Winter Happenings

Children

It has taken longer than usual to write this blog. The Wednesday group is at our house today (obviously, since it's Wednesday) and since they are here all day, they don't bring any of their school-aged kids. Three year old Tinotenda and one year old Tayana are the only kids who come. Sometimes Tinotenda will keep himself busy outside, just playing and being a boy. I also give him coloring pages to do. Other times, he gets bored and this is the scene at my desk (to the right). Well, what can I say to that face? So then I take a break from my work and I play with him, playing a game of soccer or, like below, we improvise a game of badminton with a balloon and fly swatters.

Meanwhile, Tayana has the playpen that we bought in which to play. However, a lack of toys has made us get creative. Rice in a plastic egg and bottle tops in a plastic bottle make for fun sounds. I also made a "busy board" for her to play with, including a zipper, rings, wheels, a spinning piece, and a tube in which she can roll a golf ball down into a cup.

Tuesday Group

You can see a ball of t-shirting fabric in the woman's hand and the bag she is making on her lap

Since the Tuesday group ladies just finished making winter hats to give to children, it's time for them to be able to make something for themselves. Yolanda has taught them how to finger crochet with t-shirting material. It is quite inexpensive to purchase t-shirts from people who are selling big bales of clothes, which is good because our supply of yarn has run out and it will still be a few months before we go back to South Africa again to stock up on things. They cut t-shirts into strips and that is what they crochet. They also do not need to use their crochet hooks, which is why it's called "finger crocheting." This is positive, because even though each of the ladies has a crochet hook, they are able to pass this skill to somebody else by teaching them and that person, who probably doesn't have a hook, doesn't need any tools. They can just use their fingers.

​They are working on hand crocheting grocery bags. The grocery stores in Zim charge a fee for plastic bags, so this will allow them to get their food without paying anything extra.

Bible Studies

Both groups are learning quite a bit from their new Bibles! In the back of their Bibles, there is a list of all the books of the Bible in order and a brief summary of each. They are memorizing the order of the books and what each one is about. They are taking them in sections: history, prophecy, wisdom literature, gospels, etc. Yolanda also gives them time to ask questions about the Bible, anything they have been thinking about. It could be anything they've heard at church, talked about with a friend, or anything that comes to mind. They have had really good discussions and it's obvious that they are really thinking about what they are hearing and reading. We make it clear that if someone (pastor, teacher, us) tells them something, they must not take their word for it, but they must check it out in the Bible and see what is true. This is countercultural, as it is not considered appropriate to ask questions of an authority figure (pastor, teacher, doctor). We will get into more content study with them later on, but first want to make sure they have the basics of navigating through their Bibles.

​The woman (below) in white, on the couch, had heard Yolanda's devotional on Tuesday. Yolanda asked if she would want to be the one to teach it to the Wednesday group. She agreed and did a great job. It is always a good thing when they agree or initiate leadership/ownership within the group.

The Wednesday group, making flash cards for memorization for themselves and for the Tuesday group

Elizabeth

​Elizabeth should be delivering any day. She has all the signs of getting to the end of her pregnancy. We started her maternity leave 3 weeks ago and will continue for 3 months. She has understandably been dragging and in lots of discomfort recently. When she has gone to the doctor in the last 9 months, we tell her to ask certain questions, but she never does (hence the end of the previous paragraph). Obviously Elizabeth not working has meant much more work on our part. I know this doesn't sound like a big deal, but when you arrive home after a women's group at 5:00 and then must spend 2 hours on dinner from scratch, followed by prepping food until midnight for the women's lunch the next day, it's hard to get rest and recoup for the next day.

​Even though she has been to the doctor multiple times throughout her pregnancy, Elizabeth still didn't know exactly what is going to happen when she gives birth. We thought the doctor would have explained all of that, but Yolanda asked her about that and the doctor didn't explain anything. We had the Shona counselor (who has worked with Western and Elizabeth before) come to explain the whole birthing process. Needless to say, the counselor said it was a good idea that she came, because Elizabeth's eyes were bigger than saucers as she found out what is going to happen to her body and the baby's. Yolanda had previously explained a few of these things, such as her water breaking or contractions, but this was all new information to her. We are thankful for the ability to do what we can to help her through this process.

Wednesday Group

The chicken project is coming along, but we are trying to make a plan for the rest of the money that is needed to complete the startup. We recently loaned some money to the ladies in order for them to buy corn from the rural area and sell it to a company, so that they could provide money for the women who are needing to finish their chicken coops. The rainy season was so good this year, that there is an abundance of produce. One of the women had shown us a letter from the company, stating that it would buy as much corn from her as she could provide. This is the reason we decided to loan the money. They had a plan of what they were going to do, how they would transport the corn, and all the details. Even though the company said it would buy from the one lady, there must have been an offer to many people. We pass by the company every time we go to Harare and there are many, many trucks, waiting to drop off corn. We hear that they are waiting in line for 2-3 weeks. Thankfully, the lady in our group knows someone within the company and she was able to sell the full 5 tons of corn that they purchased from the farmesr, so they were able to get the money deposited in her account. She sent us the profit via Ecocash (mobile money on our phone). She is withdrawing cash to return the amount we had loaned them. These days, it is a long and slow process to withdraw cash from a bank (at most banks, the max you can withdraw in one day is $20 and it comes in coins). Right away, we sent Ecocash to each of the women so they could pay their builders for labor for their work.

​You may have noticed how well-built the chicken coops are (from our last blog), especially compared to some of the women's homes. The high density area, where they live, has so much foot traffic, that if the coops were only cages or made with chicken wire, that the chickens would easily be stolen. It's important for us to set the ladies up for success, and be proactive in making sure the buildings are safe and secure, while also planning for the heat of summer with good airflow.

​We are still in need of funds to finish the startup for their chicken businesses, so let us know if you are interested in being a part of the project. We are earnestly praying about the necessary provisions to help all nine women start their businesses. The ladies are getting anxious as another school term comes to an end and school fees are due with no means to cover those costs. Please help us help them!

Tayana loves Yolanda, but still isn't sure about me yet

At the 4th of July event at the American ambassador's house last month