Dear Friends and Supporters,

Well, 2021 is moving fast, and we have been working on our return to Zimbabwe to continue the work and ministry for the people who have desperate healthcare needs. With COVID still present in the world, we are monitoring issues and barriers that will impact our travel plans. Zimbabwe just this week implemented another lockdown with restrictions on commerce and meetings, as well as mandatory mask wearing in public. But, just as these restrictions were present when we travelled in January, we will not let them deter us from the work that we are compelled to accomplish.

With these issues on our minds, we booked flights to Zimbabwe last week, arriving in Bulawayo mid-July and departing in September. We have one eye camp already scheduled for the first week of August, and we are also in discussions with our missions pastor at the church to organize further camps in rural areas where the need is greatest. We are also working with our local medical colleagues to set up a clinical study comparing two cataract surgical techniques in Zimbabwe. This will involve setting up several parameters and require data analysis to generate results and conclusions that are accurate and trustworthy; so, much work to be done.

We are hoping to have a rising medical student accompany us, possibly along with a close friend, Dr. Erick Bothun, who has worked with us in Zimbabwe many times before. He has strong faith, and his vast depth of knowledge and skill is always needed to raise the level of eye care in Zimbabwe, as well as to bring God’s love to so many. 

So, please uplift us in your prayers as we prepare to journey once again to unknowns, but also to great possibilities of service and for sharing the Good News to many who will seek us for their eye care. We look forward to sharing more with you when we begin our work in Zimbabwe this summer.

Steve and Jane Beaty