Story number 4 for 25 Mar 2002

(Zimbabwe)–Next, as Zimbabwe struggles through a political morass, the existing poverty worsens. Bible Pathway Ministries’ Karen Hawkins says the situation has been ongoing for some time. She points out that the humanitarian needs have been both a blessing and a bane to evangelistic outreach. “The Muslims came in and began building mosques, and schools and libraries and setting up food and clothing outreaches, so people began turning to Islam. As people go hungry, they go looking for who will help them. That’s been one of the difficulties.” Hawkins says, while the churches are responding, their work has created another need. “There may be a thousand-member church and only four or five Bibles. Our goal is to get Bibles into the hands of as many people as possible. So, if anyone has old Bibles, or even wants to buy new ones to send to Africa, particularly designated for Zimbabwe, we’d be very much happy to forward them on.”