If you would like to read entries in our VIM journals written by team members while we were in Zimbabwe in November, 2006, just click on "Journals A & C" under "Related Sites" in the column on the right. Our team on the steps of our hotel, La Rochelle, near Mutare, Zimbabwe.

As of Friday, December 1, it had arrived and was partly unloaded. A lot of excitement, which our VIM team barely missed. We just got back two weeks ago. It took nearly a month of hard work by the District Superintendent, Rev. Chimbwanda, to get the necessary clearances from the Ministries of Health and Education so that the materials could enter duty free. Now the distributing—hundreds of boxes of books and supplies to 5 primary schools, plus some materials to 4 high schools, and lots of supplies to two hospitals, plus a variety of things to a number of local UM agencies. Look also for much more here about Clare Primary School, near Nyasura, about 30 miles northwest of Old Mutare. It is poor; the barefoot, ragged children are being taught in classrooms converted from stables and a tobacco barn by a group of hard-working dedicated teachers. They caught our hearts and we have already begun help through their Conference Projects Coordinator, Rev. L. Nyarota. If it works out as anticipated, it will become a permanent project in which all of you are invited to participate. More information— morris@taber.net 734-662-9880 2856 Renfrew Ann Arbor, MI 48105.

ALL information for VIM team members is now being posted on the website specifically created for our team http://vimtozim.org .

The container was shipped from New York on September 22. It is now somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. Expected date of arrival in Durban, South Africa: October 16. ARRIVED IN DURBAN ON OCTOBER 19!!!!

The container-packing "gang".

Dear Friends of the Children of Zimbabwe, THESE THANK YOUS HAVE TO BE IN BOLD CAPITAL LETTERS!!! Thanks to the efforts of hundreds of people, with the word spreading via email, conference newsletters, and osmosis—whereas we feared having enough to fill a 20 foot container, there was almost too much for the 40 footer we actually loaded on Saturday, September 9. Responding as Individuals, Churches, Vacation Bible Schools , and even as Annual Conferences, boxes came in by post, UPS, and FedEx, and by the car, truck, and van-load. Many boxes arrived almost anonymously. The key to the biggest response were two emails to Lorna Jost and Greg Forrester, UMVIM coordinators for the North Central and Northeast Jurisdictions. Their network was golden! Altogether, people in 20 states contributed 1150 boxes and bags of useful books, school supplies, hospital and medical supplies and even cold weather clothes. Five primary schools, three high schools and two hospitals were the principal recipients. The most notable item, however, is a communion set for Bishop Nhiwatiwa sent by his countryman relative, Rev. Elias Mumbiro. A number of inspiring stories reached us. To tell a few: A Medina, Ohio high school sophomore, set a goal of 100 books at her church’s VBS. It took a truck to bring the 1,500 she actually collected. A number of women vied for top honors for collecting the most boxes of good useful materials. Business people and companies were persuaded to donate books or to provide free shipping. Others drove hundreds of miles to deliver loads. A retired school librarian went shopping at a publisher’s clearance warehouse. An active VIMer persuaded a Catholic missionary hospital order to send us 30 boxes of hospital goods from their new warehouse [Our Chatham, IL UM Center had helped them with their shipments in the past. ] Perrigo, a producer of generic over the counter materials, once again made a generous donation of their products. The list could go on–and maybe it should. A sincere and grateful thanks to all those who collected, shipped, sorted, labeled, and loaded. Group effort made it happen! While this has to be the last container we two can organize, it is obvious that there is a fertile field for expanded work. The United Methodist school system in Zimbabwe is becoming aware of just how much difference books for young children to read is making in their school success. The more ambitious primary schools are making space and arrangements for such libraries. The US response indicates that there there are tens of thousands of books waiting to be donated and collected. It is both challenging in the detail and greatly rewarding in the results. We will be happy to help. Children are waiting for something to read—it will make a tremendous difference in their lives. Which one of you is going to step up to the challenge of organizing and shipping the next container? It has been a wonderful, challenging, exhilarating, and exhausting experience to be the focus of such an outpouring of generosity. " Christian Love in Action," the motto of UM Volunteers in Mission, is certainly apt! Shalom, Morris and Ann Taber PS We will try to keep you posted on the progress of the container and the results on our Zim website annmorristaber.net

Primary school library books, medical supplies, and school supplies are presently arriving from all over the continental US and one box of books even came from Hawaii! We have a truckload of medical equipment and supplies and library books arriving today from upstate New York, collected by various good hearted people and brought by our friends, doctors Sylvia and Marv Reimer, who have been medical missionaries in Zimbabwe. Thanks to people’s love and generosity we expect we will be sending a 40 ft container instead of the 20 ft we had orginally planned on. Morris and I, with the help of others, are busy sorting, packing and labeling boxes to go into the the container and on Saturday, September 9, we will be loading it. We are hoping to have a large group of energetic people to help with the loading, starting at 9AM at our church. All items to be included in the container should be sent or delivered to Ypsilanti First United Methodist Church, 209 Washtenaw, Ypsilanti, Michigan, 48197-2525 and arrive by Labor Day weekend. Aubrey Klink and Molly Adams collected, sorted, and boxed children’s books, school supplies, and medical supplies at Medina United Methodist Church, Medina, Ohio. They delivered a truckload to our church in Ypsilanti last week.

Click on "History of Africa University and Old Mutare" under "Related Sites" for an article written by Dr. C. Pond, who taught at Africa University for 3 years.

Click on "Nyakatsapa’s Library" under "Our Pictures" to the right to see pictures of the library and children in one of the schools where we will be sending books. It will be obvious how much difference having books to read will make for these children.

[loading the 2004 container at Ypsilanti First UMC] WE ARE COLLECTING THESE ITEMS FOR NYAKATSAPA and CLARE UM SCHOOLS: [These Two Schools are both located in and serve very poor rural areas.] 1. Books, in good condition only—Children’s easy-to-read and high interest primary age books. From picture alphabet books to fourth grade levels. Two complete sets of World Book Encyclopedias—if no more than 10 years old. No textbooks, please; they simply don’t fit the curriculum. Both paperback and hardcover books are welcomed. We have enough board books, but all the other categories are good. If mailing costs aren’t too much of a factor, books for upper elementary would also be useful, though since the children are surrounded by their Shona language, their reading level is a couple of years behind most American classes. Biographies, Bible stories, and elementary level non-fiction are also very useful. Since English is both the language of instruction and the country’s official language, the only hope these children have of escaping unskilled poverty is to learn English. 5,000 books will give each school a base collection that will change lives! 2.School supplies, paper and pencils and blue ball point pens, erasers, small pencil sharpeners (I saw kids there sharpening pencils with razor blades), crayons, Magic markers, scissors, paper clips, rubber bands. 3. CHALK—a critical teaching tool, as they do much of their instruction on the boards. Theirs is soft, crumbly and expensive. Our ordinary, hard dustless chalk works so much better that even university professors covet it. 4. A laptop computer for the District Superintendent to use as he travels around to meetings and working in the rural areas. …………………………………… MOST OF THE FOLLOWING ARE INTENDED FOR OLD MUTARE HOSPITAL & MUTAMBARA HOPSITAL 1. Multiple vitamins—for adults and/or children. Adult vitamins are considerably cheaper in quantity bottles and older children can use them as well. Vitamins are particularly helpful for HIV victims. 2. Over the counter analgesics are in very short supply. Old Mutare Hospital was completely out of painkillers the day we took them [a pathetic] 8 large bottles of ibuprofen, aspirin, etc. Children’s versions of these are in even shorter supply. 3. Cough medicines for both children and adults are also useful as the dusty environment aggravates this condition. 4. Bandaids, antiseptic ointments and washes, and sutures. ……..………………………… WE WILL BE SENDING A CONTAINER FROM YPSILANTI, MI TO ZIMBABWE VERY EARLY IN SEPTEMBER. HELP US FILL IT! MAILING OR SHIPPING ADDRESSES BEFORE AUGUST: Morris or Ann Taber 2856 Renfrew, Ann Arbor, MI 48105-1452 THEREAFTER; First United Methodist Church, 209 Washtenaw, Ypsilanti, MI 48197-2525 QUESTIONS: morris@taber.net or 734-662-9880

Baltimore-Washington Conference recently published an interview with Bishop Nhiwatiwa. Read his answers to the questions concerning the challenges and opportunities of the United Methodist Church in Zimbabwe today. Click on “Interview with Bishop Nhiwatiwa” under “Related Sites”