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"God is Not Happy"

by Jamie Nichols

Jamie Nichols with a friend at the Mt. Selinda orphanage in Zimbabwe

ZIMBABWE (06/01/2009) -- On the way to the hospital we were stopped several times at police checkpoints, and every short exchange ended with the officer chuckling some joke in Shona, one of Zimbabwe’s regional languages. Certainly Rev. Matuvhunye’s attire helped. He would not leave the house without wearing his clerical garb, but it was his warmth that won people over.

Even one very disturbing conversation ended somehow in laughter. By this time we were used to being stopped and to Matavunye working his charm. But as we were pulling away, the Reverend says in English, “God is not happy. Much blood was shed here.” The officer began chortling in Shona, but Matavunye responded by repeating with even heavier laughter, “God is not happy.”

“What’s God not happy about?” my dad asked as we left.

“There are some diamond mines over that ridge,” Matavunye said, gesturing to the mountains to our right. “Last December, there were women and children illegally mining to make money and [the government] ordered them to be eliminated. So a helicopter was sent and about 80 of them were killed. Someone needs to speak out. So I do when I can.”

As we began the tour of the hospital, I was carrying a notepad so I could take a proper inventory. This is when reality set in. The hospital was in dire need of absolutely everything except anti-retrovirals to combat HIV/AIDS. After a while I stopped, partly because they said they had a list already, but also because the list was so long: No working telephones, incubators, sterilization equipment, anesthetic machines, blankets, mattresses, or light bulbs. The list goes on and on.

Jamie Nichols is a political science major at Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio.