NEWS from RICHMOND 2002
March 2002
Hello everyone and Greetings from this side of the
world.
Having not heard from anyone for some time I can only
hope and pray that all is well with you all. The only thing we see and hear spoken about
in this part of the world at the moment is the voting and election in Zimbabwe and the
effects it is having on our economy. The food prices have all gone sky high especially
those containing maize as a basis, which makes it very difficult for the very people we
are trying to serve as Maize is the staple diet, also the rations for both cows, fowls and
any livestock has now reached very high prices and the people who need protein most in the
form of meat, milk and eggs have had to take an increase of some 25% in price. And then we
get told that over our border people are going to starve as no new crops have been
planted. It's all very sad and all I can say is Lord come soon.
The cooking studio is still going well and on Friday
another batch of students complete the course in cooking. We have had the local anglican
minister's son taking the course. He has, since leaving school, not found a suitable job
and as such, being a nuisance at home, his parents decided it would be good for him to
come in and take the course so when applying for a job in the UK he would be able to at
least care probably for himself. He has enjoyed every moment and has already put what he
had learnt to good use when the church had a leaders meeting and he was asked to cater.
Most of our young men are leaving our shores as they
stand very little change of employment right now. We are also losing our nursing staff as
it seems as if the UK has a shortage?
Tons of love from all in Richmond, and still praising
the Lord and doing His service.
Hugh and Liz.
Easter 2002
Hi and greetings to everyone in the name of our
Lord and Saviour.
Easter is upon us and as in every church things can become hectic.
Another lot of pupils have just finished their cooking class. It was once more a challenge
and we are on a learning curve ourselves. Every time we finish a class we sit down and
study the pro's and con's. Could we do better, what have we ourselves learnt and how can
we improve ourselves. In this last class for instance we had a lady 55 who could not read
numbers. She could not count so we had to make allowances. How do we over come this
obstacle and improve on it? We have been told that she is supporting her children and
grandchildren who are numerous. They go to school, so we suggested that she gets her
family to take time out and teach her the things she doesn't now in exchange for her
supporting them at school. Others we found in need of specs as they can't see the numbers
on the dials on the stove. So we are more than just cookery teachers, we are also nurses
trying to teach them the basic need of hygience in the home, to keep the pot handles
turned inward so as to prevent children running past and getting burnt, even to remember
that the oven takes a lot of electricity and it's not the cheapest way to warm a room if
you are cold.
One of our class, her name was Brightness and it really suited her, has now signed up to
do the baking class, and the people who employ her are so happy with the results that they
want to open a "bed and breakfast" and have asked us to consider running
advanced classes, so the demand is great the only thing we haven't got is time. From our
first class some of the folk have actually moved out of the area to get employment with
the skills they now have, others are doing baking in particular and earning a living from
home, many have asked us to find second hand equipment for them like stoves, pan etc. One
of our church members who has gone to be with the Lord, her husband has just given us
loads of equipment out of his kitchen so we have sorted all the stuff we need and all the
rest will be dished out to the folk who can make use of it.
The Trust house itself has become a hive of activity with computer classes which has now
really taken off.
The next step for us is to have a full time receptionist so as to deal with all the
enquires that are coming in. I am busy writing a letter to the various church's putting
everyone in the picture about the goings on, and requesting further assistance.
Hylton and Tanya have just returned from overseas doing outreach in singapore they are
also finding it difficult to keep up with all the demands. It is so true the Fields are
white to harvest, but the workers are few. It does take total commitment and we are so
blessed that as husband and wife we have the same vision.
The weather this side is beautiful and warm actually it very hot outside and we are
irrigating our pastures and vegetables.
I love and leave you with the Lords Blessings,
Liz and Hugh.
Holy
Week 2002
Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Such wonderful things have happened in this past week and such wonderful things are about
to happen that I thought I would take time out to tell you some of the news.Firstly two of
our October cooking class, Ollah Sithole and Christina Madonda have catered for their
first wedding using the recipes we taught, and they made themselves R1000. For these folk
that's a fortune and of course they are over the moon. Everyone just Praised the Lord at
the start of to-days class and Chris who has just completed his course with us on the
cooking side was very impressed as he is sure he can also do something with his talents.
Chirs by the way did the Mens Breakfast at the Anglican church this past Saturday so he is
gaining more confidence. He is as you can see from the photo (in the album - ed.) a huge
guy but such a gentle gaint who I think needs more confidence in himself and I think the
course has given him just that. I have also been contacted by the new ministers wife in
INDALENI as she would like to sit in on one of our courses and go back and spread the
news. She apparently has 60 people lined up for us. What a challenge, and then we have had
a request to start a course on gardening. Boy do we need all hands on deck.I think I'll be
challenging a lot of folk in the week that lies ahead.My daughter's maid, who has been
with her for years, also went to both courses. So many people have just blossomed and are
so eager to go further that just now I can see ourselves running an advanced class. Well
I'm off to another meeting to discuss the passover meal so I'd better fly.
Fondest Love.
Liz.
Good Friday 2002
Easter Greetings to everyone,
Well to-day is a beautiful Good Friday, the sun is shining after having a terrific storm
on Wednesday evening.
We had our passover meal, which was very well attended, even though we got very wet
getting from the street to the Church.
Such was the downpour that all the cars decided to stop on the main road because they
could not see, and put on the hazard
lights. It was rather scarry and a bit of hail thrown in didn't make for good driving.
Nevertheless everyone arrived safely and I think everyone enjoyed the evening.
To-day our service started at 9a.m. I preached and the service was well attended. It is
school holidays and a lot of folk do go away so it was nice to see people making and
effort to come into the Lord's House.
Regarding the lessons, we actually need more people per lesson to soften the impact of the
increase in ingredients.
We do charge a small fee of R250 per course of 10 lessons which can be paid off weekly.
They take everything they bake or cook.
There have been those who can't afford the cost, usually one in each course, and that we
don't mind, but we have had to make them pay a little something so that they actually put
more effort into the class, otherwise they come late, sit around, don't listen, and it can
become a social gathering place rather than a place of learning. What we have done to help
all round is to put more into a lesson eg . instead of one kind of cake per session, if we
are doing creaming methods, we will do two; or if we had done 2 whisking method we
increase it to 3, so we get the whole 10 week programme now into 8 lessons, reducing the
whole cost structure. We have also done a cake per student so they get a hand on feeling.
We now look at two per cake so reducing expenses and also trying to teach co-operation and
also they learn to love your neighbour, which is very important. We have also now insisted
they get to classes on time, namely 8a.m., so we have a full 4 hours with a tea break in
the middle. Our Indaleni Methodist ministers wife "they have just been posted to our
area" visited our studio last wednesday and she is very keen to send her W.A. Ladies
into us to teach how to prepare for a gathering, costing etc. She happens to be a
principal for a childrens home in Pietermaritzburg, and would like to send her housekeeper
to us so as to teach her everything regarding nutrition, so you can see that we have
plenty to think about.
Well I need to end, and get on making certificates for the class that passes out on
Wednesday.
God Bless and keep well,
Hugh and Liz.
WESLEY
HALL