Acta Non Verba - Zimbabwe

Mbare is the place that haunts me in the day and each night in my dreams.  My mind returns over and over to the broken windows, dirty laundry, raw sewage running along the ground, and the desperate faces.  Along with the sights what I will recall most is the sound – or in this case the absence of one sound in particular – laughter.

A high-density area, Mbare is a cluster of low-rise government housing apartment buildings.  Most families live in one room.  There is no indoor plumbing save the communal bathroom on the bottom floor.  The stench was overpowering as we walked past and my mind reeled as I imagined children having to share facilities with grown men.  In this place, dignity is diminished.

As we walked through the buildings, a man called out to us in Shona (the local dialect), begging us to tell Someone about their conditions.  To explain their situation and the frustration they feel!  He wanted us to tell someone…

And so, I am telling – as many people as I can.  And, the more I talk about it, the more I want to tell.  How can we ignore them?

The good news in all of this is that I do believe there is hope – a long-term solution.  I firmly believe that when God shows us something, it is His invitation to join Him – to be a part of His answer.  While this area is full of despair and need, there are people there ready to work.  They have ideas and determination – they just lack to ability to get started.

I dream of going back and seeing a new Mbare — with people working, saving their money, making loans for new businesses — living productive lives in the mercy and goodness of our Savior.

“When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.”  Matthew 9:36-38

Hallway inside Mbare Housing

Message on wall of housing unit