MARCIA KAY THOMSON

P.

0.

Box 117

Chiredzi, Rhodesia, Africa

Forwarding Agents
Mr.

& Mrs. Wilford E.

Leasure

Route 1

West Union, Illinois

62477

March, 1973

Dear Cliristian Friends,

Last month I wrote to you from Joplin, Missouri, and this

month I am in Chiredzi, Rhodesia, starting my 3rd term.

TRIP TO RHODESIA

I left Joplin as planned February 6th and flew to Lisbon,

Portugal. After the overnight flight, I rested on the 7th.

On the 8th I took a bus tour to see some of the country.

We travelled about 200 miles and saw a typical fishing
village, a 13th century Monastery, Fatima Shrine as well
as much of the country side. The evening of the 9th I went
to the airport, everyone boarded the plane and as we were
seated they said, "Due to technical difficulty there will

be a delay." We all went back to the terminal building to

wait. After a couple of time changes, they had us go to the
plane, get our hand luggage, and board a different pl^e.
We were 5 hours late in leaving Lisbon and arrived in

Salisbury at 6:00 p.m. Saturday evening.

when we landed was 840F.

The temperature

Sunday I attended the church in

Salisbuiry, met some new Christians and greeted some friends.

DEVALUATION OF THE U S DOLLAR

One of the first things I heard when I arrived in Salisbury

was that the U S dollar had devalued again.

If I was in

the States I do not think I would understand just what

this means, so I will attempt to explain just how it effects
us. This is the second time recently that the U S has

devalued and Rhodesia has not devalued.

From the time I

came to Rhodesia in 1963 until October, 1971, it took about

US $1.40 to make $1.00 in Rhodesian money.
From October,
1971, to mid-February, 1973, i t took about $1.55 and now
i t takes $1.75.
In addition to this, the Rhodesian Herald stated in a

February 28th article jtfhat between December, 1969, and

December, 1972, consumer prices increased 10.1 percent.

This means that for eyery US $1.00 I received in 1969 I

need US $1.37 to buy t^e same amount now in Rhodesia.

From the news it sounds like it may continue to devalue.

At the present rate it takes US $1.05 to buy a gallon of
gasoline.

VBS MATERIAL

During the 2 weeks before MarjOyxLJtojQ^Js^t -1 spent quite

a bit of time taking pictur^i-^ancf gat^ring information to

write the VBS material1 The plans are that there will be
10 illustrated stories about young people in Rhodesia.

have gone to some of the teachers and preachers for help

in selecting these chi:;j.dren.

We have quite a variety of

children in Rhodesia so I wanted to have a variety in the

stories. It will be a while before I complete these but
they should be ready ia plenty of time for VBS. Please
let the Leasures know
you want a copy to use. Do you

want printed stories with black and white pictures or

cassette tape recordings with colored slides?
MARILYN WOOD

For the past year Mari^lyn Wood has been working in Chiredzi
This has enabled me to take my furlough without the work

suffering for lack of 'personnel.

March 7th she left for

the Statesy and after some time for speaking engagements

she plans to go to El Paso, Texas, to work in the new
s with Mexican evangelism.

Bible College as well

CHIREDZI

It is good to see some new faces in the church services.

The church building b^ing constructed across the street

from the house where vfe are living is now up to the top

of the windows all the way around and has evejrything

ready for the floor of the balcony to be poured.
THSOVANI

The church building that was under construction when I

left for the States has been completed and is in good use.
From services held in a school classroom to the large
building they now have is a real treat.

The Stockil school in this area is also growing.

They

have to hold doiable sessions in the school until the new

classrooms are con^leted.
This means that several classes
attend school in the afternoon.

Chiredzi is so hot most

of the year that it is very difficult to try to go to

school in the afternoon. The educational department has
told us that if the new building is not completed this
year we will have to close some of the classes ne:xt year.
However, the building is making good progress.
VEHICLE

This countary is having difficulty in abtaining enough

vehicles to meet the demand. Besides the expense involved
you have to put your name on a waiting list to get any new
vehicle. In Salisbury the shortest list is 6 weeks, and
for Citroen cars it is about 3 years. I have checked with
the local garage and they have told me that I could have a
new Peugeot truck in about 3 weeks. This is because they

give local people first chance and is answered prayer.

JUNIOR SECONDARY

Instead of different departments within a high school,

here in Rhodesia they have some schools for academic
students and some for trades. We have a secondary school
at Mashoko for the academic students. The government has

given us the go ahead to open a junior secondary for

teaching irrigation.

We have a lease on 12 hectares and

other land set aside for expansion.

There is a large

outlay of money needed to start such a school for both

buildings and equipment.

Irrigation is the only kind of

farming that is on the move in this area.

The African

boys need to know as much about it as possible in order

to bring up the standards

of the country. For any

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that would like to invest

in this educational venture

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the money can be sent to

my forwarding agents and
specified for use in
building the Junior
Secondary school.
Bible

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instruction will be given

these

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students just

like i t is to all of the

students in our schools.
THANK YOU

Thank you for your letters

and your gifts for the
work here in Rhodesia.
-T

Please be praying for usi.

We are having one of the
worst droughts that the '
country has seen.
The
last year that i t was this
bad was about 1914.
Some
late rains could s t i l l
come.
The dams that are

depended upon for irrigation

are extremely low.

There is fighting on the'

northeast boundary.

G
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The Gospel is the need

'

of the world today.

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In Christian lovej

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Marcia Kay Th<I^son

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