A local Interlude ...

Tuesday, January 13^th  

After a day of rest, and a lovely dinner at the home of one of the missionaries, Tuesday’s dawn ushered us into a round of visiting key installations and individuals around the city.  We visited Harare Theological College and saw the good work of training being accomplished there. 

At this point Mandy was excused from the group trips for the rest of the week and was able to join precious friends on their farm in the northeast of the country. They are numbered among the very few who are still on their farm, and despite seemingly insurmountable odds are still managing to eek out an existence.

Mandy wrote, "During my time with them I was given yet another window from another perspective to look through. My heart ached again as I learned of the incredibly stressful challenges they live with:

 * the deep concern for their daughter, a young mother, whose pulse is alarmingly slow and who needed to travel to South Africa to have a pace maker inserted.

* the torrid times of having their farm invaded or interfered with.

* dealing with a workforce who are unable to source their own food supplies due to the empty shelves in the supermarkets; workers who are HIV positive and increasingly unable to put in a full day’s work; workers who need time off on a regular basis to bury family members who have succumbed to the ravages of Aids or any one of a number of diseases that over-power their weakened or non existent immune systems; workers who need medical attention from barely functioning clinics or hospitals that have no medical supplies.

* the pleas for expertise and practical help from those who have taken and occupied large tracts of your land with the full support of the judicial system and law makers.

* struggling to keep old and tired farm machinery and vehicles functioning despite the outrageous cost of spare parts IF they can be found.

* remaining viable when the infrastructure of the country is crumbling: bad roads, unreliable telephone service, electricity cuts, spiraling inflation, worthless bank notes, crime and corruption at every level.

It was my joy to observe their rock solid faith and trust in the Lord despite everything, and to pray with and for them. I was given the great privilege of visiting others in the district living under the same circumstances, hearing their hearts, and praying with them too."