Brother Andrew of Zimbabwe

I am a member of AECC and received this message through that ministry's news group. It was originally sent from Zimbabwe to a fellow AECC minister.

To me, this prayer request was also a reminder of just how blessed we are in this country. Let us pause at this time of special Easter finery and delicious family feasts to lift up our brothers and sisters in the Lord who are called to serve in situations we can barely imagine.

There is one thing life has taught me and that is to depend upon the Lord, It is with great joy that I inform you that we have planted yet a new branch church in the City of Gweru just about 75 kilometers from Torwood Redcliff, apperently Gweru is the Capital of the Midlands Province, last Sunday we had 10 adults in attendence and this Sunday we are expecting more praise the Lord.

Life in Zimbabwe is not getting any better like I said we have learned to live like the Apostle Paul lived, with lack, with much, with suffering: we all find God in all situations. Pray for us as a nation as we approach our elections in the next 9 days. that we will not have a situation like the one that was in Kenya.

Man of God I wish to inform you also that you need to pray for order in our nation for one the reintroduction of real money, we don't have money here all we have is a bearer cheque which is valueless, if one changes say US Dollars into our currency the money really becomes valueless, one needs 10 million to buy a loaf of bread, 150 million to buy a bag of maize meal and this is our main meal but we can not afford any more, like in my case as I speak we have no maize meal no sugar no cooking oil not even salt in my house, now its been 3 days like that and we have no clue as to when we have a decent meal.

Man of God I wish to make this clear to you, when ever I get any funds through the AECC, back here I have people that I lead I make all efforts to split it among the people at least for them to get a meal say for just a day, we have no one who is standing with us only you brethren. Above all God is good. With the best regards Andrew & Thabeth Mapimhidze

Humbly in His name,
Chaplain Sam Houchins

Before You Go

This was forwarded to me. I believe you will find it is worth your time.

The elderly parking lot attendant wasn't in a good mood! Neither was Sam Bierstock. It was around 1 a.m., and Bierstock, a Delray Beach, Fl., eye doctor, business consultant, corporate speaker and musician, was bone tired after appearing at an event.

He pulled up in his car, and the parking attendant began to speak. "I took two bullets for this country and look what I'm doing," he said bitterly.

At first, Bierstock didn't know what to say to the World War II veteran. But he rolled down his window and told the man, "Really, from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you."

Then the old soldier began to cry.

"That really got to me," Bierstock says.

Cut to today.

Bierstock, 58, and John Melnick, 54, of Pompano Beach - a member of Bierstock's band, Dr. Sam and the Managed Care Band - have written a song inspired by that old soldier in the airport parking lot. The mournful "Before You Go" does more than salute those who fought in WWII. It encourages people to go out of their way to thank the aging warriors before they die.

"If we had lost that particular war, our whole way of life would have been shot," says Bierstock, who plays harmonica. "The WW II soldiers are now dying at the rate of about 2,000 every day. I thought we needed to thank them."

The song is striking a chord. Within four days of Bierstock placing it on the Web, the song and accompanying photo essay have bounced around nine countries, producing tears and heartfelt thanks from veterans, their sons and daughters and grandchildren. "It made me cry," wrote one veteran's son. Another sent an e-mail saying that only after his father consumed several glasses of wine would he discuss " the unspeakable horrors" he and other soldiers had witnessed in places such as Anzio, Iwo Jima, Bataan and Omaha Beach. "I can never thank them enough," the son wrote. "Thank you for thinking about them."

Bierstock and Melnick thought about shipping it off to a professional singer, maybe a Lee Greenwood type, but because time was running out for so many veterans, they decided it was best to release it quickly, for free, on the Web. They've sent the song to Sen. John McCain and others in Washington . Already they have been invited to perform it in Houston for a Veterans Day tribute - this after just a few days on the Web. They hope every veteran in America gets a chance to hear it.

GOD BLESS EVERY Veteran...and THANK you to those of you veterans who may receive this!

Click to hear the song and see the pictures.

In His name,
Chaplain Sam Houchins