At Hands at Work our volunteers are called by God from all over the world to serve the most vulnerable in Africa. Each of us has a unique story of how we were transformed when we stepped out in faith and were obedient to His call. Audrey Zingwe shares her story and the journey that has led her to fully trust and serve in her local areas in Mozambique.
I was born in Zimbabwe, where I lived with my parents for my first few years. My parents had me at an old age – I was the youngest of nine children. In grade one I moved to Harare and lived with my elder brother, his wife and children. He loved me a lot and brought me up well. He always provided for me and I had a good upbringing. In 2007, I started dating my husband Noel and we eventually got married. In 2010 we moved to Mozambique where I gave birth to our three children. From a young age I attended church and Sunday School, but it was as I grew up that I began to discover what it really meant to be a Christian.
In 2014 I heard about Hands at Work through a friend. In 2015 my husband, who worked in translation, was asked to translate some documents for them. Through that contact, the coordinator at the time of the local Hands at Work team in Chimoio, asked if I’d come for an interview, which I did. I joined the team in September 2015. I began to walk with the coordinator in the field, learning about the communities and getting to know the children. In March 2016 I went to South Africa for a field coordinator gathering, which was when I began to understand Hands at Work more deeply. In 2016 we had a difficult time when our coordinator left. However, now, looking back, I can see that God brought the right people alongside us to support us during that time. At first, we felt that losing her would be the end, but God showed me that it was actually the beginning of something new, and that I could trust Him for our children. After she left, I needed to step into that role, and have been the coordinator of the local Hands at Work team in Chimoio since.
I’ve always had a heart for the vulnerable and I don’t believe in coincidences. I feel that God put the pieces of the puzzle together. He put these burdens in my heart and, at the right time, brought the opportunity for me to be useful in His Kingdom. I’m learning that God doesn’t need qualifications. He is bringing the right people around me to shape and grow me in the ways he wants. A continual struggle that we have as a team is challenging cultures that people have grown up in and are used to. One of my favourite parts about serving with Hands at Work is that I get to be part of transforming people’s lives.
Audrey lives in Chimoio, Mozambique, with her husband, Noel, and their three children. She continues to serve as the coordinator of the local Hands at Work team in Chimoio.
Are YOU being called? Come!