Dear Friends of Eyecare To The Needy,

All we can say is… we hit the ground running in Zimbabwe. We arrived last Sunday, February 8th, with a team of eight from Brookstone School in Columbus, GA. Once unpacked, the team loaded two vehicles and headed to visit two children’s homes that we support. The Brookstone students were able to tour each of them. Sunday came to a wonderful end as our pastor, from Bulawayo Baptist, and his wife graciously provided dinner that evening.

Monday and Tuesday were full days at both Petra Primary and Petra High schools. This is the school our children attended from 2000-2004 and finally, after years of praying and planning, an opportunity has opened for a relationship between Brookstone and Petra. Last year, our Brookstone friends Catherine Trotter and Cindy Sparks, joined us for an exploratory trip; this year, they returned with several students and one teacher.

Steve had the privilege of keeping Dr. Andy Pippas busy teaching and lecturing. Dr. Pippas, who is a well-known oncologist in Columbus, GA, left his busy practice to be a part of the Brookstone team, and Steve put his talents to work. Dr. Pippas lectured to both doctors and nurses a total of six times in two days.

Wednesday, the team of eight joined us at a rural eye camp in the Mawabeni area, south of Bulawayo. It was a HOT day, and everyone pitched in as Steve and Andy saw 116 patients while we distributed 96 pairs of glasses. It was wonderful to see the Brookstone students step out of their comfort zones and assist with vision screening, walking patients into the clinic areas, helping with eye glasses, and even going over to the nearby rural primary school to play outside with the children.

Early on Thursday, we drove three hours to allow them an opportunity to see and experience an “African Safari”. Wow! They got to see a variety of bird life and animals and even saw a lion kill. Friday, we drove another two hours for the team to see one of the seven natural wonders of the world. David Livingstone, when he discovered the Victoria Falls, said that “angels must have paused in flight, to gaze at such a glorious sight.” We all agreed that the overwhelming spray rising and falling from the Falls was a welcome sight to help cool off from the very hot day.

The Brookstone School team departed Saturday from Victoria Falls and we drove back five hours to welcome another team to Zim; Dr. Erick Bothun and Dr. Mike Nolan, both pediatric ophthalmologists from Minnesota. They are here for one week. Erick, a dear friend of ours for twenty years, continues to come and use his pediatric skills to help many children in the Matabeleland area. A new children’s eye clinic being constructed by Christian Blind Mission, from Germany, is near completion and Dr. Bothun continues to provide education and training to the local doctors and nurses.

Yesterday, we also welcomed our nephew, Michael, from Australia and he will be with us for two weeks. Michael is studying pre-medicine and we are thrilled to have him use his “free time” to work with us here among the Ndebele people.

We are heading back to Tsholotsho on Thursday for a follow up eye camp we started last July, but were unable to complete. As a result of Dr. Charlie Calhoun’s generous donation, we now have a portable autorefractor which will help to speed up patient consults and increase the number of patients we can see!

We continue to feel so privileged to have this opportunity to be here and minister through the giving of physical eyesight in hopes of gaining spiritual eyesight as well. We are thankful for your continued prayers, and with God working through us, we trust eyes will be opened to see the beauty of God’s creation.

We would like to ask that your prayers be directed toward two crates currently sitting in the Durban, South Africa harbor; specifically that the duty-free permit will soon be issued so the crates can make their way here, to Bulawayo.

Faithful and blessed servants,

Steve & Jane