Thursday, July 16th / Friday, July 17th

Hi,

We just went shopping and bought $340 worth of groceries so we could stock up. Prices are going up here so just in case..... We bought 24 ltrs. of UHT milk @ $1.49 each, toilet tissue @ 4 rolls for $3.54 (there is cheaper but it is awful) and some fruit juices, flour, oil, rice, oatmeal, laundry soap, chicken and ground beef, and some candles (as we can't ever have too many candles!).

We left the office in the middle of day because we had too many people outside the gate asking for stuff. We have had to made the decision that we are not going to give out at the gates anymore because it is becoming such a problem. We told them we cannot give out but they were not leaving so we thought if we left and they knew that we aren't here they would leave and they did leave. We came back a couple of hours later. We did have one man who was there that we felt like we
needed to give a blanket but we couldn't give to him in front of all the others so we ask him to go down the street and around the corner and we would meet him there - which we did on our way out. There was another who needed a new wheelchair and we ask him to come back today with information about why he couldn't walk (we wanted to make sure that he really did need one). He did and we gave him one today - we don't have hardly any wheelchairs left to give.

Friday

We taught Merci again last night and have set Aug. 15th or 16th as her baptism date. She is doing very well and has a special spirit about her.

We have been out all morning talking to people and checking out some things in regards to a water project we are looking at. Lots to do to get a project together.

More people at the gate today - we had to send them away because otherwise we will have line-ups down the street forever (most of these people are coming from Epworth and yes, we did partly create this problem and have to put an end to them all coming here)!! :(

Anyway - we are taking off in half an hour with Taylors and we are going to an animal park about 1 1/2 hrs. away and we will stay overnight there and go on an evening excursion for a couple of hours and then supper at 8 p.m. Tomorrow morning if we want we can take an elephant ride at 6:30 (?? don't know if I will do that), the breakfast then another excursion to see animals from 10 - 3 or so with a lunch inbetween while we watch the elephants at the watering hole. Sounds like it should be a fun getaway!!

I will try and send a couple of pictures and will try and maybe get on chat or skype on Sunday afternoon.

Merci and her daughter, Malaika

Our investigators from Epworth that the missionaries are teaching.

Panashe and his mother Zvikomborero from Epworth in front of their new home

a little girl watching us.

Love to all, E/S Bullock

Saturday and Sunday

Saturday, June 6/09

We took our second P-day since we have been here. We get too busy doing things and never take a day off. We went shopping for groceries with Taylors. We checked out a new place and bought a few things – it was just an okay place. We did buy a ‘pepper sauce’ seasoning packet there – I am trying it out today. They make a really good ‘black pepper’ sauce here at the restaurants with peppercorns in it – they use it on beef steak as well as on chicken. I really like it and want to figure out the recipe. I am hoping that this packet will be similar!! Then we went shopping at the “Cheeseman” where we bought some frozen fish that we like and a few other things. If you take your own container you can buy some good yogurt, milk, or cream. We got some yogurt this time and I think next time I might try some cream. Cream is not that easy to get here and what you can get will not usually whip. We always buy UHT milk in cartons. It’s okay.

Speaking of shopping, we got Jim’s suit dry cleaned this past week. We had to take in our own hanger with it, but the good news is that it only cost $3.00. Wow! They did a good job. Some things are a great deal and others are ridiculous so I guess it all evens out.

Just as a point of interest - We are presently paying $l.08 a litre for gas. Diesel is 80 cents/ltr.

Back to our Saturday shopping – we then went downtown (where we are the only white faces amongst thousands) and went to some fabric stores. Taylors are buying fabric and taking it to a fellow who is making some shirts for them to take home.

Harare street cleaner

We came home and had lunch and then we drove about 45 minutes to the “Lion and Cheeta” Park which cost $5 each to get in. We drove through the lions and then parked in a different area and walked through a part that was similar to a zoo. It was a fun afternoon and I will send pictures for the blog. I held a 6 week old lion cub until he started to get a little wiggly and I didn’t want to get scratched or something. They were sure cute.

Sister Bullock with lion cub

Oops! He's wiggling too much - I don't want to get scratched.

Baby lions playing - small ones are 6 weeks old.

lioness

Lion @ Lion and Cheeta Park - we couldn't get out of the car

Baboons

Mama & baby baboons

Some little guys

Elder & Sister Bullock

Elder & Sister Taylor

I thought I might swing like Tarzan!

more balancing rocks

More cool rocks

Weird looking tree

6 week old lion cub

We came back and went to the office to email but shortly after we got there the power went off. O well, what’s new, right? It was off here at the flat this morning. It happens so often I hardly even mention it anymore.

Strange looking duck we saw on Saturday

Sunday, June-07-09

We were expecting the lady that we gave the wheelchair to this past week, to come to church this morning so instead of going to our branch out of the city we went here to Highlands ward. We then planned to go to another branch here in Harare to meet a fellow named ‘Answer’ that we met at Mama Mia’s restaurant and gave him a Book of Mormon. He text messaged us and said he wanted to go today. The wheelchair lady never showed up but as we were getting ready to go to the other branch to meet Answer he showed up at the Highlands building. We went with him to the 2nd and 3rd block there. He’s a great guy. I think I told you that on Friday we had driven around Epworth for a long time looking for a couple that we had some blankets and clothes for but could not find them. Anyway, she came to church looking for us (it seems like perhaps she has been before a time or two) and I saw her in R.S. She ask why we didn’t come. She said I had lied to her when I said we would come out. I explained that we had tried to find them. Anyway, we came home and picked up the blankets/clothes and went back and picked her up and she took us to her home. (We had been very close to it but it was off on a narrower pathway – it is no wonder we never found it). We gave her the stuff and saw her place and took a couple of pictures. Her husband was not home as he was off selling fruit/vegetables. Her two young daughters were there.

Our new friend we gave blankets and clothes to & a doll for the little girl

This is a lady next door to where we took the blankets/clothes. She was cooking dinner so we ask if we could take her picture while she was cooking. They make little fires to cook on under a tin can - it takes less wood.

She's making dinner

Cooking a vegetable called rape with a bit of tomato

We see these congregations all over when we are out and about. They meet on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. They meet outdoors under a tree or wherever. They generally all wear white robes.

Apostolic church - always held outside in a field

This is a house we saw on our way back from Epworth. We stopped at a house near it and gave a soccer ball to a couple of kids that were playing by the house. They were pretty excited to get it. We were excited to see those balls in the boxes of toys that came. Balls like that are rarely seen here. They use rags tied together or sponge balls if they are lucky.

a house built into this truck

Also as we left the church Estere was there hoping to see us. We have been trying to figure out how to find her. She is the one with the 6 yr. Old boy with cancer in his eye. Pres. Neild has arranged with a doctor to see the boy and can probably do the surgery here in Harare (free of charge) rather than go to South Africa. We told her and got a phone number where we can contact her tomorrow and try and work things out. She has to get a referral to this doctor.

Also after church today we were approached by another lady with a broken/sore arm that was asking for help with food and clothes for herself and 6 children. We did determine that 3 of her children are not at home but are old enough and on their own. So really there are only 3. She is also from Epworth – do you think that word is travelling fast out there?? We arranged to meet her Tuesday afternoon at a place in Epworth that we can find!! We won’t take anything with us until we go check out the situation and see if there is a real need. It would sure make this job a lot easier if everyone was upright and honest!!

These people that come to the church are not members – they just come hoping to find us. Normally we aren’t even around there on Sundays – perhaps that is a good thing!

Elder Bullock is presently out discussing the church with our gate guard, Benjamin, here at the flat. He has been reading some pamphlets and B of Mormon and has some questions. The people here are wanting religion so badly and are so eager to learn. Mind you, there are some who think all white people are Satanists!! At least that is what we were told today by the lady who we took out to Epworth. We have heard that before – in Malawi and Zambia that is a problem that the Elders cope with there. People call them satanists. We are exactly the opposite and I suppose with time they will realize that.

This week ahead of us will be busy – we have lots on our calendar. Perhaps one day soon we can actually get some paperwork done and try and get a couple of new initiatives written up. We might have to hide out so we can get that done.

Love, Sister Bullock

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.

April 4th, Saturday Happy Birthday to Joshua today!!!

We got up this a.m. and actually had some hot water & water pressure so Jim had a shower and I had a nice soak in the tub. It was great! The tubs here are kind of nice – they are longer than ours at home – the inside must measure about 5 ft. Because when I lay back I barely touch the end with my toes.

At 8:30 we went with Taylors to the “Cheeseman” a good place to buy cheese, yogurt and a few other groceries and meat/fish. If you want yogurt you must take your own container and they will fill it for you. Taylors bought some raspberry and mixed fruit flavours and she gave me a taste – it isn’t bad at all. Perhaps we will try some next time – if we remember to take a container! We bought some fish to fry – Tilapia (good), cheddar cheese, and a couple other things. There was a Rhodesian lady (white-Zimbabwean) there and we ask her about a couple of things and she was quite helpful. She recommended a couple of things to try. After that Jim and I went to Favco, a store for fruit and vegetables – kind of a hole in the wall place, but their stuff is a good price. They supply to some of the stores. There was no power on there – Taylors had warned us (as they went at 7:30 a.m.) so we took our flashlight as it is rather dark in there. Our splurge there was some macadamia nuts that were $.50/pkgs – so we bought 8 of them. We also bought some fresh green beans ($.80/pint), Cabbage ($.50), lettuce ($.90), really nice tasting apples ($1.00/kg.), 2 lemons ($.19) and some Naatijies (like Japanese mandarins – quite good) ($.70/kg). Our total bill was $9.00 (including the macadamia nuts). Not bad really. We eat a lot of cabbage salads here (coleslaw) as cabbage is cheap – it is a staple food here. Lettuce is not very good – I did plant some in my little garden spot so I will see how it does.

We then went with Taylors to downtown Harare to check out some fabric stores. We were the only white people to be seen but it really didn’t bother us. The fabric stores were quite busy really and there were quite a few of them. We went to 5 or 6 as Sis. Taylor was looking for a particular type for a project. We went to a shirt store – the guy makes them and does nice embroidery work on the front around the neck and part way down the front. I bought one for myself for $10. If I wash it and it shrinks – then I guess I will have to lose weight!! Sis. Taylor was looking for fabric so she could tell the fellow what she wanted – and he would go buy it and make shirts for her to take home to her family.

We will watch general conference here, starting tonight. The first satellite dish was just installed this past week – the first ever in a stake centre here in Zimbabwe. Tonight at 6:00 we get the Saturday morning session. Sunday at 11:00 a.m. is the priesthood session, 2:00 p.m. is the Sat afternoon session, 6:00 – Sunday a.m. session, and 10:00 p.m. – Sunday p.m. session. I don’t think we will see the last one as we don’t really want to be driving the streets here at midnight to get home. It will be interesting to see the turnout – it wasn’t advertised well as wards/branches were not notified about it until a couple of days ago. I suspect the ones that know will want to be there – some of these people walk up to 22 km to come to church. We are usually the only car in the parking lot when we attend the branches that we are assigned to work with (Kadoma & Marondera). People here just don’t have cars for the most part. We aren’t allowed to give rides in our mission vehicles – for insurance purposes. When we have a pastor take us to his orphanage, etc then he has to sign a release form. If we did give rides we would be doing nothing else. People are always along the roads waving their hand – asking for a ride. The combies (small white vans that are like a bus/taxi) drive around and pick people up – I think it costs $1.00) – they just keep packing people in. Today we saw one where the front passenger had someone on his lap and there were 3 guys hanging out the side door; just holding on for dear life. A 7 passenger van holds about 20 plus people. If they have a truck (usually a small one) they just pack the people into the back of it and it can get pretty full too – rain or shine. Beauty, our housekeeper said that sometimes she and her husband can pay only 2/$100. Of course, people are not usually on time for things because of the transportation problem.

Zimbabwe is adapting to using the U.S. dollar but cash isn’t plentiful. Some people who have jobs might get paid by voucher as there is no cash and then they can’t cash the voucher anyway. We hear of lot who are working and not getting paid anything – just hoping to get it sometime. There is no coin used – it just isn’t available - so we have to try and get our order to come as close to an even dollar as we can. Two of the grocery stores we go to give a voucher with the amount of the change on it and we can use it next time at their store. It is time-consuming for the clerks to write out vouchers. At the store this morning they just keep a couple of apples or onions, etc. by the register and if you need to even off the dollar you can buy one or two more things.

We are heading over to the mission office to check emails before conference and Taylors want to Skype their family. We will try and Skype too but no one is hardly ever on. We are now 8 hours ahead of you. Our kids need to get signed up for it!!!!!! We often get to chat on gmail with Pam, Kim and my friend, Ruth – that is always nice. Sign up for gmail and we can chat with you too!!! We are trying to upgrade our skype – it is suppose to give us a better picture and sound but it takes forever to download it here. We will leave it overnight soon and that should work for us.

Have a great weekend watching conference – I hear that Mike and Janeal are at Pam and Jared’s. Have a good time!!

Love, The Bullocks