1. Dad needs a plan for the holidays to ensure his family is loved and memories are made. Dad, what’s your plan?
2. Dad needs to ensure his family is giving generously during the holidays. Dad, who in need is your family going to adopt, bless, and serve?
3. Dad needs to carve out time for sacred events and experiences to build family traditions that are fun and point to Jesus. Dad, is you calendar ready for December?
4. Dad needs to not let the stress of the holidays, including money, cause him to be grumpy with Mum or the kids. Dad, how’s your joy?
5. Dad needs to make memories and not just give gifts. Dad, what special memories can you make this holiday season?
6. Dad needs to manage the extended family and friends during the holidays. Dad, who or what do you need to say “no” to?
7. Dad needs to schedule a big Christmas date with his daughter(s). Dad, what’s your big plan for the fancy Daddy-daughter date?
8. Dad needs to schedule guy time with his son(s). Dad, what are you and your son(s) going to do that is active, outdoors, and fun?
9. Dad needs to help get the house decorated. Dad, are you really a big help to Mum with getting things ready?
10. Dad needs to ensure there are some holiday smells and sounds. Dad, is Christmas music on the iPod, is the tree up, can you smell cookies and cider?

Sam telling a story at Crossroads Community Church

Sam uses bible stories to explain the redemptive heart of God throughout scripture starting in Genesis and working through the Old Testament until the coming of Jesus in the gospels.  It was good to be able to ask lots of questions on how we can use this method of opening scripture with our work with the poor here in Weymouth.  I was inspired by Sam’s passion for scripture to be told well.  Here’s a small clip of Sam in action at an evening (under a single light bulb!) with the apprentices from Ebenezer Agricultural College.

Terminal building at Bulawayo Airport

It’s been a great trip. Very different from my first visit to Zim, but equally enjoyable. Spending time with Stephen & Molly has been so precious. I so value their friendship and input into our lives.

We will continue to pray for them, their church and for the nation of Zim as we return to home.

Men's breakfast at Crossroads Community Church

This afternoon we have been helping transport gallons of water from a local river to help with on-going building work at CCC. This was no easy task but an opportunity for Stephen & I to show our competitive edges against each other!!

Offloading water for building work at CCC

Tomorrow we leave Kezi to return to Bulawayo. But not after another session with the Ebenezer graduates. We’re also hoping to see Dave & Pearl Pride who are travelling down from Harare. Be good to catch up with old friends.

I have loved being here and bringing some support to Stephen & Molly who are doing a great job in difficult conditions. They are an inspiration.

We have one last appointment on Sat morning with Taps & Flora – it will be good to see them too.

God is good….all of the time.

Tomorrow morning we have men’s breakfast / morning at Crossroads Community Church with the guys from the local community, where Stephen, Mick and I will all be speaking.  We’re hoping that some of the workers from Ebenezer Agricultural College will also be with us.

Since last blogging we have lost total power now.  The electricity, which was running on a single phase for the last few days has totally given  up.  This is quite normal(!) but no-one is quite sure when it will return. Candles are the name of the game at night around here!! The generator at the farm is currently running for a couple of hours a day, so some of the key jobs / communication can be done.

Stephen & Molly continue to be the perfect hosts and have looked after us wonderfully.  We hope that we have been a blessing to them!

Mick and I spent yesterday evening sitting under the setting African sun with Sam & Marlene Poe.  It was good to really to get to know these guys, sharing stories of my previous time in Zimbabwe as well as what God is doing back home in Weymouth. It was good to ask them lots of questions too.

Enjoying time with Sam & Marlene

This morning we spent at Crossroads Community Church – enjoying God’s presence with us in the shadow of the surrounding mountains – there can be no more beautiful place to have a church location!  I am grateful that we met under canvas of the church (it’s another scorcher),  Stephen led us in worship – great to be singing these African songs as well as a sprinkling of more familiar worship songs.  I spoke (with the translation support of “Brilliant”) on the importance Jesus places on prayer in our lives and that we have access to a holy God wherever we are.

Preaching at Crossroads Community Church

We have now returned to the farmhouse before we take a walk later this afternoon to the dam which was built by faith by Peter Cunningham to serve Ebenezer Agricultural College.  A modern “Noah-type” miracle.  Tonight we’re doing a Q & A with the guys who are starting to emerge as young leaders in the church.

Ebenezer "miracle" Dam

Finding time to enjoy God’s grace as we spend time together with these lovely people.  Also praying for the guys back home.

We then left Bulawayo and drove south in the evening to Ebenezer Agricultural College and Crossroads Community Church – arrived in darkness!!

This morning we spent the morning at the Crossroads for their community day.  Spent the time in worship, playing games, listening Sam Poe speaking and seeing Foundations for Farming being demonstrated.

Crossroads Community Church Fun Day

Teaching Foundations for Farming

Real privilege to be amongst these great lovely people.  Sense God with us on our trip – looking forward to seeing what He does while we are here.

PS Football match against Bulawayo this afternoon!!

Stephen & Molly, with Jemimah

Next week I fly out with Mick, who is one of the other Elders at WFC for a trip to our dear friends Stephen & Molly Manhanga who are based in Kezi at the Ebenezer Agricultural College (south of Bulawayo).  They also lead Crossroads Community Church – a thriving church plant in Kezi.

We are very much looking forward to serving these guys – I have the privilege of preaching at CCC on the Sunday.  We also be taking some sessions with guys at the college during the week, looking at discipleship, building a team etc as well as teaching together with Stephen on a Mens day.  Mick and I will also be leading a combined small group session one evening.

In amongst the teaching sessions there will be time to meet many of the guys at the church and college and also take part in their community fun event at Crossroads.  We’ve even been drafted in as “overseas players” for a footy match!!!

Will try and keep blog updated while we’re away, dependant upon power / internet connection availability.

Last evening with Buria clan!

I’ve now been back in the country for 3 days following a 7 day visit to Nairobi, Kenya.  I was staying with some dear friends Germain and Mercy, along with some friends from Weymouth who are in the process of moving to Kenya to be part of a new church plant in the city centre called  ”A miracle in the city”.  It was opportunity for me to support Richard and Claire and their family in this transition to a new culture and also chance for me to see how we can support them as a church.

We had a full itinerary looking at schools and potential homes for Richard and Claire, along with visits to various parts of the city from upmarket shopping malls to a very deprived slum area.  It was here, that we got to meet some wonderful children at an outreach centre in the heart of the slum.  We were able to see them in their classes as well as teach them a couple of songs.

Germain and Mercy were the perfect hosts.  We had some great times of prayer for one another.  We also had a lot of fun, especially at the Giraffe Centre where we got to kiss a giraffe and then later hold a croc!!

Returning to the UK has made realise how special our relationships are across Newfrontiers churches.  This was very evident when we visited the Gachie Worship Centre where I was given the opportunity to preach to this very special church.  We will continue to pray for Pastor Amos and his lovely wife Faith as they lead this church.  We had never met them before but it felt like we had known them for years!!

Through Richard and Claire’s move we have got to know people we would unlikely have met before – Jesus is definitely building his church!!  Can’t wait for the next instalment!