Zimbabwe
THERE was a Communion recently at Ingwenya at which Rev. P. Mzamo was assisting Rev. A. Ndebele. The old elders who had passed away since the previous Communion were greatly missed. The three remaining elders are well known to us as they were former pupils at Ingwenya. Mr. Paul Moyo taught in the Primary School and took services at the Mission and elsewhere. Mr. Sipho Nxusani is a brother-in-law of Rev. A. Ndebele. His mother taught at Ingwenya for many years, and he himself taught at Cameron Primary School; a school which is named after the late Rev. Neil Cameron and is ten miles from Ingwenya. Mr. Isaiah Sibanda belongs to Libeni and preaches there. These men need the prayers of the Lord’s people that, God willing, they may be kept in health and usefulness.
None of the African ministers will be present at the Synod this year but Mr. Buthi Mziya, Mission Administrator, hopes to be present. He attended the Mbuma Zending Meeting in Holland on 4th May.
Miss Marion Graham was on her own for some weeks in April, as far as having her Scottish colleagues with her was concerned. It was holiday time and she had plenty to do in winding up affairs after the school closed, and in preparing for the new term. Now she is enjoying the companionship of Katie Macaulay, and also of Ishbel MacCuish who is there for three months while Norma MacLean is on furlough.
At Mbuma Hospital there is a great shortage of staff. Dr. Janette Hak has been at home for some time owing to health problems, and Miss Anne Zekveld is on furlough. There have been 200 malaria patients arriving each day at the hospital and Margaret Macaskill, Louise Leiper, and Lia Terlou have been working literally night and day. Miss Peta van der Ridder was to have gone to Kenya about the middle of May but the Committee arranged for her to go to Mbuma instead for six weeks to relieve the situation. She flew to Zimbabwe on 14th May, but she will proceed to Kenya, D.V., at the end of June.
Anne Zekveld visited Holland on the first few weeks of her leave, and then England briefly, where she showed Mission slides in a friend’s house. She paid a hurried visit to Scotland, hired a car at Edinburgh and proceeded to the Island of Raasay. After being at Glasgow Communion, and then going for another short visit to Holland, she went to Canada where her home, parents and other relatives are. This was Anne’s first visit to the U.K.
It was interesting to hear that in Rev. Z. Mazvabo’s area, a new church has been built in Chibi, (near Masvingo, or Fort Victoria as it used to be known, the oldest town in Zimbabwe and a tourist centre). The first communion season was held there in April and the church was very full. The District Commissioner was present at the Sabbath service. The text was Hebrews 10:12, and in the morning, and Rev. 22:6 in the evening. Rev. A. Ndebele was assisting Rev. Z. Mazvabo, and no doubt he would have an interpreter as the language spoken in Mr Mazvabo’s area is Shona. We prayerfully hope that this new church will be a means of blessing in the Chibi area. J.N.
Kenya
MR Ian MacLean, who has recently recovered from a particularly weakening bout of malaria, has begun conducting a Bible class at Sengera each Wednesday evening and a Psalmody class on Friday evenings, in addition to the usual services and worships on Sabbath and weekday. Also, on each Monday evening he meets those who wish to ask questions about the sermons on Sabbath – an exercise which he finds to be profitable to both himself and them. He continues to hold services and Catechising sessions at Maiga and pays a visit to the Kuria group periodically. He has also commenced holding services once a fortnight at Magenche (about an hour’s drive from Sengera) where about 35 people gather.
Mr MacLean is kept extra busy with building two new staff houses. The repair of the concrete water tank under the clinic has been completed, and it is now hoped that there will be enough rain to fill it for the needs of the compound. There is concern that the new well is recharging more slowly than it did at the beginning of the year, despite the water authority saying then that their recharge test result was good. It may be necessary to deepen the well.
Another “malaria season” has begun. There is much illness in the area and the nursing staff at the Health Centre are exceedingly busy.
We are glad to hear that the 4 kms earth road from the main road to the Mission (which is a sea of mud during the heavy rains) is being surfaced with a mixture of gravel and sand to give a solid surface. N.R.