Church Planting, Discipleship, and Community Care in Zimbabwe, Africa
Emmanuel Zihove became a Christian in 1972 at the age of 21 and four years later became the youth pastor at his home church, Mufacose Christian Center. Soon after marrying Betty in 1979, the two of them moved to another suburb of Harare to begin their new life together. Having left the ministry following their marriage, Emmanuel and Betty continued a nightly time of Bible reading and prayer. One evening, a neighbor who had overheard their prayers, came and asked for prayers for their sick child. The child was healed and the Zihoves were able to share the Gospel with their neighbors The couple accepted Christ and began sharing with others about their experience. Soon a new church was forming in the Zihove's living room.
This home church became a seed for a future full of church plants, evangelism, leadership training, community outreach, children's ministry and more.
The political situation in Zimbabwe and surrounding countries also played a part in the direction that Emmanuel and Betty would go. During the War for Independence, some missionaries were evacuated. The Zihoves were granted permission to use the vacated buildings to start churches. One of the new churches, Mufacose Christian Center, would become the center for a variety of ministries and outreaches. When the war ended, people returned to their villages and this became an opportunity for Emmanuel to train others to begin churches in their home areas.
About this same time, a war in Mozambique was creating troubles of its own but the Zihoves seized this opportunity as well and worked with World Vision in their refugee camps and distributed food. When this war ended, the refugees returned home and they too began churches in their home areas with Emmanuel's help.
The Zihove's vision for ministry expanded in several areas including the introduction of Oasis of Grace Bible School in 1997. Betty led an expansion of her own when she started Community Care, a program where she taught women skills so that they could make an income that allowed them to care for their family, send their children to school and buy needed food and supplies. This ministry continues under Betty's leadership. Further ministry expansion saw the children's orphanage begin with Emmanuel's brother, Asmon, taking the lead.
In 1999 the Zihoves met Phil Hudson of New Mission Systems International (NMSI), a Florida-based Christian mission organization. NMSI partnered with Emmanuel and his affiliation with NMSI would open more doors and more expansion. Soon, highly qualified teachers from the United States, Bob and Peggy Kuest (also NMSI affiliates) would come to Zimbabwe to teach leadership development, women's ministries, and children's ministries. Emmanuel is passionate about not just training leaders, but training leaders to be "servant leaders." The Kuests have played an integral part in this vision and passion.
Today, Oasis of Grace Ministries is at another point of expansion. The Zihoves feel God is leading them to minister to their community in new and different ways. To learn more about this expansion and the role that you may play in it, click here.
"...whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14
We have given away most of our responsibilities to focus on one thing
The Lord provided the funds to buy the land now it is paid in full. Currently on the property we have pitched a large tent that can accommodate up to 370 people. This is where we have Sunday church services. We are trusting God and following His leading to build a Church that will accommodate 1200 people seated, Church offices and bible classrooms and bible school office, Orphan care offices, Clinic administration offices and Planter’s office.
We will also build four (4) condominiums (double stories), this will give us 8 houses income generating to support most of the work that we do. It has been in our prayers that will be able to get some income for the ministry within the Country of Zimbabwe. Today we strongly believe this will be the beginning of that what we prayed for. The back born of our ministry for the past 30 years has been to hear what God says and obey, walk in faith following his leading, we can stand here in boldness and testify that our God is faithful, where he leads he will supply, he has supplied all our needs. (Philippians 4:19) “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” This will continue to be, as long as he gives us grace to save him more and more.
This Church plant started in our home, on one Saturday after we prayed and sought the Lord for wisdom how to start a Church in an area like this, where gates are always shut, guard dogs in every house, people not friendly, minding their own businesses. We were new in the area just arriving from the main church were we lived for 25 years, and were people are friendly, doors are always open to welcome who ever comes. Street evangelism was great, you stand at any street corner, sing a song and people will come to listen. It was quite a change for us.
The Lord graciously led us to a plan of how we would reach this neighborhood. We put an offer to give parents with kids time away, while we play with their kids for 8 hours on a Saturday. We invited our former youth group and Sunday school teachers to come and help us. 12 Families brought their kids to our house, and we spent the day like nursing parents.
Oasis of Grace - Musana
Although we live in the city and minister to a city church, our hearts are bound to the villages. The village of Musana is one hour east of Harare. Four years ago a soccer clinic led by a Brazilian believer and sponsored by Oasis of Grace Ministries led to the beginning of worship services there. Begun as a home church, today it is serving the community in many practical ways. They have a building that houses an orphan feeding program and doubles as a meeting room. A pastor’s house, orphan’s house and church building are under construction. A much-needed medical clinic is in the planning stages. When complete, it will be the only one in this particular area. None of this would have been possible without a local governor donating the necessary land to Oasis of Grace Ministries. By His grace, God provided!
