Vicksburg’s Elevate Church will be spending time deep in the mission field this summer as a group from the congregation prepares to travel to Africa to minister to those in need in Zimbabwe.

Robert Andrews, lead pastor at Elevate, said the trip is several years in the making and the result of many different signs point-
ing toward his congregation helping those in need overseas. Andrews said connecting with a pastor during his own trip to Zimbabwe has set up a personal connection for the church’s upcoming trip.

“People just aren’t working (in Zimbabwe) and when they are, people are just working for pennies on the dollar and (the pastor) loves for people to come, because he feels like if they come they can really see the way that people are living and the things that are going on,”

Andrews said, adding his own trip to the coun- try opened his eyes to the trials and tribulations faced there on a daily basis.

Now, with around a dozen members of his Vicksburg congregation set to travel to the African nation this summer, Andrews
said they are preparing for the opportunity to minister.

“I immediately got back to my church and said ‘we need to do something down there,’” Andrews said. “And I guess over the next two years, we actually helped to dig water wells down there. And then we went down to (Zimbabwe) as well as Zambia. I went with a group from a church in Florida and really connected with them.”

Andrews said the country is full of turmoil and a land where the people are taken advantage of on a routine basis.

“Last Christmas, we fed, I want to say it was like 2,000 people,” he said. “We took up enough money to deliver food to the families down there that would really last them for 21 days. And again, being down there and being able to put my eyes on it, really touched my heart.”

And with a new trip on the horizon, Andrews said his group is looking forward to a new opportunity to spread God’s love through one-on-one interactions.

“We actually raised money to help build a food factory down there that helps the kids in some of those area schools; gives them a meal,” he said. “Our church also has sponsored, I want to say 35-to-40 kids in Zimbabwe. And what was amazing is, when I went down there in 2021, I got to meet our sponsored kids, so that was really special. So some of the people in this group are going to get to meet kids they have sponsored.”

Andrews said Elevate helped raise money at Christmas to build a church in Zimbabwe and group members are looking forward to worshiping in the new building with there brothers and sisters in Africa.

“We’re going to be able to check that out as well, but our real purpose in going is we are going to dig fish ponds, which are going
to become ways to help the people there have a self-sustaining food source, as well as an opportunity for them to kind of generate income for their village.”

Andrews said anyone wishing to donate in any way to the church’s summer trip, including those interested in joining the group, can reach out to Elevate Church via email at ingo@elevatechurch.ms or by phone at 601-262-2340.