On the first day and Saturday of September 2018, as our tradition prescribes, we held our annual memorial service to remember our deceased loved ones. The service was celebrated by our father and the chairperson of the TYP trustees’ board, Rev. Mutasa.
The readings for the memorial were from the synoptic gospel, John 11 vs 17-44. Rev. Mutasa’s sermon was a message to all of us, a message to stick together as he preached that, the greatest loss is not death, but the greatest loss is when something within us dies. He related our lives to as that of Mary and Martha. They lost their brother but they had hope is Christ and Christ was close to them. Same with us, TYP youths, we lost our parents but we must have hope in Christ for He is close to us. It was a touching and powerful sermon. This sermon paved way for the setting of a new theme for our new calendar that began on that day.
Before the presentation of the theme, one of the boys, Tinashe Mukwande, walked us through and reminded us of the themes we have operated basing on, whether with success or unsatisfactory results. From that we could see the transition we had undergone: from bitterness to letting go and from there to showers of blessings, speaking action as well as realising that with our diverse roles, we are key constitutes of one team. To emphasise on the phrase, “We are family”, this year we chose a theme that will guide, remind and motivate us how TYP family values, both Christian and ethical, are worth upholding for a critical collective success. Briefly put, this year’s theme is: Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is a progress, and working together is a success.
Tariro Njendah had the honours to present the theme and she eloquently did the task. Below is the original version of her presentation:
Coming together is a beginning, Keeping together is a progress and Working together is a success.
The main objective is to build a strong successful family (our building materials are hope, faith and love)
Coming together is a beginning:
Common purpose phase, each member has to feel a sense of belonging, when everyone is included and made to feel a part of the process or purpose, they find common ground. In this event our purpose is to build a strong family. As TYP we came together as a family, everybody knows his/her position so we need to take the focus off ourselves (as individuals) and learn to appreciate and value each other. That’s a team. So the question is: How do we sustain /fuel it? This question takes us to the 2nd phase of our theme.
Keeping together is a progress:
This is the mutual commitment phase, we have come together and now we need to keep together for progress ‘sake. Team spirit is needed. How do we do this? Through 5Ls:
- Learning: it is in strong families where we learn values, skills and behaviour so that we teach by example and the world follows.
- Loyalty: a strong family must have a sense of loyalty and devotion towards family members. As a family we should stick together during good and bad. This family should be both a cheering section and a mourning bench. That would help us keep together.
- Love: love is at the heart of a family, all humans have the need to love and to be loved and the family should be the place where love is expressed and it should come out unconditionally.
- Laughter: is one good family medicine when it’s taken correctly. So it is important for us to note that laughing together builds up a family but laughing at each other divides a family. So you know which laughter will keep a family together.
- Leadership: we are very much privileged as TYP bcz we have been given a voice in decision making. What an honour! But do we take our positions, are we good stewards of our family, are we taking up our responsibilities. We should know that people don’t follow titles; they follow an act of courage.
How do we achieve these 5Ls, we need family quality time because communication is vital.
Working together is a success.
Share contribution phase, there is a win-win outcome in this phase because this is our common goal, family success. This is like a clothing factory where specialization is law. The one who make buttonholes is not the same person who inserts a collar. One does a collar, one does a sleeve, one does a pocket, one makes buttonholes, the other is for buttons and they all rejoice over a shirt not a sleeve or a pocket. We all have to take part towards family success.
How?
Family comes 1st. Responsibilities come 2nd. Each member is precious. Bad times don’t destroy us. Forgiveness is readily available. Priorities must be established. Some sacrifices must be made. Love is unconditional and we should appreciate each other, you know some people work so hard in life not because of money or title, but the motivation is in the feeling when appreciated.
So protect what you got, no matter the trials and tribulation. Don’t let go. Paul wrote to Corinthians in Chapter 14 on verse 26: We need to allow our spirits to have personal encounter with Christ so that we have the ability to see if we are building or destroying.
Our newest brothers, Charles Chinobva and Kudzai Mavhudzi had to let go of their pasts as they, for the first time, wrote to their deceased parents and the letters got burnt in the usual ritual.
As the main event ended, we were all invited by the aroma of the refreshments that the girls and Mai Mashoras, wives to Byron and Fidelity had prepared. We munched on the food as we all shared good times.
