April 22 2006

Greetings from Zimbabwe!
 
As with every time I arrive in this country, I find a deeper and deeper connection 
to the culture, the land, and our common bond of the human spirit.  It doesn't 
matter who the people are, whether the indigenous Shona who brought me into 
their circle, or the Caucasians or Arabians, who have since become aligned with 
our Ancient Ways purposes, the whole of the commitment towards our aim is 
strong.  All of the people regardless of race or religion are in a holding pattern 
with us as we persevere, and we with them.  
 
Much gratitude fills my cup and overflows my boundaries as I take pen to paper, 
and bless you for your part in all of this.  Without your interest, financial support, 
and purchase of village crafts, I would not be here in this capacity, the rural 
people would not be uplifted by our efforts, and we wouldn't be focused on the 
future with great hope, definitive plans, and confidence in the evolution towards 
our goals.
 
THE FIRST WEEK 
It has been a source of great joy to see our Nhimbe villagers looking happier and 
healthier.  Although we have sent food, it has been relatively minimal.  The 
World Food Program has brought them food twice since January (e.g. bulgur, 
peas, cooking oil), and our lots would be considered a supplement to that.  The 
significance of this food aid is seen in their faces.  That just-under-the-surface 
tension is banished, even though survival is clearly still an issue.  The creased 
foreheads from thinking too hard about the future are softer lines.  The light of 
hope in their eyes is brighter, knowing that their children will eat better today.  
Thank you for your generosity over this last year as it makes a tremendous 
difference.   We have ordered another lot of food (maize meal, 
corn/soya/vitamin blend porridge, oil, beans) to be delivered this next week for 
distribution on the following Sunday, although the residents (near 1,000) are 
unaware of these plans.  We work to keep a low profile in this regard.
 
Upon arriving I was blessed to have Sheree Seretse, an old friend, well-known 
musician/teacher and leader from Anzanga, also incoming at the airport.  We 
were able to take her home to the rural area for a couple of days.  There we 
adjusted to the travel and altitude.  Sheree was able to meet all of her sponsored 
children, their parents, as well as a recent graduate.  It was a tremendous 
experience for me to share in the linking of their hearts and minds.  It's that 
person who offers the children the possibility of a different future that flips the 
switch to "on" and generates the electricity.  We just lay the wire.  Sheree's stay 
was short but she was able to witness some of the seeds being planted, the 
work being done, and the dreams being fulfilled.
 
My time has been packed with meetings with each of the people in their Nhimbe 
departments.  School is out now until May 9th.  Easter holiday closes most 
businesses until the Wednesday after, so I stayed in Mhondoro for the first 
week.  Everyone brought me up to date on the progress and events of the last 
few months.
 
THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS
In February, there was an earthquake here registering fairly high on the Richter 
scale (7.5 in Mozambique).  We don't have statistics on the damage around the 
villages, but mom's well was completely destroyed.  It's now a huge gaping hole 
in the ground.  There are 4 or 5 women (age ranges 25-45) who daily walk 1/4 
mile to the nearest well and fill 5-gallon containers, returning with them filled 
and balanced on their heads.  I am still able to have a morning bath, filtered 
water to drink, and water for my kitchen, but am being far more frugal than 
before when a good well was a few steps away.  We are fortunate for this 
nearby high quality water source, as around 90% of the people have no well!  
(About 90% also have no toilet.)
 
Just a few short weeks ago there was a serious break in at the Nhimbe 
Community Center.  Many project supplies and gifts from recent visitors were 
stolen, leaving the doors and cabinet locks broken and giving our community 
quite a blow.  The staff made great efforts to quickly repair the damage to the 
premises, follow-up with police, as well as console the residents about the 
traumatic situation, so as to not leave things in disarray. Four men had carefully 
planned out this offense and got away with many things.  The police at multiple 
levels (from the local constable to the CIO, which is like the CIA) have been 
involved and a very few things have been found.  Some books and school fabric 
was located in a nearby village.  They took some food from the preschool but left 
most of it, and the cooking utensils, for which we are grateful.  We are now 
continuing to re-purchase supplies so that the preschool will be ready to open on 
May 9th.
 
VILLAGE HEALTH
There has been an outbreak of scabies particularly amongst the school children, 
although many adults are also affected.  When I heard it was a problem I 
suggested they come for a group NMT session (see www.nmt.md).  I also had 
some essential oils with which to work that had cleared the problem for my 
sisters and me in the past.  In conjunction with our Health Station Aid, who has 
been trained by the government as a Village Health Worker, I thought we might 
be able to do something.  I was floored when over 60 people came.  Infants to 
the elderly were under attack by this minute bug.  I'm not particularly trained in 
first aid, just use some common sense methods, and so was stunned by the 
serious nature of their skin conditions.  From the simple small itchy bumps to the 
worst weeping wounds, the mites were irritating them all.  I had no idea how 
bad it was, and neither did anyone else.  
 
We set up washing stations with both soap and the salt water disinfecting 
solution.  As our staff observed the magnitude of the situation they also 
commented that they didn't realize the severity until the children took off their 
clothes. We talked a little about hygiene and completed some NMT to boost their 
immune systems.  The essential oil was only a drop in the bucket to what was 
needed.  As we have returned to town, we proceeded to the pharmacy 
wholesalers to purchase some basic gauze bandages, iodine, calamine, and a 
solution used to treat scabies here called benzyle benzoate.   Its clear we need 
to do more education as well because the mite is similar to lice in the way it 
hides in bedding, clothes and hair.  Our Health Station Aid will now be able to 
treat the residents.
 
This Friday, she is also testing for bilharzias, as it is again a problem.  We tested 
and treated in 2004.  The parasite schistomiasas is found in standing water and 
once within a human creates a condition of cloudy thinking, fatigue, and blood in 
the urine (making the testing easy), so children for example can not focus at 
school when infected.  The children pass through a small creek to get to school 
and so are exposed regularly.  
 
Another serious medical concern is something I can't diagnose, as I've never 
seen it in the US.  Many people have open skin sores on the feet, ankles, and 
legs, as well as on the face and upper extremities.  These look to be 1/8" deep 
and the size of a dime although usually oblong in shape.  These are just open 
holes on the skin with no blood or obvious infection.  The pharmacy had no 
name for the condition but knew what we were talking about.  They use 
hydrogen peroxide to clean and dry it out and that's it.  I've seen skin sores for 
years here but it seems to be worsening.  Three members of the immediate 
family showed up with the problem, when they heard I was treating a dog bite 
with basic first aid.  Since malnutrition is such an issue I'm sure that is 
compromising their bodies' ability to heal whatever it is.  Washing their wounds 
in unclean water is also an issue. 
 
Our Building Manager, who is also in charge of Security, was bitten by a dog.  It 
left quite a foot wound.  He went to the closest clinic and was told to go 
elsewhere as they have no supplies.  He proceeded to a second clinic and was 
told to return home and wash his wound with salt water, which is the standard 
recipe for cleaning wounds.  I could understand the clinic not being able to 
afford bandages and medicines but was struck by the desperation here, as they 
didn't even have salt to show him how to properly clean his wound.  He did get a 
recommendation to travel further to the rural hospital where he is receiving 
injections for rabies.  I pray they are using sterile needles.
 
Ironically as my attention is being drawn to the many urgent and basic medical 
needs, I have just met a young man from our villages who is graduating from his 
last year at the University in Harare in nursing.  He volunteered and helped with 
the scabies treatment program and was fascinated by NMT, feeling a new level 
of self esteem that intentional healing is a valid frontier.  I would like to employ 
this young man upon graduation, eventually getting him NMT training, as there 
is great hope for our area with this plan.  It would only be around $150 a month 
to add him to our team but that is another $1,800 a year to our existing $10,000 
per year budget for wages here.  Anyone have any ideas on how to raise funds 
for this purpose?  Our residents deserve health care!  There must be some 
organization, group or individual interested in helping us to set up a basic health 
program here - it is such a deplorable situation with no end in sight as it stands 
now - a little aspirin isn't really the solution. 
 
EDUCATION
Since school is out now for their break, the children will be receiving the letters 
you sent at a general meeting on Saturday (since there is no school I will be 
unable to get their updated photos until later in the year - please be patient).  I 
have been privy to their rehearsing for this big affair sharing traditional song, 
dance, and drumming in gratitude for all Nhimbe is doing for them.  Hopefully, I 
can tape the children's presentation.  There are two women who have been 
working with them for quite some time preparing for this gathering.  
 
We are out and about in town purchasing uniform fabric for the sponsored 
children (about 75% of the children in the Nhimbe villages are now sponsored so 
it is quite an investment), yarn for finger puppet creation, and ethnic fabric for 
purses to be made here and exported.  Fabric prices have increased substantially 
as the cost of doing business continues to escalate.
 
CURRENCY
Last I heard, the bank rate is Z$99,000 and I hear that the street rate was over 
Z$200,000 to 1 USD.  When we started the project in 2000 the bank/street rate 
was around Z$ 38/42 to 1 USD.  Considering that a lower income salary is 
around Z$4,000,000, check out the food prices:
Olive oil, 1 liter, 1,800,000 
Eggs, 1 dozen, 288,000
5 Apples, 550,000
Box of oatmeal, 450,000
Tangerines, 95,000 / kg
Honey pint 395,000
Onions 330,000/ kg
Potatoes 90,000 / kg
Mozzarella cheese 490,000
Peanut butter pint, 324,000 
 
Even though a person can spend millions of Zim (over 36 million to purchase 
medical supplies, and over 196 million for uniform fabrics), most people barely 
have high school equivalency, but they are all coping with the zeroes.  It feels 
like the Monopoly game to many.  Everyone has to have a great sense of humor 
to survive these times.  People laugh at the outrageous increases every week but 
it is laughter born of dismay, embarrassment, and utter confusion at how to 
proceed to prepare for the next day.
 
VISION
My vision has always been around creating opportunity for empowerment.  When 
I first came in 2000, the needs were so great for shelter, as Cyclone Eline had 
just struck the month before my arrival, with health issues predominant and 
educational concerns paramount, that I lost my focus.  I was swept into the 
travesty of the deteriorating economy, the families' struggles with continual 
funerals, and how to navigate the debilitated infrastructure.  Now in our 7th year, 
I have learned much about the original calling of my heart, as well as the endless 
black hole of need.  For my own restoration of power and healing, I needed to 
shift focus and remember my sacred kernel of inspiration. Empowerment is an 
inside job!  The outer world opportunities are of significance to enable the 
embracing of hope, but how one thinks and believes and feels about the future 
determines the outcome.  I've known this but didn't realize that I needed to take 
more action in this aspect of education with my world.  After all, where do I get 
off?  Same place as everyone else I guess - we must each speak our truth and 
not be shy or intimidated by what people might think.  Once that awareness 
struck me so boldly, I began studying individual empowerment in a formal 
fashion and am looking forward to continual learning, opening, and sharing in 
that regard.
 
Bettie Mitchell, founder of Good Samaritan Ministries based in Beaverton Oregon, 
another adopted mother of mine, gave me a copy of a book by Dr. Myles 
Munroe, called The Principles and Power of Vision: Keys to Achieving Personal 
and Corporate Destiny.  This book lays the concepts out concisely and I highly 
recommend it.  We purchased it wholesale and brought our crew here copies to 
read and begin studying.  The bottom line in my mind is listening to ones' own 
heart, choosing to hear one's calling, and then to passionately contribute one's 
talents/gifts to the planet.  This is what we all wish for our children but few 
people find it for themselves.   The book has a gold mine of information on the 
subject!
 
Additionally, GSM has offered us the option of utilizing their Continental Training 
Center in Kenya providing our two key managers (Financial/Overseer and 
Educational Program) with training in this humanitarian work to which they have 
dedicated themselves.  The Center trains GSM staff from all over the world.  All 
we have to do is get our fellows there for a 3-month course beginning in 
August.  Due to farming priorities, they will only be able to attend the 2 months 
of August and September.  
 
I will be going through Kenya on my way home to visit this Center and see GSM 
abroad.  I have only observed and participated in their stateside programs, and 
have only been impressed by the broad-minded philosophy about the work to do 
in the world.  The story of the Good Samaritan tells it all - there is no race or 
religion involved in aiding another person.  It's much like my Moslem friends here 
who have many self-help projects in the rural area where they are helping 
people help themselves, sharing their religious point of view without requiring 
the registering of one's particular faith in God to receive the assistance. It's much 
like us as well, as we continue in an educational role, and want to make a dent 
in the consciousness associated with the difficult path of poverty. I am so 
grateful for the people around the world who care about others and want to help 
alleviate human suffering - it is a load to be shared. 
 
SUMMARY
After a two-day visit to Mhondoro over the weekend, I will be going to work on 
our other project here in Zimbabwe for the week, in another area called 
Dambatsoko.  As Cosmas Magaya helps to facilitate the growth of Nhimbe for 
Progress, Fradreck Mujuru envisioned and is facilitating the Jangano project (co-
directing with Fungai Mujuru).  We began in late 2005 to work with them.  The 
Jangano project is accomplished in an entirely different region and has no 
relationship to Nhimbe for Progress.  So far, we are sponsoring 50 children to 
attend the Dewedza schools.  We are researching the feasibility of building toilets 
for the residents of the 4 villages in their area.  We are very excited about this 
new and separately run project as the Nhimbe model has taught us much about 
how to organize ourselves, keep records, as well as the cultural bridge building 
to really reach out to each other in an effective and productive way that meets 
both of our needs.  Next Field Report will hopefully contain more details about 
our Jangano progress.
 
Until next week - thank you for being there, being interested and concerned 
about these people, and offering me the encouragement you do!  I am honored 
to be able to work with such a great group of people - that includes all of you 
who add in your energy and efforts to raise funds, tell our story, and continue to 
hold our hearts close to your own in prayer, conversation and deed.

Blessings your way   ~   Jaiaen