Serve Zimbabwe: June 2013

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Distributing Items and Fund Raising Event Announcement

Dearest ALL,

VERY HAPPY Greetings from SUNNY Norway!

As we have had a few People asking about our October collections, packing of our containers and fund-raising events we thought that it would be a perfect time to update everyone...

This past year has been TREMENDOUS as our Missionaries serving in Zimbabwe have been closely involved with the distribution of clothing, food, books, blankets, reading glasses, school supplies, newborn & hygiene kits, toys, soccer balls, candy etc. to those who are in DESPERATE NEED in their areas that they are serving…They are literally lifting hearts and warming Homes with their humanitarian service, MUCH THANKS to your kindly donated items from the containers!! (Today my Mother shared how a couple of Elder’s had come to collect clothing, blankets, food etc. for some of the Orphaned & destitute Children in the area where they are serving.)

The Missionary cases/bags which your Wards so thoughtfully pre-packed for our soon-to-be-serving Missionaries have been received with ABSOLUTE JOY & EXCITEMENT, as one of the recipients shared, “Never could I imagine that People would be SO KIND to help me when they don’t even know me!!”…THANK-YOU!!

The Zimbabwean Youth Camps continue to be BLESSED by your generosity, Church books continue to be their highlight, along with some of the very basic necessities such as a blanket, underwear, clothing etc.

Just as we have in years gone past, we will DEFINITELY be packing our containers in October and would be DEEPLY GRATEFUL to you and ALL else who might be willing to assist us to help Our Zimbabwean People!!

We are forging ahead in faith with the collections of: Missionary clothing(packed in cases if possible) ESPECIALLY with the increase of Zimbabwean Missionaries soon to be serving! Items for Youth Camps, blankets, school supplies, medical supplies, food, clothing, books, toys, candy, crutches, wheelchairs and SO MUCH MORE!!

As President Brigham Young stated…
“…In 1856 the prophet Brigham Young asked the Saints to go to the aid of handcart pioneers stranded in the mountain snows. He said in that time of need to the members in general conference: “Your faith, religion, and profession of religion, will never save one soul of you in the celestial kingdom of our God, unless you carry out just such principles as I am now teaching you. Go and bring in those people now on the plains, and attend strictly to those things which we call temporal, … otherwise your faith will be in vain.”

Women in Utah responded by the hundreds. In their poverty they filled wagons with all they could spare and all they could gather from others to comfort those in distress. One of those valiant sisters recorded, “I never took more satisfaction and, I might say, pleasure in any labor I ever performed in my life, such a unanimity of feeling prevailed.”

When the rescue was complete and the snows melted, that same sister recorded the question of her faithful heart: “What comes next for willing hands to do?”

Last year it was suggested that we should host a golf fund-raising event, so we are!!!

All monies raised will assist EYES4ZIMBABWE to purchase medical supplies and equipment so that Surgeons who are kindly donating their time, are able to continue giving the ‘gift of sight’ to cataract blinded Zimbabweans of ALL ages!! (Next week at ‘Karunda Mission Hospital’ in the short space of 4 days, two Surgeons will perform 200+ free cataract surgeries…ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!)

Our golf fund-raiser is a FUN way to raise funds with those who play golf (or who would like to play better golf-we will be giving golf lessons afterwards). And our ‘E4Z fund-raising dinner’ will be a GREAT opportunity to bring together many like-minded People who want to help, we will show a DVD and share a little bit about what we have been up to in Zimbabwe and what we are hoping to further accomplish…A FUN night for all!

THANK-YOU for assisting us in making countless Miracles happen, each day in Zimbabwe we see the literal joy which comes to MANY faces as they receive your kindly donated gifts, which clothes, lifts, warms, educates, feeds and makes them SMILE!!…As one observer stated, “When you give a Child a book, toy or candy, it makes them forget that they are hungry!”

THANK-YOU SO VERY MUCH for giving the gift of JOY!!

Have a WONDERFUL week-end & THANK-YOU for YOU!!

Love, Hugs, Smiles & MUCH, MUCH GRATITUDE!

Reeve, Lolly, CC & The WHOLE of Zimbabwe
www.eyes4zimbabwe.org

Miracles of the Containers that Arrived in Zimbabwe in 2013 - Amazing!

MIRACLES OF THE CONTAINERS THAT ARRIVED IN ZIMBABWE IN 2013!!!

Written by Rachel Nield-Geranios

When shipping the containers to Zimbabwe this time around we decided to try to ship it to the port of Maputo in Mozambique as it was SO expensive to send it inland from Durban, South Africa to Harare, Zimbabwe. It would be cheaper to have them come via Mozambique. So we had to contact different people from a different country to establish their procedure to bring the containers in. The procedures are different in different countries so we had to take the time to figure out how to do it right. A good challenge!

The Miracle with the Transportation from Mozambique to Zimbabwe

Dad (Reg Nield) and I went to go and see the man in charge of Mozambican Railways, Harare office. He was a very nice man and due to his respect for Dad (a rugby legend in Zimbabwe) he agreed to forward our request for free transport to the head office in Mozambique. Mozambique is a very poor country themselves so he was not promising anything.

Then we went to see the Head of Zimbabwe Railways, Harare Office. He was very kind and stated that, “It would be a Godless and hardhearted person that could turn down an opportunity to assist with such a great work”.

We waited a short while and soon heard back from Mozambican Railways advising they would assist us with the transport free of charge – even our Friend was surprised stating he has seen several people ask for free transport over the years he has worked for the company – local Mozambican people and agencies – and they were almost always turned down – it came as a great surprise that we as foreigners had been granted our request.

The Miracle with the flat bed truck

Our next quest was to find a truck to bring the containers from the receiving yard in Harare to our premises – they are expensive to rent.

We went to see RMS, another government business. They have been struggling to say the least, but they were gracious, kind and willing. We felt SO blessed ad grateful for their kindness. On the day we were using the truck they apologetically explained that in order to give us a trailer – they had removed the tires from their loaded tanker and put them on the flatbed truck– but at some point during the day they would need to put the tires back onto the tanker to make a delivery and then back onto the flatbed truck to continue moving our containers. What gentlemen!

A crane

Then we needed a crane to lift the containers off the flatbed trucks and in position– a very kind man brought his very old crane – and we tried to begin moving the first container that had arrived at the premises. The first container was SO heavy that the smaller crane was not able to lift the container off the flat bed! We called all our friends and workers and while having car-lights shining on the container, un-packed half of the container in the dark. What a challenge!

Despite our pleas to Heavenly Father, the Heavens opened and the ground was soaked with all the rain!!

Then the problems started. The crane we were using got stuck DEEP in the mud (there is grass where the containers are placed) and the next flatbed truck could not get up the hill to the premises where the containers were to be offloaded.

RMS sent for another, stronger ‘horse’ (the front of a bigger and stronger truck) that could help drag the other flatbed up the hill but we still needed a stronger and bigger crane that could lift the containers off. The other one was still stuck in the mud!

The Miracle with the Clearing Agent

I was at the clearing agent where the containers were being lifted off the railway wagons and met a man my Dad knew many years ago – He explained to me how kind my Dad had been to him and that he was glad to know me. I explained my concerns about the wet ground and asked if he knew where I could find a larger crane. He said he knew of someone however when I asked for him to give me the directions to get there, he said ‘No, I have to take you there!’

Off we went – on roads I didn’t know and we arrived at a very modest looking gate. Upon entry we went upstairs and met the most jovial man of Indian descent. We began to talk and he hospitably served us a drink. When he learned of my problem, he stated: “We do things for charity all the time”! When hearing of our cataract surgeries he became even more engaged, stating that he had recently had cataract surgery in India and he would like to help. He asked where we usually buy most of our supplies. I said “Funnily enough, India” to which he replied – “I’ll tell you what – you order supplies to the value of $10.000 and I will pay for them, and if you order from southern India I will get it shipped for free!” WHAT A MIRACLE!

I drove out of his yard with a bigger crane in tow and burst into tears – realizing why it had to rain that day - God really does have angels in the strangest places. I called Reeve and she cried too when I told her of the miracles!

Just because the crane was larger didn’t mean the work was made easy. It was so wet and muddy by then so we struggled late into the night. We had the flatbed to use only for the one day, so we were desperate to get all the containers off loaded! The crane eventually slid in the mud and crashed into a tree – breaking a window right by the driver of the crane! Now I was really in a panic – we resigned ourselves to the fact that the containers were NOT going to get placed that night, certainly not until the ground had dried up.

The next day we met with the crane owner’s Son, Wife and Child. They quickly allayed all my fears about the broken window and we had a wonderful chat and shared some delicious cake made by Sister Benich, an American Missionary for the LDS church. We discussed an orphanage that they helped regularly and we promised to go and visit and assess their needs.

Later in the week we finally got the containers positioned – it was in the Lord’s time, not ours!

The Miracle at the Orphanage

Fast forward a few weeks. We went to visit the orphanage our new Indian friend had mentioned – 2 volunteers, my Mom and I went to see him. The man in charge turned out to be an Egyptian doctor. As we began to chat we explained we were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He in turn told us he loved the “Mormons” as he had completed his doctorate at the University of Utah and knew them well. He then went on to say that he was actually reading a book at the moment that someone had given him called “Why I’m a Mormon”. I was laughing as I told him my sisters were featured in it- two of the founders of ‘Eyes for Zimbabwe’!! As if that wasn’t enough he went on to say…….”Actually I knew another Mormon some years back, we worked together against AIDS – he was one of the few people who made any difference because of his unyielding position on abstinence….his name was……” My Mom finished his sentence saying “Reg Nield!?”. He said “Yes – that’s it!!” I concluded by saying: “That is my father!” Another Miracle!

We talked and delivered the goods we had brought to him and the children, and then he asked where we were doing our ‘Eyes for Zimbabwe’ cataract surgeries. I explained that at present we were looking for another site because so many of the hospitals would not give us the use of the theatres for free. He then proceeded to offer the clinic on his premises as a suitable venue – stating that we could use it at any time to do cataracts! Yet another Miracle!

I then went back to see my friend, the Indian man with the cranes and thanked him for putting us all together and helping yet another miracle to occur. We continued chatting and he explained that his cataracts were removed with a laser and the margin for failure was considerably less with the use of a laser. I agreed but explained that the cost of such equipment is prohibitive. He then said to me – “let’s find out how much it is……..and then let’s talk again!”

I am greatly looking forward to our next chat!