Easter 2016

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We enjoyed a visit the week leading up to Easter by Carolyn Hall and her husband Russ McFarlane, daughters Grace and Juliet and son Emanuel.  They spent 3 days here at the mission and then went to Rhino Camp with Major and his wife Patience to see some animals.  On Thursday on their way home from Rhino I met them in Karoi and took them the rest of the way into Harare where we spent a day and half before they flew home on Easter Saturday.

Carolyn first came in 1996 to Chidamoyo and spent 3 months with us.  She was a nurse in NYC.  Then she and "boyfriend" Russ came and spent 2 months with us in 2004.  Life has changed since then as they married and had 3 children.  They took a job with CDC in Pretoria, South Africa in 2015 and they finally got to come up and see us and introduce their children to Zimbabwe and Chidamoyo!  They liked it and wanted to move here!

After I dropped them at the airport I drove straight to Chidamoyo, put my groceries away and repacked and left in 30 minutes to Batanai for the Easter meeting which had started the night before and went until Sunday morning church.  Batanai is where my village is with Major.

After I drove our terrible dirt road I drove the 1+ hour worse road to Batanai.  The little rains we have had this year have made the road more like a river bed! Many of the bridges had places where the bridge just washed away!  By the time I got to the meeting my arms were aching and my whole body was shaken!  I thought I was on one of those machines that shakes fat away!  I wish!  My foot was on the brake more than the gas!  It took 1 hour and 10 minutes for the 16 miles to our village!

I got there in time for dinner and by 9 p.m. I left to go to the village and sleep.  I was up by 5:30 a.m. so that we could get to church on time.  They had a "pungwe" on Saturday night where they stayed up all night singing and dancing and preaching.  Church started at 0700 with many tired people!  Major preached and he had stayed up all night too!  We finished at 10:00 a.m. and they feed people sadza and meat before they headed for home!

There were 6 churches represented and over 500 people were there for Saturday night.  They killed a cow and cooked it all!  It was great to see all of our church people and participate in the meeting with them.

Easter is a 4 day holiday here from Friday through Monday and every year our churches enjoy having Easter meetings.  We had 5 different meetings going on in our churches with many churches meeting together.  This is a great time of fellowship they all look forward to each year!

After church we spent a quiet, relaxing day at the village.  It was very hot and dry!  We went to see my fields where the Sorghum is looking great--although the birds are enjoying it too!  We got some maize from the field to bring home and roast in the fire!  We just enjoyed time as a family in the village. Chantel, the little girl who had her spleen removed in January was at the Easter meeting and came to spend the day with us at the village.  She was dancing away and running now!  Something she hadn't been able to do for over a year.  We are so thankful she is much better! Her last blood count she has normal platelets and Hemoglobin!

This morning after tea and porridge I left to come home and catch up on laundry and housework before we start work tomorrow.  I got 4 loads of wash done so far.  When we have electricity and water we have to take advantage of it.  The Easter decorations came down for another year!  Hope you had a good Easter weekend!

The McFarlane family with Major


 Easter Sunday church


 Major preaching Sunday morning

 Sorghum field


In my maize field

Roads we travel!






Chantel dancing at the Easter meeting

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