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Marcia Kav Thomson
In ZimbabweMarch 1997
Forwarding Agents:Charlotte & Wilford Leasure
Central Africa MissionRoute 1, Box 46A
West Union IL 62477-9715(217) 279-3366
^ Showers of blessings have fallen on Zimbabwe. ^^ More than 90%
of the nation has received more^% yyy than 100% of normal rainfall.
The major dams ^^in the country are over 80% full. Mutirikwi ^^
(Kyle) Dam near Masvingo is 58.39% full. This^^is up from 5% in
December 95 and the last time^6 it was this full was in 1983.
^Y/////////////////////////////////////////////////
CAMELS was so busy in November and December that the staff
worked an extra hour a day to keepup with the load. While I was
away in DecemberGodfrey Makuku was in charge. January 6-20Godfrey
took his vacation so I attempted to do hisjob that includes the
origination on the computer.
Besides my work at CAMELS there are severalreasons that it is
not practical for me to plan anearly furlough. In August 96 I was
elected as thevice president of Central Africa Mission for 1997.1am
in charge of reservations for the ResthavenMissionary Retreat in
April this year. The All AfricaMission retreat is in August in
Kenya. MarilynRichards' estate is not settled as the deeds
officeand the office of the master of the high court areboth in
disaray. At this time we have not heard ananswer from Jill Shaw's
application with immigration.
Joe and Marlene Thomson have had more thantheir share of
concerns recently. In June 96Marlene's mother, Mary Chrislen broke
her hip.Then in September when our mother fell andbroke her leg
they had to see to her needs as Iwas too far away. InJanuary 97
Mrs. Chrisler hada stroke. Joe and Marlene traveled from Kansasto
Ohio to see her in spite of the weather.
P.O.Box 231, Masvingo, ZimbabwePhone: 011-263-39-62285
E-maii: [email protected]!.co.zw
The Old and the New
After more than 30 years of service at CAMELSour refrigerator
retired. Style Mawanza has beenaround longer than the refrigerator
and also hashad several repair bills but he is still going
strong.The doctor seems pleased with his presentcondition. They are
pictured here with our newrefrigerator and our newest employee,
Miss AliceBello. Alice is a graduate of Masvingo TechnicalCollege.
After her training as an electrician shewas unable to find a job in
her field. She isversatile enough to come and workfor us and dowhat
ever is needed at the time. Her mother diedlast year so she is now
looking after three youngerbrothers.
Prayer Praises & Requests!
Thank you for a safe trip to South Africa
An answer from immigration for Jill Shaw
My brother, Joe and his wife Marlene
Help from the Lord to catch up on Bookkeeping
Thank you for computer equipment at CAMELS
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"To error is human but to really louse things up takes a
computer."i have been using my PowerBook (laptop) to do the
bookkeeping for CAMELS. I backed up the informationuntil it became
too large to fit on a floppy disk. When the hard drive was replaced
late last year we lost thewhole bookkeeping system. After
reinstalling the program and the last backup we were 18 months
behind.I figured a way to record just the invoices and payments to
print the statements for the customers.The new computer arrived
January 17. We got a 132 MHz computer with a 1.2 gigabyte hard disk
and a600 DP! laser printer. The old one is a 25 MHz computer with a
80 Megabyte hard disk and a 300 DPIprinter. Our first ever scanner
was picked up on February 15. This new equipment is helping our
production.
We are keeping the old system and I intend to put the
bookkeeping for CAMELS on it instead of on myPowerBook (laptop)
When I get it caught up from the disaster I hope to train someone
else to do the bookkeeping. We have two people trained for all of
the other jobs at CAMELS. When we get another person onthis job we
will have accomplished a goal but that counts me in and does not
hold true for my furlough.
South AfricaDecember 8-28 I travelled in SA. The news
reportedmany accidents but I was safe. Alice Fishback and Iattended
the South Africa National Youth SeminarDecember 10-15 in Beaufort
West. Alice was in chargeof recording the sessions. I took material
printed byCAMELS. Some was passed out in town, some sold andsome
left with Phil Smith. Afterward we went south toKnysna and relumed
to Johannesburg on December 22.We had Christmas Day Service and
Christmas Dinnerwith Brion and Joyce Morris in the house they
movedinto the first of December. The last of my visit was
spenttaking Alice to the doctor and helping her at the house.She
has major back problems and for seven weeks othersstayed at her
house to help her.
The scanner & newprinterTo Se practicaCuifiat can our new
equipment reafCy do? Intfie pastive have Seen sending ourpfictos to
(BeCmont (Pressto nave tfiem made into halftones. This newsletter
wasproducedSij scanning the photograph on our mwscannerandplacing
it on the page. We were aSU to reduce it to theright size andto
crop it on the computer. Then we printedme whole page. When the
photos were pastedon they hadshadows at the edge of the pictures.
'Ihis photo does nothave shadows. 'Both speedandquality have
increased. Thene?(t move is to upgrade the printingpress. I
havefound anew pressforsale at fast year'sprice. 'Malqng this
purchasenow uhCCsave $10,000.00.
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To: Horizons, [102774,1772]From: Marcia Kay Thomson,
IVlarciaKayThomsonDate: 12/9/97, 2:48 AMRe: Furlough
Dear Friends at Horizons
I hope I have the rightaddress for you. I plan to be in the USA
May- Oct 1998.
Iam getting a newsletter ready to send out butwaited until I had
myCompuServe Address. Ittook much longer thanIexpected as you will
see from the letter Iwellsend that Iwrote last month. Just when
Igot it I had preperations forthe retreat and still have not sent
the newsletter.
8 November 1997,1 arrived in Africa on 10 Nov. 1963
Dear Friends
It has been months that I have worked to get onto CompuServe
after Ifound out that Iwould have the sameaddre^ in Zimbabwe as in
the USA. I have a numerical address also but Iwanted one that would
be easy toremember.
The Zimbabwe On Line here In Masvingo was shutting down. I could
have gone with the new service they wereintroducing but I knew that
itwas only for Masvingo and Iwas thinkingof furiough. I firstgot
the CompuServeSoftware on CD and Ido not have a CD on my PowerBook.
The next week Igot the software on disks. The firstthing that
Itsaid was, 'You do not have enough memory." That was just before
mytripto South Africa so Iplannedto buy memory there. They were
very helpful and said they would order from the USA. Iknew that
when itcame Iwould be In Zimbabwe so Iwaited until Igot back to
Zimbabwe and ordered from the USA.
In the meantime the modem card In my PowerBook started ejecting.
Igot an external modem to use temporarily,later CAMELS can be use
It. Withthe modem, power source and transformer it makes my
PowerBook no longermobile. When the memory came v\nth detailed
Instructions for installation Idiscovered Idid not have the small
tonescrewdriver needed. I went to Harare. At the first Macintosh
service place the owner was out of the country and theservice man,
Pascal, was gone to a funeral. At the second place the service man
said he was sorry but their set ofscrewdrivers had been stolen.
Iwas meeting the man that comes to Masvingoto repair our
printing presses. He had some special springs withinstructions for
our pressmen. Ifthey could install the springs itwould save paying
him to make a trip to Masvingo. Iasked him about torx screwdrivers.
He took me to the place where he bought his. As they were sold out
and gaveno hope of finding any In Harare he installed the memory
with his set
With memory In I installed the CompuServe software. Itstill
would not connect to the Internet. Last week Iwent toHarare to sort
this problem out. Afterseveral hours at CompuServe one of their
men, Alex, went with me to a thirdMacintoshoffice.He had knowledge
of the problem but the software downloaded from the Intemet had
beencorrupted. After4 PMI left the PowerBook with Pascal, who was
able to update the software the following day. Hewas successful in
dialing the Internet and getting a busy signal.
Iwent on to CompuServe. HELP!! NO ELECTRICITY and their office
is on the 5th floor. The building has agenerator with emergency
lighting. Afterwalkingtwo blocks from the car I climbed the steps
to the 5th floor. Myhandbag was over my shoulder, the case with
computer and instruction books in one hand and a bag with
thetransformer, modem, power source and disks in the other hand.
The receptionist offered me a glass of water when Iarrived. When
Alexcame back from another job we went out to my flat where there
was electricity. He worked until4:30 and left. Ifmy modem card had
been workingwe could have sorted things out at the office on
battery but themodem needed power. Iwent ahead and experimented
with it until midnight and started at 6:30 the next
morning.Finallyabout 7:151 got on line. At 8 AM I phoned the cell
phone (The switch board phones were down) atCompuServe to say Iwas
leaving for Masvingo.
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That day Is now known as BLACK THURSDAY. A power station in
downtown Harare caught fire about 11 AM. Halfof the main business
district was without electricity and the traffic lights were out -
the police were at someintersections. The place where Iwas staying
had electricitybut itwas mentioned as one of the areas that could
runout of water before a fault was repaired. Iwas glad to escape to
Masvingo, a three-hour drive south. Ittook untilSunday evening to
get electricityto all of the area effected. They are continuing to
rebuild the power station thatshould take a month by working around
the clock.
The next week when Harare had electricity Isent a fax to
CompuServe explaining what problems Iwas having. Theanswer was that
many people were havnng similar problems. The only explanation
Colin could give Immediately wasthat when the equipment was running
on emergency power it caused a problem. Ican get online most of the
timenow but I seem to have one letter that is stuck in the out box
that I am working around at the present time. Withpersistence we
will get this sorted out eventually.
Ifyou hear of someone that does not hear from me it may be
because I lost their address. Iwill have to enter all theaddresses
on this program. Looking forward to your reply.
In Him.
Marcia Kay Thomson