Encouragement....A WINNER

Scott Marques

What a joy having Scott Marques, Zimbabwe’s apostolic leader within the New Frontiers family of churches, and a team of friends: Peter Cunningham, Renee Cunningham, Mbonisi Malaba, Tashinga Malaba, Ethan Malaba – known as E-Man, Lance Edwards, Danny Tanser and Clarence Mutangara come out and visit Ebenezer.

Scott brought encouragement firstly to the apprentices as he expounded on 1 Thessalonians 5:12 – 24. Some gems that he brought were:
1. Have respect for the leadership of Ebenezer. Listen to what they say and apply yourselves with all your heart.
2. Live at peace with one another. When Jesus had injustice done to him, he forgave everyone.
3. Don’t be lazy. Work hard.
4. V14………comfort the faint-hearted, uphold the weak, and be patient with all.
5. V23. We are made up of spirit, soul and body. We have the capacity to know God through our spirit.

Let our spirit and mind be alive with the things of God. Day by day there is change. We choose how we will respond to God’s word.

Scott then brought a word of encouragement to the staff. He said that the work of Ebenezer is a kingdom extending initiative. Church is more than a Sunday or mid-week meeting. The church on the one hand is gathered and on the other scattered. In our work place we are the church in action. Ebenezer is an expression of the church in action. The fruit of our dealings with the apprentices is seeing young men and women loving, knowing and growing in Christ and there is unity in the spirit. Ebenezer at the same time is a business and a school.

He exhorted the staff to work together in unity and build one another up. We all have strengths and weaknesses, come from different backgrounds yet we are designed and called by God.

Change is inevitable and God changes people. The resultant fruit for the team is being strong in heart, soul, mind and to make Ebenezer self-sustaining. It’s the best for us, the apprentices and the community.

Adapted by Molly Manhanga

Ebenezer Kitchen Garden

Mrs Nyams with Molly Manhanga

I had the privilege of catching up with Mrs Nyamayaro, better known as Mrs Nyams. Mrs Nyams oversees the Catering at Ebenezer. The Kitchen Garden falls in her area of responsibility. The aim of the Ebenezer kitchen garden is for Ebenezer to be self-sufficient and reduce our food costs. At present there are green peppers, butternut, chillies, chomolia, spinach, beans, cowpeas, sweet potatoes, maize and carrots. There are onions, egg plants and carrots in the nursery.

The difficulties experienced have been water shortages and infertile soil. At present they are using lots of manure as a basal fertilizer. The plants were also being eaten by donkeys and cows. A fence was erected around the garden as a preventative measure.

Mrs Nyams has enjoyed the fruits of her labour and has harvested spinach, butternut, green peppers, beans and carrots. Although the potatoes were harvested, they didn’t do very well. Better shoots will get replanted.
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From the HEAD CHEF at Ebenezer – Mrs Nyams,
a tasty recipe with Cow Peas (a legume in the bean family)

2 cups cowpeas
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon curry powder (Mild, Medium & Hot)
1 green pepper
1 medium onion
2 carrots
2 medium tomatoes
Half a cup green beans

Soak the cowpeas overnight. Boil them for 1 hour and drain the water. In another pot, fry the onions, green peppers and garlic. Add any vegetable of your choice into this mixture and fry. Add the cowpeas and let the mixture simmer for 30 minutes. Serve hot with sadza, rice or samp.

Chillies, butternut and carrots from the kitchen garden

Sounds delicious! Thanks so much Mrs Nyams.

Written by Molly Manhanga

One on one with Thubelithle Dube

Getting to know Thubelithle Dube

Q: Tell me about your background?
A: I was born on the 19 April 1990. We are 11 in my family. I have a twin brother Bhukosi who is also at Ebenezer. I live with my mother in Halale. Halale is about 3 – 4 hour walk from Ebenezer. My father died 9 years ago.

Q: How did you hear about Ebenezer?
A: My friends old me about Ebenezer and I collected forms, filled them in and attended Selection Camp. I enjoyed the camp especially meeting new people and playing games.

Q: What has been your greatest challenge at Ebenezer?
A: I haven’t faced any challenges since coming to Ebenezer.

Q: What has been your greatest joy at Ebenezer?
A: Praise God! I enjoy praying and worshipping God. All the lessons have been excellent and my field preparations are going well.

Q: Who is your role model?
A: Great. God is my role model. I want to live a life that is pleasing to him.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
A: In 5 years time I will be back in my community being a successful farmer and businesswoman.

Thube standing in her field as she gets ready for her first tomato crop

Thank you Thubelthle. May you be blessed as you continue to impact your community.

Interviewed by Molly Manhanga

One on one with Lorencia Mabhena

Getting to know Lorencia Mabhena

Q: Tell me about your background?
A: I was born on the 23 September 1989. I come from a family of 9. I am the 8th born. I have 4 brothers and we are 5 girls. I live with my parents in Mapane which is about a 3 hour walk from Ebenezer.

Q: How did you hear about Ebenezer?
A: My friend Mbekezele Moyo told me about Ebenezer. I filled in forms and attended the Selection Camp. I enjoyed the camp especially the games and the way the Ebenezer team treated us.

Q: What has been your greatest challenge at Ebenezer?
A Apart from my field being waterlogged from all the rains we’ve been having, I haven’t faced any challenges since coming to Ebenezer.

Lorencia standing in her waterlogged field

Q: What has been your greatest joy at Ebenezer?
A: I enjoy glorifying God and learning. I’ve really enjoyed the spiritual lessons with Stephen Manhanga.

Q: Who is your role model?
A: Great. God is my role model. He leads me and is with me in whatever I do.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

A: In 5 years time I will be back in my community being a high-powered businesswoman. I will be leading by example and training my community how to farm God’s way.

Thank you Lorencia. May you be blessed as you continue to impact your community.

Interviewed by Molly Manhanga

Getting to know Zulu Martin Dube

Zulu Martin Dube

A team of people representing Farming God’s Way and Faithful Stewards visited Ebenezer. They met with farmers in the community, visited homesteads and chatted with children from child headed households (C.H.H. – this is where both parents, grandparents or guardians have passed away or are living elsewhere, leaving the child to run the home and in some instances, the child will also take care of their siblings) I had the opportunity of interviewing Zulu Dube who is part of the Faithful Stewards programme and he is based in Harare.

M.M: Zulu, tell me something about your background?
Z.D: I was born in Kitwe, Zambia and my family moved to Zimbabwe when I was two years old. I’m the second born in a family of 5. I have one older brother, one younger sister and y twin brothers are the youngest in my family. I grew up in Bulawayo until I went to the University of Zimbabwe. I studied Biochemistry and Chemistry for 4 years. After university I was between cities – Harare and Bulawayo. I worked as the retain manager at one of the Edgars (Clothing shop) group of stores in Harare for 3 years and then I also managed an Edgars branch in Bulawayo for 6 months.
I married Yeyukai in October 2007. She is a medical doctor practicing at Parirenyatwa Hospital. (Parirenyatwa is one of the local hospitals in Harare)

M.M: When and where did you become a Christian?
Z.D: I became a Christian in 1993 at a Scripture Union meeting in Milton Boys High School in Bulawayo.

M.M: How did you get involved in the work that you are doing now?
Z.D: A friend of mine, Tongai Mahobele, one of the elders at River of Life Christian Church in Westgate, Harare was instrumental in me working where I am now. I am part of the Faithful Stewards programme which is the farming arm of God’s Way Foundation.

M.M: How many sites do you oversee and how often do you monitor and evaluate the site?
Z.D: I oversee 3 sites. One in Nyabira, which is about 30km outside Harare. This is a new site. The other sites are in Bulawayo, one in Mguza which is 10km outside the Bulawayo City centre and the other at Ebenezer, which is an hour’s drive from Bulawayo City Centre.

The team having a time with the local farmers that are trained by Stephen Manhanga

M.M: How best would you describe your assessment of the site at Ebenezer?
Z.D: I’m happy with the progress. These are first time farmers who planted their crops in accordance with the Farming God’s Way standards. Weeding needs to improve and there were some instances of intercropping. However, we have seen the largest cowpeas EVER being grown in this area. Cowpeas are a legume plant in the bean family. The standards at one of the farmers homes is excellent. Overall, we are happy with the work being done and with Xolani and Portia’s relationship with the farmers. Xolani and Portia work at Ebenezer Agricultural Training Centre.

M.M: Great. From your visits to the homesteads within the community and your interviews with the farmers, do you feel that your programme will benefit and enhance the lives of people in the community?
Z.D: If the programme is taken on wholeheartedly by the vulnerable people we visited, it will enhance their lives. Farming God’s Way will ensure higher yields but it means commitment to the process and to work hard.

Thank you so much Zulu. God be with you as you travel back to Harare.

Zulu and team from Harare, Zimbabwe

Interviewed by Molly Manhanga

Motivational Talk # 1

Motivational Talk #1
With Gerald Mangena

The staff at Ebenezer are constantly “giving out” and pouring their lives into the apprentices physically, emotionally and spiritually, the team decided that having internal and external speakers come once a month to motivate, inspire, encourage and challenge them on a personal and work level would be excellent. The sessions are called Motivational Talks. The very first one was done by Gerald Mangena, a staff member at Ebenezer and worship leader at Crossroads Community Church.

Gerald started off by getting the team to do 2 team building activities. The first challenge was for the team to diffuse an “atomic bomb”. The second challenge was called 9 square. Both activities proved to be very interesting with lots of discussion, direction, debate and eventually the team succeeding with both tasks.
The lessons learnt from these activities were that a team requires clear communication, co-operation and skill to succeed.

Thought provoking 9 square challenge.

After lunch, Gerry read the team a short story from Phil Callaway’s book entitled ‘Who put my life on fast forward?’ The short story highlighted the strategy of the enemy to dim and distract Christians in their zeal for God. Some key points that came through were:
§ How to measure or redefine success. It wasn’t about people or faithfulness anymore but about things. Making Christians equate success with stuff like wanting bigger houses and more cars.

1. Conflict
2. Keep people borrowing
3. Husbands and wives working longer hours
4. People becoming complacent and comfortable
5. Create so much noise that Christians can’t hear God’s still, small voice
6. View silence as a fearful thing and so on……
   

The group discussion that followed was brilliant because we looked at how the above points affected the team individually, as a team and in our relationships. Earnest prayer followed the discussion.

What an excellent start with real life application.
We eagerly await Motivational Talk # 2.

By Molly Manhanga

Entrance into 2009

Life at Ebenezer began on a high. It’s hard to think that the festive season has come and gone already and everyone is hard at work.
Rains
The blessing of abundant rain has seen the dam fill to overflowing again this year. The sight is spectacular. We thank God for ‘opening the heavens’ and seeing the vegetation blossom and flourish all around us.

God’s amazing grace – The Ebenezer dam spilling

Apprentices
With everything coming to life and flourishing, so did the weeds in the apprentice fields. Some of the apprentices teamed up with their friends and weeded field by field. What hard work! Although the rains were welcome, the abundance of water has caused water-logging in some fields, some tomatoes that were on the ground started to rot while others were affected by boll worm and red spider mite. Spraying of plots was a constant feature at Ebenezer. Despite these many challenges, harvesting of the better tomatoes was in full swing. The 1st year apprentices are well ahead in terms of field preparation. They are waiting for their first crop of tomato seedlings to arrive. Their enthusiasm and diligence is quite infectious.

Tomatoes being harvested

Buildings
Construction of the buildings at Ebenezer is in full swing. The dining hall is now at roof level and awaiting thatching. Work on the classroom block is underway and the kitchen is almost complete. Mr and Mrs Nyamayaro have moved into their ‘new’ house much to the delight of Mrs Nyams. The ‘finer’ touches are still being done.

Kitchen and Dining hall

Visitors
As part of our superb start, we had a team of 11 young men and women from YWAM come and visit us at Ebenezer. They have spent some time in Beira, Mozambique, stopped briefly in Zimbabwe on route to Madagascar. Some assisted in harvesting tomatoes, others ministered in song and skits at Crossroads Community Church while yet another gave the agile staff and willing apprentices some Tikondo exercises. Bodies were aching the next day.

YWAM ladies grading the tomatoes

CHANGE is in the air at Ebenezer as everyone is geared to hard work.
Prayer Pointers:
o God to be glorified in all we do and say
o Unity of team
o Professionalism versus survival mode.

Written By Molly Manhanga

One on one with Sisasenkosi Dube

Getting to know Sisasenkosi Dube

Q: Tell me about your background?
A: I come from Njelele village. Njelele is about a 6 – 7 hour walk from Ebenezer. I’m 18 years old. I come from a family of 10. I have 4 brothers and 3 sisters. I am number 6 and I live with my parents.
Q: How did you hear about Ebenezer?
A: My brother Mxwayisi told me about Ebenezer. He said it is a good place and people do things with high standards. I filled in forms and attended the Selection Camp. I enjoyed the camp very much especially the games.
Q: What has been your greatest challenge at Ebenezer?
A I haven’t faced any challenges yet since coming to Ebenezer.
Q: What has been your greatest joy at Ebenezer?
A: I enjoy the way we share the word of God, how we communicate with other other and I’m up to date with my field preparations.
Q: Who is your role model?
A: Very good. My role model is my friend Lorencia Mabhena. She is always singing and is happy. It inspires me to be a happy person.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
A: In 5 years time I will still be a godly woman. I’ll be farming in my community.

Thank you Sisa. May you be blessed as you continue to impact your community.

Interviewed by Molly Manhanga

One on one with Faith Ndlovu

Faith Ndlovu

Q: Tell me about your background?
A: My name is Siphephisiwe, better known as Faith by my friends at Ebenezer. I am 23 years old and I live in Mapane – approximately 30km from Ebenezer. I live with my parents, extended family and my daughter, Yolanda who is 6 years old.
Q: How did you hear about Ebenezer?
A: Ebenezer Selection Camp forms were being distributed at Mapane Primary school. I was very interested so I filled the forms in and attended the Selection Camp. I enjoyed it very much particularly the games and being with my peers.
Q: What has been your greatest challenge at Ebenezer?
A: My field! My plants drowned due to water logging in my field. I then cleared another plot but I am still facing problems because the soils are not good and I didn’t put manure in my planting stations. My plants are now dying. I am preparing for my next crop and I’ll make sure that I put manure as my basal fertilizer. I am also making compost.
Q: What has been your greatest joy at Ebenezer?
A: I enjoy being with my peers and learning different things. I really enjoy the spiritual lessons with Stephen Manhanga.
Q: Who is your role model?
A: My aunt. Her lifestyle inspires me. She is a quiet and peaceable person.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
A: I will have a big plot with tomatoes, cabbages and potatoes. I’ll be focusing on my business. As time goes on, I’ll buy myself a car and when I am financially stable, I’ll think about marriage.
Thank you Faith. May you be blessed as you continue to impact your community.

Interviewed by Molly Manhanga