Christian testimonies : A trip to Harare

Greetings to people all over the world. I trust that the Lord has been good to you, and that you have been on the path to growth. As a quick flashback, the last article was about the wonderful wedding between a good friend and brother of mine, Marc, and his wonderful wife, Carly. I was blessed to be in attendance at the wedding. I have since then left George and spent a short time in Mayerton before traveling all the way across the border to Zimbabwe.

A Road Trip to Harare

Imagine this, it has been about 12 years since I set foot in Harare. After a two-day drive across the challenging terrain of the Zimbabwean landscape, I finally arrived. Two of my old university college mates from Monash welcomed me at the bus terminus. They were relaxed and, with a smile, asked, "Where have you been hiding?" "Well, I have been traveling, sharing the good news," I replied with a smile."Well, the tent confirms everything," said my other friend with a laugh.

Then off we went to a neighborhood I once lived in where my father owned a property.

It came as a surprise how life can change in the space of over a decade. All the empty spaces that had nothing on them had become estates and huge houses. The ever-busy nature of the city has never changed. I was lost, to be honest, not knowing where to turn. Eventually, the caretaker came to escort me to my father's property.

Life on the Other Side

The beauty of being in Harare is that there is a host of familiar faces. I have had opportunities to spend time with the caretaker who is in charge of my father’s property. He isn't a believer by his own admission but does believe that there is a God. Spending time with him has allowed me to share some of my life experiences and talk to him about the Heavenly Kingdom.

In my time in fellowship with him, I managed to give him a Portuguese Bible since he is from Mozambique. During his quiet time when he is resting, he sits outside and reads through the pages of the Bible. During supper, I would take time to answer some of the questions that he has. Spending time with the caretaker has made me look into myself and see how God can use us to minister to different people.

Just the other day, I came across an old lady who is affectionately known as "Gogo," meaning grandmother, who lived not far from my house. She had been sitting outside with some literature from Jehovah's Witnesses. I pulled an empty chair next to her and began talking about the state of the church today. After sharing some scriptures with her based on the book of Acts, which is the blueprint of our church, it became clear to her that many of us who claim to be believers had departed from the faith in pursuit of things of no eternal value.

Now, some of us are wondering what God expects from us. Let me give you a scripture that has been appearing a lot in my journey. Romans 12:2, a verse from the New Testament of the Bible in the New International Version (NIV), reads: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will."

My greatest struggle has been the transformation of my mind to see things not from the lens of my mind but through God's. The Lord has put us in positions where we can warn those around us about the impending judgment that will follow those who have turned their backs on God. Unless we serve those around us just as Christ has served us, then we may struggle to see the Kingdom of God manifest in our lives.

With those words, I await the next time I will be able to talk with you and share the goodness of God wherever I travel. I wish you all the best for the coming week.