Friday, December 11, 2009

December 11, 2009

We have been without internet for about 3 -4 days this week but it seems to be back up and running now. It leaves a lot to be desired but I guess we will take what we can get.

Elder and Sister Watson were here last weekend for the Harare Stake conference. Elder Watson is a counsellor in the SE Area Presidency. We actually didn’t get to the Sunday meetings as we needed to be in Kadoma but we did get back in time to have dinner with them and the Stake Presidency & wives and also President and Sister Dube at the mission home. (We got invited because Elder Bullock is a counsellor in the mission presidency). We had a nice visit after dinner. Before Elder Watson was a Seventy he spent 30+ years as secretary to the First Presidency and the quorum of the Twelve. He had a few good stories that he shared with us and talked about things that happened in his younger life that helped prepare him those responsibilities. The Lord definitely was preparing him.

Monday we had Zone conference and it was good, as usual. We give our regular report on what LDS Charities has been doing and had lots to report this time as we have 6 projects approved now and are working on some of them.

We paid a down payment to Precision Grinders so that they will start building the mill and dehuller for Kadyamadare Primary School. The people out there have pretty much gotten the building secured and are now putting the electrical wiring, etc. into the building. As soon as they are finished (Monday) they will call us and we will then take the Zimbabwe Electrical Co. People out there so that they can connect the building to the main line (well actually they are increasing capacity for the mill). We have had to buy quite a bit of supplies to make this happen. Hopefully everything is about ready. It was a real experience shopping for the supplies as we had to go to several different places to get the things. The shops are in the “very busy” part of downtown where traffic is a nightmare, to say the least. It is amazing that anyone can get anywhere down there. Once the power is hooked up then the mill can be installed and we are hoping that it will be done before Christmas. The people out at the school really have come through and done a lot of work. We are pleased about that. The school head took us to his ‘plantation’, as he called it. He has a nice place (for Zimbabwe). He took us into his home and his granddaughter offered us Mazoi juice but we declined as we have to be really careful about the water and besides, I am not eating sugar. Their houses here are nothing like ours but they are really clean. Their painted floor shines. They have no electricity but they have a solar panel that charges a battery that they use to operate their radio and they had a small television. They have a nice looking field (probably a couple of acres) of maize that is starting to grow. They have chickens and he has 2 turkeys that he hopes will start reproducing.

The grinding mill motor that we bought and had installed at the Old People’s Home in Mutare is about done. We were hoping to have the ‘turn-over’ ceremony today but they weren’t quite ready. A belt was the wrong size and they had to get another one in from Harare. The ceremony has been rescheduled to this Wednesday afternoon. I guess we (LDSC) are buying some refreshments for the occasion (at least enough for the special invited guests). We will take biscuits (cookies) and Mazoi juice (a concentrate that they mix about 1:4 with water). They love that drink here. It reminds me of the punch that grandma Godfrey used to make.

We took the Sister Missonaries with us to teach Carol, Ellison and their neighbour. It went well and the Sisters are meeting them again this afternoon. We thought we would be in Mutare but since we aren’t we may try and be there as well.

Zvikomberero and Panashe are getting baptized tomorrow afternoon. We are excited about that. We will go to their branch Sunday morning for the confirmations but will have to leave right after and head to Highlands Ward because we need to meet Carol, Ellison and their mother Mavis there. They are coming to church for the first time. The neighbour is coming too as well as Mavis’ friend.

Merci has invited us to dinner on Sunday afternoon (for Elder Bullock’s belated birthday).

That is about it for our week – at least that I can remember at the moment. I will admit that I have felt a little homesick this week, shed a few tears, and wished I could go home, but..... we still have a few months to go and LOTS to do so I will just get over it and carry on.

Love to all, The Bullocks

Thursday, November 26, 2009

We are busy, busy, busy, but I guess that is good. I just wanted to tell you about a couple of things that make us smile (well actually frustrate us but better to laugh about it than cry or get mad!!)

We need ZESA (Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Assoc) to run the power to the grinding mill building at the school. We took the ZESA employee out to the building so he could give us a list of items we need to buy. WE have managed to acquire all the items but that was a nightmare itself as we had to go to different shops in the busiest part of downtown and they all quote different prices (especially when they see a white face that might have money). One item was a 3 phase breaker box and one place wanted $120 and came down to $90 --- however, we got it somewhere else for $48. Anyway, we went to ZESA this morning as we need a quote in writing for the hook-up and we need to pay them ahead of time, of course. We have to go back on Monday, pick up the quote, take it 'downtown' and pay for it, and then take the receipt back to the ZESA building (in the other end of the city) to prove we have paid. Then... if we want the
work done anytime soon, we need to go pick up 3 ZESA employees and take them out to the job site and wait while they do the job. If we don't drive them out then we would wait indefinitely for them to go because they have no diesel for their own vehicles. We have to buy all the electrical supplies for the job and after the job is complete everything then belongs to ZESA. That will be the case with the transformers we are buying for the clinics too!! Crazy!!!

Traffic Jam.
The picture doesn't do this justice. It was absolutely crazy driving there today (downtown Harare). It is actually crazy all the time in this area but we had no choice today. We had to buy some electrical supplies for the grinding mill. One place tried to charge us $120 for one thing and we got it elsewhere for $48.

Panel Beaters means Vehicle Body Shop

Combies -- these guys hang out and yell and whistle to let people know where they are going.

OH YES! Some good news!! We just got an email that our 3 projects that went to the area presidency yesterday got approved. (2 clinic projects for transformers and to fix the boreholes, and the project to repair the 3 boreholes, and service 1 borehole near Chegutu). Hurray!!

The other thing I wanted to write about is a letter of request I got last week. These people live out in the rural area near our '4' borehole project. They live close to one of the boreholes and the husband is going to be trained to maintain the pump and will be on the water committee. That is how we met them. This is what is says: (exactly as written)

Dear Madam,
I wrote this letter to you. I face a problem on 3 August my young daughter burn someone's huts and a car so they ask me to pay their property, seven tones of maize and to repair their car and built their huts. I have managed to give him two tones of maize and five hens, four blankets, seven cups, 2 pots, 12 plant, one teapot and two buckets. As from now I still build their huts that's why you can see my house is not yet finished because the bricks and the grass which is suppose to build and thatch my house is going to build and to thatch their house. This is the problem I am facing so I don't have anything to do with this problem that's why I am asking for a help from you.

Yours faithfully, Mrs. Chimarizeni

I am not sure exactly what she wants from me but.... We get a LOT of letters of request but this one was kind of unique. There really isn't anything we can do to help her.

Another interesting couple of things that have appeared with the rainy season --- the termites come out of their holes and have wings. They are everywhere and they are gross (at least to me). When we went out into the rurals yesterday our windshield was plastered with them and we
washed it off before we returned home. (with some water and a broom we have in the truck). It made the window quite streaky. We tried to polish it up with some toilet paper we had and that helped a bit. I guess it really needed some soapy water and a rag which we will have to put in the truck for a month or two until they are gone. The other thing that comes with the rains are a LOT of black millipedes. They are big too - about 3 - 4 inches long and gross looking!! I wouldn't want to step on one and slip!!!

How do you like this road grater?

Gave this family suckers.
Stopped and ask directions as we were kind of lost trying to find a school out in the rural area. At least they knew where it was and helped us on our way.

We are headed to Mutare tomorrow morning to arrange for the motor for the grinding mill there. Saturday we will talk at the YSA conference on dating and marriage. We found some good information that E/S Taylor left in their files so that helped us a lot. Saturday morning
Elder Bullock (maybe me too) and Pres. Chadambuka have to do an audit at a branch there where there is a question about some possible missing money. We hope we can find it so that there won't need to be a disciplinary council.

We will attend meetings on Sunday and then head back to Harare. We have a busy December developing already. We were considering a trip to Zambia to look at a garden project there that we have received requests for but we have decided to wait as we cannot work the trip into our timetable right now without totally stressing ourselves out.

We received the following invitation today from Danangwe Primary School (where we are repairing borehole) near Chegutu:

Dear Elder and Sister Bullock
Danangwe Primary school will be having a prize giving day on Dec. 1st. We cordially invite you to this important day. Sister Bullock is being requested to be the guest of honor. I hope you will appreciate our invitation. (That means I have to speak for 10 minutes - Ugh!) I'm not sure why I am the guest of honor except that I did give them all those school kits.

The school head said that they ask the kids who they should invite and they all said, Elder Bullock, so he can teach us how to whistle. (He should be the guest of honor!!)

We are working on one and hopefully two more projects that we want to send in this next week (both to do with grinding mills).

Must run. Love to all, Elder and Sister Bullock

Electric (ZESA) Bill

We received a bill for our electricity for our flat. Everyone (couples) have thought that it was paid with the condo fees but we found out it isn't. Apparently the billing is in such a mess that no one has been receiving them and they just go down and pay $20 or each month. Taylors have been here for almost 18 months and never paid anything.

Our bill was for $78 - we paid $60. Apparently if people don't pay by the end of June they will cut off our power. Not like we don't get regular power cuts anyway!!!!! :) Who knows when it was ever paid before so I guess $78 is pretty good.

This country is in such a mess!! It truly is amazing. We have to just laugh about it or we'd want to cry for these people. It goes to show what happens when a country just stops giving services and
keeping up the infrastructure.