We all have them at some stage in our lives — situations that have the potential to test our faith. Many years ago when I was in elementary school, my parents and four siblings set out on our usual trip to the village to visit with …( read more )

The huge baobab tree still stands strong beside the road to my grandmother's village. It has been an amazing landmark all these years. There are no road signs, traffic lights, or street names on the way to my village back in Africa. …( read more )

Children in Zimbabwe are no different from their counterparts around the world when it comes to Christmas. They are full of anticipation and hope.

As children from the city, we spent most of our Christmas holidays in our ancestral …( read more )

As a child, I got myself into all kinds of mischief, and each time my parents disciplined me, they also gave me a second chance to learn from my mistakes. I do not think that they kept a record of … (read more)

The Canadian Oxford Dictionary defines the word "meek" as humble and submissive or piously gentle in nature. Meekness can mean different things to different people. I like to think of meekness as strength under control, because not everyone who is … (read more)

The wife of my eldest "cousin brother" recently passed away a few weeks after a severe stroke. The whole family was devastated by this loss and felt like lost sheep. We had referred to her as the comforter, advocate, and … (read more)

When I was young, we visited the village often with my parents, siblings, and other members of the extended family. Every village would have a round kitchen or mud hut with a grass thatched roof. The village kitchen was the … (read more)

On a work-related trip to the Caribbean, I opted, with five others, to visit a local maximum security male prison. I had always wanted to do this as long as I could remember, because I have considerable respect for prison … (read more)

When our children were young, a visit to their grandparents was both an adventure and a treat. Grandparents, in their wisdom, play a moral, social, and spiritual role in Africa and elsewhere around the globe. With the HIV and AIDS … (read more)

A close friend of mine attended a house church in Zimbabwe in the late 1990s that catered mostly to white expatriates. He recounted how these grew to be more than places of worship — they were also a means of … (read more)

My family moves this month to our new home. We are excited about this change in our lives. One of the benefits of our move is that we will conduct a proper spring cleaning. My teenage son gently reminded me … (read more)

Jesus had just broken the news about His imminent death to His disciples, whom He considered as friends, and yet all that James and John could think of was to look and feel important in His glory. The coolness in … (read more)

At the end of my dad's funeral service nine years ago, my mom gave me his personal Shona language hymn and prayer book. It is neatly bound in leather, and contains some bookmarks with his handwriting and underlining of his … (read more)