Zimbabwe Update #2 May 9

Hello friends!

Just wanted to send out a brief email letting you all know that my team and I are now in Zimbabwe. It took slightly longer to arrive here than we originally planned. Our flight from DC yesterday decided to refuel and change the crew while in Rome, which took hours longer than expected, causing us to miss our connecting flight to Zimbabwe. We stayed in Addis Ababa last night, where Ethiopian Airlines kindly put us up in a hotel, provided meals, and gave us transportation to and from the airport. Our delay was a blessing in disguise, allowing us to rest and adjust to the jet lag, even if we were forced to check our carry ons at the last airport, leaving us without a change of clothes for the night.

Our flight from Ethiopia to Zimbabwe today was largely uneventful, except for another unexpected detour-this time to Lusaka, Zambia, However, this stop only lasted an hour. We arrived in  Harare in the early afternoon, and made it through immigration and customs relatively quickly and without hassle.

The rest of the day has been spent moving into the guest house, sharing our testimonies with our fellow group members, learning how to make a "proper cup of tea" and being introduced to Zim pizza. We also experienced our first blackout, losing electricity after dinner. Thankfully, we all brought the headlamps our host missionaries suggested, and were able to carry on with our work during what is a normal life occurrence for Zimbabweans.

Tomorrow we start our orientation and will get a chance to travel around Harare before we start our work here. Prayers are appreciated for rest for the group. Most of us have slept very little, and poorly over the last few days, and we want to make the most of our orientation time.

Thank you again for all of your prayers already! They have been such an encouragement and a blessing.

In His Service,

Mary