Newsletter

Phone: 937 215 -8126

Zimbabwe Phone 011 263 54 221129

E-mail: vision4africa@adtech.co.zw

Vision For Africa

E-mail Newsletter

June 2008

Text Box: Greetings to all, Text Box:  New Plans Text Box: Things change rapidly here in Zimbabwe.  We had everything set up for Theresa to come back to the States on the 25th of June and Andrew and I were going to follow on the 19th of August.  We set this all up at the beginning of April.  Then the government announced that the presidential run off elections were to be the 27th of June.  Since the elections that were held on the 29th of March there has been a lot of violence, mainly in the rural areas, but still a bit of apprehension even in town.  We have been watching what is happening in the country.  I am the warden for the US Embassy here in Gweru and so I receive letters from them giving instructions as to what to do at times of unrest.  On the 14th of May (our anniversary) the embassy put out a new travel advisory saying that US citizens should defer all non-essential travel to Zimbabwe.  All the years we have lived here, there have never been really any problems of safety here in Zim, so we were concerned about that warning.  Then last night we received another letter advising U.S. citizens to relocate during the run off elections and even some time after elections.  Since becoming the warden in 2000 this was the first time we have ever seen a letter like this.  Even when the farms were being taken over and there was violence in many places they did not recommend that US citizens should leave.  Because of the run off elections, whichever way the vote goes, there could be major problems here.  So because of this we felt maybe that Andy and I should come back to the US with Theresa. That letter came on Tuesday, then on Friday I received a phone call from the Embassy. Now they don't normally phone you. I had written a letter to them asking for some clarification on the last letter. I received a reply from the consulate saying that she would be out of the office until the next Monday. Now it was only Friday and she was there calling me. Their had been an incident with some US and British diplomats being harassed by some people even to the extent that they slashed the tires on their car. This had the Embassy call in people for a meeting and since she was in the office she called me. She recommended to me that it is a good time to take a vacation away from Zimbabwe. She said that if any other US citizens were planning on going sometime this year, it would be wise to go ahead and go now.  I had already talked to the travel agent and she was able to get us all on a flight back together, so we will be arriving back earlier than the original plan.   I had been  wondering how I was going to visit all our supporting churches when most of my time I would be there would be during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.  So now I'll have July and most of August and all of September to visit.  I'll be writing to each church to set up a time to come.  Text Box: Tapuwa Upenyu Orphan Program Text Box: TUOP has continued to grow in spite of the difficult situation in Zimbabwe and the ever increasing cost of school fees.  Just last week we added two more young people to the program.  They are a brother and sister who are both writing final exams this year.  Their parents left them in the care of their grandmother along with a younger sibling several years ago.  When the grandmother died the children remained living together in the grandmother's house with the 18 year old young man as the head of the household.  Their church family look after them carefully and now we are able to help as well. 

 

 

Text Box: One thing we will really need is a vehicle to get around in while we are in the US.  We will have a lot of travelling to do this furlough, so if anyone has a car that we can use from July to the end of December that would be great.  Please if you have a vehicle that you could loan us write and let us know. 

 

Prayer Concerns

 

Please continue to pray for Zimbabwe.  Pray for change to come, politically and economically.  But mostly pray for revival to continue and for the Spirit of God to sweep this nation.  We see it beginning and are so ready for it to break forth in a mighty way.  God bless you as you pray.

 

Pray with us for Natalie and her twin sister Natasha who are part of the TUOP program.  Natasha is a healthy young girl but her sister Natalie's health is failing and we recently learned that she is HIV positive.  Again we are looking to the Lord to work a miracle. 

Pray for the upcoming election run-offs.  God is in control and change can only come as He moves. 

Pray for us as we travel to the States and visit the churches.

 

 

Love in Christ,

 

The McArthurs - Dan, Theresa and Andrew

To contact us:

Theresa’s Seaside Scenery picture

Dan’s Seaside Scenery picture

Our Grandson—Cole

Theresa and Dan on  Vacation in SA

Dusk by the Sea

Andy at sea in SA

Penguin Beach in Simon’s Town South Africa

Traveling by Train in SA - Andy out the Window

Traveling Home at Sunset

Papaw and Cole

Our Needs On Furlough