Hello to all our supporters,
Thank you for making our fundraiser a fun and successful event! Our attempt at recreating our annual dinner was appreciated by those attending, with lots of food preorders for part of the meal we would normally eat. We also had two wine boards holding 12 bottles on each board, beautiful gift baskets for 19 winners, the Gecko table and the beaded ornaments. In addition there were a few components from the art sale, as well as Apple Sauce and Chutney for sale. There were hand knitted items as well as African art and crafts. There is some beautiful artwork still left if you are interested. I no longer publicize in newsletters the amount raised from the fundraiser; however please feel free to e-mail me if you wish to know. We also received some donations prior to the event for which we are very thankful. Thank you to all who gave of their time and energy for the event.
We very much appreciate all of you who attended the event as well as those who gave the extra donations. This year’s dinner fundraiser, even with the necessary cutbacks, has been our solitary fundraiser.
We have continued in faith with our projects in Zimbabwe, despite everything. The school is 100% ready with children expected to arrive in November. Our tailor has been busy making uniforms. Grass is being planted for the playground (planting delayed until the seasonal rains came) The gardens are nearly ready to sell Covo, pumpkins and squash.The shop is extending help to those who find it impossible to get to the shops to buy their basic food rations, etc. The Carpentry Center is using the mill to produce sheets of wood for making items. Coffins have been in demand of late. The clinic now has a Dr. or professional nurse who makes visits for set appointment days. People trained in first aid are at the ready daily for the numerous accidents that occur.
The children’s Sunday School is growing by the week. The adult church is also growing weekly and is building relationships through study and worship together. The church oversees daily feeding programs for the vulnerable, children and seniors, and volunteers hand out maize meal on Sundays. Most of the people are hungry and many are starving.
The EFCCM benevolent fund has provided 17 tons of maize with 5 tons recently delivered. White Rock Baptist Church Life Groups raised enough funds for 25 tons of maize which has literally kept people alive while the lockdown was in force.
Our chicken programs are a great success with the funds going toward helping others get started, toward food supplies, fun days, wages etc. We currently need a new male goat as births have dropped off.
Soon we will have a pig sty and pigs. Does anyone want to give a friend a pig for Christmas? Please let me know. You will receive a letter of donation and a little pink or black pig to remind them of your generosity. When enough is collected, a pig will be purchased. A pregnant sow costs $200 and gives birth to 10 piglets 3 months 3 days and 3 hours later. This building of a pig pen for pig and piglets costs $700 which also allows for growth.
should create an interesting reply to, “What did you get for Christmas?”
MEMO, with Dr. Jerome Harvey overseeing with volunteers, have just sent a container to Dr Paul Thistle at Karunda Mission Hospital Paul is now dealing with a good part of the country trying to get to Karunda for medical treatment. The Memo container also includes 10 crates we have filled for our ministry. Another container was sent in early October containing just about everything including the kitchen sink and toilets. MEMO has a special heart for some boys known as the WEDZA boy living in Wedza. They will soon have a home in two containers, which will be positioned with a 20′ gap between them and the gap filled in with brick housing. See picture of the building. This started with two containers sent for ZGS earlier in the year. This will be the boys’ home and school. Judy Travers from IMIRI is overseeing the project and MEMO will equip it. We have already sent many blankets, sheets, pots, pans, plates and dishes to get them started.Truly their lives will be changed forever.
Compassionate Warehouse, overseen by Dell Marie and her team, will be sending a container for us in December. (We already have all we need and more besides, thank you) Dell and her team pack the container with everything from medical supplies to garden tools. All of the gifts help us meet our mandate to provide clean water, agriculture, education, church, health clinics. It is amazing what goes into these containers . I always liken it to the goods going in as marshmallows…they go in tight and don’t allow for an inch of space and when the container is open and they come out they all puff up again and it is unbelievable that the goods in fact were all in that 40 foot container.
It is donors who make all this possible, providing the goods, containers, funds to send the containers and funds to pay duty, taxes and the trucks to deliver it all.
– donors who give funds for the projects mentioned above, as well as money for the builders, the buildings, the animals, and the food;
– donors who give Bibles, pots and pans, fabric, their grandmother’s beautiful treadle sewing machine.
There is sacrificial giving of all kinds !
I am feeling somewhat reflective as I write this today, I believe it is because I am overwhelmed by the generosity that has allowed ZGS to continue–because of your donations in a time when I didn’t know how we could still move forward without our normal fundraising events. God is surely in control.
This is not just the ministry of ZGS… rather, it is the ministry of all of you and us together. THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts for partnering with us.
May God bless each one of you!
Sue and Frank
Founders, Zimbabwe Gecko Society
