Volunteers come to Zimbabwe

Commitment to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Sacrifice to self, personal space and comfort
Giving financially to get there, and of oneself
Obedience to the Word of God and His will
These are some of the qualities that make up volunteers. Those who give up their time and resources to come to a place that may be uncomfortable, unfamiliar, and uninviting. But they do it out of obedience and a deep desire to share God's Word, the Hope of Salvation with a lost and dying world.

Click here to read a testimony from Webster; a Zimbabwean national who came to the Lord during these meetings.

What follows are questions put to a team of volunteers and their responses after completing a volunteer mission trip to Zimbabwe.

What part of this mission most impacted your life?

The people that we met and their dedication to sharing Christ with others.
The witnessing part of the mission most impacted my life because we had such freedom. I'm not saying that we are not free to witness here in the United States, but it was so welcomed in Zimbabwe. I was able to really witness for Christ because the people really wanted to hear about it. It inspired me to come back here and share about Jesus.
The way the people responded to the gospel. It is strictly a God thing that these people have never heard the name Jesus Christ but when they did hear, they knew it was true
I was impacted most by the faith, kindness, and happiness of the people in Zimbabwe. They have so little material possessions, but so much faith. Pastor Chetsere's willingness to go back to the church in the city and preach with the risk of be thrown out or shouted at day after day was an example to me that I should have that kind of faith. God has given each of us a purpose in life and it is our job to find out what that is. Even in adversity our faith in him should not falter and our mission should not be clouded. One of my favorite songs is Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. The lyrics say that if you turn your eyes upon Jesus, and look full in his wonderful face, then the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace. That is exactly what the people we met such as Pastor Chetsere and the other believers in Zimbabwe do. They look to him and material possessions or the lack there of grows dim. Happiness in them is so obvious by their smiles, and the kindness they showed us was immeasurable. God is in their hearts and on their faces - what a testimony that is to me. I am forever changed.
I was most impacted by the desire of the people in the villages to hear the Word of God. Every day, I keeep thinking of the verse in the Beatitudes "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled."
The dedication of our missionaries (Barry and Marleen) even in adverse circumstances. The humble and inspiring attitude of Pastor Chitsere. The awesome Thursday night prayer of Chenayi. The servant attitude of the ACTS team. The hunger for the Gospel of the people of Zimbabwe. The cohesiveness of the VABATIDZI team.
Seeing what God can do with ordinary people yielded to Him

What do you see as being the personal benefits you have received from going on this mission trip?

Experiencing God's faithfulness to use us as we made ourselves available to Him. Overcoming some of my fears about being able to adequately share my faith.
There are so many personal benefits to this trip; where do I begin. I have a trust and faith in God that I have never had before. I saw so many miracles over there and there were so many times that I felt God's presence. He delivered in so many wonderful ways. I definitely grew spiritually through the experience. The people over there inspired me in the way that they worship and how seriously they take that commitment to God. As I said earlier, I now have a desire and passion to reach people here in the United States because of the wonderful witnessing experiences that I had in Zimbabwe. I met a soul mate over there. God revealed to me the true meaning of brothers and sisters in Christ. The interpreters embraced us from the beginning because we were brothers and sisters in Christ. Their loving spirit was amazing.
I now realize exactly how important it is to share the gospel with other cultures.
I can't decide if my view of the world grew or shrank but I can say that the Lord opened my eyes about the need to share the Gospel in obedience to His Word.
A more meaningful relationship with our missionaries and the team.
The new friendships of our ACTS team, Pastor Chitsere and his family and our Zimbabwe interpreters.
A larger world view of the need for Christ on our planet.

Do you now have any different views or ideas as a result of this trip?

I view the people now as being very hospitable and receptive.
I view my own life as very wasteful of resources and ungrateful for so many blessings I have that others can't even imagine.
I definitely will not think of Africa in the same way. I thought that it was all bush and that just isn't true. I also have a different idea about what worship can mean. I also thought that I would go to Africa and just want to take everyone home because I would feel so bad for them. I never felt that way-they have what they need and they are happy with that. I know that there are people in Africa who are starving and don't have homes, but it's not everyone like I initially thought.
I would like to be involved in future cross cultural mission trips.
God can use you no matter what your situation in life. If you can't go, maybe you could help support financially and/or with prayer. The prayers were felt throughout the entire trip. We witnessed many miracles and the results achieved were only possible through the financial and prayer support of many.
I would not be afraid of the unknown in regards to taking another mission trip. Faith not fear is what a mission trip is all about. God provided for all of our needs.
I feel I've been enlightened to recognize the difference between intentional evangelism led by the Holy Spirit and "feel good" ministry that does not build the Lord's kingdom.
My prayer life has grown to include the needs and safety of our missionaries, Pastor Chitsere and his family, the ACTS team, our interpreters and the Zimbabwe people.
Yes, that things matter little and time is short

How will you be able to apply what you have learned during this mission?

I hope that I will become more active in sharing my faith with others. Even though people here are not as receptive to listening, they still need Jesus Christ as their Savior and God wants me to be faithful in sharing.
I feel that I will be able to witness more easily. I feel that I will turn to God first, through anything because He will deliver.
I have made a personal commitment to be bolder and be more observant with regards to sharing the gospel.
I think I see things differently now so I will respond differently to everyday life. I will have more faith and I can hopefully be more of a servant for Christ. The trip gave me a heart for serving others needs.
One area that the Lord is working on for me is focusing on His plan for me in prayer, scripture reading, discipleship, worship- I learned a great deal from Stewart and Gibson in this area.
I will share our mission trip with other people and church groups and the need for others to go on mission trips.
To be more open to witnessing opportunities

What changes in your life or lifestyle will you be making as a result of your time in Zimbabwe?

I now view so many of the "things" that I have in my life as unnecessary and many of my actions as wasteful and selfish. I would like to become more mission focused and use my resources in a way more pleasing to Christ.
I am definitely planning on going on many more mission trips…yearly-if that's God's plan. I have realized how important pray is. So, I am going to make an honest effort (with the help of God) to pray without ceasing. I was also able to learn the difference between need and want. I am going to try and rid my life of as much material and unedifying items and activities as I can. My focus and priorities have changed a great deal. I have always heard about "what is truly important" in life, but I was able to SEE it while I was in Africa. I would like every step, decision, choice, and breath I take or make be for Jesus.
#1 area of change is dedicated, uninterrupted prayer time for at least 2 hours each week. I'm sure that the Lord will work on other areas during this time of focused prayer.
Prayer life has changed. My faith in God has grown deeper and stronger.
My faith in other people has increased.
Purchase less, give more

What do you most want people to understand about this mission trip?

How gratifying it was to know that we had been faithful to do what God wanted us to do. How exciting it was to see people who had never heard of Jesus Christ, come to know Him as their Savior. How awesome it was to watch God provide for our every need while we were doing His work. What an impression the people of the village and the dedication of the missionaries left on my life.
It is an unexplainable life changing experience. Everyone should try to go on a mission trip in their lifetime. They will be hooked! And the trip does not have to be halfway across the world to be a mission trip.
The needs of others around the world are more than we can fathom. We are so blessed and those who are not as blessed need us to help and provide for their needs physically and spiritually. God calls us to help those who are less fortunate. We must take our posts and do as the Lord has told us.
The goal of our trip was to reach lost people in Zimbabwe for Christ. The Lord blessed us richly by allowing us to see Him fulfill that goal. I did not understand before I went, how dramatic the impact would be on me. I think that it's fair to say that this (and all) missions trips can have two goals: reach the world for Christ and to make the missionaries more humble, focused, servants of the Most High God.
The needs of our missionaries and their dedication to the task.
That all of us can make a difference when we step out on faith for God.
The great faith of Pastor Chitsere and his family.
That availability and obedience are the keys for success