Meet Lesley Absolom

Mark and Lesley Absolom

It was just great having Lesley Absolom serve at Ebenezer and Crossroads in Kezi, Zimbabwe. Lesley is married to Mark and they have been married for 25 years. Lesley attends Gateway Church, Poole. Mark and Lesley have a beautiful family.

M.M: Is this your first time to Zimbabwe?

L.A: Yes!

M.M: What are your impressions?

L.A: Beautiful country with beautiful people. Very friendly.

M.M: How best would you describe your time at Ebenezer?

L.A: I had a great time with the students – the girls; learning about their lives and goals. I had fun sharing the gospel. They asked alot of questions about my relationship with Mark. It was a good time.

M.M: You obviously have been a huge blessing to the girls. Did you learn anything from them?

L.A: Yes. They are so hard working, have such faith especially a young lady called Simanga, they are so willing to serve. Their initiative in overcoming difficulty really impacted me. The apprentices have strength and dignity and they laugh alot.

Lesley Absolom

M.M: Excellent! How was your time at Crossroads?

L.A: AMAZING!

M.M: What impacted you the most?

L.A: The way the community work together – both men and women. It was quite emotional seeing people in such need and yet they have such dignity. The worship at Crossroads impacted me. There are no musical instruments as we know and yet people sing. I loved the schools outreach and listening to the children sing. The problem solving initiative i.e. a death and funeral arrangements – even though it was difficult, the people took it on. I felt privileged to be allowed into something private.

M.M: Did you eat any traditional Zimbabwean food?

L.A: Yes. I ate sadza, kapenta (small fish), vegetables, beans, tomato sauce, and fried chicken. Seeing the cow hoof in my plate was a challenge.

M.M: Did you manage to read any books while you were here?

L.A: Yes. I read “When helping hurts” by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. It is a challenging book and it had me in tears. It’s a real tool for churches, especially for those who go out and serve in other nations.

M.M: What is your favourite quote?

L.A: There are 3 kinds of people: those that make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who wondered what happened.

M.M: Nice one. Thanks so much Lesley. It was wonderful spending some time with you. I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay in Zimbabwe.

By Molly Manhanga