Mission

The Trust supports the work of Christian ministry in the UK and Africa and particularly New Growth Ministries (Zimbabwe) and Keegan House the home for orphaned boys at Chinoyi. The work was led for many years by Mr Rob Mackenzie MBE. and Mrs. Hilary Mackenzie MBE.

The Trust board is now Mark Mackenzie, Ben Kasimukire, Noeleen Venter, Willard Dauti  and Dr Nura Isala. Ben and Nura both lived at Keegan House when they were growing up.

UK Trustees : Mr J Marshall(Chair), Dr Sarah Marshall, Mr L Marucchi-Chierro, Mr Callum Whitehall, Mrs Caroline Winterburn

New Growth News Happy New Year! We do hope that you were able to enjoy a blessed Christmas and that 2023 will be a year that you draw even closer to the Lord. Thank you for all your support for New Growth Ministries in 2022. We look forward to sharing the journey of what God is doing in Zimbabwe with you in this coming year and pray that you would be encouraged. At Keegan House We currently have 22 boys with a variety of needs and very troubled histories in our care. As Mark recently said to the other trustees “When you read their files, you just want to weep”. We thank God that we are able to offer them a place where they can be happy and safe and have hope for the future. The boys at Keegan House had a wonderful time celebrating Christmas with party food, gifts and even a dancing competition which they joined in with enthusiasm, showing Bertha (their house mother) and Agnice (one of the carers) their moves!

God’s provision

We continue to be astounded by God’s goodness and faithfulness, and how He has answered prayers and provided for the children at Keegan House. You will remember that we asked you to pray for the financial situation of the ministry, which is often precarious in these trying times. In November we learned that NGM was to receive a legacy from a member of the congregation at one of our supporting churches. We were down to our last £1000 in the bank account, knowing that each month about £3500 is needed to support the ministry. So imagine our joy when we heard NGM had been left a significant sum. We are incredibly grateful to God for this gift and His amazing timing. This legacy will enable us to carry out a number of vital projects such as connecting the new borehole to Keegan House to improve the water supply. It also means we can provide for Moses in his retirement. Moses has been the foreman at New Growth Ministries since 1994. He has been invaluable to the work of the ministry, willing to tackle every challenge and encouraging the staff with gentleness, wisdom and strength. We would like to honour his faithful service to the Lord and to NGM. Tobey Hill has been Moses’ only home for 29 years. We are thus providing a grant to build Moses a small home on the farm for himself and his family on his retirement. The majority of the legacy will help meet the deficit in our running costs for a number of months: a lifeline in these difficult financial times. We have been praying for activities for the boys that don’t involve screens or an internet connection (which is very poor at Tobey Hill). We don’t usually accept donations of equipment. However, in September we were offered two nearly new guitars by a neighbour of some of the trustees in Sussex. We prayed that we would be able to get them to Keegan House safely and without cost and that God would provide someone to teach the boys how to play them.

Hilary took both instruments to son James who was taking a group of friends out to Zimbabwe for a holiday. It transpired that one of them had only a single bag, so our guitars were wrapped up as his second piece of luggage and arrived safely and for free at the Children’s home! The son of Rob and Hilary’s pastor in Chinhoyi, Lovemore Ngulube, has a degree in music from Zimbabwe College of Music and has been giving the boys lessons in guitar, which they are loving. God is so generous in answering our prayers.

Get involved!

There are lots of ways that you can support New Growth Ministries, and God’s life changing work in Zimbabwe. Do save the date in your diaries for the next supporters’ prayer meeting. This will be held on Zoom on Tuesday 21st February at 7pm UK time, 9pm South African time. We will send out a Zoom link nearer the time. Mark and Ben will be giving updates from the ministry and it will be an opportunity to pray for the needs of the boys at Keegan House. Small Group Support Does your church have house/bible/small groups? One Small Group at Bishop Hannington Church, Hove has adopted New Growth Ministries as their Mission Partner. The group gets regular updates on prayer points and hopefully Mark or Ben will be able to join them occasionally by the wonders of Zoom! Do let us know if your small group would like to partner with us in this way. Please contact us on Marshall.skrinkle@btopenworld.com for more information. Prayer Points Thank you for playing an essential part of the ministry by praying. Please pray for: • The boys’ education to go well as the new term starts, for foundations to be laid for great futures • The boys’ spiritual growth: for strong personal relationships with God to grow • For financial resources and people to build the future of the ministry and the boys’ home • Please thank God for his incredibly gracious provision for our needs. We thank you for your continued support, and our Lord for His support of all of us.

The Trustees of New Growth Ministries Zimbabwe and NGMT (UK)