THIS WAS ONE OF THOSE WONDERFUL WEEKENDS TO REMEMBER . . . It was a bit cold and wet as I headed out to Jomo Kenyatta airport just after 6am en route to Harare. The 2 hour delayed takeoff gave passengers lots of time to meet each other and enjoy a free breakfast (courtesy of my cheek and Kenya Airways client-care).
On board I met Faith, a young Zimbabwean lady who works in the media industry in Tanzania. She was heading to a funeral and was expecting to become the instant mom to the 3 children 11 and under. It was her fiancé’s father who had died and he had been raising the children alone since they were orphaned of their parents. She told me that as a believer, she had decided that she would make any and every sacrifice on behalf of the children – even uproot her life and profession in Tanzania – Praise God for people like Faith!
Landing at Harare International Airport was uneventful, although much busier than a year ago – the economy is bouncing back after some almost fatal episodes in recent history. As I was waiting for my bags to come off the carousel, the mechanism broke and bags tumbled everywhere–eventually they cleared the mess and my bags appeared (thankfully).
Dr. Paul Kohls and his wife Lynn were on the same plane and outside Gerry Jeske was waiting to meet us. Yes, this is the same Gerry that had quintuple bypass surgery a few months ago – now renewed and in great health! He had his wife, Susan have been serving at PACC Harare for the past 2 years and have added so much value to the ministry of leadership development that flows from there. Nostalgically, this was their last weekend before heading back to the frozen north of Calgary, Alberta, where Gerry will become the interim pastor at Beddington Pentecostal Church.
After a quick lunch (thank you Susan), Gerry and I headed to a meeting with PAOZ’s National Executive Committee that was concluding 3 days of strategic planning. How wonderful to renew fellowship with Bishop Trevor Manhanga and his team – men and women who have served the Lord enthusiastically through the struggles of life in Zim!
Saturday was Pan Africa Christian College’s 37 graduation. A deliberate mistake on the graduation programme (inserting a blank line into the graduation list) boosted the number of graduates from 36 to 37 (nice touch I thought!). The programme was conducted without a hitch (even if the tent had blown down the night before and provoked a change of venue!). Rev. Lynn Kohls brought the graduation message on the healing of the paralytic who was brought to Jesus by his friends (or was it he that brought his friends to Jesus?). The content of her message was so rich and the delivery so perfect that when she finished she received a standing ovation! Bishop Manhanga, always ready to boast about Zimbabwe reminded the enthusiastic crowd that Lynn was born in Zimbabwe and that the reason she could preach like that was because she was Zimbabwean!!! (Lynn’s parents, the Butlers, were missionaries in Zaire, now DRC).
