Our report

We have been sooo busy so I will try and write a quick report. We have been working hard on doing some more ground work on water projects. We have been to Bulawayo twice, Masvingo, and Lower Muzarabani all in about 8 days. We met some good people in high places as we have now learned that we don't work from the bottom up but we need to go to the top first and get permission to work in their province. We have to get some official letters them that state we have permission to work in the country but we have that. On the last trip to Bulawayo (5 hrs. away + another 1 1/2 hrs. to the meeting place) we found that the meeting had been postponed at the last minute. We did meet with the Provincial governor though and she was a nice lady and explained some proper protocol to us, but would be happy to have us do boreholes in the province. They all would love boreholes as the whole country needs them. We just have to determine where we should do them. The water specialists are now emailing with us and will be here in early July. We hope to be ready for them.

The weekend with Sister Julie Beck was wonderful. The training she did on Saturday was great and I took lots of notes so that I can pass the information on to our branches that we shepherd. She also did a fireside on Sunday afternoon and that was good as well. Elder Watson from the Area presidency also spoke and that was great.

Monday morning we picked them all up at the hotel and took them to see the Kowoyo Clinic and the grinding mill we did. Sis. Beck was so nice and took her time to talk to the nurses at the clinic and thank them for all they do. She also did the same at the mill. Behind the mill is a little preschool and we stopped there briefly. The little children sang a couple of songs to us and were so cute. I think she enjoyed it all. She is on the board that approved the humanitarian aid that is given throughout the world so it is nice that she can see some of what is being done.

We had to hurry back to Harare and take them to the airport so they could fly back to Jo'berg and then on to a couple of other countries.

We then rushed to a hotel to pick up our wheelchair specialists and food production specialists and their wives that we picked up at the airport Sunday at noon. We have been in meetings with them since then. One of the men, Bro. Cullimore, is Luella Payne's brother. He is a very nice man and we had a great conversation with him this afternoon and he helped us a lot with ideas for preparation for our water specialists along with other things.

We have met with people that will be possible partners in a wheelchair project. Things look good but the the partner does have to still prove that they can do what we need them to do.

We are meeting with the STS (short term specialists) and Bro. Elks in a few minutes as they are taking us out for supper so I must run. We are well and can't believe how fast the month has gone as we are so very busy with a lot of things.

Love to all, The Bullocks

Sister Beck and Elder Watson at Kowoyo Clinic where we have put in the new transformer and repaired the borehole

Patients waiting at Kowoyo Clinic (doing measles shots this week)

Nurses showing Sister Beck that they now have water at Kowoyo Clinic

Sister Beck saying thank you and goodbye to the nurses at Kowoyo Clinic

Joel, Sister Beck & Elder Bullock discussing the grinding mill

Sister Beck & Joel Musoro at Kadyamadare grinding mill

Sister Beck at Kadyamadare Preschool

Little preschool kids singing a song for us

Sister Julie Beck & me in Harare

Sunset as we drove into Harare

More sunset

More sunset (it was beautiful)

Nice sunset

Sunset looks like a fire is burning

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

Our visit from Bishop McMullin

Our visit was only about 3 hours in total because of airline flights that didn't work out too well. We had Bro. and Sis. Watson from the area presidency here as well and also Bro. Cowan, who is the temporal affairs director for SE Africa (he is the head guy over humanitarian). There was a training meeting with us and the Stake and District Presidents this morning. Bishop McMullin's message was basically that different kingdoms come and go but the Kingdom of God stays. As we obey, God blesses His people. He can bless us no matter where we live. We need to establish his kingdom in our hearts, families, and homes. Be dependent upon God. Care for ourselves and then reach out to others. Walk out of impoverishment. If people will pay their tithes and offerings they can walk out of poverty on their own two feet. Work brings about self reliance.
Temporal and spiritual self reliance go together. Lift people temporally so they can lift each other spiritually. All His work is spiritual (D & C 29)
Exercise your faith. Pray and Do.

That is kind of the jist of the training. We didn't have time to show them a project or two that we are working on but we did get to talk with them for a while. It was a good visit. We have about 9 projects that we are working on and hope to get them organized and submitted before the end of the year so we can get them approved on this year's budget. We think we have some good projects. We are working with the community members to get a good committee that will sustain the projects and take care of them - that is the big challenge!

We have a new granddaughter, Lydia Marie Bullock (Brad and Nicole).

Love, Elder & Sister Bullock