The church in Africa
I know hardly anyone reads this blog, but could you spread the word about the Church in Zimbabwe?
That country has a terrible government whose economic policies are destroying that beautiful country. And in some areas, the high rate of HIV has resulted in a demoralization of people including a return to witchcraft.
The below letter is from a new congregation formed in association with a local charismatic group. I do not know the letter writer, but one of the cooks from our mission when I worked in Africa, a droll hardworking sister, left her order to join them a few years ago.
On behalf of all the Light of Life Sisters, I would
like to thank you very much for your letter and
advice. We all feel that this is not yet the
appropriate time to make an appeal to the pontiff.
Rest assured that we are not prepared to abandon our
church. We shall remain loyal to our church. As I said
before that there are quite a number of priests who
are affiliated to our group.
Although they are being
harassed and their cars have been withdrawn, they do
use public transport to come and give us mass when
ever they can. This does not happen as frequently as
we would have liked because of distance and transport
problems due to shortage of fuel.
But I tell you, each
mass service leaves us stronger and energised and much
more prepared to weather the storms of establishing
our congregation of LLS.
The general state in the Roman Catholic Church in
Zimbabwe right now leaves a lot to be desired. The
breaking of the sixth commandment among the priests,
nuns and brothers is now regarded as the norm. The
Priests, Deacons and Seminarians and Nuns affiliated
to our group are practicing true celibacy. This is
proving to be a real threat to those who are leading a
promiscuous life
We have a five hundred acre farm some thirty km out of
Kwekwe. On this farm the Light of Life Christian Group
members are building a very big dining hall which can
carry about 2000 people. There are two cottages for
caretakers and two dormitories which are not yet
completed.
When this place was discovered that is when
our persecution started. The parish priest thought
that our goal is to lure members from the Roman
Catholic Church so that we can fill our big building
which they believe is a church. Since no one is
interested in talking to us directly and we were so
popular with the parishioners we became a threat to
the church.
All the priests, deacons and seminarians
who are members of the LLCG do not drink any alcoholic
staff or smoke. They do not encourage any ancestral
worship but teach that with enough faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ there is no problem that cannot be
overcome.
What is also common in our culture is
consulting witchdoctors and false prophets which are
all over. Members of the LLCG are not allowed to do
that. Those who find the going getting tough always
approach us for counselling. And with the Lord?s help
they always arrive a solution without breaking any of
God?s commandments. They are easily identifiable
because of their quality of faith.
Of late most of
them held positions of responsibility such as being
chosen as a parish chairperson, secretary, treasurer
etc. This happened in Kwekwe, Redcliff, Harare and
Triangle. Some of our members have positions at
deanery level. So we are well informed of all the
plots and plans of how some church leaders hope to
destroy us. But believe me the Lord is on our side.
Well, just like any good thing starting, the pioneers
have to be tried and tested. Of late, everything that
can go wrong has done so. Several of the nuns suffered
from different types of ailments when we had no money
to buy medication. Since we are all on medical aid
seeing a doctor was not a problem, but buying the
prescription.
You know what, each time one of the
sisters brought a prescription with a quotation, and
someone would just offer us enough money to cover the
expenses plus fruits for the sick nun.
What I would
consider to be the biggest blow we have suffered is
when our old house was destroyed by the clean up
operation going on in our country.
( Boinkie's note: This was when the government decided to destroy all houses and businesses that the government claimed did not have proper paperwork...about 700 000 people were left homeless and many small businesses destroyed...)
The nine of us were
sharing 6 bedrooms and when the one house was
destroyed, we remained with 3 bedrooms. Most of our
property we had to ask well wishers to keep for us
whilst we did our best to fit into the remaining 3
bedrooms. Our chapel which was in the old house is now
gone so we are using our sitting room as a prayer room
as well.
Plans are underway to build a cottage. And we
all have faith that as soon as the plan is ready, our
Lord will provide us with enough money.
Well I have just completed my Bachelor of Science
Degree in counselling. I am going to graduate on the
7th of October 2005. Nancy, despite all our hardships,
the Lord is so good to us. The bond that is between us
is getting stronger with each storm that we face.
We believe that God?s love for his children during the
period of their severest trails is as strong and
tender as in the days of their sunniest prosperity.
It is appropriate for us to be placed in a furnace of
fire so that our earthliness maybe consumed so that
the image of Christ may be perfectly reflected. The
season of distress and anguish before us will require
a faith that will not faint though severely tried.
Those who are unwilling to deny self, to agonise
before God, to pray long and earnestly for His
blessing will not obtain it.
That country has a terrible government whose economic policies are destroying that beautiful country. And in some areas, the high rate of HIV has resulted in a demoralization of people including a return to witchcraft.
The below letter is from a new congregation formed in association with a local charismatic group. I do not know the letter writer, but one of the cooks from our mission when I worked in Africa, a droll hardworking sister, left her order to join them a few years ago.
On behalf of all the Light of Life Sisters, I would
like to thank you very much for your letter and
advice. We all feel that this is not yet the
appropriate time to make an appeal to the pontiff.
Rest assured that we are not prepared to abandon our
church. We shall remain loyal to our church. As I said
before that there are quite a number of priests who
are affiliated to our group.
Although they are being
harassed and their cars have been withdrawn, they do
use public transport to come and give us mass when
ever they can. This does not happen as frequently as
we would have liked because of distance and transport
problems due to shortage of fuel.
But I tell you, each
mass service leaves us stronger and energised and much
more prepared to weather the storms of establishing
our congregation of LLS.
The general state in the Roman Catholic Church in
Zimbabwe right now leaves a lot to be desired. The
breaking of the sixth commandment among the priests,
nuns and brothers is now regarded as the norm. The
Priests, Deacons and Seminarians and Nuns affiliated
to our group are practicing true celibacy. This is
proving to be a real threat to those who are leading a
promiscuous life
We have a five hundred acre farm some thirty km out of
Kwekwe. On this farm the Light of Life Christian Group
members are building a very big dining hall which can
carry about 2000 people. There are two cottages for
caretakers and two dormitories which are not yet
completed.
When this place was discovered that is when
our persecution started. The parish priest thought
that our goal is to lure members from the Roman
Catholic Church so that we can fill our big building
which they believe is a church. Since no one is
interested in talking to us directly and we were so
popular with the parishioners we became a threat to
the church.
All the priests, deacons and seminarians
who are members of the LLCG do not drink any alcoholic
staff or smoke. They do not encourage any ancestral
worship but teach that with enough faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ there is no problem that cannot be
overcome.
What is also common in our culture is
consulting witchdoctors and false prophets which are
all over. Members of the LLCG are not allowed to do
that. Those who find the going getting tough always
approach us for counselling. And with the Lord?s help
they always arrive a solution without breaking any of
God?s commandments. They are easily identifiable
because of their quality of faith.
Of late most of
them held positions of responsibility such as being
chosen as a parish chairperson, secretary, treasurer
etc. This happened in Kwekwe, Redcliff, Harare and
Triangle. Some of our members have positions at
deanery level. So we are well informed of all the
plots and plans of how some church leaders hope to
destroy us. But believe me the Lord is on our side.
Well, just like any good thing starting, the pioneers
have to be tried and tested. Of late, everything that
can go wrong has done so. Several of the nuns suffered
from different types of ailments when we had no money
to buy medication. Since we are all on medical aid
seeing a doctor was not a problem, but buying the
prescription.
You know what, each time one of the
sisters brought a prescription with a quotation, and
someone would just offer us enough money to cover the
expenses plus fruits for the sick nun.
What I would
consider to be the biggest blow we have suffered is
when our old house was destroyed by the clean up
operation going on in our country.
( Boinkie's note: This was when the government decided to destroy all houses and businesses that the government claimed did not have proper paperwork...about 700 000 people were left homeless and many small businesses destroyed...)
The nine of us were
sharing 6 bedrooms and when the one house was
destroyed, we remained with 3 bedrooms. Most of our
property we had to ask well wishers to keep for us
whilst we did our best to fit into the remaining 3
bedrooms. Our chapel which was in the old house is now
gone so we are using our sitting room as a prayer room
as well.
Plans are underway to build a cottage. And we
all have faith that as soon as the plan is ready, our
Lord will provide us with enough money.
Well I have just completed my Bachelor of Science
Degree in counselling. I am going to graduate on the
7th of October 2005. Nancy, despite all our hardships,
the Lord is so good to us. The bond that is between us
is getting stronger with each storm that we face.
We believe that God?s love for his children during the
period of their severest trails is as strong and
tender as in the days of their sunniest prosperity.
It is appropriate for us to be placed in a furnace of
fire so that our earthliness maybe consumed so that
the image of Christ may be perfectly reflected. The
season of distress and anguish before us will require
a faith that will not faint though severely tried.
Those who are unwilling to deny self, to agonise
before God, to pray long and earnestly for His
blessing will not obtain it.
posted by Nancy Reyes at
9:45 AM
2 Comments:
is the information provided in your blog from a post dated Wednesday 04 October 2006 titled "the church in Africa" about light of life christian group , true.
your cooperation will be greatly appreciated
By
slax12slax, at 10:15 PM
I was asked if this information is true. The answer is: Yes, no and maybe. There are problems but I suspect the report is true but exaggerated, like other reports from the field. And the report is from 2006. About 2008, I stopped hearing from the sisters and stopped sending them money. Their convent was torn down in the "slum clearance" farce when the gov't tore down many houses and shops belonging to those who opposed the gov't. So the group may have disbanded.
By
Nancy Reyes, at 9:30 AM
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