Chidamoyo Hospital in Zimbabwe

On Saturday the 19th of September we had our 3rd Benefit for Hope sponsored by Larry and Cheri Gail.  We spent the whole day getting ready and had many volunteers who came to get everything ready. The evening started at 6:30 p.m. and we didn't get home until close to midnight!  There were silent auctions, raffle tickets, and live auctions as well as donations starting at $5,000 on down.  Major and I and Cheri and Larry all spoke and it was just a wonderful experience.  Dinner was a wonderful Mexican dinner.   We met up with many Chidamoyo alumni who live in the Seattle area and many we hadn't seen for many years.  We had so much support from the community and friends it was just overwhelming to me.  We were so thankful for the hard work that Larry and Cheri do for months in advance to get all the donations and food and drink.  They are amazing supporters and we are so thankful to them. As of today we raised $93,126.00 at the auction and more than $30,000 has been given

On September 3 Major and I left California for Wichita, Kansas to spend the weekend with Phil and Roxanna Smith and their sons Michael, Josh and Caleb.  Phil is the Missions Minister at Countryside Christian Church in Wichita.  We spoke at Roxanna's middle school to 2 classes and we had a wonderful time with them and were hosted by Bob and Carolyn Lapin for a memorable Chicken Friend Steak dinner which Major looks forward to every time he comes. We also enjoyed a movie, dinner with the mission committee and speaking at two church services and after church.  We enjoyed staying with the Smith's as we knew them when they were missionaries in South Africa for several years. On Monday morning Jeff and Isaac Barringer came to pick us up and drove us to Carl Junction, MO to spend 3 days with them.  We worked with Jeff and Debbie Barringer and their children at Chidamoyo from 1990-1997.  The children Isaac, Sarah and Bethany are now all married with children. While we were in C

We travelled from Athens at 6:30 a.m. and arrived in San Francisco at 1 p.m. the same day.  Amazing!  We were very excited!  My brother and sister-in-law had come to the airport to pick us up and were waiting in a cellphone waiting parking lot--where you can wait until the passenger calls to say they are there.   We got our phone at to call and it was dead.  So we had to get the power back-up out of the luggage and charge the phone and then turn it on to find out there was no roaming in SF from our Zimbabwe phone!  So I ran to a pay phone to call and you need 2 quarters!  I had one but no other change because in Zimbabwe even though we are in US $ we don't use US change.  I tried to call collect and cellphones can't except collect calls!!  Now it is 45 minutes later and we are trying to figure out what to do!!  Then we finally found a place selling US sim cards for $90 and we got that and 3 months free calls--so we were finally able to call them and they came to pick us!  W