Richard & Debbie Lee Newsletter May 2007
Richard & Debbie Lee Newsletter May 2007
We have been up and down to Zambia three times to try and sort ourselves out. Africa is very difficult, and requires lots of patience and a very thick skin.
We submitted our papers to enter Zambia and we met all the requirements. They told us we will know in three months. When the time was up, we checked with the Zambian Immigration and they told us that our folder and application had been lost. Can you believe this?? Anyway, we have started all over again. Luckily, we had made copies. We submitted new papers so, hopefully, we will be successful this time.
In the meantime, we have found and bought a small piece of land in the Chisamba area -- a farming community about 40 minutes north of Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. The land is only thirty minutes (over a very bad dirt road) from the church in Chisamba where we will minister. The AIDS Orphanage is another thirty minutes from the church; also over very rough dirt roads. Dirt roads in Zambia have not been graded for years, some for as many as 25 years. Thirty minutes over dirt roads only equates to about ten miles in distance.
Immigration has given me a "Report Order" which means I can now go back and forth with no visa and stay in Zambia for as long as I need, just as long as I get the Report Order stamped once a month. When our permits come through, then that requirement will fall away and we can stay there with no restriction. Please pray with us that this happens soon as living in limbo as we now are is wearing us down.
The piece of land we have purchased has nothing on it, just a virgin stand. I am going up next week to have a water well drilled, electric power put in, a fence erected, and make a start on brick making so we can build a "small" house to live in. We are planning on building a single room with a bathroom and a small porch to begin with so we can move in as soon as possible. Once there, we can build on and make a home. I will be camping in a tent and bathing out of a bucket and cooking on an open fire until we have our brick built room done. Debbie will remain in Bulawayo, in Zimbabwe, until I have the room built. It should not take more than a month to get done, so, hopefully, we should be in our brick built "home" together by the end of June.
I have done all this sort of thing before and am able to build and develop a piece of virgin land into a home and yard. But, the problem is that we are getting older. The strength and energy levels are waning, so please pray that we manage. We will employ local help, but they will be unskilled. So I will have to supervise and be involved in everything.
Zane, our youngest son, and his family live about one and a half hours away, so they will be able to help us when they can -- especially over the weekends. He is very busy with his job, so won't be able to do too much. Zane also has access to equipment that we will need, so that will be a great help.
Here in Bulawayo we have not been idle. We are involved with a house church and a weekly Bible study. I also attend a weekly men's luncheon and we make use of every evangelistic opportunity that comes our way -- sometimes with startling results. People in Zimbabwe are very open to the Gospel. We continue to support an Old Folks Home here in Bulawayo and an AIDS Orphanage just outside the city.
Our family had a big scare in April. Richard was feeling unwell one evening. He was white as a sheet and sweat was pouring off him. We both thought it was malaria, as we had just come back from Zambia where malaria is very bad. He started taking the cure, which we always keep on hand. But, for three days he still was not doing better. He came into the kitchen, after having a rest, and said he had a real bad chest pain and I must take him to the hospital. I was in shock as he has not seen a doctor or been to a hospital in five years. I thought it might be indigestion, so I gave him two Rennies, which did not help. Anyway, we took him to A & E and the specialist came and he was admitted. They did tests right there and then and said he had had a heart attack. They sent him on to ICU, but the next day, after more tests, they found out that it was a severe angina attack and was stress related. He is now on tablets and has had to change his eating habits. But, PTL, doing much better.
The past nine months have been so stressful for us. Having to move from Filabusi, and then the very high expense of living here, puts so much stress and pressure on us. We know that it is only by God's grace and your love, support, and prayers that gets us through each day.
We sure look forward to having our own home again -- even if it is only an earthly home. We pray that God will use us for His Kingdom while we are down here and our time in Zambia will be as fruitful as it has been in Botswana and Zimbabwe. It will be great to be near Zane and his family -- especially the two little grandchildren. Our son, Derek, has just moved to Mozambique. He is working on a gold mine there and will be +/- 12-hour drive from us in Zambia. Gayle will be able to fly directly Lusaka, which will be a much better way of coming home. It will save trips to Johannesburg (and all the border crossings!!) to pick her up.
I keep my diabetes under control as best I can and am doing well there. Arthritis seems to come and go, but the Advil and antioxidants seem to bring relief.
I will be staying in our rented home here in Byo and selling up what I can, like furniture, etc, although we have already sold more than half. To take it up to Zambia will cost more than buying it there. The African people in Zambia make very nice furniture at a reasonable price and they sell it on the side of the roads. We will live with only the bare necessities this time. It is just too stressful and heartbreaking to have to sell all your stuff you have built up over the years!
We look forward to working with our new Forwarding Agent, Art & Joyce Hammond, who have been special friends and supporters of BZCM for many years. You will all be informed of changes of address, etc.
We love you all and appreciate your love, prayers and support and faithfulness. Without you we cannot continue our work.
We love you all, God bless,
The Lee’s, Richard and Debbie
Our Board of Directors Botswana Zimbabwe Christian Missions c/o Art Hammond (Chairman) P.O. Box 663 Acworth, GA 30101 Sheryl Massey - (Treasurer) Acworth, GA 30101 Dr. Troy D. Hammon - (Board Member) Pittsburg, PA