Friday 8 April 2022

 Greetings to all my family and friends back in Canada and the US.

Wow!  Already more than a week has past since I arrived here at PACC in Zimbabwe. 

I can hardly believe it has actually happened and that  amidst all the chaos in the world, I am nowhere on the other side of the world.  The trip was rather lengthy but I arrived here with no huge obstacles.  I left my Canadian home on March 27th to travel to nearby Kelown to accomodate the requirement of Covid-testing at a costly price tag of $350.00.  Ouch, that hurt, but you do what you have to do to accomplish the goal.  

Prior to leaving for Zimbabwe, we, Glen and I managed to join our dear friends, Bob and Bernice Kurtz for lunch and the opportunity to remenise our joint expereinces in Zimbwe. It is always such a joy to share our experiences with friends who have lso been there and done that. 


Glen and I then stayed overnight in Kelowna as my flight was 6:00 am on 28th and so allowing for the three hour post-flight requirement meant I had to be at the airport at 3 am.  Arrived at the airport only to discover that my Alaskan Air fight was cancelled.  Dilema...what to do??? I have a connecting flight out of Seattle and then another connection out of Doha.  It is now 3:30 am and I know my travel agent will not be available at this hour of the morning so I contact Alaskan Air direct.  they were very helpful and booked me on Air Canada; same time but with an exta leg including Vancouver.  With long layovers in both Seattle and Doha, I finally arrived at Robert |Mugabe Airport in Harare on March 30th at 12:00 noon.  All in all, other than the 3 day journey, there were no obstacles.  I thank God for computer and internet connections at the airports and on planes these days.  It certainly helps one to pass the waiting time.  

On arrival I was met by PACC principal Rev. Munaki and his wife Charity who have become good friends. It has been awesome to reconnect with the many friends we have made over the years and with  my colleagues here in Zimbabwe. 

One hour after my arrival I was already sitting in a BOA meeting amd then teaching an inperson class the very next morning.  No time for jet lag and I am grateful that I don't normlly suffer much from that aspect of travel.

The transition from on-line teaching to in-person is a rewarding experience.  Although on-line teaching has certainly provided an important alternative, especially during Covid-19 shut-downs and restrictions, I appreciate the face to face contacts with my students.

I am still living on campus but in a different place from before.  I am now in a little guest house and having a bit of reno work completed for comfort sake.  Simple things like having the shower fixed and a bit of clean-up and painting. 

Am attaching here a couple of pictures of the grounds here at our college.  The rains have cetainly made everything green and beautiful.  We will be having grad in May and once again it will be outdoors.  the grounds crew under the direction of my dear friend Nellice, are already beginning to prepare the grounds for that event.  The first picture below is of the creativity of Nellice and the second one is just the beauty of our surroundings.



All is well and I look forward to the rest of the journey ahead and the opportunities for further teaching and ministry.

I will try to send further updates by month's end.

Blessings to all.