Wednesday 29th May, 2002

Well Gladys, Major and Charity and I had a good trip to Pietersburg S.A.
last week.

We left early on Saturday morning and got to Lions Den to pick
up Charity, the Administrator of Makonde Hospital and doctor's wife. Lions
Den has a butchery and a take away place and a petrol station on one side of
the road and a small store on the other side of the road. We couldn't find
each other! We called our missionary in Chinhoyi, Dale Marshall and then
they called saying "we are in Lion's Den, where are they?" We finally found
each other--but felt this was not a very auspicious start to our trip, but
after that all went well.

We spent Saturday night with Jenise and Steve
English in Masvingo (3 hours south of Harare). They have only been in the
country for a month, filling in for Ben and Karen Pennington. They gave us
a wonderful dinner and a bed to sleep in and then we went to church with
them in the morning and then left after church for South Africa.

We arrived about 6 p.m. at Holiday Inn in Pietersburg, having had no
problems and crossing the boarder without any problems. We enjoyed dinner
out and then to bed to start bright and early the next day with shopping.
Spent from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. shopping for hospital and personal things.
We enjoyed the wide variety of things available there compared to Zimbabwe
(like sugar, oil and milk!). Since it was Major's 39th birthday we
celebrated with lunch at McDonald's (his favorite from when he visited
America in 1998) and then went to Chinese food for dinner, and concluded
with cake at the hotel after dinner. Each night we ate out and brought the
leftovers back to give to the guard who watched the vehicles. He enjoyed a
wide variety of food the 3 nights we were there!

On Tuesday I had to take my truck in for a service and so we went to the
mall and spent the morning looking through all the shops and then at noon
went to a show and saw "Spiderman." We all enjoyed that! They picked us up
from the mall and then got the truck and hit another shopping area. That
night we ate at an Italian restaurant!

Wednesday we did some last minute shopping and by 11 a.m. headed north
towards the board, 1 hour to Louis Trichard where we spent a night in the
mountains! We did our last minute shopping and enjoyed a lovely 5 course
dinner at the Inn where we stayed. Thursday morning after breakfast we
headed for the boarder and arrived in Harare by 5 p.m. all totally
exhausted!

Friday, Major and I had to run around and pick up things for the hospital
and we headed for home (Chidamoyo) by 1 p.m. and finally got back about 6:30
p.m.

Saturday was a holiday (Africa Day) but it was busy at the hospital and
caught up with what happened in the week we were gone.
Our most exciting news is that the electricity is going in very fast! It is
suppose to be done this week--we can't believe it yet, but we are all
excited! After so many years of 5 hours of electricity a day--it is hard to
imagine what 24 hour electricity will be like! I bought a toaster and
electric kettle down South and so I am ready!
Also the phone people came and said they are coming back this week to work
on our phone. After 19 months of no phone--can it be true? With electricity
and phone, what is next--tarred roads? Ha!
Rumor has it that the President will be coming with other big guys in
mid-June to "official turn on" the electricity! Big plans are already in
the works!

On Sunday our Minister of Parliament, Mark Madiro, died. He had been
seriously ill for a while and so it means there will have to be an election
for a replacement! The "E" word we all dread! This will be the first
election post-Presidential elections and so we know the government will want
to make it a landslide in their favor to prove the last elections were "free
and fair." We feel that is why the electricity and phone projects have been
pushed through in such a hurry, so people will be "grateful" to the
government! Please pray for peace in our area during this election. It
looks like the funeral will be tomorrow in Chinhoyi, and the doctor and I
will have to go to be P.C.!

Friday is our hospital board meeting (AS HE IS) in Harare and so will go in
early Friday and then come home Saturday. Lots of traveling this week! Yuck!
We have 2 more medical students (3rd years) who arrived yesterday, for 3
weeks with us. The other 2 left last week. We enjoying having them around
and seeing their enthusiasm for everything new!

Our work is fine and busy and God protects us and keeps us well and happy.
We are thankful for His protection and love!
We started having cold winter weather in mid-April, but when I got back from
South Africa it had warmed up again, up to mid 80's during the day and low
70's a night! Last night we had thunder and lightening. It is weird
weather for this time of the year--winter is suppose to be here!
Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers!

Love, Kathy