Jan.

27,1992

Dear Friends and Co- Workers,

Happy New Year! We have been so busy the past few weeks that it's hard to believe the holidays were
only a couple of weeks ago. We made our move and are getting settled into our new place at Gweru.
PLEASE, NOTE THE NEW ADDRESS! If you look on the map below, you will see Gweru's location in
the center of Zimbabwe. Its centrallty will make It easier to reach the maximum amount of churches
with our expanded work for the Lord. It also puts us near C.A.M.E.LS. which has agreed to do our off
set printing.

We are continuing with the work In the Karol area and travel there often. The building projects in Potee
are on hold because of a lack of water, but the church leaders still hope to be In their new church

buildings before our winter. The rains haven't come this season. There's little water to make bricks,
grow crops, or even do much more than sustain man and cattle at the moment. Clothing has arrived
for aid and we've already begun feeding programs.

We give thanks to God for Capital City Christian Church of Frankfort, Ky. It Is due to their Christian
vision that we were able to purchase the facilities we now occupy. While the buildings are simple struc

tures made of plastered home-made brick, we have enough room that we've already begun holding
our classes for would-be ministers. Work on the Christian materials to be distributed throughout the

country Is under way, too, with promised work from two additional writers joining us.
We needed just over $30,000 to purchase our property and we had to move quick or lose this idea!
setup for our work. Capital City Christian Church raised over $10,000 from its members one Sunday
and then decided to get a loan providing the rest of the needed money! They made this step of faith

believing that our other supporters would be motivated by God to help them retire the debt In short
order. Some of you have contributed already, but, if you haven't answered their plea for money to pay
off the loan, please do so now! You can send contributions marked as "Mission Facilities" to our NEW
FORWARDING AGENTS, who are members of that Church;

Mr.& Mrs. William Mayes

1405 Arroyo

Franlrfort, KY40601,
Our gratitude also goes to Mike and RIckie Faust who have served so capably as forwarding agents for
so long. Also, thanks go to Bill and Ruth Mayes who have taken over this thankless job. God bless
you both.
Our family Is doing well, but, we are missing Todd who Is In the US at Johnson Bible College. Jennifer
and Kelly are happy and enjoying their new home and friends. We will be writing again soon and hope
to hear from you. We always enjoy hearing from "home". May God Bless you ail as you endeavor to
serve Him.

Steve, Linda, & Crew!

KAROI

Prayer Needs:

Kanb

GWERU
Blftdurj^ham

1)Todd in School and away from our Family!

VKrarc
Mutok
vjortWcM

2)The Churches in Karol to adjust to our being in Gweru.

* Marondcr<

ilMi-sncc

3) Success of Christian Harvest Scripture Studies.

Dctc
Mwma

Maridldiud\ure,*'
-STtSSOTJP

\BuUw*yo*

IsnavaoR

iRDrer>gwa
Plumtfw

,,
. Nicb

4) Money to help Capital City Christian Church retire the

debt on the Mission Facility!

.0

AEROGRAMME

/
/

Editorial Office
Horizons

Box 2427

Knoxville

TN 37901

USA

SECOWD FOLD

Sender's nni^ and address;

Steve & Linda Whrtrfief^
P.O. 00X6018

Gweru,Zimbabwe
Africa

An aerogramme should not contain aVi/enciosure.

'-'IHt-dbes. it

surcharged or sent {^j^ordmary maii.

Gweru Mission Facilities- Thanks to Capital City Christian!

ut i Kssr. %.
MM mw

!t:i BK5I

Linda Whitmer
P. 0. Box 6018

Gweru, Zimbabwe
May 20, 1992

Dear Members of Editorial Office,

The Lord's work is still going strong here in

Zimbabwe. I have neglected my writing for the last few
weeks because of being so endlessly busy. The Churches
are doing well but the drought situation is very serious.
We had a wonderful Easter with the Christians in the

Potee Resettlement Area. They had a two day meeting

(that they planned and executed by themselves) that was
well attended in spite of the drought. There were
approximately 500 people there at any given time. The
meeting began with worship services after tea and bread
was served on Saturday afternoon. That was followed with
a meal of sadza and a green vegetable cooked in three day
old beef fat which they had obtained from a butcher 40
miles away. YUM?
Next, came a thrilling service with lots of singing,
dancing and preaching of the good news. This went on
until very late at night and had to be moved outside
because the school rooms we were meeting in were too
crowded. All those standing outside couldn't see in the

windows.

An outside meeting was alright since there was

a full moon.

The speaker used a kerosene lantern to see

his notes 1

After the official services, Steve and I decided to

call it a night. We were sleeping in the back of the

pickup truck which worked out alright even if it was a

little cold and cramped. We didn't count on it being so

noisy1 Most of the people stayed up to sing and dance
all night long. Our truck was parked fairly close to the
festivities so we didn't get much sleep.
About 4:30 AM, Steve and I rousted out of the truck

knowing the all nighters would be coming around soon to

wake those of us who had tried to get a little sleep.
Sure enough, we had hardly gotten out when here came

about 200 people of all ages singing at the top of their

lungs. They gathered around any group of sleepers and
sang them awake.

This was followed by one of the most beautiful

sunrise services I have ever been a part of. We went in
silence to the top of a nearby hill where someone had
erected a rough cross.

There, everyone sat around on

rocks or the ground while the sun Ccime up and Steve gave
a moving sermon about the first Easter morning. It was
definitely an awe inspiring time as the sun crepted into
view.

The rest of the day went as expected with tea and

bread for breakfast and a lunch like supper the night

before. The worship service on Easter morning was the
highlight of the weekend with 15 people of various ages
coming to confess the Lord as their saviour.
great Easter.

It was a

The week after Easter I developed an upper

respiratory infection that was complicated by a
recurrence of malaria. The doctor said it was brought on
by the infection and would probably be something that I
would have off and on for the rest of my life. Anyway,
it wasn't bad, just a slight case. However, the next
week Steve came down with a whopping case of malaria.
There have been some strains develop in some of the areas
where we work that are resistant to the medication.

He

responded to the cure slowly, though, and has made a full

recovery.

The drought is a serious concern for everyone in

southern Africa these days. Here in Gweru we have had
about 5 inches of rain in over 12 months and there won't
be a chance of rain until at least October or November.

The crops totally failed throughout the country and

people are hungry. We have suffered through droughts
before during our time in Zimbabvre, but never anything
like this one. It is said to be the worst drought in
over 100 years.

With the help of I.D.E.S., we have begun drought

relief efforts in the form of food assistance to the

Potee Resettlement Areas. There we are providing maize

for nearly 900 adults and children, when we can get it.
We Ccone up with a system of distribution based on the
number of people in the family. Each child (under 6)
gets one portion and each adult gets two portions. The
food we purchase is then divided into the total number of
portions we need for all the families together and, when

distributed, the family head walks away with his family's

fair share. Regardless of how much we give, it's never
enough, though. The men have mostly left the villages in
search of work or panning for gold in the dry river beds
for money to buy more food. Needless to say, it is a bad
situation with rampant malnutrition and starvation
staring these people in the face.
We need your help. We have calculated that with the
runaway inflation and the serious situation in the

country, we need an additional $800 per month to carry on

the work here at a competent level. We have always been
good stewards of the Lord's money and you know we don't
"cry wolt"-. Please prayaboutr^ this need and see what you
can do to help.
We also need "one time" contributions directed at

the drought relief effort. There are many problems

connected with the drought; medical expenses, food,

clothing, blankets and much more. Sometimes the simplest

things we take for granted are the things that can be
needed the most. Last week I had opportunity to help a
very old Shona man and his daughter. I had been seeing
this old man around the supermarket (I use the term
loosely) parking lot. When I would bring my things to
the truck, he would try to help me and I would give him a
little money or something to eat. Finally, the other
day, I had another man with me who spoke the same
language as the old man and managed to ask him some
questions. Come to find out, he had been sleeping on
the street for over three months.

He had been ill and

gone to his local hospital which had sent him to Gweru.

After he was finally discharged, he had no money and was
a very long way from home. Ever since then he had been
trying to earn enough money to get bus fare home - a
grand total of $11.00, Every time he would get a little
money, he would finally have to buy a little food and

with the prices these days, that took his money.

When I talked to him, his daughter had found him
three days before. She had managed to put together
enough money to go to Masvingo looking for him, figuring
she would be looking for a corpse in a morgue since no
one had heard from him in so long. When she got to
Masvingo, they sent her to Gweru and here the hospital
only told her he was discharged three months ago.
Because of the extra trip on the bus, her money was now
spent.

You must understand their homeland is totally

ravaged by the drought and there isn't even a blade of

grass left so... money is scarce indeed.

She finally

found her father when she went to the bus terminus and

started questioning people.

As I talked to the old man, he kept saying "I just
want to go home."
When we approached the daughter who
was a little way away sitting under a tree, she had

trouble understanding at first that we intended to help

them by buying them food and sending them home. I
explained that I was a Christian and that God loved her
and her father and that is why we were helping them. She

just kept shaking her head.

She had never seen anyone do

something for nothing.

First thing the next morning we took them to the bus
station and waited for a bus to arrive that would be

traveling to their home area. I even gave the old man a

change of clothes from the clothing that had been sent
from Turkeyfoot Christian Church. During the week that
followed, many, many, times I thought of the man and his
daughter who didn't even know how old they were. I can
just picture the celebration when they arrived home -

alive.

I'm sure they told the whole village about the

white missionary lady who helped them and told them about
Christ.

That is V7hat our work here is all about, helping

people see Christ for themselves, through us. Please
pray for us.

We need your prayers.

We need to have our

eyes opened to those who are ready to hear the Gospel.

This drought is making a lot of people look for answers
beyond the traditional spiritualism.

opportunity for God to reach them.

It is a tremendous

Please help us help

them.

Thank you for your support, both prayers and

financial.

We couldn't be here without you.

This is

your work for the Lord.

Serving Him with you.

Linda Whitmer