African Perspectives from the Rensfords

AFRICAN PERSPECTIVES - THROUGH THE EYES OF A MURUNGU

Here we repeat some of our more interesting (and sometimes amusing) anecdotes from our African visits. We recognise that things are often interesting, unusual, or funny simply because of the culture-gap from home to elsewhere... But we do hope our website visitors enjoy it, and gain further understanding of that part of God's great creation.... Again, all photos are hyperlinked to larger ones. BTW, murungu is a white man....

2009 - A PROBLEM IN THE TRANSLATION

Jeremy, Loxley, and I were in the bush in Mozambique, in a place, we were told, that no other white ministers had ever been. Firstly, and seriously, an old pastor told us what it was like during the awful civil war (from 1975 to 1992) in 3which over 1m people were killed. How everyone had to flee for their lives and shelter in the Beira Corridor, where 40,000 Zimbabwean troops had been stationed to protect the railway, highway, fuel pipeline, and transport (being landlocked, Zimbabwe is very dependent on the 300km long Corridor for its trade via the port at Beira). He wept as he honoured our friend, Pastor Domingos Caetano, who had accommodated him and his family in his property at Nhamatanda (a protected railway town during the war). He saved this man's life.

This man's son and daughter-in-law followed us for three days to three different seminar sites (travelling some 520km on a 50c Zhing-Zhong Chinese motor bike!). At the last location (where he had fled from with his father years before) his son got up, and speaking almost no English, told how the Jews in Old Testament times, used to celebrate their common faith by eating PASTA together in the Presence of the LORD. Huh? Italian Jews?!?! It turned out, he was trying to translate PASSOVER!.....

2009 - COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION

The high value in Zimbabwe placed on education of the young is well-known. But we tend to think of it as a value mainly among the parents and adults. Not so! We have stayed with, and ministered in the church of, Pastor Addmore Ncube many times over the years in Mkoba township, near Gweru.. His youngest son, Anesu (= he is with us) is a favourite of mine. A polite, but lively, alert, and God-loving boy now nine years old. I wanted to bless them as a family before going back to Harare in May 2009, so I asked if they had ever seen shumba (lions) - most of the family had never seen one live. So I offered to take them over to nearby Antelope Park, where an extensive lion breeding program has SEVENTY EIGHT lions on site. They all jumped at the chance to see them.... well, almost all...

Anesu refused. When I asked him why he didn't want to come, he replied he did want to come, but he preferred to go to (primary) school instead!!! I was stunned! Remember, this is an environment with very limited entertainment, excursions, etc., and children are used to walking everywhere. I tried to imagine a 9 y/o at home passing up such an opportunity.... and failed. Impressive! I love him, and he inspires me. He was six when this photo was taken >>>

2008 - CROSS-BORDER TRADING PRODUCES NEW RECORDS IN HOW MUCH YOU CAN LOAD UP A 1-TON BAKKIE!!

The loads being carried on the back of small bakkies (we call them utes) through the borders are beyond belief. Brian thought he had won the prize for the most overloaded bakkie / ute when he took the first photo in Harare of one that had lost a rear wheel under the weight, but Loxley Ford hit back with a bakkie / ute he photographed at the biggest border post (Beitbridge). OK, he cheated; he towed a trailer. And it was "only" another 550kms back to Harare for this adventurous, entrepreneurial cross-border trader! And of course, no photo montage would be complete without the famous (or is that, infamous?!?!A") shot of the KwaZulu "taxi! Click on each for a bigger photo....

2008 - THE CORRUPT ARM OF THE LAW

Driving through the middle of Harare following Loxley Ford to pick up a vehicle, I followed him across an intersection just as the light turned yellow (not red!). Suddenly a policeman stepped out in front of me and pulled me over. "You drove through an amber light; you must be fined". I should have protested amber lights are not red, but I was not thinking straight. "How much?", I asked. "How much have you got?", came the reply!! Not realising I was the (white) victim of a now common form police scam, I told him what I had on me (about $US10 in Zim$. "That is enough. Do you have a book?" Thinking he wanted some Lifeline literature, I replied I only had my Bible on me and I wasn't giving that away. He protested, "I will give it back to you!" I found out later that the normal way of paying a bribe to a policeman is to put the money in the pages of a book....My book was duly returned and $10 lighter, I drove on (Loxley was waiting and watching this charade). 500m down the road, "I suddenly exclaimed, "I have just paid my first-ever bribe and didn't know it!!"

2006 - JUST HOW SAFE IS ZIMBABWE?

This is a question we are often asked. Let us present a cameo of a side of it you won’t read in the western media….

In 2006, I (Brian) and my 55 y/o friend John (from our Sydney church) were driving south to Gweru from Harare on the main highway. In a very isolated area of bush, a woman and her 12 y/o daughter were standing on the roadside hitch-hiking. No one else was around, so we stopped and opened the rear door of our vehicle and invited them to get in.

The young girl climbed in first, then the mother slammed the door and disappeared back along a path back into the bush! Stunned, I asked where she was going and she named the next main town some 30km away.

I said to John, “when was the last time you ever saw an Australian mother consider off-loading her young daughter into a vehicle with two old grey-bearded men!?!?" It blew us away. The unexpected nature of it. The level of trust implicit in this was staggering. And we honoured it carefully, leaving her in the town, happy she didn’t have to walk.

This is not an isolated case there, but reflects something of the communal life and values that are still present (far superior to ours in Sydney, Australia). Sadly, however, locals tell us these values are being slowly eroded in Zimbabwe too.

2006 - THE LONG ARM OF THE LAW…

In Plumtree last year, I was crawling around the town’s tiny shopping precinct, and crossed the main railway line before turning right towards the Botswana border. Watching carefully for trains, I didn’t notice the faded stop sign back off the roadside. The (usual) police detail was on the side of the road, so as I crept slowly past them the long arm of a policeman was raised to stop me. “You are under arrest, Sir” “What for, changamire (sir)?”, I replied. “You were observed failing to stop at the stop sign over there”, he gravely replied, pointing across the road. I apologised, saying I had not noticed it while turning away from it.

The Law was now in action… My licence was carefully examined by another police officer, as we both sat together on a rock on the roadside. So polite. Great detail was recorded in a log book of offences detected that day. He gravely announced that my transgression made me liable for a fine of…. $Z180,000!!

I didn’t protest. I had transgressed and deserved to be punished. So, I signed the "Admission of Guilt", then drew out 2 $Z100,000 notes and passed them over – duly receipted and then an apology that they had no change. I magnanimously declared, “it’s OK, Please keep the change”. And off we drove….

Oh, how much was that in $A, you may wonder? Ummm, at the time... about 45 cents….

2005 - SOMETHING TYPICALLY “AFRICAN”

Jeremy and I visited a farmer under harassment. He had had 710 of his 750 hectares invaded. On the remaining 40 hectares, he had a commercial export roses operation. But, continual disease was ruining his whole stock. He had run out of plans to fix the problem. Then he discovered his plants had been cursed by the invading re-settlers using a n'anga (witch-doctor). We used the authority of Jesus’ name and broke the uroyi (curse); he came back 3 days later very excited to say there was absolutely no sign of disease in a sudden burst of new growth! That’s the kind of reality you live and minister in here. If you don’t handle that stuff too well, it’s best to stay home in Oz. We also encountered on his farm a re-settler roaring in a marijuana-induced rage at him, threatening to chop the heads off his two (guard) dogs that go with him everywhere. This family live with high-tension 24/7.

2002 - WORSHIPPERS IN THE MIST….

Elizabeth and I were invited to speak at a convention on a (white farmer’s) property at Gwarati, near Banket. A pole and tarpaulin facility had been erected and used over several years (photo attached). Up to 6000 people at a time had previously attended, but because of the current circumstances, in 2002, there were less than 500 people camping on the farm.

During one night meeting, the so-called war-vets who had recently moved onto the property stood at the rear of the structure in the dark watching what was going on. Several hundred people started dancing on the dry ground between the raised platform and the front logs used for sitting on. And under the dancing feet a mini dust cloud began to rise!

Standing on the platform, I noticed a bright light appear in the dark, from the direction of the watching war-vets. Then a chug-chug-chug sound announced the arrival of the farm tractor – hauling a large water tank trailer. While we looked on in amazement, and while the music and dancing continued, the driver slowly twisted and turned through the crowd of worshippers, while his helper on the trailer used a large hose to spray a fine mist of water into the air and onto the earth to dampen down the rising dust cloud. The crowds parted around him like the Red Sea, then closed again, and as he disappeared back into the dark, we all continued like nothing abnormal had happened.... And nothing abnormal had happened!!

2002 - SOMETHING DUMB

After the so-called “war veterans” began invading white farmers’ properties in 2000, things got very tense. When you used the highways, you had to be prepared for numerous roadblocks and questionings. In a subsequent visit, we were south of Gweru when we encountered yet another roadblock at Shangani. But, this time the blockade was manned by armed men with vests with “veterans” written on them. They signalled me to stop. With an AK47 only feet away from my window, I politely answered their questions, sweaty palms and all,… about meat products! Then, I “proof-read” the vests again… Hang on, that’s “veterinary”… They were foot and mouth inspectors!! And I think I caught foot and mouth on the way through… The locals gave me heaps when I told them, calling out, “watch out for the war veterinarians, Brian!”

2001 - BVUMAI'S SOCKS!

What pastors from that part of the world face…. You will never complain again, believe me! We brought again spare clothes and shoes from home to fill our my airline luggage limit. Peter Zulu recommended certain students (several were older men) who do it hard. One came from an area where they never have enough food because the elephants come in and raid their crops! I had good quality running shoes Jim Barr gave me to pass on. They fitted Bvumai perfectly. He was so thrilled. He had no socks on, so I told him he needed to wear socks to stop the inside of the shoes wearing away (like the shoes he had were).

I asked him if he had some socks with him. He pulled a worn pair of socks out from under his soles in the shoes (which had no other insole) and put them on. Only thing was - they had no bottoms, and the toes and heels were worn away; only the part over the top of his feet and ankle was left.

I said to him he needed to make sure he used complete socks when he got home (200 kms away) to stop the new shoes wearing away. He looked at me embarrassed and said, "Brian, these are my ONLY socks"…. What could I do? Heck, I had two pairs of good-quality thick running socks with me.

Ummm, isn't that what 1 John 3:17-18 says? “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth”. Man, this stuff comes home with a whack… How easy we have it at home. I don't feel guilty about this, but where I can make a difference, I have no other option if I love God.

So I told Bvumai I was not giving him my good socks, but I would do a sock swap with him, so I could bring his home and show our church what some pastors in Africa put up with without complaining! One sock is now permanently displayed on our church’s missions’ noticeboard, while the other is in our African Room at home in a glassed frame! It’s our most prized African memento and it really hits visitors!.

2000 - SOMETHING SCARY!

Mana Pools National Park is the only National Park in Zimbabwe where you are allowed to walk on foot. It is a very wild National Park, on the banks of the Zambezi River – meaning lots of animals come down to drink, and this attracts the predators too. So you are expected to use your common sense if you decide to go on a walk!

In the early 90s Elizabeth met a young Zimbabwean woman in Beira, Mozambique, who was doing street schooling for urchins. She married another young missionary, and they went to Mana Pools for their honeymoon. Married for three days, they went walking together…. and came across a bull elephant - downwind. One of the rangers there told us in 2000, when we stayed in the same area, that her husband went close to take a photo of the elephant, whereupon the bull heard the click of the shutter (their hearing is exceptional), and – suddenly becoming aware of their near-presence – turned and charged them. They ran away into long grass…. straight towards a lone old bull Cape buffalo resting in the long grass. The daga bull (or dagga boy – Google it) is widely regarded as the most dangerous animal in Africa; he stood up and attacked them – killing the bride.

It was a terrible incident, and at the time many people grieved for her (and her husband’s loss too).

In 2000, Elizabeth and I were (very carefully) walking in the same area to visit the Park ecologist at the request of a minister friend of ours. As we walked along the 4WD track, we talked about what would we do if we came across an old outcast bull nyarti (buffalo) like they had. All the while, my eyes were scanning the bush (as one does in that part of the world). The track was leading in a circular manner past a rocky clump of long-reed grass, when all of a sudden, I noticed one of the large ‘rocks’ in it had eyes and was staring at us! And only about 45 metres from us…..

I froze! Gripping Elizabeth’s arm so tight she had a bruise for two weeks afterwards, I hissed, “don’t move!”, and she froze too.

The big old bull stood up immediately, and squared off at us, about to charge. This took place while we were actually talking about the young woman’s violent death, and what would we do if something similar happened to us! The terror was palpable.

I hissed again to Elizabeth, “back up slowly; DON’T run!”, and we edged backwards, continuing to stare into the face of the daga bull. He tensed up, staring intently at us…. but didn’t move. About 40 metres behind us was a small dry creek-bed. When we reached it, I pushed Elizabeth over the lip – she fell and rolled down the slope – then we ran up the creek-bed away from the bull. Hearts, breath, and legs pounding!

He didn’t follow.

Two days later, our small party hired a ranger with an AK47 for a small charge, and as we walked again (with fresh courage and ammunition!) we told him what had happened. He told us he had been present when the young bride was killed. He said at 50m we had walked into the bull’s attack zone; and if we had come to 40m we were as good as dead. He added that at 45m, we were already in the attack zone and he was making up his mind to charge us, but we had saved our lives by 1] seeing him when we did; 2] not turning and running away. By staying calm and backing away we had showed respect for him.

At one point later in the day, he actually unlocked the safety catch when a very angry female elephant threatened to charge the Land Rover our hosts' family was sitting on top of (on a viewing platform). The children were terrified! Oh yes, they call this ‘fun’ in Africa!!

Looking back now, 11 years later, I tremble at the thought of what would have happened if panic had overtaken the inner sense of Psalm 23:4-6 we had - Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

That day we both learned a real-life application of this truth, that in the Western world is usually reserved for reading at funerals…

And yes, we still go into the bush in Zimbabwe…. but with very great care and respect for African wildlife