Greetings! to our friends and supporters from the Lees and the Christians here in Zimbabwe.
So far this year we have been blessed with fantastic rain; the countryside is green, the dams are full to overflowing, and the rivers are in flood. The bad part is that there are hardly any farmers to grow crops. What a shame and what a waste of Gods bounteous blessings! We have had about 25” in an area that only expects about 20” total a year.
We planted a small field (1/4 acre) of potatoes. They are very expensive to buy as there are no growers, and we reaped nearly twenty-fold. I wish I could say the same for the Gospel we are trying to plant in people’s hearts and minds. Here in Filabusi, where we live, there is a weekly Bible study in the African village. BZCM has supplied them with tracts, studies, and Bibles in English and in the local language, Ndebele. We are cautiously trying to become more involved in this study in a more personal way by offering to teach as well We have to be careful as the local MP has a keen eye on us and we don t want to blow it before we even get started Please pray for us in this regard, especially that God will use us more and more amongst these people.
We also try and become more involved in secular activities in Filabusi. I attended a local farmers’ meeting and was asked to address the meeting on one occasion. I try to be circumspect and avoid anything political, but it is hard and sometimes I want to shout from the rooftops!!
Our home Bible study continues to go well. We have, not drawn any adverse attention to ourselves. We pray that may continue to be the case as this study helps a lot of people and encourages them in trying circumstances. The one family that attended faithfully every week has moved to South Africa. They were forced off their farm by squatters last year. Fortunately, they have found a new church home and continue to worship. I had the privilege of baptizing them both two years ago. Last week we had a baptism at our
home and continue to worship. The lady baptized is the sister of a good Christian friend of ours who lives in Bulawayo, an hour’s drive away. He brought her to the Lord, but she wanted to be baptized by an ordained minister and not her brother. The fellowship she attends has unorthodox ideas on baptism, so I was asked to baptize her. We know her well, so was honored to do this. She is trying to find a more acceptable church home in which to worship. Her name is Judith and she is well into her sixties. Please give thanks for her and pray for her. Her husband is not a Christian.
We plan another trip to visit the churches in Binga this month (fuel willing !!!). Binga churches have always been and are still able to take care of themselves. They just like for me to visit them now and again, to encourage them and have some fellowship with them, and to discuss any problems they may have. Please continue to pray for these Christians and me as I visit with them. On the last two occasions that I have been to Binga, I have contracted malaria. I have now had it more than ten times and it is going to kill me one day!
The AIDS pandemic is now starting to have a very serious and disastrous effect on the people in Zimbabwe. It is almost as if the people are trying to self destruct. Most who are infected do not believe that it is a disease contracted largely through their own fault. They blame the evil spirits or claim that someone has put a spell on them. This is because the disease is contracted years before the symptoms appear, which seem to appear out of the blue. There is very little AIDS education. There is no money for this. The fabric of society has broken down, morality is just a word and promiscuity is the norm among young people. Law and order is very tenuous, rape is common, and hardly ever punished. In fact, rape is used as a political tool by the government to coerce people to vote their way. We have been directly affected by AIDS in our home. The maid who helped Debbie in the house is weeks away from death; one of her children has already died from AIDS, and two others are infected. The entire family will die from AIDS and no one cares or does anything about it.
Zimbabwe, just three years ago, was a wealthy and progressive country by African standards. Today it is bankrupt, the economy destroyed by rampant corruption, nepotism, and bad management. We have a 70% unemployment rate, over 600% inflation, price hikes in the hundreds of % every month, no farmers, no food, no law and order, and, for most of the population, no hope! State sponsored racism has resulted in 75% of whites emigrating and those remaining are either economic prisoners or too old to leave.
The religious health of the country is deteriorating dramatically. Quasi Christian cults are beginning to mushroom; people are reverting to animism in droves. With the demise of western medicine through the brain drain and unrealistic prices of medicines, the people are returning to “witch doctors” and “diviners.” It is quite frightening how quickly and how dramatically this has all happened. Our medical insurance is now almost $200,000 a month and we have even spoken of not having it any more Just the phone and electric charges went up by over 200% the end of January. It just gets more and more difficult to live every month. It is only by God’s grace and your love, prayers, and support that we can continue here. It is quite frightening how quickly and how dramatically this has all happened. Please pray for Zimbabwe as we are now only a step away from anarchy. Last week we received a box from the US which, thankfully, had not been opened. It was addressed to Botswana Christian Mission, gift, not for resale, and an address from a church. This does make a big difference. This seems to be the only way parcels get to us safely, and there is still some respect to the church. Thank you, Art & Joyce. This parcel contained +1- 100 packets of kool aid, which we will take up to Binga for the children. They will be so grateful as this contains sugar, which is almost impossible to buy here. All they need to add is water and they will have a nice drink. The churches also use the cherry one for communion wine. We look forward to receiving the boxes of old clothes that those of you are sending to us. These people are so desperate and will be very grateful to you.
Gayle will graduate this year with a four- year Nursing Degree. She has done so well at university and has worked long hours and days at nursing type jobs to help pay her way. We can’t help but say how proud we are of her. She is enjoying the medicine side of nursing so much that she is looking into carrying on and doing a Doctorate. lf she can use enough of her nursing credits, she may just do that. Debbie and I are encouraging her to go for it and try. Please encourage her, too, with your prayers.
Debbie and I are doing reasonably well. The Lord takes good care of us. We thank Him every morning for a new day and that we are still here in our own home! I am now over 60 and there is a bit of wear and tear beginning to show here and there. (Guess we all have to go through this sometime or other??) Africa can be a bit hard on the old body, but we would not like to swap it for anything!! This is home on earth for us! We also get a bit stressed out on occasions. The politics never leave us alone. Nearly every week we get demands for cash or kind donations to a cause that is wrong and evil. Jesus tells us to feed our enemies. We never understood this, still don’t. We would rather feed the suffering. Please forgive us, Lord, for being weak.
We love you all and thank you for your love,
prayers, faithfulness and support.
God Bless,
The Lee’s, Richard, Debbie, and Gayle