This week Mariano and I had the honor of giving out two Solar Powered Shona New Testaments ( preloaded mp3 players) to two of the widow caregivers in the Amigo Orphan Program. Ive had the chance to visit both of these ladies in their homes over the last two weeks and have had a fabulous time getting to know them a little bit better.
They were soooo excited to receive the audio new testaments, they actually walked to the farm on Monday, instead of waiting till Tuesday, which is the day they come each week to participate in the work for food program. They have to walk a pretty long way to get here, but they said once they knew the Bibles were ready for them "they couldnt wait.... not even one more day". Neither of these ladies can read, or even write their own names, so they having an audio Bible is a huge blessing for them. They are already sharing the Good News with their families and neighbors- When I visited Mae Lolieta today there was a group of kids listening under the shade of their mango trees!
Gervais hanging out under the Mango trees. This is one of the nicest yards around- simply bc they had several big Mango trees that provided such lovely shade!
Lolito showing me the Litchi tree he is caring for.
Mae Lolieta prepared some Sudza, sweet corn and eggs for us. I usually decline when they offer to make us food at the orphan homes, but she had already started so I decided to eat with them. Sudza has a consistency somewhere between mashed potatoes and mashed potatoes mixed with jello jigglers. It tastes very bland, so its not the flavour that I dont enjoy, but the consistency. I was so blessed though by her offering me such a lovely meal!
She also showed me a picture from her wedding! Very rare for folks here to have photos of their family, let alone one from their wedding (especially since actual weddings are very rare!).
The boys (Lolito and Gervais) raise these Guinea Pigs- which i thought were fairly cute, even though im not a super huge fan of rodents... then I found out they raise them so they can EAT them! Ack!
On our way to the house, Pastor Mariano insisted on walking the path in front of me as I drove the truck. He was checking for any pokey sticks that might be on the sides since the path had been widened by Mae Lolieta and her kids just so we could visit, even though I told them it was not neccesary! I felt terribly silly driving behind Pastor Mariano as he walked in front of me!
Mae Farecia's place, that I visited last week. Her twin sons, Abel and Zachariah, and daughter Rimbudzai are all in our program as well. Here she is showing me her house, while Rimbudzai fed porridge to a nephew. This widow is amazing, she has each of the children working their own small garden area, raising animals (goats, pigs, chickens) and her kids have the highest marks and best attendance records at school of any of the children in our program. Its amazing, especially when you consider that Mae Farecia herself cannot read, or even make an x as a signature.
Mae Farecia's Saleiro and matchesa. (Salerio is a food storage area and a matchesa is an outdoor living area/kitchen)
I had a great time visiting these two ladies, getting to know them a bit better, and seeing where the kids live. It is such a blessing to be able to work with these children and minister to their families as well.
Thanks to all who are praying for us, we are all doing much better this week, after Rick and Tendai having Malaria last week, Rick having an infected tooth, minor surgery in his mouth, and all of us not sleeping due to us all being under the weather.
Its exciting to see the house work continuing, soon the plumbing basics will be installed in the walls, and the rest of the piping for the electrical outlets installed. In the next month we will be ordering the beams for the roof, ceiling boards and roofing sheets. The door frames for the house are almost complete so Ill be painting (putting a protective seal) on them soon! Please join with us in praying that the funds we need will continue to come in, and also for our health!
God Bless, Rick, Heather & Tendai Neufeld
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