Bethel Chifunda

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Bethel Chifunda

Bethel was born at Howard Institute Hospital in Chiweshe on the 12th of March 1964 as the 1st born child of Patrick Mawire and Winnie Matirowesa Bwanya who were career teachers. She was a special child whom her parents and extended family at large dotted on and revered because she was the 1st thriving child after a stillbirth of Patrick and Winnie’s 1st pregnancy. Bethel initially grew up at St Albans Anglican school in Gweshe in Chiweshe and later moved around Zimbabwe and lived at various schools that baba and amai Bwanya worked at.

Early life

Early in her marriage, Bethel had established cordial respectful relationships with members of the Chifunda family which earned her love and respect. She treated, everyone she associated with with respect. Though she was a shy person she was quick to adapt to situations. Most of her friends were elderly married women who she would refer to as "Mbuya nhingi, Mbuya nhingi" . All this, she did to get good guidance and counselling. Bethel had intermittent headaches. Sometime in 1989 she was diagnosed with migraine headaches. As time passed, the headache developed into a chronic ailment. Despite her condition, Bethel was always a happy character. Because of the headaches, she suffered a brain aneurysm at her home in Chinhoyi on 20 February 1994 at the age of 29, less than a month before her 30th birthday - which led to her untimely passing at Chinhoyi Hospital. Bethel is survived by her husband, two children and a grandson, Mukundi Pambweyi. She is and shall always be missed by her family and will forever be remembered as a great wife amazing mother, sister, daughter and aunt. Her funeral was a crowd puller and the community thought it was a funeral of a well known political figure, the large amount of cars that convoyed to bury her were an unseen phenomenon at that time, there were unknown volunteers who offered to be traffic controllers during her burial to manage the large crowd of mourners. That was a true testament of the person and life lived by Bethel, an all encompassing people magnate, respectful, loving and a role model to her siblings and others.

Family

Such memories. Where does one even start? How does one describe a pillar, a steady hand and the most beautiful heart, beautiful and wonderfully made by God? Yet this is the sister we where blessed with but whose life was cut so short. I guess as the word of God reminds us, there is a time to be born and there is a time to die. Blessed be the name of the Lord still. Bethel you were a loving, adventurous and entrepreneurial woman. So adventurous and entrepreneurial that I remember you catching buses to go to South Africa and Botswana. This was before South Africa got its independence, kuchine maboer chaiwo. You would go hunt for goods to resell. My favorite of all products was the canned pilchards. Somehow and I don't know how, you would bring boxes and boxes of the fish packed in Botswana bags This was over and above you job as a bursar at Ruvheneko school in Glen Norah before you moved to Haig Park school, which was closer to home. Thanks to sekuru Ernest "Murehwa" Maigurira. In so many ways, sekuru was instrumental in getting you the schools jobs. Always thankful Murehwa uko! Bethel at work. Yet once employed, you were the star that always shined through everywhere you worked. You were loved by so many you interacted with. But even in your openness you were a tough and straight talking woman. Always seeking the truth and appeasement and rebuking sharply but also gently. I Of course as brother and sister, we spent more time together. Others had been shipped to boarding. Like any siblings we had our fights. You can't be a famliy and never have fights. But what I cherish and remember the most was that you were always the one to take the initiative in the restoration of "peace". This became a hallmark of yours. Peacemaker. Blessed are peacemakers for they will inherit heaven. You always where at ease and fitted with lots of people in most circumstances. Including with the Dynamos crowd. You couldn't talk Bethel without Dynamos. Rarely you ever missed an opportunity to go and watch Dynamos play. So today, it's all just memories. Yet we do not curse the Lord for taking her so soon. As a believer, a Christian, I know you had the one hope, which is hope in Christ Jesus. The hope of resurrection and eternity with the Lord. You have fought the good fight. You have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for you the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to you on that day—and not only to you, but also to all who have longed for His appearing. Rest thee well Bethel "house of God". You shall forever be a shining light and example of how life can be lived well. You where satisfied by what God gave you. Always happy, joyful and forever looking forward to the next day. I miss your "sekuru Agrippa" calls, best ever said in your voice. Apostle Paul writes, "We who are still alive will be caught up together with them (like you who have gone to sleep in Christ) in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4). I for one cannot wait for that day. Our salvation is now closer than when we first believed (Romans 13:11). Till we meet again, may God grant you eternal peace and rest, which is only found in Christ Jesus.

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