We recently received this update from Joe Shoko in Zimbabwe. Joe completed a pastoral internship under Kabwata Baptist Church in Zambia throughout 2018. In March 2019, Kabwata Baptist Church ordained Joe as their missionary pastor to Harare, Zimbabwe.

“We are ever so grateful to God for His mercy toward us as He doesn’t treat us the way we deserve. We were able to witness three baptisms at Berean Reformed Baptist Church. These were the baptisms of Clive Hakaperi, Tapiwa Mushambadope and Samantha Mushambadope.

Tapiwa and Samantha are the couple that I had the privilege of officiating and preaching at their wedding in September. They both got saved in Ningbo, China, two years ago whilst in University. Some missionaries from the United States of America who had a burden for young people did the work of evangelism to them. Samantha got saved first and though it was very gradual, Tapiwa too really saw the heinousness of his sin and a need for a Savior after constant evangelism from Tanaka Sande who is a member of our church – and believed in Jesus Christ.

The Baptism Of Clive Hakaperi
Clive Hakaperi

Clive Hakaperi was raised in a Catholic home but while in China, he began to feel empty and question Catholicism. He then browsed through YouTube and he came across a teaching by Voddie Baucham on the emptiness of Roman Catholicism. He then repented of his unbelief and idolatry and believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. After contacting Tanaka Sande, he came back home to Zimbabwe and started attending our church. From his own testimony of salvation, he narrates, “the Lord saved me from utter darkness, from the hip-hop culture—that explains the way I talk, I used to listen to the most vulgar songs—but now I am saved, I am a new creature in Christ.”

Clive, Samantha, Tapiwa and Jane – who had applied for church membership the month before were all received into membership at BRBC. Currently there is a young lady who is also in the process of applying for membership, and this will take our church to a total of 13 members. For our Sunday services I begun a series on hospitality across the Bible. The reason was simple: one of the ways that the church ensures that it is practicing the Great Commission is through being hospitable to strangers. The series is meant to prepare the church for the coming of visitors for the Reformed Family Conference which we hope to have between the 2nd and 3rd of December. Dr Voddie Baucham will be the preacher.