Giving It All To God

Klaasen thought our sunny side up eggs looked like a good mask!

It’s been awhile since I [Erik] wrote an update on the blog, but it’s not for lack of material.  The past 4 months have gone so fast and we’ve been keeping very busy with so many projects at the hospital and have also found some time to take weekend trips here and there to explore Zimbabwe.

with Brother Timothy, Dr. Mabika and Dr. Mashaire

I am touched by the generosity of the people we have met and the church here.  Village living means they share their possessions and skills.  I imagine that many of the rural farming communities in the USA are probably still similar.  It takes me back to Acts chapter 2 when the new Christians in the first century church  shared all they had and ate together daily.  It amazes me, because the generosity is not portrayed as purely being out of necessity, rather it is simply that they want to offer their best to each other and to God.  If you haven’t read His Needs, Her Needs, I recommend it, but the concept of a love bank comes to mind.  I won’t write a book report here but in short, if you show acts of kindness to others, then they will be more likely to offer a favor when needed in return.  This concept rests on the grounds that you don’t expect anything in return when giving to others, however.

Maputi = popcorn

Two other analogies I see in the giving hearts I have witnessed in Zimbabwe are the Hebrew sacrifices from the Old Testament and, with an interesting justaposition, the barter system in prison.  The Old Testament describes exactly how the priests were to sacrifice offerings to God.  They were to bring the fattened calf and their best goat.  This comes to mind when I see the Nhowe church offering board.  17 Maputi were given, 34 sweets, 7 ballpoint pens…   This isn’t going to help with church outreach a whole lot or pay the preacher’s salary (which they don’t have now due to financial constrictions), but it is all they have.  They are giving their best to God.  Obviously, the woman who gave 2 mites is a pertinent story in this setting, as well.

I can see the puzzled looks on your faces – “So what does bartering for cigarettes in prison have to do with giving candy in the church collection plate?!?”  Well, something else that I commented on in the first blog post, and something that has now become our new normal, is that there is simply no cash in this country.  There is no hard currency.  Zimbabwe uses the US dollar, but there are not enough dollars to run an economy, so people and businesses alike operate on bank transfers, Ecocash (which is akin to Paypal but only via phones and also charges 2% on every transaction), and, wait for it…., bartering.  Bartering happens in prison because people don’t have cash, so the movies show us (I don’t know personally!) that in order to slip Ex-Lax in your enemy’s coffee, you slip a magazine to the cook.  You can make up a number of your own scenarios, I’m sure.

Learning how to take the dried corn off the cob on a rock.

They dry the corn out in the high stand, then they take it off the cob, and then
 they take it to a  grinder where it is ground into a fine powder.  This powder is 
what they make sadza from and sadza is their main staple here in Zim.

Aside from not having money, like physical money, many – if not most – of the people in the rural areas don’t have any money.  There is no ongoing income.  They live off the earth.  They have a garden, perhaps a donkey, and they gather wood for cooking and heating with a fire.  And that brings me back to why I’m so amazed at the generosity.  They know that they aren’t going to bring any of these earthly possessions to Heaven and it humbles me to think that I’m hesitant to loan out my bicycle or skis to a friend (granted the bike is worth more than I have ever paid for a used car).

Sunday worship at the Nhowe Church of Christ

Think about what we have and how generous we are with our possessions.  Some things are sentimental and it’s OK to withhold your great-grandfathers 12-gauge when your neighbor wants to go shooting, especially if you’re not necessarily close friends, but why not loan that same non-friend neighbor your snow blower, lawnmower, or electric drill?  Yes, these things are expensive, but your reward will be evident in days to come.  I have to read my own words here, because time is so precious to us all, as well, but consider offering your time or expertise to friends and neighbors.  Spending a few hours helping someone rake leaves or work in a garden not only helps that person, but builds relationships and allows us to share our faith at the same time!  I need a lot of practice with that one!

Skogen with a beautiful Zimbabwean sunset