Greetings from Zimbabwe,
I should have not been so hasty to decide that the rainy season had ended. We have had a number of significant rains with lots of thunder. It has also been rather cool. So the peas in the garden are producing quite well. As you can imagine the weeds are doing especially well. A recent picking of peas was shelled and sold at the butchery in Murewa. They sold out almost before they had them on display.
Saturday, a large number of orphans came to help in the Moringa field and some worked harvesting maize. They were a hungry bunch by lunch time. You would be amazed at the amount of food these small children can eat. The cooks reminded me that the children had probably had nothing to eat all day. In spite of that fact, some of those bodies are not very big. They deserved all they could eat for the work that they did. Some of their faces are so sad. It breaks my heart to see their long faces.
Sunday morning things began to happen here. The builder appeared and began to install the kitchen cabinets for the Orphan Home. The refrigerator repair service appeared next. Before he was finished, the tilers appeared and began tiling the one bathroom. Next to arrive was the carpenter. Just imagine the chaos that ensued! Today, Monday, I have escaped much of the day. Things in the house are dusty and there is grit everywhere. I don’t know if we will ever get this place clean. Anyway, this work is long overdue but I had put it off until I could be here to supervise.
This morning we had an Executive Committee meeting. It was to begin at 8:00 but didn’t get underway until after 10:00. Next Beauty had to prepare breakfast for everyone.
Punctuality is not a long suit in this culture. In addition to that the meeting lasted until 2:00 pm. I began to wonder if it would ever end.
Much of the meeting was concerning the registration of the Orphan Home. Many of the committee are opposed to that because it opens the possibility of orphans from
other parts of Zimbabwe being placed here. I am insisting that children from this area that need to be placed here take first priority. Apparently there has been a decline in the need for . of orphans in this area. We have dropped from 48 households to only 5 households needing housing. I believe that speaks well for our organization here and what has been accomplished.
Gaylord, one of our orphans that is at University was called in by Albert for emergency service. He is studying accounting and will spend a year here on attachment beginning in June. Albert needed some financial information for a document that was required for a grant application. Gaylord had a long weekend and so spent it working. He is such a wonderful young man. He is a perfect example of why I do what I do. He told me recently that if it had not been for HCOC and his funding for education he would probably be on the streets of Harare begging. Thank you to those who make education possible for these talented young people.
Please pray for these young people who have so much potential. They deserve our support. Gaylord is a breath of fresh air whenever I see him. He is so positive and always has a smile on his face. I am so proud of him and others like him.
In His Service,
Roberta