Brookside Congregational Church Members Embark on
Mission Trip to Zimbabwe
On Sunday, August 8, Brookside Congregational Church, United Church of Christ commissioned Jean Dickson, Melody Whitcher, and the Rev. Dr. Dawn C. Berry for a mission trip to Zimbabwe. For over ten years, Brookside has been in partnership with the Sakubva Church in Mutare and supported the Sakubva Church’s feeding program for orphans.
The purpose of this 18-day trip is to strengthen the relationship between partner churches, worship together, and serve people together. The whole team is comprised of fifteen people from the New Hampshire Conference led by the Rev. Kimberly McKerley, pastor of the Brentwood-Kingston United Church of Christ. The last mission trip to Zimbabwe was in 1997.
The United Church of Christ in Zimbabwe (UCCZ) was founded in 1893 by the American Board of Foreign Missions, a predecessor mission program of the United Church of Christ. Global Ministries works closely with the United Church of Christ in Zimbabwe in the many facets of its ministry. The denominational membership of Zimbabwe today is approximately 30,000 people in 47 churches and several preaching points and worship groups. The UCCZ has worked ecumenically on important efforts in Zimbabwe and is responsible for many schools and several health institutions in the country.
The team will also visit the Mt. Selinda Mission. Mt. Selinda Hospital is located in the area of one of the first UCCZ congregations founded. The Mt. Selinda Hospital faces many challenges as it provides health care in Zimbabwe’s critical situation of economic crisis, social/ political conflict, and the devastating impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
For more information, call the church office at 699-2807. You can also connect with Brookside Church on Facebook at Facebook.com/BrooksideCongregationalChurch to interact online and receive regular community news updates.
Above is a picture of some of the group travelling to Zimbabwe. Please click here for the UCC Ukama website.
Updates from the travelers, you may also find these on Facebook
August 25
Here is a quick note on this day when we drive to Victoria Falls. We have spent the the past 3 days at the Annual Meeting of the Ruwadzano (the Women's fellowship in the UCCZ). What stories we will have to tell about that.! Here is one tidbit: Communion was served at 2:00 am! You have to guess which ones of us stayed up for that!
We will be overnight in Vic. Falls tonight, Monday 23 August 2010, in Bulawayo tomorrow night Tuesday 24 August 2010, then back to Hararefor one last night and lots of packing!!.
None of us can believe this amazing journey is coming to an end...but we all long to be home with you and look forward to sharing our adventures with you.
Love to all.... from all! Kim
August 18
Dear Family and Friends in New Hampshire (and in Tewksbury, MA!)
Greetings from Zimbabwe. We are so blessed to be here! It is hard to believe it has already been one week since we arrived. We have had so many rich experiences – each of us has now spent nearly a week with our partner churches, including Sunday worship that will long be remembered. Sorry we can’t send photos just now, but be ready to view a lot of them when we get home!!
We have been scattered from Bulawayo in the west to Marondera near Harare to the border with Mozambique in the east. In the next couple of days we will come back together and on Thursday we will be a group of 15 again. That day we will travel to Masvingo to view the Great Zimbabwe Ruins – a must do for any visitor here. Then we will make our way to Gweru to the Women’s Meeting – that will be an experience! Several thousand women at a three day meeting of singing, praying, preaching…and where we are told that sleep is only for the faint of heart!! Perhaps the young ones in our delegation will manage to stay awake…we old folks won’t even try!
We will end our stay with an overnight at Victoria Falls to view the falls and see some of Zimbabwe’s spectacular wildlife. It will be a nice way to end our incredible visit.
Know that we are all well. And know that our Ukama/Partnership continues to be a treasured gift from God. We have laughed together, prayed together, eaten together, danced together and wept many tears together – some are tears of joy, some are tears of shared pain. We wish more than anything that each one of you could experience what we have. Words cannot begin to capture the wonder of it all.
We look forward to sharing it all soon.
Love to all of you.
Kim
August 11
Greetings from Harare!
We had a wonderful first night in Zimbabwe! We were treated to a feast
last night thanks to the members of a brand new UCCZ church (founded only
last month and already has 55 members - can you imagine??!!)Everyone
enjoyed sadza, singing and Shona lessons!
We slept well and are ready to greet the new day. This morning the group
experienced the first of many Zim showers (it is amazing what one can do
in a bucket!)
Now, after a delicious breakfast, and more than an hour of trying to fit
our bags into available trucks,we are ready to leave for Mt. Selinda, so
will not have reliable internet service for the next few days. But know
that we are well, and we are happy!
Everyone sends their love.
Mike and Sheila, Annie is doing great!! She is a regular rock-star!
Kim
August 10
Dear friends,
This quick note serves to inform you that the travelers have arrived safely from the States and are in good spirit.
Everything is fine with them and even their luggages arrived in good order.
May God bless you.
Kind regards,
Rev Edward MATUVHUNYE
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