After a long car journey on very bumpy roads we reached Chivu, near Masvingo. Driving down the extremely beaten and bumpy rural roads, we found the track leading down to the Shrine of Arthur Shearly Cripps.
Cripps is regarded as a local saint within the Anglican Church and rightly so! Born in 18something in England, he settled in Zimbabwe, helping the poor, widows and orphans. He walked miles to preach and lead services at local churches, as well as leading basic first aid/medical clinics where he lived. People flocked to hear him speak, pray with him and attend his clinics. He was a remarkable man and a true inspiration to the country's deep Christian faith.
The Orphanage near Harare is named Shearly Cripp's Children Home after him. These are the children we recorded 'Nobody's Child' CD with in January and we managed to sell some CDs at today's festival!
I was the only white man at the festival, out of a congregation size of nearly 1, 000! At the peace during Communion, Phillip told me to look behind me. Standing there were about 50 children with their mouths open, staring at me! They each wanted to shake me hand. Some ran away, the smaller children cried and the older ones giggled. I wasn't entirely sure how to feel. Flattered, famous even... Shearly Cripps was white and he must have had the same experience at some points in his ministry. The children in these rural areas rarely see a white man.
After the hand shaking, I was followed by a small crowd of infants and teenagers, all wanting to listen and watch what I was doing. I took off my robes and ate lunch just to prove I was normal too!
After the service and after lunch, we all sat down for some ''X factor'' style entertainment. Some priests formed a judges panel and choirs from over the Masvingo diocese performed. Half way through, a lizard scuttled through the audience, jumping from person to person, causing screams and a mexican-wave type effect through the crowd! It was so funny, I haven't laughed so much in so long... I laughed so much that when the lizard scuttled by me, I was the only one that didn't move - they all thought I was so brave - huh!
Anyway, a long journey back awaited, so we left at 4pm. I had made some new friends, none of which could speak much English at all, some thought I was made of a different substance, and others it was the first experience of white man! Either way, I had some friends who wanted to sit with me and were beginning to accept 'just me' at face value. I'm glad I was able to achieve something in their lives, without actually doing anything at all.
Tomorrow we look forward to Church again... Monday I move into Tariro House...
Cripps is regarded as a local saint within the Anglican Church and rightly so! Born in 18something in England, he settled in Zimbabwe, helping the poor, widows and orphans. He walked miles to preach and lead services at local churches, as well as leading basic first aid/medical clinics where he lived. People flocked to hear him speak, pray with him and attend his clinics. He was a remarkable man and a true inspiration to the country's deep Christian faith.
The Orphanage near Harare is named Shearly Cripp's Children Home after him. These are the children we recorded 'Nobody's Child' CD with in January and we managed to sell some CDs at today's festival!
I was the only white man at the festival, out of a congregation size of nearly 1, 000! At the peace during Communion, Phillip told me to look behind me. Standing there were about 50 children with their mouths open, staring at me! They each wanted to shake me hand. Some ran away, the smaller children cried and the older ones giggled. I wasn't entirely sure how to feel. Flattered, famous even... Shearly Cripps was white and he must have had the same experience at some points in his ministry. The children in these rural areas rarely see a white man.
After the hand shaking, I was followed by a small crowd of infants and teenagers, all wanting to listen and watch what I was doing. I took off my robes and ate lunch just to prove I was normal too!
After the service and after lunch, we all sat down for some ''X factor'' style entertainment. Some priests formed a judges panel and choirs from over the Masvingo diocese performed. Half way through, a lizard scuttled through the audience, jumping from person to person, causing screams and a mexican-wave type effect through the crowd! It was so funny, I haven't laughed so much in so long... I laughed so much that when the lizard scuttled by me, I was the only one that didn't move - they all thought I was so brave - huh!
Anyway, a long journey back awaited, so we left at 4pm. I had made some new friends, none of which could speak much English at all, some thought I was made of a different substance, and others it was the first experience of white man! Either way, I had some friends who wanted to sit with me and were beginning to accept 'just me' at face value. I'm glad I was able to achieve something in their lives, without actually doing anything at all.
Tomorrow we look forward to Church again... Monday I move into Tariro House...
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