June 2004 -- Kim Combs serving  in Zimbabwe

PRAYER NEEDS: The people of  Zimbabwe are experiencing destruction of housing, loss of livelihood,  hunger, and the lack of basic needs for survival. Please remember this country and her people during this time and pray for the leaders of the  country that they may acknowledge the one true and living God. Fuel and staples such as mealie meal (corn meal), cooking oil, sugar, butter, flour,  bread, and milk are in extremely short supply.

 Please pray the Lord will continue to provide opportunities to minister close to home since there is little fuel for traveling. In addition, please remember the following:

• Language study
• Discipleship of Zimbabwean women
• House  of Hope
• Rafiki – students and teachers
• Homeless families
• Children that have dropped out of school because they have lost their homes  and parent have lost their jobs (estimates are as high as 300,000 in the  last 6 weeks).
• Wisdom for missionaries in this time of great need among the people of Zimbabwe.

ORIENTATION of short term  missionaries provides many opportunities to assist newcomers in adjusting to  life in Zimbabwe as they minister to the people. It requires much more than bringing your skills to a different country and performing certain tasks. Adaptability, flexibility, and giving up liberties enjoyed in the U.S. setting are a must. The short-termers need to have a commitment serve, a love for the people, dependence on God, and an eagerness to learn a new culture.  

DISCIPLING Cristine (my language helper) five days a week is a tremendous blessing. She is so eager to learn and honest in expressing her thoughts. We are studying who God is and the different names He is given in the Bible. It has been a  great learning experience for both of us. She is learning about God and I’m learning how to communicate with Shona people in their cultural setting, using examples they understand, and explaining concepts we take for granted  in a way that a Shona person can relate. I’m learning more than Cristine at this point.

When Nyasha, her 2 year old daughter, is in the proper mood we have a Bible story for her and a coloring page. (Although, she thinks crayons make a tasty snack with the coloring page.) When you ask her "Who made Nyasha?" she says Mwari (God). In fact, if you ask her any question about who made this or that, she now says Mwari. Not bad for her first Bible lesson, hey? She knows the chorus to Jesus Loves Me and this week both Cristine and Nyasha have learned the children’s song Running Over in Shona. (It is one of the few songs I know in Shona.) During our prayer time, Nyasha starts out praying with us, but after a few minutes she is up chasing the dog while we  continue. 

LANGUAGE STUDY is going fairly  well. I’ve learned greetings and many frequently used phrases, including a  growing list of vocabulary. At the bookstore, the clerk told a lady she was  tired and I understood her. I couldn't believe it. I thought God had  performed a miracle on my behalf for a moment. However, it is the fruit of  many hours of study and practice which have been blessed by the Lord. It is one thing to repeat or read words and quite another to understand someone  that is speaking at a normal speed, but it is happening and I’m very  excited.