June 26, 2018
WHAT’S NEW & WHAT’S NOT
WRITTEN BY RANDY DUFAULT
During our visit to Nyanzwa Parish these past three days, I had a distinct advantage over Brandon and Karla in that I have been there before in 2014. From that experience, it is possible to see some of the changes that occurred over the course of four years.
A key change is cell phone coverage. While virtually everyone had a phone during my prior visit, they only worked when you got closer to the main highway or, apparently, when you stood under a particular tree. We heard Phone ringtones during the Sunday service. Ultimately, this is good. Pastor Mponzi can communicate with the Evangelist team and others without boarding a bus and riding for an hour or more. Consider too the benefits to the population at large in any sort of emergency.
Many houses now have some sort of solar powered electrical system. Artificial light emanates from many houses and there are TV satellite dishes seemingly everywhere.
While the number of trucks and other vehicles in the village surprised me four years ago, the sheer number of motorized conveyances, particularly motorcycles, is a big change. I recall Easter funding the purchase of bicycles in the past for travel to preaching points and other parts of the village. The parish already wore out one motorbike and is on their second.
By far the biggest change is the growth in the parish, both in membership and in their community presence. They are now 1,200 members strong and a recently added preaching point, Pele Pele, covers a part of the village that is quite distant from the main church. Pele Pele alone counts 250 as members, along with about 150 children (400 total). They are worshiping in a makeshift tent.
The roads have not improved at all. In fact, portions of the 48km trip off the main road seemed markedly worse than four years ago. Road maintenance (or much maintenance of any kind) is not an obvious priority.
Projects that were incomplete during my first stay are still not complete. In addition to funding, there is other work to do in order to ensure particular initiatives are finished and are serving the intended purpose.
One thing that hasn’t changed much is the way our friends worship. There is much singing, dancing, and prayer both during the typical two and a half hour Sunday service (our presence as guests apparently caused it to extend to three this past Sunday) and during almost any organized activity. It is really something to be a part of and to witness.
In short—you have to see it to believe it. You must be present to feel how the Spirit is moving. I hope I can bring a piece of the experience back to Easter.
In Christ, Randy Dufault
