Dear friends,

We have been asked the following questions over and over again in the last few months.  Please take the following to heart, pray and know that God is still on the throne despite it all!

HOW IS THE CHOLERA SITUATION AFFECTING YOU PERSONALLY?  AT THE VILLAGE OF HOPE?

   The cholera outbreaks are primarily in the high density suburbs where old and worn sewer pipes and water supply are intermixing.  In some areas the water has been shut off for months because of this problem, leaving people to draw water from local wells which are again contaminated from seepage.  The lack of medicines and a hospital system that is not functioning has made this treatable illness become an epidemic. 

   Where our family of 5 lives there is little danger but for the city water which cannot be kept clean due to the lack of chemicals and upkeep of the water system.  The water cuts then became more frequent in all areas of the city of Harare (we went without water for as much as 5 days at a time).  As a result, and to keep our family safe and provide us with a constant water supply, we have had a borehole ( drilled well) put in at our home.  We are still boiling drinking water as a precaution, but are safe.  We have now been able to put the many buckets we had on hand all the time, away.

At the Village of Hope, we function daily off of 4 boreholes on the property.  The city water supply has been turned off for now to not mix with our borehole water. 

     One of the biggest effects we notice is the lack of shaking hands as people worry about the spread of cholera.  Greetings are a large part of friendly Shona culture and so there is much laughter as everyone has taken to hitting clenched fists together in greetings instead of a handshake. 

HOW ARE YOU MANAGING TO FIND FOOD?

    One of the the wonderful things that has happened with it now being legal to use foreign currency, is that goods have begun to flow into the country and shops again.  As long as one can access USD or South Africa Rand or Botswana Pula, one can purchase anything on the shelves and survive quite well.  Things like the appearance of skittles, smarties and licorice, inspired us to create a beautifully decorated gingerbread house for our family this Christmas – for the first time in 4 years! 

    The issue is with the average Zimbabwean who is getting paid in Zim Dollars and still has no access to foreign currency.  Because of cash shortages, the average person for the last 2-3 months has only been able to withdraw enough ZD (zimbabwe Dollars) out of the bank in a day, to buy a loaf of bread or for one bus ride.  They may have had quintillions (LITERALLY!) of ZD in a bank account, but it was inaccessible to them.  Even if one could access extra ZD, shops began to refuse them because they devalued so quickly as ZD inflation continued to rise.  The result of that is that the ZD has dropped 12 zeros again – after dropping 10 zeros just last August! 

    For over 80% of the population that live in small towns or rural areas, or without bank accounts, it has become impossible to collect a pay check, or to spend it anywhere.  And so starvation grows.  Food has become inaccessible to a large percentage of the population just because they can’t get foreign currency. 

    Because of the banking rules, cash shortages, and devaluation of the Zim dollar, it became impossible for us to even pay our VOH staff adequately.  If we transferred funds into their accounts, they could not get it out.  Our hands were tied and we dealt with many upset employees who could not buy enough food for their families through a very difficult Christmas.  Food baskets for our staff, became a regular part of keeping the Village of Hope staffed and running.  As all of Zimbabwe tried to keep their head above water, the rules of survival changed each week.  

    We praise God for the access to USD that afforded us the ability to buy bulk foods, to stay afloat, to provide for the children we have committed to during a very difficult season.   

HOW ARE YOU SURVIVING – THE WORLD NEWS LOOKS SO GRIM?

    We survive, literally, by the grace of God.  It seems that everytime the rules of engagement change, God has already provided a connection, a friend, a way out.  We have had to be flexible and creative like never before.  But one also has to remember that the news reports the worst of the worst.  How many horrific stories do you read in your own paper each day, but then get up and go about your routine and life without it affecting you?  Despite the routine changing week to week here, we have worked hard to keep some normalcy in our lives and regular routine around the Village and at home.  Boring and regular moments became lifelines and happy interludes in a day.

    Please do continue to pray for peace and an end to the political stalemate in the country.

HOW IS THE ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL SITUATION AFFECTING YOUR WORK?

    The effect has been huge!  It seems that each day there is a new dilemma that we have to wade through.  Here a few of the effects of life in Zimbabwe today, on the Village of Hope….

- our VOH driver surprised us when he jumped the border into South Africa, leaving a young son behind.  Although we were disappointed, after 2 years without treatment for his illness and a family to think about in a hard economy, it is hard to be upset at him.  God has already provided a replacement for his position!

- The amount of desperate families and desperate situations that walk into our office looking for assistance, is growing.

– almost half of our casual construction crew walked off the job in mid December because they could not access their pay (Zim dollars) from the bank, and because the food that we could provide was not enough, because they could not even feed their families.  We became victims of the failing economy and were frustrated as answers to assist them were shortcoming.  On a donated budget we could not suddenly double or triple salaries to ensure they had enough to survive.  We were frustrated and our hands were tied!  The result was a major slowdown on construction all over the Village, and increase in our costs as we were forced to hire a contractor to move the second storey school block along!

- the way we pay bills and function has changed from month to month.  As the ZD devalues, banks are emptying out of customers, they are on skeleton staff and reduced hours. We can no longer write a cheque, or use a debit system – our ZD accounts have become obsolete as the whole economy turns to the use of foreign cash.  Instead, our dilemma has now become obtaining enough cash to keep the Village of Hope, and our family afloat from day to day.  It is not available at banks here.  We cannot use our CDN bank or credit cards to access cash.  Please pray that God would continue to ‘make a way where there seems to be none’.

- The construction slow-down, has meant that our new students and teachers have taken up residence during the day in our church, and in 3 storerooms while we race to complete the double storey school block and move them into proper classrooms.  We are blessed by our relationship with Hope Community Church!

- the construction slow-down, has also meant that our 4 children’s homes under construction have taken a back seat to the expansion of CHAPS.  We are now hoping to open the first of these four homes at the end of February. 

- the economy, the legalization of the use of foreign currency, the trouble our staff are having in feeding their families, have ensured that we rework the Village of Hope budget to provide for them as best we can.  This required a little creativity .

PRAISE REPORTS!

– After more than 6 months of waiting, our 22nd resident child joined us at the Village of Hope!  Her name is Fatima and she smiles and giggles constantly!  She is the youngest sister of 2 resident children who lost both parents to AIDS.  The slowdown in moving her to the VOH was a result of fuel shortages, cash shortages, and personnel shortages at the Ministry of Social Welfare.  All gov’t offices are having trouble functioning on a devaluing ZD!

- On January 27th, 2009, CHAPS opened for a total of 315 students!  About 100 of those are brand new to the school, 70 of them sponsored through Child Care Plus!  However this opening was supposed to happen early in January.  The opening of school across Zimbabwe was arrested due to the lack of teachers who were on strike and protesting their pay and their ability to get cash for food, for bus fare to work.  A massive walk out and pay disputes meant that schools closed early last year, and could not reopen on time in January.  These disputes are not settled yet with government paid teachers, and 1000’s of children are affected!  CHAPS is again an oasis in the middle of an education system that is falling apart, and is being dealt a double blow after the many school closures during the 2008 political year.  

- we have been working for 2 years to get all our resident children tested for HIV.  The systems in place did not allow it without a parents consent.  Most recently, the hospitals and clinics were not functioning.  Unless a child became visibly ill, we could not test, or get them treated.  But God opened a door this month, and 18 of our 22 resident children tested negative!  We praise God for their health!

I form the light and create darkness; I give prosperity and create disaster.  I, the Lord, do all these things.

Isaiah 45:7

God is still on the throne!

Thank you for standing with us!