Tinotenda: We are thankful

We were constantly blessed with the hospitality of the Shona people today.  We had a long day, but it was one of our best yet.  It took two-and-a-half hours to drive to Karanda, so we got an early start.  It was a beautiful drive, and we saw everything from rivers to mountains to orange orchards to a Chinese military base.  It was also an adventurous drive, as the road went through the Ruya River to get to our destination.  It was only possible to go this route right now because it is currently the dry season. 

Along the way, we visited several of Bud's friends in their villages.  First we visited Chidzenga, a 94-year-old farmer who still rides his bicycle when he needs to go somewhere.  We also met his two wives and several children and grandchildren.  They were incredibly kind and offered to give us a honeycomb, but as we had no empty container, we promised to come back at the end of the day with one. 

We stopped at Chironga, a school of several hundred kids, where they all came out and sang us several praise songs in Shona, including "Hakuna Wakaita." We also visited the gravesite of an early missionary and his two-day-old son, which was a moment of prayer for those who have gone before.  A huge baobab tree adorned this village. 

Next we visited Solomon and the Josiah family, which consisted of several brothers and their wives and children.  They invited us into their cooking hut, which was built by hand out of bricks and thatching.  The women sat on a floor mat while the men sat on the bench.  They brought us masau fruit (aka the "smelly socks fruit"--liked by some more than others), and white sweet potatoes baked on the coals.  One little boy had a bloated stomach, a sign of malnutrition, although they made a point to feed first visitors, then adult men, and then adult women before children. 

Our next stop was Karanda Missions Hospital, another TEAM ministry.  We handed out some handmade dolls to kids in the pediatric ward and baby hats in the maternity ward.  We also saw the male and female wards, the operation ward, and the teaching college.  It appeared that this hospital had most of the conveniences of American hospitals, but the sad part was seeing lines of people waiting outside for treatment.

We held fast to our promise to Chidzenga to stop back for the honey.  We also received "Karanda Fried Chicken" and again, a huge bag of sweet potatoes.  This family too invited us into their cooking hut, where we found they had a cell phone despite not having electricity!  They apparently walk into town to charge it.  When we were getting ready to leave, Bud asked Chidzenga if he still played his mbira (thumb piano), so he got it out and played a short concert, accompanied by his daughter on maracas made from dried gourds.  It was a special moment hearing authentic African music. 

For dinner, we did a traditional send-off dinner at the Great Wall of China, a regular Chinese restaurant.

Tomorrow our only plan is shopping for souvenirs at the Harare Flea Market, before heading to the airport for our 5:15 flight. 

--Laura