We don't have our bakkie back yet - they did decide it was only a fan belt but it is taking them a long time to get it done!!! Hopefully this morning. We need it to drive to Masvingo tomorrow morning. Yesterday afternoon we went with the elders to show them where our friends in Epworth live. They had an appointment to teach them after they were in attendance at the meeting there last Sunday. (Gift & Zvikomborero Kureva). They have 3 children - 11 yrs. - Panashe, 9 yr. old - Poshia, & 3 yr. old - Rumbidzai. We really like these people - the husband is kind of quiet but the wife is full of personality. Panashe is great.
I need to go out and sort through some clothing so we can give some to a lady who is coming back this afternoon. I'm not sure how I feel about giving to her but..... I guess we will err on the side of
generosity. It is so hard to know if they are being honest or making up a story. I just want to pick out a few things ahead of time so that she doesn't see all that we have. She said she has 7 children
and when I ask for the ages and sex of them there were 9. ??? When I questioned her she said that the 12 yr. olds are triplets. Who knows!!!! The lady is crippled and uses a arm crutch - her leg was
injured ((burned, I think). They use that to their advantage too. Am I getting hard and calloused????
WOW!! Elder Taylor just brought us in our mail --- A PACKAGE!! from my friend Ruth!! Thanks Ruth - it finally came!! It was mailed April 2nd. Can't wait to make a salad and have some decent ranch dressing on it (from the dry mix packages) & also some "Extra" brand gum for a treat once in a while (Jim's favorite) - they don't have sugar-free gum here. She also sent some "sweet" corn seeds which we can plant in the spring (autumn to you).
I must get busy and go sort some clothes. :)
Love, Nancy
P.S. The boy with cancer in his eye - I finally got a hold of someone who informed me that the boy passed away -- he must not have been very good and that is why the mother never returned with him. The mother is to be back in a week or so and will contact us. I think the boy must have been in a lot of pain and is in a much better place now. The surgery obviously wouldn't have helped him at this point. I called the doctor and let him know.
Nancy/mom
Showing posts with label Posted Mail. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Posted Mail. Show all posts
Friday, June 26, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
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
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
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