MRCIA KAY THOI"iSONMSIiOliO ivIISSIONP/B 55 - ZakaRhodesia, Africa

B'orwarding Agents;Dr. & Mrs. Richard Lee901 Taylor DriveCarhondale, Illinois 62901

October through November, 1966

Dear Christian Friends,

November 10 marks three years since I came to Rhodesia. Many of youhave been v/ondering vjhen I v/ill leave for the States to visit and tellof. the work. Until a very short time ago I really did not have anyidea. Mr. Pemberton left Rhodesia August 15, to spend a little overthree months in the States, and I knev/ that among other things hewould be looking for another secretary. He has located a girl thatis interested. It is very possible that she v/ill arrive in Rhodesiaearly next year. After she comes we will work together for a periodof time. It v/ill take her awhile to become acquainted v/ith the joband since it is more than a full time job we will need to catch upwith the things that I have let pile up before I leave her to carry onalone.

Even though Pembertons have moved to Chiredzi in the Hippo Valley area,before John left for the States he came to iviashoko every other weekto teach in the Bible college. Any problem that we had that his experience would be valuable in answering, we could postpone until hecame so that Africans and missionaries both kept him busy v/hile he v/asat Mashoko. While he has been gone, Lester Cooper has been in thehospital in Salisbury, so that the only ones on the mission that havebeen in Rhodesia longer that I are Madonna Burget and Mrs. Cooper,

Some missionaries, who have worked" here during the last 10 years, arein the States^nd others^have gone on to other fields to_labor._

The African adults count age and experience as very important. Theydo not readily put their confidence in a person but must observe himfor awhile. If they see that he uses sound judgement and is vitallyinterested in their welfare, then they v/ill go to him with their problems. When they ask to talk to the "old man" it shows their respectfor his maturity and their confidence in him.

The work at Mashoko has not decreased, in fact, new teachers are addedeach year. Some of our schools are building new buildings and othersare repairing old ones and replacxng grass roo^s v/ith iron. In addition we have the work at Hippo Valley. Our schools there are growingand we have four evangelists in that area. Services are held on Sunday at the school buildings and also at two church buildings. One ofthe church buildings has been built within the last few months. Itis a large concrete block building with two small rooms and baptistrybesides the main auditorium.

Mashoko has grown so fast that it seems we are always building. SinceI last wrote the new storeroom has been built. It is adequate for ourneed now and for the years ahead.

Thewhenin onemany people

one room.

domestic science classroom was no longer needed for this purposethe C.P.S. was reduced in size, as they now do their needlework

of ,the other classrooms. For several years there havebeen toattending our English speaking church service to be seated

in one room, so v/e have been using two classrooms and theand speaker have been standing in the doorv/ay betv/een theIt was decided that the domestic science building would be lengthenedand used for a chapel building. This has been done and the room is now/70 X24 feet. It is nice to be able to have everyone in the same room ,for the service. This is the building where Isir, Pemberton and I haveour offices. The audition v/as made to the other end of the buildingand there is no change in the offices. The District Commissioner fromBikita and his assistants have been using our offices once a month fora branch office. This enables the people of this area to take care oftheir business v/ithout traveling to Bikita. They also issue our petrolcoupons on that day.

song leadertwo rooms.

The town of Chiredzi, where Pembertbns live, is not but It lathe center for the Hippo Valley area. Since it i3;58^iHile3 fromMashoko and Port Victoria is almost 100, I often gd to Chiredzi anddo ray banking in the branch there. In the middle of the year theystarted sending out a mobile unit. Sometimes he comes so that I canget the wages from him instead of having to go after them. Right nov/they have a shortage of personel, but v/e are hoping that they willsoon be able to make more frequent and regular trips to Mashoko.

V\fhen you are in the middle of the bush your daily life seems to bedependent upon engines. vVe have a large generator engine and a smallone for our electricityj also a large pump and a small one to supplythe mission with water. The large generator is supposed to run duringthe hours that the most electricity is required and the small one v;henwe do not require as much. The large generator has been broken dovmmost of the time for the last year and a half. The small generatorengine has been running 24 hours a day most of this time, and needs tobe sent in for repairs as soon as w^j get the large one in workingorder. Several times lately, the small one has been shut off for mostof a day to be repaired, so we have had no power on the mission. Thelamps that v/e use provide a lot of heat, along with the light, whichv/e would just as soon not have since tnis is summertime in Rhodesia,On September 3, I went to a wedding'feast with F.adonna Burget. Thegroom was a graduate of the IJashoko Nuring School, and is v/orking atone of the clinics that is managed by our mission in Hippo Valley.The wedding feast v/as at his home near llorgenster Mission about 30railes from Fort Victoria, and was hald a v/eek after the church ceremony, We took the groom's aunt and.our minister from Fort Victoriato show us the way. 'i'/hen v/e arrived at the site for the occasion, thev/edding party v^as in the house a short distance away. As they approached, a large group of people came v/ith them. Some were singing,some dancing, and one blowing a ivudu horn. The bride wore her weddingdress and veil, white gloves, and carried a white umbrella. Thegroom wore a dark aruit, tie, and hat and a v/hite shirt and gloves.They had some chairs set under a large tree^ There were only enoughfor the wedding party and a few honored guests, including us; the restsat on the ground. (We were the only i:;uropean3 present.) They had atable set up for the gifts. A man stood on a steel drum near the tableand called off the names of tl'ip .gujikts, starting with the family. Asthe names were called, each would cpme forv/ard and bring his gift. It

%he-^-f-t v^aa^--aftd thoy would-shout. and dance after each announcement. The larger the gift the louder the

response. Because "we had to le-^ve before dark, they let us give ourgift just after the relatives. Then they took us to the house and gaveus tea, bread, rice, and mtat, :-,fter wo had eaten v/e went back to theplace where they v;ere still giving gifts. The groom insisted on leaving and going to get us some lemons grovra on their trees and a livechicken to take home with us. 'He got back to the road and almost toMorgenster Mission before it v/as completely dark, v/e are not ge erallyknown in this area and it impressed the people that we came so far toattend the feast.

A great amount of money has been spent in Rhodesia on irrigation systemWe need a good rainy season this year to fill the lakes made by the mandams in the country. Some of the farms are starting to grow wheatand cotton instead of sugar, as v;e have surplus sugar. There has beenfoot and mouth disease among the cattle so that it is especially important that the crops do well. Many prices have gone up recently andsome businesses have started to insist on cash at the time of delivery,

/fDuring the time I have been here, it has been my privilege to see maay//of the "iifricans in this area grow in training and maturity. Please// continue to pray for us, that we might have the wisdom that comes from

/ I Above to handle the daily problems In a manner that would please ourI I Lord and would help those vfith whom v/e work to have a ^^onger faith in

Thank you again for making it possible for me to work/^ thi-&-.J20sition,I am hoping to be able to t-:ak to you in person in

MARCIA KAY THOMSOH Ic/o R. V. Lee ' ^901 Taylor Dr.Carbondale, 111, 62901