At 66 years, Isaac Ziwenjere, a Church elder in the United Church of Christ in Zimbabwe [UCCZ] resides in Mawunganidze village of Birchnough bridge, a Ndau language speaking community. Married to one wife and being a family man in a farming area where most of the time, people wake up early to work in the fields so as to earn a living. A day in the life of a farmer is always a busy one but on this cold day, an invitation was made by Bible Society of Zimbabwe to church leaders and community representatives to attend a training workshop at Rufumiso UCCZ local church. Isaac, like any other normal person, responded to the invitation with many questions as to what exactly the training was all about. “Working for the Lord has always been my passion and at this age of my life, being there when it happens is my daily motto,” said Isaac.
A journey of faith takes a number of things including learning and preaching, on this day, Isaac tasted an absolutely new way of how to internalize the Word of God through Faith Comes by Hearing, a project which is run by Bible Society of Zimbabwe and for the Ndau speaking communities, it has been considered a powerful tool for ministry and church growth especially in the Birchnough bridge area where members are mainly farmers who survives on horticultural products that are produced through an irrigation scheme in the area. “Coming to the training was not a challenge to me as I am always available for community-based programs in the area and our Church, with its centrality, is easily accessible and people feel safe being at church than under a tree” he said.
Talking about his expectations, Isaac paused for a while as he was searching for the right words to share, “this workshop is a game changer in my life and at his stage, I am feeling more energized than what I felt before coming to this workshop. Indeed, Bible Society of Zimbabwe has remembered us for real. I am old but note tired, I am old but not out’ he said as we all broke into smiles. The best moment of the day has been the moment I received an Audio Bible in my heart language [Ndau Language], a language which explains the Bible is a more simplified manner and from here, I already have names in my mind of the people that I am going to establish a listening group with.
Asked about what he will do from now, Isaac had this to say, “It is a very difficult thing to convince a human being who is used to a certain way of life to the things of God but my focus will be mainly on the youth who are under pressure due to substance abuse and to these, I will convince them that all that glitters is not gold and at my age, i made a decision good for me and my family to serve God, you also can do the same at your prime time and God will be glorified in that. The reference text which every attendee, Isaac included sung was Romans 10:17 ‘faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.