It just occurred to me that this month ZimbabWEcare turns 5 years old- we have successfully completed four trips and headed back in May for our Fifth.
As I think back when I had this crazy idea to set up an organization to provide Health, Humanitarian, and Hope to those who need it most in Zimbabwe, I am grateful for those who stepped up and without hesitation joined right in.
I am especially grateful for those few brave folks who joined on on our first trip without knowing what to expect. Jeri, Kelly, Kristi, MichaelLemon, Maryellen, Kim, and my Benny Boy who celebrated his 17th birthday on that trip- thank you guys for coming. That was a hard trip we covered a lot of ground, helped a lot of people, visited some of my most favorite places in the world (Frombe, Angwa, Mana, BINGA, Vic falls) and met some folks that have become like family to me.
I fell in love with Africa several years ago and often joke about what I love most about Africa- but truly- I love Zimbabwe- I love her beauty, I love her villages, and I love her peoples. I really do love EVERYTHING about it.
We have had several other great/ Hard trips. Have had several other/ Great people put their trust in us. We have made great friends and expanded our family.
I am excited to be headed back in a couple months with some old friends and some new folks that I hope fall in love with this place. I and excited to head back next year (with Brandi again and taking Beth for her first time!). I am excited to go back the year after that, and the year after that...
I have said it before, and will say it again- you are all welcome to come with me. It is hard work, you will be hot, dirty, tired most of the time/ and you will get up each day and ask for more. You won’t believe the places we go and the things we see. And when it is all said and done, you will wonder, ‘How do I tell people back home about this’. Come with me and see for yourself- I won’t promise you will love it, I will promise it will change your life! But I sure Love it!!!
Happy Birthday ZimbabWEcare! Here is to many more years to come!
Mita Basa Shamwaris!
Mighty Mhofu
In keeping with the ZimbabWEcare 5th Birthday... 5 years ago this kid celebrated his 17th birthday at Claw Dam and then on the road to BINGA. Still one of my all time favorite stories from our trips to Zim:
n the Road to Binga- March 2015
Binga is a very remote village in Zimbabwe where very few if any relief efforts go there, we were told that we might the first White people some of the kids have ever seen.
As we headed down the dirt road to Binga, we continued to leap frog each other in the trucks as we would head along, then stop and hand out much needed items as it got dark. we would sit on top of the load in the back of the truck looking at the stars and the lightening in the distance and handing out items to those in need. Around 9pm, it is totally dark now, we are all back inside the trucks and Rachel's truck is making a terrible noise of metal on metal, from the back wheels. Lovemore and Chris ride outside to see if they can isolate where it is coming from and we figure out it is the rear passenger side. (Opposite side as they drive on the right). We take the wheel off and the Drum off the brake and a small spring falls out, broken and flattened from where it has been rubbing inside the drum.
Now here is the thing, there is no AAA, no tow company, and the fact we had cell coverage at all was Miracle #1.
We are sitting there trying to figure out what to do, none of us knows where the spring was to begin with much less what we are to do without it. After about 45 minutes of just trying to figure out what to do, CC comes around the corner and says as only CC can, "Eric, have you said a prayer yet?" This my friends is where I hope to be some day, where CC and her friends are, God can fix anything.
So I prayed, "Heavenly Father we are in a bit of a jam here and could sure use some help." Not more than 1 minute passes and a single cab (small) truck comes down the road in the opposite direction, Miracle #2. Up to then we had not seen another car on that road all day, and I don't think we saw another the rest of that night.
A man gets out and we ask if he has any tools, he replies no but he does have a small beat up grocery bag with some small odd parts in it. Two of these odd parts are springs, and one of those springs is the rigt size to replace the broken one. Right there in the middle of the African Bush- this guy happens to be driving on this road at this time of night and he has kept with him a spring from who knows where and who knows how long but it just happens to be the right size we need... Miracle #3
However, we still don't know where it goes but because he is now in front of the wheel I was moved to the side near the back of the truck and the light is now shining at an angle and we can clearly see where there is a slight groove that is reflecting the light (where the rest of the caliper is dirty), that is where the spring goes. We put the spring on and it works just as if it was never broken, Miracle #4.
But the best part is that during the hour we were stuck there, people come streaming out of the bush, we are able to feed, cloth, give, and bring hope to several of our Fathers children and that was the greatest miracle of all. God answers prayers, this I know. But I know he will always provide for the Needs of His children, not necessarily our wants. As we are headed back to our trucks to continue down the road to Binga, I look at Ben who is waking without his shirt, "Ben where is your shirt?" Ben calls back over his shoulder- 'I gave it to a man' he literally gave the shirt off his back to a man in need.
I have conteplated this miracle many times since that trip, and I am always struck that is is the most powerful miracle I have ever whitnessed (and I have whitnessed many powerful miracles there in Africa). I am struck by the thought that this God who put a star in the heavens eons before it would be in place to shine down on His only begotten sons birth- that same God put a spring in a mans bag so that it would be in place on the lonely road to Binga for his children, but not before they humbled them selves to pray for help, and not before he used them to answer the prayers of his other children who had nothing but needed to know He still knows and loves them.
I love the road to Binga. I love my Ben Rose happy 21st Boy!
I am excited to be headed back in 2 months.
Oh and for the record- that spring is still in place on Rachel’s truck...
