Tuesday, May 26th

I can't believe it is the end of May already.

Yesterday we went out to Epworth because I wanted to take a picture of a little 3 yr. old boy we saw there recently who has two club feet. Pres. Nield has a dr. friend that he says may be able to help him. The process takes about a year with several operations. We will show the pictures to Pres. Nield and see what he thinks.

3 year old boy with club feet

3 year old's feet -- he walks like this

more of his feet

We saw our baby Edson today. Pauline, his mother, says he now weighs 2.5 kg and that when he was born he was 1 kg. He does look small still, but better, and seems to be filling out a bit.

Baby Edson - looking better

We had a busy morning with people coming into the office to ask for assistance. Still not container though so....

A lady came in this morning asking if we could help her get plane fare to Johannesburg so she can take her 6 yr. old son to the hospital there. He has had cancer and received chemotherapy and then went to J-berg where they removed one of his eyes. He spent 2 months there. Now the other eye seems to have the same problem and they did tell her to bring him back if there were further problems. We again called Pres. Nield who is involved with his daughter in an organization called "eyes for Zimbabwe". He will contact a doctor to see if he will look at the boy here. I will try and scan a picture of him (from a couple of years ago) - WARNING it is hard to look at!

(Picture still to come)

Elder Bullock's back has been sore so we broke down and went to a chiropractor this afternoon - cost: $40 and $30 for each visit from now on. I wonder if Blue Cross will reimburse us??? We go again tomorrow. Hopefully it won't take much more than that. This all goes back to his football playing when he was in grade nine.

Anyway - that is about it. The work carries on. Thanks for the emails we have been receiving - we enjoy hearing from everyone. We know we are in the right place and hope we can do what the Lord wants us to do. We have a poster on our office wall that says: " It is the Lord's work, and when we are on the Lord's errand, we are entitled to the Lord's help." We are counting on that as sometimes we feel like we are in way over our heads - but we are learning. We know we are needed here and wouldn't be here doing this if it wasn't for the fact that we know The Church is true and want to carry on His work.

Elder Bullock will be baptizing a man possibly this week if we can get through to the branch president on the cell phone. This man was excommunicated about 4 years ago and is more than ready to come back. He has worked hard for that privilege. He has had his interview and it is just a matter of working out a time to do it. He is a very happy man.

We meet with the Highlands stake president today at 5:30 to talk to him about the member garden plots here by the mission home.

Elder Bullock showing the kids how to juggle

more kids goofing around for a picture

She looked way too young to have a baby, but it's hers

African Trees
This kind of tree is all over, here and there. These particular
ones are by the road on our way to the flat.

That's it for today.
Love, Elder & Sister Bullock

Monday

Good morning to you, (afternoon to us)

Just wanted to tell you that this morning when we went for our walk a man stopped us and said, "Do you remember me?" I said no, but dad said yes - even though he didn't remember him. Anyhow, he reminded us that he was with the girl that we helped a few weeks ago. The one that we saw on the side of the pathway when we were walking and she was hurt. We went home and got the truck and went back and took her and the two guys to the court building because she couldn't walk and had to be there.

This morning the guy thanked us for helping them and told us that when she went to court and told what had happened to her that the Human Rights people got involved and took care of her for 3 weeks while she healed and recovered. The policeman that had tied her wrists and beat her was charged and is now in jail.

We were really glad to hear about it as we have wondered how she made out.

We have been busy today sorting paperwork and cleaned out some shelves out in the garden office. We need to go home and look for some paperwork that the auditors need and some stuff that we need to close some files on past initiatives.

This afternoon we drove out to Epworth to visit Pauline and our baby Edson. She wasn't there and her neighbor said she had gone to town. She said the baby is doing okay - so at least he is still alive. We will try and get out there again in the next day or two and see him for ourselves. The kids out have gotten to know us and want attention. Jim touches fists together with them (that is the Cholera handshake!) and they like it. There are so many of them. If there were only a few we could give them a 'sweet' but if we start then we get swamped and they get a little crazy.

We have home evening tonight with the Taylors. That is about it for our day. We have lots of paperwork to get done over the next week or two. It always seems to take longer than we think it should.

Love to all, Nancy & Jim

Good morning to you!

We went to see Pauline and baby Edson today. We gave her a newborn baby kit that we found in the Nield's container (they said we could use stuff from there). It had 4 cloth diapers, pins, an undershirt, socks, 2 bars of soap and a receiving blanket. We took 4 diapers from another kit for her as well. I don't know how the baby is really doing - he doesn't look all that good. I don't think he is out of the woods by any means. She said he is nursing and he did open his eyes but he is VERY small. They don't have much/if any food left and their landlord is after them for rent ($15/month). We don't give out money.

Actually Pauline showed up here at the office this morning to ask for rent money - she had walked here, she said. It is quite a ways for a person to walk. We told her we were planning to visit her this afternoon and that we would give her a ride home. I had Samantha, a Shona lady that works here, talk to her. We were really torn as to what we should do. After consulting with each other and with Samantha we decided to give Pauline the rent money (out of our pocket). We also talked about how Pauline was going to pay the next month's rent. She said before the baby came she sold bananas/vegetables on the side of the road but that she has no capitol to get started again. She needed $6 for that. We gave her $10 and Samantha explained to her that she had to be wise and use it to get her business started. Samantha thinks she will -- and if she doesn't then - at least we
tried to help her.

I know this sounds like it shouldn't really be a hard decision on our part but you have to realize that we have to be very careful because people will just keep coming back for more. Samantha told her that there is no more ever. Hopefully she won't come back asking (but she probably will and we will have to be strong and say 'no'). We don't want a line up of people at our door begging for money.

$25 is nothing really to us in America but.... we could give out thousands and they would just keep taking. Our gate guard has ask us for a loan - we said no. Our housekeeper and her husband, the gardener have ask us for advances on their pay and we have said no - we will pay them at the beginning of each month. (If we pay in advance then what will they do the next month, etc.) Anyway - you can see the problem. People want to be our friend and then ask for
money - if you don't give then they aren't your friend anymore. They would bleed us dry.

I hope we didn't make a mistake helping Pauline today - I guess time will tell.

The missionaries followed us out to Pauline's today and met them. They set up an appointment to go back next Thursday and teach them and left them with a pamphlet to read. They would love to get a branch going in that area. While there a lady sitting outside talked to them and said she used to go to our church and they invited her to come back. So - perhaps something good will come out of this!!

I got a b.d. card in the mail today from the R.S. presidency. That was nice. It came through fairly quickly. Also a small package from my friend Ruth. Our first mail here!!

Must run. Love, Nancy/Mom

Friday

Hi, It has been a good day. We went to UNICEF and talked to them. I hope it went well and they understand!! The church has sent them 5 containers of hygiene kits and in exchange we are suppose to get some things but.... He suggested we write up a request and did say we could get water tablets and soap. They don't want us duplicating where they give out -- but they do huge districts and we do smaller needs - like some of our wards/branches need water purification tablets or an orphanage. We will figure it out. I don't think it will be a problem getting a few things - we tried to make him understand that we weren't wanting a container's worth.

Then we went and picked up our 100 cabbages - actually from Honey Dew Farms - a farm and store just 2 blocks away from where we live. Tabeth had sent out some letters to places requesting donations and that is how she got the cabbage. They were nice cabbages. We took them to Epworth - area we have been visiting lately that is so needy. The people were waiting for us and thrilled to get their one cabbage each. We were late getting there because the cabbages were suppose to get delivered here but then we got a call asking if we could pick them us. People had been waiting for us for a couple of hours - they are so patient!

Picking up cabbages from Honey Dew Farm

People lined up to receive cabbage

He is happy to get the left over leaves

Our baby is still okay - I wish we could weigh him to see if he is gaining but..... I think he is only about 4 lbs or so (that is my guess) but he is eating and is sucking good so I think he will be alright.

Our Baby, Edson.

Our container hasn't arrived yet. Just to let you know what is coming on it, if you are wondering:
15 bales of ladies clothing
15 bales of men's clothing
15 bales of youth clothing
2 pallets mixed shoes
3 pallets hygiene kits
1 pallet newborn kits
3 pallets school kits
2 pallets orphanage modules
2 pallets quilts - double size
2 pallets quilts - single size
1 pallet toy module
2 pallets blankets (wool) 420 per pallet
You can imagine why we are so anxious to get this. There is a lot of stuff. We also have 540 blankets that are ready for delivery to us that were bought here in Harare and some soap. Winter is coming here and people are cold so that will be really good to have.

Elder and Sis. Taylor came by (their apt. door is right next to ours) and said they wanted to take us out for supper for my birthday and I could choose where we go. I chose chinese and it is really good and inexpensive.

We are going with Taylors tomorrow to Masvingo (spelling) where they have a branch (congregation) that they look after. They are having a service project at a hospital in the morning and we are taking some hygiene kits (about 40, I think). In the afternoon Elder Taylor has to do some training but Jim and I may go to a tourist site called "The Great Zimbabwe". Apparently it is a must to see. We will probably take pictures and tell all about it on Monday. We will stay
overnight and go to church on Sunday at the branch and then head home. It is a 3 hr. drive and apparently the roads leave a lot to be desired!

Sis. Taylor also made me a birthday cake and brought it to the mission office along with some ice cream. That was nice of her. She had up a Happy Birthday sign as well.

So - it has been a good day.

Avocados from our complex

Love, The Bullocks

Our Baby

Hurray!! He was still alive this afternoon and has been eating a little. We really were not sure that he would be. His name is Edson. We went to the SPAR (grocery chain) here. We went to the one that Bro. Spencer owns as he carries more items than most - things that white people would want. Sis. Spencer happened to be there doing her shopping and I ask her about the baby formula. She showed me which one we should buy and I told her I also wanted to take them some mealie meal (ground corn maize). Then she said that she would need oil and tomatoes and rape (a green vegetable), onions, vaseline for the baby, soap to wash the nappies (diapers) -- I looked at her and said, "she doesn't have any nappies - well she had a couple of pieces of cloth that were not at all absorbent). They didn't have any cloth nappies at the store but she put in a package of disposable diapers. She said we are putting this on Rob's account (her husband) along with her groceries!! Wow!! We weren't expecting that but this lady did get a lot more than what we could have given.

We put it into a couple of cardboard boxes (so the whole neighborhood wouldn't see) and parked close to her door and took it in to her. She was very happy, of course. We felt good about doing this as she really did have nothing. Some people here lie and put on quite a show to try and get something.

Oh yes! Jim got arrested today!! He went through an 'amber' light (the robot was actually working). The policeman took his licence and said he had to come with him and pay a fine. He only had to go a few steps outside the vehicle where the 'judge' is located with his clipboard. Jim told the judge that he was sorry and that we haven't been here very long and didn't mean to break the law (in Canada we can make a turn on an amber light). He also told him we are here doing charity work. So - luckily he didn't have to pay the fine (they didn't tell how much it would have been).

Yesterday we got stopped as well because we didn't have our seatbelts on. We do wear them - honest! Yesterday we were taking Pauline to the store to try and buy baby formula and for some reason neither one of us had put on our belts. I always wear mine because the traffic and roads here are so crazy!! Anyway, the policeman was nice and just told us to put them on and he let us go. We went through that police stop 2 more times after that and smiled and showed him we had our seat belts on. The last time - they must have been getting ready to quit because they ask which direction we were going - hoping they could get a ride with us! Elder Taylor was arrested once for something and they wanted him to do community service. He explained that he was already doing that here everyday for 18 months - they let him go.

That reminds me of something --- we thought we might need a locksmith to get a key off of our container. It would have cost $30 to have the guy come or if we picked him up it would only be $25. They don't have much transportation so that is what they do - interesting. We asked how they would get it off and they said they would use an angle grinder (couldn't make a new key for it). We ask around here to our physical facilities director and he had access to an angle grinder so they took it off for us. We need it off to open both doors of the container so we can load it IF our container from Salt Lake City ever gets here.

This morning we went to Enterprise and the Branch President and 1st Counselor took us about 25 km up into the hills where 10 of their families live. They wanted us to look at some land there that a lady has offered to let them plant (she will take a percentage). It is about 11 hectares (we think that is 110 acres). It was very nice up there and a nice spot of land but of course they want LDS Charities to provide the money for diesel, seed, fertilizer and sprays. I don't think we can do that but we will ask the brethren from South Africa when they come in a couple of weeks. It was a nice drive (except for some of the roads) and I took some good pictures.

The road to the field the Branch President wanted us to see

On the way to see the dam near Arcturas Gold Mine

The dam

A Good place for a meeting

They want help from LDS Charities to start a garden/farm project. There are a lot of issues - like getting water from the dam to the field, diesel for tractor they need to fix first, seeds, fertilizer,
spray, tools, etc. etc. Notice the bag of corn maize behind Elder Bullock: that is one of the
brothers contribution to the bishop for the storehouse!

This bridge was on the road back to Enterprise chapel. Sometimes we wonder if we dare use them - so far, so good!

Nice bridge - note the railing!

Pretty drive on the way back to Enterprise Chapel

Stay to the LEFT on this road!

Tall grass along roadway

Carrying wood on bicycles!

On our way back we saw a few kids and decided to stop and give each a hygiene kit. Suddenly kids appeared from everywhere so we opened the kits and gave each one a little.

Dividing up hygiene kits

A happy child with a towel and a toothbrush

This bus is really loaded!

Balanced rock

Selling goods along road. We see this everywhere here. This is how a lot of people make a few dollars.

At lunch time we were invited to go out with the Mission President and his wife, the AP's and Elder and Sister Taylor. We went to a nice enough place. I had chicken/mushroom crepe that was very good and Jim had Bream (fish) that was just so-so. The service was slow but they did get most of the orders right.