A Brand-New House From the Ashes

By: Ittai Innocent Chimwala, Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division Echo, and Adventist Review

As part of Global Youth Day (GYD) in 2020, the North Zimbabwe Conference (NZC) Youth Empowered to Serve (Y.E.S.) team, in conjunction with Mufakose District of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, decided to refurbish a house for a family in need.

Y.E.S. is a group of young Master Guides from the NZC. They came together to pursue their shared interest in community-service evangelism. The house they chose as a project belonged to the Muhonis, a family that lost everything when their home was gutted by fire in June 2013. The household furniture was reduced to ashes in the blaze, which was caused by an electrical fault. The family, who is from another faith, was living in abject poverty and struggling to make ends meet.

Well-wishers had extended a gesture of love when they donated a tent to the family some seven years ago, which since then has been their only roof. Due to being exposed to the sun and rain, the tent became tattered and torn. It barely provided shelter for the family.

When the Y.E.S. team learned about the family’s predicament, they decided to address the Muhonis’ challenges. Church members contributed their resources. The Zimbabwe East Union Conference donated some funds. Building material was acquired, and construction work started on June 29, 2020.

Group leaders said that the Y.E.S. team’s hearts are filled with joy, as the house is now refinished, and the family has a stable roof over their heads. Despite the Y.E.S. group’s limited resources, coordinators emphasized that the goal is now to help address other issues in society.

“Little is much when God is in it,” team leaders said. “As the Y.E.S. team, witnessing the circumstances under which others live has made us count our blessings. We have been inspired to continue doing what we can to make a difference.”

Y.E.S. team leaders urged other Adventist young people not to forget those around them who lack the luxuries of shelter and to genuinely care for the homeless around them.

“We have experienced living a life of plenty at times and also living without adequate resources,” team leaders said. “We believe our theology of service can’t stay just on the right doctrines, right theology, and right teachings. It must move to the right actions.”

The original version of this story was posted by the Southern Africa-Indian Ocean Division Echo.