Visitors and Friends of Chidamoyo Gift

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It has been great in the last couple of weeks to meet up with old friends and new friends.  What joy friends bring to our lives and what a great time of fellowship.

On 14th of June Major and his wife and I and his wife’s relative, Christine, travelled into for a quick trip to Harare and returned the next night.  Christine and Patience spent most of Friday cleaning up my flat, which needed a thorough cleaning.  I really appreciate this as many guests have been coming in and out.

Major and I got to meet up with Steven Marshall for lunch on Friday as he was back in the country visiting for just a couple of weeks.  Steven is the son of the late Dale and Mrs. Linda Marshall who were our nearest missionaries in Chinhoyi for years.  It was so good to see him and catch up on “old times.”  He now lives in Boise near his mom.

On the 18th we were visited for a couple of days by Larry Van Dyke and his wife Candy.  Larry’s mom and dad were missionaries in the 60’s and 70’s in Mashoko, Chiredzi and Masvingo.  Larry’s mom, Marjory, came in 1994 after 20 years away from Zimbabwe to stay and help us as a nurse for 6 months and she was in her early 80’s!   This was his first trip back in 53 years and to show his wife of 49 years!  They have been traveling all over and using our Harare car.  How great they were able to work us in for a couple of days. 

I quickly put them to work at the hospital.  Larry was putting Viral Load results of our ART patients into the computer and Candy, who is an RN helped me sort the rest of our barrels from the last container that came 3 months ago.  She could help me put like things together and get the items to the right departments.  We finished finally and are ready for the next container—which is in Harare waiting to be cleared now!  I told she had to come back and help with the next one—ha!

Candy also went to help me do a C/Section as I was on call for Anaesthesia all last week and so she helped me and got to hold the baby!  She was a big help and we got home for a late dinner!

They left on Thursday morning to continue their trip to Kariba and Zambia before going home the end of this week.  They live in Knoxville, TN in the US now.

On Friday we received an oxygen concentrator that can give oxygen to 2 patients at the same time.  Friends of Chidamoyo (on Facebook) provided the funding for this machine which will benefit many people.  Now we have big tanks of oxygen we must go to Harare to get and it is costly and adds a lot of wear and tear to our vehicles.  This machine turns room air into oxygen, and we are so happy for this great addition to our hospital!  Thank you, Friends of Chidamoyo!  Please like them on Face Book and sign up to attend our auction in Seattle on 7 September.  If you can’t come buy a ticket to help support our work!

It's always funny when we are traveling around Zimbabwe and you seem some of the sights.  I thought you would enjoy seeing how packed they can pack a Kombi—which seats 16 people in a van and they tie their luggage on the back bumper!  Amazing!

 Steven Marshall and Major

 Candy helping un pack medical supplies from container


Larry putting results in computer

 Candy helping me with anesthesia



Candy and I holding the new C/Section baby

Van Dyke's sharing with Waiting Mother food and a blanket they bought for her

The new oxygenator

 Learning to use the new Oxygenator

Kombi carrying luggage on the bumper

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