Faces of Jesus in: Zimbabwe October 12-25, 2011

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1 Faces of Jesus in: Zimbabwe October 12-25, We were received in Chikore by long rows of Jacaranda trees and the open arms of Mrs. Jean Mundeta. vestibulum: lorem ipsum dolor Fusce tellus enim, semper vitae, malesuada vitae, condimentum vel, ligula. Vivamus in ipsum et nisl fringilla eleifend. Donec pulvinar placerat massa. Sed nec lorem. + Go and see the different faces of Jesus It was as though we were returning home Page 2 These were the memorable words of advice that our father, Daniel Gourdet, gave us on the eve of our departure for Zimbabwe. They were seemingly simple words to understand but we would soon learn that their meaning was so much more profound. Remnant, the eldest son of Reverend Edward and Mrs. Memory Matuvhunye joyfully greeted us at Harare s bustling airport. His bright and energetic smile was incredibly comforting and welcoming after such a long, tiring journey from NYC. Mr. and Mrs. Rev. Matuvhunye graciously drove us approximately eight hours through the picturesque countryside from Harare to Chikore Mission Station. treesand. It was as though we were family

2 Reverend Matuvhunye, President of UCCZ Mrs. Jean Mundeta & Danielle Gourdet We were received in Chikore by long rows of brilliant purple Jacaranda trees and the open arms of Mrs. Jean Mundeta. It was as though we were family returning home after a long absence. It did not take us long to feel part of the community despite our inability to speak Shona. Within our first two days in Chikore, we realized how much effort was put into making us feel so at home, and what effort is exerted into daily living. We often have water coming right into the kitchen but lately it has not been running Mrs. Mundeta apologized. Despite the nearest borehole being almost a kilometer away, every morning upon awakening, there was water for us to bathe and boiled drinking water cooled overnight. It was later explained to us that one of the two boreholes that supplied the village was not working and the reservoir had a leak that rendered it ineffective. After our daily morning baths, we headed up the hill to Chikore Mission Hospital. Being visited by a doctor from neighboring Mt. Selinda Hospital only once a month, Chikore Hospital is run by a small group of nurses. One outstanding nurse Gertrude Maronga was the surrogate doctor, phlebotomist, lab technician, and midwife. She even performed needed surgical repairs after childbirth. Her curiosity for professional knowledge and growth was immediately apparent as she began to eagerly inquire about treatment modalities available in our hospitals back home. She formally presented all the patients to us as we made our rounds in the wards, and we examined and discussed each patient individually. Some cases were clearly and easily diagnosed, such as those with malaria, hypertension, and malnutrition. Other cases, such as communityacquired pneumonia, were treated empirically with antibiotics based on the most likely diagnosis given the 2

3 Danielle Gourdet and Nurse Gertrude Maronga presenting symptoms, but without radiologic and serologic evidence as x-rays and most lab work capability is unavailable. We were saddened to hear about some patients being discharged prematurely because of the inability to pay. Despite its lack of resources, Chikore Hospital was able to provide meals to its adult patients, which seemingly helped some patients stay a little longer for treatment. People would also leave early because of family and fiscal responsibilities at home. As a mother stayed in the hospital, her children were not cared for at home, the farm was not tended to, and people felt that they simply could not afford to get sick. We were touched by the case of a 36-year old patient with endstage heart, liver, and kidney disease. According to her health record booklet, she was being followed closely at a medical center in Harare. She recently left Harare and came to Chikore for continued care. It puzzled us to learn this as we could not understand why she would leave a highly equipped hospital with a functional laboratory and more advanced capabilities and medications to manage such an aggressive illness. Gertrude s simple yet striking response to the surrogate doctor, phlebotomist, lab technician, and midwife. our frustration was that this is her home, not Harare. Her caregiver is here. We hoped that we could at least get her a supply of necessary medications from Mt. Selinda Hospital. We briefly crossed paths with the doctor from Mt. Selinda Hospital on the morning that he was scheduled to make his monthly visit to Chikore Hospital. We had a few minutes to relay brief details about some of the patients that he would encounter in the wards. He promised to check 3

4 with the pharmacy at Mt. Selinda prior to his departure to see if the necessary medications, including Digoxin, could be dispensed for the 36-year old patient, so that he could personally take it to her that same day. The sad truth is, our young patient needed more than just a few doses of medications, she would need a lifetime supply, and without desperately needed surgery, she would not live a full life that could potentially be offered elsewhere. With the grace and hard work of Gertrude, the other nurses, administrators and staff, there is much hope at Chikore hospital. In fact, we witnessed how the dedication of these people brings joy to the hearts of the patients surrounding them including a baby boy that they guided into this world! The proud smile of this newborn s mother was priceless. On one hot afternoon, Reverend Peter Khosa, the mission pastor, gave us a tour of the grounds. Our first stop was at Big Tree primary Pic of Rev. Cosa Justin Bilancia, Mrs. Mundeta, and Reverend Khosa. school, (named after a very BIG tree). Here we met the headmaster who welcomed us into his office and invited us to rest our things on a giant cardboard TV box. The TV he explained was donated to the school. With a compassionate sigh, he stated, We appreciate the gesture, but first we desperately need electricity in our school so that our children can read in the light and maybe eventually even use computers. Despite its shortcomings, children will walk miles to this school every morning. Even without the tools and basics that we are used to, these children all speak at least two languages and many speak three. They are well taught by dedicated teachers who sacrifice better salaries in the larger cities in order to see the children of this community thrive. The next stop on Rev. Khosa s tour was the Church, but there was so much on the way to observe. We passed multiple small shops which included a tailor, a shoemaker, two convenient stores and our personal favorite, a brilliant entrepreneur who fixes cell phones. It was his personal creative version of a mega Etiam eu ipsum. Donec ac arcu. electronics store. We also passed three young men digging a pit deep enough to reach good clay, Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, and watched consectetuer as they adipiscing molded them into bricks elit. Vivamus to dry in semper the sun. We were sodales impressed lorem. by their Quisque venenatis vehicula lectus. dedication as they were still busy Donec a odio eu eros working lobortis late into vehicula. the evening after sundown. Their ultimate goal was - sodales. to make enough bricks to build a new outhouse. Finally we made it to the church. It was a grand building with a beautiful mural painted on the side. We were fortunate to be in Chikore on a Sunday when we could attend the worship service. 4

5 In addition to community members, all of the High School boarding students were in attendance. After being presented and introduced to the congregation by Mrs. Mundeta, we were in for such a treat; an authentic UCCZ worship service. The A cappella musical selections were sometimes accompanied by a mesmerizing drumbeat. Mrs. Dibi, who is normally in charge of managing the mission daycare, was the worship leader on this particular Sunday. Although we could not understand Mrs. Dibi s message in Shona, her animated body language was incredibly captivating. She actively swayed from one side of the pulpit to the other. As the plot thickened, she altogether left the pulpit and made her way down the aisle towards the congregation. The students were obviously entertained because there were frequent uproars of laughter and applause. The grand finale had everyone on the edges of their seats. Even the elders on the front row were amused and applauded with great delight at the end of the sermon. Reverend Khosa shared with us many ideas that he had to help the mission stay on its feet. He wanted to borrow money to start a Poultry breeding project. After paying back the loans he said from the profits of the sale of chicks, the income could be used to first build another corn grinding machine. Afterwards, the profits could go towards the needs of the community like electricity for the school, or a better water system, or an ambulance for the hospital. What struck us most is that he did not ask for a handout. He dreamed of a kind of banking system where the people could pay back lenders without getting hurt by ultra-high interest rates. He wanted to use the profits to have the community stand on its own proud feet. In our first-hand observation, there was no lack of dedicated hard workers, brilliant apprentices and gifted entrepreneurs. Most of all, Chikore Mission is not lacking in Spirit. It was often so hard to see what was so blatantly obvious. Love, joy and hope were first in the minds and hearts of the people at Chikore and first to be reflected by their actions. But behind that smile was reality that you and I would never find acceptable in our lives. Imagine your child walking a mile to get water in the morning, standing in line with other children at a malaria infested mosquito haven that surrounded the local borehole. Then sending your child to a school with no electricity, for them to come home to a house with a leaking roof, also a harbor for mosquitos. Husbands leaving the country for several months at a time just to find work, knowing that 5

6 + despite the money they have sent home, inflation costs have made it near impossible to afford even basic commodities. Then what if you got sick? Yes, there is a skilled nurse, but if you thought waiting at the emergency room for hours was difficult, imagine not being able to see a doctor for a month and when you do, there is rarely treatment available. Imagine learning that your loved one will die simply because they cannot afford treatment at a larger hospital or will have no way of supporting their families if they leave home. Despite all of these hardships that would make us buckle and give up, the people of Chikore find it in their hearts to be welcoming, to provide you with their very best and will have you convinced that life is beautiful and there are no hardships. We will not ask that you feel sad for the people of Chikore, for they are some of the strongest, most spirited people you could ever meet. We only ask that you recognize that we all live in this global village together, and that what is endured by one person is endured by all. As within you and I, in these people you will find pride and fear, loneliness and community, struggle and hope and it is here you will find the many different faces of Jesus. We are extremely grateful to the UCCZ and Global Ministries for all of the efforts and legwork that went into making this amazing experience possible for us. Thank you for the opportunity to not only see, but also briefly experience the different faces of Jesus in Zimbabwe.