ࡱ> y x !"#$%&'()*+,-.0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_`abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvw{|}~Root Entry( Jr`wp٥MatOST ,p٥`wp٥MMMN0 ND  FMicrosoft Word Document MSWordDocWord.Document.89qST   6=/8d ,t6HTMatadorObject1 FSp٥`wp٥Ole Data 1Table DyK www.ancinet-ways.orgyK :http://www.ancinet-ways.org/8@8 @;Normal_HmH sH tH DA@D @;Default Paragraph FontViV @; Table Normal :V 44 la (k(@;No List 0U@0 @; Hyperlink>*B*2B@2 @; Body TextCJFVF @;FollowedHyperlink >*B* phLbL*+  D E &'/mn)*  !#"#X%Y% ( (())=+>+{,|,//11 1221424R7S799;;<<>>>???[A\AYBZB-D.DEEKGLGIIJJLLLLL@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0@0L^~0 z bT+ 9QT,./0T-,UjLXVMEDLL8*urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttagsdate 2004279DayMonthYearLL@;;_zL@`^{LP@UnknownG:Times New Roman5Symbol3& :Arial"0hDFDFz oA'z oA'$4LLH?z TIM MUELLER TIM MUELLERCompObj jOlePres000+-OlePres001 /,WordDocumentF$b5 /hpf9xdr0HP DeskJet 930C Series #2LPT1: ;-], `   .@Times New Roman-&2 -  September 27, 2004&   2 -   2 f  +2   Hello Nhimbe Friends,$  % &  2    2   2 U  We just finished our last week in the rural area. Our stay was a nice blend between v.       $     #  $     $ 2 LV  spending the weekdays working in the villages with the weekends in the city. We have    $ $      %   $     .J2 *  accomplished a tremendous amount in a shor%   % %   2   t time   & 2   -D2 &  always running into the difficulties  $         2 X  of money literally being in short supply, the phone access being limited, and transport %            '    2 \  being a continual organizational project due to the size of the city, location of suppliers                         ,2 2  and one main driver.  %    2 2   2 l  2   The ch 2 U  allenge with being a weekend city visit is that most of the stores are only open for p  %    $        %        2 W  a half day on Saturday and since a majority of purchases need to be completed then, we i         %       %   $ e2 <  were often watching the clock and pushing to complete the to$  $         &    2   -.2   do list. The family al  '  2   so  2 RT  needed to attend a memorial over one of the weekends and so that too, affected some     %%      $      % 2 \  members of the team and its ability to stay directed on the work here. This is very normal &&   %            $    & 2 M  to have many people gone for one to three days sharing the loss of their lovei %               2   d ones.  2    2   &2 8  HIV/AIDS EDUCATION$$#$ $$!#$$ 2 8   2 qT  The second workshop given by The Centre has gone on very well. Participants are so   $    !     $      2 Y  very grateful for this knowledge that has been opened to them. They continue to express b     %       %      ^2 7  gratitude as a light has just been turned on in a dark o             G2 (  room. It is hard to imagine what it is %     &  %   2 X  like to hear of the virus but not know any facts while watching people around you dying          $  $  $        2 WY  for reasons that no one discusses, but only suspects. How trying on ones mind and soul b           $#    &    F2 '  to know nothing about it, how to survivo $     #   P2 .  e it, or how to avoid it. They now also have    #     $    2 V  vision, because the teacher who is also HIV positive has proven to them, that to know       $    $$       %   $ 2 S  your status is only empowering. Getting tested and utilizing counseling moves the o     &$  $         %  I2 =)  shadows away and gives one a new path of t$ $      $   D2 =i&  hope. The training, which focuses on      $   2 w[  prevention, the power of positive thinking/acting, and nutrition, also provides incredible    $                  2 V  support through counseling and organizing support groups. We only hope they are able           .      I2 )  to continue since so many NGOs have left       % $$%   2 Z   the country.  2 I   2 #  2 ]   CHIEF NHERERA!$ $$!!# 2 ]  2 S  We were successful in purchasing the supplies for the AIDS patients in the Chiefs l. $          #$     !  2 [  villages. We delivered betadine, calamine, gauze bandages, an aspirin type of pain killer   .      '              \2 6  and gloves to the main clinic in his region as this is    %            >2 "  center where the home based care  $  %  2 CW  program operates. As I mentioned before, they had received no government supplies for l%  #  %      &   2 |V  1 years. They count on NGO help or other donors like us. There is currently a bill &     $$$              U2 1  being discussed that would force even more NGOs t      #  % $$$ C2 %  o leave the country due to a concern         82   about political involvement.       & 2 L   2 )   2 b X  We found out that 3 of the people were in our villages who had been discharged from the .        $      $    % 2 Y  hospitals with AIDS. The home based care that is offered helps those who are dying with b   % #$  %      $    % 2   no possibi  }2 L  lity of recovering and is there to offer some dignity to the individual. We           &         . 2  T  understand that there are more young people now being served by the program. We are     %   $     % .  2 H \  grateful that only 3 people out of our 1,100 villagers, are needing this help. The overall                        2   numb&2 qT  er of people under the home based care in all the Chiefs villages (58) has remained       %     !     %  e2 <  fairly consistent over the last two years, between 22 to 24.       #  $    2    2   ;-], `   .@Times New Roman-&2 -  September 27, 2004&   2 -   2 f  +2   Hello Nhimbe Friends,$  % &  2    2   2 U  We just finished our last week in the rural area. Our stay was a nice blend between .       $     #  $     $ 2 LV  spending the weekdays working in the villages with the weekends in the city. We have    $ $      %   $     .J2 *  accomplished a tremendous amount in a shor%   % %   2   t time   & 2   -D2 &  always running into the difficulties  $         2 X  of money literally being in short supply, the phone access being limited, and transport %            '    2 \  being a continual organizational project due to the size of the city, location of suppliers                         ,2 2  and one main driver.  %    2 2   2 l  2   The ch 2 U  allenge with being a weekend city visit is that most of the stores are only open for   %    $        %        2 W  a half day on Saturday and since a majority of purchases need to be completed then, we          %       %   $ e2 <  were often watching the clock and pushing to complete the to$  $         &    2   -.2   do list. The family al  '  2   so  2 RT  needed to attend a memorial over one of the weekends and so that too, affected some     %%      $      % 2 \  members of the team and its ability to stay directed on the work here. This is very normal &&   %            $    & 2 M  to have many people gone for one to three days sharing the loss of their lovei %               2   d ones.  2    2   &2 8  HIV/AIDS EDUCATION$$#$ $$!#$$ 2 8   2 qT  The second workshop given by The Centre has gone on very well. Participants are so   $    !     $      2 Y  very grateful for this knowledge that has been opened to them. They continue to express      %       %      ^2 7  gratitude as a light has just been turned on in a dark              G2 (  room. It is hard to imagine what it is %     &  %   2 X  like to hear of the virus but not know any facts while watching people around you dying          $  $  $        2 WY  for reasons that no one discusses, but only suspects. How trying on ones mind and soul            $#    &    F2 '  to know nothing about it, how to surviv  $     #   P2 .  e it, or how to avoid it. They now also have    #     $    2 V  vision, because the teacher who is also HIV positive has proven to them, that to know       $    $$       %   $ 2 S  your status is only empowering. Getting tested and utilizing counseling moves the o     &$  $         %  I2 =)  shadows away and gives one a new path of h$ $      $   D2 =i&  hope. The training, which focuses on      $   2 w[  prevention, the power of positive thinking/acting, and nutrition, also provides incredible    $                  2 V  support through counseling and organizing support groups. We only hope they are able           .      I2 )  to continue since so many NGOs have left       % $$%   2 Z   the country.  2 I   2 #  2 ]   CHIEF NHERERA!$ $$!!# 2 ]  2 S  We were successful in purchasing the supplies for the AIDS patients in the Chiefs . $          #$     !  2 [  villages. We delivered betadine, calamine, gauze bandages, an aspirin type of pain killer   .      '              \2 6  and gloves to the main clinic in his region as this is    %            >2 "  center where the home based care  $  %  2 CW  program operates. As I mentioned before, they had received no government supplies for %  #  %      &   2 |V  1 years. They count on NGO help or other donors like us. There is currently a bill &     $$$              U2 1  being discussed that would force even more NGOs ti     #  % $$$ C2 %  o leave the country due to a concern         82   about political involvement.       & 2 L   2 )   2 b X  We found out that 3 of the people were in our villages who had been discharged from the .        $      $    % 2 Y  hospitals with AIDS. The home based care that is offered helps those who are dying with    % #$  %      $    % 2   no possibi  }2 L  lity of recovering and is there to offer some dignity to the individual. We           &         . 2  T  understand that there are more young people now being served by the program. We are     %   $     % .  2 H \  grateful that only 3 people out of our 1,100 villagers, are needing this help. The overall                        2   numb&2 qT  er of people under the home based care in all the Chiefs villages (58) has remained       %     !     %  e2 <  fairly consistent over the last two years, between 22 to 24.       #  $    2    2   @ TbjbjFF $b,,L $,,,,,,,+------$bRVQ,,Q,,f,,++,  Uf٥   |0   (,@N Z,,,QQ D  September 27, 2004 Hello Nhimbe Friends, We just finished our last week in the rural area. Our stay was a nice blend between spending the weekdays working in the villages with the weekends in the city. We have accomplished a tremendous amount in a short time - always running into the difficulties of money literally being in short supply, the phone access being limited, and transport being a continual organizational project due to the size of the city, location of suppliers and one main driver. The challenge with being a weekend city visit is that most of the stores are only open for a half day on Saturday and since a majority of purchases need to be completed then, we were often watching the clock and pushing to complete the to-do list. The family also needed to attend a memorial over one of the weekends and so that too, affected some members of the team and its ability to stay directed on the work here. This is very normal to have many people gone for one to three days sharing the loss of their loved ones. HIV/AIDS EDUCATION The second workshop given by The Centre has gone on very well. Participants are so very grateful for this knowledge that has been opened to them. They continue to express gratitude as a light has just been turned on in a dark room. It is hard to imagine what it is like to hear of the virus but not know any facts while watching people around you dying for reasons that no one discusses, but only suspects. How trying on ones mind and soul to know nothing about it, how to survive it, or how to avoid it. They now also have vision, because the teacher who is also HIV positive has proven to them, that to know your status is only empowering. Getting tested and utilizing counseling moves the shadows away and gives one a new path of hope. The training, which focuses on prevention, the power of positive thinking/acting, and nutrition, also provides incredible support through counseling and organizing support groups. We only hope they are able to continue since so many NGOs have left the country. CHIEF NHERERA We were successful in purchasing the supplies for the AIDS patients in the Chiefs villages. We delivered betadine, calamine, gauze bandages, an aspirin type of pain killer and gloves to the main clinic in his region as this is center where the home based care program operates. As I mentioned before, they had received no government supplies for 1 years. They count on NGO help or other donors like us. There is currently a bill being discussed that would force even more NGOs to leave the country due to a concern about political involvement. We found out that 3 of the people were in our villages who had been discharged from the hospitals with AIDS. The home based care that is offered helps those who are dying with no possibility of recovering and is there to offer some dignity to the individual. We understand that there are more young people now being served by the program. We are grateful that only 3 people out of our 1,100 villagers, are needing this help. The overall number of people under the home based care in all the Chiefs villages (58) has remained fairly consistent over the last two years, between 22 to 24. COST OF LIVING Prices continue to rise from week to week. We are allowed to withdraw only 5 million Zim dollars unless we make a special request for more cash, and then it will be there on a following day. This has been a challenge to get into town on Friday after the workshops, go to the bank Saturday a.m. to get the limit, and then request additional funds be available on Monday, since the training and other work continues in Mhondoro. At this point, we only have one person who can access our bank funds, and she lives in the rural area. We just went to the bank 3 times today before we finally were able to get the requested amounts. The parallel market exchange rate we heard about last week rumors to remain close to the same (74-7500), but for instance, petrol is now 3800 per liter instead of 3500 the first week. Yes, there are places in the US where gasoline costs are similar, but the wages we earn are very different so its possible to pay those prices, even though we wince when thinking about it, dont we? Front page headlines last week indicated that the Trust Bank of Zimbabwe closed. We were brought up to date about this upon our return. The effects of this closure have yet to be seen, and will undoubtedly have a ripple effect in many parts of the economy. We were also informed that Barclays, which is known as an international bank has been cut off from the international status and now is standing on its own. We are currently discussing opening another account to provide a safety net at one of the other recommended banks. Our business contacts here have continued to help us keep abreast of the situation for which we are very grateful. EXPORTS This trip is not focused on export items, but at this point in our projects maturity, the sales of our villagers products have been a key for raising funds to help pay operating expenses. These costs includes minimal wages, (I emphasize minimal), purchasing the petrol to handle the business operations here, and providing airfare to monitor the project, to see that we meet standards necessary for the IRS and for full accountability to our donors. Obviously too, purchasing their hand made items, stimulates the economy and helps these people feed their families, pay school fees and other basics. We met with the sculptors and found them very grateful for some business, as tourism isnt up. It was really great to see the sculptors village toilet functioning and available to use! The women have been specifically grateful for our contribution to their lifestyle knowing that it is smart to have a toilet. We only wish we could find funding to build toilets for all people who have none, as this would impact the health status of everyone concerned. That number exceeds 200. Less than 10% of the people have toilets here in our villages. That is normal for rural Zimbabwe and is much worse in more remote areas. Also, we purchased a small amount of fabric for the textile projects. We will bring back a few great childrens toys and a few ethnic tablecloths. We found that our favorite fabric store in Harare is having a hard time. Many lower racks were empty of their normal abundant fabric rolls. They are working hard to maintain a continuity and keep business interest up. The manager was explaining that the biggest challenge is getting the new fabric in. They have worked out new designs, but the local manufacturers are continually having difficulties. One time it will be the air compressor is broken, and then the lint for making the cotton fabrics is unavailable, and the list goes on. We are hopeful, as are they, that the new owners, with many stores all over Zimbabwe, will be able to weather the storm. Working with the serpentine sculpture archetypes, which reflect the underlying cosmology here, and being fond of stones and rock hounding since childhood, encourages my love for this part of the project. I have always enjoyed working with textiles also, and so find the blend of these items a great mix for my personality, but the merchant resale record keeping requirements are great, as is schlepping boxes to sell, when I simply want to be in service to the project. The importing side of Nhimbe in the states is quite labor intensive and we continue to look for ways to minimize our dependency on my entrepreneurial merchant nature, hoping for support from larger organizations or donors, grants or other income generating options. Remember to watch the web site ( HYPERLINK http://www.ancinet-ways.org www.ancient-ways.org) for new product availability, and let us know of any large, well-attended holiday locations for sales opportunities. We have great new T-shirts too! Consider hosting a holiday gift buying party for your friends kind of like Tupperware or Avon but a lot more fun with great results affecting many peoples lives. HELP IS HAPPENING! We have had a great team working on a daily basis to keep all the wheels moving. Allison has continued to pour herself into the tasks at hand. She has maintained all details on expenditures this trip and helped repeatedly deal with accounting tasks, counting millions of dollars, balancing books, and tallying the projected needs for future. She continues to be there with pen in hand to make lists of the things to do, places to go, and people to meet. Her dream of working somewhere in Africa coupled with sincere motivation to help people is moving her efforts from the inside out and so with little to no prompting she has integrated into the Nhimbe Spirit like a flower in bloom. I felt like she was a gift from God when she appeared out of no where, and have only continued to feel gratitude for Spirits intercession in my life and this projects guidance. Denver is the other half of the financial detail picture here. He has taken the records from the last 8 months and created a useable format and traceable history with which to analyze the activity, verify allocated funds, and project for the future. He is very bright, impeccable in his attention to details, and eager to be successful, resulting in the perfect complement on this side of the globe. He also helps us navigate the city, map our most efficient path, and intercedes with language, cultural, or legal questions. His contributions are invaluable. We have also had a couple of family members working on an almost daily basis. We have had a driver, Cosmas nephew, to maneuver the traffic and logistics of traveling around this large city. His constant energy and light humor makes him a great companion. Also Cosmas daughter has been helping us domestically during our rural stay. The nomadic camping lifestyle has been softened with her help cooking, cleaning and organizing the home front. We couldnt have done all this work these 3 weeks without these assistants. It is so important to have people to work closely with, who really care about the outcome, can see the effect of their work, and are trusted to have on the inside. PRESCHOOL The building of an outdoor kitchen is making progress. The most prominent point is that villagers wanting to contribute to the preschool, have donated most all of the supplies. This is so heart warming, as many have little to eat and are simply struggling farmers. Nhimbe has obviously brought them a great gift by feeding, educating and caring for their little ones. The adult toilet facilities are also in the works for the teachers. Supplies have been purchased, the hole dug (10deep) and bricks ferried by ox cart. The walls are being built and is about half completed by now. These toilets are modeled after the government approved Blair rural style pit toilet and has 2 rooms, one each for men and women. The preschool teachers will use them, as will all adults using the Community Center. The e-Pap purchase has been organized. The final decision was to allocate a quantity to provide the childs RDA to their snack time. Adding 2 tablespoons (25 mg) to their mahewu drink will accomplish this. This amount will be given to all children for these difficult times and evaluated after a month or two. This is a way to give them a nutritional boost to improve the learning opportunity, reduce the normal colds passed between them, and build their immunity for dealing with their stressed lives right now. This is an obvious way to get the nutrition to the children, since we hear it is illegal to give food directly to families. This also assures the actual preschooler receives the assistance and not someone else in the family. For a little more than 7 cents per child per day, it can make a huge impact on the child and then indirectly on the family and the future community. How can we not invest in their future being more stable, less needy and more capable? We will need to be training a substitute, as one of our preschool teachers is pregnant with her second child. I spent time with the headmasters of the primary schools to learn about the standard policies for government schools regarding maternity leave, and then worked out some ideas with our lead preschool teacher. We are free to decide our own policies in this regard, but we are interested in the guidelines. We will plan on paying 3 months full pay for maternity leave, as is the norm here. SCHOOL CHILDREN It was a wonderful experience to see the sponsored children mid-year. Normally I only see them in January as they are returning to school after the holiday break. We are always rushed by all the activities and focus of the season. We were still short of time but it was another perspective for me. Optionally, many of the children wrote a letter to their sponsor. I hope to be able to include their letter when I write you during the next month. We are continuing our Special Needs program with a focus on education, but are working to keep it simple, since there is little money, no fulltime staff here, and with the general state of affairs in this country. There is much more that could be done to help with vision, hearing, and other issues affecting childrens learning. A hearing aid has been provided for a child here, after a thorough testing last January. This boy is the son of a very dedicated original member of Nhimbe who passed on. Time will tell how it will work for him but the gratitude he has, as well as his family, is a great thing, and has an effect on him that cant be measured. I also continued a couple of NMT treatments during our stay, as he has difficulty with other health issues as well. We watched him our last night in Mhondoro and he was running and playing ball with the other boys, laughing and being a show off, and sharing his feelings of being empowered by this special attention. He seemed to be feeling quite a bit better. And it was great to see him so happy! I only wish I had more time to spend providing him with treatments. We have a student who graduated Form 4 of the Ordinary Level this last year with very good passing marks. The parents have been trying to pay fees to send him on to the Advanced level. Nhimbe will begin helping this family, by paying tuition. The family will provide all books, uniforms, and the food/lodging. These schools are only in the city so the children usually stay with the relatives. I am looking forward to hearing more about his progress. We are also choosing 3 promising children (grades 1, 2 and 3) for the Special Needs Program, to provide them books for their classes. These are children who show exceptional effort, intelligence, and a familys support for education. At the end of the school year the books will come back to the library and so will build the school texts available in the library for other children. We have found that the youngest children are most pliable and receptive. The children in secondary school already have much of their beliefs established and are hard to help change study habits, hopes and dreams, hence, grades. I received an email while at the Internet caf from a teacher of teens in the US interested in corresponding with teens from Zimbabwe. We managed to pull it together to gather letters from the students and even record a little video of them introducing themselves. It seems like anything we can do to help build bridges, broaden horizons and nurture hope is a good thing. We have lost 3 children to different health complications since February. This is a continuing statement about the situation here. One of the children was mentioned to be particularly bright and promising. The whole community shared in the losses of these kids. HEALTH STATION The Bilarzia screenings and treatments we offered last February went very well. We spent minimal finances on the medicine, the program was simple for the children and adults, and the whole program was successful. We should be testing once a year because some of the stagnant streams, which are part of the local area, threaten the health of all concerned. The childs education is particularly hampered by the symptoms of this ailment. IN SUMMARY Staying in touch this way helps immensely. The Internet caf costs only $200 per minute, which keeps it within our means. That is quite affordable considering we can talk to the other side of the planet. I am able to type this on the laptop, although in a somewhat rushed and unedited mode, and so have been going to the caf just for sending since the landline is completely down. If you know someone that would enjoy reading about Zimbabwe while we are in the thick of it, do feel free to pass this on in any form, particularly if you know of someone who has offered support to Ancient Ways to do this work and doesnt have email. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to share my innermost thoughts; I fear my mind could implode sometimes if I didnt express them. We are all always grateful to be able to channel your heart felt support to these people, are in continued awe, and blessed by Spirits direction of our work. All of those in the states, who keep things moving at home and at Ancient Ways, while Im here, are particularly appreciated! I couldnt come here without their help! No matter how hard a thing gets it can keep improving. No matter how bad it appears, there is another side to the experience. No matter how much excess we have in our insulated, sheltered corner in America or how contrasted that might be here, we have a common thread in our humanity. We all are making choices on how to feel, how to think, how to believe, each and every moment, and often in reaction or response to the things with which we are confronted. We all share the birth right of being accountable to Spirit for our decisions, responsible for the direction of our life, and learning about surrender to seeking the Light, just like the trees and plants around us, who are so intelligent without having a brain. Nature just carries a will of Perfect Intentahhh, to be so simple. Can we all reconsider our priorities moment by moment, no matter where, how, or why we are living, so that we each bring a spirit of peace, prosperity and playfulness into our lives? Can we allow our souls unique gifts, our minds intelligence, and hearts desire to find expression with room for all of the diversity? Can we each offer our authentic self through our passion for life to the world we live in, feeding each other with this spiritual medicine? Dont we all want the same thing to live in harmony, to be genuine in our connection to our world and our Creator, and to live with dignity? Can we create a balanced world with respect for one another, a recognition of our interdependent natures, and a focused sourcing for the good of all, with intent for strength, empowerment and cooperation? A lot of questions for me to ponderit must be the dreamy nature of the people here that stirs my soul. Ill be back to the states soonrebuilding all my armor to survive on that side, trying to create veils to adjust to that world, but continuing a remembrance to access the portal of this experience. Thanks for listening. Thanks for your encouragement during the year, all of your contributions in finances and volunteer time, and your prayers for the determined hearts involved here as we continue in this work. Thank you very much for letting us help the people here. Tatenda chaizvo! Blessings your way, Jaiaen /)#*#,&-&T&U&V&j&k&33T h@;6CJ h@;0Jjh@;CJUjh@;CJUh@; h@;CJ*+   DE&'/gd@;gd@;@&gd@;Tm!n!)#*# & &'''!+"+X-Y- 0 0011=3>3{4|47799 9gd@;gd@; 9::1<2<R?S?AACCDDFFFGGG[I\IYJZJ-L.LMMKOLOQgd@;QQRRTTTTTgd@;":p* =!"#$%SummaryInformation( zDocumentSummaryInformation8CompObjUZOh+'0p  , 8 DPX`hss TIM MUELLERIM IM  Normal.dot TIM MUELLER2M Microsoft Word 10.0@@lY٥@lY٥z oAZ՜.+,D՜.+,D hp  Kind Tree Productions, Inc.'L  Title 8@ _PID_HLINKSAtNhttp://www.ancinet-ways.org/   {w{  qq !  MOP !2!2 Times New Roman =/8=/8d ( JrMicrosoft Works MSWorksWPDoc9q