Christmas Greetings 2003

It has been awhile since I have written a newsletter to all of you to catch you up on the work in Zimbabwe! The one reason I haven’t been able to write to you is—furlough! A one word reason for no time, lack of sleep, traveling, meals on the run, and never remembering what city you are in when you wake up each day!

On August 1, 2003 I left Zimbabwe and spent 2 weeks in London, Vienna, and Romania on the way to the US. I shared with supporters in the U.K. who have helped to sponsor our AIDS/Education Learning Center. I did some evaluation for mission work in Romania and enjoyed seeing a new culture and meeting new people!

In mid-August I arrived in New Jersey and was able to spend time with my oldest brother Don and his family (Kathleen, Hannah and Ellie) in their home and on vacation in Vermont with them.

The end of August I flew off to Indianapolis and met up with my Forwarding Agents, Jim and JoAnne Minnis and we started on a 5,000-mile drive that took us through Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, South and North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C., Delaware and back to New Jersey. We visited friends, spoke at churches and hospitals and saw some beautiful sights of America along the way!

On September 15th I flew to San Francisco and arrived “home” in Sebastopol. I spoke at a Woman’s Retreat and churches in Northern California, as well as catching up with some family and friends.

On October 8th, Dr. Batsirai Chiureki and Major Mereki (our doctor from Makonde Christian Hospital and Administrator from Chidamoyo Christian Hospital) arrived to spend a month visiting with churches and friends who have worked with us in Zimbabwe. We continued to speak to churches and groups and traveled to Southern California for our 2nd Chidamoyo Alumni Reunion.

Our reunion was held October 24-26th at Disneyland in California. We had over 40 alumni who traveled from Ohio, New York, Oregon, Washington and California to be together. We had a “Sadza—all you could eat bar” which included Kapenta (dried fish) and Mopane Worms (Catapillars). Saturday we spent the whole day (16 hours! Mai wei!) in Disneyland and California Adventure! We were in California during the fires and all day it rained ashes! We ended with breakfast and church on Sunday. What a wonderful time to catch up with all of our friends!

We were able to run up to Reno, Nevada for 2 days and visit my older sister Carol Fish and her husband Michael. How excited we were to see snow! It was very funny to see my brother-in-law trying to explain to the 3 of us from Africa—how to put chains on a tire! We did stop at the summit in California to play in the snow! Major and Batsi kept asking why snow was so cold!

Major and Batsi left on Nov 5th for home—exhausted and ready to take time off to recuperate. They were able to see first-hand that furlough is not a time of relaxing and fun—but an exhausting time, on the go constantly with little time for sleep!

The day after they left I left for a Medical Missions Conference in Louisville, KY and then dove through Indiana and on to Michigan to spend a week speaking at the University of Michigan and Michigan State with students and faculty, about my work in Zimbabwe. I was able to catch up with a supporting church in Michigan and then drove to Cincinnati and flew on to New York City for 3 days speaking and sharing more about the hospital and work in AIDS. I ended up again in Cincinnati at the National Missionary Convention where I taught a workshop and had a wonderful time meeting up with many old friends!

This week I visited a supporting church in Wichita, Kansas and spoke to mission students at Ozark Christian College in Joplin, Missouri. I also had an opportunity to meet up with friends from Chidamoyo (Barringers, Nutts, Litzs, and Taylors) and other people.

After this week (December 4th) I am home until I leave on Jan. 3rd! It’s time to pack up and do last minute shopping! We have been preparing things to send in a 20-ft container and it looks like it may be full and the need to send a second one might be there! People have been so generous with donation of medical and office supplies for the hospital! Wow—it has been overwhelming!

Zimbabwe is still a country in crisis! More and more businesses close each day. People are arrested and detained for their perceived opposition to the government. The hospital is seeing more and more patients as the few doctors and nurses in the country are on strike for better wages and were arrested for striking! The dollar is now 6000:1!
Where will it end? My workmates have written this week to say they need me back home as soon as possible. I guess they are missing me—that’s nice to hear!

Thanks to all of you who have made this visit home so memorable! I have done more in this furlough than I ever thought possible! It may take me a couple of months to recuperate when I get home! All the meals that people have prepared and taken me too, Broadway shows, movies, provided me transportation, a bed to sleep in and shopping with friends! It has been wonderful to reconnect with so many of you. Where have all the years gone by? We don’t seem any older, but your kids do!! You are all so special! Continue to pray for the work and my safety and health! Keep in touch—I love to hear from all of you in the midst of your busy schedules.

Thanks for your continued financial support of the hospital and special gifts you have given to me while home! Inflation is over 700% and those US dollars keep us going in the midst of total economic despair!

I will leave Jan 3rd and fly to Sydney, Australia where I will be spending 12 days with Dr. Michelle Withers in Sydney and visiting a supporting family in Queensland. I arrive home on January 16th!

My E-mail address will go back to: Kmccarty@mweb.co.zw as of January 3rd. Do keep in touch!