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Grapes from a Barren Vine

Grapes from a Barren Vine

By Wanda (Smith '76) Kawadza

Editor's Note: From urban Philadelphia to Upland and Taylor University to Zimbabwe, Wanda (Smith '76) Kawadza has seen God transform the greatest challenges into His greatest victories. She and her husband John '77 are Christian humanitarian workers dealing with the political, socioeconomic and health crisis in Zimbabwe.

I was born and reared in Philadelphia, Pa., and was one of my mother's eight children and the third of my father's five children. My family was Christian and deeply religious ever since I can remember. There was the regular attendance of church, the Sunday lunches with Christian friends, and regular training to be good because God is good. I was surrounded by relatives and neighbours whose lives reflected hard work, love, shattered dreams, unwanted pregnancies, addictions and hopelessness. I thank God that he caused me to know Him very early in life.

God gave me a lovely church home in Philadelphia called Calvary Gospel Chapel and a dear father figure who positively impacted my life, Joseph Ginyard. As a young teen attending church one of the elders said to me, "Sister Wanda, I believe you are going to be a missionary in Africa!" Although I did not think very much of it, I was still quite taken aback by his conviction.

As time passed, God opened the door that led me away from my family into a totally new territory of discovery that was the fulfilment of the elder's words. Having asked the Lord what I should do with my life, he answered in His characteristically amazing way. I got a letter offering me a summer school scholarship to attend Taylor University. So in 1972 I was uprooted and planted in Upland, Ind. Like others in a new environment, I had inner turbulence: human fears, disquieting feelings, good and bad expectations, conflicting desires and the capacity for relationships and hurts. But one thing I will always be thankful for is that God provides the constancy we need in our lives and there is no one like Him in faithfulness and consistency. I am the first of my immediate family to have attended and graduated from university.

For John, Zimbabwe is home. We met at Taylor University. Unlike many other guys, John was not a deceiver; he was genuine. From the outset, he told me that he would be going back to Zimbabwe after his education. He was surprised that I had no objection, so our relationship grew into a lifelong marriage commitment. He says that I am America's best gift to him.

Although the country of Zimbabwe is multicultural, the majority of its citizens and residents are black. When I arrived here in 1982, the predominant thinking was that everyone black is either a Shona or Ndebele speaker. Shona is the language of northern Zimbabwe, and Ndebele the language of southern Zimbabwe. Everyone in Harare who met me in public automatically assumed I was a Shona speaker and were dumbfounded when I could not communicate with them. Many thought that I was an uppity Zimbabwean who wanted to show off my use of English. Initially I felt so alone and under scrutiny. I realized that acceptance would take time and that I had to be willing to humbly absorb the culture and the people as well as to impact them positively so that they would know that I was genuine, worth knowing and willing to be part of them.

Zimbabwe's economic crisis, lack of water treatment, cholera, etc., have led to the collapse of all infrastructures. The educational system is in shambles with many schools closed or totally dysfunctional. Because teachers are severely underpaid, many don't give lessons. Students are hopeless, bored and in danger of engaging in seriously detrimental activities because of lack of an appropriate alternative.

Kuumba Foundation Trust is a non-profit organization in Harare that is devoted to positively impacting Zimbabweans with a unique and practical ministry influenced by Christian gospel principles. Our work there focuses on vulnerable youth, adults and families affected by the various life challenging crises they face in Zimbabwe. Our dream is to set up a family ministry centre and youth camp. We have land for this project. But given our political and economic environment, such a project is very challenging. John is doing counselling with young people, couples and families; I am running our home office (handling communications, arranging activities and events, and keeping records). We are working with two U.S.-based organizations and one in Zimbabwe: Thecla International Missionary Society in Lexington, Ky., Barrels of Love in Alabama, and Zimbabwe's International Bible Society.

There have been challenges along the way, but God has used them to draw us closer to Him. During two bouts with cancer and after receiving serious injuries in an automobile accident, I experienced the Lord's grace, salvation and healing. One night I shared with my husband that I felt my life had been turned upside down and wondered what good could possibly come out of what had happened to me. The following morning the Lord, who was present during our conversation but unseen, gave me a dream that I will always appreciate, benefit from and love Him for.

In the dream there was a scorched, dry and brittle grapevine on a trellis in the yard. No one would expect to find any grapes on such a vine, as it was not the season for grapes. But my attention was captivated by an amazing sight. Incredibly, this vine had several big beautiful purple grapes! As I walked closer, I saw even more such grapes. As soon as I tried to call out and say, "Come and see this," I woke up. But when God speaks he gives understanding. So I knew that God was saying to me something like this, "I heard everything you said last evening. But it's not about you! It's about me. If I want, I can put grapes on a barren vine. I am the Lord; nothing is too hard for me!"

Truly God hears, sees, and speaks. He is extremely compassionate and "comforts us in all our sorrows so that we may comfort others with the comfort that we receive from Him (II Cor. 1:4).

Wanda and John Kawadza live in Harare, Zimbabwe. They are the parents of three children and an adoptive daughter, Charlotte Nheta '12, a freshman at Taylor.