Stateside Update
I (Yolanda) am writing the blog this time :-) Although ministry has continued here in Zim, we have also been planning for our short 10 week furlough stateside. We intend on doing quite a bit of traveling and hope to see as many of you as possible - in person. We are still in the process of finishing up our schedule and waiting to hear back from some churches. Needless to say we want to keep you updated on which areas we'll be in and when - at least at this point and some things could still change. The following dates are flexible within a couple days, depending on travel.
March 9-11th - Wheaton, IL
March 12-16th - Shreveport and Bossier City, LA
March 19-23rd - Penn Yann, NY
March Easter - with family in Wheaton, IL
March 29th - April 4th - Minneapolis
May 9-13th - Boise, ID
May 14-19th - Eugene, OR
May 27-30 - IL
We plan to meet with individuals during the week and churches during the weekend. We have several other states on our radar but are waiting to hear back from them, these are merely dates that are penned into our calendar at this point. If you are in one of the locations above and would like to get together with us please send us an e-mail and contact us as we would love to get together with you. After this short trip, we plan to be in Zim for up to 2 years before returning again.
We've gathered a list of items in ways that you can tangibly and practically help us if you so wish.
Items we need/would be helpful:
- donate air miles to JM2Z for some of our travels (these are not tax deductible)
- donate towards a car rental (we no longer own a car in the states), for closer churches this is a more affordable option than flying
- gift cards for gas
- gift cards for restaurants and fast food (think cheap and affordable food chains, no fancy restaurants)
- donate hotel points (we may need to stay in between locations)
- a pay as you go phone line
- pay as you go recharge cards
- Starbucks gift cards (these are perfect locations for free wifi when traveling and we like to meet at coffee shops when meeting with individuals)
- Staples gift cards (there's always a few extra printings we need when stateside)
Any gift cards can be sent to our stateside address:
506 W. Indiana St.
Wheaton, IL 60187
There's also the option of e-gift cards as well - miles and points will be done online.
These are just a few ideas to help us accomplish what we need to do while in the US. By having some of these expenses covered it frees up more JM2Z funds to go straight to ministry needs in Zimbabwe - helping women and children.
I (Yolanda) am writing the blog this time :-) Although ministry has continued here in Zim, we have also been planning for our short 10 week furlough stateside. We intend on doing quite a bit of traveling and hope to see as many of you as possible - in person. We are still in the process of finishing up our schedule and waiting to hear back from some churches. Needless to say we want to keep you updated on which areas we'll be in and when - at least at this point and some things could still change. The following dates are flexible within a couple days, depending on travel.
March 9-11th - Wheaton, IL
March 12-16th - Shreveport and Bossier City, LA
March 19-23rd - Penn Yann, NY
March Easter - with family in Wheaton, IL
March 29th - April 4th - Minneapolis
May 9-13th - Boise, ID
May 14-19th - Eugene, OR
May 27-30 - IL
We plan to meet with individuals during the week and churches during the weekend. We have several other states on our radar but are waiting to hear back from them, these are merely dates that are penned into our calendar at this point. If you are in one of the locations above and would like to get together with us please send us an e-mail and contact us as we would love to get together with you. After this short trip, we plan to be in Zim for up to 2 years before returning again.
We've gathered a list of items in ways that you can tangibly and practically help us if you so wish.
Items we need/would be helpful:
- donate air miles to JM2Z for some of our travels (these are not tax deductible)
- donate towards a car rental (we no longer own a car in the states), for closer churches this is a more affordable option than flying
- gift cards for gas
- gift cards for restaurants and fast food (think cheap and affordable food chains, no fancy restaurants)
- donate hotel points (we may need to stay in between locations)
- a pay as you go phone line
- pay as you go recharge cards
- Starbucks gift cards (these are perfect locations for free wifi when traveling and we like to meet at coffee shops when meeting with individuals)
- Staples gift cards (there's always a few extra printings we need when stateside)
Any gift cards can be sent to our stateside address:
506 W. Indiana St.
Wheaton, IL 60187
There's also the option of e-gift cards as well - miles and points will be done online.
These are just a few ideas to help us accomplish what we need to do while in the US. By having some of these expenses covered it frees up more JM2Z funds to go straight to ministry needs in Zimbabwe - helping women and children.
Sewing Group Update
The ladies have been doing so well. After they finished their door snakes (see pic left) they were so excited. We also had a time speaking about what it would look like to start selling items for a supplemental income. We discussed how to purchase necessary materials, how much to charge for items and how to reach that amount. We also discussed how all of this would be accomplished. This was a great discussion time and hopefully the start of our micro-enterprise developments.
This week, the ladies learned how to make fabric flowers. They learned how to use them for mending purposes, as well as making something look pretty. They got really creative in coming up with ideas on the many uses these flowers can have - as a hair accessory, shoe accessory, sewn on top of dresses, hats or purses etc. They got so excited by their ability to make a couple of the flowers within a few hours - seeing a finished product in such a short period was very encouraging to them. Each of the ladies brought some sort of item that needed a flower on it - a little girl's dress with a rip, a stained onesie, a plain adult dress, a pillow case, etc. A couple of them even sewed a flower on to the clothes that they were wearing! Unfortunately, I never got any photos of this because I forgot my camera, but I can assure you they were beautiful.
When it doesn't rain we meet outside under a tree. The ladies put out blankets and towels to sit on, but insist on carrying a chair for me - this is in typical Afrian culture where the guest receives the best and a place of honor - always seated higher than others who are present (see pic below).
This week, the ladies learned how to make fabric flowers. They learned how to use them for mending purposes, as well as making something look pretty. They got really creative in coming up with ideas on the many uses these flowers can have - as a hair accessory, shoe accessory, sewn on top of dresses, hats or purses etc. They got so excited by their ability to make a couple of the flowers within a few hours - seeing a finished product in such a short period was very encouraging to them. Each of the ladies brought some sort of item that needed a flower on it - a little girl's dress with a rip, a stained onesie, a plain adult dress, a pillow case, etc. A couple of them even sewed a flower on to the clothes that they were wearing! Unfortunately, I never got any photos of this because I forgot my camera, but I can assure you they were beautiful.
When it doesn't rain we meet outside under a tree. The ladies put out blankets and towels to sit on, but insist on carrying a chair for me - this is in typical Afrian culture where the guest receives the best and a place of honor - always seated higher than others who are present (see pic below).
Many of the ladies fondly call me "Muroora" which means daughter-in-law. They call me this because I serve them juice, clean up at the end of a session or do some other task that to them seems "service-like." In the Shona culture, the daughter-in-law is probably considered the least valuble family member and her primary goal is to serve her husband's family. This may be tilling in their fields, cleaning the homestead, cooking the meals, fetching the water, fetching firewood, making the fire and any other tasks that need doing. She is expected to serve everyone else first and partakes last of what is left. Andrew was concerned at first when I was called this, thinking that maybe I was not respected in the group, but in the contrary as a Christian I am honored to be seen as the one who is serving - Phil. 2 comes to mind. I have seen a change, however, in this area in recent weeks. I used to sit on the ground with and among the ladies, but more recently they insist on me sitting on a chair in front of them. When I said, but I am "Muroora" they said, "no, you are Ticha!" (teacher). Of course whenever I do anything in a serving capacity, I'm still referred to as Muroora but nevertheless, I have become "Ticha." I'm unsure whether I have been promoted in their eyes or if my role is determined upon my job at the time... not sure yet.
When we gather, I take coloring pages and crayons for all the little kids who come with thier mothers. There can be anywhere from 6 to 10 children each week. I try to also take a bag of jiggers (a type of corn chip) and a freeze-it (a frozen drink, similar to freeze pops) for each child. Doing these small things keep the children busy and allow the moms to focus on the session for the day. I always take the time during the afternoon to go see the children's pictures and shower them with compliments, which instantly results in big toothy grins and giggles. All the kids are under 5 and half are merely toddlers, so no doubt when I go to gather all the broken scattered wax crayons from the ground, they are generally sticky and wet...I try not to think what they are covered in :-)
Loving these mommies and these babies is very precious to me. I feel so priviledged that God has called me to be His hands and feet. Seeing these women and children with the eyes of Jesus humbles my heart and challenges me to do more...just a little more, for just one more person...just one more grubby, sticky hand reaching for a crayon, and just one more slendor, uneducated and yet humble woman watching and listening to me with such intrigue and hunger for more knowledge.
Pray with me as I pray for these women's lives, their hearts and their souls.
See the slideshow below for more pictures of the ladies sewing.
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