Outreach.

Giving supplies to a local birthing center attracts state-wide attention

Other outreach activities include healthy food taste-testing and recipe exchanges, and a new health club attracting eleven women who are now considered "pre-Adventists."

Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division (SID)

[Zimbabwe] The community is our field of work. Jesus bids us to go. In response to the mandate of Jesus Christ for sharing and caring for our neighbors (as commanded in Matthew 25:35, 36), the Chiremba North District women visited Epworth Clinic taking with them baby blankets, clothes, Vaseline, soap, and other goodies for the mothers and newborn babies at the clinic. The labor and delivery ward holds a common memory for most of us when birthing our children, and our women were happy to share the little they had with these mothers and babies.

The local newspaper captured the event. Then the state media noticed and gave the women and the Seventh-day Adventist Church good press. As Christians, we do not shout our benevolence (Matthew 6:3), but we are happy to be known for good reasons.

Contributed by Phyllis Manungo, women’s ministries director for Zimbabwe East Union Conference

EATING TO LIVE

[Zimbabwe] God gave food to us as "medicine" for a healthy life, however, it is unfortunate that some of our food has become like poison to us—and the world cries out that death is in the cooking pot. The rise in non-communicable diseases has awakened most people that what they eat matters to their overall health. Food is a preventive measure against disease, and we need to be mindful of what we eat.

Food is for mankind to eat to live. The East Zimbabwe Conference of the Zimbabwe East Union Conference has not been silent about this.

A drive to share recipes was initiated at the beginning of third quarter of 2018. As women in the conference meet to prepare different dishes, the community is invited and most of these gatherings bring new faces to church.

Contributed by Phyllis Manungo, women’s ministries director for Zimbabwe East Union Conference

CONGRESS GIVES BIRTH TO A HEALTH CLUB

[Zimbabwe] East Zimbabwe Conference held a congress from May 23-26, 2018. Many women discovered at the congress that they have high blood pressure. To address the challenge, women have been encouraged to make time to exercise and to eat healthily. Because of this, a “health club” for women was organized by Seventh-day Adventist women in the Mutare East district.

Just two weeks later, on June 10, 2018, the Mutare East district women engaged in their first social Sunday of playing netball. The event attracted eleven women of the community. These women are now considered "pre-Adventists." The day was well spent in exercise and drinking maheu (locally made drink from corn) during breaks. The theme verse for the day was 3 John 2, “I pray that your health is good.”

Contributed by Nkosilathi Khumalo, communications director for Zimbabwe East Union Conference

Published in Mosaic newsletter, 2018 Q4, Fall issue