We Walked With Lions

We have returned from a fascinating and exciting visit to Zimbabwe. First to Victoria Falls. Fantastic; a wonderful sight, plus a magnificent sunset cruise on the the River Zambezi with plenty of hippos and crocodiles on view. A stunning sunset over the river.

Zimbabwe  has no currency of its own, as it became totally worthless, but now trades in US dollars and South African Rands. This has brought goods back into the shops and fuel to the pumps. But do they charge! We had a hire car arranged for when we arrived at the airport and they wanted a 1000 dollars as a deposit. Was the banger we drove even worth a 1000 dollars?! I didn’t have a $1000, so they had to be content with less. We paid 15 pounds for a plateful of cheese and tomato sandwiches at our B & B and there wasn’t even any pepper. When you pay in dollars and need some change, even in the hotels, someone disappears for a mysteriously long period of time before returning with the change - where did they go? Perhaps to get the change from under the bed or to the Bank! Baboons almost in the town centre and warthogs in the hotel grounds. A great couple of days.

We flew to Bulawayo on Air Zimbabwe; not exactly the world’s leading airline, but an excellent flight. Met by Mbonisi (’Bones’) who leads the church there and who then told me that they have 2 services on a Sunday, not the one service I was expecting, and as a visiting preacher I could feel free to preach a different message at both. I somehow found the freedom to do it. We set off for the meeting on Sunday morning after a night of rain straight onto a dirt road that was now a sea of mud. Travelling somewhat speedily down the road, in order to gain momentum and not stick in the mud, so Bones informed us, the wheels suddenly went and we did a total 180 degree skid, missed a telegraph pole by about 2 feet and ended up bogged down in mud in the ditch at the side of the road. While waiting for a tractor to pull us out several farm workers came past, slipping and sliding through the mud, to give us a friendly wave as though we were sitting on the side of the road having a picnic. Eventually, back on the road and travelling again to the meeting, Bones asked me if I ever get nervous before I preach. Recalling my hairy Sunday morning journey into a Cape Town township (see earlier blog) and now skidding into a ditch did rather force the reply, ‘Well I’m getting more so’!

Great time with the church and then after a staff meeting and a Leader’s meeting on the Monday we were off to a church planting and agricultural project an hour and half’s drive deep into rural Zimbabwe. No electricity, but great faith in God as a church hall is being built, the congregation currently meet in a tent, and crops are being planted by a group of trainees. These Believers are wonderful. Back to Bones’ house and his wife Tash - a bat in the living room and a plague of flying ants - talk about bugs, Zimbabwe in the rains breeds them at the rate of billions a minute.

Next day we were off to Antelope Park, a really beautiful game reserve in fairly central Zimbabwe for a training week with leaders from the NewFrontiers churches. Some confusion over where we should sleep but in the end we appropriately settled for the honeymoon suite under a thatched roof overlooking a beautiful river hosting an astonishing variety of birds ,whilst the suite we were in  was hosting increasing numbers of 6 inch juicy centipedes and every beetle and bug known to man. Must be a fasacinating honeymoon experience to know that every time you walk across the room you can hear the crunch of insects under you feet. One evening after a long days teaching I was lying on the bed,only to see a rat sized field mouse (everything rodent or insect comes bigger in Zim) looking down on me from the overhanging wooden chandelier. Now I am not an expert on how to deal with mice with extraordinarily long tails swinging from the chandeliers! I went to enlist help and was eventually  assisted by the splendid Alan Norton who, armed with a heavy shoe, knocked it off the light, clobbered it over the head and sent it out of the door with a migraine. Meanwhile we continued to shovel out the centipedes who seemed to be enjoying some kind of centipede convention in our room.

But what a beautiful place to lecture in. Stunning scenery and excellent food under thatch, but in a dining hall open to the view and at the evening meal accompanied by large spiders on the table and a billion flying ants - apparently you can fry the ants and eat them - but nobody did.

Having spoken 16 times in 6 days we had Friday afternoon to ourselves and we walked with lions - we really did. The Park operates a lion breeding program with the aim of releasing lions back into the wild. Up to the age of 18 months (the lions that is) you can walk withe lions. We had a health and safety lecture beforehand with advice such as DON’T PANIC which of course brought one to near panic before meeting with the lions. But when we met our two big cats, who were 14 months old, we strolled along together like the best of friends. We even stroked them ( we have the photos to prove it) but Sue felt she didn’t want to put her head in the lion’s mouth - so obviously not destined for a life in the circus. A once in a life time treat - really quite moving to walk with and touch such magnificent animals.

And so back to Cape Town after meeting with some amazing Believers who never complain in the midst of all the challenges of this rather broken nation. They are full of joy and commitment and through building the Church look to be the answer to their nation. An extraordinary  and unforgettable 9 days.

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