Mennonite World Conference
Assembly 14: Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

"Twila's Tea Party," right, was a highlight of women's events at the July 2003 Mennonite World Conference assembly in Zimbabwe.  Read about it below in Rhoda Keener's travel journal on this page.  

There's much more about Assembly 14 at the MWC website. Below, click on each photo to see a larger version. 

	The time at conference was rich beyond my expectations.  I was particularly moved by the welcome of the Zimbabwe people for the international guests.  Over and over we heard, “Thank you for coming.”   Several times during the week I visited the outdoor “kitchen”: 59 large black iron pots heated by wood which cooked food for 7,000 people two times daily.  Women and men stirred the pots of maize-meal, rice, beef or chicken stew, or beans.  I took my turn once and quickly realized my lack of strength compared to the African woman who laughingly assisted me.
	Dishes were washed by hand, also outdoors; midway during the week an invitation for help with dishes was given to all.  Western District MW vice-president Lois Loflin  and I dried dishes together with our African sisters on Saturday morning.
	A “chance” meeting (really a gift from God) at Victoria Falls with Pat McFarlane (right), Goshen College Associate Professor of Communication, prior to the Mennonite World Conference assembly resulted in collaboration between a Lilly grant project and Mennonite Women USA. My goal was to collect wisdom and prayers from women around the world. Pat, who has been collecting stories of North American Mennonite women of color, was working with a camera crew and translator, Sylvia Shirk Charles, to gather stories of women worldwide. (At left: Hellen Bradburn.)
	Several of the women Pat planned to interview were directly connected to MW USA either through our International Women’s Fund or a Sister-Link relationship.  She generously offered to allow me to join the project and we worked together throughout the week.  Women’s stories from Congo, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya, India, Colombia, and other countries will be available in about a year.  (Pictured: Ed Cundiff, Pat McFarlane, John Blount, Sylvia Shirk Charles, Alix Lozano, Rhoda Keener.)
	The first woman interviewed was Alix Lozano of Colombia, a former International Women’s Fund recipient.
	A highlight of the week was meeting Rebecca Osiro of Kenya (two year recipient of our International Women’s Fund). For three days I had looked at name tags hoping to see her name.  On Wednesday I went to the African women theologians workshop that Rebecca was co-leading and afterwards found my way to the front.  Before I could introduce myself, Rebecca read my name tag and we embraced.  After two years of e-mails, we met face to face. It was my privilege to represent each of you and the financial gifts of Mennonite Women USA. Words are inadequate to express this experience.  I’ll write more in the November-December Timbrel.  (Rebecca was also interviewed by Pat McFarlane.)
	A new Sister-Link was organized at the assembly. Last January I had received a Sister-Link request from Hellen Bradburn, Tanzanian MCC worker (also interviewed by Pat) via Edith Shenk, a former Virginia Conference MW president now working with MCC in East Africa.  Dorothy Kreider, a member of Weavers Mennonite Church (which is Edith’s home church) found several other women to begin a relationship with a group of Tanzanian women.  (Seated left to right in back: Edith Shenk, Rhoda Keener, MCC worker Barb Stutzman. Front: Hellen Bradburn and Lucy Keregero, Musoma, Tanzania.)
	Four Indian women attended the MWC assembly through a Sister-Link with women in the U.S., headed by Dorothy Yoder Nyce of Goshen, Ind. They met with some of the U.S. women during a tea party hosted by Twila Miller, MCC worker in India.  Read about it in the Mennonite Church USA news service article by Laurie Oswald. (Pictured from left: Meera Netam, Hanna Soren, Esther Kunjam, Cynthia Peacock, and Margaret Devadason.)
	At the Mennonite Women USA table in the Global Village, Bible study guides brought from the storage shelves in Newton, and photocopied devotionals from this year’s study of banquets in the Bible, were quickly given away.  Rickey Schrag, MW USA board member (Great Lakes representative, pictured second from left) came by the table at just the right moment.  Together we gave the studies to women.
	People of many countries looking at Bible study guides.
	Other friends we met in Bulawayo: Sithokozile Newbe of Zimbabwe at the MW USA table. (Many people  expressed appreciation for the beautiful colors in our new MW USA banner (first used at Atlanta 2003) designed by Rebecca Sommers, Sarasota, Fla., and appliquéd by Elaine Good, Lititz, Pa.)
	MWC president-elect Nancy Heisey on Sunday morning
	Doris Dube of Zimbabwe was one of the organizing women of the conference. She wrote the booklet "Silent Laborers" published in 1993 about women's work in the church.  Doris was interviewed by Pat McFarlane also.
	During breakfast at the hotel one morning, Bob and I joined Leah Makoyo and her husband, Dr. P.Z.R. Makoyo of Shirati, Tanzania.  Leah told the story of how AIDS has devastated their community.  Two of her relatives died of AIDS leaving behind 15 orphans.  She began to care for these children.  Today a group of 10 women have joined to care for 175 orphans.  Dr. Makoyo shared the ongoing dilemma of the hospital in giving treatment for sick children who have no funds to pay.
	Another very special Sister-Link received the gift of becoming “real people” for our travel group.  Following an overnight bus trip from Bulawayo to Johannesburg, South Africa, MCC AIDS coordinator Sarah Adams took Flo Harnish (pictured here), Elaine and Leon Good, Ron and Gudrun Mathies, and Bob and me to tour Emthonjeni: a facility being developed to benefit AIDS victims.
	Our tour group with Emthonjeni staff.
	Emthonjeni—“Fountains of Life”— works with the whole person, providing social activities, a library, food, support groups, spiritual nurture, and transportation to medical care as is possible.  Atlantic Coast MW, under the leadership of president Flo Harnish, has now raised close to $24,000 for this interdenominational effort which MCC is helping to fund.
	Accompanied by an Emthonjeni careworker, we visited two women who were HIV-positive living in the tin shanty village next to the AIDS facility.  Careworkers regularly check on the health and needs of the people living in this little community.
	Carolyn and Carl Swarr Stauffer, MCC workers in Johannesburg
	A few extra fun photos: Japanese flower arrangement in Zimbabwe
	"My darling"—without a doubt!
	Zebra at a game park near Bulawayo
	My favorite monkey
	Sunset on the Zambezi River