Hi, We went to see Sis. Kureva yesterday afternoon. She had asked the missionaries to have us come. She is one of our family that was suppose to be baptized last Saturday.

She told us the truth about what has been going on. Gift, the so-called husband, who is not really her husband, had told her to lie and threatened to beat her if she didn't. He has beaten her badly at least 3 times - one time he knocked 3 teeth out on the upper side. She wants to get away from there as she is afraid for her life. She has made plans to move tomorrow and wanted to let us know. We think her plans sound like they will work. She took us to meet her 'father' (actually her brother's father, but her father since her's is late (late means that someone has died here)). Her father has been telling her for a long time to get away from Gift. We were impressed with him - he wants to help her. She can take her things to his place but he doesn't think she will be safe there as he works nights and can't be there all the time. He said, "She needs to just disappear for a while." She will go stay with an aunt in a different town - not far from Harare. She says Gift doesn't know where this aunt lives. Panashe, her son is there at the aunt's now.

She cried while she told us her story (people don't cry here very often). She said Gift does not want her children there as they are not his - so the two younger ones are with an aunt some distance away and since school was out for 4 weeks vacation Panashe has been with another aunt in Ruwa. She got upset when talking about how he is keeping her children from her as well as her family and she wants her children back with her.

We are glad she finally told us the truth - we knew something wasn't right. I had tried to get her to tell me before but she wouldn't. I had told her that we were afraid that it wasn't robbers that had beat her - that it was Gift that had done it, but she denied it (as he had threatened more beatings if she told). When we went out one day she had a bad cut on her arm and her arm was swollen where he had hit her with a chain. She also had knicks on her shoulder and face. We took our a bandage and some antibiotic cream and cleaned her up and she is healing okay now. She now tells us that Gift was threatening her with a knife that night but a couple of neighbors broke down the door and helped her. Gift had been drinking.

I asked her why he wanted to be baptized and she said because he thought after he was that we would give him money etc. (Don't know why he got that idea - we have told him that we cannot give money, etc.). She and Panashe still want to be baptized (for the right reasons) but we will wait for a while until all this is settled. There is a branch in Ruwa where she is going so we will see if she and Panashe continue to attend church. Wellington (who helps here at the office a lot) is the branch president there and he is a really good guy.

We went out this morning to see her - Gift was suppose to be gone to work - but he wasn't. He was leaving soon. She whispered to me that she was still planning to rent a cart and move her things to her father's place. We told her we can't help her as we don't want to be in the middle of this and the neighbors would tell Gift if we did and then he would be showing up here at our office furious and we don't want that!!! She will call us when it is all done. We will pray that all goes well and she gets away from there safely.

We had an experience yesterday where we know the 'spirit' was speaking to us. A man came in and wanted some blankets, etc. etc. We talked with him and decided to give him a couple of blankets. I ask him to wait in the entry and as I turned to come into the office I had this impression or picture in my mind telling me that he is a man we already helped about a month ago - & I knew exactly what we had given him. I ask Jim if he was the same man we had given to at the gate recently but he didn't remember him so he just outright ask him. Yes, we had, but of course he wanted more. We said , no. It is nice to know that the Lord is watching out for us and helping us!!!! It was a -"wow"- experience!

Must get on with our day. Love to all.
Love, Elder & Sister Bullock