Scott Marques: "On the OTC March Conference"

Scott Marques

The March “Trumpet Call” Conferences (running consecutively in Bulawayo and then Harare) will also explore the roll out of follow-up gatherings across the nation in the months leading up to September, possibly synergizing with the World Cup and the screening of matches in rural areas. We hope to see this culminating in some large gatherings of churches in different Centres in September for pre-planting prayer and equipping meetings.

We are on a mission to see thousands of leaders equipped, to see millions of people fed.

We believe God’s word that he has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Christ. As such, we believe that the answer to our problems is not essentially a political economic or social solution but rather a restoration in our relationship with God, with one another and with what God has given us stewardship of right now.

The potential renewed faithfulness over contemporary tardiness in the field is the difference between famine and surplus. Zimbabwe is uniquely poised to be a shining example of God’s grace and power across the continent. God is the answer to Africa’s deepest problems.

Change the Heart of Africa to change the Face of Africa.

By Scott Marques

Pray for our nation of Zimbabwe

Mbonisi Malaba praying

Mbonisi Malaba read from Habakuk 3:17 - 18 which says:

“Though the fig tree may not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines;
though the labour of the olive may fail,
and the fields yield no food;
though the flock may be cut off from
the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls-

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will take joy in the Lord of my salvation.

The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer’s feet,
And He will make me walk on my
high hills.”

Scott Marques: "The beginnings of OTC......"

Scott Marques

The March Trumpet Call Conferences have developed out of a Pastor’s meeting that we had in Harare when terry Virgo was with us for Mega Vision in 2009. With the help of Dr Goodwill Shana, we put together a meeting of around 100 Pastors at Royal Harare Golf Club for a breakfast and a teaching session. Dr Shana and Terry Virgo were a tremendous blessing and inspiration to everybody who attended. We spoke after the meeting and started dreaming of a larger setting to gather for this kind of equipping. This thinking started to dove-tail with the Operation Trumpet Call initiative to equip churches across the Nation in Foundations for Farming.

Dr Shana helped us see the huge potential of gathering church leaders for substantial times of equipping in Word and Spirit with the output channel of mobilizing the Church to put faith into action with Agriculture.

Dr Shana invited Terry Virgo to come back to Zimbabwe for these training times in March and asked Newfrontiers to host and facilitate a conference that draws leaders closer to God, closer to one another and closer to the reality of a church feeding the poor in the 2010/2011 season.

By Scott Marques

Prophetic Message by Tapiwa Chizana pt 2

Tapiwa Chizana

Taps Chizana, leader of Thebalezizwe Church in Umguza, shared a fantastic Prophetic message on “What we can expect when the Church in Zimbabwe is filled with the spirit.” This is what he said:

To recap, Taps said we can expect the following when the Church in Zimbabwe is filled with the spirit
1. The impossible will become the possible:
2. The Church will be empowered for ministry:

3. We will become more like Christ – sanctified (He changes us): Galations 5 tells us the fruit of the spirit (Not the fruit of works or striving) Sometimes when we are in the presence of the Holy Spirit the Spirit softens our hearts, exposes wrong motives and attitudes, delivers us, heals our emotions.

4. We will be a people of prayer: Romans 8:26 “The spirit helps us in our weaknesses. We do not know what we ought to pray, but the spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” Prayer is a means by which we fellowship and experience the Holy Spirit. Prayer is two way communication – God speaks to us by His spirit.

5. We will be anointed to work with our hands: Exodus 31:1 – 5 Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying: “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.” This means that our work is important to God, our farming is important to God, our businesses are important to God. God doesn’t fill us with the spirit, only to pray for the sick, but also to love our wives, to farm and work diligently with our hands.

Acts 19:2 “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

Prophetic Message by Tapiwa Chizana pt 1

Tapiwa Chizana

Taps Chizana, leader of Thebalezizwe Church in Umguza, shared a fantastic Prophetic message on “What we can expect when the Church in Zimbabwe is filled with the spirit.” This is what he said:

When the Church in Zimbabwe is filled with the Spirit, we can expect the following:

1. The impossible will become the possible: When the angel visited Mary concerning the baby she was to have (Jesus), Mary asked…."how can this be?" Luke 1:34 “How will this be Mary asked the angel since I am a virgin? The angel answered, the HolySpirit will come upon you and the power of the most high will over shadow you.” When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, something supernatural happens. What mountains do you have to climb, that look impossible for you??? All things are possible with God. Samson was filled with the Holy Spirit and had supernatural strength.

2. The Church will be empowered for ministry: Luke 4:19 “The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” When you preach the gospel, you need the anointing of the Holy Spirit: It is the anointing that gives your message power and effectiveness. You cannot cut a tree with a blunt axe. When you bind up the broken hearted you need the anointing of the Holy Spirit: this includes pastoral ministry and praying for people. When set captives free you need the anointing of the Holy Spirit: this includes setting captives free from sickness and from the lies of the enemy. When you are setting people free from oppression you need the anointing of the Holy Spirit: this includes demonic oppression; when Jesus was questioned about his casting out demons he said in Matthew 12: 28 “If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the Kingdom of God has come upon you.”

Good compost

Darryl Edwards

Compost Temperature Cycle.
The temperature cycle of the compost heap will follow a similar trend to that displayed in the graph below. The temperature will continue to rise until the pile is turned, when it temporarily drops. It then slowly begins to rise again. This will continue until all the nitrogen in the pile has been utilized. If your compost does not get hot it generally indicates that there is not enough nitrogen present. Be careful not to add too much Nitrogen, this will prevent the compost from maturing within the 7 to 8 week period as desired. The temperature can continue rising for many more weeks depending on how much nitrogen there is. In this situation it also means that after the 7-8 week period, when the compost should have matured, you would have to continue tending it. The temperature would need to be continually checked and the pile turned when the temperature reached close to 70C. If however the correct ratios are achieved at the start of the process and the compost begins to cool after 5-6 weeks then the conditions are ideal. After the compost has matured it can then be stored in situ for long periods without further turning. The mature compost will also not degrade nor will nutrients leach out of it. It will be in the form of a stable organic fertilizer and inoculum.

Indicators of good compost.

•Smell If it smells bad, it is bad! This is due to the presence of alcohols, Acetic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid and putrescine. All of which are produced in anaerobic conditions.
•Color NOT BLACK
Deep, rich brown indicates humics
Tan, honey color means fulvics
•Texture Crumbs, air passages, aggregates visible
•Fungal Strands Visible thick threads, in compost, not aerial, not fuzz

By Darryl and Hazel Edwards

Compost: temperatures and turning

Darryl Edwards

The compost will begin to get hot very quickly. Under ideal conditions the temperature can reach 70%C within 48 hours. This is undesirable. If the temperature in the pile reaches 70%C it becomes too hot for the microbes, which are creating the heat, to exist. Carbon also begins to be burnt and this is wasteful. This heat is created by the reproduction of thermophilic bacteria and will only occur if there is adequate water and oxygen.

Heat is however essential to kill all seeds in the compost and all undesirable pathogens. This is achieved in the temperature range from 55%C to 68%C. The temperature needs to be maintained in this range for at least 3 days. All parts of the pile need to be exposed to this heat. This heat however only exists on the inside of the pile (the outer 40cm is much cooler). This is one of the reasons why turning is important. Each time you turn the pile you should attempt to move material from the outside to the inside, and visa verse.

If the temperature of the pile is too high (ie. Approaching 70%C) then the only way to reduce it is to turn the pile. When turning the pile gauge whether the moisture content is still adequate. A lot of moisture is lost as steam and this needs to be replaced. The adding of water can also cause cooling.

The simplest way to determine what the temperature within the pile is, is by using a temperature probe. For rural folk this would be difficult to obtain or purchase, thus some simple method of ascertaining the approximate temperature by touch needs to be devised.

The turning process has thus achieved three things:
1. Exposed new material to the required heat,
2. Aerated the pile with oxygen, essential for the heat process and
3. Allowed for the lost moisture to be replaced.

At this point it is important to note that if the pile is not turned it will become anaerobic. This means that it will run out of oxygen. If this happens the desirable bacteria will die off or go dormant and undesirable anaerobic bacteria will become dominant. If this happens the temperature will drop and often a bad smell will be noticed.

More on the OTC demo plot

Progress on OTC Demo Plot

The Operation Trumpet Call demo plot at New Creation Church is now divided into 4 sections: maize, cowpeas, white sorghum and groundnuts. This is what it looks like:

Maize Cobs

Ground Nuts

White Sorghum

Maize and cowpeas

The OTC demo plot is looking pretty good.

By Molly Manhanga

Compost: Ingredients & Method

Darryl Edwards

Ingredients Required.
-High N (legumes, manures)
-Green (anything cut green, even if it has dried. Diversity is good)
-Woody/Dry. (At least 5% should be greater than 3cm in size).

Method.
a. Building the pile.
It may take an extended period for enough material to be gathered to build a pile of the desired size. This is not a problem. The materials should be piled separately until such time as enough of each material has been accumulated.

When the pile is to be constructed it is important that the right ratios are attained. The most simple way to achieve this is to divide the height of the pile into 10 x 20cm layers. Then alternate the materials in the desired proportions (30% equates to 3 separate layers).

b. Activating the Pile.

Once the pile has been built it needs to be mixed. The best way to do this is to begin slicing away at the heap. Mix the different materials thoroughly and wet them at the same time. Now begin to rebuild the 2x2x2 pile next to the original (layered) pile. The objective of this initial turning process is to thoroughly mix the entire pile and to wet it to at least 50% moisture. If some of the mixed, wet material is squeezed in the hand and moisture drips out, it is too wet. If when squeezed and no water drips out, but on opening your hand the material does not hold its shape then it is too dry. Thus if squeezed, no extra moisture drips out and on opening the hand the material holds its form then it is close to the desired 50% moisture content.

The composting process has now begun.

By Darryl and Hazel Edwards

What is Compost?

Darryl Edwards

What is compost?

It is the Aerobic decomposition by BACTERIA and FUNGI of a mix of organic material.

Composting Methods.

•Thermal compost
•Worm or Vermi-compost (cold composting)
•Static compost

All three of these methods are suitable for the small-scale farmer. There are pros and cons for all:

Thermal composting is the most reliable to guarantee a product that is weed and pathogen free, it also is very fast (7 to 8 weeks).

Worm composting provides excellent product (worm casts, which are higher in plant available nutrients), but requires large numbers of worms and does not eliminate weed seeds.

Static compost is the easiest but most unreliable due to the uncontrolled environment leaving risk of pathogens, seed and it is very slow. (Can take up to a year).

Thus thermal compost is the most suitable method, but it requires diligence and training to achieve the required results.

The minimum size of a thermal compost heap is about 1.5 m cubed. Thus I have developed a 2x2x2m pile, which will ensure the required volume for the required temperatures that must be attained. It is also small enough for a single person to work in a few hours. In a small-scale or garden situation it is also not too difficult to accumulate or gather enough raw material to build a heap of this size. This volume of compost, if made correctly and the right quality attained should easily be able to sustain a hectare of maize.

By Darryl & Hazel Edwards

One on One with Darryl Edwards

Darryl Edwards


I really enjoyed chatting to Darryl Edwards, one of the main speakers at the OTC meeting and getting to know him better. This is what he said:

M.M: Tell me a bit about your background.
D.E: I was born in Gweru. I grew up in Mwenezi. I went to school in Esigodini at Falcon College. I went to university in Pietermaritzburg and did a degree in Agriculture. I met my wife Hazel at university. She was just a friend then and my “note-taker” as we were in the same class. We got married and have 3 children: Jen who is in grade 6, Lindsey in grade 5 and James who is in grade 2.

M.M: You actually live on a farm. What do you do there?
D.E: We were commercial flower producers but we have since given our farm to the Lord. It is now being used as a training base for Foundations for farming. Our focus is composting but we do other experiments as we are looking at producing worm casts.

M.M: Very interesting! What are your thoughts on Foundations for Farming?
D.E: Foundations for Farming is from God. God has a vision for Zimbabwe and is going to use our country in amazing ways as an example to the rest of the world. It is an incredible privilege to be chosen to present and teach composting which is so important. Composting and the microscopic world is what brought me to the Lord.

Darryl Edwards teaching at OTC on organisms in the soil

M.M: Praise God! Tell me more about your thoughts on composting?
D.E: Composting is an amazing gift from God. It is the answer to small-scale farming. God still has a lot to teach us and to unlock things to us.

M.M: What do you do to relax?
D.E: I spend time with my children, watch movies, play volleyball and badminton.

M.M: Who is you favourite Bible character?
D.E: Elisha because of his determination to get the anointing.

M.M: Thank you so much Darryl. It’s been great getting to know you more and I hope we see more of you this year.

By Molly Manhanga

OTC Report for Harare and Surrounding Areas...

William Tom and myself (James Davy), went on our monitoring and evaluation trip from Friday 29th January to Friday 5th February. We covered all the areas in our jurisdiction (being Harare and surrounding areas) but did not manage to see every Trainer of Trainers (TOT) because we were a bit strapped for time, we did see most of them though. There are 28 TOT’s in the Harare OTC training area.

The trip on the whole was encouraging, although we could not discount a few discouraging aspects. Most of the TOT’s had made a good effort towards implementing Foundations For Farming into their churches, trainers, farmer groups and communities. Most of the TOT’s stated that they had held trainings in their respective areas and had been doing follow-ups. Some were notable in their hope and perseverance. An example was in Muzarabani where Pastor Mhike was continuing to train his guys even though their rainfall had been very bad and most of the crop had died out. He expressed great confidence in the coming season and was still excited to keep trying.

High Points:
• At least one church has been planted as a result of the teachings of Foundations for Farming through OTC. One of the churches planted in December has already got 70 members. That was a church planted by Pastor Jongwe.
• Some TOT’s have done the farming at a very high standard and have taught this equally well to their trainers. Two good examples are Pastor Chiripanyanga in Mudzi, Mutoko and Pastor Kandulu in Madziva. Ps Chiripanyanga has one notable trainer who had really excellent standards in her crop and she had very good mulching. It was so good that their crops were still alive and growing even though they had not received rain for nearly three months! They also support 360 orphans. Ps Kandulu had gone the extra mile in his plot. He had brilliant standards, he had demarcated and separated the different crops (maize, round nuts, ground nuts and beans). His maize was partially mulched but he was in the processing of adding mulch when we got there. He had also planted a variety of fruit trees and was tending them well. They also appeared to be actively blessing the surrounding community. On top of this they had partially worked on a farm plan.
• Frank Kumire of Bindura had done a very good compost heap.
• Almost all of the TOT’s we visited had good standards in their fields.
• Almost all of the TOT’s had an encouraging attitude toward what they were doing. They appeared to be excited and though some of them had failed they were still keen to continue and learn from their mistakes.

Low Points:
• Most TOT’s visited had a distinct lack of mulch and therefore, in the lower rainfall areas, their crops had either suffered or failed.
• The weeding in most areas was not done very well and could be sorted out with the mulching.
• Some areas were not done at a very high standard and trainers had not caught the vision and thus had not done a good job.
• Some areas had just simply not received the rainfall they needed for the maize, but possibly they learnt the importance of some aspects such as mulching etc Muzarabani had officially been declared a disaster area in terms of crop production.
• Most of the areas had not done compost although a couple of areas had started to collect materials.
• One area (Norton) was odd in that they had received too much rain and their crops had become waterlogged and some was dying as a result. They also had not used mulch.
• Aphids seemed to have been a problem in many areas but appeared to have not had a huge impact on the crop.

Written by James Davy

Gods email to me.........

Pastor KC (Kenneth Chirimuta)

We’ll be looking at Revelation 2 & 3 – the letters to the 7 churches. We’ll be looking more specifically at the structure of the 7 letters. Jesus is speaking and:
1. He introduces himself
2. There is a commendation (praise)
3. Condemnation (I have this one thing against you…)
4. Council (Advice)
5. Promise
6. He who has an ear, let him hear


These letters/emails/sms’ are from heaven coming to our “inbox”
1. He introduces himself: Revelation 2:1 “ to the angel of the church of Ephesus write, These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands:…..” Jesus is speaking to the church at Ephesus. How would he introduce Himself to you and me considering where my life is today? God assesses the situation of the church. He walks right in the midst of the Churches and doesn’t rely on hearsay, rumour or grapevine messages
2. Commendation: V2 “ I know your works, your labour, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil……” Even if no one pats you on the back, God knows your works, your labours and your patience. You are doing it for the Kingdom and should be strengthened and encouraged. What praise would God give me today?
“Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first 3. Condemnation: V4 love.” The praise comes first – you have done great in this area but this other area needs improving. The words of a certain song are: “You cannot hide from God, You can cover your sin so that the world can’t see, but you cannot hide from God.” The church in Ephesus started out burning, a “firebrand” but somewhere along the way, it cooled down and lost it’s first love. Am I still on fire for God? Am I zealous for God or am I a fake Christian, lacking quality. Desire to be genuine and real.
4. Council: V5 “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works……” remember and repent. If things are not well in my life, I cannot impact people spiritually
5. Promise: Claim and take God’s promises as ours
6. He who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit of God is saying.

Pastor KC

Let us not grow weary in well doing for in due season we shall reao. The God we serve is Yaweh – the covenant keeping God.

“The heart of a King is in the hands of the Lord. He turns it wherever he will. His promises will prevail.” God’s promises will be fulfilled in our nation of Zimbabwe.

Summarised by Molly Manhanga

OTC Field Visit pt 2

Great crop but no mulch

Mulched field

By Molly Manhanga

OTC Field Visit pt 1

Weeds amongst the crop

I went early one morning with Mbekezele Moyo and Jen te Velde to visit some of the OTC farmers. Some fields were really encouraging while others need prayer. Some of the problems being faced are not much rainfall, poor soil, too much weeds, poor germination, aphids, baboons and monkeys eating the crop.

Very encouraging crop of Sphike Dube

However, the faith levels of the farmers are still high as they expect to reap a harvest and continue to work diligently in their fields. It was wonderful being welcomed at the various homes and to pray a blessing at each home before we left.

By Molly Manhanga

Progress on OTC Demo Plot pt 2

Germinated maize

Craig Deall in demo plot

Maize and cow peas in OTC demo plot

Maize looking excellent

By Molly Manhanga

Progress on OTC Demo Plot pt 1

Cleared OTC plot at New Creation Church

OTC farmers digging holes

Basal fertiliser about to be put in holes

Maize seed about to be planted

By Molly Manhanga