tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37284294937060238232024-03-05T02:19:00.034-08:00Dave and June in ZimDave and June in Zimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07604061327900488136noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3728429493706023823.post-8887561997835894112014-07-02T05:08:00.003-07:002014-07-02T05:08:49.082-07:00Yippee, farewell to Zim??<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arriving at X and Potias in the church truck</td></tr>
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<strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Yes </span></strong>our final blog from <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Zim! </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">We arrive home three weeks <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>yesterday.. </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">so we are busy sorting out and saying our goodbyes. That is the <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">yucky</span></strong> bit! We have made such lovely friends here but hopefully we can bless some of them by leaving them some of our possessions. Last Saturday the guys who work on the church site wanted to thank us and organised a braai at X and Portias house. They brought their wives and <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>young </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">children and it was a great time.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dumi, Lewis and Zenzo singing</td></tr>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">
Lewis got the guitar out and together with Dumi and <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Zenzo,</strong></span> <span style="color: red;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">yodelled</span> </strong></span><span style="color: black;">a song or two while we waited for food. Lewis is the </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>zany </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">looking <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">yokel</span></strong> on the truck, <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Zenzo</strong></span> is with his wife at the front and Dumi is holding all the kids in the truck. His wife Rose is next to him and Portia is standing next to her with X behind.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
Dumi, Lewis and <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Zenzo</strong></span> have <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>yet </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">to get their CD released!!</span></span><br />
The food was <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>yummy </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">although we often <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>yearn </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">for some <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>young </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">lamb from the farm as the cows out here are mighty tough. You sometimes wonder if its really <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">zebra!</span></strong></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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Last Sunday we visited the City church congregation. They have called it Hope Church which is more suitable for the city. Thembalezizwe means hope of the nations so it is closely linked. It now appears Dave is preaching there this Sunday so another visit is imminent!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beginning of the meeting in the newly renovated venue</td></tr>
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Many, many thanks to all the people who support the ECD school so wonderfully. We were able to give the new little ones a tracksuit each for this cold weather and they were so thrilled. The parents came to say thank you too. They look absolutely beautiful in them, as you can see. <br />
The young ones are making very good progress and absolutely love coming to school. They are always there, unless ill and arrive really early.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful smiles from beautiful children</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And a wave goodbye!</td></tr>
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<strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Yes,</span></strong> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Zero </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">hour is <span style="color: red;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">zooming</span> </strong></span><span style="color: black;">in on us and </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Zimbabwe </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">will soon be a memory of <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>yesterday... Yet </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">we know we will soon be <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>yearning </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">to return and will as soon as we can, to continue to support all we have done in the past <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">years.</span></strong></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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So its goodye from him and goodbye from me! AND GOODBYE <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">ZIMBABWE.....</span></strong><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After church,members picked broccoli leaves to take home. </td></tr>
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On a slightly <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>whacky </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">note the <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>whole </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">of Bulawayo has been on alert recently due to reports of a <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>wild </strong><span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">lion being at large in the</span> <span style="color: black;">city. There were sightings on Facebook, pawprints photographed, roaring heard etc, etc... None of </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>which was </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">ever confirmed, though I suspect it <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>was </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">the one from Hwange, <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">which </span></strong> Dave drove to close to and was consequently told off by the ranger, come to get his revenge but <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>wisely </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">made an <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>xit </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">before being <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">xterminated.</span></strong></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dumi building the walls of the new chicken shed.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">It is</span> <span style="color: red;"><strong>xciting </strong></span><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">to see the new chicken house beginning to take shape. unfirtunately <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>we will </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">be home before the chicken cages and birds arrive but <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>X will </strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">manage the project</span> </span><span style="color: red;"><strong>well, we</strong> </span><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">are sure. it is so good to see <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>what </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">a blessing the site at 1BD is to the community. As crops come to an end and the quality is not good enough for the supermarkets, the locals buy at reduced prices or, as happened last Sunday people from the church can take for free. Nothing is <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>wasted </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">then.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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Of course <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>we </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">are <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>xtremely </strong><strong>xcited </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">about coming home in less than 7 <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>weeks.. </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">But it is hard to <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>xpress </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">how we really feel about our time here or <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>xplain </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">what it has been like to those <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>who </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">havent <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>xperienced </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Africa. It has been emotionally <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>xhausting, </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">sometimes, rewarding, other times disappointing! But we are so grateful for the <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">xcellent </span></strong>love, support and acceptance <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>xhibited </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">by the Church here and at home, something we <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>will </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">never forget!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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Dave and June in Zimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07604061327900488136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3728429493706023823.post-31250646209620779162014-05-05T03:56:00.000-07:002014-05-05T03:56:05.060-07:00Two for the price of one (letters that is)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN0MQc89wC55tt13zctwVJIX8Fd83RTSFgsrm3lVU0tOEKP4uwKXeihSv-Gq3_n-HyvmUqnCtm9Z27QQypLfGyT1GoypX0b2E_dTdjFt5fT3mGR8hWqAbI3vzOFAJI9d5TAgU7NtfNOi-t/s1600/P4190012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN0MQc89wC55tt13zctwVJIX8Fd83RTSFgsrm3lVU0tOEKP4uwKXeihSv-Gq3_n-HyvmUqnCtm9Z27QQypLfGyT1GoypX0b2E_dTdjFt5fT3mGR8hWqAbI3vzOFAJI9d5TAgU7NtfNOi-t/s1600/P4190012.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of the Easter decor set up by Millie </td></tr>
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As <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>usual </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">this blog is later than I had hoped! <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Unfortunately </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">I am <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>unable </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">to offer any</span></span> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>valid </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">excuses and have <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>unlimited </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">admiration for the Whitby's who manage <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>unerringly </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">to write </span></span>every day of their life in <strong>Astania</strong>!Also, <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Unlike </span></strong><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"> them, we are now counting down rather than <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">up</span></strong> and are now in the 70s. (days that is <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>until </strong></span>we come home). Like them, however we can <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">understand</span></strong> many of their frustrations and difficulties in living in a completely different country and culture but, hopefully we have learnt a lot over the past two and a half years!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiokDbVjOKOplcpAOGEgt4MCvyV-JLfkyMY1yPiI1dFgEewU2VnmYhPchhWBvvuYAKTEApUWc5GUMoFnkaQq4HKn8oKNne1_PPYs8jx4MIaBq0JvX5fKM3Az8677kF694UDSdvQP4KfSdRB/s1600/P4200033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiokDbVjOKOplcpAOGEgt4MCvyV-JLfkyMY1yPiI1dFgEewU2VnmYhPchhWBvvuYAKTEApUWc5GUMoFnkaQq4HKn8oKNne1_PPYs8jx4MIaBq0JvX5fKM3Az8677kF694UDSdvQP4KfSdRB/s1600/P4200033.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A full house at 1 BD at Easter.</td></tr>
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The churches here are doing well and we had <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">an</span><strong> utterly </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">amazing time at Easter when all three congregations came together for a "camp" at 1BD. The church <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">vehicle</span></strong> really came into its own, <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">valiantly </span></strong>driven by Diva, transporting people from Mazwi and Hamara. On the Saturday morning Mike and Taurai both preached amazingly,<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><strong>u</strong><strong>nlocking </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">the real meaning of the cross</span>.</span></span> The catering team then did a great job by feeding 250 people with a <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>veritable </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">feast of sausages, rice and <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>veggies </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">all cooked over a fire! </span></span></span></span></span></span>In the afternoon there were games for all the family. Talent <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>unfolded </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">in a variety of races and games. Several people were <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>upended </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">in the sack races and good manners <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>vanished </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">when each congregation was challenged to <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>undertake </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">"chair ball"!! Its <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>untrue </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">to </span></span> say it was <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>vicious, </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">but <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>very </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">few survived...<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Ugly </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">indeed! </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1NofCvvEwihQNHlt8cPSMSc3tjMHV2QoyhciuKqm11ntXv1ll6VpN33jvuKe-ruBKpOHJiA2dxCcgcuQPEVhChBMXos6Lvj8-P3MZ9SimPxKoT_2ULxZmdmH_SO_zw-Y5isiQy0AH0Uq/s1600/P4190018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1NofCvvEwihQNHlt8cPSMSc3tjMHV2QoyhciuKqm11ntXv1ll6VpN33jvuKe-ruBKpOHJiA2dxCcgcuQPEVhChBMXos6Lvj8-P3MZ9SimPxKoT_2ULxZmdmH_SO_zw-Y5isiQy0AH0Uq/s1600/P4190018.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diva setting the standard in the sprint race</td></tr>
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The last session of the day was led by Dave and it was a powerful time of the Holy Spirit meeting people and setting them free.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmAP3H3ek4mSno40g6vRFKwBkyTiagSHufn5N9GJxYFdpWmwa2z_lDEP4-8vLvtEKD24y8iXdjaOOAkDjY8IXL80YZ3h1X6R-K5WhmzmRqT2nqxaK3uUu_0jWruerTAHZ1r4Q4vO9IOt9Y/s1600/P4190013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmAP3H3ek4mSno40g6vRFKwBkyTiagSHufn5N9GJxYFdpWmwa2z_lDEP4-8vLvtEKD24y8iXdjaOOAkDjY8IXL80YZ3h1X6R-K5WhmzmRqT2nqxaK3uUu_0jWruerTAHZ1r4Q4vO9IOt9Y/s1600/P4190013.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the sack races gets underway</td></tr>
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The day ended with supper and a film for those sleeping at the building. We had three girls with their babies and two men from Mazwi staying with <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">us.</span></strong> Two spoke very good English and we had a great time getting to know them. The three girls insisted on sharing a room with their children. There is only one double bed in the room so we are not sure how they managed but they are <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>used </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">to sharing and there was </span></span> an <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>unprecedented </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">amount</span></span> of giggling going on. Especially when they tried the shower!(the first time for two of them!) They said it was like hot rain but didn't ask for an <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>umbrella! </strong></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">On Easter Sunday Taps preached and again it was a great time with our <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><strong>versatile </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">worship team doing a great job.</span></span></span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEKDn088fQ5CKg_Rgn3EEG0HKjt2otY_rXfZQycJoNY_1r-Hu42bCle3avUhK237DurcDPMtK2vgSgELIW0KAYPToFEyL4B8ilmsgXy5kN-bsT-CMk8Ct9xHBLgC1pWq_i1EfvtTC8k6Xt/s1600/P4200031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEKDn088fQ5CKg_Rgn3EEG0HKjt2otY_rXfZQycJoNY_1r-Hu42bCle3avUhK237DurcDPMtK2vgSgELIW0KAYPToFEyL4B8ilmsgXy5kN-bsT-CMk8Ct9xHBLgC1pWq_i1EfvtTC8k6Xt/s1600/P4200031.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The worship team taking a lead</td></tr>
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</span><span style="color: black;">The whole weekend served as a <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>valuable </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">occasion to</span></span> establish a deeper sense of <span style="color: red;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">unity</span> </strong><span style="color: black;">amongst the three congregations and was a great opportunity for people to serve.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBoWfCi94WOVcS8SbyVvUHvPzsFCoohJmQW_jWHTiODWWl4ObsyuENdWNJm8FqtJR-UDshasoMdBI1h0kbuOMbLz34GlPs3jniHeyV3eRIp7GS4xsFMa_F2gcm5AnvTbqVkWss9CEoP9Z/s1600/P5010060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBoWfCi94WOVcS8SbyVvUHvPzsFCoohJmQW_jWHTiODWWl4ObsyuENdWNJm8FqtJR-UDshasoMdBI1h0kbuOMbLz34GlPs3jniHeyV3eRIp7GS4xsFMa_F2gcm5AnvTbqVkWss9CEoP9Z/s1600/P5010060.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">X leading the guys in a song and dance. Obi, Zenzo's son loved it!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black;">May 1st is Workers Day and a public holiday in Zim, so we felt it appropriate to ask all of Dave's workers and their families to our house for a braai.Obviously the men are well known to us but we had never met one or two of the wives. They felt </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>very uneasy </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">at first but soon relaxed and started to have fun. A guitar appeared and the men were <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>urged </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><em><strong>(</strong></em>they didn't take much<strong><em> </em><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">urging</span><em>) </em></strong></span><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">to entertain us with some singing. The <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>variety </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">of dancing (especially from Dave) was <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>unusual </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">to say the least!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><br />
Then it was the ladies turn..Shyness <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>vanished </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">as we outdid them with our moves!! I'm fairly sure that both of these days will rank amongst some of the most <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>unforgettable </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">of our time in Zim.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1lrEgQGTfginGW6lOniifwpMf2Z6YhSmWrLUrufMfcKzuZ3bfIyihQAiHKzh4WlU6ZTEcxRVjXNvhrOlWPXUB2K7vcr-eCcxV4U-QbR6ALXqFRyOebu1sZLhzxE3SfOqO5FvBPLwjEy5/s1600/P5010066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge1lrEgQGTfginGW6lOniifwpMf2Z6YhSmWrLUrufMfcKzuZ3bfIyihQAiHKzh4WlU6ZTEcxRVjXNvhrOlWPXUB2K7vcr-eCcxV4U-QbR6ALXqFRyOebu1sZLhzxE3SfOqO5FvBPLwjEy5/s1600/P5010066.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"></span></span></span></span></div>
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</span></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />Dave and June in Zimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07604061327900488136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3728429493706023823.post-63492317068269431062014-04-04T04:17:00.000-07:002014-04-04T04:17:17.805-07:00Two tremendous weeks!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSR_uDBNHEtOvws7x2e8wU3bxUrh1KQDJkwyWxRnfd3eGgTjLTX9j_uPfQ-IuJMkdDNJ2u2VZT0AAT_Edt1L31bttTFD5TO9j8UyiAnnpM4ZzkxSmqfkODGKKnnvYVhRIojsWXac8R392q/s1600/P3240033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSR_uDBNHEtOvws7x2e8wU3bxUrh1KQDJkwyWxRnfd3eGgTjLTX9j_uPfQ-IuJMkdDNJ2u2VZT0AAT_Edt1L31bttTFD5TO9j8UyiAnnpM4ZzkxSmqfkODGKKnnvYVhRIojsWXac8R392q/s1600/P3240033.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Tears </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">flowed when we dropped Graham and Beth at the airport, but we've had a <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>terrific time </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">with them over the last <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>two </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">weeks. We <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>talked </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">non stop and <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>tried to </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">fit in as much as possible. Here Graham and Beth are <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>travelling </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">in style in the back of the <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>truck to </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">visit Hamara Farm where </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Thembalezizwe </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">has a five grade school.</span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCrturCLCzzUYM5lQYbRfy8iB8uOdQYYQBLKPborW-OBIQSEbxYQ0Rw7oFWicN0fRUl3mdmiT0uPCtbPAzwvZivRJOifZnOilEMXkBq32n48-kD4fRbrFR-TAc5ap7CtZn_N97YwTRIu8k/s1600/P3270039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCrturCLCzzUYM5lQYbRfy8iB8uOdQYYQBLKPborW-OBIQSEbxYQ0Rw7oFWicN0fRUl3mdmiT0uPCtbPAzwvZivRJOifZnOilEMXkBq32n48-kD4fRbrFR-TAc5ap7CtZn_N97YwTRIu8k/s1600/P3270039.JPG" height="237" width="320" /></a>Grahams <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>tell-tale </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">red nose after a few days of this <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>testified to the </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">fact that not all the days were cloudy and <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">they </span></strong>saw plenty of sun..... </span></span></span></span>Beth really enjoyed her time at E.C.D. and was a great help. On her last day the children sang their<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Thursday </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">song......</span></span> "<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Thursday </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">is our special day, special day,special day <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Thursday </span></strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">is our special day, its Aunty Beths special day! (sung to the tune of London Bridge is falling down). She had to sit in the middle of the circle while the children <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>talked </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">about</span></span> why they liked her. Apparently she plays nicely, laughs a lot and doesnt hit others!! We are very grateful for Graham and Belindas parenting skills!! </span></span></span><br />
We had a really lovely time when we went to visit Pastor Peter a friend of <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Tope </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">the</span><strong> </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">leader of Jubilee Church, Enfield and a great friend of</span> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Grahams. Peter pastors a large church and also runs a family centre. He and his wife, Georgina laid on an <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">tantalizing</span></strong> spread for us at <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>their </strong></span>home in Bulawayo. What a lovely couple!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNawyhOjosOPnhg4FXBmt8NvS8Cj-GcoAclPJ-VmlseuEWuD7ilywYCM066BCz2hKcOlS48vQIpJG1BtizNe_x7RHhwIhv2Uw_ZgM8unEI7HILRxSnrrI_ZAhCCLGaJih6Z0IR3Nom5-d0/s1600/P3310071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNawyhOjosOPnhg4FXBmt8NvS8Cj-GcoAclPJ-VmlseuEWuD7ilywYCM066BCz2hKcOlS48vQIpJG1BtizNe_x7RHhwIhv2Uw_ZgM8unEI7HILRxSnrrI_ZAhCCLGaJih6Z0IR3Nom5-d0/s1600/P3310071.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tendai and baby Nesia<br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Taurai </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">and <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><strong>T</strong></span><span style="color: red;"><strong>endai </strong></span><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">have been blessed with a beautiful baby girl called Nesia (miracle!) born on <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Thursday </strong><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">the </span><span style="color: black;">27th. So far, Makanaka (2) is very <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>taken </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">with</span></span> his little sister but he also he often <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">totters</span></strong> into school and sits down with the children and is no </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>trouble </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">at all!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDtg0faX1vhF8kRTXac5nIAZKh6BzjsLMkI7MKxdsVczWy_mBcLlJgC5tOAXYIBLCbZdq4ysSQqcC09zscMOdPgsBohDkc7-mWmlt2KMI39bzUy228zeM91-nL1anecMX2dolg266D9yZv/s1600/P3230031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDtg0faX1vhF8kRTXac5nIAZKh6BzjsLMkI7MKxdsVczWy_mBcLlJgC5tOAXYIBLCbZdq4ysSQqcC09zscMOdPgsBohDkc7-mWmlt2KMI39bzUy228zeM91-nL1anecMX2dolg266D9yZv/s1600/P3230031.JPG" height="298" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graham preaching at Hamra with Simanga translating</td></tr>
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<strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">The </span></strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">first Sunday Graham was here we had a joint meeting with all <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>three </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">congregations. A real time of celebration and it was great to all be <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>together. </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">The next <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>time </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">the churches will all be <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>together </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">will be for our Easter Camp! Each congregation will have its own meeting on Good Friday and then all get <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>together </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">on Saturday for seminars and sport activities. People from out of <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>town </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">will then "camp" overnight. Men in the childrens shelter and ladies/ kids in the church building! Should be fun!!! We, of course, will return to our warm bed.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> Camping with Graham and Beth in Hwange with a lion prowling outside has decidedly put me off camping in <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">tiny tents </span></strong>for good!! A very <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>traumatic, terrifying </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">experience, NOT to be repeated!! But thats another <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">tale....</span></strong></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><strong></strong></span></span></span></span><br />
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Dave and June in Zimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07604061327900488136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3728429493706023823.post-16684179194060183442014-03-06T10:05:00.000-08:002014-03-06T10:05:38.219-08:00Surprising supply of snakes!!Yes, I had a <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>scary surprise </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">one <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>starlit </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">evening when Dave was out! (No he wasn't down the pub. He wishes!!!) The dogs alerted me to a <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>snake slithering </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">through the garden. Nellie <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>sneakily </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">attacked it and <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>smashed </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">it around a bit. When I thought it was <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>sufficiently smashed </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">(all one and a half metres of it) I <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>sprung </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">on it with the long handled garden rake, <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>spearing </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">it <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>several </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">times! (Hope you are not too <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>squeamish </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">or eating your <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>supper </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">because it gets worse!) Little did I <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>suspect </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">that this <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>snake </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">would come in <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>so</strong></span> handy..</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ7vZDCee9IGYOvriIOgj_wvFPMgiVZ99YjIJgCK2ZVT42JixaHkpPYNWgexbgjLEDG9ElukF5G1_87Fve-vSLCTlcIpHKjvrqAShyphenhyphencaPvQy3Zc01NTSx2jgefwyDQokpczTtiIsnD6u4X/s1600/P2160039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ7vZDCee9IGYOvriIOgj_wvFPMgiVZ99YjIJgCK2ZVT42JixaHkpPYNWgexbgjLEDG9ElukF5G1_87Fve-vSLCTlcIpHKjvrqAShyphenhyphencaPvQy3Zc01NTSx2jgefwyDQokpczTtiIsnD6u4X/s1600/P2160039.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave with the fish and snake and Nicky screaming!</td></tr>
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When I <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>staggered </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">in from Kidz klub on <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Saturday, </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">I was to discover <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>some </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">of it in the freezer! (thankfully <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">stored</span></strong> in a plastic bag!) Dave had <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>secured </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">its demise by chopping it up when he got home and found Id been such a <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>superstar! </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">His <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>sermon </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">on <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Sunday </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">was from Luke 11 and apparently he needed bread, a <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>snake, </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">eggs, fish and a <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>scorpion. </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Eggs and fish I can do but I wasn't about to <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>supply </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">a <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>scorpion! </strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">There was nothing in my contract about that so he had to be <span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>satisfied</strong></span> with a picture. You should have heard the </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>screams </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">when he <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>surreptitiously </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">produced the rapidly thawing and <span style="font-size: large;"><strong><span style="color: red;">smelly</span> </strong><span style="color: red;"><strong>snake </strong></span><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">from his box of tricks. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
On a more <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>salutary </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">note - <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Security </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">here has become more of a concern of late. There have been one or two <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>stabbings </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">of people out jogging near us and once a year the President releases <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>some</strong></span> prisoners from jail. <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>So... </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">there has been a <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>severe </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">rise in armed robberies and violent crimes. Even the locals feel unsafe and wont walk out at night. We are also aware of many <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>scams </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">going on at the moment and we have to be wise as <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>serpents </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">to avoid being <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">stung! </span></strong></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">There has been a great deal of publicity lately about the corruption that pervades </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>society </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">here. I know it is everywhere but here it is <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>sickeningly </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">common and quite accepted as the norm!</span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefrPcGICZKavUrDALKx-rQaYUxJJVmP3KpmD1bqrEarJjtP-RmxTP2eNGtlIAWcEiIfvbfOZgj8vm4rHnOR0uh74DfLxQuDOv8paOkz9J7AFbEwva-w2Cg3DgH3qAPQNnAHVQl2vK0Hop/s1600/1958121_10153842271625654_914655964_n%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefrPcGICZKavUrDALKx-rQaYUxJJVmP3KpmD1bqrEarJjtP-RmxTP2eNGtlIAWcEiIfvbfOZgj8vm4rHnOR0uh74DfLxQuDOv8paOkz9J7AFbEwva-w2Cg3DgH3qAPQNnAHVQl2vK0Hop/s1600/1958121_10153842271625654_914655964_n%5B1%5D.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The children brought grass from home for <br />
Gods blanket before we planted the seeds</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyHIw85LiQmhA9znz45Xj7NKAbN5SWrONesQqjLkHxxjWnvlxbFcwSvE1R_3Uxai8zeKKXIoAZFv3c18uZL9tNQXUtvkbmYuWeky6HltHHcEXReN6SKpVEG78GgrE6LI9fsV4Y-mc1L-u1/s1600/P2110019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyHIw85LiQmhA9znz45Xj7NKAbN5SWrONesQqjLkHxxjWnvlxbFcwSvE1R_3Uxai8zeKKXIoAZFv3c18uZL9tNQXUtvkbmYuWeky6HltHHcEXReN6SKpVEG78GgrE6LI9fsV4Y-mc1L-u1/s1600/P2110019.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This maize is amazing!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtjb77nF0T_qUYup6OXvzhzql0T45OKtRKknFnUTVGMpF95Qv-6DCrLlkA2uPAr-0aje4I1456x1FFBt6BUzmYZ8HSH2pbFqSNQ-UOHLNSjAEyThQD5v1xivnRTD5QsHUz1d6_wJ72NHgK/s1600/P2190006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtjb77nF0T_qUYup6OXvzhzql0T45OKtRKknFnUTVGMpF95Qv-6DCrLlkA2uPAr-0aje4I1456x1FFBt6BUzmYZ8HSH2pbFqSNQ-UOHLNSjAEyThQD5v1xivnRTD5QsHUz1d6_wJ72NHgK/s1600/P2190006.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">picking the cobs</td></tr>
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The <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>school </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">has been a busy place this week as we admitted 20 more children and</span></span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>snack </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">time at <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>school </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">has been very <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">super</span></strong> as we have <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">snatched</span></strong>, <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>stripped</strong></span>, <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">steamed, served</span></strong> and <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">swallowed</span></strong> the maize we grew in our ECD garden.
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmE4uPYhZKZ4PjSbVcBS8wwOjMNLqDt3Zosn1dLUVd7oV1WXmi6CKGuY7bgCILuCOxL-WJFGmlDMFZkRdlHLEFBSGK5BsDf8rjzoE1QQKL1z8EbHZBrgvReS5yCfUmWHXrNOXgMVxan9_/s1600/1796457_10153842321020654_362047383_n%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmE4uPYhZKZ4PjSbVcBS8wwOjMNLqDt3Zosn1dLUVd7oV1WXmi6CKGuY7bgCILuCOxL-WJFGmlDMFZkRdlHLEFBSGK5BsDf8rjzoE1QQKL1z8EbHZBrgvReS5yCfUmWHXrNOXgMVxan9_/s1600/1796457_10153842321020654_362047383_n%255B1%255D.jpg" height="200" style="cursor: move;" unselectable="on" width="151" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">serving up the cooked mealies.</td></tr>
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The new children are <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>so sweet... </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Most have never <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>seen so </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">many toys. The older children have been very caring and helpful towards them too.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixR6H62X7HvRCil6sXkkWzM_ArMoOxVC8166nQo1Hq9z9KIG6ui83DqQBezVB2ixX7-WRHfcc7crxyyosykg50j3B6McdZuRR_AR3rEC4kpk254rT54ngBENo-LX-ljA8JIlCN9Vh8RRiv/s1600/P2190016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixR6H62X7HvRCil6sXkkWzM_ArMoOxVC8166nQo1Hq9z9KIG6ui83DqQBezVB2ixX7-WRHfcc7crxyyosykg50j3B6McdZuRR_AR3rEC4kpk254rT54ngBENo-LX-ljA8JIlCN9Vh8RRiv/s1600/P2190016.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yum, Yum!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Everyone looks <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>so smart </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">in their new T shirts. (including the teachers). </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Smart </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">and <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Smiley </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">is the only way to describe them all! They have <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>settled </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">into the school routine surprisingly well...... <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>so </strong></span>far <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>so </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">good.</span></span> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>So </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">its <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>so </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">long from me and goodbye from him. (you know who I mean... The <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>someone, snoring serenely </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">in the room next door) </span></span></span></span></span></span> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZuJUShjlek6Zuvs7L7on1Hm6nJNjLm7L46QRk5s9YjkYalc2YrZDZvqdKjSa7kTlkty-Lg66rkprNR_ruXQNqEP_uh76gD6qg6BjA4JwVoFZ9bhHhxFRnY4Rjx4KdvpXrsT9MEAi9wASc/s1600/P3060021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZuJUShjlek6Zuvs7L7on1Hm6nJNjLm7L46QRk5s9YjkYalc2YrZDZvqdKjSa7kTlkty-Lg66rkprNR_ruXQNqEP_uh76gD6qg6BjA4JwVoFZ9bhHhxFRnY4Rjx4KdvpXrsT9MEAi9wASc/s1600/P3060021.JPG" height="108" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and the back view</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXQ0ucnMeYTfAqMTAlW0Z1_OYb_yfykkHgK7DUHj0FUg3uRVMErvqmd5bTYM_UHxGrU9xmqis0bbG-tqljvdw65gMkhZ2LOQ0tz6rWz_aysLD4Aifs0J3BiwXFKwPUImjn2U0BADGs4Jl/s1600/P3060020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXQ0ucnMeYTfAqMTAlW0Z1_OYb_yfykkHgK7DUHj0FUg3uRVMErvqmd5bTYM_UHxGrU9xmqis0bbG-tqljvdw65gMkhZ2LOQ0tz6rWz_aysLD4Aifs0J3BiwXFKwPUImjn2U0BADGs4Jl/s1600/P3060020.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new class with Ma Phiri...</td></tr>
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Dave and June in Zimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07604061327900488136noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3728429493706023823.post-12582135922315202072014-02-01T06:06:00.000-08:002014-02-01T06:06:00.126-08:00Record rain recorded!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihiYaD5gUNgyOmtC9wVxgEdB1ZqG1vgoWXvzrPt8NYXWni1lb270Ta0OJX9r-9VJxXY5ScOzmG7gNTVY76qFhpQRBYAT2zD6RU9L2-PXLEEp9RGM-vqMLRIIqguqDvmFbMuQhxd_P0AZCl/s1600/water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihiYaD5gUNgyOmtC9wVxgEdB1ZqG1vgoWXvzrPt8NYXWni1lb270Ta0OJX9r-9VJxXY5ScOzmG7gNTVY76qFhpQRBYAT2zD6RU9L2-PXLEEp9RGM-vqMLRIIqguqDvmFbMuQhxd_P0AZCl/s1600/water.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running water at Hillside<br />
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After years of praying for <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>rain </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">the prayers have been answered at last! There has been more <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>rainfall </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">this summer</span></span></span></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">than there has been for many, many years. The popular local <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>reason </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">being that the statue of Joshua Nkomo ( a man greatly <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>revered </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">in Matabeleland) </span></span>has at last been <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>reinstated </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">in the middle of the city! </span></span></span></span>The water levels in the dams are <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>rising </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">and there was 95 mm <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>recorded </strong></span>just last night where we live. This is a <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>real </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">blessing to those who planted maize this year. The congregation at Mazwi (Used to be St Peters) have been very blessed as they have <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>received</strong></span> free seed and have planted their plots, largely through the efforts of Graham and Sarah who lead the church there. Of course there is a <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>reverse </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">side to the story too.....</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6ofoATYEQCpmHElOl-0-LumXgySX1eotvT1Bd2g8xW5X8zb_rTXbQvj-B7fCECszKVh8mxoXdtN2dSwVeZm2wTCTd5IY1B_4gpWuC6olgoMclBnXMR6sChORJ_rbZIGWTcz24d5A0LDd/s1600/water+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM6ofoATYEQCpmHElOl-0-LumXgySX1eotvT1Bd2g8xW5X8zb_rTXbQvj-B7fCECszKVh8mxoXdtN2dSwVeZm2wTCTd5IY1B_4gpWuC6olgoMclBnXMR6sChORJ_rbZIGWTcz24d5A0LDd/s1600/water+2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water at Hillside Dams</td></tr>
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For the people who <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>reside </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">in the shacks and the poor houses near the church building <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>ramrods </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">of <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>rain </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">is a mixed blessing as the families then live in a sea of mud under leaky roofs, with no way to get clothes dry. These families take great pride in keeping their children clean and well turned out and in these conditions it is a <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>real </strong></span>struggle. I <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">really </span></strong>don't know how they do it! The <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>reality </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">too is that it is a breeding ground for sickness.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
Also.... producing vegetables in these conditions is a <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>reckless </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">pastime! Cabbages have drowned, tomatoes are <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>ravaged </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">by </span></span>disease and weeds are <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>rampant! </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Working conditions on the church site are also <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>reaching radically </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">difficult proportions</span></span> as it is heavy clay on the site so the men stomp about in wellies caked with about 6 inches of mud. Very tiring work, for little <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>reward. </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">They are </span></span> always cheerful and positive, though and there is a great team spirit among them.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Its amazing to me how quickly you miss the sun! Perhaps God is<span style="color: black;"><strong> </strong></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">preparing</span><strong> </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">us for our <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>return </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">to British weather but we hope the sun <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>reappears </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">soon.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_63z8tbWPkVRHPo5heKFpFU2tWJmYyxgt0NDKLuKlwdSgkd5yI6yqYtyjd4Oigu96QplQsxCO-cSq9GnX_rhchzwy505VQ1kQ5-Tc63WgaDKoZ2IbZipbzb0iONP-w533nYk8I78CiiIR/s1600/P1220015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_63z8tbWPkVRHPo5heKFpFU2tWJmYyxgt0NDKLuKlwdSgkd5yI6yqYtyjd4Oigu96QplQsxCO-cSq9GnX_rhchzwy505VQ1kQ5-Tc63WgaDKoZ2IbZipbzb0iONP-w533nYk8I78CiiIR/s1600/P1220015.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the children starting ECD in March<br />
outside her home.</td></tr>
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I have<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong> realised</strong></span> afresh, <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>recently</strong></span>, the challenges faced by many people here as I have been home visiting the children on the waiting list for ECD, with Samu and Maphiri, two of the teachers who are on training at the<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong> </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">moment</span></span>. We met a Mum who has 6 children but looked so young herself. When I asked Samu about her she told me she had her first child at aged 11, and this is not unusual amongst girls who have not been to school. Like many in these circumstances, she could not even write her name. This encounter served to <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>reaffirm </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">to me just how vital education is as a means of changing lives and giving people hope. Its hard not to <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><strong>react </strong></span><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">with </span><span style="color: red;"><strong>rage </strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">at a system that discriminates against the poor who cannot afford to send their children to school! Not only</span> <span style="font-size: small;">are the parents</span> <span style="color: red;"><strong>required </strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">to provide uniform but also books, pens, chalks,floor polish, photocopy paper, levies, fees, teacher</span> <span style="font-size: small;">incentives, money for building funds... the list goes on! We just don't</span> <span style="color: red;"><strong>realise </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">how blessed we are in the UK!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMeUiLeBXBzRmKQ15lxJgkH_ZC4tsRO6PI8EMqKJqnj-laASAhM1zL_94O2ei4QB0ld-l99eAxeHLMGL7ywhdnbgrKRq_R7j0ht9fdI1RxKY_ulAnelJp6n01wcmW1yUrDoRG-zu4QPAwZ/s1600/P1100003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMeUiLeBXBzRmKQ15lxJgkH_ZC4tsRO6PI8EMqKJqnj-laASAhM1zL_94O2ei4QB0ld-l99eAxeHLMGL7ywhdnbgrKRq_R7j0ht9fdI1RxKY_ulAnelJp6n01wcmW1yUrDoRG-zu4QPAwZ/s1600/P1100003.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L to R Florah, Katie, Maita,(taps and Florahs oldest) <br />
Nikki,Dolly, Noma</td></tr>
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On a social note. We were very pleased to welcome Dolly back to Zim for a visit, after having been studying in Holland for just over a year. She attained a scholarship to study for an MA for 18 months. She was glad to get back to her husband and son for a few weeks and we had a farewell party for her just before she <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>returned</strong></span> a couple of weeks ago. She will be back for good at the beginning of May. What a brave lady to go to a foreign country with all the cultural and weather differences and leave her family behind!<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Respect </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">and empathy <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">received </span></strong>from us !!!!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWIdpU9zipOrZFgYRlbEZr6OPm5EoQOg-Zq8s8D9nItdrg3WOQrgBBB95hUJkXMWjXdruntjPjhswJFqsVb6iUqFRGG70KAO_excKUgoeC86grrobu6NqsoAxTKlrfdQoMV0MqBJnp_efH/s1600/P1100011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWIdpU9zipOrZFgYRlbEZr6OPm5EoQOg-Zq8s8D9nItdrg3WOQrgBBB95hUJkXMWjXdruntjPjhswJFqsVb6iUqFRGG70KAO_excKUgoeC86grrobu6NqsoAxTKlrfdQoMV0MqBJnp_efH/s1600/P1100011.JPG" height="200" width="145" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me with Maita and Rutendo</td></tr>
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</span></span><br />
Well, it is<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong> rumoured</strong></span> that another<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong> rumbustious</strong></span> storm is about to break. <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>R</strong></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>umbles </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">are again <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>rending </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">the skies above the house. Soon <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>rip roaring </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">flashes will<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong> ravage</strong></span> the heavens and <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">rock</span></strong> the foundations and <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>"Raindrops </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">keep falling on my head" because the roof leaks. </span></span>At this point, there are two things to do... Open the door to a <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>r-e-a-l-l-y </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">radically </span></strong>terrified Izzy, so she can <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>rush </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">to</span></span> hide under the table (great guard dog, that!) and then shut off the internet so that it doesnt blow up again.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Ready, </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">steady..</span></span>Dave and June in Zimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07604061327900488136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3728429493706023823.post-58392208427522767082014-01-01T04:07:00.000-08:002014-01-01T04:07:30.328-08:00Quite difficult Q<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><strong>Happy New Year!</strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;">To all our friends and readers. Thank you so much for your prayers, financial support and messages.</span> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: x-large;">Don't <span style="color: red;"><strong>quit quite</strong> </span><span style="color: black;">yet!!</span></span></div>
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A <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>quick</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">catch up at the beginning of a New Year. Well Christmas was <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>quite </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">different from any other we have ever had. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrenFfSkZ5jU9nz3Xv0PHbQlvjNpk127wDEoTp9UUDmL5jM8EY1hPW2EmFwSHUlI6hv8PGm4F6HPzGg4RkhOppJYRmtk0dNMNBNC6B-9rse1mtBJEvcT9Nu4YJnNdlfq9aXkOxcKvwBqWy/s1600/PC220045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrenFfSkZ5jU9nz3Xv0PHbQlvjNpk127wDEoTp9UUDmL5jM8EY1hPW2EmFwSHUlI6hv8PGm4F6HPzGg4RkhOppJYRmtk0dNMNBNC6B-9rse1mtBJEvcT9Nu4YJnNdlfq9aXkOxcKvwBqWy/s320/PC220045.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">54 kids at Trenance enjoyed the party and food afterwards</td></tr>
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We started to get <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>quietly </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">festive with the children's parties for Kidz Klub and Sunday school kids at both Hamara and Trenance the week before. For some, it was possibly the first party they had ever experienced. We played all the traditional games ( a few <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>quibbles</strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> about who won, as normal, and that's just the adults!!)</span></span> and then ended with food which is always a hit.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
A <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>queer </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Christmas morning was spent tidying up some of our vast garden and skyping our <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>quality </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">children and grandchildren. There were lots of <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>questions </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">from us, <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>quizing </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">them </span></span>about who got what, did Danny get his two front teeth and the <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>quantity </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">of sweets Jess had managed to eat before 10am. ? No <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>question, </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">she is her father's daughter! It was lovely to see the family enjoying each other's company, but made us miss them even more!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
At midday we went to spend the rest of the day with our lovely friends, Mark and Heather who produced a magnificent, <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">quality </span></strong>lunch. No <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>quibble </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">it was the best meal I've had all year. Lamb with <span style="color: black;">enormous </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>quantities </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">of veg.We <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>quenched </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">our thirst (it was a very hot day) by <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>quaffing quantities </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">of beer and wine and <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>quietly quivered with mirth </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">while watching highlights of Morecambe and Wise! A lovely time all round.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XujZw2fMsLWTA0QFNlyHoSGKIMPKnFqalUf2rsuGTRvzPIUEm1ynWV2rSivwi08-WlyASsJoFKcM4iAxjg0juh9EBRLIimj7_-KS6GjNxNTmhqavQ5vf99T-_vbIfYfo4CtWLv3rFdNP/s1600/PC260057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XujZw2fMsLWTA0QFNlyHoSGKIMPKnFqalUf2rsuGTRvzPIUEm1ynWV2rSivwi08-WlyASsJoFKcM4iAxjg0juh9EBRLIimj7_-KS6GjNxNTmhqavQ5vf99T-_vbIfYfo4CtWLv3rFdNP/s320/PC260057.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave's poses by the falls. Such a cool dude!</td></tr>
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</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
On Boxing Day, Dave and I managed to escape for a few days. He had been very busy up to Christmas delivering vegetables to the supermarkets and getting up very early. So off we went to Vic Falls. We found a very <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>quiet </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">place to stay and apart from visiting a crocodile farm we were able to just put our feet up and have <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>quality </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">time together.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGhboZz0B-DI4fB6mHfwWQ9GFUCuoJO4ZGmfPVXy0mz0A1bA4sZQ4n9sQa8JFlGlg6b-LZtcSYsrrd75V7fvHIrpxVXUUc2SlSUGjWpAxWaW5xSUKbO9W9CixEMwaANJjA7QIoHowZ73Bd/s1600/PC310001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGhboZz0B-DI4fB6mHfwWQ9GFUCuoJO4ZGmfPVXy0mz0A1bA4sZQ4n9sQa8JFlGlg6b-LZtcSYsrrd75V7fvHIrpxVXUUc2SlSUGjWpAxWaW5xSUKbO9W9CixEMwaANJjA7QIoHowZ73Bd/s320/PC310001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taurai, Dave and Diva showing their moves!!</td></tr>
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Last night, New Years Eve was a night of prayer for the three congregations. It was a really great time of fun, fellowship, worship and of course prayer. Dave did a preach on Joshua which was very powerful and the Holy Spirit was very evident. By 4am I was ready for my <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>quilt! </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">It was nearer 5 by the time we had dropped everyone home and we got to bed for a couple of hours sleep.</span></span><br />
So hope all this makes sense! We have been gardening again this morning but the weather is very wet. A <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>quantity </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: x-small;">of</span><strong> quality </strong></span>rains have come on time this year which has been a real blessing to those who have planted maize. The only trouble is 1BD is now a <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>quagmire! </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">We <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>quip </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">that poor Taurai and Tendai will soon start <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>quacking! <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4-o8sTHS7fMRdOqOIybA9eBj__vheZxd18SpZWAKNviKku8tRVruIpQsBS5iHpvZx6whC1zwfGtwOfnnMy0p26n_WbdIFFRqws-v_C26r5yzJN0a7Udh2GUrXIJ2-swmvj6_LRdk7T_m/s1600/P1010010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4-o8sTHS7fMRdOqOIybA9eBj__vheZxd18SpZWAKNviKku8tRVruIpQsBS5iHpvZx6whC1zwfGtwOfnnMy0p26n_WbdIFFRqws-v_C26r5yzJN0a7Udh2GUrXIJ2-swmvj6_LRdk7T_m/s320/P1010010.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So its you who keeps us awake at night!!</td></tr>
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</strong><span style="color: black; font-size: x-small;">To <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>quote </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">our <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>quite quirky </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">friend Caroline "Oh my word!!"Look who I met in the garden this morning. His ugliness made me feel <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>quite queezy! </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">We also had to kill another snake outside the back door last night which left me <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>quaking </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">and <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>quivering </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">but <em>I </em>was the one who chopped it in pieces using the hoe!! So now I'm the <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>queen </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">of snake killers!!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
Well I must <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>quit </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">for now as there are a <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>queue</strong></span></span></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong> </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">of other jobs to be done and I still have to add in the photos. Wishing you all, God's blessings in 2014 and a whole lot of fun..... </span></span><br />
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Dave and June in Zimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07604061327900488136noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3728429493706023823.post-46276237235385480512013-12-08T06:51:00.000-08:002013-12-08T06:51:14.209-08:00A proliferation of "P" words...As you all <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>prepare</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">for <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>picturesque</strong> </span>snow and roaring fires we are <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>putting</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">up umbrellas and using sunscreen! <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Predictably</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">i</span></span>t makes it very difficult to feel Christmassy! Even the <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>presence</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">of <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>pretty</strong> </span>trees, decorations and even the odd snowman, doesn't seem to <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>produce</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">the right effect.<span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Perhaps</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">its just us because everyone else seems excited about a holiday.Most <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>people </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">don't give or receive <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">presents</span> </strong>as they are too <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>poor</strong></span>, but Christmas is a time for families to get together which is, <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>perhaps,</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">how it should be. It does mean that the site at 1BD is very busy <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>planting</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">and selling <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>produce</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">for the Christmas market. Things have really turned around this month, so Dave has only had to lay one man off! <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Praise</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">God.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMJTq_MaOotYaeaJfvaeUO0HduIIZ4ZsVP2rfRNezNwC6X1i9Y4f3j9nkhXwakch-NJNpzMIX_QZTUAOeLs2yRutLPzWL-8q3Eur6yQWZS2F2sO_f-3TTJzOjFhYD_IElxSthwgFnouCL/s1600/PB270019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMJTq_MaOotYaeaJfvaeUO0HduIIZ4ZsVP2rfRNezNwC6X1i9Y4f3j9nkhXwakch-NJNpzMIX_QZTUAOeLs2yRutLPzWL-8q3Eur6yQWZS2F2sO_f-3TTJzOjFhYD_IElxSthwgFnouCL/s320/PB270019.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The children waiting for the performance to start!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgq2SVr613F0c3Qer8YU7B9SltsryBYcK7YbqjSEEVPoIJB27d2hYTHbksCukiyAS2lAoS9dwRhGt57NCyq-0ofjGLzrA91VF9_LPEVZi9HL4yeW925NqlCUDYjeqMpeyukpuo9cSuKOR/s1600/PB260015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgq2SVr613F0c3Qer8YU7B9SltsryBYcK7YbqjSEEVPoIJB27d2hYTHbksCukiyAS2lAoS9dwRhGt57NCyq-0ofjGLzrA91VF9_LPEVZi9HL4yeW925NqlCUDYjeqMpeyukpuo9cSuKOR/s200/PB260015.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handa's Surprise and Handa's Hen display</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-QXVfm-kmKgtoY_XP17qHAtAbtg3Y_vg7Y-36Dzfn5Hqf0eOfws-Lcn-dcDoE_41z_9mBeM3OGJQi2fqTOkWvgBsRonBuCA-0-iVa1fE1d1VhilD0xtx-Xv6Atl-_3qJD-ytw4okl-M8n/s1600/PB260006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-QXVfm-kmKgtoY_XP17qHAtAbtg3Y_vg7Y-36Dzfn5Hqf0eOfws-Lcn-dcDoE_41z_9mBeM3OGJQi2fqTOkWvgBsRonBuCA-0-iVa1fE1d1VhilD0xtx-Xv6Atl-_3qJD-ytw4okl-M8n/s200/PB260006.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Rainbow Fish display<br />
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We had a great <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Parent's</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">open day at E.C.D. last week . <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Preparation</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">was hard work as we wanted to display <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>paintings, printing</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">and <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>pictures</strong></span></span></span> that the children had done throughout the year as well as <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">photographs</span></strong>. The children also <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>performed </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">for the <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>parents</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">and every child was <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>presented</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">with a <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>personalised</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">certificate celebrating their <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>progress</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">and achievements by the <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>pastor's </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">wife, Florah. The <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>parents</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">were suitably <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>proud </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">and so were we! They sang their songs and recited their rhymes beautifully <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>producing </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">a tear or two at times.
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Dave has been<strong> </strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>preaching</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">a lot lately so it was nice last Sunday to have a relaxing day without the<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong> pressure</strong></span>. I am running Kidz Klubs every Saturday as well so we sometimes feel a bit <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>pooped!</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Both Kidz Klubs have been going so well, though. It was thrilling, a few weeks ago, to see the kids at Hamara <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">performing</span> </strong>what they had been learning at Kidz Klub in the Sunday morning service . </span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27ow4GdFA0n_prlaG5yZ_sTCVaKC5cFvHGWX6aBpckoyUGgfdGGhyphenhyphen0VTe_Mu-lSuiM4Tk8JMhej7oLy4vvk52vQnCkouhaSJzBaIVYedaguKSWlPJ0s1MlV359Oa6AILxXw4i2SD012k_/s1600/PC030030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27ow4GdFA0n_prlaG5yZ_sTCVaKC5cFvHGWX6aBpckoyUGgfdGGhyphenhyphen0VTe_Mu-lSuiM4Tk8JMhej7oLy4vvk52vQnCkouhaSJzBaIVYedaguKSWlPJ0s1MlV359Oa6AILxXw4i2SD012k_/s320/PC030030.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new Jungle Gym in progress</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPNTWhH4J8rEb5JYRWsy1buPCwQNd7IXUC5gN5fJqnuWfn0WhqGR8MyOdXkO3PnnL8q6pF9DR7SJJaysMEa4oqcKSsTDIVkuGk0P9Ij4TDjPM5O8yJoRy1WfQfZMJQFsZnbGi4dY8Xf5H/s1600/PB260013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="89" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPNTWhH4J8rEb5JYRWsy1buPCwQNd7IXUC5gN5fJqnuWfn0WhqGR8MyOdXkO3PnnL8q6pF9DR7SJJaysMEa4oqcKSsTDIVkuGk0P9Ij4TDjPM5O8yJoRy1WfQfZMJQFsZnbGi4dY8Xf5H/s200/PB260013.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The children's paintings</td></tr>
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The other great <br />
development is the <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><strong>play </strong></span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">area</span> </span><strong>paid</strong></span></span> for by West Rise Infant School , my wonderful sister and "Inspire". Thank you all so much. The kids love it, <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Previously</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">there has been </span></span> nothing else like it here! in fact there is nothing for the children and young people of Trenance to do at all. We are </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>pleased</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">to see the number of young <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>people</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">attending the church growing all the time, though. The next step might be to make a soccer pitch for them.??</span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHfSOGwI1CdPgzrfyS4Om-P22TNaauPGWODmqepFGf0mmQfHA3YPncZjOIgMIF_I5nuXoPlFDgY-gHHEvYSVYI7IIder_I__kP8WfXzO4NRR5TV6pc9F4QGZhnh83bVIKGWg1oKkuDQVuq/s1600/PC050051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHfSOGwI1CdPgzrfyS4Om-P22TNaauPGWODmqepFGf0mmQfHA3YPncZjOIgMIF_I5nuXoPlFDgY-gHHEvYSVYI7IIder_I__kP8WfXzO4NRR5TV6pc9F4QGZhnh83bVIKGWg1oKkuDQVuq/s320/PC050051.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nearly done!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQggbZ8y7FmSHW5vLgPgYmx8zXR1HSN_Ep62K8Gf0_HgwhEZyEB0onLdsiQ5wK6_1d93Dm4VaiNTxDvNMEW7j4nibBYab3K4bsBV0qXN1Oq4I4k4pYf6vJwjiMxZpOY9wYG99C5ySyCk2b/s1600/1465288_460702664051013_712509320_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQggbZ8y7FmSHW5vLgPgYmx8zXR1HSN_Ep62K8Gf0_HgwhEZyEB0onLdsiQ5wK6_1d93Dm4VaiNTxDvNMEW7j4nibBYab3K4bsBV0qXN1Oq4I4k4pYf6vJwjiMxZpOY9wYG99C5ySyCk2b/s320/1465288_460702664051013_712509320_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Children praying at Hamara Kidz Klub</td></tr>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Please pray</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">for the church leadership here as we face continual challenges. This has <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>probably </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">been Mike and Taurai's most difficult year. (no not because of us, we hope!) We are also becoming more <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>painfully </strong><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">aware</span> <span style="color: black;">of God's </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>purposes </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">in bringing us here at such a time. Thank you to all those who <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>pray </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">for us as we couldn't survive without it! <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Personal </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">phone calls, skype contact and emails are what keep us <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>perky! </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">We can't <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>profess </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">to being happy about being here for Christmas as we will miss family and friends so much but <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>perhaps </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">we can find some half decent cheese and some sweets and add on a few <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>pounds </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">as normal!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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Dave and June in Zimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07604061327900488136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3728429493706023823.post-91874440907289019952013-10-30T21:26:00.000-07:002013-10-30T21:26:05.890-07:00Obviously, O<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brad Ruth and Ethan</td></tr>
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We were <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>overjoyed </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">recently</span><strong> </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">to meet up again with our <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>"old" </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">friends Brad and Ruth with their little six month old, Ethan. They had to leave Zim last December and the <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>one</strong></span> thing that <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>overshadowed </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">the trip here was that it was to say final goodbyes to friends as they won't be back. The friends they stayed with while here have also been <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">ousted</span></strong> this week!. We will soon be the <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>only ones </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">left! </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">We did manage to grab a couple of nights away with them, though. We visited Great Zimbabwe, a National Heritage site, which was very interesting, although the weather was very English while we were there. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-3t5NCyekIkfCkJ6C8VqvgilJHnKGZQ16SAJbxr7Yc_fd5dOUz5cn9O6FYcSCHA_N1oC3soH8ka8UvQsmTS17-4oITy24rbEe1yX31JgLlITyAHkgz_EG0fclu9nmMDh3t-htk_ZfbTpb/s1600/PA220019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-3t5NCyekIkfCkJ6C8VqvgilJHnKGZQ16SAJbxr7Yc_fd5dOUz5cn9O6FYcSCHA_N1oC3soH8ka8UvQsmTS17-4oITy24rbEe1yX31JgLlITyAHkgz_EG0fclu9nmMDh3t-htk_ZfbTpb/s320/PA220019.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the walls in the mist.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">This ruined city is the largest stone structure ever built south of the Sahara and <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>occupies </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">a large area</span></span>. It is not really <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><strong>odd </strong></span><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">that <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">o</span></strong></span><span style="color: red;"><strong>ccasionally </strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">we like to do something educational!</span> <span style="font-size: small;">They are dry stone walls and enormously thick and, in Dave's </span></span></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>opinion, </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">more impressive than Pevensey Castle. </span></span></span><span style="color: black;">We</span> also went to the game park nearby and were <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>overwhelmed </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">to see a whole host of rhino. (A crash of rhino I'm led to believe)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDO70YckPd6DqNsNsAhSXF2OSXY7bxfy9XA8WiFn1-dUEXLO4saxCBAy1sDTXcphSiESooHu9wliuu2rjjZ8bHd9WmvobIKe2aDNZ7R2OK1HMWHzxARoLv4jy7TStN4wxMSaWE97-CQ7Rn/s1600/PA230059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDO70YckPd6DqNsNsAhSXF2OSXY7bxfy9XA8WiFn1-dUEXLO4saxCBAy1sDTXcphSiESooHu9wliuu2rjjZ8bHd9WmvobIKe2aDNZ7R2OK1HMWHzxARoLv4jy7TStN4wxMSaWE97-CQ7Rn/s200/PA230059.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazing rhino, dehorned to protect them from poachers</td></tr>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Obviously </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">that was a bit of a highlight as many people who have grown up here have never seen <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>one </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">rhino, let alone ten</span></span>. They didn't seem <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">overly </span></strong> bothered by us so came <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>outrageously </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">close and we were able to stay in the <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>open </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">to watch.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisQ2PgzbrM_Yn58w1wLort6FYS9SN966SLqq6AtUyprSe0K8aOWWLwvpSm6ySLCnlaS19M8fVDPR0wMoBt71PMpZLypp6c0-9n2njpOKrczuNyxFnlHBzUnTOKv2AlZVBYC3JUdJCguGMA/s1600/P9270002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisQ2PgzbrM_Yn58w1wLort6FYS9SN966SLqq6AtUyprSe0K8aOWWLwvpSm6ySLCnlaS19M8fVDPR0wMoBt71PMpZLypp6c0-9n2njpOKrczuNyxFnlHBzUnTOKv2AlZVBYC3JUdJCguGMA/s200/P9270002.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the guests at the celebration</td></tr>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"></span></span></span></span><br />
It was an <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">outstanding</span></strong> <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>occasion </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">when Edmund, the chicken out grower, and his wife Ruth invited all the leaders of the church to a celebration meal. Local people do not <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>ordinarily </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">do such things but they wanted to thank everyone for their help and support and to thank God for their changed lives. It was an <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>occasion </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">of great celebration and <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>overflowing </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">gratitude. They are now able to support themselves and their youngest son will soon be <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>off </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">to university.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSpQ1nTADIildgcU8yF65YYbunGQL9lFYEnE4TEuj8tTMZa_kABCfvzgpmgTn-6x6FFuXcFdc7LOcnEs-4IiptlcLEuJGKTJsxuDmO8HjG0VDXd1k78Dmnhqj003u3vRvewoiDzAkKjZ9/s1600/PA190015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSpQ1nTADIildgcU8yF65YYbunGQL9lFYEnE4TEuj8tTMZa_kABCfvzgpmgTn-6x6FFuXcFdc7LOcnEs-4IiptlcLEuJGKTJsxuDmO8HjG0VDXd1k78Dmnhqj003u3vRvewoiDzAkKjZ9/s320/PA190015.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of smiles. Or are they laughing at you darling?</td></tr>
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Dave is having more and more input into the church leadership. This includes showing them his <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>outstanding </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">soccer skills. (He scored the first goal) Mike the elder at Hamara Farm congregation hosted a braai for the leaders and trainee leaders of Thembalezizwe and as they are <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>obsessed </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">with soccer <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>out </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">here, it seemed a good way to get the men interacting. Naturally the game was a bit <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>one sided </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">and the Trenance team won by a mile. (or should that be smile).</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Overcast </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">skies and the <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>occasional </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">shower has been typical of the weather this week, so we hope the <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>outlook </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">is good for <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>outbursts </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">of </span></span>proper rains soon. We have had some <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>outrageously </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">violent</span><strong> </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">thunderstorms <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">occurring </span></strong>too!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Okay, </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">I'd better end here. <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Oops, </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">forgot to say, we are fine, pressing and <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>onwards, </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">trying to <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>overcome </strong><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">the </span><span style="color: black;">many <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>obstacles </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">as best we can.</span></span></span></span></span></span><strong> </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">So from us, until the next <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>overrated </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">blog,</span></span> its <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>over </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">and <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">out!</span></strong></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black;">(acknowledgements to Julliette Farrer for many O words to help my tired brain!)</span></div>
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Dave and June in Zimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07604061327900488136noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3728429493706023823.post-1437339542748983972013-09-29T09:18:00.000-07:002013-09-29T09:18:24.429-07:00I've noticed many negative words start with N!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMeb1a_FK1gOA6O6cnneHGggXkoE_zRBDiLW_4mseVohpAoa7dm3ElLOlX05qwUpJ2rgHYFK6Bh3rSQtu1nW96XxlMZYev6LXDVqK_mYtz7kIab15MsMUkc0nNTOchGXO1YL9mEpWOQqU7/s1600/P9220025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMeb1a_FK1gOA6O6cnneHGggXkoE_zRBDiLW_4mseVohpAoa7dm3ElLOlX05qwUpJ2rgHYFK6Bh3rSQtu1nW96XxlMZYev6LXDVqK_mYtz7kIab15MsMUkc0nNTOchGXO1YL9mEpWOQqU7/s320/P9220025.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The offending tree which pulled down the power lines</td></tr>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>No-one </strong><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">can possibly understand the frustrations of living in a society where <br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>nobody </strong><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">cares about a job well done, or even a job done! Unless you've ever lived here that is... Three weeks ago a whirlwind ripped down the electricity lines at one of the plots, burning two acres of field and the company took three days to get around to fixing it so that the crops could be watered using the borehole pump. Last Saturday a storm brought down a tree on the power lines at 1 B D. Despite repeated requests, begging phone calls and visits, the line was only finally fixed this afternoon, Wednesday. So the plants put in last week have received <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>no</strong></span> water from the pumped irrigation since Saturday and are severely damaged. (The temperatures are in the mid 30's) we have probably lost 1,000 out of the 3,000.When the men did come eventually on Tuesday, they spent three hours sitting under a tree cooking breakfast over a fire and chatting! GRRRRR! It seems to be a <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>National </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">disease</span></span><br />
Some <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">negative </span></strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">happenings can have a positive outcome, though</span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_FNFGMjwRcdaYq8PLha1f77ysB8V6Nd_iARj8mqLkC_PrrePm4b_jMdY3LT4qaauJiDwBGfMQlpu94lt7js7iMmsxfa_-bu6TfLzr7Y-5wSI50k2YhbBwwGjaASBPAwAjwxU3LeCeB7I/s1600/P9180003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_FNFGMjwRcdaYq8PLha1f77ysB8V6Nd_iARj8mqLkC_PrrePm4b_jMdY3LT4qaauJiDwBGfMQlpu94lt7js7iMmsxfa_-bu6TfLzr7Y-5wSI50k2YhbBwwGjaASBPAwAjwxU3LeCeB7I/s200/P9180003.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Taking cabbages home</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: red;"><strong>Never </strong></span><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">have we seen so many happy ladies as were at 1 BD last week. The cabbages, <span style="color: red;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">not </span></strong><span style="color: black;">fit to sell because of a moth infestation, were offered to the locals free. Many of the E.C.D. parents and their friends came to cut them either to feed their own families or to sell for a few rand. Several loads went to St Peters too as they are really suffering out there. </span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgohj55ymjokHbwcrPjvazTWcMg8gP5O9EipebFr85MNqzKVHEKtx1oJ62U6t06ps6DC4INKIe0crfjgqMNMWCL7RLuWnlZA9Q8T25aXHv_fiASyb1aQCL7g6xjvXW_DLYJ8roxobt_-Nh4/s1600/P9180005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgohj55ymjokHbwcrPjvazTWcMg8gP5O9EipebFr85MNqzKVHEKtx1oJ62U6t06ps6DC4INKIe0crfjgqMNMWCL7RLuWnlZA9Q8T25aXHv_fiASyb1aQCL7g6xjvXW_DLYJ8roxobt_-Nh4/s320/P9180005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cutting the cabbages</span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">It is a sad fact that many people are feeling the effects of lack of resources here and some are definitely going hungry and starving. We monitor the children's height and weight at ECD and none have gained weight and many have lost! <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Nevertheless </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">they are the happiest, most loveable children you could wish to meet. <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>None </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">of them ever complain and are always so obedient. </span></span></span></span> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicgUL-j1aFPxemx1JZCcrK1pHHduqC8PxJBRlKuwkj5tlWUdEU_SC26yU_aj50SQbQ0kRrbpb6J5w1nu1xchgw0LaqdWn5Vpjq5PlaQ3Ekv0bT6095KQSzfqK1-AdYOsr3lORO2AHy_A-I/s1600/P9210022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicgUL-j1aFPxemx1JZCcrK1pHHduqC8PxJBRlKuwkj5tlWUdEU_SC26yU_aj50SQbQ0kRrbpb6J5w1nu1xchgw0LaqdWn5Vpjq5PlaQ3Ekv0bT6095KQSzfqK1-AdYOsr3lORO2AHy_A-I/s320/P9210022.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eating lunch together before the long walk home.</td></tr>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">The</span> </span><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>number</strong></span><span style="color: red;"><br />
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">of children attending the Hamara kidz klub has increased of late as the church has decided to feed them. Many of the kids walk at least 3k to get there and by the time we finish at 12 are unable to face the long walk home on an empty stomach. Here they are enjoying sadza, rice and half a sausage. In case you didn't know, it is traditional to eat with your hands out here but rice is a bit tricky so spoons are provided! <br />
</span><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Nature </strong></span>
</span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">is running wild here now summer has arrived and the Jacaranda trees are beautiful with their purple blossom covering the streets as well as the trees. All the streets are tree-lined here so its quite a picture at times.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlfrueOoOCBJP-DPp1GEyc3JxzWKFGllZiM-4cdxatYP1ejXiRz5Qbt6Wx_FG1ai9Bk5x4dfGxu3hQAisRiynoRhs31G9QjXltS6AdrtXsTymRdVQU9Cinq0Oa8QC1qn-C9lWKTcqS208/s1600/P9260006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlfrueOoOCBJP-DPp1GEyc3JxzWKFGllZiM-4cdxatYP1ejXiRz5Qbt6Wx_FG1ai9Bk5x4dfGxu3hQAisRiynoRhs31G9QjXltS6AdrtXsTymRdVQU9Cinq0Oa8QC1qn-C9lWKTcqS208/s320/P9260006.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Jacaranda trees lining a road in Suburbs</span></td></tr>
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</span></span> <strong>Nothing </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">seems to be going right at 1 BD at the moment, so Dave is finding it particularly tough, as there is little income and the future of the plot looks bleak.. We are looking for answers but at the moment they are <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>nowhere </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">to be found, it seems! <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Neither </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">of us can believe that it is right for guys to lose their jobs, but at the moment it looks as if there is <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>no </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">alternative.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>Next </strong></span><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">time we hope for better <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>news </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">and "O" being</span></span> </span> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">positive like my blood, so until then <strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">night, night...</span></strong></span></span> </span></span> </span><br />
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Dave and June in Zimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07604061327900488136noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3728429493706023823.post-42385970370772689842013-09-03T09:39:00.000-07:002013-09-03T09:39:56.849-07:00Mmmmmmmm!!!??<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><strong>M</strong></span><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>any</strong></span> things have happened since our return to Zim. <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><strong>M</strong></span><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">ostly</span> </strong>BAD!! How did the <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong><span style="color: red;">M</span></strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>issionaries </strong></span>of old do it without the support of friends, family and church on the internet? <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>M</strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><span style="color: red;">ammoth</span> </strong></span>problems with the crops through an infestation of <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Moths </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">(at least they start with the right letter!) </span></span>greeted us on our return, together with a stolen spare wheel, <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Money </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">illegally taken from our bank account, a <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Motor </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">vehicle ripping into the front fence at the site at 1BD, a combi backing into our stationary car, I <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Mean </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">What is going on??? Well we know the <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Man </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">behind it and we won't give in although <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><strong>M</strong></span><span style="color: red;"><strong>orale </strong></span><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">has been pretty low at times! Sometimes it feels as if we are <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Making </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">our way through a <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Maze.. </strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">and we just can't find the right way. It is often hard to <span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Motivate</strong></span> ourselves so please keep praying for us that we hear the </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Master's </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">voice clearly. Sorry to <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Moan.</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">There is some</span><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> positive news in the <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Midst</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">of the</span> <strong>Muddle! </strong></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgduRMVdeJQTkXX2NGf2StD8XLSrjbiICsHe5WlbpprGDxDGgg3dwCvbCRKmjxLMcWOAOPla0aj-7-I6dv5dHhsPljdL_bj6FGpH0jnf1UakLglLQXYKYDeNg-VXYgLQSXAbaP-QtzyIaDb/s1600/P8240184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgduRMVdeJQTkXX2NGf2StD8XLSrjbiICsHe5WlbpprGDxDGgg3dwCvbCRKmjxLMcWOAOPla0aj-7-I6dv5dHhsPljdL_bj6FGpH0jnf1UakLglLQXYKYDeNg-VXYgLQSXAbaP-QtzyIaDb/s200/P8240184.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the groups praying for each other</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0pIenhe4cd0PpJbSjA-DNOWsiTIWSOmuZBXh_OxGEDa1N5ZjnVEqy3QNC3wGCq5XCR2ZPMN9gJiPLjMrI4VSlLiQIcHseIevrXc8LEE1NC_o9qCCMfMfkD2FI3b41CMI1KvX1IiL0BMqL/s1600/P8240179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0pIenhe4cd0PpJbSjA-DNOWsiTIWSOmuZBXh_OxGEDa1N5ZjnVEqy3QNC3wGCq5XCR2ZPMN9gJiPLjMrI4VSlLiQIcHseIevrXc8LEE1NC_o9qCCMfMfkD2FI3b41CMI1KvX1IiL0BMqL/s320/P8240179.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave doing his thing at Alpha with Simanga translating</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black;">Two weekends ago we had a </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Magical </strong><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">time with about 70 young people on their Holy Spirit weekend. They are all students at Ebenezer Agricultural Training Centre. Dave did all the talks and the response was amazing with <span style="font-size: large;"><strong><span style="color: red;">M</span><span style="color: red;">any</span></strong></span> salvations and people being filled with the \spirit and speaking in tongues. That <u>was </u>an encouraging time! <br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Mama </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">June (that's what they call me here) is really looking forward to getting back to school this week as I've <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Missed </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">the kids a lot. We are also back with Kidz Klub next Saturday so no <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><strong>More</strong> </span></span>loafing about in the sun for</span> <strong>Me!</strong></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0nt6gOb9QG4XDrDXAa1mcFriZbQipBO2r4e6tWKUJPzHK2PFIItc_v0d2eD4ytleONlHmNK459qcogvKNamdRC8sAJYhEMqM5HUI3xkMxpJMj7jAizaOy3LH7GY_1yesH0YaM3XZmdfoc/s1600/P8290185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0nt6gOb9QG4XDrDXAa1mcFriZbQipBO2r4e6tWKUJPzHK2PFIItc_v0d2eD4ytleONlHmNK459qcogvKNamdRC8sAJYhEMqM5HUI3xkMxpJMj7jAizaOy3LH7GY_1yesH0YaM3XZmdfoc/s320/P8290185.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noma still looking traumatised but happy with her new teddy.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Sadly one of the children from the ECD was quite badly burnt on her feet with boiling water last weekend. The wounds got infected and she is still in hospital. So <span style="font-size: large;"><strong><span style="color: red;">M</span><span style="color: red;">any</span></strong></span> children are left in the care of older siblings when their parents need to try to earn some <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Money.</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">We have visited, prayed for her and taken her food and toys but hospital here is not a nice place to be! Her grandmother, who looks after her,(her own mother had her when she was 17!) had to leave her other three children behind in Trenance on their own and we found they had no food! The ladies from the church have since been keeping an eye on them. <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Medicine </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">is also very expensive out here so we will need to make sure that Noma gets all she needs once she is at home. I'll close with a picture of our two lovely <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Mucky, Mischievous, Mixed - up, Mad</strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> and</span> <strong>Muddy </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">dogs who help to keep us sane..</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyjuBt67vH61-u7cBWkREEu7DniMo7prY8obp-AAOJHMn_EbGgj-7nDYUvB8HvoWgCHjz1slreJL4wVwvIdkk-8j4lOvTkwaOVpJlnOpx26S-zvCC-bmQcQHvdU_-uhGNvqs8IC6bKdTP9/s1600/P5230009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyjuBt67vH61-u7cBWkREEu7DniMo7prY8obp-AAOJHMn_EbGgj-7nDYUvB8HvoWgCHjz1slreJL4wVwvIdkk-8j4lOvTkwaOVpJlnOpx26S-zvCC-bmQcQHvdU_-uhGNvqs8IC6bKdTP9/s320/P5230009.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">(well I had to get some more M's in somehow!)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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Dave and June in Zimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07604061327900488136noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3728429493706023823.post-16820974857740699582013-08-10T06:25:00.000-07:002013-08-10T06:25:58.290-07:00What the L?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6DEEUjy_4I-kxI454p7ncUtXwRXvBkCForeb_He-H-5i0D7B11YrKMyLerIs1X2Br8bFMzc6WK-FP2r6vUdUnK7M1d7KWOQNePd3sJxxeDLaZjRqRRpj4K1mUJdSvZnjYAWnZhtABqrY1/s1600/P7270097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6DEEUjy_4I-kxI454p7ncUtXwRXvBkCForeb_He-H-5i0D7B11YrKMyLerIs1X2Br8bFMzc6WK-FP2r6vUdUnK7M1d7KWOQNePd3sJxxeDLaZjRqRRpj4K1mUJdSvZnjYAWnZhtABqrY1/s200/P7270097.JPG" width="198" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys Birthday Party</td></tr>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><strong>Long </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">flight <span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><strong>long </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">sleep and now we are back to normal (almost)! The past three weeks has been amazing. Such a <span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><strong>lovely </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">time with friends and family (you know who you are!). <span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><strong>Longing </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">to see you all again...<span style="font-size: x-large;"><strong><span style="color: red;">L</span></strong><span style="color: red;"><strong>aughing </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">at some great memories that will keep us going for a while! Glad to say that Toffee the <span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><strong>Labrador </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">still remembers us as do many <span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><strong>Long standing </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">and</span><strong> loyal </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">friends!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtPS_0CspE2N0seWTly28YuPjcAhjB1bdoVxWVYmbhaMnmPVRvy8tyXgcMuJsSbmS6FVej6rra9c1vSw3symfIGBB476zdD1xbJiYerB6X1A_tLM7-mpQ0CK0Utq9660vUkcizmsHCrzQ4/s1600/P8020121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtPS_0CspE2N0seWTly28YuPjcAhjB1bdoVxWVYmbhaMnmPVRvy8tyXgcMuJsSbmS6FVej6rra9c1vSw3symfIGBB476zdD1xbJiYerB6X1A_tLM7-mpQ0CK0Utq9660vUkcizmsHCrzQ4/s320/P8020121.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The family in Constable Country</td></tr>
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Our <span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><strong>long-suffering </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">family</span><strong> </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">were amazing and treated us <span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><strong>like</strong></span> royalty, feeding us and treating us far beyond the call of duty. What a privilege to have such wonderful kids! We really enjoyed <span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red;"><strong>lying in, loafing about, </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">and </span><strong>listening</strong> </span><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">to your stories. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7vkCRgUMMotO2CD6dEt8g7IK8Pdgj8etEgxIb3ViqYGc_TQjR5K4TngK7PnVH6FjmspoiiJgfV449JAPkgd67GBQZmD2vkhWzXdqTy_tR7IidzXEAE6xMX6sh1cQbG4zhHJlhuzWkEjLU/s1600/P7270090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7vkCRgUMMotO2CD6dEt8g7IK8Pdgj8etEgxIb3ViqYGc_TQjR5K4TngK7PnVH6FjmspoiiJgfV449JAPkgd67GBQZmD2vkhWzXdqTy_tR7IidzXEAE6xMX6sh1cQbG4zhHJlhuzWkEjLU/s320/P7270090.JPG" width="217" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emily the Diva</td></tr>
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</span><span style="color: red;"><strong><span style="color: red;">Last</span></strong> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">but not</span> <span style="color: red;"><strong>least</strong> <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">thanks</span> <span style="font-size: small;">to</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="color: black;">the</span><strong> </strong></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;"><strong>leaders </strong><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">and members</span><strong> </strong></span></span><span style="font-size: small;">of Kings Church, the best Church family in the world, who support us in every way, especially in prayer, and for which we are eternally grateful.</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><strong>Looking </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">forward now to another year with, hopefully, some <span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><strong>let-</strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><strong>up</strong></span> in the opposition <span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">and</span><strong> less </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">problems! We will <span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><strong>leave</strong></span> </span>you with this thought.. <span style="font-size: x-large;"><strong><span style="color: red;">"</span></strong><span style="color: red;"><strong>L" </strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">is not a place you want to visit and <span style="color: red;"><strong><span style="font-size: x-large;">love</span> </strong><span style="color: black;">you all!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>Dave and June in Zimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07604061327900488136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3728429493706023823.post-1964591370064754402013-07-04T08:13:00.001-07:002013-07-04T08:13:49.116-07:00So now its K.<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvgS5wBpN8ZFCJXn1qEcenPKvglgeYFC4K6jSeNTwasR5g7oi1fFHttJC1F0JlMDXOBxeLjwXdl0NqqnWRnMJzDm9U0frSTcHjx7teDBhCM_HfWP-7azBAPdIFBN4LkoOFmCStzSwKZJgb/s1600/P6270075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvgS5wBpN8ZFCJXn1qEcenPKvglgeYFC4K6jSeNTwasR5g7oi1fFHttJC1F0JlMDXOBxeLjwXdl0NqqnWRnMJzDm9U0frSTcHjx7teDBhCM_HfWP-7azBAPdIFBN4LkoOFmCStzSwKZJgb/s320/P6270075.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watch out for the crocs, Adz!!</td></tr>
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Adz Brennan has been our most recent visitor and fortunately for him he came <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">kitted <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">out with </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">the normal goodies required by the Deans if you want to</span> </span><span style="font-size: large;">keep </span><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">in our good books and don't want to be <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">kicked <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">out! </span></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62GZe2TU8S83JrT3LvJKPtEBwYBOBNNMNhAuF1tjcUdTjiQC5EyXbbhxYTXN4CA3Iu2wQnGS4sOlLoIy_CI0taIJ1upgDNsUZLj6IxT6mgpK8gxNToLiFwhA1PWg8JpuuMB3a9dmC24ID/s1600/P6250057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62GZe2TU8S83JrT3LvJKPtEBwYBOBNNMNhAuF1tjcUdTjiQC5EyXbbhxYTXN4CA3Iu2wQnGS4sOlLoIy_CI0taIJ1upgDNsUZLj6IxT6mgpK8gxNToLiFwhA1PWg8JpuuMB3a9dmC24ID/s320/P6250057.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The offending lion.</td></tr>
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He brought cheese and chocolate... Hallelujah! I'm only <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">kidding <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">of course. </span></span>Its not necessary, but it certainly helps!! Adz wanted to work alongside Dave while he was here so he was up at 5.30 more than once and didn't even have a <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">kip <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">in the afternoons.</span></span> Being a student I'm not sure he had <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">known</span> of this time even existing, but I'm sure he has learnt a lot from the experience. He was heard to say one day,(and I quote) "It's amazing what you can get done by 9 o'clock isn't it?" It wasn't all work while he was with us ,though. We took him to Chipangali, a wildlife rescue centre. Graham and the family had enjoyed going there to see the lions fed so we thought Adz would too. Sadly boys will be boys and Dave and he decided to wind the lions up by rattling their cage! One of them responded by turning his back and spraying them! That's what you get for messing with the <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">king</span> of the jungle! I know its not <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">kind</span> to laugh but I just couldn't help myself.</div>
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The <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">key <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">to wildlife spotting at Whovi Game park, we discovered is to <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">kick <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">back the covers and get there early. So we arrived before 7 am after a 50 minute drive and one of the first things we saw were two rhino! This is very unusual as there are only 15 in the whole park and many native Zimbo's have never even seen one! Whovi is the only place in this part of Zim that you can see them because they are poached relentlessly. So its good to know the rangers there have A<span style="color: red;">K</span> 47's with them!</span></span></span></span>
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very quiet we managed to observe them for about 10 minutes before a man on a bike came along and frightened them off. Another amazing spot was a baby giraffe born the previous night and still struggling to stand. A very <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">knotty <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">problem when you're born six </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where's my Mum?</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Adz came to us a week before the rest of his team from the <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Kings</span></span><span style="color: red;"> <span style="color: black;">Arms</span><span style="color: black;">,</span> </span><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Bedford came to lead some meetings in New Creation Church and then churches in Harare. We had a good time with them as leaders and enjoyed the meetings in the evenings too. Lots of evidence of <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Kingdom <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">power in healings and people being set free. </span></span>The team are on their way to Harare as I type...</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favourites, the hippos.</td></tr>
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It hasn't been all play, though it may sound like it to you. Dave has been very busy selling what seems like thousands of cabbages to different outlets and I am back at school for the second half of the term. We don't break up until early August here so have a 4 week break then. We still don't know if elections will happen any time soon although registration is being carried out at the moment. <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">K</span><span style="color: red;">idz Klub </span><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">continues to go well each Saturday as we look at some Bible Heroes. </span></span><br />
The Alpha course at Hamara has been awesome as the <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">keenness <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">of the church members and the <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">kindness <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">of the farm in providing chicken each week has been amazing. </span></span> On June 23rd (<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">kindly <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">arranged as a birthday treat, NOT) we had the Holy Spirit day with Dave doing his usual act of telling everyone about how romantic he was when we first met and using me as his stooge. I was made to carry a bag of mealy meal on my head instead of the usual back pack in one illustration! Nine people gave their lives to Christ and several were baptised in the spirit. Who could ask for a better birthday than that? When we get back from our trip it is planned to run an Alpha in Trenance.</span></span></span></span></div>
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We are back to the U.<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">K <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">in just two weeks time now, to visit <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Kith <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">and</span> Kin! <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">We can't wait to see everyone and especially to give the <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">kids <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">and </span></span> grand<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">kids</span> a <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">kiss. <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">And to our friends in Eastbourne get the kettle on... I'd <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">kill <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">for a cuppa of good English tea...I'm going to give my <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">keypad <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">a rest now as I spent two hours writing this last night only to lose it!! So now I'm feeling well and truly <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">kippered!!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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Dave and June in Zimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07604061327900488136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3728429493706023823.post-78048139118526033212013-05-25T22:29:00.001-07:002013-07-03T10:36:36.326-07:00June's jolly journal!<span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Jumping Jehoshaphat! <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">(well J is a very difficult letter!) The 21st century has arrived in Zim at last with a new shiny cultivator for X to play with. Many thanks to the people who gave finances and made this possible. </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihzvo3dXvzuEv0glcpm2vYxB6mNMEjMgUptTpazrz3nOJIqQxVMP4Znns-vL2DtxgHmOI-E_PiItI-M5PSXYJZU4Tr9Kf6YfF37Y5ZlfNqjlXS1PbBavbOexujlw8mEhAWQu5AVA0pLpoz/s1600/P5220002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihzvo3dXvzuEv0glcpm2vYxB6mNMEjMgUptTpazrz3nOJIqQxVMP4Znns-vL2DtxgHmOI-E_PiItI-M5PSXYJZU4Tr9Kf6YfF37Y5ZlfNqjlXS1PbBavbOexujlw8mEhAWQu5AVA0pLpoz/s320/P5220002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">X playing with his new toy</td></tr>
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The ground at 1BD is very difficult to work as it was bush less than a year ago and the machine has enabled the guys to get much better seed beds prepared for things like carrots. Some of the first carrots grown were exceedingly ugly as the ground was too solid for them to grow straight although they were able to market the <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">jumbo <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">ones. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">We are praying for righteous <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">judgement <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">on the gang of ten who broke into the site and kidnapped the guard and took him away at knife point. He was later released once they had got far enough away with their six bags of maize which had only been shelled that day! The police don't seem that interested in getting anyone in <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">jail!<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> It is very disappointing for us and the men to see their hard work being wasted like that</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Jerseys<span style="color: black; font-size: small;"> and <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">jackets </span>are definitely needed now in the mornings and evenings (and <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">jammies <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">and hot wolly bollies in bed) </span></span>as winter is here but, if its not too windy it is still quite warm in the day.We would love to send dear old England some sun because I'm sure you're all feeling a <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">bit</span> <span style="color: red;">jealous </span><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">of us....</span></span></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXpz7JRFozrxwuvhgh3LL83NqzGmUS-SoDJGAQwrXu-IApGNLvbIRecP6JXCoV-zADh3GCzPwuQdzMvWDKzLssYOHcXqwDoEN9vjKOkxAmhl-9r6uMSZUDLPznv1TRnAKPQjruQz1NGDgn/s1600/P5120050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXpz7JRFozrxwuvhgh3LL83NqzGmUS-SoDJGAQwrXu-IApGNLvbIRecP6JXCoV-zADh3GCzPwuQdzMvWDKzLssYOHcXqwDoEN9vjKOkxAmhl-9r6uMSZUDLPznv1TRnAKPQjruQz1NGDgn/s200/P5120050.JPG" width="200" /></a></span></span></span></span></div>
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</span></span></span></span>At the beginning of the month we had Mother's Day and after the morning meeting all the mothers at Trenance contributed and we had a meal together. A very <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">jolly <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">time was had by all. As you can see I really enjoyed the <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">juicy </span>chicken and rice.</span></span><br />
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Dave introduced the novel idea of the leaders serving the ladies, (culturally unheard of in Matabeleland!) but we think it was <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">just</span> to get his <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">jaws <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">around</span></span> the food, really!(No, he hasn't changed)</span></span><br />
Our dear friends, Mark and Heather, are leaving Zim for the next two months as they have been refused residency again, (although ours<u> has</u> been renewed) so we have inherited another dog, temporarily at least. Nelly is eight months old and she and Izzy get on so well that its not really a hardship! We hope our friends will be allowed back in when the time comes.<br />
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We are very excited to say that an Alpha course started at Hamara Farm (one of the congregations), at the beginning of the month. Dave did the second talk to which about 90 people came. They are really fired up for it and we watch with interest to see how it works in an African culture. The ladies doing the catering start preparing at midday and cook chicken, sadza and cabbage on open fires. We are planning to start one in Trenance soon as well as St Peters. (I'm not volunteering to cook though!)<br />
This Sunday we have a <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Joint <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">meeting with all three congregations for a vision Sunday.</span></span><br />
We are pleased to say that we will be <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">jetting <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">your way in <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">July <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">for a short visit. We miss our family and friends and the church so much, we can't wait to catch up and anyway it means I can postpone doing the letter K for a bit longer as thats worse than <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">J! <span style="color: red;">Just Joking.......</span></span></span></span></span></span>Dave and June in Zimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07604061327900488136noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3728429493706023823.post-14868621310266820512013-04-19T00:13:00.000-07:002013-07-03T10:36:36.282-07:00I,Aye, Eye<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Izzy resting on the sofa on the veranda</td></tr>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>It's Impossible </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">to describe how much pleasure <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Izzy, </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">our dog gives us. She is a real character and so affectionate. As she is so large she is a great deterrant to would be <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>intruders </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">too! She has a habit of lying like this. We're not sure if it's to cool her undercarriage or she thinks she is human! We sometimes take her to Hillside Dams for a walk and she loves travelling in the back of the pickup.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Florah with Tinaye</td></tr>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Infant </strong><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">Chizana </span><span style="color: black;">is the <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Image </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">of his Dad and his sister Rutendo! Here he was 7 days old and is growing rapidly. Naturally Taps and Florah are delighted to have a boy after two girls. Florah's Mum is staying to help out for a while.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Imagine </strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">our amazement when local people stopped to ask X if 1BD could do a Field Day to show people how to farm! This is just what we were hoping the development of 1BD would achieve, inspiring others in the community to greater vision and opportunities. The Field day took place a week ago and was a resounding success.</span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prayer before the speeches in the children's shelter</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">X talking to some of the visitors</td></tr>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Invitations</strong></span></span><span style="color: black;"> were sent out to other churches, local councillors and the governor of Bulawayo. Unfortunately they couldn't all come but we had about 120 peple in all and it was a great advert for the church as well as the site. The ladies doing the catering excelled themselves, producing traditional foods over the fire as zessa was off! It was all delicious and the church hall was decorated beatifully with maize stalks and flowers from the bush. </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>I </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">was so proud to be part of such a great church family.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQ8k88h9-8wcWD6qhRjzrvnPtlVFszSIrnScGN8r3gP8B_CjmbaqzllPr9iV16WBY8O8uv0DWWZ5Sn1m016lNKWhDCr6sk4x6C1QaJANYuEVggjFB7jaAlqr5V2KYWsGbyP7dITGma9Ck/s1600/P4110031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMQ8k88h9-8wcWD6qhRjzrvnPtlVFszSIrnScGN8r3gP8B_CjmbaqzllPr9iV16WBY8O8uv0DWWZ5Sn1m016lNKWhDCr6sk4x6C1QaJANYuEVggjFB7jaAlqr5V2KYWsGbyP7dITGma9Ck/s320/P4110031.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the catering team waiting to serve the amazing food</td></tr>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Instead </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">of going weekly with Kidz Klub at Trenance we have decided to start one at Hamara farm and did a trial run 2 weeks ago. This Saturday we start for real! Samanga, the pastors wife, is a teacher at the school there and is very keen so has a great team organised which makes it easy for me. I plan the programme and they do it! We will do the same programme at both sites on a fortnightly basis, one week Hamara, the next week, Trenance.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Immigration </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">have still not approved our permit yet so at the moment we are having to go to the offices every month to get our passport stamped, which isn't a problem, but with elections coming up (still no date fixed!) we're not sure if any decision will be made in a hurry! So the waiting goes on...</span></span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Is </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">it my imagination or is this year passing quicker than ever? The leaves are falling and the mornings and evenings are cooler, so winter is definitely on the way. Perhaps spring will have arrived in jolly old England by the time you get to read this. Let's hope so..</span></span><br />
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Dave and June in Zimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07604061327900488136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3728429493706023823.post-48080719432470639622013-04-04T07:56:00.000-07:002013-07-03T10:36:36.303-07:00H is for HAPPY!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYEUvqcB8pagpgchnRaqMg5ucAoMtVmUxriuxZ6j_xtzRZWJL6dt-oCN1pXSBmelPunN1i4y-ur-YuczHKulWv1ZD_V09dNt50Wi5vVKzB8umhGeG-9Adh_ivbU5ARSftLffz9AR0F4xh/s1600/P3290025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYEUvqcB8pagpgchnRaqMg5ucAoMtVmUxriuxZ6j_xtzRZWJL6dt-oCN1pXSBmelPunN1i4y-ur-YuczHKulWv1ZD_V09dNt50Wi5vVKzB8umhGeG-9Adh_ivbU5ARSftLffz9AR0F4xh/s320/P3290025.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 'men', Taurai, Graham, Wilson, Dave and X talking business!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: red;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Happy Easter!</span></strong> </span><span style="color: black;">A bit late, I know, but sincerely wished all the same! We had a lovely time at Graham and Sarah's on Good Friday, </span><span style="color: black;">eating in the garden with some of the other Thembalezizwe leaders and families. The children loved the pool and it was great just to relax.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwt2tg9o-Ex4L2UujF_M1UYSpg4KRbKYLeD-hrQV7Y9lFHDPBtvMSPwcqwM5u5pRiuG6PlvDqPz9l6-OwUtHDfk7u-Gvnotk8OS7xCnUYfZ8r6YchQTb6MtTRwPbxYYOEVRuuQT7c6pgM/s1600/P3290024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvwt2tg9o-Ex4L2UujF_M1UYSpg4KRbKYLeD-hrQV7Y9lFHDPBtvMSPwcqwM5u5pRiuG6PlvDqPz9l6-OwUtHDfk7u-Gvnotk8OS7xCnUYfZ8r6YchQTb6MtTRwPbxYYOEVRuuQT7c6pgM/s200/P3290024.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The children having fun in the pool</td></tr>
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<strong><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">Happy Day!</span> </span></strong>Then on Easter Sunday we had a guest service which Dave preached at. There were at least 15 guests and 4 responses to the Gospel. I had managed to make some blinds for two of the windows so Dave could use the projector for a powerpoint presentation for the first time. The catering team did a great job of providing cakes and serving drinks afterwards too. A really powerful morning.</span><br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Samu with the children before the wheel came off!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"> <strong>Happy Holidays</strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">are now being enjoyed by the school children here including the E.C.D. We have 5 weeks off in all! </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave and X off to the supermarket with cabbages and tomatoes</td></tr>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Happy </strong><span style="color: red;"><strong>children</strong> </span><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">enjoyed a donkey cart ride the day we broke up and thought it was <span style="color: black;">hilarious when one of the wheels came off the cart when they were half a mile away from the school and they all tipped sideways and had to walk back. It would never happen in England!! </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">Here we have some </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Happy farmers </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">off to the supermarket with cabbages and tomatoes. To date Dave has sold 2 tonnes of tomatoes from the church site! At Easter we gave all the guys from the site lunch of polony sandwiches, chicken and coke, as a thank you for all their hard work <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Happy workers! </strong></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"></span></span></span></span></span> </div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dave was very put out that in the last blog I forgot to say that he was my <span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Hero</span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;">. <span style="font-size: small;">Just before Graham and Belinda arrived we were woken one night by Izzy barking and barking. Dave went out to find a snake on the veranda. He bravely attacked it with the broom and killed it. </span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Happy wife! </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">It was only when we looked it up on the internet that we found out it was a Puff Adder, the snake that kills more people in Africa than any other! I'm <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Happy </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">it's the snake that bit the dust and not Dave!! Dave insisted on keeping his prize for Graham to see but it got so smelly Graham ended up burying it...</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wilson and Anna with some of their children and a niece.</td></tr>
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This <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Happy family </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">photo is of Anna and Wilson with their children in their new home in St Peters. Anna featured in one of the earliest blogs with her ninth child William who is now 11 months old. We took Phil and Sarah Varley and their four children , who are visiting New Creation church from Kings Catford as they wanted to see how the people out there are coping with all the challenges they face. The families are really pleased with their 2 roomed houses as they can call them their own and be settled for the first time in their lives. Wilson is trying to start a vegetable garden and has found water by digging a well, but has lost a lot of his plants to white ants.</span></span></div>
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The latest <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><strong>H</strong></span><span style="color: red;"><strong>appy event </strong></span><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">in the church has been the arrival of Taps and Flora's little son Tinaye Micah Chizana on Easter Sunday. Haven't seen him yet but they are all doing well and the girls love him!!</span></span><br />
Now <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Happy hour </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">is upon us. No I'm not drinking! Just a reminder that now your clocks have changed, we are only one hour ahead of you instead of two... Just in case you thought of skyping..</span></span><br />
Well I am now <span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong>Happy </strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">to sign off as uploading photos onto the blog is such a challenge here and this blog has taken two days to complete!</span></span></div>
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<br />Dave and June in Zimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07604061327900488136noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3728429493706023823.post-53718612231868760572013-03-07T06:07:00.000-08:002013-07-03T10:36:36.305-07:00Geeeee!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Relaxing at Hillside Dams</td></tr>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><strong><u>G</u></strong></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>is for<span style="color: red;"> Graham</span> and Belinda, Jake and Beth who have recently been out for a visit. It was so lovely to spend time with them and be able to show them what we have been up to. It was such a </span><span style="background-color: white; color: red;">good<span style="color: black;"> time of sharing our hearts and being encouraged by them. But we are seriously missing them now! </span><span style="color: red;">Gulp!!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sarah singing happy birthday to Pieson</td></tr>
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They really enjoyed visiting the <span style="color: red;">gorgeous </span><span style="color: black;">children at the </span>ECD which has now been running for five weeks. The 24 children have settled really well and love playing with the toys. Many of them are from really poor homes so won't have had toys to play with or experienced structured activities before. We run the school very much like a reception class in he UK, so the children have free play, structured play and focussed activities based around literacy and numeracy. They have begun to join in the songs (sung in English) and love Ring a Ring o Roses which must be a bit double dutch to them!! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjhlbvZrkYo_8hMCfKeDOVU1vL-06xIoDs3766oG91h4HI4wJbWh1pbNGvtuIwb1jqb2q8GY0b02oVRmf-ItQL3kQlaGrieus33Y6_pe1HuU1s59co_kOQ1ZQ9yAys1bs6ltIvYvVGnBE/s1600/P3050005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjhlbvZrkYo_8hMCfKeDOVU1vL-06xIoDs3766oG91h4HI4wJbWh1pbNGvtuIwb1jqb2q8GY0b02oVRmf-ItQL3kQlaGrieus33Y6_pe1HuU1s59co_kOQ1ZQ9yAys1bs6ltIvYvVGnBE/s320/P3050005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">X talking to the children about butternut seeds</td></tr>
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<span style="color: red;"><strong><u><span style="font-size: large;">G</span></u> </strong></span> is for <span style="color: red;">gardening. </span><span style="color: black;">Baba X spent some time with the children this week teaching them how to plant seeds and grow them according to Farming God's way.</span> <br />
So far they have planted butternut and green beans and will be watering and weeding as well as eventually eating them as part of their education. X also talked to them about how amazing God is to be able to turn one seed into many as he cut open a butternut for them to see.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yEjsqwCuUYUzt-zcQ6pT5fMQZNjDeMvy4ljFZaMImJQFrWwpal9TUmlq_EDJPwAc6YR-srV8GGApWnofqu-2qGsVU-DUSSZRwg1JJ3NgIoevXb4LQRlnm-pbz6YO3eiSwdEF0rZx_8tR/s1600/P2220061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4yEjsqwCuUYUzt-zcQ6pT5fMQZNjDeMvy4ljFZaMImJQFrWwpal9TUmlq_EDJPwAc6YR-srV8GGApWnofqu-2qGsVU-DUSSZRwg1JJ3NgIoevXb4LQRlnm-pbz6YO3eiSwdEF0rZx_8tR/s320/P2220061.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><strong><span style="color: red;">G</span></strong></u> is </span><span style="font-size: small;">for more <span style="color: red;">growing. </span>The</span></span> cabbages you saw </span><span style="color: red;">growing </span><span style="color: black;">at Lewis' have now all been sold. Many of them went to local supermarkets and here we are pointing them out in TM's! I think we look pretty <span style="color: red;">glamourous!</span> Since this, about 15,000</span></span></span><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"> more cabbages have been planted on the different sites. Our application for a renewal of our Residents permit </span><span style="color: red;">Grinds </span><span style="color: black;">on and on! We have been asked for more details in the last two days and are madly trying to get information together. The inspection of all the projects linked to the business took place last week and now we have to wait and see what happens. Its all quite exhausting and depressing as you get the feeling you are not really believed or wanted! </span></span></span></div>
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I will sign off here with a <strong><u><span style="color: red;">GOOD NIGHT!</span></u></strong></div>
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Dave and June in Zimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07604061327900488136noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3728429493706023823.post-6048969742915688692013-01-29T04:45:00.005-08:002013-07-03T10:36:36.310-07:00Zim alphabet D,E,F<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7z2RrAFpKLjDigbq_dGq5ve4QYJQGKFDNQAgxwkXdUe51HA0sK-vYKS7wH7xIAs_J_gpYusNrjT94nYpZNasqbA3cxjYfeBkvaJS9ipP7qSLGWngZ78HtZokR1FvRPJ77gO5tIGNOTIeK/s1600/P1040045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7z2RrAFpKLjDigbq_dGq5ve4QYJQGKFDNQAgxwkXdUe51HA0sK-vYKS7wH7xIAs_J_gpYusNrjT94nYpZNasqbA3cxjYfeBkvaJS9ipP7qSLGWngZ78HtZokR1FvRPJ77gO5tIGNOTIeK/s200/P1040045.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;">A...All</span></span><span style="color: black;"> is well, </span><span style="color: red;">B</span><span style="color: red;">...Bat</span><span style="color: black;"> safely removed. (see photo) </span><span style="color: red;">C....Clearly </span><span style="color: black;">its</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;">Definitely</span> better weather here than in the UK! Though the children (and teachers) who have been off school probably won't agree... The children here are back in full swing at school, although many of them have not been able to go as they can't afford the uniform, or the books, or the school fees and levies. I asked a lad who approached me as to whether I had any writing books at home, how many he needed to take to his new secondary school and he said 32!! He is </span><span style="color: red;">desperate </span><span style="color: black;">to go but his Gogo (grandmother) who looks after him can't afford the uniform or books that he needs. His mum has gone to South Africa, a common story here. He is just one of many!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: red;">E </span><span style="color: black;">is for </span><span style="color: red;">exciting </span><span style="color: black;">n</span><span style="color: black;">ews.. Hopefully the new <span style="color: red;">Early Childhood Development</span> centre will open next week. We have been busy visiting the families in the shacks that live nearest to the church building and collecting names of 4 year olds. We have a planning meeting next Monday and then its all systems go!! The school will be open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in the mornings during term times. So that's retirement out of the window then!!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRah1101HQfmNoAhr-wv_FHkHQ6ciGTfkiXZKN2vovect8O-WxfbMkk8KRGF0LnVDcMZ_U4naRWqnaF1GRMq2pvpP6LGe49GG6ZWqHNp_C2Ax2ShStM4LxY43UwhcIec8Qrbbt66YTdn3k/s1600/P1130049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRah1101HQfmNoAhr-wv_FHkHQ6ciGTfkiXZKN2vovect8O-WxfbMkk8KRGF0LnVDcMZ_U4naRWqnaF1GRMq2pvpP6LGe49GG6ZWqHNp_C2Ax2ShStM4LxY43UwhcIec8Qrbbt66YTdn3k/s320/P1130049.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave playing ball with the children after church.</td></tr>
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More <span style="color: red;">exciting </span><span style="color: black;">news is that the first of the houses at St Peters has been completed and the occupants are a man of 93 and his wife. The first house they have <span style="color: red;">ever </span>owned! We were there at church where Dave was preaching a few weeks ago and were amazed to find 33 children in the Sunday School too. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4GXT0gZx65CsVjzpJi103k5TpzgC67sNuW01D_OzEBUq7C8J9xZcD4zsT0lv3tl-YtUX6wVtnNso08FWIq1VyUkvkjHfjlzNfvpP4adhMygb1HxnR2S6ebWSlK0DYq9ubwbe4ZIKmy8U/s1600/P1120047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4GXT0gZx65CsVjzpJi103k5TpzgC67sNuW01D_OzEBUq7C8J9xZcD4zsT0lv3tl-YtUX6wVtnNso08FWIq1VyUkvkjHfjlzNfvpP4adhMygb1HxnR2S6ebWSlK0DYq9ubwbe4ZIKmy8U/s320/P1120047.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hows this for cabbages!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: red;">F</span><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;">ollowing</span> a few heavy downpours the vegetables in Lewis plot are looking very well</span><span style="color: black;">. (Many thanks for the prayers for rain but keep going as we still need more!) and Dave is beginning to supply the new supermarket near us regularly. It is called </span><span style="color: red;">Food </span><span style="color: black;">Lovers Market which is very Dave don't you think?</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUSnYt2qBbeiMOnr4-UAcN6e_eH_hYq1Zzod2J9HO0Q6N474AnNgsVIqRuCQfIZVqE21rX7x-4Frp2BqLSNK5kYsH8chfiVkoyKT-GOpReUz9fXdyivqBqygiB_4AEMzJ8LDbnt_dKsyFs/s1600/P1270039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUSnYt2qBbeiMOnr4-UAcN6e_eH_hYq1Zzod2J9HO0Q6N474AnNgsVIqRuCQfIZVqE21rX7x-4Frp2BqLSNK5kYsH8chfiVkoyKT-GOpReUz9fXdyivqBqygiB_4AEMzJ8LDbnt_dKsyFs/s320/P1270039.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomatoes with maize in the background at 1BD</td></tr>
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The 1BD plot is also progressing, though not ready to harvest yet. It has caused quite a stir in the community and they keep talking about what the white man is doing. Not exactly what we want!! <span style="color: red;">F </span><span style="color: black;">is for <span style="color: red;">Fence</span> thieves too! X arrived at the site one morning to find that the top two strands of barbed wire running the entire length of the site had been stolen. $200 dollars worth! The new wire has been daubed with paint and is now connected to the second strand. You learn from such mistakes!</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">F </span><span style="color: black;">is for </span><span style="color: red;">Finishing.. </span><span style="color: black;">I have written this over a two day period as I keep getting interrupted, so I just wanted to add that this morning we were up at 4.30 to go to help pick beans at Lewis'. We picked 80 kg (that's176lbs, for the oldies who still work in old money) with the help of X and 3 others. The word that comes to mind is </span><span style="color: red;">FOOL</span><span style="color: black;"> and</span><span style="color: black;"> now I'm </span><span style="color: red;">Flipping </span><span style="color: black;">stiff!</span><br />
It is very satisfying, though and Lewis can't believe that he is now a producer of top quality vegetables. Now I'm <span style="color: red;">falling </span><span style="color: black;">asleep so until next time.....ZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz</span><br />
<span style="color: red;"></span>Dave and June in Zimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07604061327900488136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3728429493706023823.post-41414029231930854382013-01-04T02:07:00.000-08:002013-07-03T10:36:36.291-07:00 ABC of Zim<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><strong><u>A</u></strong> </span></span><span style="color: black;">is for <span style="color: red;">arrived </span>safely! We had a good journey. Thanks to John Gwynne who delivered us to Heathrow, SAA who flew us safely and the ever faithful X who picked us up at the airport! What a great time we had in England, but it just flew by too quickly and here we are <span style="color: red;">again </span>suffering in the heat!!!! </span><span style="color: red;">Actually </span><span style="color: black;">it rained here the night we were travelling. Yippee!! So it was ideal for planting those tomatoes and cabbages, yesterday, that Dave was telling you about.</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><strong><u>B </u></strong><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">is for <span style="color: red;">bonjour. </span><span style="color: black;">It was very sad to say goodbye to so many family and friends </span><span style="color: red;">but </span><span style="color: black;">it was also extremely encouraging to us to know that so many read the drivel I write on the<span style="color: red;"> blog</span> and that so many people are praying for us. </span><span style="color: red;">Bags and bags </span><span style="color: black;">of thanks to all those who sent us off with gifts of money, so generously given to the work out here. We will keep you up to date with progress...<strong> </strong></span><span style="color: red;"><strong>B</strong> </span><span style="color: black;">is also for the<span style="color: red;"> bat</span> that has taken up residence in our living room and which I will have to send packing at some time, when I can pluck up the courage and find some gloves!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><strong><u>C</u></strong> <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">is for <span style="color: red;">Christmas, </span><span style="color: black;">gone but not forgotten. We have such great memories and a few photos to remind us. What a wonderful church and family we belong to! Worshipping in English with such quality musicians was such a blessing. We now face the big </span><span style="color: red;">challenge</span><span style="color: black;"> of making things sustainable here, if its at all possible. </span><span style="color: red;"><strong>C</strong> </span><span style="color: black;">is for <span style="color: red;">communication...</span> On opening the blog (having got the Internet re-connected as we were cut off because we weren't here to pay the monthly bill)I found that the last one I wrote 3 days before we left Zim didn't send so Ive sent it with this one. The January sale 2 for 1! How good is that?</span></span></span></div>
Dave and June in Zimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07604061327900488136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3728429493706023823.post-22377676517121003282013-01-04T01:52:00.000-08:002013-07-03T10:36:36.286-07:00Counting down again<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTN8nAuuPBZcLDnQ42ZJPHdssgq6X7M2xm-XngWFQRCnE9mUy750zDQb43uzgz9M0juix83FGBe2nLGrBdU2ksBTYZKkMu0lnUp96AQ6KVgKPqJP8IHDvXfniuMVT01ewuIJ4AQb_iYGRb/s1600/PC020010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTN8nAuuPBZcLDnQ42ZJPHdssgq6X7M2xm-XngWFQRCnE9mUy750zDQb43uzgz9M0juix83FGBe2nLGrBdU2ksBTYZKkMu0lnUp96AQ6KVgKPqJP8IHDvXfniuMVT01ewuIJ4AQb_iYGRb/s320/PC020010.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Praising under canvas</td></tr>
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I know I said the previous post would be the last before returning to the UK, but I couldn't resist just updating you on this last week in Zim!</div>
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Last Sunday was a special one for the New Frontiers churches here in Bulawayo, as we had a combined service at the New Creation site in town. Scott Marques was down from Harare and gave a very relevant message about being content in God.</div>
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It was so encouraging to see everyone together and that TLZ was the largest group there!</div>
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After the meeting we all ate together of spit roasted pork and beef, sadza and cabbage, prepared by the ladies of TLZ- fantastic!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TLZ guys in the foreground, including Ezra in pink with Martha!!</td></tr>
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There were then games for adults and a 'jumping castle' for the children. It was a great social occassion especially for those from the rural and semi rural areas. It was also a sad day for the city church as it was the last day in Zim for Claire and Phil Biggs and their girls Hannah and Sophie, who have had to return to Birmingham to start life anew.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The girls working hard while Taps waits for food!!</td></tr>
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On Wednesday we had a lovely surprise as our life group had organised a secret party for us to say goodbye! they brought loads of <br />
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food with them and a big chocolate cake. It was so thoughtful of them and we were totally overwhelmed... One of the highlights of the year, I think!<br />
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Dave and June in Zimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07604061327900488136noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3728429493706023823.post-85788805359113798552012-11-25T07:33:00.001-08:002013-07-03T10:36:36.330-07:00Countdown!<div style="text-align: justify;">
Counting down.... U.K. Here we come! Not long now....</div>
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This will be the last blog before we get back because I will be packing!!! We are soooooo looking forward to seeing all our friends and family and.... getting water out of the taps, eating cheese, butter and lamb, driving on smooth roads with NO road blocks, not having to queue up to pay bills every month, buying with plastic! The list goes on but.... we're NOT looking forward to being COLD! Its in the high 30's here but still no rain of any consequence so the maize hasn't been planted yet and the optimum time is before the 25th of November, so please pray with us for that!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVGOIlmMfRHtCtT6OkCnqe4n7NpHGyxsjdhaBiiBNk-9hGLau1j-KeSeqJWWFszwO3VjfzO_ze-oHFyYLGlDe_DkU_edf-hqZda9_vsaHlzkUo7nc4WEnDwO96MpX26V3FKb6g_V73JzT/s1600/PB140001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVGOIlmMfRHtCtT6OkCnqe4n7NpHGyxsjdhaBiiBNk-9hGLau1j-KeSeqJWWFszwO3VjfzO_ze-oHFyYLGlDe_DkU_edf-hqZda9_vsaHlzkUo7nc4WEnDwO96MpX26V3FKb6g_V73JzT/s200/PB140001.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the cabbages yet to be planted</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zenzo said this was worse than going to the gym! (aching legs)</td></tr>
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Here you can see (from the left) Lewis, Zenzo and Kilion planting 3,000 cabbages on Lewis' plot. The next day they planted bush beans, beetroot and carrots. Behind them is spinach which is just coming to an end. Its great to be able to go and pick fresh vegetables for ourselves and the workers, just like at home!</div>
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Last week I was able to visit Morning Star, a farm in the Motopos owned by Chris and Norma (surname unknown!) I went with Ruth Biddulph who has been out here for 18months with BMS. She and her husband have had their work permits refused and have their second appeal in to Immigration who seem to be refusing to make any decisions at the moment with elections pending. So poor Brad and Ruth return to The UK a week after us not knowing if they can return. They expect a baby in March so will not be back until June even if they are allowed. We will miss them alot as they come to Thembalezizwe and are great fun. Brad has also been invaluable to Dave in the building process, so we are really hoping we see them again out here.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helping the sewing ladies.</td></tr>
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At Morning Star, Norma has been running a sewing group with some ladies for the past 3 years, so I was picking her brains and loved seeing the things they have made. When we visited the ladies were making Christmas tree garlands using fabric, beads and seeds. They get a small share of the profits and really make a social occasion of their weekly get together. They are all HIV positive and bring their babies with them. They also take extra work home with them to sew by hand. I'd love to see a similar thing happening inTrenance in the future to empower ladies there. The most difficult thing is to find a market for what is produced as Bulawayo does not have any tourist industry to speak of any more and nobody has any cash. So it will need some thought and investigation.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole group plus babies</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a lovely blanket!</td></tr>
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On her last trip home Ruth had collected some beautiful hand made blankets that her Mother-in- law had made with ladies from her village in Devon.</div>
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village. She is an unmarried mother of 17 and her little boy is 4 months old. This time last year she was still in school but had to leave in February.</div>
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Chris and Norma also do alot of work with the local schools and have won some funding from the Roger Federa Foundation for the next three years to upgrade the schools and put training in place for the teachers.<br />
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The farm is in a beautiful setting in the Motopos but they too are having difficulties with water as their borehole is very low due to the lack of rains in this area. In Harare they have had quite a bit already!<br />
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Pleased to say the children's shelter at 1BD is now complete and they have been using it for the past 2 Sundays. <br />
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The chicken at Edmunds are growing fast after a set back with diseased and are now on a countdown to Christmas! Which brings me back to the beginning........ We are definitely counting down!!<br />
P.S. I am finishing this off on Sunday 25th and it is raining raining raining!!!</div>
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Dave and June in Zimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07604061327900488136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3728429493706023823.post-44712734020519325012012-11-06T09:11:00.001-08:002013-07-03T10:36:36.294-07:00Chick, chick,chick,chi-i-i-i-i-i-icken<div style="text-align: justify;">
As I am truly English I will talk about the weather first! It has warmed up a lot this week after a cool one last week. The trees and grass are greening up after a few showers but the real rains haven't arrived yet. We are hopeful that these will come next week so that Dave (not him personally) can get the maize planted. The men at 1BD site have dug 36,700 holes and put in fertilizer ready for the seeds! That's a lot of holes.. 5 acres of land in all. </div>
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They are now trying to complete the house ready for Tendai and Taurai to move in. The wall are being painted as we speak, but not by me, this time thank goodness! I<u> have,</u> however<u>,</u> been painting walls all of last week as a young man moved into our cottage in the garden yesterday. He is a friend of X and was wanting some independence from family. He is a member of New Creation church and seems a really nice guy and has a company car so living this far out isn't a problem to him. We would have loved to offer accommodation to a member of our church but we live the opposite end of the city which would have taken them out of their community and made getting about difficult for them.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new broiler shed. The far end is sheeted up ready for chicks</td></tr>
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Dave (yes he did a lot of the work) has just finished building a new broiler shed at Edmund's house. Last week we put in 350 <strong>chicks</strong> in his old shed and then 4 days later 500 <strong>chicks </strong>into the new house. The netting isn't in place on all of it yet as the lady who weaves it hasn't finished! She has a type of loom and makes it for a living. How cool is that!!!</div>
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You can see how cold it was last week as the little girl in the front is wearing a dragon suit and a coat!!! But the sun still shines..</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave and Edmund unpacking the chicks from their boxes</td></tr>
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There is a massive market for <strong>chicken</strong> here at Christmas so that's what these fluffy little things are destined for- - A Christmas Feast!! So far the <strong>chicken</strong> project hasn't made any money as there is always difficulty in getting people to pay up. They take<strong> chicken</strong> on the promise of payment the next week and next week never comes, so we have learnt the hard way! But we are beginning to build a market with a Supermarket and Hotel, so we don't think we will have any trouble getting rid of this present batch <u>and </u>getting paid. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">500 little dickie birds sitting on the floor, one named...</td></tr>
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As you can see they have a special drink (which is yellow), during the first few hours to help their stress levels. (I wonder if it works for humans??) </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The congregation at St Peters meeting in Anna's home (tent)</td></tr>
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Church is going fine and we are managing to organise things so that each week someone can get over to St Peters to preach. Graham and Sarah Giles will be the main contacts as they have a real heart for the people there but they are in England for the next 2 months so it is quite challenging for a small church like ours. Its also quite surprising to find that the tin shacks that the people of St Peters vacated are again being lived in by others. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing musical<strong> chickens!</strong></td></tr>
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Lastly, Kidz Klub is still going well and being enjoyed by the children and adults! Here are a couple of pictures from last Saturday. We had about 70 kids this week and quite a few were new ones which was great. So I'll sign off here until next time......</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tendai and Ruth are <strong>chickens!</strong></td></tr>
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Dave and June in Zimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07604061327900488136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3728429493706023823.post-38093164285761509952012-10-08T06:42:00.000-07:002013-07-03T10:36:36.289-07:00Exciting news!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zenzo at 1BD</td></tr>
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Meet Zenzo, a young man who has been working at 1BD since we started clearing the site. At first he lived in the building but now he and his wife live 2 hours walk away, but he is always at work by 7.30 when they start. Last week he asked if he could be born again and X, the site manager led him to the Lord!! A great encouragement to Dave and all of us and hopefully the first of many. He is such a hard worker and so appreciates having a job after being out of<br />
work for so long.<br />
The house is being wired and plumbed this week and is progressing well. The children have been meeting there for the past few weeks just to get them out of the sun, but now a start has been made on the children's building so hopefully they will soon have their own place to meet. <br />
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We had an amazing time today, Sunday. Firstly we had our first meeting at St Peters, where the families have been relocated from the shacks. Taurai and Tendai, Graham and Sarah and Diva and Noma went over and they had a great time with 17 adults and 10 children there. So now Thembalezizwe has 3 congregations! </div>
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In Trenance, we had a guest speaker, an old friend of Taps, from Harare. The Holy Spirit really fell on people and many were set free and impacted by the message about healing of the heart. many people are bound by jealousy and by things from their past, so it was encouraging to see God moving so powerfully.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sophie and Hannah outside their school</td></tr>
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On Friday we were surrogate grandparents for Hannah and Sophie. Their Dad is an elder in the city church and each year their school has a grandparents day. We had the privilege of standing in as their grandparents are all in the UK. We were treated to tea and cakes, a short concert and then were able to look at their books. It was quite strange to see them still using the old fashioned desks with lids and to be sitting in rows, but it is a good Christian school although the fees are very high. All children have to pay fees each term here in Zim and they seem to go up all the time.</div>
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Kidz Klub number 5 went well on Saturday, although we have lost quite a few children to St Peters.</div>
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About 5 children brought friends for the first time so we keep encouraging them with extra sweets!!</div>
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The helpers are great but I am having a bit of an issue with reliability, so we will have to work on that!<br />
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We are well and doing fine. Please keep the comments coming!Dave and June in Zimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07604061327900488136noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3728429493706023823.post-60278836564287181262012-10-01T09:59:00.000-07:002013-07-03T10:36:36.308-07:00Each One Reach One. Teach One<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sunday 23rd was Vision Sunday for Thembalezizwe and everyone was very excited as both congregations met together. Dave went the extra mile and picked up the people from St. Peters where the squatters are being re-housed. a journey of about 30 k along very rough tracks. It turned out to be a very interesting journey as his brakes failed on the way to church with his loaded truck!! (it turned out that the brake pads had disintegrated in less than 3 months) Thats Zim roads for you!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking Communion and praying in groups at Vision Sunday</td></tr>
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Despite that we had a great time, where the leaders summed up how far we had come in the last 18months and where we are asking God to take us in the next year or so. They had felt at the beginning of this year that God was putting in front of the church, an open door and there were testimonies of personal breakthroughs as well as a summary of the doors God had opened for us as a church.</div>
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The congregation over the two sites is now 200 including children. Just 15months ago, when we first visited, it was about 60! God has been so faithful.. Whilst praying, the leaders really felt that God was saying we should be looking to be 400 by Christmas 2013 and in order to get there, Taps was encouraging us with the slogan<strong> 'Each one, reach one, teach one'.</strong> </div>
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This past Friday night we had another all night prayer meeting from 9pm to 5am. I must confess we don't always look forward to these.. It is probably our age! But it was a really powerful and blessed time and the hours just flew past. It was very much focused on reaching out and everyone is really excited about the prospect of another new congregation in St Peters!</div>
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The families that have been moved there are desperate for us to start a Sunday meeting there as it is so far out it would cost them too much to come by combi (public transport) and the church does not have the finances to pay for it.</div>
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Basically World Vision have put them in tents (plastic draped around poles with a corrugated tin roof) out in the bush with the promise of their own house. The houses haven't been started yet and there are no facilities there. So it is very grim but the people are happy as it will be their own home eventually, but with the rains on the way, we can see disillusionment setting in quite soon.</div>
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Taurai is going out tomorrow to see if it is possible to hire a building or the school in the village which is about 3k from where they are living at the moment, to enable us to set up a church meeting on Sundays and on Wednesday Dave is taking him out on a pastoral visit as several of the church members are ill, which isn't really that surprising. There seems to be a lot of sickness around at the moment, probably due to the water cuts. Last week we had water for 3 hours Monday morning and it was then off until Wednesday when again we had 3 hours in the afternoon. Off then until Friday when a trickle came through for 2 hours but it was so brown you didn't even want to wash in it! Then it was off until Saturday lunchtime but on all day Sunday. That was a real blessing as we had a life group BBQ (Dave refuses to call it a braii!) With hangers on and children there were 29 here altogether. It was for Dolly who is in our life group and is leaving to take up a scholarship in the Netherlands to study for a Masters in water management.(or what to do when water eventually comes out of the tap! (joke) ) She is an environmental health officer here. She will be away for 18months and leaves her husband and 6 year old son behind which is very brave. We are thinking of planning a life group outing to visit!! </div>
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This Sunday (30th) was Gift Day. The leaders are looking to buy a vehicle for the church (a small truck) in which people can be transported as it is so difficult for the two, let alone three congregations to get together. We often have 20 or so bodies in our Navara but as the church grows the problem will only get bigger!</div>
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Spring has arrived now and many of the trees are in blossom, particularly the Jacarandas which are purple and stunning when fully out. All the roads are tree lined here so it is very pretty and amazing to me that things continue to grow after 8 months without water! </div>
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A few prayer points.. That we have good rains this year, that we can secure a venue to meet at St Peters and for protection for the families there while the houses are built. Thank you for all your support in prayer and communication. Look forward to your news and comments.</div>
<br />Dave and June in Zimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07604061327900488136noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3728429493706023823.post-64028240934049552032012-09-17T06:34:00.001-07:002013-07-03T10:36:36.315-07:00Winning and LosingI must say, it still feels strange to have reached the beginning of September and not be thinking about a new term, new class etc. I guess that comes from a life-time of teaching and working on a September to July school year. The kids here went back to school on the 11th but their year ends in December. We are still hopeful of starting the Early Child Development Centre in January and are pressing ahead with the application and meeting with local ministers. <br />
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Our immediate concern is for the church children on a Sunday, as they have to meet out in the open at the moment and the rains will start in October. (we actually had some drizzle last night!). We have had an increasing number of kids on a Sunday, since we started Kidz Klub and would really like to split them into different age groups. The material they are doing at the moment isn't suitable for all of the children and means basically they sit and listen for about an hour or more in the blazing sun! So the plan is to put up a simple structure that will give them shelter from sun and rain but won't cost the earth. (quite a challenge as materials are so expensive here). This building will be started as soon as the house for Taurai is finished<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The house at 1 BD</td></tr>
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The house now has a roof and this week the men will start the plumbing. It will be so lovely for Tendai and Taurai to be able to turn taps to get water instead of having to fill large containers from the bore hole and to have hot water and a shower. That is assuming there is water in the taps! The cuts continue and it can be very frustrating as you can't plan showers/hair washing or even clothes washing. I will definitely appreciate these things a lot more when we get home! We are so spoilt in England... <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ears to be proud of!</td></tr>
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I have been spending more time at home recently so am pleased to have Izzy for company, although we are having to discipline her a lot at the moment as she has completely made herself at home and thinks she's the boss! She has been waking us up several times in the night knocking at the door to come in and crying most pathetically.. As she is still only 10 months, she is still chewing things and has eaten one cushion from the veranda sofa already, so she is not always too popular with her master and is often compared to Toffee. I try to cover her ears so that her self-image isn't destroyed by these comparisons, but as you can see that's a challenge too as they are the biggest ears I've ever seen on a dog!!<br />
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Being at home, has meant that I can also spend time doing some admin. for Taps which I hope will be helpful to him and also the church as a whole. We are counting numbers on Sundays to monitor growth and have devised follow up forms for visitors. We are also asking Life group leaders to fill in attendance forms so that the Elders can see who is and who is not attending, as commitment can be a problem here. Next Sunday is Vision Sunday when we will be joined at Trenance by the Hamara congregation. This will be the first combined service since they planted out last September and we hope we all fit into the building!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wayne and Wonderman playing with cars</td></tr>
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<strong>Although the congregation at Trenance is growing and we had 5 people respond to the gospel on Sunday, we are also loosing quite a few families over the next few weeks, as World Vision are re-housing the squatters from the shacks. They are to be re-housed to the West of Bulawayo so most won't be able to afford to travel back on a Sunday.</strong> <br />
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You may remember Anna with the 9 children, who had a baby a few months ago. She is one of the families to go, but is determined to start a Life group as soon as possible and is praying for a church plant to start there. We will miss her. While Gary and Jess were here we visited her and gave two of her boys (Wayne and Wonderman) some cars that Jake had sent with his sister to give away. They were really happy to have some toys as the weather at the time was too windy for them to play out as it's so dusty here.<br />
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Well I'd better sign off here for now. More news soon. Please keep praying for us as we try to serve these lovely people, we appreciate yuor prayers so much. We are now counting off the weeks until Christmas!<br />
<br />Dave and June in Zimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07604061327900488136noreply@blogger.com2