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: camels@mvo.zo!.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

"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.

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