Friday, November 4

Travel day today.  We packed it up and moved it out down the highway to Harare.  Picked up the sleepover girls, Dona Lou and Margaret Tagwira, at the Tagwira Farm and then drove to the Halfway Inn, had a quick lunch, and then completed the trip to the Holiday Inn at Harare.  We did have a quick restroom break at a casino -- but since Dona Lou thought we were stopping at a girls school we're going to go with that story!!

Checked in to the hotel and then spent a couple of hours recuperating, repacking and getting ready for dinner.  Dr. Tagwira met us at the hotel and then we went out to dinner at The Fishmonger Restaurant in the Avondale section of Harare.  We were joined by the Tagwira's daughter and son-in-law (both doctors) and another former student and her son.  Had a lovely dinner and then back to the hotel for bed. (Photo is the view from one of the hotel rooms).

We are off to Victoria Falls in the morning -- 7 a.m. flight so we are to report to the lobby at 5:30 a.m.  Not sure what sort of internet access we will have ... so we may not have a blog entry for a couple of days.  Don't worry -- we sort of move as a large, loud herd so anything untoward will probably make international headlines!!  And if we don't tell you about the naked bungee jumping you won't have to worry, right??

Sunday, October 30

Sorry about not getting the blog for yesterday posted sooner – late night!! We all survived the party – even the balloons on the fence were still in a party mood. We left early this morning to attend the English service at King David UMC in downtown Mutare. We thought the service was at 8 but it turns out it started at 8:30. We had the preacher with us so we just decided that we were early in order to give him time prepare for the service. We had plenty of time to meet people and watch the final preparations for the service.

We finally got everyone into the church and the singing before the service started – "Leaning on the everlasting arms," "He leadeth me: oh blessed thought," and "To God be the glory." The UM hymnal got quite a workout – and so did we ... no funeral dirges here! Next was Psalm 42 (read responsively), another hymn "My hope is built," then a prayer, and then we had an anthem by the youth choir ... the Emmanuel Choir (11 teenagers). All of the music, by the way, was played on a Yamaha keyboard, a set of drums, and an electric guitar. (And possibly we could have turned the volume down just a little bit!!). Then back to the hymnal for the confession, pardon and assurance (891).

Then the worship committee sang two praise songs ... but in Shona. (??) When they finished the senior pastor stood to give the announcements: a week long revival sponsored by the Shona service will start tomorrow and on Saturday there will be a mission sent out to the rural areas. And then he announced that today was the district wide "Africa University Sunday" and that a special offering would be taken. Then Bonnie was invited to introduce the team and talk about what we were doing at AU. When we were done standing and sitting and standing and sitting again, the senior pastor introduced James as the preacher of the day, and then said that he was leaving to take a service elsewhere!

The lay leader then stood and gave more announcements including that next week was communion since it was the first Sunday of the month. (Does any of this recitation sound familiar?!)

Now the assistant minister read the scriptures (Genesis 4:1-11, Matthew 13:10-15). Emmanual Choir sang another anthem while the younger children left the sanctuary to go to Sunday School in the fellowship hall. Then, at last, James stood to give the sermon. He preached on "God colored glasses" and did a fine job. Which made it a bit puzzling when the assistant minister recapped the sermon in case the congregation missed some of the English.

Back to the hymnal – Apostle’s Creed (881), then the offering was taken up while the Emmanual Choir sang another piece followed by the doxology and a prayer of blessing (in Shona). The woman leading prayers asked for joys and concerns, wrote them in a book, and then prayed them again for us. We prayed for Dona Lou’s 85^th birthday in a few weeks, one of the kids ask for prayers for all of the students who are sitting exams, someone wanted prayers for a job opportunity, someone asked for prayers for our team, then someone from AU asked how many in the congregation was either an AU grad or currently studying there. Probably 20 or people stood up. And then the gentleman (who turns out to be the assistant dean of education!!) told the congregation that the Indiana conferences had built four of the dorms. Bonnie then stood and announced that one of the four dorms was named after Bishop Sheldon Duecker and that he had passed on Friday. So we prayed for him and his family. And a final prayer for countries that have war.
A final hymn – 462 "Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus" – and James pronounced the benediction. About 10 minutes shy of a two hour service.

We were then invited to the fellowship hall where everyone had sodas (Coca-Cola and Fanta Orange), popcorn, donuts (or rather deep-fried balls of dough), and biscuits (cookies). And lots of visiting.
Back on the mini-bus and we headed for Vumba mountains and a resort called Leopard Rock Hotel (visited by the Queen, the Queen Mother, and Diana, Princess of Wales at one point or another) for lunch. We are in the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe, and Mutare is not far from the Mozambique border. AU and La Rochelle are north east of Mutare. All very mountainous for those of us from the flat state of Indiana! We headed south east along a really winding road going up and up to get to the hotel. This drive is a tourist destination – both for Zimbabweans and for international tourists – so there are plenty of roadside vendors selling baskets, embroidery, batiks, and sculptures. Hotels and holiday cottages dot the drive too. The scenery was magnificent – sheer drops, long vistas, plenty of unusual things to see.

We had dinner on the veranda ... and let’s just say that the service was ... bad. It took three hours to get the mean ordered, served and eaten. Even Susan and Douglas were surprised at how bad it was!! Food was good but .... The link to a website for Leopard Rock Hotel has been added to this blog so you can see what it could have been!!

Then the long ride home to LaRochelle ... stopping to buy some things, watching a wildfire head for a stand of cut grass bundles for thatching, through Mutare and home to find Vice Chancellor Tagwira and Mrs. Tagwira waiting to say good-bye – he is leaving in the morning to fly to Kenya and he wanted to say farewell. Then a light supper (Bonnie is convinced that Simon doesn’t know what a light meal is ... and after our experience at Leopard Rock we appreciate him and his staff even more!) and an early night.

A new week of blessings begins ...

Wednesday, October 26

This morning we had an early start – several of us got up a little early to send off Don and Eleanor but we missed them! So much for being awake and alert. We still needed an early breakfast because we had to deliver James to the chapel so that he could get ready to preach. This wasn’t the week to hear the full Africa University choir. They alternate with the Praise Choir and this was their week. Music was wonderful anyway. We sang two hymns – one from Congo in Swahili and the other Blessed Assurance! Talk about juxtaposition. James delivered a fine sermon – he came down from the pulpit (which Dr. Tagwira later told him was very popular with the students) on choosing whether you will be in the majority or the minority ... making choices that keep you right with God. Wonderful job!

After that (and the posing for pictures with students which seems to be our standard modus operandi) we headed for the Vice-Chancellor’s office and our meeting with the Dr. Tagwira and as many of the deans as we could fit in the room with us. The board room with filled with auditors (how many auditors does it take to fill a board room?) So we squeezed into the office – the 12 of us plus the deans of the faculties of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Management and Administration, Humanities and Sciences, Health Sciences, and the Institute of Peace, Leadership and Governance. The deans of the faculties of theology and of education were unable to be there. We did however have the Dean of Students and the head of Information Technology with us. Pretty crowded room!

But what amazing information they shared! Things that are in place, plans about to be launched, new ideas percolating on the back burner, and as yet vague dreams for the future. The Dream Farm which will be a model for the subsistance farmer. The Dag Hammarskjold commemoration held each year. The need for more housing in general but especially for married students. Counseling for an increasingly younger student body. The constant need for highly qualified faculty and accommodations and salary that will attract and retain them. The demand for innovative business education. The focus on women in leadership. The addition of Korean and Chinese as languages being taught at AU.

We came out of the meeting with our brains ready to explode.

So we went to lunch. Same menu, but now we know that the "greens" served at lunch are a mix of cabbage and covu – a leafy, cruciferous-y vegetable that we see growing in all the gardens around the various homes.

Then back to LaRochelle to get ready for our visit to Margaret Tagwira’s farm. She and Dr. Tagwira bought the land about 15 years ago. Mrs. Tagwira was a farmer’s daughter and she loves to farm – you should see her enthusiasm as she shows you the things she is growing. Chickens, ducks and goats are the livestock holdings. Gardens around the house are filled with a mix of food and flowers. Moringa trees are all around – do an internet search to learn all about this marvelous tree which could help feed Africa. She is also a proponent of the use of grain amaranth – another highly nutritious plant. We not only got to see it growing but also saw a bowl of the dried grains. They had a frost this past winter which did the trees around no good at all. Lots of trees with brown tops.

The house itself was a shambles when they moved in. A simple farmhouse that has since grown into a rambling house that is perfect for entertaining. They invite all of the international students to dinners and days-out during holidays and vacations when they are unable to go home. I would venture to guess that some of the students don’t find staying at school over the breaks to be much of a hardship if it means a meal at Mrs. Tagwira’s!! Dinner was marvelous – great company, good conversation, lovely food.

And now another day is done. Warm (... understatement ...) but clear. Blessings to all!!

Sunday, October 23

{Sorry -- this didn't get posted until Monday morning ... blame the internet connection!!}

A good night’s sleep last night and we are off and running. The group divided in three and attended church services with three congregations in Mutare. This is laity Sunday so we all heard lay leaders giving the sermon – well, except for the church where the pastor changed his mind and decided that we needed to hear him! All of the services were in Shona with interpreters helping those whose Shona isn’t up to standard!! We attended services in Mutare at King David UMC which shares facilities with the Mutare District Superintendent’s Office in the city center, Miracle Center UMC, and "Zimben" congregation which is a new church plant in a growing suburb. Yesterday there was a choir competition in Mutare and we all got to hear some of the winning choirs – some amazing renditions of the Hallelujah Chorus and O Holy Night!

Then back to LaRochelle for luncheon and the afternoon to regroup and get organized. LaRochelle serves three course meals – all very English as its background warrants. Porridge, English cooked breakfast and cereals this morning. And at lunch and dinner – soup, main course (always have a choice of chicken, fish, and beef or pork), sweet (dessert), and then coffee or tea in the drawing room or on the verandah. All beautifully presented and cooked.

We redistributed all of the supplies and gifts that we carried with us. The library books were gathered up, the things for the students in this pile, the supplies for the university demonstration farm go in that suitcase, and the bits and pieces for the orphanage over there. Now we just need to get them delivered.
Then this evening we had dinner with Vice Chancellor Famuel Tagwira and his wife Margaret Tagwira. And over coffee we had the opportunity to discuss Africa University with them. We learned all sorts of things ... that they REALLY need more dormitory space (they have 30 girls living in a hostel in town because there isn’t enough room!), that they have opened a computer center for online courses in Mozambique (a room in the Bishop’s offices) so that they can reach more students who can’t travel to Zimbabwe to study, the work being done at the Institute for Peace, Leadership and Governance, how they encourage enrollment throughout the continent by offering financial aid equally to all of the African annual conferences, and so much more.

Tomorrow we take our orientation tour of the campus. So much to see ....