Thursday, July 25, 2024
After a wonderful breakfast of beans, sausage, hard-boiled eggs, corn muffins, tea at Jekesa Pfungwa, we packed up and said our good-byes to owner, Bertha. When we went to load the kombi (AKA the van), we discovered we had too much luggage so the driver, Silence, had to go get a trailer!
While we waited, Lorane Gopoza, UKAMA treasurer and Music director for her conference, taught us a song: Mangwanani, Baba —which means “Good morning, Father.” She also taught us another verse: To na mata, Baba — which means “We are praying, Father.”
Music Director Lorane teaching the Delegation "Mangwanani, Baba" which means “Good Morning, Father” in Shona.
Once situated with the trailer, we started by visiting head office. We received a tour of the new head office of the UCCZ —it is a beautiful and spacious building that still requires some finishing. A small part is finished and in use. We met with the staff, including a secretary who has served there for over 30 years and knows everything. They also have 2 college interns as well as an illustrious clerical team.
At the Head Office of the UCCZ, we saw where the conference has established a fish pond to breed and raise tilapia (bream) for food, income, and seed for other fish farms. There is hope to expand into agriculture, using fish water to fertilize the crops.
After our visit at the Head Office, we set off for Mutare. We joked with our driver about trying to scare us out of Zimbabwe as he had a radio station on in the kombe had a whole segment on snakes of Zimbabwe and how climate change is affecting them. The segment ended with “guess that snake” — we now know what a black mamba sounds like. Yikes. We advised him that probably wasn’t the way to get visitors here! We are so lucky to have a great (and careful) driver with an excellent sense of humor!
Heading to Mutare in a “kombi”, the Shona word for passenger van.
📸 Stephanie Westergren
The trip to Mutare was over 4 hours from Harare! We stopped at a grocery store to get some food for lunch and we were all super impressed with how “clean and well-stocked” (Shaun’s words) it was. Lorane got us all a “popular snack in Zimbabwe” — popcorn!
Popcorn in Zimbabwe is bigger when popped and a bit harder as well.
📸 Stephanie Westergren
Later in our journey, we passed through a section of highway called “Christmas Pass” — it has an incredible view of Mutare from high up. The pass was named by colonial pioneers who camped at the foot of the pass on Christmas Day in 1890. We stopped at a scenic view point and had to cross the highway to get there. It was at this time Rev. Sara shared that she learned the number one cause of injury/death of tourists in Zimbabwe is…traffic. This did not surprise any of us at all! There are some very “spirited” drivers on the roads here so thank goodness for Silence!
Did you know “Mutare” means “the mountainous place”? A view of Mutare from Christmas Pass on July 25, 2024.
📸 Stephanie Westergren
We arrived Mutare in early evening and were greeted at City Central Church with the Ruwadzana (Women's Fellowship) singing a welcoming song while we all met a nd hugged each other.
Brief worship took place, and the delegation separated to their host families for the night where they broke bread together.
Shaun Hathaway and Rev. Mtoo meeting for the first time in-person at City Central Church, Mutare. 📸 Stephanie Westergren
Stay up to date with the delegation here on NHCUCC.org and make sure to follow the New Hampshire Conference Page on Facebook, join the Facebook Group, instagram @NHConfUCC, and check out the UCCZ Facebook Group Here. Updates to these posts occur approximately once daily