Hi there folks – it’s getting late and I’m tired and there’s a long day tomorrow but I thought I’d send out this quick update being that I missed yesterday’s due to the power being out and not being able to attain an internet connection. June 18th: – Kevin and James were the first two from the team to go visit the “plots” in the morning. The plots are places where farmhands live on the land that belongs to a farmer. A farmhand makes about 200 Zimbabwean dollars a month. Read that again in light of the Zimbabwe inflation and what I told you earlier about the cost of items. Remember a pizza costing $800,000. In light of that pay you can begin to get a bit of a picture what the plots are like. Each week day, two preschool teachers from the village go to the plots and they get the children started on learning how to read and write in English. They also do a Bible Verse, Pray the Lord’s Prayer, play a game with the chidlen, and then the children get fed a porridge. We will have pictures following Friday. We have been asked to limit the picture taking to one person and only on one day. – We had a full day of work at the Village. Doug worked alongside with the foreman of the construction crew working on the school block to keep everyone busy and make sure everyone had a job to do. Scott and Alex set the bricks and Chris mixed the cement. Kevin, James, and I were kept busy doing odd jobs but most of the time we transported bricks by wheelbarrow from where they had been dropped off to a place more accessible for the brick layers. Barry was helping move the bricks as well but spent some of the day with the Cooledges finalizing arrangments for the project. – We found out that the two missing bags will be in Wednesady morning. – We finished the day tired and beat but happy with what we had accomplished. – We invited the groundskeeper of the house we’re staying in and his family (Mr.Techaon) for dinner with us.
June 19th. – Arrived at the village – Chris and I took our turns going to the plots while the rest of the guys resumed working at the school. – I did some computer work for the Cooledges – In the afternoon Pastor Darren went with Pastor Zowa for a tour of the Bible College and Barry and James did a live interview wth Radio 97.9 “the Beach’ back home. – Another great day at work and we accomplished a lot.
Sorry for the lack of detail and pictures tonight. It’s 12:51am here and I’m getting pretty tired. By the time all the guys check their email, we have supper and have our group meeting it’s gotten pretty late and I’m pretty tired from the day. Twice I’ve had to delete a few lines of one letter as I’ve drifted off to sleep while typing this update!
Thanks for all your prayers and suport, – Darren Ethier and the Zimbabwe 2007 Team.