News from Geoff and Erica Saunders, Zimbabwe - May 2024
Greetings in Jesus name. We trust you are all well. It has been a while since we have updated you all on what has been happening with for a while so let us fill you in on the major events of the last few months.
January
When we had signed contracts for the sale of our house, Geoff resigned from his post as deputy headmaster at Gateway High School. Regrettably, after some weeks the sale fell through. We still have not sold the house but our preparations to leave are progressing. We have been honoured at farewell services and events.
February
In Februay we received the terrible news that our District Overseer, Pastor Laison Dukwara, had died by suicide. Apparently, some personal challenges brought him to take this awful action. As you can imagine this was a great shock for family, friends and the church. Geoff was able to bring some hope and encouragement to those gathered for the funeral and later at his local church. Erica has been meeting with his wife Tsitsi and children to offer counselling and comfort.
Pastor Dukwara was the pastor of our Kuwadzana Church but also the Harare District Chairman and Vice-Chairman of our National Executive. Not only that but in his community he was chairman of the local pastors’ fraternal and chaired the local school parents association (SDA).
He was a man of integrity, an annointed Bible teacher and preacher, with a loving pastor’s heart. He was a good friend to us and to so many in the church and in his community. We and so many others miss him greatly.
His wife Tsitsi ia a primary school teacher as well as a pastor, the Harare District evangelism coordinator and National Chairwoman for Elim Women’s Ministry. She was granted a leave of absence until the end of the first tem by the headmaster and has now returned to teaching her grade three class. Please pray for the comfort and enabling that comes from above as the begin to move on with their lives.
March
Other events planned for February were postponed or cancelled so it was on 9 March that Erica travelled to Musongwe for the Busy Fingers, Nyanga Annual Conference.
Women arrived by bus, car and truck untll there were over three hundred widow and single mothers packed the conference hall. The hall is part of the splendid youth and conference centre that Marcus and Getrude Chibisa are developing as a retirement project. Erica was accompanied by her sister for a full Saturday programme of prayer, fellowship,group counselling and ministry.
Among the men who came to support the Busy Fingers Ministry were the projects trainer Martin Kanengoma, the district coordinator, Peter Magayo and a delegation sent by the local MP
Busy Fingers aims to empower and encourage widows and single mothers and all who attended once again went home with the Busy Fingers motto “Isa Mufaro”( literally put joy) filling their hearts with the joy of the Lord.
Geoff with Paul Makanyanga and Champion
Mukwewa in the early days in Harare
Later in March there began a succession of farewell events for us, The first was a “Big Sunday” at Prospect hosted by the Harare District and attended by Executive members among many others. We remembered founding of the Elim Church in Harare starting in the home of Paul Makanyanga who was joined by Champion Mukwewa as the founding elders of the church.
The second farewell was a lunch in the Gateway High School hall.
Headmaster's farewell (left) and Geoff being presented with his retirement gift, a MacBook Air
The headmaster Tunga ashungu and a former head, Tim Middleton both gave very kind speeches appreciating Geoff’s thirty-three years and twenty years as deputy head at the school. It was an honour to have three of the headmasters I had served under as deputy head at the lunch
April
Pastor Ephraim Satuku with his wife Winnie who is
continuing to lead the growing church in Tanda
A third farewell was shortly after Easter at Tanda, the church that Pastor Satuku planted after he retired (!). We were in the UK when Pastor Satuku died so we missed his funeral. Geoff took this opportunity to appreciate Pastor Satuku’s courage and commitment to Elim throughout his life and especially during the liberation war.
He also recalled that when he asked Pastor Satuku if it would be acceptable for him to marry Erica Chikodo, he replied that it would be good but he did not know if she would agree. (Happily she did!)
May
The most recent was a farewell at Chiwarira Church in Nyanga District. This is the church where Geoff began his pastor ministry at the invitation of Pastor Satuku, the Nyanga District Chairman at that time. It was great to enjoy the service in a the recently constructed church where the congregation now meets after many years using a classroom in Chiwarira Primary School. That building was completed with funds from Elim Northern Ireland through Pastor Cotter.
The Church at Chiwarira and the
crowd gathered inside
Several people, including Dr Pious Munembe and one of Geoff’s first pupils at Emmanuel Secondary School in 1982 spoke of their appreciation for Geoff’s ministry and of Erica’s ministry to widows and single mothers.
Geoff, in his message, remembered some of the outstanding moments during the nine years he was pastor of the Chiwarira Church.
Wading to Church in the rainy season (left) and Pastor Satuku baptising converts in 1984
Pastor Michael Nyabuya interpreted for Geoff and when he recalled a baptismal service when Pastor Satuku had to dig to deepen a river bed so that candidates could be fully immersed, Pastor Nyabuya interjected that four of those baptised that day were present . Geoff was thrilled to move into the crowd to greet each of them personally and when he returned to the podium, Pastor Nyabuya was delighted to tell the congregtion that he and his wife were among those baptised on that day, 11 June 1984. What a blessing!!
Actually, it is not only in dry rural places that it can be difficult to baptise candidates. Once, during a water shortage in Harare we had a baptismal service in a very shallow pool. It almost seems like Geoff is drowning the candidates rather than baptising them!
Meanwhile, Elizabeth has returned to Munich and is settling in well in her new job with a small architectural company. Joseph is making progress with his accoutancy training and Joanna is expecting a baby very soon.
June and Beyond
Our hope is to sell our house to a buyer with external funds and move to the UK. We need the cash from the house to begin the application process for a spousal visa for Erica. We that the sale will go through soon. Then we shall need to find temporary accommodation while we look for a permanent place. Ideally we would like to be within half an hour of Joseph and Joanna’s home in Lee-on-the-Solent.
Bouts of hyper-inflation have left us with a limited pension so Geoff is looking forward to finding a job. While he has loved teaching Mathematics in a Christian context, He hopes to move into a work role outside the classroom, perhaps in a church setting, in which he could use the skills and experience in leadership and administration gained as a church leader and as a deputy headmaster. Erica hopes to continue and develop her online ministry to girls and single mothers both in Zimbabwe and in the Zimbabwean diaspora. She is alos embarking on training for ministry as a hospital chaplain.
Thanksgiving
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Elizabeth has started and is enjoying a new job in Munich.
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Safe travel and blessed farewell gatherings.
Prayer focus and coming events
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Sale of our house for a decent price.
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Preparations and packing for our move.
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Spousal visa for Erica
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Accommodation in UK
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Jobs for Geoff and Erica in UK
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Car
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Joseph and Joanna who are about have their first child.
Thank you all for loving, prayerful support.
Love
Geoff and Erica
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