Greetings to all you beautiful people in Canada and the US.
Humblest apologies for not blogging in the last while. And this will just be a short blog to let everyone know that we are fine. We have enjoyed the challenges and blessings of being in this country and look forward to serving here for at least the next year.
The last month or so has been hectic to say the least...with final exams and graduation and trying to fit into our schedule a bit of time to prepare to come home to Canada for a month's break.
So the time has come and the countdown is on. The suitcases are all packed and things prepared at the cottage to leave them for the next month. We are so excited to come home and see so many of our family and friends. The year here in Zimbabwe has gone quickly but the thoughts of coming home are now taking precedence.
We are just heading off to church and then heading directly from there to the airport. I will try to Blog once from Canada before Christmas but just in case that doesn't happen, I wish each and everyone of you a very merry Christmas and a Happy new Year.
God Bless you all.
Marj
Saturday, 22 November 2014
Wednesday, 8 October 2014
Another Update!
Greetings from Zimbabwe to all my friends and family in Canada and the US.
It has been some time now since I last blogged. So sorry. Time just seems to be flying by.
I just came in from picking Mulberries. They are somewhat like blackberries, and very tasty. We have them right in our yard and they make a great addition to my apple crisp. I have frozen some for future use. They create a great quick desert when we have company coming. Today I am also making my mother's ice-box cookies. I try to treat the staff at the college with either banana bread or ice-box cookies every couple of weeks at our faculty meetings or BOA (Board of Administration) meetings. This week it will be cookies. I call these my mom's ice-box cookies because they were my favorite cookies when I was a kid. My mom never cooked from recipes written out. They were all in her head. I had never baked these cookies until towards the end of my mom's life, when I asked her for the recipe. She died about six months after that and they are the only cookies I bake regularly. I think of her whenever I bake them. When I take cookies or banana bread to share with our staff, I sometimes add Cokes as all these things are appreciated treats not affordable by our staff.
Our daughter Starla arrived on September 15th and is with us until October 14th. See picture below to see how excited I was to see her!!!
It is absolutely fabulous to have her here with us, although she has spent more time with her dad than with her mom. They are currently on a four day trip to Rifa, which is a hunting conservatory owned and operated by friends of ours from Bulawayo. Unfortunately, I am not on college break and so not able to tour around the country with them. I do, however, absolutely love what I am doing here and know that this is what God has called me to do and where I am to be at this particular time in my life. It is great, though, that Glen has both the time and the means to tour Starla around, showing her much of this beautiful country that has become our second home.
The three of us, Glen, Starla and I, spent a weekend viewing the sights at Vic Falls and Starla is certainly having some unique experiences while she is here.
Mid-term exam time has rolled around again so I am busy preparing those. Our friends the Norries have returned from Ontario and the Wilsons have returned from California. The eight of us, being the Allan's, the Wilson's, both from AOG (Assemblies of God) in the US and the Norries and us with PAOC in Canada, along with Starla, got together for fellowship and a meal out on Thursday this past week.
It is almost impossible to fathom that in about six weeks we will be returning to Canada and seeing many of you. We have now been in Zimbabwe for more than a year...with our sights set on being here for at least one more year.
Here is a picture of our some of our staff at work in the Academic Dean's office (which he and I share) on our self assessment as we work towards accreditation. Our goal is to be accredited by November, 2015.
We have just received an invitation from the Canadian Ambassador's office to attend a Canadian Thanksgiving complete with turkey and stuffing. We are looking forward to that and meeting some other Canadians serving in various capacities in this country. It is summer time here...about 34 degrees C today so it doesn't seem quite like Thanksgiving time, but we will enjoy celebrating in the sun. Christmas, however, will be in Canada and we look forward to getting together with many family and friends across the country during our short month at home.
That's all for now folks!!!!
Love and Blessings
Marj
It has been some time now since I last blogged. So sorry. Time just seems to be flying by.
I just came in from picking Mulberries. They are somewhat like blackberries, and very tasty. We have them right in our yard and they make a great addition to my apple crisp. I have frozen some for future use. They create a great quick desert when we have company coming. Today I am also making my mother's ice-box cookies. I try to treat the staff at the college with either banana bread or ice-box cookies every couple of weeks at our faculty meetings or BOA (Board of Administration) meetings. This week it will be cookies. I call these my mom's ice-box cookies because they were my favorite cookies when I was a kid. My mom never cooked from recipes written out. They were all in her head. I had never baked these cookies until towards the end of my mom's life, when I asked her for the recipe. She died about six months after that and they are the only cookies I bake regularly. I think of her whenever I bake them. When I take cookies or banana bread to share with our staff, I sometimes add Cokes as all these things are appreciated treats not affordable by our staff.
Our daughter Starla arrived on September 15th and is with us until October 14th. See picture below to see how excited I was to see her!!!
It is absolutely fabulous to have her here with us, although she has spent more time with her dad than with her mom. They are currently on a four day trip to Rifa, which is a hunting conservatory owned and operated by friends of ours from Bulawayo. Unfortunately, I am not on college break and so not able to tour around the country with them. I do, however, absolutely love what I am doing here and know that this is what God has called me to do and where I am to be at this particular time in my life. It is great, though, that Glen has both the time and the means to tour Starla around, showing her much of this beautiful country that has become our second home.
The three of us, Glen, Starla and I, spent a weekend viewing the sights at Vic Falls and Starla is certainly having some unique experiences while she is here.
Mid-term exam time has rolled around again so I am busy preparing those. Our friends the Norries have returned from Ontario and the Wilsons have returned from California. The eight of us, being the Allan's, the Wilson's, both from AOG (Assemblies of God) in the US and the Norries and us with PAOC in Canada, along with Starla, got together for fellowship and a meal out on Thursday this past week.
It is almost impossible to fathom that in about six weeks we will be returning to Canada and seeing many of you. We have now been in Zimbabwe for more than a year...with our sights set on being here for at least one more year.
Here is a picture of our some of our staff at work in the Academic Dean's office (which he and I share) on our self assessment as we work towards accreditation. Our goal is to be accredited by November, 2015.
We have just received an invitation from the Canadian Ambassador's office to attend a Canadian Thanksgiving complete with turkey and stuffing. We are looking forward to that and meeting some other Canadians serving in various capacities in this country. It is summer time here...about 34 degrees C today so it doesn't seem quite like Thanksgiving time, but we will enjoy celebrating in the sun. Christmas, however, will be in Canada and we look forward to getting together with many family and friends across the country during our short month at home.
That's all for now folks!!!!
Love and Blessings
Marj
Wednesday, 20 August 2014
Update from Zimbabwe!
Greetings to all you beautiful people out there in Canada and the US.
Another month has come and gone. (Well nearly-today is Monday, July 28th), so thought I better at least get started on my blog for this month. Final exams for this term are Tuesday and Wednesday this week. I'm feeling great. My exams are all ready to go! Praise God.
It has been busy and I am looking forward to the break-which starts right after I finish marking exams. I may have to pull an 'all-nighter' as I need exams to be marked and all my paper work handed into the office before my sisters and my niece arrive on August 3rd. Gee, I haven't pulled an 'all-nighter' since working on my doctoral dissertation. But I remember those times so well, and I believe, if memory serves me right, there were quite a number of those nights. I'm wondering, as I remember back, if some of my students are doing just that these last few days.
I am so looking forward to seeing family and having opportunity to share this beautiful country of Zimbabwe with them. And, YES, they will share in the challenges as well. The challenges of no Zesa (electricity), no central heating and no water at times. But having said that, I remember well, growing up in rural Saskatchewan with no electricity, no running water and no inside toilets. (You see folks, my long-term memory is still working just fine.) All humor aside, the lack of water and power, here in Zimbabwe, is intermittent and yet not something that is unmanageable. It's all in the mindset of how one chooses to deal with the day to day challenges. And, I figure that seeing as how God called me to be here, He will help me to deal with anything that comes my way. Thank-you God!!
We've spent a couple of delightful evenings with our friends, the Allans, from The Assemblies of God, this past week as they joined us one night for supper and a few games of Mexican Train. Then I joined them at their place on Friday evening (Glen was off to Rifa Camp for a few days) as they hosted a supper for a young missionary, also from the US, who had been working with them for the past eight weeks. Again we played Mexican Train which is fast becoming a favorite here. Cole, the young missionary, leaves to return to the US tomorrow.
End of Part One. Part Two to come on the week-end!
August 3rd...Part Two and it is College break time. Two of my sisters and a niece are arriving today. After church we went to the airport to meet their plane arriving at 12:15...only to find that the flight had been delayed about three hours. So, as we live fairly close to the airport we returned home and I thought I would add a bit to my blog before returning to the airport. We have some fun things planned while they are here and my brain will get a well earned break.
Yesterday we had more water and sewer problems. It really is quite laughable, there always seems to be an 'issue' with something...just about the time we think everything is running smoothly. The entire infrastructure here in Zimbabwe is old and because of the economy not well maintained. That includes the water and sewer pipes at our cottage, along with all the buildings and the roads. Lots of potholes on the streets for one to try to avoid. That is not always possible. It is not unusual to see someone out on the street trying to file potholes with broken bricks and then asking for a dollar. That is one of the many ways Zimbabwe locals try to earn a few dollars to buy a loaf of bread or some sadsa.
Part Three - August 21st...Well, our company has been and gone. The time went so quickly but it was absolutely fabulous having them here. We travelled to Bulawayo and then on to Hwange National Park where we spent a couple of days doing the 'game drive/viewing' thing. We saw elephants, giraffes, hippos, zebra, and other game. We toured caves with stone wall carvings and I've included a picture to show you an idea of what we saw.
We went on to Victoria Falls, did a walking tour of the Falls, the girls took the helicopter ride over the falls and of course we visited the local markets.
Tamara and I walked across the bridge into Zambia and went to Angel Pools on the Zambian side of the Falls. That was one of the highlights for me. We sat in the pools and were a mere few feet from the edge of the falls. It was an awesome feeling, kindof like living on the edge. Quite an adrenalin rush for sure! Thanks Tamara for sharing that experience. (See pics included here). On the second picture, you can see the security between us and the falls, being a couple of ropes.
We took in a cultural experience with an evening at Boma, where we enjoyed great food, great company (of course) and great entertainment featuring traditional music and dance, all before returning to Harare, where we visited local markets, shopped, toured the college and the Village of Hope and all to soon our time together came to an end.
I'm including some pictures here. First one below is of all of us girls (ladies, or whatever) taken at the college with a couple of the kitchen staff outside where they cook when there is no Zesa. Another is of Tamara and Laurie with some of the kids at the Village of Hope and then one of Glen with our company, taken in the huge rocks found at Cecil Rhodes grave site, which is another tour we did. It was great to have Glen as our guide. He's getting quite used to that role and seems to thoroughly enjoy it.
We had such fun and now it seems almost as though it was just a dream from which I have wakened and now am asking myself, 'Where they really here?'
Now, it is back to preparing for the upcoming classes which resume September 1st. I will be teaching three courses this term. Two of them I taught last year, being Cross Cultural Ministries and Acts of The Holy Spirit. The third course, Apocalyptic Literature, is a new one for me to teach and I am looking forward to it.
I think I have chatted enough for this time. Enjoy!!
Love and Blessings to all
Marj
Another month has come and gone. (Well nearly-today is Monday, July 28th), so thought I better at least get started on my blog for this month. Final exams for this term are Tuesday and Wednesday this week. I'm feeling great. My exams are all ready to go! Praise God.
It has been busy and I am looking forward to the break-which starts right after I finish marking exams. I may have to pull an 'all-nighter' as I need exams to be marked and all my paper work handed into the office before my sisters and my niece arrive on August 3rd. Gee, I haven't pulled an 'all-nighter' since working on my doctoral dissertation. But I remember those times so well, and I believe, if memory serves me right, there were quite a number of those nights. I'm wondering, as I remember back, if some of my students are doing just that these last few days.
I am so looking forward to seeing family and having opportunity to share this beautiful country of Zimbabwe with them. And, YES, they will share in the challenges as well. The challenges of no Zesa (electricity), no central heating and no water at times. But having said that, I remember well, growing up in rural Saskatchewan with no electricity, no running water and no inside toilets. (You see folks, my long-term memory is still working just fine.) All humor aside, the lack of water and power, here in Zimbabwe, is intermittent and yet not something that is unmanageable. It's all in the mindset of how one chooses to deal with the day to day challenges. And, I figure that seeing as how God called me to be here, He will help me to deal with anything that comes my way. Thank-you God!!
We've spent a couple of delightful evenings with our friends, the Allans, from The Assemblies of God, this past week as they joined us one night for supper and a few games of Mexican Train. Then I joined them at their place on Friday evening (Glen was off to Rifa Camp for a few days) as they hosted a supper for a young missionary, also from the US, who had been working with them for the past eight weeks. Again we played Mexican Train which is fast becoming a favorite here. Cole, the young missionary, leaves to return to the US tomorrow.
End of Part One. Part Two to come on the week-end!
August 3rd...Part Two and it is College break time. Two of my sisters and a niece are arriving today. After church we went to the airport to meet their plane arriving at 12:15...only to find that the flight had been delayed about three hours. So, as we live fairly close to the airport we returned home and I thought I would add a bit to my blog before returning to the airport. We have some fun things planned while they are here and my brain will get a well earned break.
Yesterday we had more water and sewer problems. It really is quite laughable, there always seems to be an 'issue' with something...just about the time we think everything is running smoothly. The entire infrastructure here in Zimbabwe is old and because of the economy not well maintained. That includes the water and sewer pipes at our cottage, along with all the buildings and the roads. Lots of potholes on the streets for one to try to avoid. That is not always possible. It is not unusual to see someone out on the street trying to file potholes with broken bricks and then asking for a dollar. That is one of the many ways Zimbabwe locals try to earn a few dollars to buy a loaf of bread or some sadsa.
Part Three - August 21st...Well, our company has been and gone. The time went so quickly but it was absolutely fabulous having them here. We travelled to Bulawayo and then on to Hwange National Park where we spent a couple of days doing the 'game drive/viewing' thing. We saw elephants, giraffes, hippos, zebra, and other game. We toured caves with stone wall carvings and I've included a picture to show you an idea of what we saw.
We went on to Victoria Falls, did a walking tour of the Falls, the girls took the helicopter ride over the falls and of course we visited the local markets.
Tamara and I walked across the bridge into Zambia and went to Angel Pools on the Zambian side of the Falls. That was one of the highlights for me. We sat in the pools and were a mere few feet from the edge of the falls. It was an awesome feeling, kindof like living on the edge. Quite an adrenalin rush for sure! Thanks Tamara for sharing that experience. (See pics included here). On the second picture, you can see the security between us and the falls, being a couple of ropes.
We took in a cultural experience with an evening at Boma, where we enjoyed great food, great company (of course) and great entertainment featuring traditional music and dance, all before returning to Harare, where we visited local markets, shopped, toured the college and the Village of Hope and all to soon our time together came to an end.
I'm including some pictures here. First one below is of all of us girls (ladies, or whatever) taken at the college with a couple of the kitchen staff outside where they cook when there is no Zesa. Another is of Tamara and Laurie with some of the kids at the Village of Hope and then one of Glen with our company, taken in the huge rocks found at Cecil Rhodes grave site, which is another tour we did. It was great to have Glen as our guide. He's getting quite used to that role and seems to thoroughly enjoy it.
We had such fun and now it seems almost as though it was just a dream from which I have wakened and now am asking myself, 'Where they really here?'
Now, it is back to preparing for the upcoming classes which resume September 1st. I will be teaching three courses this term. Two of them I taught last year, being Cross Cultural Ministries and Acts of The Holy Spirit. The third course, Apocalyptic Literature, is a new one for me to teach and I am looking forward to it.
I think I have chatted enough for this time. Enjoy!!
Love and Blessings to all
Marj
Wednesday, 2 July 2014
Greetings Again from Zim!
Warm greetings to all
More than 1/2 of the month of June is gone so it is probably time to begin my next blog. Life has been pretty ordinary for us the last while, with classes, meetings regarding accreditation of our college and life in general.
Mid-term exams are coming up this week and then more than half this semester is gone. I'm busy putting together final exams for end of July. It is easy to be out of touch with what's happening in Canada and the US. Talking with Geoffrey (our son) on telephone and our niece Michelle via email, this week reminded me that the school year in both The United States and Canada is either over or quickly drawing to a close. Our school year runs until the end of November and then we are seriously considering coming home to Canada for Christmas again this year.
As usual I am including a few pictures. The first one is the little neighbor girl (living with her great aunt Grace on the same property as us). She has just begun school and this was her first day. The next picture is one of shucking corn (maize). I talked, in my last blog, about that process but had lost my camera so was unable to send a picture. Luckily Glen took some pictures so this is from his camera. The third picture is of a young lady we are sponsoring. Her mom is a single mom and they struggle to be able to afford for Makanaka to attend school. I first met Maka, as she is called by family and friends, when she was working at the corner market selling vegetables and other miscellaneous items. She was not at school at that time. Maka is eleven years old. She really touched my heart and has become very dear to us. Last week we helped Linda (Maka's mom) to move some of her property, that had been sitting outside at the place where she is the house maid, to her stand. A stand is what we in Canada would call a lot. Linda's lot is a small piece of property in a high density area (very poor) and was where she and her husband planned to have their home. The husband died when Maka was only a baby and so Linda and Maka currently live in one room where Linda serves as maid. It is still Linda's intention to build on her stand when and if she can. We will do what we can to help.
The sadness for us comes in realizing that there are many, many, Lindas and Makas in this country and we cannot help them all. Even our school staff, such as our principal and academic dean struggle to pay their children's school fees. So, we do what we can and trust it is pleasing to God.
It is cold here today and overcast. Of course it is winter time. The temperature is about 14 degrees and it is almost eleven am. Here is a picture Glen snapped one day as I was trying to keep warm in our cottage. Enjoy!!
With much love and many blessings to all
Marj
More than 1/2 of the month of June is gone so it is probably time to begin my next blog. Life has been pretty ordinary for us the last while, with classes, meetings regarding accreditation of our college and life in general.
Mid-term exams are coming up this week and then more than half this semester is gone. I'm busy putting together final exams for end of July. It is easy to be out of touch with what's happening in Canada and the US. Talking with Geoffrey (our son) on telephone and our niece Michelle via email, this week reminded me that the school year in both The United States and Canada is either over or quickly drawing to a close. Our school year runs until the end of November and then we are seriously considering coming home to Canada for Christmas again this year.
As usual I am including a few pictures. The first one is the little neighbor girl (living with her great aunt Grace on the same property as us). She has just begun school and this was her first day. The next picture is one of shucking corn (maize). I talked, in my last blog, about that process but had lost my camera so was unable to send a picture. Luckily Glen took some pictures so this is from his camera. The third picture is of a young lady we are sponsoring. Her mom is a single mom and they struggle to be able to afford for Makanaka to attend school. I first met Maka, as she is called by family and friends, when she was working at the corner market selling vegetables and other miscellaneous items. She was not at school at that time. Maka is eleven years old. She really touched my heart and has become very dear to us. Last week we helped Linda (Maka's mom) to move some of her property, that had been sitting outside at the place where she is the house maid, to her stand. A stand is what we in Canada would call a lot. Linda's lot is a small piece of property in a high density area (very poor) and was where she and her husband planned to have their home. The husband died when Maka was only a baby and so Linda and Maka currently live in one room where Linda serves as maid. It is still Linda's intention to build on her stand when and if she can. We will do what we can to help.
The sadness for us comes in realizing that there are many, many, Lindas and Makas in this country and we cannot help them all. Even our school staff, such as our principal and academic dean struggle to pay their children's school fees. So, we do what we can and trust it is pleasing to God.
Here now are a couple of pictures of the high density area where Linda and Maka have their stand. That is where we moved their belongings to. One of the pictures is of Maka standing on their empty stand (lot) with her back to the neighbor's property. That neighbor is the one who is allowing them to store their belongings in a room there. The other two pictures are simply of the area. There are high density areas in and around Harare and throughout Zimbabwe which don't have any semblance of housing as you see it here.
Wow...time does slip by. It has been a couple of weeks since I sat down to write on my blog. It is now July 2nd, so yes, indeed, Canada Day has come and gone. 2014 is half over. We had a delightful Canada Day celebration yesterday, July 1st. We attended a reception hosted by the Canadian Ambassador at her residence. It was an informal garden party and felt good to meet with others from Canada, and elsewhere, serving with various NGO's or missions here in Zimbabwe and in particular, in Harare.
Mid-terms are over and now it is on to finalizing prep work for final exams for this semester. I am truly looking forward to the break. Plans are well underway for hosting two of my sisters and my niece who will arrive August 3rd.
I'm inserting a few pictures of the Canada Day Celebrations. The first one is of me with our Canadian Flag outside our home. There is one of the garden party at the Ambassador's residence and one of her giving her address and Canadian greetings to the gathering.
Marj
Wednesday, 21 May 2014
News from Zimbabwe
Greetings to all
Wahoo!!!! I am taking a step backwards to put this great news at the beginning of this blog that I started at least a week ago. Our Temporary Work Permit has, at long last, been approved. The approval is for one year ending in May of 2015 at which time we would have to apply for an extension. However, we will take it one step at a time and we thank God for the opportunity to be here and serve in this beautiful country. So, Thank-you! Thank-you!...to all of you who have been praying for us in that regard. We so appreciate the prayers and ask you to continue to pray for Zimbabwe and its people.
Now back to where I left off:
Classes resumed May 12th after a slight delay of one week. The delay came about due to the economic situation in which it is very difficult for students to pay their fees. That in turn makes it difficult for the school to operate. The current situation at our college is that we are without Zesa (electricity) most of the time. Churches sponsoring students cannot pay tuition for their students as the churches themselves are in dire straights. College policy states that students can not come to classes until their fees are paid, but that is not the practice and so everyone shares in the difficult times. Just some of the struggles here in Zim. Other schools, colleges and Universities face the same problems. We do have a generator at the college but it only runs for a few hours during the day as fuel to operate it is also very costly.
Having said all of that, Zimbabwe is truly a beautiful country and the people are beautiful, happy people in the midst of their struggles.
It was great having Bette and Brian (Glen's sister and her husband) here with us over the school break. We did so many things and experienced much of Zimbabwe that none of us, including Glen and I, had experienced before. As well as experiencing Cape Town and the surrounding country in South Africa, we travelled to Vic Falls and Hwange Park here in Zimbabwe and had so many other great experiences right here in Zimbabwe. One such experience was going to the Maize fields to help Grace (who works for Bishop and lives on the same property as we do) to bring her Maize in from her fields. Maize is the staple food of the local people. So we traveled to her field, got our truck caught up in a huge hole and needed five strong guys and a couple of equally (maybe not so much) strong women to virtually lift the truck out of the hole. The maize was hauled and dumped in the yard where it was left until the next day when we all helped to husk and bag it. The maize, once husked was put on the roof of Grace's house and left there to dry. Once it is dry then the girls who Grace cares for, being her niece and another young lady Grace is in process of adopting, had the task of stripping the kernels off the cobs. I am including a couple of pictures of that experience. Now, at least we know that Grace and her family have food for the winter. Winter is now! It gets fairly cool in the evenings and overnight but the temperatures still rise to 20 to 25C and above during the daytime...so it is not winter as we, in Canada, would know winter to be. However, my classroom is certainly chilly and I do feel the cold. We have purchased a space heater for our home so I will be warm. When we don't have Zesa we do have a small generator that we can run.
The first picture is one of the grain fields before planting. I had gone out with Grace back in September as she was fertilizing and getting ready to plant. The others are of the harvest.
I had taken a picture of the young ladies sitting outside stripping the kernels off the cobs but have just managed to loose my camera and had not downloaded those pictures. So will have to settle for sending these. At least it give the idea of the process. After the maize is all stripped then Grace takes it to a local mill to have it ground. In an earlier blog, I believe I sent a picture of that part of the process.
I am sending this Blog off to everyone today to invite you to celebrate our fabulous news with us, albeit from a distance. Will be in touch again soon.
God's Blessings to all
Marj
Wahoo!!!! I am taking a step backwards to put this great news at the beginning of this blog that I started at least a week ago. Our Temporary Work Permit has, at long last, been approved. The approval is for one year ending in May of 2015 at which time we would have to apply for an extension. However, we will take it one step at a time and we thank God for the opportunity to be here and serve in this beautiful country. So, Thank-you! Thank-you!...to all of you who have been praying for us in that regard. We so appreciate the prayers and ask you to continue to pray for Zimbabwe and its people.
Now back to where I left off:
Classes resumed May 12th after a slight delay of one week. The delay came about due to the economic situation in which it is very difficult for students to pay their fees. That in turn makes it difficult for the school to operate. The current situation at our college is that we are without Zesa (electricity) most of the time. Churches sponsoring students cannot pay tuition for their students as the churches themselves are in dire straights. College policy states that students can not come to classes until their fees are paid, but that is not the practice and so everyone shares in the difficult times. Just some of the struggles here in Zim. Other schools, colleges and Universities face the same problems. We do have a generator at the college but it only runs for a few hours during the day as fuel to operate it is also very costly.
Having said all of that, Zimbabwe is truly a beautiful country and the people are beautiful, happy people in the midst of their struggles.
It was great having Bette and Brian (Glen's sister and her husband) here with us over the school break. We did so many things and experienced much of Zimbabwe that none of us, including Glen and I, had experienced before. As well as experiencing Cape Town and the surrounding country in South Africa, we travelled to Vic Falls and Hwange Park here in Zimbabwe and had so many other great experiences right here in Zimbabwe. One such experience was going to the Maize fields to help Grace (who works for Bishop and lives on the same property as we do) to bring her Maize in from her fields. Maize is the staple food of the local people. So we traveled to her field, got our truck caught up in a huge hole and needed five strong guys and a couple of equally (maybe not so much) strong women to virtually lift the truck out of the hole. The maize was hauled and dumped in the yard where it was left until the next day when we all helped to husk and bag it. The maize, once husked was put on the roof of Grace's house and left there to dry. Once it is dry then the girls who Grace cares for, being her niece and another young lady Grace is in process of adopting, had the task of stripping the kernels off the cobs. I am including a couple of pictures of that experience. Now, at least we know that Grace and her family have food for the winter. Winter is now! It gets fairly cool in the evenings and overnight but the temperatures still rise to 20 to 25C and above during the daytime...so it is not winter as we, in Canada, would know winter to be. However, my classroom is certainly chilly and I do feel the cold. We have purchased a space heater for our home so I will be warm. When we don't have Zesa we do have a small generator that we can run.
The first picture is one of the grain fields before planting. I had gone out with Grace back in September as she was fertilizing and getting ready to plant. The others are of the harvest.
I had taken a picture of the young ladies sitting outside stripping the kernels off the cobs but have just managed to loose my camera and had not downloaded those pictures. So will have to settle for sending these. At least it give the idea of the process. After the maize is all stripped then Grace takes it to a local mill to have it ground. In an earlier blog, I believe I sent a picture of that part of the process.
I am sending this Blog off to everyone today to invite you to celebrate our fabulous news with us, albeit from a distance. Will be in touch again soon.
God's Blessings to all
Marj
Friday, 2 May 2014
Happy Easter!
Wishing a Belated Blessed Easter Celebration to all!
Easter season has come and gone since I started this Blog, but I just want to share with all of you that as the Easter Season approached, I reflected on the significance of Good Friday and Christ's death on the Cross and was, once again, thankful that things did not end at the Cross but that we serve a risen Saviour.
Seven months have come and gone since I first arrived in Zimbabwe. The first semester of 2014 has drawn to a close and my brain is recognizing the need for a break. I think I'm suffering from 'brain drain'. So, now I am enjoying a much needed break. Classes will resume in May.
The last few weeks of school were hectic indeed. What with exam preparation, followed by marking those exams of course, and then supervising and helping a master's student from St. Stephen's College in Edmonton, Alberta, through the final stages of her thesis and involvement with our accreditation process at Pan African Christian College life was rather hectic. So, I am truly appreciating the opportunity to take a step back to catch my breath.
Glen and I flew on April 3rd, to Cape Town in South Africa where we met up with Bette and Brian Moen, Glen's sister and her husband. We spent 7 wonderful days exploring the beauties of that country, including Table Mountain (pictures inserted) which is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The second picture is of our cable car ride up the mountain. We also visited the most southerly point of South Africa where the Indian and the Atlantic Oceans intersect. (picture inserted).
We are now back in Harare and will explore some of the countryside here, heading off to Bulawayo tomorrow and then points beyond.
It is good to find ways to stay in touch with friends and colleagues in the various parts of Canada. One of the ways we have done that was to participate in our CASC (Canadian Association for Spiritual Care) annual 5 K Fun Run/Walk. Our CASAC conference was being held in Winnipeg, and we decided that we would join and participate from here in Harare. We calculated the time difference and did the walk/run here in Harare at the same time as our colleagues in Winnipeg. It was kind of fun to do that and still feel a connection with my professional colleagues back in Canada.
Now on to college news. I have just recently prepared a power-point presentation which highlights the college and the challenges they face. It is my intention to visit as many of the local PAOZ churches as possible in efforts to have the churches take some ownership of their college. To date I have spoken to two of the larger congregations in Harare and with the assistance of Principal, Bruce Magavagava, we will visit as many of the churches as possible. That is one of the ways I can help the college in these economically challenging times.
As usual, I have been writing my blog on an ongoing basis. This one is no exception. I started before Easter which is well past now. We are still taking advantage of the school break, which runs for the entire month of April. We spent a few days in Bulawayo and visited the national Park where believe it or not, we went on a number of game drives where we saw plenty of game.
Please note that even though I am not an 'animal person', I did enjoy seeing some of the creatures God created. We saw many species of animals including, but not limited to, Elephants, Giraffes, Zebra, Water Buck, Impala and Wart Hogs. Sharing our time with Bette and Brian certainly highlighted our trip. Part of our trip included a visit to Victoria Falls. We first viewed the Falls from a helicopter and then did the hike around the falls. As we hiked around the falls we got drenched and it was such fun!!! In fact that was my favorite part of the trip. I have included (above) a couple of pictures of the falls. They are absolutely magnificent.
We have had a fabulous break, lots of fun, numerous laughs and have just enjoyed our time together with Bette and Brian.
Back in Harare the four of us, Bette and Brian and Glen and I have spent time exploring this great country...the city of Harare and the surrounding country side. We realize we are blessed to be able to golf and travel. The country is beautiful but one would be remiss if one only visited the 'touristy' spots. It is impossible to get a true picture of Zimbabwe without seeing the signs of a once prosperous nation now struggling through difficult and troubling times. There indeed is a sadness that can be felt amidst the smiling faces of the local people. The many corner markets, the local peddlers selling everything and anything, and the stone market displaying local creations of all kinds for sale cheap, give a more realistic picture of the struggles of Zimbabwe's people. Tourism is almost non-existent and the struggle to earn a living is evident everywhere.
May 2nd, 2014...Me again. Classes resume on Monday, May 5th, so I am busy preparing to keep ahead of my students. Monday is registration day and meeting with the other profs. Then classes resume in earnest on Tuesday. I am actually looking forward to seeing what's in store with the new semester. Will write more with updates on happenings at the college once we are back in class.
Please continue to pray for us. Our work permits have still not been approved.
That's all for now folks. More later.
Love and Blessings to all
Marj
Easter season has come and gone since I started this Blog, but I just want to share with all of you that as the Easter Season approached, I reflected on the significance of Good Friday and Christ's death on the Cross and was, once again, thankful that things did not end at the Cross but that we serve a risen Saviour.
Seven months have come and gone since I first arrived in Zimbabwe. The first semester of 2014 has drawn to a close and my brain is recognizing the need for a break. I think I'm suffering from 'brain drain'. So, now I am enjoying a much needed break. Classes will resume in May.
The last few weeks of school were hectic indeed. What with exam preparation, followed by marking those exams of course, and then supervising and helping a master's student from St. Stephen's College in Edmonton, Alberta, through the final stages of her thesis and involvement with our accreditation process at Pan African Christian College life was rather hectic. So, I am truly appreciating the opportunity to take a step back to catch my breath.
Glen and I flew on April 3rd, to Cape Town in South Africa where we met up with Bette and Brian Moen, Glen's sister and her husband. We spent 7 wonderful days exploring the beauties of that country, including Table Mountain (pictures inserted) which is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The second picture is of our cable car ride up the mountain. We also visited the most southerly point of South Africa where the Indian and the Atlantic Oceans intersect. (picture inserted).
We are now back in Harare and will explore some of the countryside here, heading off to Bulawayo tomorrow and then points beyond.
It is good to find ways to stay in touch with friends and colleagues in the various parts of Canada. One of the ways we have done that was to participate in our CASC (Canadian Association for Spiritual Care) annual 5 K Fun Run/Walk. Our CASAC conference was being held in Winnipeg, and we decided that we would join and participate from here in Harare. We calculated the time difference and did the walk/run here in Harare at the same time as our colleagues in Winnipeg. It was kind of fun to do that and still feel a connection with my professional colleagues back in Canada.
Now on to college news. I have just recently prepared a power-point presentation which highlights the college and the challenges they face. It is my intention to visit as many of the local PAOZ churches as possible in efforts to have the churches take some ownership of their college. To date I have spoken to two of the larger congregations in Harare and with the assistance of Principal, Bruce Magavagava, we will visit as many of the churches as possible. That is one of the ways I can help the college in these economically challenging times.
As usual, I have been writing my blog on an ongoing basis. This one is no exception. I started before Easter which is well past now. We are still taking advantage of the school break, which runs for the entire month of April. We spent a few days in Bulawayo and visited the national Park where believe it or not, we went on a number of game drives where we saw plenty of game.
Please note that even though I am not an 'animal person', I did enjoy seeing some of the creatures God created. We saw many species of animals including, but not limited to, Elephants, Giraffes, Zebra, Water Buck, Impala and Wart Hogs. Sharing our time with Bette and Brian certainly highlighted our trip. Part of our trip included a visit to Victoria Falls. We first viewed the Falls from a helicopter and then did the hike around the falls. As we hiked around the falls we got drenched and it was such fun!!! In fact that was my favorite part of the trip. I have included (above) a couple of pictures of the falls. They are absolutely magnificent.
We have had a fabulous break, lots of fun, numerous laughs and have just enjoyed our time together with Bette and Brian.
Back in Harare the four of us, Bette and Brian and Glen and I have spent time exploring this great country...the city of Harare and the surrounding country side. We realize we are blessed to be able to golf and travel. The country is beautiful but one would be remiss if one only visited the 'touristy' spots. It is impossible to get a true picture of Zimbabwe without seeing the signs of a once prosperous nation now struggling through difficult and troubling times. There indeed is a sadness that can be felt amidst the smiling faces of the local people. The many corner markets, the local peddlers selling everything and anything, and the stone market displaying local creations of all kinds for sale cheap, give a more realistic picture of the struggles of Zimbabwe's people. Tourism is almost non-existent and the struggle to earn a living is evident everywhere.
May 2nd, 2014...Me again. Classes resume on Monday, May 5th, so I am busy preparing to keep ahead of my students. Monday is registration day and meeting with the other profs. Then classes resume in earnest on Tuesday. I am actually looking forward to seeing what's in store with the new semester. Will write more with updates on happenings at the college once we are back in class.
Please continue to pray for us. Our work permits have still not been approved.
That's all for now folks. More later.
Love and Blessings to all
Marj
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)