New Friends
The last two weeks that we've been in Oregon have been wonderful! We visited First Christian Church in Myrtle Point for the first time two weekends ago. Everyone was very welcoming and friendly! We stayed with the pastor and his family, who knew we have been on the road for several weeks, so they worked it out to borrow an RV for us to stay in while we were there. They had it all set up like a little hotel room, with extra toiletries, dishes, and everything we would need. They stocked the refrigerator with snacks and drinks and a lady in the church put together a full basket of healthy snacks.
On Sunday, Yolanda was given the full sermon time in both services to present about JM2Z. Afterward, we had lunch with the elders and missions committee. We enjoyed getting to know everyone and visiting with them. They were very interested in what the Lord is doing through JM2Z and indicated that they would seriously be considering a partnership with us, but we won't find out for sure until January.
On Monday, Yolanda was able to attend the women's Bible study and I was able to attend the men's Bible study. Then on Tuesday, we visited with the youth group. What a blessing it was to meet so many people. We will be excited to visit again, should we get the chance two years from now.
On Sunday, Yolanda was given the full sermon time in both services to present about JM2Z. Afterward, we had lunch with the elders and missions committee. We enjoyed getting to know everyone and visiting with them. They were very interested in what the Lord is doing through JM2Z and indicated that they would seriously be considering a partnership with us, but we won't find out for sure until January.
On Monday, Yolanda was able to attend the women's Bible study and I was able to attend the men's Bible study. Then on Tuesday, we visited with the youth group. What a blessing it was to meet so many people. We will be excited to visit again, should we get the chance two years from now.
Sharing with the youth group
The RV in which we were blessed to stay for the week.
Since Myrtle Point is so close to the Pacific Ocean, we took a day to go out there, drive around the town, walk up and down the beaches, enjoy a local restaurant, and have a day to rest, relax, and just be together. People from the church gave us great suggestions and we took advantage of the sunniest day that we had in the week.
We only had to drive 30 minutes to get to the ocean!
Old Friends
This week, we traveled a little North to Eugene to be at Santa Clara Church. This is the first church that partnered with JM2Z, while Yolanda was still in college, so it has a special place in our hearts. We've enjoyed seeing so many familiar faces and catching up with friends who feel like family.
Yolanda did really well presenting during the service and afterward, our display table was mobbed by many people purchasing items. The paper beaded jewelry, crocheted items, and sewn bags have had wonderful responses from those at all the churches where we've been in the last couple months.
The picture to the left is someone wearing newly purchased boot cuffs.
Yolanda did really well presenting during the service and afterward, our display table was mobbed by many people purchasing items. The paper beaded jewelry, crocheted items, and sewn bags have had wonderful responses from those at all the churches where we've been in the last couple months.
The picture to the left is someone wearing newly purchased boot cuffs.
We were taken out to lunch after church and they asked about our laptop situation. It was two and a half years ago that we were here in Eugene and took Yolanda's laptop to the Apple store to get it cleaned up, when we were told that it would probably only have a few months of life left. In fact, it crashed in the store as they were working on it and the employee (who looked to be at the most, 20 years old) told us that he had never seen a laptop that was so old and called it a dinosaur. They were thankfully able to recover almost everything that had been stored on it. Shortly after, we left to go back to Zimbabwe, knowing that we would be gone for two years.
Since then, Yolanda hasn't been able to do too much on it, other than using Word and PowerPoint. She has been forced to use her phone for most things, which has been a lifesaver because of how much work we do on our laptops. When we have to develop our own VBS curriculums, research videos with new patterns for the women's groups, stay in contact with all of you, and SO MUCH more, we knew that we would have to get a new laptop this time around. Our board okayed us purchasing a laptop, but they said we needed to raise the funds.
Since then, Yolanda hasn't been able to do too much on it, other than using Word and PowerPoint. She has been forced to use her phone for most things, which has been a lifesaver because of how much work we do on our laptops. When we have to develop our own VBS curriculums, research videos with new patterns for the women's groups, stay in contact with all of you, and SO MUCH more, we knew that we would have to get a new laptop this time around. Our board okayed us purchasing a laptop, but they said we needed to raise the funds.
A year and a half ago, we were asked to send a short video to Santa Clara for a women's event they were having. At the end, we shared a couple prayer requests, one being about our laptop situation. Ever since then, unbeknown to us, one of the women in the church has been praying over those prayer requests. So when she asked us about it at lunch, we confirmed that we have not been able to get one yet, but can hopefully do so before heading back in January. We left lunch and shortly after arriving back at the home where we are staying, we received a phone call from the woman's husband. He asked if we had some time available and wondered if we could meet him at the Apple store (the very one where Yolanda's laptop had crashed two and a half years earlier). So we showed up and their whole family was standing there and they asked us which laptop we needed. They proceeded to purchase one right then and there! We couldn't believe what was happening! The tears started coming and we gave all of them hugs and I'm sure everyone else in the store was wondering what was happening. Later that evening, we received a message from the minister saying that his small group had come together and raised some money for a laptop - everyone wanted in on the action, what a blessing so many people were to answer this prayer request.
All of this coming from prayer, faith, and action. They saw a need and came together to meet it! Wow. We are the ones who will be using it, but obviously they bought it because they believe in what God is doing in tiny Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe. What an unexpected blessing that individuals would come together to fill this need!
All of this coming from prayer, faith, and action. They saw a need and came together to meet it! Wow. We are the ones who will be using it, but obviously they bought it because they believe in what God is doing in tiny Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe. What an unexpected blessing that individuals would come together to fill this need!
Zimbabwe Situation
In the last two weeks, things have changed quite a bit in Zimbabwe. Due to the cash crisis (US dollars not being available and Zim's bond notes not holding any value), most transactions are done electronically, whether by debit or credit card, mobile money (via cell phone), or bank transfer. The g0vernment just put a 2% tax on all electronic transactions. This, combined with the fact that all goods available in stores are imported and owners need US cash in order to purchase things, have snowballed into widespread shortages. The picture above is a current picture of a store from this past week. Everything is in short supply; food, fuel, everything. Most stores have not been able to restock their shelves and in fact, many are closing. We have seen that KFC's in the country have closed because they are unable to get any chicken. Many pharmacies have run out of medications and are closed.
Lines at gas stations are multiple miles long. One of our friends waited in line for 8 hours and when he got to the front, they only let him buy 1 gallon. Rationing is in full swing. There are signs saying that only 2 loaves of bread can be bought at a time or only 1 bottle of water (at the same time there is a cholera outbreak in Harare and people need clean water).
In the last couple years there were shortages of specific items, whether sugar, cooking oil, sometimes fuel, but only sporadically and only for a few days. This is now serious and prices are shooting up. Inflation went up 10% in one day. For example, a 2 liter bottle of cooking oil, normally costing $2-3, is going for $15-20.
No one knows what will happen and what changes may take place in coming days. People are worried and panicking. Life in Zim is hard enough under normal circumstances. Janeece, our missionary relief worker, has been so good in keeping us updated. We are so far away and yet feel blessed knowing that she is there taking care of everything for us. At the same time, we know this isn't what she signed up for, so we feel really bad that she is the one experiencing all of this. We can't think of anyone who could be more equipped for handling unexpected situations than Janeece.
Please be in prayer for the people in Zimbabwe, that they would be provided for and that they would see God's hand in this situation. Please also prayer for us as we will be driving down to northern California to be at Willows Christian Church this coming weekend.
Lines at gas stations are multiple miles long. One of our friends waited in line for 8 hours and when he got to the front, they only let him buy 1 gallon. Rationing is in full swing. There are signs saying that only 2 loaves of bread can be bought at a time or only 1 bottle of water (at the same time there is a cholera outbreak in Harare and people need clean water).
In the last couple years there were shortages of specific items, whether sugar, cooking oil, sometimes fuel, but only sporadically and only for a few days. This is now serious and prices are shooting up. Inflation went up 10% in one day. For example, a 2 liter bottle of cooking oil, normally costing $2-3, is going for $15-20.
No one knows what will happen and what changes may take place in coming days. People are worried and panicking. Life in Zim is hard enough under normal circumstances. Janeece, our missionary relief worker, has been so good in keeping us updated. We are so far away and yet feel blessed knowing that she is there taking care of everything for us. At the same time, we know this isn't what she signed up for, so we feel really bad that she is the one experiencing all of this. We can't think of anyone who could be more equipped for handling unexpected situations than Janeece.
Please be in prayer for the people in Zimbabwe, that they would be provided for and that they would see God's hand in this situation. Please also prayer for us as we will be driving down to northern California to be at Willows Christian Church this coming weekend.
 In the last couple weeks, Baby Western has just taken his first steps! |  The women have been making necklaces with new designs |
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