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We're Back!

Thank you for the prayers friends!! We arrived safely in Raleigh yesterday and saw some special people. After a good night's sleep (we went to bed around 7!!) we are ready to upload pics and videos. We hope to share them very soon.

In the meantime, here's a teaser video for you:

Goshen dancing 1 from Katie Morin on Vimeo.

Leavin' on a Jet Plane!

We had a fantastic time at Bally Vaughan yesterday seeing wild game and getting up close and personal with so many amazing animals! We saw zebras, zonkies, zorses, ostriches, lions, lionesses, leopards, monkeys, elephants and even a giraffe! It was a wonderful, relaxing time. The meals were wonderful and so was the hospitality. Gordon and Debbie have a way of making you feel at home and welcome. They even had coffee!
We are busy packing and preparing for the airport. We leave at 1:30 Zim time and will be en route for the next 30 hours. thank you in advance for your prayers!!

much love,
zim team

ps holding Masimba!! (geri and virginia's sweet blessing)

Home Stretch

Friends,

We are off to Bally Vaughn, a game park here in Harare. I'm told we'll see lions, giraffes and even have the opportunity to ride an elephant. There will be hot showers, electricity and the couples will even have their own room!! It's sort of a transition point for us to prepare us for life back in America.
Yesterday we spent the entire day at Foundations for Farming. We had the privilege and honor of hearing straight from Brian Oldrieve- the founder/originator- how God worked in his life and the ministry that has grown out of heart ache and suffering. The foundation is an initiative aimed at bringing transformation to individuals, communities and nations through faithful and productive use of the land.
We saw the clinic, the herb garden, the ministry to individuals with HIV, saw the detailed and systematic approach to keeping data and were impressed with the hearts and vision of these humble leaders. It was so much information to take in!
Here are some quick prayer requests:
*sensitivity to one another as we travel
*safe travels- we have a looong flight Saturday into Sunday
*re-entry into the states- it is difficult to move from 3rd world back into America-


Thank you so much!!
Love
Katie & team

Feeding Stations

Hello friends,

Here are some pictures from our adventures this week.

We had the privilege of serving hundreds of kids at different feeding stations that Hands of Hope supports around Harare. The meals include sadza (always) and beans, veggie or capenta (small fish). The side changes each meal. For some, this is their only meal of the day. It was quite humbling.


On our way to a rural preschool, we saw this sight: Children and children and more children walking home from school. They all wear uniforms and they all walk together. They were quite interested in us and waved hello and shouted greetings.

The preschool below was heart breaking. It may be hard to see, but the children are sitting on a dingy carpet. They are dressed in several layers of clothing. We brought donated clothing and shoes and fitted each child with an outfit. It was pretty amazing what they wore- shoes with holes in the bottom, ratty clothes, dirty and torn. Our donated clothing- even the worn items- were like brand new to these children.

Thank you again for your prayers, support and encouragement! We are humbled to be able to be here, serving the Lord and the people of Zimbabwe. In each home, each preschool, each feedin station, we have multiple opportunities to pray for the children and the adults there. No one has ever turned down prayer- they crave it. We will ask if we can pray for them and they immediately grip our shoulder and bow their heads. What a privilege it is to be here!

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In other news, it is DAVID's BIRTHDAY today!!! Hooray! We spent the day shopping- which he loved - haha- and are taking the Hands of Hope guys out for Chinese tonight. Tomorrow, we will learn about Foundations of Farming- a ministry that teaches how to maximize farming output- honestly, we'll know more after tomorrow.

Then, on Friday, we are going to a game preserve- to see African animals and debrief before our plane flight home on Saturday. Becky is nervous- so pray her nerves are calmed. We have heard one freaky story about an animal attacking- BUT we are confident that there will not be a repeat!

Our Time at Goshen

We just returned from a wonderful two-day visit to Goshen Farm. During our visit our team was able to secure playground equipment, paint a home which will hopefully one day be filled with children, spend time with the children (two homes filled now), and lead a church service for the children and aunties. It was very rewarding to be able to hear the children laughing and squealing with delight as they used the swings, slide, merry-go-round, and seesaw for the first time. David did wonderful job preaching while Farayi interpreted. We praised God in English and Shona and Katie led a children's skit to teach a lesson about David and Goliath. Ken graciously stepped up as Goliath and precious Raymond (from Goshen) was our David. Becky summed up the skit by teaching the children about the importance of trusting God and standing up for Him. We were delighted to pieces to witness little Raymond preach in Shona with all-out "amens!" and "hallelujahs!" and watch the children sing and dance along to the African drum. WOW! How wonderful to spend these two days in such a precious environment with children who are receiving such tender care from their hard working aunties. The smiles and bright eyes of the Goshen children will stay with us....