VIM to ZIM

2006 began with family time with both sons’ families in rainy Irvine, California—Steve and Julie’s home. From that point on, the year was largely filled with two major Zimbabwe projects. Having decided to help lead a Volunteer Team to Old Mutare and to send another container of donated goods, 2006 was busy [eg. between 2,500 and 3,000 emails]

Many of you have traced our year on either “www.annmorristaber.net” or “www.vimtozim.org” These two web sites were essential for the two projects which nearly overwhelmed us. We spent three weeks in Zimbabwe in January so Ann could discover precisely what help teachers at Hartzell Primary wanted and to plan the November team trip. We were astounded to have more applicants for VIMtoZIM than we could take and 27 finally made the trip. Our son, Mark, grandson, Christopher, and niece, Norma, joined us, as well as Morris’ sister, Margery and husband, Gordon, who were co-leaders. It turned out to involve far, far more planning and coordinating than we had thought—especially since we were new to this. Experienced leaders told us later, that our group was nearly twice too large. However, it went well—the talent and enthusiasm were impressive, as were the accomplishments and experiences. . The diversity of talents wouldn’t have been possible in a smaller group and we would have hated to leave any of them behind. Our size had one major advantage, in that we filled a small hotel near the Old Mutare Mission, and we were wonderfully cared for while we worked there and at Africa University. Visit www.vimtozim.org for a sense of that excitement, pictures, and details.

During our January trip, we visited two nearby rural primary schools for the first time—and saw children sitting in room with no books “learning how to behave in a library.” It so grabbed us emotionally that we were forced to renege on a 2004 vow to never again go through the pressure and agony of sending a container, with all the stress it entailed. We promised that we would do our best to get them a core of 2,000 books for their “library”. We spent most of the rest of our year up to its loading date doing just that. At one point we wondered if enough books and supplies would come in to fill the 20-foot container we hoped to send. In the end, we had to turn away some offerings, as a 40-footer was full! Books and supplies came from 21 states, with much of this the result of email letters we sent to the two coordinators for United Methodist Volunteers in Mission for the North Central and North East part of the US. Two letters! We never knew what might arrive—30 boxes from the Dakotas or two truckloads from an Ohio teacher and high school student! This outpouring will undergird FOUR new primary libraries in a country where the children must learn English to succeed in school. 680 boxes of books were the core, but nearly 200 boxes each of school supplies and hospital and health items, plus 100 more of clothes filled our church basement prior to loading the container on September 9. [It finally reached Old Mutare on December 1.] Be careful what you dream or wish for—children and books tend to inspire people to be generous with money, donations and help, while the two of us sorted, boxed, organized, labeled, and kept the count on things going to seven schools, two hospitals, an orphanage, Africa University, etc.!!

Morris and Ann