Before we even left the United States

The logistics for our trip started before we even left the U.S. There were flights and border crossings to coordinate, teaching to prepare, supplies to gather, and a great deal of prayer. But even while we were still at home, part of the work in Zimbabwe was already underway.

From September 14–18, eighteen participants, many of them pastors, attended training with Turning Matabeleland Green. They were learning practical agricultural and business skills, with a particular focus on raising chickens. Our desire was to help them strengthen their households financially and serve their communities through work that could continue long after our visit.

We had asked you to pray that everyone would reach the transport in time, and all eighteen did! They arrived safely at the training venue, and encouraging reports soon followed. One participant described the workshop as an eye opener; another said it seemed tailor made for that season of life.

After the training, Peter Gondo, our trusted partner, stayed in contact with the nine people whose chicken-house construction we were funding. They were excited and making progress, but heavy rain and storms slowed the work with cement and bricks. Before we had even boarded our flights, we were asking you to pray for the weather, construction, and the next steps for these new businesses.

There was also the work of raising support, including a $20,000 matching-gift opportunity which WAS ACCOMPLISHED, and preparing for several very different ministry settings. We were grateful for those who prayed, gave, encouraged us, and helped send things for the children. We went with a schedule, but also with a desire to hold it with open hands and follow the Holy Spirit.

Arriving in South Africa

We landed in Johannesburg on October 1 and immediately encountered one of the longest passport-control lines Joe had seen in fourteen years of traveling there. We needed to collect nine checked bags, get the girls and their luggage into Sam’s care, and catch a 1 p.m. flight to Port Elizabeth. Three luggage carts and a long walk across the airport later, Joe and Andrea made the flight! Some of us were dealing with health challenges during these first days. Your prayers mattered, and by the following Tuesday we were able to report that things were much better.

The visit to the Eastern Cape had been added as a possible new ministry opportunity. We met with a potential ministry partner, his wife, and members of their board, sharing fellowship and prayer and exploring what God is doing through business owners and leaders in South Africa. We left continuing to seek His direction about any future collaboration.

On the return flight, Joe’s conversation with the young man beside him became a time of encouragement between fellow believers. They talked through much of the flight and ended by praying all together. It was an early reminder that ministry would happen between the scheduled events, too.

Back near Pretoria, we reunited with the girls and our longtime friends and hosts, Mia and Julian. Our team also included Bill and Sam from African Leadership Development, along with Kyla and Capri, twin sisters and gifted violinists who joined the girls in the music ministry.

On Sunday, October 4, Joe arrived at church to discover that he was the preacher! He spoke from James 1:2–4 on “Count it All Joy”. The pastor then explained that he had already shared Scripture along the same lines that morning because the congregation was facing significant difficulties. He was excited that God brought his congregation such a timely message. About twenty-five to thirty people came forward for prayer. God knew what His people needed to hear.

Participants after their week of training with Turning Matabeleland Green.

Sunday ministry in South Africa and time with fellow believers.

The Pastors and Wives Conference

The African Leadership Development’s 21st Annual Pastors and Wives Conference began on October 5 with a meal, joyful reunions, and new friendships. Some had traveled great distances to be there. One group from Zimbabwe had spent eighteen hours waiting to cross the border.

The theme was “To Full Maturity in Christ”, with a strong emphasis on discipleship. Joe opened from Ephesians 4:11–16 with a message called Until We All Attain. Throughout the conference, the call to abide in Christ from John 15 continued to surface, building on teaching from previous years. We were encouraged to see people taking hold of that truth for themselves.

The needs these leaders carried were very real. On the opening evening, we learned that a severe storm had damaged the homes of two attending couples, blowing out all or many of their windows. Another couple had to leave because of a family medical emergency. We began by praying together for these families and continued asking God to care for those far from home.

Tuesday brought four teaching sessions, thoughtful questions, and practical discussion about challenges facing pastors and families. Andrea contributed to the evening message, and older, faithful believers in the group also offered helpful counsel. It was a joy to see people praying with one another between sessions.

Music was a meaningful part of our time together. Andrea and the girls, joined by Kyla and Capri on violin, shared special music and led songs in English and African languages. The familiar songs drew everyone into worship together.

The responses to the teaching were deeply encouraging. One seasoned leader said it was clear and directly addressed what the pastors needed. Another pastor, who had attended almost all twenty-one annual conferences, said this was the greatest conference of them all. We thank God for His work and pray that the teaching continues to bear fruit as these leaders return to their congregations.

Gathered for the African Leadership Development’s 21st Pastors and wives conference

Pastors and wives gathered for one of the sessions

Business training and unexpected opportunities

As the Pastors and Wives Conference concluded, we moved into the business conference for the Zimbabwean pastors and others who had gone through the chicken training back in September. The theme was Becoming Kingdom Leaders in the Marketplace, connecting their practical training with the responsibilities and opportunities of running a business as followers of Christ.

By Thursday, October 8, we were discussing profitability, reinvestment, and the cultural and personal challenges that can arise when income begins to grow. We also worked through some of their biggest concerns. We were encouraged by the possibilities as they learned to apply themselves, walk by faith, and support one another through the early stages.

Then it was time to pack two vehicles with nine people and head toward Mozambique. We reached our overnight accommodation near the border after 10 p.m. There was a brief cockroach patrol before bed, but the place was beautiful and our host cared for us wonderfully.

Breakfast on the deck the next morning included an unexpected visit from a family of kudu at the fence. Before leaving, the twins played and the girls sang, moving our host, Edwin, to tears. A conversation about his faith followed, and Joe was able to encourage him through some difficult things he had experienced. On our way out, Gabi spotted two rhinos, a special delight after our unsuccessful search for them on our previous trip!

The singing continued at a grocery store, where workers stopped us and asked to hear more. At the South African border, Bill and some of the girls were invited to sing for the official in charge. Soon all nine of us were in his office, sharing worship songs in his own language. His colleagues joined in the delight, and one got up and danced.

What had looked like a very long wait became a crossing of about twenty minutes. We were grateful for the help, and for another opportunity to encourage people through songs that spoke to their hearts.

Serving in Mozambique

After crossing into Mozambique on October 9, we reached Houses of Hope Africa near Maputo late in the afternoon. We unloaded, shared a quick meal, and then divided the team. Bill and the girls stayed with the children while Joe, Andrea, and Sam continued to Xai Xai, arriving around 11 p.m.

Saturday’s Leading With Christ conference brought together about 150 church leaders. Our host pastor, who had attended the ALD Pastor’s conference in South Africa, oversees about twenty branches and had invited their leaders along with other local pastors. In the heat, with no air conditioning and very little help from fans, Joe taught for more than four hours across three sessions. Andrea joined him for practical teaching on marriage. We were tired at the end, but grateful for the response and the encouragement the leaders received.

On Sunday, the church in Xai Xai gathered its branches for a service with approximately 300–400 people. There was joyful worship, presentations by young men, and a beautiful women’s choir. The congregation honored Andrea with an African jacket, skirt, and headdress, actually dressing her in the gift. A young woman from the church had handmade the jacket. It was such a kind expression of love.

Joe again preached from James 1 on counting trials as joy, a passage God had been pressing on his own heart throughout the trip. We also received encouraging feedback about the value of teaching that carefully explains the biblical text. Afterward came hundreds of handshakes, hugs, photographs, and a generous lunch. Our African brothers and sisters know how to extend hospitality! Seriously not sure we could explain the graciousness in food :)

Meanwhile, Bill preached at the church near the children’s home, and the girls sang and played and also were sung to. When we reunited that evening, the children were still playing with the girls, and Bill gave a wonderful report of how they had stepped up during our absence. Crafts, games, music, and simply being present gave them opportunities to share love in very practical ways.

Into Zimbabwe

 On October 12, Andrea and Olivia began the journey home while Joe, Cassia, Gabi, Bill, Sam, Kyla, and Capri headed toward Zimbabwe. Andrea and Olivia arrived home safely on Wednesday evening. We also had a special family joy to celebrate: our newest grandchild, Aria Sue Denner, was born on October 12!

The rest of the team traveled north through Kruger National Park, enjoying elephants, buffalo, giraffes, and so many other beautiful creatures. At one point the vehicles became separated, each thinking it was behind the other. With no cellular service, the misunderstanding lasted until the lead vehicle was a full hour ahead and had to wait at the exit gate for the rest of us. They had the passes for everyone to leave!

The Zimbabwe crossing brought another delay when the vehicle-registration website stopped working. After more than two hours, everything cleared. Even there, the team had opportunities to sing for the border workers in their own languages.

The rough roads to Houses of Hope Africa in Whunga made for a slow, bumpy journey, and the team reached its hosts around midnight. The brilliant stars were breathtaking. The accommodations were rustic, the electricity was off, and the girls’ room needed its customary search for bugs before everyone settled down.

The next morning began early with music at the local primary school at 7 a.m. The children and teachers loved it, and Kyla and Capri helped one student try holding and playing a violin. Later, after an oppressively hot day with little electricity, the team went to meet the children as they returned from school.

There were soccer balls, a football, Gaga ball, bucket hats to decorate, hymns and African songs, Duck Duck Goose, and baseball. That evening ended with more singing around the dinner table in the dark. Bill’s mobile Starlink connection made it possible for Joe to send an update from a place where communication would otherwise have been very difficult.

Schools and households in Zimbabwe

Thursday, October 15, brought another full day. At the high school in Zezani, more than four hundred students packed the dining hall to hear the team. African worship songs invited everyone to join in, the twins played a duet, and Cassia and Gabi sang with violin accompaniment.

The students’ enthusiasm continued afterward. They wanted photographs, and one request to sign the back of Gabi’s shirt soon became a wave of signatures across all the girls’ shirts. Some students invited Cassia to see their classroom, where a large crowd gathered around her, cheering. These were joyful opportunities to connect with the young people in the community where many of the Houses of Hope children attend school.

A planned appearance at a police event had been missed because of a misunderstanding about the date. The team went to the police station to apologize and sing a few songs instead. The official and his colleagues received them graciously and affirmed the work that Bill, Sam, Peter, and the others were doing with the children. That encouragement meant a great deal.

Later, Peter took Joe to see two chicken houses under construction. Both visits were encouraging, with good progress toward approval for the next stage. Four of the supported pastors and community members had been deliberately selected near one another in Whunga.

That proximity matters. If an individual or a nearby group can reach one thousand chickens, an organization is willing to contract to buy the mature birds, addressing one of the biggest challenges for a new producer: finding a market. This was still a developing opportunity, but it was encouraging to see the work that began before our departure taking shape on the ground.

The afternoon and evening brought more time with the children, games into well after dark, and then back at the house singing with our hostess, Azaliah, and her family. The little ones had especially attached themselves to Cassia and Gabi. Once again, God has given the team a deep love for these children and the people caring for them.

Thankful for His care and your prayers

The team left Whunga around 7 a.m. on October 16, with many hugs and waves. Before leaving the area, they stopped to sing for Elder and his wife. Joe then drove the entire journey back to Mia and Julian’s near Pretoria, arriving around 6 p.m., almost exactly eleven hours later.

Driving those roads was a new experience for Joe. Washboard surfaces, innumberable rocks, deep potholes, crumbling road edges, and oncoming trucks demanded close attention, along with driving on the opposite side of both the road and the vehicle! Both cars were full of singing and stories along the way. Passing several accidents reminded him again how much there was to be thankful for in arriving safely.

Bill, Kyla, and Capri headed to the airport that evening. Joe, Cassia, and Gabi stayed with Mia and Julian before their scheduled departure the following evening. After reconnecting with our friend, Hendrick, we headed off to the airport for the long trip home.

Looking back, we are thankful for the ways God worked through the teaching, the music, the questions and conversations, and the time spent with children and friends. There were opportunities we had prepared for and others we could never have arranged. Through health challenges, long journeys, border delays, heat, and unreliable electricity, we repeatedly experienced His grace.

Thank you for standing with us. You prayed for people you may never meet, for journeys you could not see, and for teaching and conversations taking place far away. We believe that prayer is the primary work of the Kingdom, and we are deeply grateful for your partnership.

Please continue to pray for the pastors and their families, those developing their chicken businesses, the children and caregivers at Houses of Hope Africa, and the possible ministry partnership in the Eastern Cape. Above all, pray that the seeds planted and watered will bear lasting fruit as people learn to abide in Christ. To God be the glory!

With love and gratitude,
Joe and Andrea, Cassia, Gabi, and Olivia