The Report of Section 23

"Harvest Thanksgiving Sunday" is a special day throughout the United Methodist congregations in Zimbabwe. It is held the fourth (or perhaps last) Sunday in July.

Most congregations celebrate that Sunday. There are some who celebrate the occasion the first Sunday in August. It is a time for celebrating God's goodness and bringing "special offerings" of one kind or another.

One of the dynamics is that the report for "Harvest Thanksgiving Sunday" is done by sections. A section is a group of up to ten households that is part of the congregation. Each section routinely gathers weekly for a prayer meeting. Most of these meetings are on Wednesday, but a few are on Sunday.

Sections do not appear to be an optional choice. It is simply part of the way that you live out your life as a United Methodist believer in Zimbabwe.

After the conclusion of the regular service on July 26, it was time for the "Harvest Thanksgiving Service." Sections were called up one at a time. Typically, their report began with singing from the back of the church building, and the section members came forward. The entire service was emceed by a remarkably energetic young woman, who kept things going if they are seemed to lag.

There are currently twenty two sections in the Streamview congregation. They reported their accomplishments and their gifts one by one. There was also a section report from the United Methodist Women, the United Methodist Men, the United Methodist Youth, the Junior Church (Sunday School), and the Choir. Sometimes there is a "Visitor's Section" that is called on to report.

I decided to claim Section 23, by which I meant my own congregation in Hutchinson. When the time came for my report, there were those among the congregation who spontaneously arose and sang. That was a blessing, since it kept me from having to try to sing!

I was able to present a variety of gifts on behalf of Section 23, the U.S. section. They included:

• An offering of $1,031 that I had brought with me in person,


• A special additional offering of $500 that I had been given to bring with me,


• A wooden "cross and flame" emblem for use on the church's altar table,


• A clergy shirt and stole for Rev. Murauro,


• A purse and necklace for Unity Murauro, the pastor's wife,


• Special gifts for the lay leaders of the congregation,


• 144 gift bags for the children of the congregation, and


• A "Future with Hope" card signed by the members and friends of First United Methodist Church.

I am not sure when I will be able to report again in person on behalf of Section 23. But it was a joy and a privilege to be able to do so this year.

Meeting Grace

My trip to Zimbabwe for a Volunteers in Mission trip began, ended, and was characterized throughout by grace. And it was not just an experience of God's grace but an actual experience of meeting Grace--on the flight from Johannesburg to Harare.

My flight to Zimbabwe went about as well as possible. It began with out of Mid-Continent Airport north of Kansas City, MO, on Wednesday, July 22 on United Airlines. I was thoroughly packed--and repacked.

In my checked luggage, I was taking a number of items for distribution in Zimbabwe--many of them contributed by members and friends of First United Methodist Church in Hutchinson, KS. One was a container of wrapped bars of soap for delivery to the Fairfield Children's Home.

Another container had over the counter medications to be delivered to the Old Mutare Mission Hospital. I had four partially deflated soccer balls (and two air pumps) for the children at the Primary School in Chitikatira. I also had a dozen or so pairs of work gloves, all of which found use at the mission work site in Zimbabwe.

I had gifts for the children at the Streamview United Methodist Church where I would share in worship on Sunday, July 26. (There were 144 gift bags, but that turned out not to be enough!) I also had things to give to my friends and family in Africa, including the host family whom I hadn't yet met. I also had three purses to give away, a "Cross and Flame" emblem for the Streamview church, and a variety of jewelry to be distributed sometime during my visit.

I also had a suitcase filled with "prayer bears" from the Hillsboro United Methodist Church to be given--somehow, sometime, and somewhere--to the pastor of the Fern Valley United Methodist Church in Zimbabwe. I had no specific plans to visit there, and no arrangements had been made in particular for me to meet the pastor.

As I began the journey, it turned out that one of my luggage items was overweight. I was already committed to taking all that I had, so I paid the fee of $200.00. The third checked bag generated another fee of $200.00, so those were perhaps the most expense "prayer bears" that the Hillsboro congregation ever distributed!

The flights all went well. The sequence was Mid Continent Airport in Kansas City, MO, to Dulles International Airport in Washington, DC. There, I changed to South African Airways, first for the flight to Johannesburg (via Dakar, Senegal). Each leg of that flight was eight hours in length, with about an hour and a half on the ground in Dakar. After arrival in Johannesburg, the last flight was from Johannesburg to Harare, again on South African Airways.

On the flight to Harare, I was in the window seat, while another member of our team was on the aisle seat. There was between us a woman flying back to Harare after a trip to the U.S. to see family. A conversation ensued, and it turned out that she and her husband operated an orphanage on the outskirts of Harare for orphaned and abandoned children. It is called the "Newstart Childrens Home."

Unknown to her, I was carrying a gift of $100 in cash that I had been sent prior to my departure. It was from a faithful United Methodist from Grenola, KS, who knew of the overall situation in Zimbabwe and had sent me this money " to use wherever [I] see the need."

The need--and opportunity--was right next to me on the flight to Harare. As we were on our descent to Harare, I gave my seatmate five $20.00 bills to help with the costs at her facility. I told her it was a gift from someone in Kansas who just wanted to help.

It was a completely unexpected gift to her--much like God's grace is for us. As we landed in Harare, she thanks me graciously for this gift and asked me to extend her appreciation to the person who had made it possible.

Oh, my seat mate's name? It was Grace. More specifically, it was Mrs. Grace Farang, who is committed to "the big task of caring for unwanted and orphaned children."

My visit to Zimbabwe truly began with Grace, and it was blessed by God's grace the entire time!

Streamview United Methodist Church

The Streamview United Methodist Church is located near Mutare in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe. This congregation is the one with which First United Methodist Church in Hutchinson, Kansas is seeking to build a relationship. This is part of the "Mutare Connection," which links the pastors, people, organizations, and ministries in The Hutchinson District of the Kansas West Conference with our counterparts in the Mutare District of the Zimbabwe East Conference.

The Streamview United Methodist Church is officially known as the Chikanga East circuit, being located in the township of that name. There is actually a stream near the church site, but it only has water in it during the rainy season. The current pastor is the Rev. Tafadzwa Benny--"T B"--Murauro. He is completing his second year of service.

The Streamview congregation currently numbers about 1,000 people in worship each Sunday. Worship typically lasts around two hours, but no one really keeps track of the time.

The Streamview Church does not yet have a building. They use a temporary slat-sided structure. They have backless benches, but there are typically so many people that some have to sit on the ground while others stand outside the shelter. A major emphasis at the present time is to build a permanent structure. They have a "Building Fund" offering every fourth Sunday of the month.

Rev. Murauro describes his congregation as "one of the most vibrant churches in this district of Mutare. If a person comes to this congregation he will not love to miss the rest of the Sunday services."

This is the congregation where I will be privileged to worship (and preach!) on Sunday, July 26.