears as I sit in Wimpy. He loves us. He loves us all.

My heart is like a block of butter on the bench on a 40°C day.

As I reflect on my three months in Africa I can see God’s hand on every part of the journey. The first week I got here I was able to go and visit Mpumi, the little girl I wrote a song about. My sponsors have helped to improve her quality of life, which is such a blessing to be able to do and such a blessing for her and her family. I also got to spend some time resting, reading and reflecting on the journey I had been on since my last time at the mountain (ASM is situated at the foot of a mountain). I also just had some plain ol’ fun with the students at ASM, including a hastily planned weekend trip to Johannesburg, at which point I lost my passport and a weekend turned into six weeks. As stressful as it was, even losing my passport has turned out to be a blessing. I (as I usually do) wanted to jump straight in and get busy meeting and helping people, but losing my passport put that plan on hold. During that time I was a bit perturbed that I was stuck in the suburbs, and can’t say that I enjoyed my time there, but it meant that I had a real rest after what was an intense and draining year. I ended up writing two songs during that time, which definitely would not have come out in different circumstances. It also meant that I got to go to Cape Town and spend some time with my new friend Nish, my old (but young) friend Astrid and her lovely family and Nostalgia Sharing friends; Rian and Jess. Cape Town also gave me a bit more insight into the racial situation, which is really quite hard to understand when you’ve grown up in Perth surrounded and accepted by so many different colours and cultures.

The timing for Zimbabwe ended up being perfect. Jenny had had enough time there before I got there to settle in and make some contacts in the NGO (Non-Government Organisation) sector. If I had gone earlier I probably would not have gotten to go out with an organisation run by some locals, which was by far the highlight of my time in Zim (and seeing Jenny, of course!). It was quite an experience for me to be there just as the political tensions started to rise again, and had I stayed any longer I would have been in much greater danger as well as endangering the people I was working with. I came back feeling inspired, challenged and a little more educated. Thanks to my sponsors we were able to start up a library in the open-air school, which I am stoked about! I also got some all-important kitty time while I was there…haha. Wouldn’t be Africa without kittens! My two week stint in Zim has whetted my appetite to go back.

So I’m heading home.

Three songs in my pocket,

excited for a new year,

heart softened,

ready for the next adventure.

Let me first say, the information I disclose here was not gathered from the people I was staying with, it was shared with me by locals on the ground, in hushed tones. They are hoping and praying for a better Zimbabwe.

Now that I’m out of Zimbabwe I can elaborate on the situation there. Word is that Robert Mugabe is calling an election soon. Last time there was an election (2008) his army went out to the communities, bashing and intimidating the locals into voting for him (ZANU-PF Party). Many MDC (the opposition, lead by Morgan Tsvangarai) supporters were tortured and killed in the lead up to the election, and there was widespread fighting between the two factions. Once the word was out that an election would soon be called for 2011 the campaigners shifted into gear. MDC operates mostly underground, as to be associated with them in any way puts your life in danger. We were supposed to go to a church service on a farm, but ZANU-PF was due to have a rally out there on the same day. It would have been dangerous for us (whites) to be there, and even more dangerous for the locals if they were to be associated with us. It is an incredible injustice that black people could be putting their lives on the line just for having white friends. In spite of this, they have showed me so much acceptance and kindness, it is humbling. Then, in the area where I was teaching at the school, a woman was murdered on the weekend for handing out MDC propaganda. It’s not uncommon.

Even the local charity groups are persecuted during the elections. The people handing out free medicines, food and education to the poorest of the poor are driven out of the communities in which they are usually left to work in peace.

It’s not the kind of thing that makes it onto the news, because it is too dangerous to talk about openly.

Even in writing this I am concerned about the possible ramifications for the people I talked with, but we need to speak out.

In whispers I was asked by many people to please pray for Zimbabwe, that there would not be the same bloodshed that there was in 2008, that ‘This One’ would be removed from power. They are desperate, afraid and asking us to join them in prayer. There is nothing else they can do.

My time in Zimbabwe is over and I’m heading back to South Africa for a few days before flying home. It really was worth all the waiting around in South Africa to be able to spend some time here. The Zimbabwean people (in general) are so lovely, warm and accepting even in the face of such oppression and adversity. It has been a humbling experience to be here, to meet so many wonderful people and hear their stories. I’m ready to go home now, satisfied for the time being.

I'm having a fantastic time in Zim!

Last week I got to sit in on an HIV training course for Health Care Professionals for a day. I had no idea that HIV had so many side-effects even when people are being treated. The implications for children were particularly interesting.

On the weekend we drove out to Jenny's home town of Chegutu, about an hour and a half out of Harare. We went to a little Shona/English church on Sunday and were, of course, asked to share something off-the-cuff. Always a little nerve-wracking but lovely to be a part of anyway.

We came back to Harare last night and today I got to go out with a young lady (Joy) who volunteers at an open-air school. There can be up to 700 students there on any given day, but today many of them were sent away because they had not paid their school fees (US$15 per term) and the teachers had not been paid. There were somewhere around 300 students attending school today. Joy and I took 20 students and gave them an intensive English reading and writing lesson. Much of the year the students do not make it to school due to the weather (not to mention a dodgy water source) so there is a lot of catching up to be done.

In the afternoon we went out to another rural area for a small discipleship group with some highschool students. They were absolutely lovely. It never ceases to amaze me how much young people are the same, no matter where I go. They all deal with the same sorts of issues, although at home no kids have to really worry about protecting themselves against HIV.

I've posted some pictures here.