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Children See God's Hand in Full Plates of Food

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe — Susan Sibanda's greatest joy when coordinating the children's activities at Africa 2003, the Mennonite World Conference Assembly Gathered, was the generosity of people who donated massive amounts of "biscuits," (cookies) for snacks.

What may have been one of the greatest joys for the children — who sometimes go hungry at home — was that there were any cookies at all.

More than 700 children and youth, ages 3 through 15, participated in the activities, held at Zimbabwe's International Trade Fairgrounds. They got worship and Bible study time, jumping castles (like trampolines), pony rides, games and field trips to a game park and a museum.

They also got two square meals a day. This feeding of the 700 amazed Sibanda, of Bulawayo, and the Zimbabwean children, whose country suffers from food and fuel shortages.

"My greatest joy was all the donations that came from locals and internationals, including toys, crayons and the huge box of biscuits," said Sibanda, who had about 50 volunteer helpers from Zimbabwe and other countries. "We served them tea, lunch and supper and the kids were getting platefuls of food — sadza (boiled maize), meat, rice, chicken and salads.

"It's amazing to have all this abundance. Not even the kids here thought that this event would work. This is all strange for Zimbabwe, the platefuls of food and buses taking them back and forth. They are used to food shortages and not seeing buses run."

But not even shortages of food and fuel held back God's generosity, she said.

"This event, with it's theme of 'sharing gifts in suffering and in joy,' taught me that people cared enough to come and be with us in our suffering," Sibanda said. "It has shown me, and the children, that God is great, that nothimg is too hard for him."

While nothing was too hard, feeding and supervising so many children from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. was lots of work for Sibanda, a teacher in special and physical education and director of a preschool for about 165 children, and the many volunteers.

The children's cooperative spirits most impressed Mary Hurst, a mission worker in Australia, who said that many times she saw older children playing with the younger ones and Zimbabwean children and the few international children mixing well.

"In one case, a 7-year-old Zimbabwean girl took a 5-year-old girl, whose parents work with Mennonite Central Committee in Angola, under her wing," Hurst said. "The smaller girl tended to wander away a lot, and the older girl took her to ride the ponies, and helped her get back in line."

"At another time, I saw two little girls, one African and one white, walking arm in arm. There they were, no walls between them, enjoying each other's company."

The children's attitudes and spiritual enthusiasm also impressed volunteer Theodore Lehman, a student who attended the assembly with an Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia (USA) cross-cultural program. He's been a camp counselor and found some differences in children from Zimbabwe and North America.

"Sometimes American children complain about the food, but the Zimbabwean children seem very thankful and eat what they're given," said Lehman. "They are very patient."

"I'm really enjoying these children," he said. "Their singing is so enthusiastic, and they're so well behaved and hospitable. Even though we've been together for a couple of days already, they still treat me as a special guest."

Mennonite World Conference release by Laurie L. Oswald, news service director for Mennonite Church USA.