Dear Friends and Supporters,

The work here in Zimbabwe is going well. We are busy and have accomplished much since arriving here two and a half weeks ago.

Steve has continued with the teaching and mentoring program at Richard Morris Eye Hospital. He has been supervising and spending most of his time with two doctors, Dr. Gilbert Moyo and Dr. Ora Malemane. Both of these men have good medical knowledge and skill, but they have not had the opportunity to use some of the latest technology that we have in the US. We have been fortunate to raise the support to bring over most of the needed equipment so that they can now gain experience and skill in using it.

The doctors at Richard Morris have now performed quite a few cataract operations, and these very fine young surgeons are ready to move forward to incorporate the latest techniques into serving the population of this part of Zimbabwe.

It has been promised that our shipment of more supplies and a new cataract machine ‘will arrive on Tuesday’. We are hopeful but not expectant, knowing the hurdles and red tape that the officials on this side of the world sometimes throw at us.

Last Wednesday we were able to perform a very detailed and difficult operation on a gentleman who has oculocutaneous albinism (he is an albino African with skin cancers over his whole body, including both lower eyelids). We removed the cancer (which meant removing the whole lower lid) from his left eye. We then performed a rotational skin flap from over near his left ear to replace the removed skin. We also used cartilage from his upper lid to replace what was removed. He actually tolerated the procedure well under local anesthesia, and we are hoping that an appeal to the Genentech Corporation will result in a charitable donation of a medication to treat his systemic skin ailment.

We’ve been able to give lectures at the medical school and also at a local medical meeting on various topics related to eye issues and management.  We hope and pray that our witness and lifestyle here will point many to the Lord, and our goal is to use our skills and talents to that end.

The economy is tough right now, food prices are extremely high, and thus Jane has been busy cooking and preparing meals and dinners for friends and others in local ministries.  It has been a good time of fellowship and encouragement to the body of believers.

Thank you again for your thoughts and prayers for us in this beautiful but difficult place where we see so much suffering. We look forward to sharing more with you as our last couples of weeks of ministry unfold over here.

Steve and Jane Beaty