Welcome to our first blog from Zimbabwe. Both Jodi and I had a fantastic flight, the food was great, service was out of this world and the best thing was that both of us could get a few hours kip on the plane. One other thing to mention … if you ever have a stop over in Singapore for a few hours definitely choose to go to the Ambassador Hotel in the airport; very basic rooms, but gee did it feel good to sleep in a proper bed for a couple of hours, have a hot shower and get into a fresh pair of underwear for our next leg (Singapore to J’berg – 11 hours).
On Thursday we went for a walk around the town for a few hours & have found a small shopping centre called ”Bulawayo Centre” it is set up a bit like the ‘Wintergarden” in Bris, but on a much much smaller scale; it is definitely my favorite place. It has a café, trendy looking pub, optometrist, hairdressers, sports shop, cinema (which is about $1.00 entry), a few clothing & shoe shops and a supermarket. The supermarket is like our Woolworths at home, most of the supermarkets here are like small IGA’s. Apparently it is where the snootie people shop, but I think I may just have to go there for a bit of normality.
Next week we will be looking for a house, cottage (granny flat) or town house of our own to rent; the people we are staying with said we can stay as long as we want (which is really nice), but we think it would be good to settle in for ourselves as soon a possible. One thing we didn’t really think of was the set up costs for small items such as buying cutlery and crockery, linen etc… but we are in no hurry, all of this stuff will come our way at some stage.
The progress on the babies house has seemed to go backwards, it turns out that the application for final approval, which they were told was in Harare is in fact still in Bulawayo (it never got sent) and the case worker assigned to it has resigned. Another thing that has just happened recently is that the hospital where the abandoned babies unit was has now decided that it is a waste having qualified nurses babysitting healthy babies, so they have closed down the ward and have split up the infants into different wards. This causes a few different issues, most being that healthy babies are now in wards with ill babies and are now at risk of getting ill (and they don’t have any relatives to give them the care they will need). Hopefully the application for the opening of the Baptist house will actually leave Bulawayo and will be approved quickly.
In reference to the Baptist house, they now have 4 babies in the home, another 6mth old girl has just been brought in. Everything is basically set up ready for the infants from the hospital, they have a house mother and a newly appointed matron and a few locals to help look after the little ones.
Well it was great to blog and we will update as soon as more information comes to hand.
Jodi and Andrew.
On Thursday we went for a walk around the town for a few hours & have found a small shopping centre called ”Bulawayo Centre” it is set up a bit like the ‘Wintergarden” in Bris, but on a much much smaller scale; it is definitely my favorite place. It has a café, trendy looking pub, optometrist, hairdressers, sports shop, cinema (which is about $1.00 entry), a few clothing & shoe shops and a supermarket. The supermarket is like our Woolworths at home, most of the supermarkets here are like small IGA’s. Apparently it is where the snootie people shop, but I think I may just have to go there for a bit of normality.
Next week we will be looking for a house, cottage (granny flat) or town house of our own to rent; the people we are staying with said we can stay as long as we want (which is really nice), but we think it would be good to settle in for ourselves as soon a possible. One thing we didn’t really think of was the set up costs for small items such as buying cutlery and crockery, linen etc… but we are in no hurry, all of this stuff will come our way at some stage.
The progress on the babies house has seemed to go backwards, it turns out that the application for final approval, which they were told was in Harare is in fact still in Bulawayo (it never got sent) and the case worker assigned to it has resigned. Another thing that has just happened recently is that the hospital where the abandoned babies unit was has now decided that it is a waste having qualified nurses babysitting healthy babies, so they have closed down the ward and have split up the infants into different wards. This causes a few different issues, most being that healthy babies are now in wards with ill babies and are now at risk of getting ill (and they don’t have any relatives to give them the care they will need). Hopefully the application for the opening of the Baptist house will actually leave Bulawayo and will be approved quickly.
In reference to the Baptist house, they now have 4 babies in the home, another 6mth old girl has just been brought in. Everything is basically set up ready for the infants from the hospital, they have a house mother and a newly appointed matron and a few locals to help look after the little ones.
Well it was great to blog and we will update as soon as more information comes to hand.
Jodi and Andrew.
8 comments:
Hey Guys,
Kristy and i have had a huge weekend at youth camp. Its great to hear you have arrived safely. We can't wait to catch up, so make sure you get your rental in time for our visit. God Bless
Steve and Kristy
Hi guys. Good to hear you arrived safe & well. Big challange at the baby house, our prayers are with you. Happy house hunting.
Blessings
D&D
Hi guys
nice photo at the airport, who took it? Must be pretty handy with a camera! anyway, good to see your first blog, we'll keep your hit rate giong here on this side both on blog visits and prayers!
Look after yourselves and keep in touch.
God Bless
Stan
hi guys
hope everything is going to your expectations and wish you the best of luck for the year ahead. Look after yourselves.
mellinda
A.D. here. Miss you guys. Going to Meharg's for dinner before cell group and its just not the same without you.
We are all praying for you guys while you settle in to your new life a long long long way away ;(*
Hey guys. Kristy here. I am getting very excited to come and see you both. Especially after reading your blog and seeing the pictures. I can't wait to see the little bubbies. Cell group certainly wasn't the same without you. I miss your really comfy couches (although this is probably good as they were so comfy I always wanted to sleep - or was that Steve's leading? he he). Look forward to reading more and seeing you soon :)
Hi Jodi & Andrew
Great to hear of your safe arrival and your snoop around Bulawayo - hope you find the "Eskimo Hut" and have an ice-cream for us! Some challenges lie ahead, but God has a plan. Praying for the babies, praying for your house ... God bless
love the Naudes
Hi Guys, the pommie Walsh's here..good to read what you are up to over there, we are praying for you both and also understand how tough it is moving to a new country and setting up home! It's amazing what you can live without though! Anyway, take care of each other and let us know your phone number when you get one.
Lots of love Mike, Cass & littl'un. XX
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