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Based on the comfortable stereotypes we’ve grown up with, the term “grandmother’s ministry,” likely evokes images of bootie knitting, choir singing, pie baking and the other comforting ways grandmas find to serve and give.

But mild-mannered and sweet-natured Okarche grandmother and businesswoman Delinda Barnett has found herself on a more unexpected ministry path.

In her mid-50s, she embarked on her first mission trip to Africa.

This spring, she completed her fourth – but most certainly not her last.

And no one is more surprised than she.

“I thought I was finished with new beginnings, but God had other plans,” she said.

Barnett shared her most recent experience last week at Kingfisher County Republican Women’s monthly luncheon meeting.

Barnett made her first visit to the Lusungu Children’s Home in Chingola, Zambia, at the urging of her daughter Chelsea, whose made more than a half dozen missionary trips to the country.

Operated by a local nondenominational religious organization under the leadership of Bishop Caddie Ngambi and his wife, the orphanage, whose name means “Grace” in the local Mbema language, is home to more than 100 children from infants through teenagers.

That first trip, Barnett found herself mentally cataloging the children’s lack of basic comforts so taken for granted in the U.S. – like beds, pillows and bedding – and returned home determined to fill at least some of those needs.

On her second trip, Barnett met a shipping container at the port loaded with donated items she’d collected through the generosity of Kingfisher County residents and others throughout the state.

With no background in international shipping, Barnett stood toe-to-toe with corrupt government officials who would have diverted her bounty to their own uses and coordinated its delivery overland to the orphanage.

On the third trip, Barnett led a team of women to help put some of those donated items to best use, teaching the children at the orphanage to sew and other basic life skills.

This year, she tagged along with a group of missionaries to Zimbabwe, working on projects and events in that country before diverting on her own to her beloved Zambian orphanage at the end of the trip.

The Zimbabwe team included five pastors, one deacon, two nurses and four support staff (most from western Oklahoma) who flew to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, and drove two hours to their destination to conduct a pastors’ conference and a women’s conference on the grounds of the orphanage/care center there.

Pastors and wives from all over Zimbabwe started arriving shortly afterwards, braving treacherous roads and dangerous conditions in overloaded vehicles to meet with old and new friends.

“The conference was encouraging and badly needed because they are in such difficult circumstances,” Barnett said. “Some of the pastors and their wives had little to eat for extended periods before coming to the conference.

“Many receive little or no pay because their congregations have nothing to give.”

The pastors in Barnett’s group, all from Baptist churches in western Oklahoma, led worship and training sessions through translators, as few Zimbabweans speak English.

“The Zimbabwe pastors led wonderful praise and worship services, and many of the songs were sung in the local language but we knew the hymns by the tune,” she said. “The African people love to dance, and we all had a great time dancing to the Lord.”

Barnett and the three other women who served as support staff taught sessions during the women’s conference on various books of the Bible. Her session was on the Book of Esther, a presentation Barnett said she’d also love to share with local groups.

“We also shared some intense training. The two nurses on our team had an agenda of training for the women’s conference, but before they started the last day’s agenda, they had planned to talk briefly about HIV prevention, how it is transmitted, treatment, etc.,” Barnett said.

The local pastors’ wives had so many questions and concerns that we never got to any other topic that day.”

Barnett said inaccurate information and myths abound concerning HIV-AIDS, how the virus is spread and how it can be prevented.

“For instance, one myth is that if an HIV-AIDS-positive man has sex with a virgin, he will be cured,” Barnett said.

“This is just one myth that perpetuates the disease as an epidemic, and there are many more.

“We asked the pastors’ wives to take what they had learned back to the women in their churches and villages, and share.

“If one person is prevented from being infected with this horrible disease, this alone will have made our trip worth it.”

Members of Barnett’s group also spoke at an elementary school of 90 students and a high school with more than 500.

One of the team’s pastors visited a rural area with two local pastors to share the Gospel.

“A total of 60 people became Christians and a whole new church is being started because of the visit,” she said.

“The U.S. pastor returned to Zimbabwe this summer to work with the local church there,” she said.

“The fields are ripe but the workers are few,” Barnett told KCRW members.

She also commented on the struggles faced by people in Zimbabwe that are so far beyond the experiences of most Americans.

“Our visit was at the end of the rainy season, but there is a serious drought and the crops have failed,” she said.

“Gasoline is scarce and there are shortages and long lines at the pumps.

“Gasoline cost $19 per gallon when we were there and many gas stations were closed.

“Unemployment is over 90 percent there and many people barely survive on the meager crops they can grow.

“There is little food available and it is too expensive for most people to afford.

“Witchcraft is practiced openly and its effects are very ugly.

“The beautiful landscape is overshadowed by the extreme poverty.”

But despite all that, Barnett said “there is no problem in Zimbabwe that a relationship with the Lord cannot fix.”

Barnett traveled on to Zambia, where she met with Dave and Lynette Hoffman from Colorado at Ndola and then traveled with them to the orphanage.

A new experience this trip was being interviewed on the local church’s new radio station.

“We were privileged to each be on one-hour broadcasts, four times for each of us,” she said.

“Dave and Lynette (a professional counselor) shared their wisdom from 44 years of marriage and counseled one couple in person who came to the station knowing they would be there.”

Barnett’s broadcasts focused on her personal testimony, the life of Esther and David’s victory over Goliath.

She also noted other improvements in the country since her first visit.

“Roads everywhere are being paved and their economy is improving.

“Their leaders are Christian and the president has called for days of fasting and prayer across the country.

““They live in poverty, but God is doing great things in their country.”

Barnett and her traveling companions also interacted with the children at the orphanage, teaching them skills and leading devotionals.

“Dave and Lynette Hoffman were a great asset to the trip, and it was evident they were there by divine appointment.

“On our last night, they provided a birthday party to celebrate their upcoming birthdays and all the children’s birthdays with hot dogs, beans, cake, and ice cream and the children loved it.”

Barnett also hosted a hamburger fry, a much-anticipated tradition since her first visit. She said she saw God’s hand again when the food extended exactly far enough to cover some unexpected guests.

The trip also brought its own poignant reminders about gratitude and giving.

“My heart was deeply moved when I saw one woman bring her offering, a couple of sprigs of some kind of green food. It was all that she had but she brought something.

“I’m so grateful to be reminded of how much I take for granted and for the great privilege of giving and being able to give.”

Which is why this trip is definitely not going to be Barnett’s last.

“I’m already looking forward to trip number five.”