Last Saturday began sunny, windy and hot! I rode with our missionary, Larry Kies, to visit the Agricultural Show in Mutare. If you think "our county fairs," you will have some idea of my experience, though it wasn't nearly as large as the Walworth County Fair! All rutted, dusty dirt roads wound through and around the grounds, with a large grandstand where many folks tried to find shade from the heat and sun. The green grass on the field in front was a stark contrast with the bright red and gold, and blue and white uniforms worn by cadres of children performing various routines, some with batons made from broom handles.
Africa University had beautiful displays of all of their areas of instruction, with folks from Health Sciences taking blood pressures, checking for blood sugar and malaria, and others from the Farm selling fresh yogurt!! All reports show that HIV/AIDS is no longer boomeranging out of control, and that those who have tested positive are able to receive the necessary retro-viral drugs needed to help them combat its effects. The increasing killers here are high blood pressure related to stress levels, and diabetes. (Coca Cola has the franchise throughout the country, and too many people are getting too much sugar from the soft drinks and from the increasing "take away," or fast food booths.) Both faculty and students answered many questions about the University ~~ a great PR event over four days.
Many vendors lined the roads, selling everything from trinkets (I'm sure from China!) to popcorn, oranges, bananas, meat pies, and cold drinks. And very loud music engulfed it all! One building had interesting art work done by elementary school children, plus a wide variety of sewing projects, which reminded me of 4-H projects. Numerous blue ribbons had been awarded for these projects, as well as for some food items.
Various of the Provincial Ministries had displays and brochures, and plenty of people to share what a wonderful job they are doing! One of my tasks was to visit with numerous businesses who had displays, to search out possible internship possibilities for our students. Had some very interesting conversations! They have what would be comparable to our county job center, and various programs offering six specific apprenticeship programs, tied to specific industries with decreasing subsidies for each year of training ~~ in plumbing, carpentry, electrician, hospitality & tourism, etc.
By the time we left about two and a half hours later, extremely long lines had formed at the entrance, with children running off steam, women standing with umbrellas to protect them from the sun, and men getting impatient about the long wait. It seems that those at the entrance were not very well organized!!
Our next stop was at Hill Crest where the Kies children, Carley and Michael, attend school. It is comprised of one-story buildings with several athletic fields for different sports. They were holding a huge fundraiser for the 11-year-old son of one of the teachers who has been diagnosed with cancer. I watched in amazement as two teams, with special attire and helmets, participated in a paintball competition!! Michael had great fun doing this, but sustained a nasty looking bruise on his arm from being hit. Not a sport for the weak!!
Then it was back to campus to change into clothing more suited for a wedding reception! The daughter of Godfrey, an AU graduate and pastor, was being married, and so Larry, Jane and I drove about two and a half hours to their community, arriving about 3:00 pm. In Zimbabwe, the tradition is to have the actual wedding in the morning (this one was at 9:00 am!) and then to celebrate the rest of the day with food and dancing. Often the entire community is invited, and sometimes even friends of friends of friends!!! As many looked on, the wedding party in their beautiful blue and silver attire, danced in front of the stage. A short time later, the music began again (with a DJ), and what appeared to me to be a different group of dancers, dressed in unmatched, torn and shabby clothing, began to dance! These dancers were the same members of the wedding party, who had changed their clothes!!! Frequently, members of the wedding party are chosen, not because of a close friendship, but for how well they can dance!!!!
Godfrey is good friends with Bill and Dona Lou Imler of Indiana, and I was privileged to meet him two years ago when Dona Lou and I rode to the UMC Mission Station at Murewa to visit and spend the night with Lovemore and Julie and their family. Godfrey shared with us that his experiences at AU had really opened his eyes to the need for the church to work to improve not just the church, but the community as well. It had made a huge difference in the way he did ministry, even in the tiny village where he was first appointed. It was wonderful to see him again, and to meet his lovely wife, daughter and new son-in-law. He was recently moved to a much larger church, which seems to be thriving under his leadership!
Another serendipity was to see Lovemore and Julie again!! I had not expected to see them, and so to be with them and with Godfrey and his family brought very special blessings! Lovemore teaches business subjects at Murewa, and thanks to one of our Whitewater church members, I was able to secure and send to him an advanced accounting book so he could work on his M.A. His son is now using that same book in his university program!!
As we traveled home, we watched the sun set behind some of the rocky mountains that comprise the terrain here in the Eastern Highlands. What a serendipity day it had been!!!
On quite a different note, this Sat. Dr. Machinga and I will be doing Mental Health First Aid Training with about 25 student leaders who serve as Resident Assistants in the dorms or in student government. Hopefully it will be valuable for them as they work with all the students in such tight living quarters. Did I mention that most dorm rooms house three, and sometimes even four, students?? The University enrollment has grown by leaps and bounds, and now there is great need for additional dormitory space. In the meantime, about 300 students are living in apartments in town, and must commute back and forth each day. So, if you know of someone interested in investing in the lives of young people eager to learn, please send them our way!!!
Until next time ~~ God is good all the time, and All the time, God is Good!
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