Rev D A Ross
This year, the annual mission meeting held by Mbuma Zending, in support of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland mission work in Zimbabwe, took place in Gorinchem on Saturday, April 27. Our Dutch friends once again showed their generous support by contributing 45 783 euros to the collection at the meeting. This amount is only a part of what they give each year. Last year the total given was £1 029 086; the previous year it was £1 121 978. Without this support it would be impossible for us as a Church to engage in such extensive work in Zimbabwe, both in the mission institutions and congregations; indeed the work would be greatly curtailed without Mbuma Zending’s enormous contributions.
Approximately 3500 people were at the meeting to hear addresses from ministers of their various denominations. The Chairman, Rev A van Voorden, who spoke first, introduced us and welcomed us to the gathering, expressing the good wishes of Mbuma Zending to the Free Presbyterian Church. Each minister then gave an address from a portion of Scripture. There was also a mission story for the many children attending, narrated most ably by Mr N Verdouw. The Headmaster of the John Tallach High School, Mr B Ncube, who is also an elder in the Ingwenya congregation, gave a short history of the Mission, reported on the work of the School and mentioned many of the difficulties encountered throughout the Mission. I also gave an address on Mark 16:15,16.1 Mr Ncube’s addresses, as well as my address and my response to the Chairman’s greetings and good wishes, were all interpreted in a lively manner by Mr van Haaften.
The Chairman reminded the large gathering of some of the well-known
1The address follows this article.
people associated with Mbuma Zending, not only from Holland but also from Scotland, who have gone to their eternal rest. We were thus reminded that here we have no continuing city.
The kindness shown by many friends during my visit was overwhelming. To meet some old friends reminded me of our journeys through Holland to Eastern Europe and their unfailing contribution towards our mission endeavour there.
When the Mbuma Zending meeting concluded, Mr B Ncube and I each received, from a group of business people, a copy of Thomas Boston’s Fourfold State beautifully bound in leather with our name on the front cover. Dr Anneke Snoek, home on furlough from the Mbuma Hospital, kindly interpreted for us. It was a pleasure to meet her and her nursing colleague.
It was also a pleasure and privilege to be with many of the Mbuma Zending Committee who go to great pains, along with many of their congregations, to provide such marvellous support for our continuing gospel work in Zimbabwe. We have every reason to believe that “this is the doing of the Lord”. We, as do our Dutch friends, crave the Lord’s temporal and spiritual blessing on this work. It is He alone who has power to give the increase. In our every success, we have to acknowledge heartily: “God gave the increase” (1 Cor 3:6).
During the six days I spent in Holland, I was kindly cared for by Mr and Mrs Jan Voortman in Rijssen. This meant taking me from and to the airport and to and from the Mission meeting – many miles and hours of travel. I give my sincere thanks to them again and to all who showed me so much kindness. I render thanks especially to our gracious Lord, whose care and keeping we are constantly under and cannot do without. “Hitherto hath the Lord helped us” (1 Sam 7:12).