June 2009
Zimbabwe economy is now based on the US dollar, and inflation is officially at 3% rather than the astronomic rates of last year. Supermarkets now stock a variety of food, to a degree not seen for a long time. So food is accessible so long as you have access to US dollars. For those not in employment or without overseas contacts, life is still based on exchange of goods.
The Cholera epidemic has subsided for now but is expected to arise again due to the continuing absence of a public water supply.
The public healthcare system has improved in that doctors and nurses have returned to work, although supplies of drugs etc are very limited. It costs a significant fee in US dollars even to report to A&E, so we still have folk arriving at church in need of help, who we help as much as we can. Thankfully we have access to God through prayer as well as limited medical supplies and knowledge, and recently we were able to pray for a lady who was almost blind, and see her sight completely restored!
Schools have started to partially function again, but many are charging high fees, and are not yet providing a full curriculum. We have tried several experiments to provide some curriculum education, and in June assigned 3 of our team to be especially responsible for giving basic teaching. Not a complete solution but we can at least keep them mentally active.
Sadly, a 22-year-old lad who we have supported to a degree for 2 years, became very ill and died in June. In arranging his funeral, we encountered a noisy funeral celebration in the adjacent grave, complete with spirit dancers, engaged to summon the spirits of ancestors to greet the deceased. This was a challenging environment in which to conduct a Christian burial, and it reminded us of the spiritual environment that we work in. We continue to focus on bringing light into dark situations, and hope where there is despair.
