Zimbabwe Update- May 4, 2008

  Here are the emails we mentioned yesterday morning. These came through Julia Henderson, the chair of our Partnership of the Zimbabwe-Denver Presbyteries (PZDP).  I have not met Stanley, but Paul is  a friend and well-known in our Presbytery.

  There may be lots of unfamiliar sounding places and references (the 'Zanu PF', is Mugabe's ruling party and 'MDC' is the opposition party), but the message is clear. Please pray for these brothers and sisters and indeed, the entire country of Zimbabwe.

From Stanley:

  Paul is traveling to Mvurwi, 80 Km due east of where members of our church have been brutally assaulted and displaced. Some are living in mountains and forests as I write.  They can't risk going back home; it's suicidal. 

  Some have sought refuge at Tinashe's church, after traveling the entire distance on foot.  Paul shall update you upon his return, which we pray will be safe.  Be strong, his grace is sufficient for us all.

Love, Stanley

From Paul:

    I am sitting in my office with Andrew Makunda our Evangelist at Rhimbick near Mvurwi which is a congregation under the Mbare session. We have two Evangelists in the area and a number of preaching stations. The parliamentary seats were won by Zanu PF, but the area is also not spared of the ongoing operation to weed out support for the MDC.

  There are a couple of torture centers set-up by Zanu PF thugs. A number of people in our churches there have been beaten up quite badly. Andrew had to walk at night with his wife and two children to escape from the promised torture. He only managed to escape at night because they were watching for cars to come and pick him up so thank God that he was advised to walk to safety. They had told him that he would be the first person to be killed in the area by the Zanu PF leaders in the area.

  The crime: all the practical service and help that the church gives is believed to be from MDC disguised as church ministry. The other Evangelist is said to be moving around with these people identifying those that are to be tortured. If this is true one would not be surprised because the Easter story now makes sense.

  Please pray for the church in Rhimbick and pray for us as we will be going there tomorrow to meet with these people and reason with them. Tinashe, as minister of the congregation will be going as well as Wilbert who has agreed to be part of the team. I have asked Tinashe to invite any other minister who may be interested but otherwise they will all be praying for us.

  I have no choice but to follow God's call to that place tomorrow. We walk by faith and not by sight. Andrew has received some treatment at the clinic here and his blood pressure though not too bad got the nurse concerned. There are other people that need medical treatment who have been tortured so we will have some serious decisions to make. Already I believe we need to help Andrew and his family get a place to stay somewhere safer. He will be with us here in Chinhoyi tonight while his family is still in hiding with a friend of the family in an area called Mutorashanga.

  It is amazing to see the power of God transform a person from fear to faith as he tells his story and I just listen and point out some of the things that God says in His word. Andrew is not sure if his house is not yet destroyed and things stolen by these thugs. Please pray for him, it really breaks my heart that he is having to go through all this but then again blessed is he as he is persecuted for the name of Christ.

Thank you for being there right now. 

Paul