When asked what his impressions were on returning to Zimbabwe, my Dad’s response has been, “it has regressed 50 years ... and added AIDS on top of it”. What a sad situation to find this “jewel of Africa”, that so many of us love and only remember with its vast potential and gracious people. The world has been watching the dire situation for many years now and the people have been crying out, yet all there has been is “talk” of what needs to be done ... suffering continues. How poignant are the words in Job 16:6-7, "Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved; and if I refrain, it does not go away. Surely, O God, you have worn me out; you have devastated my entire household”. Many are feeling they have no hope and many in the church and in ministry are stepping forward and doing a phenomenal job, with what they have. Bud and Mandy Jackson stayed on to do more in-depth research as they assume a role as Africa coordinators of HIV/AIDS and poverty projects, under the new “projects” department in TEAM, headed by Dave Davis. They will be helping the ministries in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland and Chad to find the resources they need, helping link them to the Networks in the mission realm as well as in the NGO and governmental world and then also be helping the North American churches to fully see, hear and understand the opportunities they have to share in the crisis that is before us.
After all this gloom and doom, I need to end on “the rest of HIS story”. And that is Mathew 16:18 –
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. – NIV
We do not serve a defeated Lord and we are helping build a victorious church. This church is active and this church DOES care about the “least of these”, that Christ spoke of. Therefore, we just need to make sure that the stories are told and that people are made aware of the opportunities to LIVE OUT THE LOVE OF CHRIST so that HIS "Good News" is made known.
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