Thanks for praying!

Thanks for praying for me during my recent trip. I made it in and out of the country safe and sound. I didn’t even have problems while I was roaming around. While I was in Zimbabwe, there were three journalists arrested, beaten and jailed. I thank God that I wasn’t one of them!

While Zimbabwe allows Christians and missionaries in the country, the government does not like journalists. Journalists have to sneak in and out to write stories about the oppression going on in this country.

The purpose of going to Zimbabwe was to write some stories on how God is at work in this down-trodden country. At one time, Zimbabwe was the “jewel of Africa.” It was the most advanced country in Sub-Saharan Africa. Now, instead of feeding most of southern Africa, the country depends on foreign aid. A recent report lists Zimbabwe’s inflation at 4,000 percent this year. Here’s an easy way to put this in perspective: Let’s say a loaf of bread costs 50 cents. With inflation rates of 4,000 percent that means the loaf of bread now costs $2,000.

This picture is of money I exchanged on the black market (where everyone exchanges money, even government officials). At the beginning of the week, it was worth $50. By the time I left it, that same pile of money was only worth $20.

You are only allowed to take $1.5 million out of the bank each day. That means people live on less than $15 US dollars a day. Can you imagine a family of six (average size of a Zimbabwean family) living on less than $15 a day?

The poverty line for an average family of six is reported to be around $5.5 million a month. This is an impossible salary for most people, even teachers and policemen do not make this much money a month. Because of this, the country is suffering greatly.

Pray for Zimbabwe!