Marcia Kay Thomsonp. O. Box 231MasvingoZimbabweAfrica011-263-39-62285

August 8, 1994

Dear Christian Friends

Forwarding Agents:Charlotte & Wllford

LeasureCentral Africa Mission

Route 1, Box 46AWest Union

IL 62477-9715(217) 279-3366

Time has passed faster than most of us realize and because it is August I am leaving to goback to Zimbabwe. As I leave I am sending this picture to you that it might be put up toremind you to pray for me and the work in Zimbabwe.

Schedule

My Tuesday afternoon flight out of Jopiin takes me to St. Louis and then on to Chicago. 1leave Chicago at 8:35 PM August 9 for London on British Airways 296. After several hoursin London 1leave at 10:00 PM to arrive in Harare at 8:50 AM Thursday August 11. That is1:50 AM August 11 Central Daylight Savings time. Masvingo is a three hour drive south ofHarare. It would be advisable for me to get some sleep before driving to Masvingo.

Tuesday August 16 we start a missionary retreat at Resthaven just outside of Harare.Besides packing the proper clothing for this trip 1will want to pack up books from CAMELSto sell to the missionaries that come from outside Zimbabwe. It is easier for them to buybooks and take them when they go home than for us to send the books to them. We have aCentral Africa Mission business meeting on Friday morning and then go on to the NationalChurch Conference (Zimbabwe's NACC). Godfrey will probably also come to Harare for theConference and Iwill help him in the bookstore. Afterthe meetings I am expecting AliceFishback to spend some time with me in Masvingo before she returns to Johannesburg,South Africa.

Video Tapes

Last year in July when Alice came to visit me she took pictures of me conducting a tour ofthe CAMELS Print Shop on Video. This was made into a 20 minute Video tape by GoodNews Productions, International.

After putting together my slide presentation I went to Jopiin and recorded the sound trackfor it and Good News put the sound and slides on Video. This is a 30 minute presentationand includes pictures around Zimbabwe, some information on customs, the work ofZimbabwe Christian College and CAMELS Print Shop.

These tapes are available from my Fonwarding Agents and I plan to send a set to MissionsServices to be put in their lending library.

Furlough

This is the first furlough that I have not visited everyone of my supporting churches. I amsorry if Iwas not able to see you. Ischeduled each church that contacted me. If you missedout perhaps you could get the display board and the video tapes from my ForwardingAgents in order to have my program at your convenience.

This has been my hardest furlough. It has been necessary for me to move my mother toSpring River Christian Village. Soon after my arrival Iknewthat it would not be in Mom'sbest interest to move her to Zimbabwe. Her memory is so bad that she does not rememberthe Incidents that convinced relatives, friends and Ithat she should not be living on herown. My prayer is that in time she will be happy at Spring River. At least Ican leaveknowing that she is much safer than in her apartment by herself. The residents and staff atSpring River have been so helpful and understanding. The Lamar Christian Church andrelatives have been great in theirsupport of the decision and in moving the things from theapartment. Many of you have been supporting mom and Iwith your prayers and 1am surethat has helped us during this most difficult time. Her address is Waymeth Thomson, SpringRiver Christian Village, 201 Northpark Lane, Rm. 236, Joplin, MO 64801 and she would behappy to hear from you.

Thank you for your prayers for mom and Iand for the work in Zimbabwe.

Yours because of Him,

Marcia Kay Thomson

Marcia Kay Thomsonp. O. Box 231MasvingoZimbabweAfrica011-263-39-62285

Dear Christian Friends,September 19,1994

Forwarding Agents:Charlotte & Wilford Leasure

Central Africa MissionRoute 1, Box 46A

West UnionIL 62477-9715

(217) 279-3366

Greetings from Masvingo where spring weather has just come. The six months that Ispent in the Stateswent rapidly and I landed in Harare on August 11, a National Holiday. In my absence the Masvingoweather had been unusually cold and many things in my garden were hit hard by frost. As the weatherwarms up some of the plants are recovering but many of them need to have the dead tops cut off.

August 15 Iwent into C.A.M.E.L.S. Print Shop. Iam pleased with the jobs printed in my absence. SinceIwas leaving the next morning to go back to Harare we boxed up some books for a bookstore. We loadedmy car and Jane Busdeker also took a couple of boxes. On August 16 Imet Alice Fishback at the airportand we went to Resthaven for the missionary retreat.

Most of the missionaries in attendance are in this picture but a friend supplied a picture to explain whyyou will not find me in the group picture.

Sunday morning service at the National ChurchConference and a scene from the Conference bookstore.

From the retreat we went directly to the National Church Conference. The books that Idid not sell to themissionaries I moved to the Conference and Godfrey joined me in running the next bookstore. Theauditorium belongs to another church group and was big enough for everyone in attendance. We usedthe cry room for our bookstore. Ben Pennington preached Sunday morning at the closing session. Monday Alice and I went to Masvingo where 1sorted out orders for books that I did not have with me InHarare. Idiscovered that some of them must be reprinted before the orders can be filled.

Early Friday morning we left for Harare to take f^r. &Mrs. Style Mawanza to the surgeon for a follow-up appointment. Mr. fvlawanza, oursenior employee at C.A.M.E.L.S., has been off work over 9 weeks at this writing. Pleasepray for Mr. Mawanza.

Alice and Iwent on from Harare for a visit toChinhoyi and Chidamoyo missions and tospend a few days at WanaPools game park. 1should have some good quality new pictures to show you on my next trip to the States. Thisgame park does nothave strict rules aboutstaying in your vehicle. Therefore, we could get closer to the animals.Ileft Alice in Harare to fly back to Johannesburg and returned to Masvingo to prepare for an area women's meetingin Chiredzi.

Most of thecongregations in theChiredzi areaareShona speaking but all thesessions were in English andShonaso that English speakers could also participate. Marilyn Richards designed a varied program to help them bestronger spiritually andto provide practical help in music andneedlework. She also requested that Ibring books sothat the women could have an opportunity to shop. Eighty-one different women were in attendance and theydecided to make this an annual event. They chose a committee with representatives from each church to plan fornext year.

C.A.M.E.L.S. isdoing so much business that Ihave justordered more plates and negatives from South Africa. Ourplate maker is different from others In Zimbabwe so the local companies do not keep supplies on hand. Since mytime away my roll has changed. Iwill be helping with getting supplies neededand will spend more time in marketing. In this short time I have had bookstores in three places. Alice Fishback took a few books to South Africa withher. She said that the interest shown would indicate that 1should go for their national annual church meeting nextyear. Ialso want to spend time in encouraging Zimbabwe's trained ministers to write for publication. May Godbless you and keep you in His paths. '

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Yours in Him,

Marcia Kay

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Marcia Kay Thomsonp. O. Box 231Masvingo, Zimbabwe, Africa011-263-39-62285 December 1994

Forwarding Agents:Charlotte & Wilford Leasure

Central Africa MissionRoute 1. Box 4^

West Union IL 6247^^7lT(217) 279^3^

-rnm

Dear Christian Friends,

May God bless you during this Christmas Season. It Is always uplifting to remember that God sent His son to liveon this earth that we might have a modelof how to live. Because we do not live up to that model, we all need the sacrifice that He so willingly gave for us. My prayer is that we will use this holidayseason to share this knowledge with some that do not know Him.

The drawing that I put on my newsletter last year was not top quality. WhenAlice Fishback visited this year she shared her knowledge of how to make abetter reproduction of the original. I decided to use this better quality drawingfor my letter this year.

When I wrote about our trip to Mana Pools I did not have the photos developed. Some of them are not as good as I had hoped but I thought you mightlike to see this one. After an early morning game mn on which we had taken anelephant picture with some of our group in the foreground, we came back tocamp to prepare Brunch. This elephant decided that he liked the looks of thepods that had fallen off the acacia trees in our camp. He came in and madehimself at home while we continued to prepare our meal. We waited until hefinished and left before we sat down at the table pictured and ate our meal.Kathy had her video camera along. She got some excellent shots and made acopy for each of us.

These other two pictures were taken when I visited Chidamoyo Mission.C.A.M.E.L.S. prints the Chidamoyo Hospital stationery. Both pictures show

cards with the patient's medical records that we printed. The mothers in waiting are out-patients and Kathy McCarty ischecking on this young in-patient.

At C.A.M.E.L.S. we are keeping busy. Both the end of the school year and the end of the calendar year create business. Wehave been working on a magazine for the local high school. It is a 60 page publication and differs from the school annuals inthe USA by having individual photos for only a few outstanding students and the remainder are group photos. It contains alarge percentage of script. This consists of reports of school activities, and essays and poems by the students. This materialwas typed on another computer. We succeeded in translating it so that I could use the material on my computer and layoutthe magazine. We have two students from a technical college that are working with us as part of their training. This projecthas given them much experience in taking copy from the computer and doing layout on the light table. The pages of ads notonly help the school finance the book but present another challenge for us.

Thank you for your prayers for Mr. Mawanza. Shortly after Iwrote last time he came back to work. At first he was doing onlyjobs where he could sit down. He is stronger and now spends several hours at a time on his feet. The whole team is workingtogether well.

We have sold some of our old equipment to get money to buy the equipment we need to get the jobs done well andefficiently. There is a man in the Gutu area that is starting a print shop that bought some equipment and would like to buyother pieces that we are able to replace. Our nx)St urgent need is for a perforating and numbering machine.

On a recent trip to Harare for a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Advisory Board of Christian Education in Zimbabwe Iwas able to have my modem checked by the Posts and Telecommunications. It passed their tests so in due time theywill issue the right papers for me to use it in Zimbabwe. Eventually I should be able to Fax anywhere in the world and get 'online.'

Judy Pickett planned a retreat for the leaders of women's work in her area. She asked me to be one of the speakers.Because Judy now must have surgery on her shoulder the retreat is canceled. Iplan to spend some time with Judy as sherecuperates from the surgery. We are a family here and help each other as needed. I have been extremely fortunate not tohave major health problems in the 31 years that I have worked >n Zimbabwe. In December Iplan to take the Morris familytoJohannesburg to catch a plane for the USA. On that trip will also see Alice before she leaves for the States.

We had some early rains in October and the first part of November but mid November has turned hot and dry. Please praythat we will have the rain that we need this year. Our water table is low and many plants are recovering from severe frost thisyear.

May God bless and keep you as you strive to live and work for Him. Please keep the work In Zimbabwe and me in yourprayers. C.A.M.E.L.S. and Zimbabwe Christian College are not only serving Zimbabwe but other countries in Africa.

Yours for Christ's Glory,

9^aTcia J(ay

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