Patience Leads to Promise in Zimbabwe

Suzanne Pearson • Mar 11, 2022

Waiting. Not many of us like it, and yet so often we’re stuck doing it. We wait for a package to arrive. We wait for an open dentist appointment. We wait for COVID restrictions to lift. We wait for an answer to prayer.

Tom and Lois Jackson, TEAM workers in Zimbabwe , have gotten really good at waiting. And after many years, God is rewarding their patience and endurance in amazing ways. But let’s start from the beginning…

“A Lesson in Patience”

Tom came to Africa in 1976 as a second-generation missionary, having grown up there. His parents, Russ and Marge Jackson, were among TEAM’s early pioneers in Zimbabwe. Tom and his wife Lois came to the south African country with a heart to serve in the rural areas, but Zimbabwe’s ongoing war of liberation kept the Jacksons and other global workers in the cities. God blessed the Jacksons’ ministry in these urban areas , but they never forgot the rural community. It wasn’t until just a few years ago that the Jacksons were able to fulfill their life-long calling. In answer to an invitation from the Evangelical Church of Zimbabwe (ECZ), Tom & Lois began to work in the remote Hurungwe District of northwestern Zimbabwe.

“It was only…in 2015 that we were able to engage with the rural communities,” says Tom. “It’s something we’ve always wanted to do and never been able to. And it’s been a real lesson in patience.”

Little did Tom and Lois know that they were about to enter a new season of waiting. In 2017, Mr. Gunduza, an elder of the church in Rengwe, approached them with an invitation to visit Nyamukaiwa, a remote area 15 kilometers away, deep in the mountains. He told them of the community’s longing for a school for their children. For the families of Nyamukaiwa, the only option for education was to make the two-hour walk across rugged terrain to the school at Rengwe – an impossible feat for children under the age of 10. Elder Gunduza reported that the community had the passion and the motivation to establish a school, they just needed supplies and a little extra help and support to make it happen. He also shared their readiness to receive the Gospel.


70,000 Hand-Made Bricks

In April 2019 Tom and Lois were finally able to visit Nyamukaiwa. Together with church leaders they traveled into the mountains and met with members of the community gathered on the hillside. There they learned something amazing – Tom’s parents had been part of TEAM’s outreach in the area in the 1950’s and 1960’s and had helped to build a small school there. Though the school had been destroyed in the 1970’s due to the war, the community members proudly showed the Jacksons the site which they had carefully preserved and guarded for nearly 60 years, waiting and hoping that the school might someday be rebuilt.

Tom and Lois could see the Lord’s hand in this and began at once to work with the community in making plans to build a structure that would serve not only as a school but also as a church where new believers could gather and grow in their faith. At this point, things began to happen very quickly…at least for a while. By May 2019, a temporary thatched-roof shelter known as an “elephant’s back” was constructed to house the church and school until a more permanent structure could be built.

The Jacksons and their church provided support and encouragement, but the people of Nyamukaiwa were anything but passive bystanders. Each family in the community was asked to mold 1,000 clay bricks for the construction of the school. Men, women and children worked together and produced over 70,000 bricks by hand! Pastor Joseph of the Rengwe church explains . “The community is a very passionate community. They are willing to give their sweat for the school to start.”

The brickfield represents the effort of dozens of local families playing their part to provide for the construction of the school.


Trusting God When He “Has Us on ‘Pause’”

By the fall of 2019, progress was abundant in Nyamukaiwa. “Each visit by now had become a celebration,” remembers Tom. “We [met] with the children, with the school and church leaders, and we [gathered] with new believers in small groups.” In January 2020, the school was serving 100 children ages 10 and under, and the community began the process of obtaining government inspections of the facility in order to receive public education funds. (In Zimbabwe, church-run schools are eligible for government funding for teachers’ wages and curriculum.) Everything was on track for a fully established, government-supported Christian school in Nyamukaiwa.

And then came COVID.

Between March 2020 and March 2022, Zimbabwe underwent four different lockdowns and the school remained closed for most of that time. The church continued to meet on and off as allowed by law, and the school leaders did their best to visit the children and their families since the area is too remote for any type of online learning.

The pandemic also delayed the inspections with the government’s Ministry of Education, leading to more lessons in patience for the Jacksons and the Nyamukaiwa people. Thankfully, the school reopened (hopefully for good!) in early February 2022 and the inspection process has resumed.

Despite so many setbacks and delays, the Nyamukaiwa community has remained steadfast. “The people are very resilient. They will find a way to survive. They’re really good at that because they have to do it under unbelievable circumstances, even without COVID” Tom shares. “They’re finding ways to survive the stress of it all.”

In fact, the Nyamukaiwa church often serves as an example of patience to the Jacksons themselves. Tom remarks that whenever God “has us on ‘pause’ the villagers seem to understand that.” “The believers who have come to know Christ are carrying on and doing well.”



A Promising Future for Nyumukaiwa

The trajectory ahead for the church and school in Nyukaiwa is a promising one. One of three government inspections has been carried out and the effects of the COVID pandemic appear to be largely fading into history. There are plans to expand the school building and create housing for teachers. The church is thriving as well. Twenty-six adults recently gave public testimony as they entered the waters of baptism in a nearby river. The Jacksons are also excited about a number of community development projects in the works including nutrition education, clean water initiatives and farming efficiency programs.

Lois is excited to think of what the future may hold for the children of Nyamukaiwa. “I often think, ‘Lord, why these remote people? What are you doing here?’” She believes God has special things in mind for these children.

Pastor Wonder of the Kapfunde church is thankful for the leadership skills that the children are learning, as well as their exposure to God’s Word through the church and school. He adds, “the [Nyamukaiwa] area will become a good example for other areas.”

In Nyamukaiwa, the teachers often lead the children in a song that asks, “Who has done these things?”

And the children sing in response, “NdiMwari wakanaka!” – “It is our good God!”


By Suzanne Pearson 08 Mar, 2024
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By Suzanne Pearson 23 Feb, 2024
Justin Burkholder, pictured here with his wife Jenny and their daughters Isabella, Olivia, and Zoey, has recently been named as TEAM’s next International Director. On February 19, 2024, with much excitement and gratitude to the Lord, TEAM announced that Justin Burkholder will become our organization’s new International Director, effective July 1, 2024. Justin, who is currently TEAM’s Executive Director of Global Ministry, will assume his new role upon the retirement of the current International Director, Dave Hall. ( Read the full press release here. ) We sat down recently with Justin to learn a little more about his background, his family, and the journey that has led him to TEAM. Q: Tell us a little bit about your “origin story” - Where did you grow up? What was your family like? A: I grew up in Mexico City as a missionary kid. My parents were focused on church planting. We were very close as a family. Both of my parents are still alive, and my dad serves as a pastor in southern Florida. I have one brother who is a pastor in Wisconsin, and the most special individual in my family is my sister, Amber. She was born with a very severe case of cerebral palsy and is entirely dependent on my mother...who is extraordinary! The three most impactful forces that have shaped who I am (outside of God’s grace) are growing up in Mexico, having parents who loved and planted churches, and sharing life with someone with a severe disability. My parents belonged at the time to a church and denomination that came with quite a bit of legalism and performance-oriented Christianity. Grace was a challenging concept to grasp. While I had an awareness of my sin and need for redemption, it wasn’t until I attended Moody Bible Institute that I began to grasp the fullness of God’s grace and His delight in His children. I have continued learning and trusting in the Gospel through formal education, like completing my M.Div., and through spiritual practices in community. Learning the Gospel and believing the Gospel has been a daily exercise. The Gospel is as beautiful and multi-faceted as a diamond! At an individual level, it is simple enough for us to live convinced that “Jesus loves me, this I know.” At a corporate level, it becomes the foundation that forms and informs our life as a spiritual family. At a cosmic level, it is redemption that reaches as far as the curse is found. It is hard to even grasp the multiplicity of goodness found in the Good News. Q: Share a little bit about your family life now. What does a typical day look like in the Burkholder household? A: My wife Jenny is my high-school sweetheart! She brings joy and kindness wherever she goes. She’s the best listener I’ve ever met, and we love spending time together. We have three daughters. Isabella is ten, Olivia is seven, and Zoey is four. Each of the girls is unique and has taught us a lot in our process of following Jesus together. We like to go out on walks and go to the park together. Once a month I try to get some alone time with each of my daughters which usually includes bowling or trampolines. A typical day in the Burkholder house starts around 5:00am. Because of traffic here in Guatemala City, we have to leave early for school. After school, the girls come home to different activities - sometimes swimming class, sometimes piano lessons. Four or five nights a week we have dinner together where we usually talk about our high and low moments of the day. On weekends, we enjoy time together, playing outside, or watching sports together. Go Cubs and Go Buckeyes! Q: What are your interests and hobbies? If you have the day off, what are you likely to be up to? A: I enjoy physical activity, running, strength-training and following sports. I also love music and, truth be told, am a bit snobby about my taste in music! I also am a very curious person and love reading just about anything that passes through my hands. A day off is usually an opportunity for time with family. Jenny and I like to cook something interesting together on our days off. Often there is time for some reading and watching some type of athletic event. Q: How did God lead you to TEAM? A: My wife and I were working in the Chicago suburbs. I was a youth pastor and she was a Spanish teacher. When we got married, we had already sensed God’s direction to serve cross-culturally, but it was a matter of discerning when and where. There was a driving desire in me to see a church deeply love the Scriptures and at the same time, be deeply engaged in loving and serving their city and the most vulnerable among them. As God directed our paths, we visited a variety of places and made some friends in Guatemala who opened up the path for us to serve here. While we were exploring, we knew that the International Director of an organization called TEAM happened to go to our church, so I decided I should probably invite him out for breakfast - his name was Charlie Davis. Charlie was extremely thoughtful, passionate about disciple-making, and very gracious in creating space for us as we stepped into this endeavor. Charlie connected me with Steve Dresselhaus, a fellow TEAM global worker who was at that time serving as the Senior Director for the Americas. I cannot express the debt that I owe Steve. He walked closely with me in the transition, encouraged courageous thinking about the church and her role in society, and blasted open the doors for us to serve in Guatemala. After meeting Steve, we spent some days praying about joining TEAM. One thing I will never forget – one night during the process, I found myself wide awake in the middle of the night. A peace like I have seldom experienced passed over me confirming that we should join TEAM. There is no doubt in my mind that God tied all of these pieces together to bring us into the TEAM family and community. Q: What roles have you held in TEAM? What have been the milestones in those roles? A: The most important role I have held in TEAM is that of a global worker. God in His grace has allowed us to help plant two churches here in Guatemala, serve in leadership development, counseling, and discipleship. Our greatest joy has been found walking with those who are learning to follow Christ more deeply. I served as the Ministry Area Leader in Guatemala from 2016 to 2019. We helped to establish and lead this ministry area as it grew from just four global workers to over 15. I then served as Senior Director for Mexico and Central America from 2019 to 2021, Regional Executive Director for the Americas in 2021 and 2022, and then transitioned to the role of Executive Director of Global Ministry which I’ll continue in until the end of June. Q: What do you love most about being a part of TEAM? Why TEAM rather than other organizations or job opportunities? A: The TEAM community is full of people who have faithfully served God’s mission and have given up a lot to do so. It is a privilege to know many of our global workers and be counted among them. I am also fascinated by the fact that TEAM has existed now for more than 130 years! There is something to be said about the resilience and faithfulness of an organization that has continued to impact the world for so long. The rest of our conversation with Justin will be coming soon on blog! We’ll hear more about how God called Justin to the role of International Director, and what Justin sees for the next chapter in TEAM’s work in the global Church.
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