Shanda Delaney Oakley

Forwarding Agent:
Frank & Rosemary Manzenberger

PC Box M-21

1003 Eric Ave.

Mabelreign, Harare

Ooiitic, IN 47451

Zimbabwe, Africa

Phone: (812) 279-5222

Our Address:

IMBABW
Volume 5

Ai-

April 1988

Number 1

Dear Friends,
Mark and I return home in two weeks and I
wanted to send off one more Zimbabwe Zeal be

fore we left. I am so proud of the people here;

their courage, commitment, and trust in our Lord.
When Mom and Dad had to return home in

Our family: Jeff and Robin, Dad and Mom, Mark and
Shanda.

January, many of our members felt heartbroken,

abandoned, and afraid, Yet they have come
through in amazing ways. As Jeff and Robin
stepped into the ministerial position here, the
people accepted them and set out to do all they
could to help. One man, Mr. Gezi. even began
taking over some of the duties I had been doing
without being asked, i think he thought Dad had
been taking care of the matter so he did it before I
had the chance. He also set out to organize an
Easter choir. With Jeff's encouragement, the men
have divided into pairs to take out communion
and visit the sick. One couple, the Carvahlo's,
have taken in Robin and Jeff and really been an
encouragement to them: inviting them over,
praying for them, etc.
I just wish you could have the opportunity to
meet some of these people we have grown to love
so dearly. My feelings are so strong as I think of
leaving them. I look into Paul's epistle to the
Ephesians and find the words to pray there that
my heart could not find, "I bow my knees before
the Father. . .that He would grant them,
according to the riches of His glory, to be

strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in their hearts
through faith; and they being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend.. .and know the
love of Christ. . .and that they may be filled up to all the fulness of God.

From a handful of believers in January of '86, we grew

in numbers and this picture was taken in January of '88.
The Greencroft area of Harare is ripe for harvest right
now. As we are praying for the Lord of the Harvest to
send forth laborers, the Greencroft Church is also

sending two of their young men to the Zimbabwe

Christian College in fvtay '88 for training to be ministers
of the gospel.

These were our Sunday School teachers when we

began the Sunday School program last year. We have
lost a few (mainly Mom and Dad) and gained two since
then. At present we are getting ready to train more
people to help. Please pray that more people will feel
the Lord calling them to minister in this way.

This is Tony and Maria Carvahlo. They are a

Portugese couple who began attending almost
two years ago. Being strong Catholics for many
years, yet never feeling satisfied, they came upon
an

invitation

from

another

member

of

the

Greencroft Church. Soon they realized what they

had been missing was Bible Study and a New
Testament fellowship. They were baptized and
became strong steady members. Tony is the
church treasurer and Maria a Sunday School
teacher. They have taken the Prayer Meeting that
was started in our home into theirs. Being hard
workers, having a faith and trust many would
envy and being faithful in all mattersthey are a
true blessing and backbone for the Greencroft
Tony and Maria

Christian Church.

Andy

Andy preaching

ANDYA CONTINUAL SOURCE OF BLESSING

Just after my article in the last Zimbabwe Zeal, "I thank God for Andy," Andy preached a sermon
during the morning worship service. He took ten minutes of Dad's sermon time and spoke on the
Christian's need for witnessing and did a very good job.
Andy takes his O ieveis this year. These exams are over the iast four years of high school and are very
difficult. If he doesn't do well he has no chance to continue his education. He is an inteiligent kid and
makes very good grades. Please pray for him though as he studies for these exams in November.
Andy has requested prayer several times because he feels Satan is trying to make him think his
scholastic studies should take precedencee over his time with God and God's people. Please pray for
Andy in this matter and continue to pray that God wiil increase his faith, his desire to serve Him and
continue to guide his future. We really feel he will be one of the future leaders of the church in Zimbabwe.

Our seniors youth group

Greetings,

So much has changed since I left two years ago. Jeff and I returned to find the church no longer
meeting in the living of the house but in a big and beautiful building. Instead of 15 adults the attendance is

around 100! Two of the Bible college students are in charge of jr. youth and do an excellent job. There are
even enough Sunday School teachers and more. A lot of hard work has gone into Greencroft Christian
Church in the last two years. The fruits of that work are evident everywhere. Now another change has
come. Mom and Dad have gone back to the States and Jeff and I will take their places as minister and
wife. This is not the work we had expected to be doing, but we have adjusted and are enjoying the work.

We are enjoying getting to know the people. They are such a pleasure to work with, eager to work
themselves. Please keep us in your prayers. Neither of us has much experience in being a minister or a
minister's wife. The church has such potential, pray that God will use all to our maximum. Thank you
for the support you have given to this church in finance and in prayer. Iwish you could share in the joy of
the lives that are living for the Savior, but we will have to wait until we all go to heaven for that. What a

8'"=

In His Service,

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