Mother and Son Make The World Their Classroom for a School Year: October 1, 2014

This morning Sam slept in, think partially exhausted by all the worry the night before about the spiders ;) I could hear Rachel's boys outside walking near the window I am sure wondering where Sam was and hoping to play before school. I went out and said hello and caught up with Brother Reg Nield. He is a wonderful charismatic man that has so much character and has lived a life that movies are made about. He has lived many lives here from working as a policeman in Zimbabwe after high school to working in the mines in Zambia, to having several businesses including a rose growing and export business, the first person to grow roses for export in this country to many others. He is the one that started this life of giving back, assisting families and schools and people in need of medical support, school supplies. He and his wife have brought up 6 amazing girls that know how to give back and the two I know have really given their lives to giving back and serving the people of Zimbabwe. Brother Nield took me around the grounds. Told me how he made their stepped garden backyard into a big Rugby field. He was a great Rugby player in his day and the girls were all taught to play rugby. He showed me where the other field they had built was now filled with containers that are brought over from America that are filled with supplies that will be sent all over their country to schools, medical clinics, and villages for support. Rachel goes into the bush and analyzes the situations and then they have a courier service that will then deliver the needed supplies to the appropriate people.

Brother Nield and I visited and then joined Iris and Sam for breakfast. A feast again was served of eggs and bacon and french toast. I thought I am going to get fat if I keep eating like this! It was delicious and great to visit and hear some of their story. Rachel joined us after having an important meeting with one of the government officials about her trying to set up a manufacturing plant/mill to produce ATMIT in this country- the life sustaining porridge that BYU with LDS church has created that she has literally brought people that are so ill back to life, and so they can even be treated for AIDS or their other ailments. She is trying to produce it locally rather than paying for containers of it to be sent over from the states.

This morning we went to a village that is about 40 mins away. It is on the outskirts of town. There Rachel had found a school that is great need of support. It was started by a woman from that area who did get the government to donate the land and then she and the community has built this school. The elementary school is all built out of scrap metal and Eyes4Zimbabwe was able to provide chairs and tables so they could be off the floor. Their teachers aren’t paid but they donate their time knowing that there are no jobs and they receive some support through organizations like Rachel’s which will bring them some food and clothes. They are also committed to giving these children a place to be rather than on the streets, their only chance of getting a job down the road. I was so impressed with the children there and what they were being taught. They all had great penmanship. They were learning to read English and even the 1st graders had better handwriting than me. The kids were bright and well behaved. As we came into the nursery school there were at least a hundred kids and all they wanted to do was sing us songs. They sang with such gusto it was just awesome. We toured the school and said hello to all the kids and then unloaded the items we had brought. The items included a note pad and Bibles for the older kids, and soft toys and little wooden cars for the younger kids along with everyone got a can of tuna, a pencil, a bar of soap and a photo of Christ. The country is mostly Christian and the items were all received with such graciousness. At the end of the line they were all given a bowl of ATMIT, which is a porridge that contains life sustaining nutrients and vitamins. I was so proud of Sam seeing how hard he was working. How he wasn’t nervous at all to go visit the kids and was open and happy and friendly. It was great to see him giving each child a bar of soap and a car. He worked so hard that day loading and moving big boxes around and serving. It was a wonderful experience.

After Rachel wanted to find a girl that had a broken leg. The kids said she wasn’t at school that day. A couple of the kids hopped into the truck and showed us where she lived. We took some photos of her leg and Rachel is going to find out if she can get an orthopedist to operate and fix her leg. While we were there we interacted with some of the moms and kids there. They were wonderful. They asked for nothing but we offered some toys for the little kids and brought food to the home of the girl that had a malnourished little sister whose hair had all turned light and you could tell she was suffering.

It was amazing to think what a change in the life and future of this village they were making. We had spent the day with Rachel and Lovemore. Lovemore works for Eyes4Zimbabwe and is wonderful and hardworking and kind. He went to a friends and we went for lunch at a really nice place that had a great garden and Rachel treated us to some tasty lunch. We were hungry.

In the evening when we returned home the boys all played rugby and taught Sam how to throw and some basic rules. They then showed us how to play Cricket and we took turns fielding and hitting. The water had run out and so didn’t have water, which we didn’t mind except felt badly how dusty and dirty we were coming for dinner. But again Sister Nield had made a delicious meal and we visited for a couple hours during and after dinner. We learned their love story and how they had met in Zimbabwe over 55 years ago and it was love at first sight. How they had married and the miracles that occurred in their life from finding the gospel and the huge impact it had on their lives and how it has directed their life ever since. They told of the amazing miracles that had to happen for them to go to SLC to be sealed as a family in the temple. How since they were from Rhodesia at the time and there were sanctions against Rhodesia and they couldn't be granted a visa, how miraculous doors open and they were able to go and be sealed as a family there.

Rachel had found a way to get someone to deliver water that night. It took the truck nearly 2 hours to make their way up the driveway to fill the tank. The tank of water was loaded on a truck with a burnt out engine. We all applauded when the dedicated water guys made it to the tank and began filling it. From the leaks in the hose we washed our feet and the heroes of the night finally got the tanks filled around 10:30 p.m Just another day in Zimbabwe. Grateful for all that we saw and did and experienced and felt and for all the hospitality of the Nields. They have been so gracious.

The yard/rugby field at the Nields

Containers of Supplies to be delivered around Zimbabwe

Sam loading up the truck with supplies to be brought to the school we were visiting today

The library that Eyes4Zimbabwe has helped to stock for this school

The school motto written in the 1st grade classroom: "We value our education. United we stand"

First graders working on reading and writing

The school was built by the community, established by a local woman so that their kids could receive an education.

One of two of the pre-school classes

The school has a garden that helps feed the kids that live there and to help sustain the school. They have several little sustaining programs there including paper making.

A photo of Sam in his 7th grade class

The principle of the school took us around all the classrooms

The children lining up to have the lunch that Rachel has brought them

Cars that are being handed out to the elementary kids at the school

Sam helping hand out bars of soap, toy cars and a small stuffed animal or doll and a can of tuna for them to bring home. At the end of the line they grab a cup of ATMIT which also is filled with vitamins

We went and found this little girl after school since she wasn't at school and Rachel was trying to find her to check on her leg. Rachel is going to find an orthopedic surgeon that can fix her leg which looks like it was broken and never set right.