Tuesday 25 October 2016

Greetings friends and family
Well, for only the second time since I've returned to Zimbabwe, the Zesa went off...but only for less than an hour so that's pretty good considering that when we left Zim to return to Canada last December, the Zesa was off  nearly 75% of the time.

It has been a very busy week.  Mid-term exams have been written and marked.  Friday we had a PACC Caring for Our community Day which involved all students and staff going out to the nearby shops and doing a cleanup.  We swept the parking lot, raked the surrounding area, picked up the garbage and handed out flyers promoting our college.  So, the day was two-fold.  It was to show the community we care and to make people aware of our college and who we are.  It was a very successful day.  I am inserting a couple of pictures so you can see us in action.  Following the cleanup we all returned to the college and shared a meal at the college dining room.  I was able to hire a young lady who has just been to catering school and she prepared a great meal for us.





Then on the Saturday, October 22nd, I celebrated my birthday by joining the Breast Cancer Awareness walk hosted by the Pentecostal Assemblies of Zimbabwe.  The young girl we sponsor, Makanaka, joined me for the walk and then spent the day with me.  The walk was complete with a police escort.
In the afternoon, we picked up Maka's mom, Linda, and we all shared a meal together.  Linda had to work earlier in the day and so could not go with us on the walk.  I am also including a couple of pictures of the cancer walk.  It felt good to be involved in the community in this way.











Sunday I walked to the Base Church, which is about 2.5-3 kms.  The church there is a combination of Black and White Zimbabweans and feels so good to see the integration which is not always present.

Then later on Sunday, Glen phoned me from our church in Penticton and I got to speak to a couple of friends there. It was a very pleasant surprise.  Don and Joy, it was so good to hear your voices and speak even for just a couple of minutes.

I always enjoy the opportunity to speak, either by phone or on Skype, to so many family and friends.fairly regularly. The distance doesn't seem so great somehow and I am truly blessed. It quite amazes me how things have changed in the years since I went to Cameroon and did not have the luxury of regular cell phone service or internet service. This experience is much different and holds its own blessings and its own challenges.

Glen will arrive in less than two weeks and I am certainly looking forward to having him join me here.

Just went for supper with friends from the US who are working at our college.  Had a great time of fellowship and sharing the challenges we encounter.

Enough chatter for this time so will sign off.  You are all much in my thoughts and prayers and I send love and blessings to all.

Marj



























Saturday 1 October 2016

September 26, 2016

Greetings again all you wonderful people out there.

Nearly two months since I returned to Harare, Zimbabwe.  Still busy working in the library, trying to get books on the shelves so our students can make use of the valuable resources we have been given.

I'm teaching basic accounting and Major Prophets this term, and although I have taught both of them before, it still seems to take me lots of time for preparation.  Never gets boring that way!!

Our good friends, the Norries, from Elora, Ontario arrived back in Harare on Wednesday.  They are hosting a team who arrived yesterday to work at the Village of Hope.  It is good to have the Norries here.  They are here for about a month!  I will just get used to having them around and they will be gone.

Transitions regarding staffing (I think I mentioned those in my last blog) will officially happen at the end of the term, being end of November, following graduation.  In light of that, other changes are happening slowly, much to my chagrine.  Those of you who know me well, know patience is not one of my better virtues.  I like things to happen, like yesterday.  Oh, well, God is still working on that in my life...although at times, it seems as though I'm a slow learner.  I'm glad God doesn't give up on us. His patience is rather awesome and for that I am grateful beyond words.

Tomorrow is meeting day and we have both an APTEA meeting and a BOA meeting.  Makes for a long day as meetings always follow classes.

As well, tomorrow I will have Tawanda take me into town to pay my bills.  I just don't drive in the inner city by myself at this point in time.  When demonstrations take place that's usually where they happen but locals seem to know ahead of time when they are about to take place, so being informed and avoiding those times and places adds an element of security.

(Continuation)  - Now October 1, 2016 - 1:45 pm.

I'm really enjoying my classes.  I am teaching basic accounting and Major Prophets with 14 students in each of those.

Just came in from picking mulberries and will make a mulberry crisp to host a desert after church tomorrow for the missionary team (10) and the Norries who are hosting them.  The team is comprised of people from a church in Ontario and they have come for two weeks to work at the Village of hope.
Also baked a couple of banana breads and made some of my mom's icebox cookies this morning, which are now safely stored in the freezer for quick retreaval when I need them.

My garden consists of four rows of radishes, which are hard to find in most of the grocery stores here. so, I decided to grow my own.  I picked a few this morning and will add them to my salad for supper tonight.

I'm kindof housebound today as the Isuzu truckhas been
n giving me some trouble.  I called in our mechanic who came and indicated the clutch is going so he will be coming by tomorrow after church to pick up my truck and make the necessary repairs. I am thankful that Glen left me all the information as to who to call for any repairs, servicing and the like.

It is a beautiful 32 degrees Celcius today and so  I will go for my usual walk.  It is summer time here now and the trees are in full bloom.  Inserting a couple of pictures just to break the monotony.  The third picture is of the mulberry trees growing on our property.  Wish you were all here and i could share my mulberry crisp with you.




 sure how long I'll be without my truck so may need to make some alternative arrangements to get to class for a couple of days. Hopefully I'll be able to get my friend Nellice to come and pick me up.

We continue to do renovations on the library. It will be a longterm goal as the work gets done as the cash becomes available.  Hopefully, the majority of it will be completed in the next few months.

We are also still in the process of realizing just what the transitions and changes are going to look like at the college.  We are looking ahead at various ways we can promote the college and our IT is setting up a webpage for us.

Well, I think I've rambled enough for this time.
Love and Blessings to all.
Marj