MERRY CHRISTMAS!  What a wonderful season it is, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus! 

Oh how special Christmas is for a child!  We all recall warm memories of Christmas seasons from our youth.  But what was Christmas like for a young boy in rural Zimbabwe?

Jasper Zvikonyaukwa, Operation Manager for ROCK of Africa Mission was born in 1974 in rural Zimbabwe.   His family lived much like families have in this region for the last 1000 years.  Jasper's house was mud and straw and had no electricity or running water.  Water was carried by hand from a stream and his family lived off the crops they could grow, cooking over an open fire.

Jasper was a young adult before he saw or did many of the things we take for granted.  He was out of high school before he stepped onto a bus; saw a television; or took a bath in a bathtub.   As a young boy, bathing was always done in a river, which seems shocking when you remember how many crocodiles there are in the rivers of Zimbabwe.

But what was Christmas like in the Zvikonyaukwa home?  Jasper shared some memories of what a 'Zvikonyaukwa Christmas' was like for a boy growing up in rural Zimbabwe.  It was truly the most special day of the year!  

Like people the world over, we celebrated Christmas and birth of our Messiah, Jesus, the Lord and King of the Universe, but for rural Zimbabweans the day was VERY SPECIAL!  Christmas Day was the most special day of the year, and on this day we would eat the most special MEAL of the whole YEAR!

Christmas was the only day of the year we could eat RICE!  Rice is expensive here, and is eaten only on the most special occasions. This was a 'once in a blue moon meal' and made Christmas a day every child looked forward to -- for that chicken and rice dinner!  Every young child in rural Zimbabwe loves a chicken and rice dinner on Christmas Day. 

One difference about Christmas in rural Zimbabwe is that Santa Claus did not make it to our village.  I suppose the tiny villages in Zimbabwe were not on his map :-).   There were some VERY special Christmas days when 'God would smile on us' and we might receive a present!  Usually a shirt or some new clothes. Presents will mostly come from relatives or friends working in towns and cities.  If anyone would receive a pair of shoes that was a wonderful surprise.  Any child who received a Christmas gift would like to show off to their friends, most of whom had not received anything.  Receiving a Christmas present made you feel like the most special child ever!

When I was a young boy I would always try to overload myself with those 'strange food stuffs' that would appear at Christmas time -- like cookies or sweets.  Things that only came once in twelve months. 

However, the most special thing about Christmas day was we would ALWAYS go to church and celebrate!  Christmas was a day for JOY and dancing!   It gave a reason for hope and love -- and we could temporarily forget our problems and struggles.  It was the one day EVERYONE felt special because the Creator of the Universe showed us ALL His love -- even a little boy in a tiny village in Zimbabwe!  What a special day Christmas was -- and still is -- in Zimbabwe!

From Africa, I hope this day is very special to YOU as well.  Thank you for sharing my wonderful Christmas memories!  Merry Christmas and thank you for caring about Africa and ROCK of Africa Mission.  We are still facing difficult times here, and your help makes all the difference. God Bless you!

-Jasper Zvikonyaukwa (pronounced Zvee-con-ya-OO-kwa)
BTW, Zvikonyaukwa means 'man of the bush'

If you wish, please consider a gift to help us make THIS Christmas the best Christmas season EVER!

Thank you -- and have a very Merry Christmas!

 With gratitude,
 
 V. Glen Megill
 President, ROCK of Africa Mission