Agape
Fellowship
I recently received the following email from a pastor in Zimbabwe that I have come to know. He was responding to my inquiry about orphan children he is supporting and to the fact that Sandy and I have decided to support a pastor in a new church situation in the same way that our church is with another new church.
We have sent, in each case, an initial $100 so that the pastor will have a bicycle for transportation and have commited to $50 per month for 18 months. At that time, the pastor should have developed a self-supporting church. That is a total of $1000 to start and support a new church in the bush in Zimbabwe.
In case you were wondering about the amount of money we were sending to support the pastors, we have a way of sending money into Zimbabwe that causes its value to be multiplied more than 10 times its amount. Basically, normal channels devalue foreign money and provide high profits for those who control these channels. In addition to the financial support, at their request, I have supplied my through the Bible training in video tapes to help with further training. I also plan to visit these locations when I return to Africa. This will be next summer, God willing.
Tatenda--who sent me the email I mentioned earlier--is a local pastor in Harare, Zimbabwe who will oversee these churches, as he already does several others at the present time. It was mainly these pastors in that program that I was teaching when I traveled to Zimbabwe this past summer, although we were blessed with other pastors as well.
But--going back to his email message--Tatenda tells us that there are 3 other locations where he would like to start churches and send pastors to live, however he needs support for each one before it is started. This is an opportunity for a church, a special group, or an individual to help support a new church.
Another opportunity available is with the orphan children he is taking in. A building has been donated for this purpose, and I had occasion to observe its beginnings. These children would not be taken in by the government or some other group but would instead be left on their own if Tatenda did not reach out to them. Any amount of support (either one-time or continuing) would be filling a need that no one else is.
May God bless you with any support you send to these opportunities or to whatever ministry you are involved in. If you choose to send money, please make your checks payable to:
Agape Fellowship
10 Radnor Road
Newark, DE 19713
and your contributions will be tax deductible.
Joseph Kite
pastor@agape-fellowship.org
Here is Tatenda's e-mail (in its original form):
Dear Pastor J Kite
Greetings in Jesus name.
The time you came to Zimbabwe we had 15 [fifteen] children and in July an organisation called burden bearers aproached us about 6 [six] children who did not have anywere to stay who needed accomodation.
I shared with David Zamchiya's children whose father was a close friend of mine and who own the the property were we live and they said it was their father 's wish to give the house for an orphanage so they gave it for the purpose so it was difficult for me to turn away the children.
then at the beginning of September a widow from our church who we were caring for who was HIV/AIDS positive died and left five kids but before she died she shared with me that she was taking long to die bucause of the future of her children. When I assured her that I was going to take them she only took a day and she died peaceful.
On the 25 September in Murehwa a woman was staying with her four children aged between 2-8 years. Since the 21 the three elder children were sin at the growth point loitering picking food in the dust bins and going back home in the evening. The two small ones were seen playing outside the house most of the time. On the 25 Sept a wowan who had sold things to the very lady went to see her so as to ask for her money.
When she got there she asked for the mother and she was told the mother was asleep. She asked if they could wake her upand they came back saying she is not waking up. The other woman got angry and went inside with the intention to scold her. When she got inside she only discovered that she was loong dead.
We do not know when she died but she was already swollen and smelling. There was no sign of food in the house and the children could not tell when they last had a meal in the house. So we suspect she died of hunger. So we took in her children also. This is how we came up to this number.
The situation of orphans is pathetic in this country. We are only doing our small part the need is great. Pray for us that we will have rains this year so that people will plant their crops. The projection is that if the situation of food remains the same 6 [six] million people will die of starvation in this country. Yes the $100 will be okay for the biyscle and the $50 for the pastor.
So at the begging of the month pastor Alois Nyabadza will be going to Mhondoro.Thank you so much pastor Kite we would be happy if you could come againhere next year so that we will also take you to the churches. Apart from Zvishavane and Mt Darwin I also have another place called Bonda. May God bless you.
Tatenda