Zimbabwe

"The Eagle is flying; the Eagle is flying."

"This is the Gray Squirrel, we copy that."

"This is the Black Pearl, we've got your back."

So began our drive to Zimbabwe, caravanning and communicating with three vehicles and walki-talkis. It was a time of bundu-bashing, driving over three days from South Africa up through Botswana to Zimbabwe. We encountered elephants in the road and potholes as big as swimming pools in Botswana; bathroom breaks consisted of "Boys on the left, girls on the right" with the general rule of, "If you see a lion, grab the pants-leave the toilet paper!" Upon crossing the Zimbabwean border we were greeted by a herd of ten or more giraffes.

We arrived in the village of Chinotimba to no power and no accommodation prepared as was planned, and were greeted by a church that expected us to fall in with their denomination and programs. We ended up sleeping on the floors of a local family's house for three days and explaining to the church our method of planting Jesus in communities and not joining events. But through this we were blessed by the hospitality and open hearts of the people-in their warmth and how they helped bear our burden-and we developed a good understanding and relationship with the church.

In the following days we found a house to rent for the entire team with the Tandi family, and began going out prayer walking and forming relationships in the community. A highlight was when thirty children knelt in the street to give their hearts to Christ.

On a personal level, we have all been so challenged by God to lay down our idols and the comforts we cling to. Every day is a challenge-living in tight quarters, cooking over a single propane burner on the cement floor of our "kitchen", losing power almost every night because of load shedding. But God has said to us, "Shake yourself free, undo the chains that bind you!" And through this He is bringing freedom to our hearts and greater unity in our team. One of our most memorable and enjoyable evenings was when we lost power-again-and ended up cooking spaghetti bolognaise with soya mince over our burner, on the front porch under the stars. We followed it with s'mores and lots of laughter.

Living in Victoria Falls, you would think it is such an incredible blessing to be so near one of the seven wonders of the world. But an even greater blessing is the constant faithfulness of God as we daily die to self and learn greater humility and love. We are not content to travel around the same mountain twice but conquer each as it comes, personally and in the communities. We are excited to see what God has in sore for these next two months!