Richard & Debbie Lee Newsletter November 2008
Richard & Debbie Lee Newsletter November 2008
We cannot believe what has happened -- and is happening -- in our beloved country. Many people ask Debbie and I why we don't just give up and move to somewhere more peaceful and comfortable. Why indeed?? We could leave Zimbabwe tomorrow. We have had our home and property stolen from us by a government determined to totally destroy anyone or anything perceived as any sort of threat to it. We have sold or given away most of our furniture and earthly possessions and down-sized our home, which is rented and does not belong to us. We were invited by a church in Chisamba, Zambia to minister to them (we did mention this in one of our newsletters). We bought a small piece of property there, sunk a well, cleared some fields, and built a cottage to live in. But, every attempt to get permission to settle in Zambia was thwarted by the Immigration Department in that country. We were turned down four times by them. We suspect that God has other plans for us here!
We no longer have personal contact (except by letter or telephone) with most of the churches and Christians we once worked with. Travel is very expensive; fuel is nearly $8US a gallon and very difficult to source. All our food stuffs we buy in South Africa, the country to the south of us, which requires a four-hour journey, lots of precious fuel, and up to 7-10 hours to get through a very busy border because so many people are travelling with the same thought in mind -- food and clothing and everything required to keep body and soul together. There is almost no food in Zimbabwe and what little there is you can hardly afford to buy. The roads have many police road blocks on them where motorists are harassed and forced to pay exorbitant bribes to be able to continue their journey. The police are reasonably paid, but Zimbabwe money is almost worthless. We have a $1,000,000 note which buys almost nothing, so the police abuse their power to be able to survive themselves.
The banking system has collapsed. No one accepts checks -- only cash. But, you are not allowed to draw more than $500,000zw a day, which buys you a loaf of bread -- if available! People start lining up at the banks shortly after midnight. By the time the bank opens at 8:00 a.m., there are hundreds of people pushing, shoving and fighting to get their $500,000 to buy their loaf of bread from the bakery. We have electric power cuts for up to 6-10 hours a day. All water has to be boiled and treated with suspicion because no one can be sure it is properly purified. Many people cook on open fires because their power is off or they can't afford electricity. Telephones are forever out of order and calls are very expensive. Postage, even internally, is also beyond the means of the vast majority of people. Transport on trains and buses are so expensive that most have to walk to work -- some many miles.
I travel to Filabusi, where we once lived and did our mission work, twice a week. This is a round trip of 120 miles. We have started a small industry among some of the poorest people there so they can make somewhat of a living and feed their families. They survive on one meal a day which consists of the same ingredients every meal -- corn porridge and some vegetables or herbs picked in the veld as a relish. Try living on this diet, even for a couple of days, and see how desperate you become for even something marginally better. I can't tell you what the small industry we have started is. If I did, I would end up in jail and so would the people we are trying to help. Anything and everything that is worth money in this country is illegal unless you have a party card or you are a part of the ruling regime. What we are doing would be perfectly legal in the US or anywhere else where there is Democracy, but not here. But people are being helped and, if you help one family, it tends to have an effect on many other people, too. A member of parliament in Filabusi was instrumental in having us forced off our property and out of our home and disliked Debbie and me. So I have to keep away from him as he is involved in the same thing as I am doing and he could do us harm. So why do we live here? Why do we remain? Why don't we just pack up and move on? Most people who could move on have done so -- nearly three million of them. Debbie and I could leave for South Africa tomorrow. We both have SA Identity Documents with right of abode and work -- a bit like a green card in the US. Why struggle on here? Why not just join the exodus? Well, it is not that difficult to answer. There are people here who need us, people here who we love and love us too, people who depend on us and our Gospel to give them courage to carry on in faith, regardless of the price. This is our homeland. We were born here. Why should we have to move on? Would you?
We serve a small church here in Bulawayo where we now live. I preach for them when asked and I teach a weekly Bible study in a home not far from where we live. Not many attend because of the fuel situation, but it is a light on a hill, hope in a sea of confusion and darkness. Because we are not hundreds doesn't make it less worthwhile. One day our prayers will be answered. One day sanity and decency will prevail. One day the light will shine in the darkness once more and we will be ready with the Gospel in hand and the Lord will lead to victory! That is why we will not go but wait prayerfully and patiently and we know that God will lead and guide us in His time where He wants us to be. We have been given notice to vacate this house we presently live in. Fortunately we have found another (better) home close by and will be moving in January. We are so blessed to have found this house as to find a house anywhere close to decent is like finding "hens teeth." But, as in all things, God is Good.
Because this is our rainy season and the women go back to the rural areas to prepare their fields for planting maize and, with the move to another house, Debbie will start her sewing and Bible groups at the end of January 2009. She continues to ask for your help for fabrics and any sewing goods you might be able to donate. She can get these things in South Africa, so any funds will be most appreciated. If anything gets sent, it must go to South Africa, addressed to BZCM, c/o Mrs. L. Layland, P.O.Box 11, Musina, 0900, RSA. Please keep the value as low as possible so we won't have to pay import duties.
This is Debbie's sister and she will collect anything that comes and we will get it from her. Thank you to those of you who have helped towards this.
Gayle, our daughter, will fly out from England to spend Christmas with us. We look forward to that so much as she hasn't been home for the past two Christmases. Our two sons and their families can't be with us, unfortunately, as their jobs in Mozambique and Zambia prevent that.
Please pray for us and our country and its people. We need your prayers and we pray for you, too. Thank you for your love and support. We love you all and would love to hear from you.
May God bless you all with a Happy and Blessed Christmas and a very Happy and Prosperous New Year.
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