“I’m an early morning traveling man”, I say to the frowning look of a Zimbabwean police official after  – I stopped counting – police blockade. We are usually on the road by 04:00 AM – fresh air, rising sun ….. feeling good until an early roadblock and flashing lights brings the early day to a standstill.  I had a moment of hesitation as I wondered how I would answer the non-smiling officer.  I could pick any of the following –

• I am on my way to Mozambique to train pastors on how to plant a church in 3 days – no blocks or bricks or expensive roofing;
• I am training pastors who knows nothing about ‘church’;
• We are transforming mosque’s;
• We are building a firewall ….. in difficult areas;
• We are on a MISSION.

The police official was content with my answer that I actually just build bridges in communities.  The back of my Nissan (now re-baptized as officially “Biebab”) was filled with Bibles and training materials but he seemed to not notice the precious cargo.  As we have done for the last 18 years we continue east to Mozambique through some unique landscape …..

Huge Baobab trees in the southern Matabelaland of Zimbabwe.

IF you have traveled to the east in Zimbabwe you will find the Birchendough Bridge …. and crossing it would have probably cost you and arm and a leg together with toll fees, road tax, carbon tax, car insurance tax … and yes bridge tax!

Scenes like these will greet you all over Zimbabwe … another busy normal day at an African household. You will find it scattered along the roadside as you stop to stretch your legs.

And yes …. trying to get to the border will acquire patience.

It’s all worth it when we drop Bibles – in this case Shona and Portuguese – in a village in Mozambique.

Our first stop is at a local village where some church planters are waiting anxiously for an early Christmas gift.  After visiting Cape Town and raising funds for various groups where very little or no Bibles are available.

Training material being loaded for church planters in central Mozambique.