Greetings from Zimbabwe,

The weather is very cool today, as it was yesterday. It seems that the heavy rains have cooled the air. It is something I have never experienced this time of year in all my years of traveling to Zimbabwe. I am fully aware that it will probably turn hot suddenly and I for one cannot handle heat very well.

Jeff and I spent most of this week in Harare without a set of wheels. We took our truck in to have work done on it. These rough roads had taken a toll on the rear leaf springs. We have also driven so many kilometers that it was time to have the new tires rotated. The truck also needed its regular service. The Toyota shop indicated the truck would be ready the following day. However, it didn’t happen and it was afternoon on Thursday before we could pick up the truck and come back to school. No end of frustration!!

When we went to pick up the truck, Jeff was at the counter getting ready to pay the bill. The clerk was conversing with a gentleman that had just walked up. He looked at Jeff and greeted him by saying good afternoon. Jeff responded by saying masikati, which is good afternoon in Shona. Their eyes got big and they looked at each other, obviously wondering if Jeff had understood their conversation. They didn’t know that Jeff had just about exhausted his shona vocabulary.

Since the truck had to be in the shop by 8:00 am on Tuesday, we drove in Monday night and stayed with Derek Forbes. Derek is here from PCUSA working with the Zimbabwe Presbytery for the next three years. Staying with Derek gave us an opportunity to get to know Derek a bit better. It was interesting sharing views of our individual experiences here in Zimbabwe.

Tues. afternoon Derek took Jeff and I to visit Lovemore House. It is a home for boys that have been on the streets and have no home. Presently they are caring for 12 boys 14 years and younger. They also support 10 boys who are attending Boarding School. It was a real pleasure to meet these boys and have a time to visit with them. They seem to be happy and healthy in spite of the fact that some of them have been abused severely and still deal with the aftermath of such trauma.

Lovemore house was started by a lady from the Presbyterian Church. She is on the right in the picture. She and the two ladies with her run the house and provide care for all of these boys. It is my understanding that they raise all of their own support. Times they run out of food but trust in God to provide. Just before we arrived, a Catholic Church nearby had dropped off a supply of groceries. It was enough food to last through November. They were so appreciative.

Pictured is the first truck purchased for HCOC. It was purchased from Japanese Transportation Aid in early 2002. It has served its time and is now retired. We have just discovered that it was built in 1991. Over the years we have put a lot of money into the truck but now it is really falling apart. The seats and door liners are totally worn out. The side mirrors have been lost for some time. The steering wheel is duck taped together. The cattle guard on the front is missing as is the step for climbing into the truck.

The license number is posted on the windshield because the holder is gone. The rings in the engine are gone and it would burn more oil than petrol if anyone tried to drive it. The transmission is also in bad condition. The truck is beyond worth being repaired. It probably should have been disposed of several overhauls ago. This leaves HCOC without a way to transport supplies from Harare, carry chickens to market and the many other things it is used for. At the moment they are carrying a few chickens at a time.

When we arrived back at the mission on Thursday evening, the pump supplier’s men were just finishing the flow test on the new well. The foreman would not tell us what they had learned. They said their boss would discuss it with us. However, one of the employees here at HCOC said that they filled a 250 gallon drum in less than 15 minutes. He also told us that they pumped for four hours and the level of the water did not drop significantly. We are very encouraged and feel that God has answered our prayers.

Guzha Primary School and surrounding community are so excited about having water for the very first time that they are making big plans. They have already dug the trench for the water line from the well to the proposed site of the tank and stand. That is no small endeavor; the distance is more than 200 meters. They are even preparing to move their garden from its present location to a site near the water hydrant at the tank stand. People have hauled all the gravel and sand for the men who will be preparing the foundation for the tank stand. Many things are happening at Guzha. The whole community is so excited.

In closing please keep Jeff and I in your prayers as we make final decisions regarding the wells. We spent time with Trevor this morning. Trevor will be the one outfitting the wells. He is estimating three and a half to four weeks to get them outfitted. Sooo our return will be delayed.

In His Service,

Roberta