NEWS ALERT!!!!!

We interrupt this blog transmission for an important Bulawayo news alert. It has been alleged that around Bulawayo there have been sightings of strange but fascinating and gratifying phenomena’s that Australians don’t often see in coffee shops / cafes … LAYERED LATTE’S … News just in … our paparazzi have just given us photographic evidence …What joyous news for those lovers of coffee who live in Bulawayo.

Lifes little adventures

Time to update you all on our adventures in Zim … it has been a week since the last blog …. And well we have done a few exciting things:

Last Saturday we went to Arun’s place (Arun is our hosts old domestic) which is in a rural villiage about 1 hours drive out from Bulawayo driving towards Mutobo along some very rough dirt road tracks. Arun has a small “villiage” type set up where the Chief has allocated a plot of land for huts for Arun and his family / workers to live as well as a large plot for them to farm (both fruit and vegetables and live stock). Arun is able to grow a lot of mangos, banana’s, guava,spinach, chimolia as well as the usual crop of maize, the amount that is grown is enough for his family and any extra he sells to the local markets. The place where he lives is one of the most beautiful and peaceful places Jodi and I have been to.

On Sunday Des and Pete (our hosts) as well as Debbie (the YFC director) and her two girls (Maddie and Stephie) went out to the Mutopas game reserve for lunch. The lake where we set up for lunch was quite large and so tranquil; the whole scene was stunning. The lake was apparently home to many crocs as well as hippo’s … so as you could all imagine, Jodi (the fearless adventurer) wouldn’t venture any closer than 50m to the lake side. It was just after we had finished lunch that we heard a large grunting sound from the lake, as we looked over 3 hippo’s had their heads out of the water … Jodi and I switched straight into tourist mode and took quite a lot of photo’s as well as video footage … this was our first bit of game that we have seen this time through as well as our first ever sighting of live hippo’s.

On Thursday, Jodi and I went out to Willow Park with Debbie to check out the training centre that YFC are opening for teenage girls. There is still a lot of work which needs to be done to get the building in a worthwhile state, but things are definitely progressing well (expected to finish the renovations in about 6 – 8 weeks). This training centre will provide the girls opportunities to get trained in many skills such as sewing, cooking, house maid duties (cooking, cleaning, ironing, washing) as well as skills in setting tables and serving (so they can gain employment in restaurants) as well as computer skills (typing, using Microsoft office etc). The vision that YFC has for this training centre is fantastic and it will be awesome to see the girls complete these courses and hold a much better chance of gaining employment or starting their or businesses.

Another project which will commence shortly at Willow Park will be the farming of goats, pigs, rabbits and chooks. The main idea of this farming is so that eventually the training centre and camping area will be basically self sufficient and will not need to buy much meat from the markets. In time to come we are actually hoping to be able to sell either the meats or they live stock at the markets help raise fund to improve and upgrade the facilities and ministries at Willow Park.

Finally in Zimbabwe !!!!!

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.

Up .... Up .... and AWAY

Hi Everyone!!!

Well we will be off to Zim in a few hours. Finally! We are so sick of hanging around, waiting for this day to arrive. I have said goodbye to my family, which is what I have been dreading (that went better than I was expecting) – so just Harry’s family & friends at the airport to go.

Thanks for supporting us, we look forward to sharing our journey with you all.

We will update everyone when we arrive.

So much to do is such a small amount of time ...

Hello Again,

Gee it has been a while since this blog has been updated … I give my humblest apologies.

I suppose I should fill you all in on a few details so you know what Jodi and I are doing. Well on Monday, Feb 12 2007, Jodi and I will be boarding a plane to fly back to Zimbabwe … that means that in less than 3 weeks we will be leaving our family and friends in Brisbane and starting a new adventure. Let me tell you all, in that 3 weeks there is so much happening. Jodi finishes work at the end of this week and I finish work at the end of next week, we have to pack up all the stuff in our house and store the stuff we want to keep (see the attached photo), then we need to get the house ready for renters to move in (that is a HUGE job … we all know how messy Jodi can be … just joking J). During all of this we need to pack the items we are wanting to take over to Zim, unpack it all again to make sure we have everything, pack it up again, unpack it all because there could be a better way to pack it, pack it all up again and no doubt we will unpack in all again at the last minute because we have forgotten something and it just won’t fit at the top of the bag. My goodness, so much to do is such a small amount of time.

Well, that will be enough of my gas bagging for the time being, I will try to update you some more very shortly,

Use the blog Luke … use the blog ………

Cheers,

Andrew (Harry) and Jodi.

Things are on there way ...

Welcome back to the blog, sorry it has been so long since our last writing, things have been absolutely crazy with organising and preparing for our next trip to Zimbabwe.
House Renovations: Whilst we are in Zim, we will be renting out our house, over the last 5 years that we have lived here, Jodi and I have always put off doing any work, now there is not much time to go until we leave and we have a fair bit to do. The great news is that most of the work for inside the house is almost done, we just have to pack up all of the stuff we are wanting to keep and try to sell / get rid of all the stuff that we just don't need anymore. In reference to the outstide of the house, our retaining wall is almost complete (as seen in the picture) and the fixing up of our deck will be started in the next couple of days. Then all we need to do is get the gardens looking nice and we are almost done.
Raising Support: Over the next month or so, Jodi and I will be visiting other churches to gain further prayer and financial support. This will be an exciting time to meet new people and to raise more awareness of what is happening.
Fundraising: It has been awesome to see God working and speaking to people in helping Jodi and I get back over to Zimbabwe. At this stage we have about half of the funds that we are needing (through one off domations as well as people pledging to give money on a weekly or monthly basis). There is still a lot more work to be done ... One thing that we have learnt from our last trip over to Zim, is that GOD HAS EVERYTHING IN CONTROL. We know He loves us and that He does want us in Zim, so He is not going to abandon us or leave us and He will provide for us all that we need ... we just need to be trusting and patient.
Our Website: Our website is finally complete ... follow the link to www.zimbabwebound.com

We look forward to sharing our journey with you again, so please stay tuned.

Until next time,

Jodi and Harry.

Back to Zim in 07

Hello all,

Well we are back again on the Zim trek … we have not yet left Australia but our journey is only beginning. To fill you in on a few details … Jodi and I are looking at heading back over to Zimbabwe in February of 2007 and work within the Baptist church and Youth For Christ for the year. Our last trip to Zimbabwe really opened our eyes and our hearts to see a small glimpse of God’s purpose for our lives. To be honest, this step is not the easiest for Jodi and I to take, but we both know that God has a bigger and better plan for our lives than what we could ever imagine.

This road isn’t going to be the easiest journey we have ever taken … in fact as we look down this track there is a lot of organising and planning to be done in a short period of time. Basically everything in Zim is organised … it is just getting there that will be the more challenging part. There is still a bit of work to be done on our house before we can rent it out and there is still a large amount of fundraising to be done as well. In short, we are needing to raise at least $AUD 20,000 to keep our heads above water. We are going to be starting our fundraising shortly … hey if anyone has any fundraising ideas we are definitely interested.

Well I have to push on … make sure you stay posted as Jodi and I will be updating all who read our blog about our journey … it will be a challenging journey, but it will definitely have it’s rewards.

Farewell to Zimbabwe

Reflection From Jodi
Well the time has come for us to head off on our way back home. In many ways we are sad to be leaving & would love to stay longer in this fantastic place. We have felt very at home here & despite all the hardships we have witnessed & experienced while we have been here we will be back. People are leaving this country in droves, we have found that it is a country in need of people to come here & help - just to love these people really does make all the difference in their lives. We have reflected constantly that if the people in Australia were to go through what these people go through everyday, they just wouldn�t be able to cope. We are just so thankful to have had these experiences & thank you to everyone who has blogged with us along the way, it has been great to keep in touch & it is a huge encouragement for us to hear that people back there a thinking of us & praying for us.

Reflection From Andrew (Harry)
As I reflect over our Blog it makes me reminisce fondly on our time here in Zim. Time has just gone soooo fast, it only feels like we arrive last week yet we have witnessed and got involved in sooo many things. We are still exploring our part in God�s will and we are seeing more realistically were we fit. Our prayer before we left was to find our place in God�s will and that we would see what He has us doing in the future ... well I can confidently say that He has shown us a little bit more and boy are we excited. Thank you all for your support and encouragement through responding to our blogs and through your constant prayer we have been truly blessed. See you all in a week or so.

In His Service,

Jodi and Harry.

Day Twenty Four

We were off to the Baptist church this morning for a family service where the kids performed a few items. Both the songs & message was kiddie friendly & everyone joined in & had a great time. They have a family service once a month to ensure the kids are getting involved with the church & seeing how adults behave in this situation, it also helps the adults to see how their kids are behaving & growing within the church environment.

We finally got to go to Motobo. It is something that was planned for us to do on our first weekend here, but due to the crazy weather we couldn�t go. We had a huge picnic lunch sitting beside a beautiful lake, the only thing that spoilt our time were the flies - these are not ordinary flies, they lay eggs on your clothes & they can burrow into your skin & hatch inside you, so that can be quite painful. We then walked up to World View, a beautiful lookout over the rocky scenery. There were two graves up there, & a monument to people who died in the war. It is unlike any scenery we have here - the balancing rocks are huge & it looks like a giant has just picked up a heap of stones & piled them up, such a pretty site to see in amongst all the greenery from the recent rains.

Day Twenty Three

Today was great day, we had a sleep-in & then we were taken to a café for a late breakfast. The food was quite nice, Harry liked his coffee but the tea here leaves a lot to be desired. They have it weak, milky & most people have heaps of sugar, (I am yet to see tea leaves). After a relaxing start to the day we headed off to run a few errands & checked out some shops in a mall we had not been to yet.

Next we went on to visit my favorite kids one last time, I am glad we did. When we arrived we could hear the kids crying from outside. We went in & found all of the kids still in their cots & not a nurse in site. We had stopped along the way to buy some disposable nappies to change the kids, it turns out this was a good idea. The hospital once again had no steam, so the kids had no nappies on & only a few of them had bits of ripped up cloth wrapped around them. So after changing them all we took them all out of their cots & held them & played with them, they are all so craving for affection. Sadly the time came for us to say goodbye to the kids & once again I could not get the baby off of Harry – for a guy that can’t stand holding babies he certainly is doing a lot of it. It is sad to have to leave these kids in such bad conditions, especially when we have been able to see the kids open up to us & have formed such close bonds with them.

Day Twenty Two

Our wake up call at 6.00am was on time and both Andrew and I got up left for our walk around the falls at 6.30. As we approached the gates we saw that there were six guards, so our plan to pretend to be locals went out the door - we borrowed ID�s & rehearsed all of the details but in the end we were not that confident (the price for locals is $460,000. = $2.30 US compared to $4,000,000 = $20 US for tourists). Our walk took about 1 � hours to go all the way around, we had been told that we will get soaking wet, but we were nearly at the end & still dry so we were feeling pretty pleased with ourselves. It all changed as we got to Horse Shoe Falls Lookout where we had a bit of mist spray on us. We walked on around the corner to see the mist poring down like rain, we thought we were already wet so we would be brave & go right around the front (there is a back way - not so wet), it was as we were slipping & sliding on the rocks that we decided that we were apparently not that wet before.

We got back to the hotel, had a quick shower & headed to the restaurant for breakfast. We were in heaven! As we were sitting at our table drinking tea & coffee, gazing over the waterhole it was then that I decided that I am a hotel person, not a roughing it person. We were once again bursting from eating too much.

Begrudgingly we checked out of the hotel & went back to the markets to get some more bargains. This time we took some of our shirts & jeans to trade because the day before people wanted to trade for the shirts & shoes we were wearing. So with our suitcase full of stone carvings instead of clothes we got back into the car & headed off for our long five hour drive back to Bulawayo.

Day Twenty One

We decided to pack up camp early this morning ... I think that the flies heard about our plans and decided to join us ... my goodness, the amount of flies buzzing around this place at 6.30 was phenomenal ... I am used to seeing one or two by about 9.30am on hole 10 or 11 on the Keperra golf course not 1,000,000 at sun up. But that is Africa for you I suppose. An idea was put forward and the vote was unanimous that before traveling too far a buffet breakfast at the Hwange Safari Lodge was in order. It was very relaxing and quite different to the bowl of muesli and warm milk we had on the previous day. With bloated stomachs and eager spirits we finally departed to see the world famous Victoria Falls.

The journey was not as long as Day Nineteen ... we were only cramped into the 2.5 seater ute for about 4 hours, what a relief. By the time we arrived our rooms were ready and boy did they look good, we had an awesome view of the surrounding savanna and waterhole where impala enjoyed a refreshing drink. We only had time to quickly admire the view before we were off again to find more curios. We finally got our chance to barter and boy did Jodi go off ... An absolute star when dealing with the likes of the pushy (and sometimes rude) African sales folk. Any body who knows Jodi knows how feisty she can get; well it came in very handy when searching for a bargain ... no body could shaft this little rocket. With a few curios in our hand we departed the market place pleased with the bargaining which was done.

This afternoon Jodi was able to shed the shackles of poverty and enjoy the elegance and ambiance of high tea at the Victoria Falls Hotel. This hotel is the finest in Victoria Falls and has a price to match. The view from our table was delightful as we looked across the freshly manicured lawns and out into the gauge with the bridge which crosses the Zambezi.

Our dinner tonight was at the Boma. This was my first chance to trial chibuku (the African version of VB) and I have to admit ... I will probably never willingly drink it again. The dinner was definitely appetizing and we left with belly�s full of all different kinds of game meat (Impala, warthog, ostrich, mopani worm and the list goes on). This restaurant also has traditional dancers which perform throughout the night and at the end, all guests are given a drum and are educated on how to do the African beat. What a great way to finish after two nights of roughing it in the bush.

Day Twenty

We were off by 6.am to see how far the lions were from us the night before & I can assure you that they were only about 300m from our camp (not the 2-3km they were telling me the night before). Even though we only saw 1 of the big 5 (the elephant) we still saw heaps of animals & we had such a great time. We got to see heaps of Giraffe, Elephants, Warthog, Baboon, Monkey, Zebra, Impala, Eland & so on. It is quite different to see them in the wild instead of zoos.

We had a bit of rain today so a lot of the animals were in hiding & keeping a low profile - not so good for finding wildlife, but great for a person who is scared out of their wits.
I handled my second night better that the first, I was still very on edge but felt a little assurance in knowing that Lions don�t hang around the one area, they roam around to find more animals so the possibility of them being anywhere near us was pretty low.

Day Nineteen

Today was a long day! By the time we got the tires checked, our camping permit & our pizzas to take with us we were off at about 12.30pm. We got to the National Park at about 4.pm & then found out that the campsite we were allocated was the furtherest from the gate, so about 6.pm we were finally at our destination. I quickly checked out the kitchen & decided that it was not suitable to sleep in, so I then I checked out the toilet & the four walls were strong, the window closed & the door was sturdy, it was way more suitable.
I was a bit on edge as there is no lighting to see what is creeping around your camp, as soon as I heard the Lions roar I ran for the car & let me tell you Harry was not very compassionate. It took our friend Derek a while to convince me to get out & even then I was sooooooo scared I hated every minute that went by until I could get to bed.

Day Eighteen

Today was a pretty easy going day, we went curios (souvenir) shopping . There is so many nice things, but having such strict regulations in Aus it really restricts what we can bring back.
Well tomorrow we are off to Hwange National Park to see the big five and Victoria Falls. I (Jodi) have already reserved the camp ground kitchen (at least it has four walls, a door & a roof), there is no way you would ever get me in a tent in the middle of a game reserve! ... We shall blog again on Friday or Saturday. Have a great couple of days ... we know that we shall.

Day Sixteen & Seventeen (Weekend # 3)

Wow ... what a busy weekend. They were long jam packed days. On Friday night ... or should I say Saturday morning the kiddies didn’t get to sleep until 2am, then they were awake again and running around the camp grounds at about 5.30am. This did not really leave much sleeping time for us leaders. The children though had a really good time, eating lots, playing games and learning more about God. On Saturday evening a couple of the groups wanted to do a couple of skits ... we thought that it would take only 2 or 3 minutes, but after 25 scenes and 45 minutes later the first skit finished and we still had another one to go ... it didn’t matter though because the other kiddies were laughing and really enjoying what was being presented.

Before we knew it the weekend was over and we all headed back home on the Sunday afternoon. We came back to the western suburbs to find out that a football match had just finished. People and cars were hoarding the streets; there was hardly any room to move. Driving through this traffic was like nothing I have ever experienced before in my life. I was given one road rule ... there are no rules. I am glad I was given that rule ... the people in the other cars were absolutely ruthless. But we made it though, even though I have a few more grey hairs there were no other damages.

Well I must be off now ... we shall blog again soon.

Day Fifteen

We are happy to be back in Bulawayo! We went back to my favorite place this morning to see the abandoned babies (I have been breaking my neck to get back there). We were both happy & sad to be there, we were able to take all of the kids out side to play for half an hour because there were about 10 of us visiting. We found out that one of the little boys who we fell in love with after only one visit has now been put in an orphanage so it was a little sad to think that we will never see him again. The other little boy that we are madly in love with is nicknamed Daniel (because no one can say his real name), I was looking forward to seeing him soooo much but I couldn’t get him off of Harry, so I only got a quick hold just before we left. It broke my heart to leave him there & knowing that he could so easily be ours if we stayed here does not make it any easier to go home.
This afternoon we headed off to Willow Park with a heap of orphans for the weekend, we had a lovely afternoon & although there were a few hiccups to start with the evening went well.

Day Fourteen

Well we were able to have a bit of a sleep in today; our bus didn�t leave until lunch time so we had a majority of the morning to pack up and get ready to head back to Bulawayo. As soon as we felt the pot holes in the road we knew we were back. This weekend we are heading away with about 40 orphans to Willow Park, it should be a good weekend to spend with the kids and play a lot of games and just let them chill in the relaxing surrounds. We leave tomorrow afternoon and get back Sunday evening.

Have a great day ... we look to blogging again shortly ... until next time ...

Day Thirteen

Today we had to pull out our old safari suites and put on our safari hats, because we had the opportunity to visit Antelope Park for some wild adventures. Antelope Park is a large nature reserve about 25 minutes out of Gweru; it is an awesome set up with beautiful green grassed parks set next to a large river where guests can canoe or take a river cruise.

Our host came to collect us shortly after we arrived to take us into the lion cub enclosure. As we approached we saw the three 8 month old cubs prowling the entrance, they looked like they were going to be quite active and playful, but alas after we entered they walked around for a bit then sat back down at the entrance. Our next adventure was after lunch when we got to go for a ride on the back of an elephant. Our guides took us on a short trail ride around part of the park; the trainers at the park have taught all the elephants how to play football and it was fun to see them kick the ball as well as pick it up and throw it around the playing field.

After spending a majority of the day at the park we had to quickly make our way back into Gweru to get meet up with some friends so we could get to a bible study they do with the children at the Blue Hills Reformatory. This was our first opportunity to get to ride on an E.T. which is Zimbabwe�s version of public transport. This was an interesting experience, imagine cramming about 36 people into a 16 seat bus. Our host led us to a corner away from the main stop where we were able to get on whilst the bus was still empty ... when we arrived at the main stop, the crowd of people would not stop pushing and shoving ... it was on for young and old, there was absolutely no mercy shown for anyone, even young school girls were being hurled out of the way or squashed into the people in front of them so that the hoards could get on board.

After a short ride we got to our destination. The Blue Hill Reformatory is a facility set up for children who were either street kits or who have broken the law. The New Life Centre church have been coming into the reformatory for about 2 years now and are only allowed in for 1/2 hour on Wednesday afternoon and for 1 hour on Sunday morning. Dr Makori who heads the ministry said that the children can�t get enough of the gospel and really get into the praise and worship time and the bible studies. Please pray for this ministry and its leaders; please also pray that the officials continue to allow the people from the church into the reformatory to spread the word.

Like sand through an hour glass, so are the blogs of our lives ... until next time ...

Day Twelve

Once again we had to set our alarms to the ungodly hour of 6.30am. We were invited to go to the local Teachers Training College for early morning devotions before the first lecture began. It was a great time of singing worship and praise and listening to the devotion lead by one of the students. After devotions it was time to give my first lecture ... yes you read correctly, I took a lecture ... Prof Harry Muller is starting to appeal to me more and more. The students (including Jodi) participated in some great discussions about some aspects of love mentioned in the bible. The title of my lecture was called �The One Another�s and Love in the New Testament�. I will be publishing lecture notes and providing reading material in the future for students who would like to study at the Institute of Harry�s Theology.

In the afternoon, Jodi and I went with four of the students for the training college to a local orphanage. As we pulled up Jodi and I thought that the children may take a little bit of time to get used to us and our weird accent, but much to the contrary they came running up to us and stuck to us like glue. One young child would not let go of Jodi, many times she went to put him down, but he would not let go of Jodi�s neck and when he did it was only to place her hand back on his butt so she could continue to hold him. One thing we have learnt about the African culture is their lack of knowledge about personal boundaries ... it was humorous to see Jodi fully experience this with the kids when she pulled out a packet of balloons and started handing them out. I liken this scenario to sea gulls ... imagine sitting at the beach and you see a single gull ... you throw it a chip and as soon as this is done the entire population of gulls that reside on the east coast of Australia come to your one spot hoping to also get some chips ... replace sea gulls with young children and the chips with balloons and you will catch my drift. The children engulfed the unexpected Jodi until there were no more balloons to hand out.

This orphanage is well set up, they have their own chooks to provide eggs and meat, and they also have rabbits and their own HUGE veggie patch which provides next to everything from maize to chilies. This is very handy as food is either very expensive or non existent. The children seemed very proud of their surroundings and were eager to show us every square inch of the property.

It was lovely to blog with you today, hope we can do it again sometime. Until next time...