Fall Colors During Vumba "Spring!"

I love this time of year at home when the leaves on the trees turn such beautiful shades of yellow, red, and orange!!  And even though Wisconsin usually has a beautiful fall, many go East to see the colors in New England!  While still others travel TO Wisconsin!!

Several weeks ago I had the opportunity to go with our GBGM missionaries, Larry and Jane Kies, for a visit to the Vumba near Mutare.  This is a mountainous area with a variety of vegetation, many hairpin curves, off-road trails for exploring, and gift and coffee shops tucked within the curves of the hills!

Just as we talk about the "peak" of color during this time of year at home, folks here talk about the "peak" of color on the musasa trees, which actually have their red leaves during the Zimbabwe spring!! 

The explanation escapes me, but it has to do with the conservation of water during this dry season, so the chlorophyll process begins later in the spring near the beginning of the rainy season.  The hills and valleys are covered with this beautiful color, just like the beautiful pictures you see from WI and VT/NH!  Unfortunately, my little point and shoot camera doesn't do very well with distance scenic shots, so just enjoy these close-ups!!

 Perhaps in this picture you can see the truck on the left ~~ clearly need a four-wheel drive to traverse the gulleys and rocks.  From our vantage point we could see many of the layers of  "mountains" all around us, some with small farms, a few cattle, and lots of rough terrain if you were hiking!  Unfortunately, I had worn sandals to church, and did not bring sturdier shoes for the trekking!

 This is just another example of God's handiwork and genius in gifting us with so many varieties of vegetation, trees, animals, insects, birds, etc.!!!  Thanking God for such beauty!!

Later we had lunch at Leopard Rock, a golfing resort/hotel from the British era.  On its grounds is a wild animal park!!  The caretaker invited us in to walk among the zebras, ostrichs, gazelles, etc.  This ostrich came after us a couple of times, but was chased away with a stick!  They can be very mean!!  What a shame it is that so many interesting creatures are now extinct ~~ usually due to man's lack of respect and conservation of them and their habitats.

I had hoped I could copy a photo that Larry Kies took of me with the zebras, but I can't seem to get it from FB to this blog!  Only one of my many deficiencies when it comes to technology!!

Be blessed, and relish the giving and receiving of Grace!

Mary Beth 

First Annual AU Career Expo 2014

Career Expo 2014!!!

This is a one-page supplement featuring Africa University and the Career Expo which ran in the Manica Post on Aug. 29, ahead of the Sept. 4 event!  Several businesses and other universities bought ads at the bottom of the page congratulating AU on holding their First Career Expo!  And another local university even sent one of their staff members with a clipboard to take notes on how and what we did!!!
     The Coordinators in each Faculty who work with students on their internship placements had worked with us since last Oct., providing us with lists of businesses, email addresses and phone numbers.  Over 50 companies in Mutare and Harare received email invitations to send representatives to this Career Expo.  Very few responded at all, so we spent much time trying to contact them by phone!
     In the end, 11 of 16 companies/organizations that had committed to attend actually showed up!!!  It was a good start; we got good feedback on ways to improve; and now at least we know the process of putting an event like this together!!

     We opted to spend some of our budget dollars on a couple of large signs and large posters rather than rent a tent!  The morning dawned cloudy and cold, and by 10 am it was raining~~not hard, but raining!  Thank goodness it didn't last long, and we had the shelter of some thick trees along the walkway near the dining hall!!  This weather was VERY unusual for this time of year, but we lived through it, and by 3:00 pm when we finished the sun was shining!!
     Approximately 300 students took advantage of the opportunity to talk with these employers, and some actually shared their resumes in hopes of connecting for an internship in Jan., 2015. 

     Two companies sent reps from Harare, both of whom said they welcomed a chance to talk with students and get out of the office!  Of the 11, 4 were banks!!  We also had a Chartered Accountants Group, an Environmental Management Assoc. that uses throw-away materials (i.e. aluminum, etc.) to make new and decorative items!  And a funeral home, and bed company!  We did not have representation from companies related to all of our Faculties, so we need to think of ways to attract folks in agri-business, sociology & psychology, health sciences, etc.
    

 We found a many-page directory online listing the numerous NGOs that operate in Zimbabwe.  Fortunately, students can access the directory on line so we don't have to print it all out!!
     The feedback from reps and students was good and helpful!  Several student comments included:  "Now I know why I have to study harder!"  And "I learned what it takes to succeed in my chosen career area!"

 Since this was a first experience, we know that there are other things we can do on campus to prepare students to make the most of an opportunity like this.  It has now prompted many students to come and ask for a seminar on how to write a CV (curriculum vitae or resume).  We will be holding several in the various Faculty areas within the next few weeks, as these students are already beginning to feel anxious about finding an internship opportunity for next Jan.

Dr. Machinga and I dream of the day when there will be a separate building for Counseling and Career Services, where we will have room to hold seminars, workshops, etc. and display information of interest to students!  We have only just touched the surface of ways that we can enhance student experiences and information relative to careers.
     The economy in Zimbabwe seems even worse than when I arrived last year, with 80-85% unemployment.  We encourage entrepreneurship and seeking employment outside the country.  There has already been a tremendous amount of "brain drain," and it will continue until the economy improves.
    

 During the day we were highly entertained by this marimba band and dancers who came from a primary school in Sakubva, the absolute poorest part of Mutare.  Their music was very pleasant, and they called attention to the activities that were happening between the dining hall and the chapel.
     When I can get away from the office I have been attending lectures about Zimbabwean  history.  Time and time again leaders and groups (Portuguese, South Africans, British) have moved into what is now Zimbabwe, have built up centers of commerce, trade routes, etc., only to be run off or killed off, by the indigenous people.  And now Pres. Mugabe has run out all the multinationals and others who could help build up the economy.

      Last week one of the headlines read that Mugabe had made a deal with the Pres. of China for millions of dollars worth of help in about 9 different areas to build up the infrastructure, but I doubt that very much of it will actually ever make it to the local level.  These millions are in exchange for many of the mineral resources here in Zimbabwe, so none of the local people are getting any benefit from their own resources.  Colonialism has not been good for any of these countries, but many of those who have gained their independence have also not been able to do a satisfactory job of leading and building up their own economy.  What are the answers???  Yet, people find ways to survive, even on the meager amounts they can get from selling some commodity, goods, or service.

     Please offer prayers for the following:
1)   Those who suffer from the Ebola Virus and their families.  And for all the health care workers trying to contain the spread of the virus.
2)   For More Blessings, who is 40, pregnant, and worried about having another child at her age.
3)   For Theo who continues to seek God's help in getting into a Master's level program in horticulture in the U.S.
4)   For students at AU who are still seeking scholarship assistance for tuition and fees.
5)   For the 9 students from Rwanda and Burundi who have come from a refugee camp north of Harare, seeking a good education.

Remember ~~  Grace is freely given and freely received.

Much love and joy,
Mary Beth

Year Two Begins at Africa University! 2014-15

Greetings once again from Africa University near Mutare, Zimbabwe!  Some of you know that last year I was waiting for the approval of my Temporary Employment Permit (TEP), which this year was applied for in April, 2014, and was approved on July 10, 2014.  I learned of the approval the first week in Aug., and was not able to get a plane reservation until Aug. 18, when I left Milwaukee for Harare, Zimbabwe!  Thanks, Mary Lou, for trekking me to Milw. with my THREE HEAVY suitcases.  We checked everything but the carry-on through to Harare with the luggage handler allowing me to be somewhat overweight!  I DID have to pay extra for the 3rd suitcase, which I brought for a DRC student whose soft-sided luggage had been torn on her trip to AU.  (Of course, that meant I had room for the many other items I had been requested to bring!)

Fortunately, the flight to Atlanta, through Amsterdam to Harare, was uneventful and I was able to sleep some, arriving about 9:30 pm in Harare on Aug. 19.  I'm so grateful that an AU driver with truck was waiting for me!  After a night's rest at the Holiday Inn we were off to Mutare, arriving on campus about 3:00 pm.

Since Wed. is one of Dr. Machinga's two work days (she's part-time), I came right to the office and got lots of assignments to be accomplished Thurs. and Fri.!!  It is really good to be back on the campus, to see so many familiar faces, and to receive such warm greetings!

The entire African continent is being affected by the outbreak of the Ebola Virus, and Zimbabwe, like other areas that receive international students, has had to be very vigilant, especially with students arriving from West Africa and Nigeria.  The Flat I lived in last year has been identified as a possible "Isolation Unit," and so I'm currently residing at the Guest House in the staff housing area of the campus.  It is several blocks walk from there to campus, which is always refreshing in the morning and evening!  The perks of living in the Guest House include hot water for a morning bath, and "housemates" with whom to share some meals and the goings on of each day.  We have also shared in the cost of having TV, so we're at least able to watch BBC in the evening!  I am in one of four bedrooms, and we share a kitchen and living/dining area.

 Dr. Ab and Dr. Chris Abercrombe both teach in the Faculty of Ag, and have many stories to share of their work in Vietnam, Brazil, AZ, and SC.  Wonderful assets to AU!!  (They are our resident snake catchers!!  pythons and spitting cobras!!)  A new-to-AU GBGM missionary is Richmond Williams who lectures in Theology & works with the International Peace, Leadership, and Governance (IPLG) program with leadership.  He is Zimbabwean, married to an American who works in Harare with USAID.  Then there are a number of other part-time lecturers who come for a few days at a     time to lecture in the Faculty of Health Sciences!

     The major downside to living at the Guest House is that it almost never has internet access ~~ thus the lateness of my adding to this blog!  I must either stay at the office after hours to read email or go to the library, and then walk back to the House in the dark!
     AU is still receiving new students and the last day to register is Sept. 12, I think.  The incubation period for Ebola is 21 days, so all the new students must report to the Clinic every day for at least 21 days!  This means that I will not be able to move back to my Flat until probably mid-Oct.!

      All of our time and energy since my arrival was devoted to getting all the details approved and worked out for the Career Expo that was held on campus on Sept. 4 of last week!  See next blog for other details on this.
     Once again I was able to participate in the two-day training event held at a Mutare Hotel for the new Student Council officers. Of the 7 on the Executive Committee, four are young ladies!  We are proud of this because our office worked with about 12 young lady leaders last April to ensure that their gender would be represented on this year's Council!  There are a few other young ladies who were also elected to represent their own communities (Angolan, Congolese, West/East Africa, etc.)  So, the mix is much healthier this year.    

     The training consists of discussion about values, leadership qualities, negotiating skills, stress & time management, recordkeeping, performance evaluation, etc.  All the various areas on campus also share ways in which the Council will relate to them, i.e. Food Service, Bursar's Office, etc., etc.  In a week or two they will be inducted into their offices during one of the Wed. morning chapel services.  All indications are that wiser decisions will be made with this year's set of officers!!

      Climate Changes are certainly very noticeable here!  By this time in Sept. it has usually turned quite warm, but this year it has been quite consistently cold ~~ in the low to mid-40's at night, and upper 60's to 70 during the day. . . and this is without any indoor heat!!  Many of the students who come from countries closer to the equator have been freezing!!  Fortunately, I was able to secure some extra blankets for several students from Nigeria where it is NEVER this cold!!  And the wind has also been much stronger than usual. 

     My first couple of nights here I thought I would be fine with two heavy, thick blankets over me, only to wake up shivering in the middle of the night!  You see the extra third blanket at the foot of my bed.  This trip I also brought a hot water bottle, which has been my constant bed companion and warms my feet!  I DO prefer my little dog, Bubba, though, to a hot water bottle!!
     The days are lengthening, and it is nearly 6:00 pm and now getting dark.  I'll go for a bite to eat, and then add a bit more when I go to the library.
My mantra this year is  "Grace ~~freely given and freely received!"  Most mornings when I wake up a special hymn is running through my mind.  Your prayers, familiar hymns, emails, and student smiles always lift my day.  Thank you for your part in sustaining my ministry of presence and support.
With love,
Mary Beth

Testimonies and Spirit-filled Music!

Sun., Feb. 23, 2014

Soon after I returned to AU in Jan. I was aware that some of the students who work with the Chaplain on a variety of activities went on a retreat off campus.  There has been a growing concern that fewer and fewer students attend the Wed. morning and Sun. morning chapel services, and much conversation has taken place around this issue.  (Those of you in the local church, does this sound familiar??!)

Some excellent ideas were shared and discussed at the retreat, and gradually some of them are being implemented!  And so, on this particular Sunday, the message was given by numerous individuals excited and willing to share their testimonies of how God has been at work in their lives!!  One of the staff members shared that years ago she suffered from two miscarriages, but then was very blessed to have two girls and two boys, all of whom now have their professional degrees and are working productively in their various fields!  She concluded her remarks by inviting all of us to stand and sing with her "How Great Thou Art!"

A young student from Liberia testified to God's loving care and protection of him, having been raised by his grandmother when both of his parents were killed during the war there.  He said that he had known nothing but war from the time he was six until about 16.  Several times he escaped from becoming a child soldier.  Many times he had to run for his life, and most times he didn't really know where he was running to.  On several different occasions he ended up in a refugee camp in Ivory Coast ~~ where Operation Classroom (Indiana Annual Conference) had established a school for the Liberian students until it was safe for them to return to their country.  He continually said, "And by the Grace of God I . . . . ."  And so it is indeed "by the Grace of God" that he is studying here at Africa University!  We trust that God will lead him back to Liberia to provide some much needed leadership in that now peaceful nation.

A number of other students shared that while growing up they were afflicted with various diseases or ailments.  The doctors had difficulty diagnosing some of them, and once again, it is "by the Grace of God" that they are now healthy and happy to be studying at AU!!

Several students took the microphone and sang solos, praising God for God's wonderful goodness toward them.  The service lasted about an hour and a half, but no one was looking at their watch or indicating that they were eager to leave!!  Wonderful participation from everyone in the congregation, as we were invited to stand and sing and sway to the music!!


Sun., March 2, 2014   Spirit-filled Music!!

Students have been asking for a more lively worship service ~~ one that is more like an "African" worship service!!!

And so, last Sunday about 6-7 individuals were invited forward to sing the verses of "Pass Me Not O Gentle Savior" in their mother language while we all joined in on the chorus in English!!  As we continued to sing and sway others from the congregation came to sing a verse in their own language!!  I hope you have had an opportunity to participate in worship where praises and hallelujahs were being lifted to God in different languages!!!  These experiences have really broadened my world view, and I've been so blessed to feel the Spirit moving in our midst!  What a rich and inspiring worship we had as other groups of singers came forward and either sang or led us in singing!!  Truly an "African worship service!"

The Africa University Choir, which will be coming to the U.S. this coming June to participate in Annual Conferences in Baltimore-Washington and Florida, sings in more than 20 languages ~~ English, French, Portuguese and Shona, plus so many dialects and tribal or regional languages ~~ that it boggles the mind!!

Upon his retirement from AU, Professor Patrick M., the first director of the AU Choir, was charged with writing down and setting to music many of the hymns and choruses from these various dialects and countries!!  Most of these had to be recorded, and then he would write the music and the words, since they were part of the oral history and music of a particular area but had never been put on paper!!  Some of these will likely be included in the next "Global Praise" songbook!!!

Be blessed by all the music around you, and seek to share it with others,
Mary Beth







 

Gospel Night!!

I did not realize that it had been a full month since I last posted to the blog ~~ my apologies.  Much to catch you up on!!

Sat., Feb. 22, 2014 ~~

Several students made it a point to personally invite me to the Gospel Night program held in the chapel.  I thought they explained that it would be quite a number of groups coming to the campus to perform gospel music ~~  how wrong I was!! 

The Mistress of Ceremonies was a tall, beautiful, well-spoken young lady who had just recently returned to campus from the competition for Miss World, having represented the whole of Zimbabwe!! Our students do us proud in the wider world!!

The evening was filled with all kinds of music, performed by various groups from right here on campus!!  What talent they have been blessed with!!!!  There were several groups of varying sizes from different country communities (Congolese, Angolan, West Africa, etc.) singing gospel and church hymns in their mother tongue or tribal language as well as in English.  Most of them were dressed alike (shirts, blouses, etc.), and it was apparent that much planning had gone in to getting ready for this special evening!

There were solos by individuals; trios; quartets; a drum solo; and even offerings  by several staff members.  Of particular interest to me were seven young women from Angola who performed a beautiful and very spiritual liturgical dance.  They were all dressed in white, gauze-like attire, and just seemed to float through the air as they symbolized the wind of the Holy Spirit blowing around and through us all.

After about 1 1/2 hrs. an AU alum from Harare was introduced.  He had been in the Faculty of Management and Administration, and then returned to get his MBA!!  But his heart and soul were in his music!!  He is now following his passion and God's calling to share the Gospel in song, through preaching, and in the rap music which he writes and sings.  What a witness he was to the young students here, as he gave them encouragement, support, and inspiration to do well and make the most of their lives as outstanding leaders in their own nations.

I came back to my flat about 11:00 pm, but was told that the music continued on until nearly 1:00 AM!!  I could hear the pounding rhythm of the bass as I fell asleep, filled with a singing heart and inspired by the many gifts these students share so freely!!

So blessed to be a part of their experiences. . . .

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted . . . . Matt. 5:4

Last week I shared about the death of one of our second-year students who died when a bus swerved off the highway and tipped over.  He was sitting next to the window were the bus landed on its side.  Another student was sitting next to him, and suffered some cuts and bruises.

The following day we held a very short service of celebration in the AU chapel with large numbers of students coming to show their respects to him and his family, and all filing past the open coffin to say their goodbyes.  There is great respect here for the loss of a life, regardless of the age.

There are often conversations about things like this being the work of the devil, or spells cast by witches who "manifest" dire circumstances on someone.  There is also a very strong belief in the spirits of family members who have passed and who may be displeased with your behavior.  Their anger may cause bad things to happen to you. 

How important it is to share God's Love, and to teach about God's grace, acceptance, and forgiveness.  But long-held beliefs about "the spirit world" run deep, even for those who profess a Christian faith.  An African writer has recently said that this belief in the spirit world is one of the major reasons why Africa as a continent has not developed ~~ because the people are always trying to please/satisfy the spirit world, which keeps them always looking to the past.  And so it becomes a cycle which prevents people from celebrating life and freedom through the forgiveness and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  This is why the Rev. Dr. Katsondo feels it is so important for the people of all African nations to know and embrace the power of the stories and life of Jesus ~~ so they can look to heaven and rejoice!

This past Thurs. as I was preparing to sit down to write this blog I received an urgent summons to come to the common room upstairs to provide support and sympathy for a final year student who had just learned of the passing of her mother in DR Congo.  This death was unexpected, which makes the grief even deeper.  She left the following morning for her home and to bury her mother.  Many in the female dorms and males from DRC came to offer their condolences to her.  Several led in singing and others (theology students) prayed for her in French.

About 15 minutes after I returned to my flat there came another knock on my door.  Five Congolese young men came to ask for my help ~~ because the brother of a first-year student had been killed in an accident on his way home from school, also in DRC.  The funeral and burial had already taken place, but her parents had requested that their daughter not be told until "later."  It is the custom for family members to return to their home village to pay respect to the family and to be present at the burial.  But this young lady will now have no real way to say goodbye to her brother.  And it will take her longer to process this information than if she had been allowed to go home to be comforted by and be with her family.

It is so humbling to be a part of these very delicate and tragic experiences in our students' lives.  They face challenges that college students in many other circumstances don't have to deal with.  And for me, not being able to communicate with them in their first language makes me feel very inadequate.   Fortunately, another young student stepped up and translated what I was saying.

Please offer prayers of sympathy for those who have recently lost loved ones.  And pray for good health and safety for everyone on this campus.

Go live in the peace of God, my friends,
Live deep in the peace of God . . . .

Mary Beth

Life is So Fragile . . .

The post that Bonnie added included some of the details about the loss of one of our young students in a bus accident on Monday when he was returning to school.  So tragic.  A busload of students and staff, including some AU choir members, went to Harare today to participate in his funeral.  This has given students reason to pause and pay a bit more attention to the many blessings that are theirs.
Indeed, life is so fragile.  Let us live each moment to the fullest.

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Recently I've been working with a few of our students who struggle every day ~~ they come from a U.N. refugee camp about four hours from here.  Though their stories are different, they carry the same heartache and pain, for they have left behind their country, their family members, and all they knew before war disrupted their lives.  From a very young age they experienced and carry the memories and scars of the horrible things human beings can do to each other.  All of them suffer from some form of PTSD, feel very lonely and fearful, and carry a heavy weight inside. They are reluctant to share because being tagged "a refugee" carries very bad connotations in people's minds.

These students DO have scholarships and meal cards, but no provisions have been made for them to have any spending money for personal care items, notebooks, pens, etc.  Our office is trying to work out a system for them to be identified and then given more compassion, attention, and caring.  They have organized themselves into a small group or "family," and give each other encouragement to achieve their very best.  These are very intelligent young adults who have some huge obstacles to overcome.  Please pray especially for them as they try to reconstruct their lives.

It's heartbreaking to hear them say, "It's just me ~~ that's all I've got.  No one else is around to care for me or show me the way.  Life was very dark before we got to AU campus, but gradually we are able to see the light."  More than one of them arrived here with only the clothes they were wearing, but were afraid to say anything to anyone for fear of being criticized and looked down upon. Fortunately, other students became aware of their plight and offered a clean t-shirt, a pair of pants, etc.  I cannot even fathom them risking their lives, running away from all that was familiar, trying to live off the land, and not knowing anyone whom they could trust.  And yet still having this thirst for education and a better life for themselves.

All of these students are so grateful for Facebook.  They make numerous attempts to find parents, siblings, and other friends from their former lives, but rarely have any success.  I just want to adopt them as my sons and daughters so they can once again feel a sense of family and security, love and caring. 

Thanks for your prayers for them, and for us as we try to establish a safety net for them.

Gratefully,
Mary Beth