Open Hands are Gifts to the Lord’s Mission

Witnessing the power of the Lord in Zimbabwe has radically transformed my tightly compacted understanding of His might into a steadfast future sealed with knowing His limitless love for creation. Jesus has stilled and quieted the rushing waters of my soul, and I have embraced the freedom in seeking His glory above my gain during this beautiful and life-giving month in Africa.

Along with Team ZONE, I have experienced the Lord moving with His endless grace. ZONE observed individuals who are grounded together in the family of God. We watched as young believers joined His Kingdom, water provided for rural communities, hundreds of young children gathered together to praise the Father, and hosts who graciously served as the hands and feet of Jesus. We witnessed an entire church fellowship in a two room clay home in a rural community near Ebeneezeer because an elderly woman was unable to travel to the further destination. We watched locals wading into muddy water to push a stuck van out of a flooded river. We witnessed the Lord silence a torrential rain storm in a rural community so the congregation could hear the sermon. We walked through a non-profit hospital that changed children’s lives through groundbreaking surgeries—restoring physical health and grasping every chance to speak the name of Jesus into the lives of the most vulnerable.

Like so many others, these stories have been permanently painted onto the walls of my heart. From day one on the grounds, ZONE faced a required need for flexibility. Most hands-on service days, we didn’t know much or anything about the task ahead of us. God blessed us with the opportunity to teach and spread the Gospel with limited materials, but with the most powerful tool—hearts on fire for His name and mission. We didn’t always have enough physical materials, but we could speak the name of Jesus and He provided the joy. He blessed us with triple the amount of time teaching at a conference we led, which could have been taken up with worry and stress but He provided wisdom, peace, and discernment. He used the uniqueness of this opportunity to welcome a lost lamb into His eternal family.

He opened doors for us to communicate with hundreds of people who didn’t understand English—we shared the message of hope through the way we walked. ZONE learned that a language barrier is not a wall or a burden for sharing the Gospel, rather, a language barrier means expressing the joy for the Lord even louder through actions, smiles, and prayers. People watch, especially curious children. They didn’t always understand the words that came from our lips, but I firmly believe they were moved by the joy that abounded from our souls.

God is surely on the move in Zimbabwe and South Africa. ZONE is blessed to have lived, talked, and dwelled among the locals of these beautiful nations. The testimonies, faces, songs, and stories that we have cried and prayed over the past three weeks will forever be etched into our lives. The people in Bulawayo, Ebeneezer, Shalom, and Cape Town will hold a dear place in my heart and for all of ZONE.

As Colossians 3:17 says, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Visiting these countries was a gift from the Lord. My prayer is for ZONE to share this blessing with others—allowing these miracles and grace gifts to be testified into America. We must share the Gospel as boldly as the roar of a lion.

Anna Claire Waddell

Class XX Fellow