Saturday, July 25, 2009

Hi, We got back from Mutare a little while ago. Apparently there is a baptism for two people from Epworth and our family from Epworth is coming as they are to be baptized in two weeks, except for the dad he will be a couple of weeks after that. He has stopped smoking for 3 days now. So we will stay here at the church and attend the baptism as well. We were going to go out to Epworth and visit but we can visit with them here instead.

Thursday we arrived in Mutare and met up with Pres. Chadambuka and he had a group of young single adults with him. We went to the orphanage and set out the clothes and shoes and waited for the kids to come from school. They were excited to get some clothes (about 3 + pieces each) and a pair of shoes. There were only two girls so they got a few more things. They were pretty excited. The one little girl tried on a couple of different outfits and wanted her picture taken. We also gave them some hygiene kits for the nuns to give out as needed and we gave each child a school kit. They loved the school kits - you would think it was Christmas morning as they pulled each item out of their bag. It was fun to watch them. We also left a few toys, balls, and a couple of dolls. The nuns also got a pair of shoes each -- I hadn't really planned on that but it worked out great and they loved it. They insisted on giving us some sweet potatoes to bring home - but we gave them to someone else that we met on our ride home.

On our way to the orphanage - following Pres. Chadambuka and crew.

At orphanage.

Bedroom at orphanage.

President Chadambuka and young single adult men.

Orphanage kitchen - opening for fire is outside under pots.

Some of the orphans.

Her favourite new outfit.

Orphans with Pres. Chadambuka.

The kids loved the school kits.

Sister Bullock with the two Nun Sisters.

Elder Bullock with _________, a girl he met when we were there in March so we found her again.

The making of bricks - drying in sun. Men in background laying bricks.

Heading back to Mutara from orphanage.

Thursday afternoon we went to the Zororai Old People's Home in Mutare and were able to meet with the board members as they happened to be having a meeting. We were impressed with their board and the things they are doing to be more self-sufficient. We talked about what they need to do in order for us to put in the request for the motor for their grinding mill - the most important thing is to have a committee formed to take care of it and put aside a little money so that they can repair it is it breaks down. They seem to have that all figured out. Neighboring people will come there to grind and will pay $1 for a 20 ltr. pail. They have an organization called 'Environment Africa' that is helping the with their gardens and they are giving them inputs (seed and fertilizer, etc) for the first year. The Justice of the Peace gives some people food and in return those people come and work in the gardens at the old people's home. The water in Mutare isn't too bad (better than Harare it seems). We left them with some hygiene kits as well and they were most appreciative.

Going to Old People's Home.

I didn't get any pictures at the Old People's Home.

Early Friday morning we left for the refugee camp with Pres. Chadambuka, Fortune, the public affairs rep. and another fellow who lives at the camp and gave us directions to get there. We never would have got there without him. He has his passport now so he is free to come and go from the camp. Nice fellow. Fortune gave him the first discussion on the way there and he wants the missionaries to teach him more.

We found the member we went to the refugee camp to find. He was surprised, of course, but happy to see us. He says there are two other members there but they have been going to a different church there at the camp. There were two other members before but they have left and gone to South Africa. We talked with him and his wife, a lady that he met there. There are no children. She is not a member but maybe he can teach her. We all squeezed into their small 1 room house and we all sang "Love at Home" with them. (kind of teary for me). That song will have new meaning to me now! Pres. Chadambuka then gave him a blessing. We left him with several Liahonas and Ensign magazines as well as the new Gospel Essentials book and a set of new scriptures. It was a neat experience. Hopefully now he won't feel like no one cares about him. Maybe he will stop sending his letters to church headquarters. He is from D.R. Congo and he spoke mostly french (some English) and Elder Bullock got a chance to use his French.

Friday - Refugee camp pics

Refugee camp.

Refugee camp.

Our Refugee church member.

Church member and his wife at refugee camp - checking return address on letter he sent to Russell M. Nelson that was sent back to mission.

Two little kids at the refugee camp - they wanted their picture taken.

More kids at the camp - they seemed to be dressed okay.

On the way to the camp we saw a lot of Baobab trees - the ones we saw in Malawi - the ones that kind of look like they are upside down. I will send a picture or two. Apparently these trees survive well because they store a lot of water and use little as they have small leaves. People cut the bark off in long pieces and use it to make rugs. The trees repair themselves but you can see the scars where the bark has been taken. The terrain we drive through was large hills and then it got really dry and dusty as we got closer to the camp.

Baobab tree - see the marks on trunk where they have peeled the bark.

Elder Bullock standing by Baobab tree.

Rugs made from bank of baobab tree.

There were a lot of goats roaming around and a few pigs. Where there was some irrigation there were some green fields but otherwise it was pretty barren. The people in the camp had garden spots that were surrounded by thorny bushes that they had cut - to keep out the chickens and goats etc.

Goats wandering across the road.

We need to head home so I will send this and then send Kim some pictures for the blog tomorrow and she can post it all then.

O yeah - we went to World Vision and found out where a little girl is that my friend, Florence Davidson, sends money for. She is down by Bulawayo. We are going down there next month and we are trying to arrange to see the girl, hopefully. I think that would be fun to see where she lives and to see how donations help these children. We are going to Bulawayo on Aug. 22nd to help with a service project the stake is doing at a hospital and we will take down some 'new-born kits' for them to give out.

Must run. Love to all, Jim and Nancy

I forgot about this yesterday -
On our way back to Harare on Sat. we stopped on the roadside to buy some wood for our fireplace. Wood is cheaper out in the rural areas. Anyway, we stopped and honked our horn and a lady came running from her hut - with her little boy. They looked rather needy so I pulled out a few clothes and shoes we had left over from the orphanage and gave them some. An older boy came out too (about 8 or 9) and we found a pair of shoes that fit him - also a pair of heavy duty sandals that fit the mother and left a pair for the husband (hopefully they will fit). I didn't have a pair for the little guy but gave her a pair that are too big and she can save them or trade them or whatever. They were pretty excited. She fell on her knees to say thank-you and we told her she didn't need to do that. We also gave her the sweet potatoes that the nuns had given us and a hygiene kit. I think they really needed it all.

We stopped to buy firewood and gave them some clothes, shoes and hygiene kit. She fell on her knees to say thank you

We bought the wood from her too so that should have made her day. When we were in Mutare we bought a big, good axe from Pres. Chadambuka's hardware store and we will need it. We did enjoy a nice fire last night - as we had no power. What's new? We seem to lose power a lot these days and seldom have water. O well - it will just make us appreciate it a lot more when we get home to Canada.
Pres. Chadambuka wanted to stop and buy tomatoes for his wife - they all hope he will buy theirs.

Love, E/S Bullock

Good morning! It is a beautiful day today - suppose to be 83 degrees. Nice! The rainy season is over and so we pretty much get sunny beautiful weather everyday. Things will get dry now though.

We had a great weekend. We took a large generator with us for the branch building as they usually don't have power. They have a nice building that they take really good care of. We left for Masvingo early Sat. morning and arrived about 10:30 a.m. at the church and the branch president took us to the orphanage (I thought we were going to a hospital but..) where the branch was doing the service project of cleaning the grounds and the kitchen etc. They were doing a great job and working hard. We were taken on a tour of the orphanage and I must say that we were impressed with their operation. They have 43 orphans there right now but can have as many as 96. (ages 3 - 17). An NGO (non gov't. organization - charity) named LEADS ?? has helped them set up a garden project and it was wonderful. They supply a lot of their own food and sell about 20% of it which pays for new seeds and fertilizer etc. The watering system was great and the gardens were beautiful. They have the eaves troughs running into their huge water storage container that they can also fill with city water. Then it can be directed into their drip system in the garden. LEADS monitors the project to make sure it is being taken care of properly. It is the best managed orphanage we have seen so far. I will send pictures. We gave each child a hygiene kit at the end of the service project.

Masvingo Branch service project at orphanage

Cleaning kitchen at orphanage

gardens & water tank at the orphanage in Masvingo

happy helping hands young women

Helping Hands digging hole for garbage disposal at orphanage

playground equipment at orphanage

We went from there to our motel - "The Inn on Great Zimbabwe". It was a lovely place with beautiful gardens. We ate our lunch that we brought with us and then Bro. Taylor dropped us off at the Great Zimbabwe Ruins (not an animal park). About the 13th century, a king lived there and had all his wives in the area within a tall rock enclosure that was down the hill. His place was up on top in the rocks with passageways and walls to protect him from his enemies. There were narrow stone staircases - if his enemies tried to get to him they could only do so one at a time and they could be stopped. It was all very interesting -- I would guess there is a website if one wanted to look. We had to pay $4 each to get in and then we paid $6 to have a guide. . We thought that was pretty good and it was well worth it to pay for a guide. His name was Tino and he was very good. It took us about 2 hrs. and we did some serious climbing - I thought I would be stiff but I wasn't.

looking across at the King's place of residence - on top in rocks

Nancy going up to King's domain - The Great Zimbabwe ruins

Jim and our guide, Tino in king's cave where he could look out over the valley and see his wives' residence.

inside King's home (surrounded by rock and stone walls)

going into wive's home area

doorway coming up into King's enclosure

inside wive's residence - they don't know what the tower is - it is solid stacked rocks

inside wives enclosure where they lived

outside wive's enclosure - see design at top

Afterwards we went back to the motel and enjoyed the gardens and then went for supper at 7 p.m. They have a set menu (you do get a choice between 2 main courses). The first course was some avocado slices beside a boiled egg that was topped with some mayo. Then we got a small bowl of vegetable soup. Then we had curried beef or a bed of rice (or we could have had fish). Dessert was chocolate mousse. It was presented very beautifully with our waiter standing close by to serve us. It cost us $15 a piece. Breakfast was included in our stay ($70) and it was wonderful - started with fruit salad (all the fruit was freshly grown on their grounds), cereal/milk, toast, and eggs, bacon and sausage. It was all very nice.

our room - notice the view

view from hotel room

monkey just outside our hotel room

garden at Inn at Great Zimbabwe

Jim and Nancy outside dining room

Jim reading on porch of room at the hotel

We then went to church at the Masvingo branch and saw their garden plots that are planted on the church grounds. The grass was all dug up for gardens about 4 years ago and their gardens looked well taken care of - except they were promised a bore hole a year ago and it still hasn't been put in. We will see what we can do about that. They, like everyone else are asking for seeds and fertilizer and detox spray. We will try and do an initiative so that we can pass those things out to the members. None of the members down there have jobs - as there are none to be had. The branch president is a policeman but seldom gets paid anything. Teachers here work and seldom get paid
either - but if they don't show up for work they will get fired and then don't even have a chance of possible pay. They are all hopeful that things will get better. Some think that things are a bit better since the inception of the U.S. dollar but there is not enough dollars in circulation here for them to pay people so they give them vouchers which they can't get cash for either. There is essentially no cash in the rural areas so it is difficult for people out there. Good thing they have gardens.

We headed home after church meetings and came across a very strange scenario. Taylors said they have never seen anything like it. We came to in intersection that heads to the Mozambique area (we think) and there was a long line of buses stopped there - trying to get onto the road to Harare. As we drove along we passed bus after bus after truck - all loaded to the hilt. It seemed to us that it was a mass migration of people moving back to Zimbabwe. It seems that it is a good thing if that is what is happening. Lots of people have left over the past troubles and no jobs etc. and if they are coming back it is apparently a good sign that things are going to be better. Mines and industries are closed all over the country so all those jobs were lost. It will be interesting to see if anything is in the newspaper about these people coming back.

The trip back was rather nerve racking with all the traffic and the terribly bumpy roads but we made it - with a lot of praying I think. A couple of times (one in particular) I thought Elder Taylor was going to have a head on crash trying to pass a bus. YIKES!!

Back to work today -- but guess what?? No container!! We did go talk to a guy and it did arrived by rail about 250 km. away on April 13th, however, they are very busy and trying to get it trucked to Harare. The 5 containers for UNICEF are there too. Hopefully soon but no promises!!

Love to all, Elder and Sister Bullock

April 8th

We had another eventful day out travelling with Pastor Sykyani (spelling??) in the rural area. More bad roads but I guess we should be getting used to that by now. We visited a preschool where there were about 50 orphans (3 - 5 yrs. old). They sang us a couple of songs: Go away Peter, go away Paul, come back Peter, come back Paul; Twinkle Twinkle Little Star; and ?? They like to sing. They are really cute little kids and they love having their pictures taken. I take them and show them and then just erase most of them after. Digital cameras are nice for that!

On our way to another school we passed two young men pushing a lady in a wheelbarrow (she was about 50ish I think). We stopped and I ask what was the matter with her. They uncovered her leg and showed me - there was a nasty sore and it was infected and dripping. They had been to a doctor and showed me a scribbler that had some notes in it - for a prescription but they didn't have money for it. I asked the Pastor if we could do anything and he said no. I asked what would happen to her if she wasn't treated and he said she would die. I wanted to give them money but they most likely wouldn't use it for the medicine. So sad. I gave her a hygiene kit that we had with us and she was very grateful. That is all we could do. I felt a little weepy after we left.

Next we visited another school - I will have to send pictures of it. It was very rustic -- closed in on 3 sides with a couple of log benches. 50 little orphans go there and they are fed a meal each day and get some schooling. They were not there today. The schools here just started a 4 week break. The lady at this place has 10 orphans that live with her and she takes care of them. Four of them were there when we visited.

From there the pastor took us to see the place where he wants to build a church and have space for more orphans (it was just a field). There were a couple of stores (not what we would call stores) on the road and there were several people standing around. We talked to one little family and I gave them a hygiene kit. I have decided that I want to carry some with me and give them out when I feel like I need to. I gave out 4 today. I like doing that - maybe it will help them in a small way.

We just have no idea back in America how simply we could live if we had to - there are so many here living with nothing -- a small hut/house to live in and a fire to cook their maize on. Maybe a change of clothes and a blanket, but, like I have said before, they seem happy and have big smiles - this is all they know.

We left the pastor out there and a 25 yr. old girl rode back with us to show us the way. She wanted a ride to Harare besides - she had her suitcase and was going to try and find a job. She was a nice girl with good English - I sure hope she finds a job. She said she had some family there but I'm not sure. We dropped her off downtown.

We just had an Elder go to the hospital and they took out his appendix yesterday. He seems to be doing better - we all hope that is what the problem was! Taylors said the hospital wasn't too bad. Another Elder has gone to SA for a hernia operation. I hope we don't have to do any of that here.

Time to head home. Will write more later. Love, Nancy/Mom