Bob and Terry and Others go to Zimbabwe
By January of 1987, Bob Hartley decided to heed the advice of Bob Scott and other men on the KCF staff and go to Zimbabwe, taking Terry his wife along, and together live as missionaries on the farms that KCF supported through Gary. There were about twenty consecrated believers that lived there now who were determined to do God’s will regardless of the cost. In the eyes of the Senior Council (Mike, Noel, Tim John, and Bob Scott), these Christian believers were living out the life- style of New Testament Christianity: living in community, praying, and serving the African tribes around them.
Before Bob and Terry went over, a team of ten leaders from KCF led by Noel and Charles Lynn went and visited the ministry of the two farms in Zimbabwe. Some of those on the team included John Paul Jackson, Bill Corum, Bob Dolphin, Wayne Hollrah, Larry Davis, Sandy Herstowski (the only woman), and three others. It was almost a miracle that the whole group got into the country, because some of them didn’t have visas, which was a major problem. While there they were blessed, because the location they were at in Zimbabwe was experiencing a major drought, and it rained every day the group of ten was there. This was a positive prophetic sign for the group, and during the midst of worship one night, a couple of the group reported seeing a divine angelic experience outside the building. The group of ten was able to provide many thousands of dollars of material goods that the community needed to support their missionary work. This group also experienced a tremendous amount of grace and joy which brought a deep sense of unity between the members of the group from Kansas City and the community of people that lived on New Adams and the Olive Tree farms. This community was living the four heart standards that the Lord had given to Mike back in Cairo in 1983 closer than any other group they knew of on earth. The community was almost completely cut off from the influences of the Western World [Now, just after the group of ten left from KCF left, something very bad happened at the farms].
So, when it was time for them to go, it was considered the perfect place for Bob Hartley, a young pastor and his wife, or anyone on the KCF staff and most other members of KCF, who could afford it, to go live for short seasons. There they could go and take a sabbatical and get spiritually recharged and blessed. The KCF community of believers could learn what it was like to live in a real true authentic New Testament Christianity community and then bring what they learned back to Kansas City. At this time, Dave Schmidt and his wife were still very eager to overcome their visa problems, so that they could still go. For Bob and Terry, the plan was for them to be gone for at least a year, if not longer. As I recall, the young adults had a going-away party for them first, which was a fun and a light-hearted affair at Chris and Diane Larson’s house. Bob, Terry, and the group laughed for 10 minutes, then KCF staff and others in the fellowship held a going away party for Bob and Terry at the office building. But, in the middle of the party, Bob Jones came in and went up to Bob Hartley and loudly and fiercely rebuked him in front of everyone, “You’re going to go there to die!” Bob Jones was especially mad at Bob, because he was taking Terry with him, and she would die too. Bob Hartley was taken back by this rebuke, and said firmly, “We’re going!” and the Hartley’s went to Zimbabwe. As Bob flew over to Zimbabwe with Terry, he was excited, even giddy about what they were to do, but as he got closer to the end of their journey there, he started to get scared and feeling alone, “Maybe I should have listened to Bob Jones?”