January 17, 2010 Sunday night

We are home at our flat and there has been no electricity here for more than 24 hours. We are hoping it comes on soon so we don’t lose any food in the fridge. We did turn on our generator for about 1 ½ hrs. this evening to cook supper and let the fridge cool off some. We do keep jugs of ice all the time and put them into the fridge when the power goes off. We went to Masvingo yesterday morning and just got back about 5 p.m. today. We had a nice time there today at their meetings. The branch president has shuffled people around in the branch and there are new Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary presidencies. My friend Elizabeth is the new R. S. President and will do a great job. Change is good!!

Saturday about 5 p.m. we decided to go for a drive up passed the Inn where we stay. There is a dam up there not far that we can see from the Inn. It is quite the sight but I left the camera behind and got no pictures. We drove over the dam and a fair ways up the road on the other side. It is beautiful up there. When we left Harare yesterday morning we put in several hygiene kits, T-shirts, a few stuffed animals and 1 soccer ball (a really nice soccer ball that Reeve Nield gave us to give away). As we drove along we stopped and gave Tshirts to some kids that looked like they could really use one. Some kids were scared of us and would just run away – too bad. We gave hygiene kits to the moms we saw working in their fields/gardens or walking along the road. They are all so appreciative. BUT the best give-away was the soccer ball!! We saw two boys about 12 yrs. old walking along the road and I asked Elder Bullock to stop and go back. We asked if they were brothers and they said they were so we handed them the soccer ball. Well, my goodness!! – you should have seen them!!! I have never seen anybody so excited. It was so fun! It made tears come to my eyes to see their joy and excitement. As we drove away they took off as fast as they could towards their home with their ball.

Some kids we gave T-shirts to on our way to the Inn on Great Zimbabwe

More of the group. They appear to really need the shirts, don't you think?

Nice clear view from the Inn on Great Zimbabwe

This past Tuesday the new school term started here for the kids. They go for about 3 months and then have one month off (3 terms per year). Zimbabwe really had a good school system in the past but with all the troubles here schools have suffered. A lot of kids don’t go to school because they can’t afford the fees. While we were driving yesterday there were 3 or 4 kids that came to the truck window asking for school fees because they really want to go to school badly. Anyway – Tuesday morning as we were driving down the road from the office to an appointment we saw Panashe (our 11 year old boy who was recently baptized). We pulled over and ask what he was doing and he said he was coming to see us. I ask why he was not at school and he said he couldn’t go because he didn’t have the school fees ($30). Big tears started running down his cheeks even though he was trying really hard not to cry. His mom had told us that his uncle was going to pay his fees but Panashe said that he wouldn’t but that he did agree to pay for his school uniform. Panashe had left home before day break and had walked to our office which had taken him about 5 hours (it takes us a good half hour to drive to his home). We had him stay and work in the garden by the office until we got back from our appointment and then we brought him some food and took him home. We paid the $30 school fees for him (my friend Ruth had ask before Christmas if she could send money to help someone). We explained to him where the money had come from. He was one happy boy!! He knows how important it is to stay in school and wants it so badly.

Wednesday we had Zone conference and we had Elder and Sister Renlund from the area presidency here. They are going on the zone tour with Pres. and Sister Dube as they tour the mission (as they do every six weeks). We had a great conference and supper with all the missionaries.14 Jan 2010 - Girl bringing maize to the new grinding mill at Kadyamadare School

14 Jan 2010 - Waiting for maize to get ground. 3 came with maize while we were there. That is great!

Then on Thursday night Pres. Dube took we three couples out to supper with the Renlunds. We had a really nice visit. Elder Renlund has had a lot to do with the young people (YSA) in the church and has done of thinking and research in that area. He said it seems like as these young people are dating and looking for a spouse that generally they know fairly quickly when they meet the ‘right’ one and so it is important to have activities and regional get-togethers so that they can mingle and meet. He talked about keeping them active and getting them back into activity. He referred to Moroni chapter 6 where it talks about how we need to 1) number them, 2) name them 3) know them, and 4) gather them. We need to realize that “It is NOT all about me” and teach that to our young people. We don’t go to church and to activities just for ourselves, but we should go to fellowship and help others. If we can teach this and assign these young people to go and friendship someone it will help those who are shy or reserved to reach out to others and have a purpose. It brings them out of their shells and suddenly we start seeing results.

On Friday we met with the sister missionaries as they gave a discussion to the Dzikamai. He has a baptismal date for Jan. 29^th. He is feeling a little unsure as he thinks he needs to know ‘everything’ before he is baptized but we explained that baptism is just a start and there is a lifetime of learning ahead. He is doing well and we can see him feeling more positive about life. He has been kind of depressed, knowing that he blew the chance of a lifetime when he didn’t finish school at MIT in Boston. He had a breakdown while there and had to come back. He lost both his parents when he was 17 and still grieves over that loss. He’s had a hard time. He is 25 yrs. old. I told him that he is still young and shouldn’t give up on his dreams. When he came to church two Sundays ago he showed up clean shaven and looking really sharp so we could tell he is feeling better about life. I don’t know if there is any way he could go back to school or how he managed to get to MIT in the first place or who sponsored and paid for him to go. He must be a pretty smart guy to have been given the opportunity.

Monday morning: Still no electricity at the flat!! We ran the generator again for a while this a.m. It usually isn’t off this long so hopefully it will come back on today. It did rain a little on the weekend in some places. The country is in desperate need of a lot of rain. Usually they get a lot in December and January but have not received much this year and there is a lot of concern. They need it for the wilting maize and to fill up the wells. One community member in Goromonzi said that the government should call for a day of prayer. We suggested that they could do that in their own community and fast at the same time and perhaps the Lord would send rain to their area.

I better get this sent off as I haven’t written for a week or so. Love to all. Elder and Sister Bullock

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

Hi, We just had zone conference today and it was an excellent day. We had Elder Watson and his wife here (they have been on the mission tour for the past 10 days or so and we are the last stop). He is a councilor in the area presidency and has been serving for a year so far. He is also a member of the 1st quorum of seventy. Before this he was secretary to the 'twelve' and the first presidency and took the minutes, etc. at their meetings. He did that for 38 years. He talked
about missionary work, of course, and working with members and with the bishops/branch president and the ward councils.

Sister Watson talked about the articles of faith and the doctrines covered in them. She ended by telling us: Be strong, Don't give up, Endure to the End.

Pres. Dube talked about how the gospel of Jesus Christ brings us all together, no matter where in the world we are. He also talked about the atonement. Sis. Dube talked about looking for Christ-like attributes in our companions and also about faith to follow the Lord's commandments and not to ever doubt. The conference ended with a wonderful roast beef fillet dinner with peppercorn sauce or mushroom sauce, scallop potatoes, butternut squash, broccoli and ice cream sundaes for dessert.

We are going to Merci's at 5 p.m. to give her a new member discussion. She wants us to teach her about 'gifts of the spirit' as she missed that Sunday School lesson week before last. When we saw her a couple of days ago she told us that something really good happened at church on Sunday. She said a lady sat by her in SS class and she found out from her that she and her husband had been driving by and decided to check out our church as they are looking for a new one. She said they never drive down this particular street but for some reason did Sunday
morning. Merci got them Book of Mormons and introduced them to the missionaries. (the missionaries have a discussion set up for Saturday). Merci said that in R.S. she and the lady (Lucy) were talking and she ask Merci where she worked and Merci told her that she had a restaurant and what it is called. Lucy ask her if she worked with 'Merci' and she said, I am Merci. Anyway she had recently talked to this lady, Lucy on the phone when she had called to book a birthday party for her daughter at her restaurant. Merci is SOOOO good. She told Lucy that it wasn't just by chance that they drove past the church that morning. She explained a few things to her and told her that she was a brand new member and how wonderful it all is. Lucy ask how long it had taken for Merci to be taught and get baptized. I guess in R. S. there was talk about getting baptized for the dead and Merci explained to her that it sounds "weird" but that it is okay.

Merci wants us to go see them and explain more about the church. We will try and do that tomorrow if we can get hold of Lucy - so far we haven't been able to.

We met our friends Carol and Ellson on our morning walk yesterday and they, along with their mother, have been reading the Book of Mormon we gave them. Carol said she has a lot of questions and want us to meet with them. The mother called yesterday and will call in a day or two to set up a time for next week. :) This is so fun!!!!

We were out yesterday talking to people in a community about a borehole (well) that they would like us to do. We are working with them to teach that they need a water committee and what the committee needs to do. They are starting to understand it all and get themselves organized. When we left the area we saw a boy down in a manhole in the street bringing up water in his container - it wasn't sewer water, but I'm sure it wasn't too clean. They get water
wherever they can. Hopefully we can get some boreholes in the area for them - we are looking at 3 schools and 2 areas in business centers where we would like to do boreholes. It is a lot of work to get it organized but we are working on it. It will take some time to put it all together. It will be exciting if it all happens or even part of it.

SA has requested that all the humanitarian couples go out and check on previous projects and see if they are still functioning and if the committees are doing their jobs. This will take some time but should be interesting. They want us to select a few (mostly water projects) and get what information, feedback and recommendations. This will take some time but they want the reports back by Oct. 23rd.

Need to run and go to Merci's.
Love to all. The Bullocks

Monday, August 10, 2009

Hi, We had Zone conference this a.m. and it was really good, as usual. They fed us a great lunch - we won't need to make supper. We will just have a home evening snack.

This afternoon Pastor Seka came to see us as he is in town. He has resigned being a Pastor and had to move out of the house that they lived in and moved to an apartment. As they were moving, taking the bigger stuff to the apt., he hired someone to watch the other stuff but they fell asleep and someone stole a lot of it, including all his money ($500). We gave him a few clothes and some blankets to take home. He is really wanting a job in Harare so he can move here and be part of the church and get taught and baptized. What an amazing guy to do what he is doing. He has no job, no nothing. Things will work out for him though. When he gets here and gets baptized he is a man who will make a great bishop or branch president.

Must run. Will write more tomorrow and send some pictures.

Love, The Bullocks