Zimbabwe (MNN) ― Over 80-percent of Zimbabwe's population is in poverty, with inflation expected to grow to just under five thousand percent.
Global Aid Network's Jaye Walstead says they just took in a mission team to help. "Medical care is one of those things that is difficult for people to afford right now, so that was very much needed. We specifically went in to the northeast part called Mudzi, we were in the town of Kotwa. They have a primary school there, so we helped to build some more classrooms for them. In addition to that, we did a Vacation Bible School."
At the end of the VBS presentations, the team handed out CarePacks. For many of the orphans and poor children in these areas, writing paper and pencils or pens are a luxury beyond reach. The CarePack has pens, paper, pencils, crayons, backpacks, and more. To each CarePack GAiN teams added a Gospel bead bracelet with a printed explanation.
When you touch the children, you touch the parents. A classroom construction project was already underway, but as work progressed, the whole town came out and began to take ownership of the project. By the second day, women could be seen clearing the area and bringing in heavy stones on their heads to help fill in the foundation. The locals supplied the bricks, and GAN supplied other materials as they worked to make the school take shape. "...Like an old-fashioned barn raising", notes Walstead.
She says the local church is handling the follow-up. "There's 22 churches in the area, and we had several of the pastors help with interpreting while we were working with the kids. We showed the JESUS film in the evenings, and many people responded. So the pastors, because they were there through the whole thing, we were constantly encouraging people to get connected with the local church."
There are plans to return to Zimbabwe next year. Please pray; there are elections scheduled in the early part of 2008, and the situation could be tenuous. Click here if you want more information.
