Christmas Celebrations 2018

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Christmas 2018 has come and gone and soon 2018 will be gone.  We had a great Christmas time with many activities and we look forward to a bigger and better 2019!

On Christmas Eve we closed the Outpatient Department at 1 p.m. and had our annual Christmas lunch for our staff.  It had been up in the air if we were having a lunch this year because of the food shortages we have been suffering from since October.  Also, I wasn’t sure if I was going to get out of the hospital and home in time.  It all worked out and we had a wonderful lunch with Major as the MC and lots of jokes and dancing! 

We always give a bag of groceries each year for our staff and this year we were finally able to find enough groceries for 100 people to put in the bags.  For awhile we were thinking they might be an empty bag only.  We were able to get 2.5 kg of flour, 2 kg of sugar, 2 kg of rice, 1 liter of oil and 1 big bar of soap.  We were able to get the funds to buy the goods and Major found the groceries, running around Harare while I was in the hospital.  The staff were so appreciative of the groceries.  Many of us hadn’t seen flour and cooking oil in 3 months!

Christmas Eve at 7 p.m. we had a candlelight service (no electricity anyway for 5 days then) and sang Christmas carols in Shona and read the Christmas story in Shona from the Bible.  Sitting outside under the stars made us feel like we were there in Bethlehem long ago.

After that service the Mereki family came for cookies and tea and coffee and then we opened up or Christmas presents.  We didn’t have so many presents this year because of the prices of everything here, but I re-gifted a lot of things and we had a good time.

On Christmas morning we had church at the hospital for our Waiting Mothers and others from the community.  We provided tea for all afterwards at the hospital, unfortunately there was no bread this year, so we couldn’t provide that to go with the tea.  The bakers are not getting enough flour and they want the price to go up too, so there was suddenly a big shortage!

The electricity came back at 9 a.m. on Christmas day—that was a great gift for everyone after 6 days off!

At noon the Mereki’s, Dr. Muronzi and Owen our research Lab Scientist, came for brunch at my house.  We had ham, Scalloped potatoes, French toast, cinnamon rolls, apple bread and an egg casserole!  Everyone ate and ate!

Then we went off to watch a Christmas movie on TV and nap!  Around 5 p.m. the Mereki’s left for Batanai.  I just watched Christmas movies and had a quiet evening.

Many people weren’t able to come home this year to their rural homes because of fuel shortages.  We missed seeing a lot of friends from Harare and other cities as they couldn’t get fuel to come home.  Also, the hospital was quiet which was nice. 

The 26th is a holiday here and so I had time to do some laundry and do some cleaning.  In the afternoon I drove to the village to spend the evening with the Mereki’s and then drove home about 9 p.m. as we had work on Thursday and Friday.

This weekend has been quiet, and I have been doing some baking for NY Eve.  We are working a half day tomorrow (31st) and then I am planning to go to Batanai village to spend the night.  We are inviting the community for movies until midnight and then have tea and bread at midnight!  Should be fun!

We are praying for a better 2019 for all people.  For peace, for good leaders, for economics to get better in Zimbabwe and shortages to go away.  Thank you for supporting us and praying for us throughout the year.  We had lots of obstacles but also God blessed us in so many ways.

Christmas Eve Lunch


Giving grocery bags to staff


My green hair for Christmas party


Giving out groceries for bags with staff



Christmas Eve Candlelight Service


Opening presents with Mereki family on Christmas Eve



 Church Service Christmas morning at the hospital


 Christmas Brunch



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