I held Davis for a full hour and kissed his little head

April 28, 2007 AWANA with Shepherd

Today we met up with Shepherd, the guy who was Dakotah’s Camp Counseling Partner at Masiye Camp. Shepherd is the lead leader at the Nketa 8 Baptist Church AWANA that we attended. This church is located west of town in what they call the high density suburbs. Shepherd met us at Bellevue Store and we traveled by ET and on foot to get to the Church. When we got there I thought this was another church that needed a roof, there are nice walls for a nice big building. But we discovered that this new building is an expansion. There is a sanctuary built behind this one and a church office/house as well. Kids were gathered up and waiting for things to start. We arrived a bit late, then had a brief meeting with one of the church leaders and Shepherd explained the AWANA program to us. The games began . AWANA is a program that meets once a week and the kids learn about Jesus, the Bible and Salvation over the seven years of the program. It has modules for Kindergarten to grade seven children with graduated learning workbooks. The levels are from Sparks to Flames to Torches. The session starts out with active games. I have noticed the coloured tape on the floor of the sanctuary at the Baptist Church around the corner from my house back home that does AWANA. Now I know what that was for. This church in Zimbabwe uses coloured straps stretched out on the dirt ground and held in place by bricks.
Instead of beanbags they use shoes from the kids who came with shoes and a shoe and an old soap bottle in the middle to mark who gets there first. After the games they are separated into their groups and they have a workbook time. Then there is a singing and praising time and a word from the bible. When AWANA was over we had a short meeting over biscuits and juice discussing the history of AWANA at this church and what struggles they are having delivering the program. We also discussed the great people who have come through the AWANA program including Shepherd, the current leader. The Pastor described that the church also assists orphaned children a local school by paying school fees and they desire to expand this assistance to helping with school supplies and food rations and expanding to two schools. I am going to arrange to buy some notebooks for these kids too.

Little notes:
A bottle of coke now costs 6500

April 30, 2007 Isaiah’s House Abandoned Babies

Dakotah and I returned for an unscheduled visit to Isaiah’s house to visit with the children again. We went over to the hospital, gathered up 10 children and headed outside where there is playground equipment. This was little Davis’s first time out side in his short little life. The children got a chance to soak up some vitamin D this day. There was Nakosi, Panashe, Davis, Morashu, Leslie, Forget , Kuta, and Godknows. I didn’t get the other two names. Those kids smiled for that hour, they loved being out to play away from hospital beds and tile floors. They had to watch out for the razor grass that sticks in their little feet. Someone needs to arrange for shoes for these kids

It was another great day with these kids. I sure wish I could take one of them home but I know that wouldn’t be the best thing to do. And God worked these things in the perfect order.

We have just two days left before we start our journey to Namiba and home. Tomorrow we meet with the CHI Board to discuss our experience here. Shepherd is coming for a visit tomorrow evening too. Then a day of packing and we’re off. I’ve already started packing and again I am frustrated by that weight restriction thing. I never want to do that again. There will be a break in our communication as we will not have access to internet until we arrive in Namibia.

Little note:
Price of fuel today $26 000 Zim

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