Greg and Sophie Sangwine

Auntie Lorraine

We have recently employed another pre school teacher to work with us. Lorraine is an incredible lady with 4 beautiful girls aged 10, 5, 3 and 2. She is a member of the church we attend here and was herself orphaned at a young age. Undeterred, she would work throughout her school life to earn her own money for school fees. She is incredibly inspiring. Her experience, attitude and faith will be hugely beneficial to us.

Auntie Betty

Betty will be our cook/cleaner and classroom helper whilst working with us. She’s also from the church and is amazingly hard-working and has been serving with the Arise Shine Zimbabwe team for the children’s conference for years. She will add experience and knowledge of looking after children to our team.

Please pray for the 4 of us as we start out One Way Pre School next Monday 7th January.

I know many of you have been enjoying the wonderful blogs from our wonderful mattress topper MATTY but today I inform you of his unfortunate fall from grace. Despite this I’ll start with some good news, our shipping is now here, despite us having to pay yet more money that we didn’t even owe it all arrived, nothing was taken and nothing damaged, that was except for poor MATTY.

He was subject to a violent attack of Zimbabwe’s dirtiest shoes and an attack of sea waves. He is unfortunately never going to be the same with his nasty war wounds from his 86 day cross continent journey. He’s a shadow of his former self and therefore is not comfortable writing to you today as he soaks his troubles away in a variety of luxurious cleaning products. He wishes me to tell you he will be back to his old self in no time but that his purpose will no longer be as a mattress topper but as a comfortable book corner cushion. He is so happy to still be of use.

All jokes aside we really thank God for bringing everything here safely and as we’ve mentioned in previous posts His timing is sometimes not what we would like but it is always what is best for us. Our school was completely ready to receive all the goods and once we have finished sorting and tidying we know this school will have been transformed once more. We’re really pleased with the environment so far and this shipping has filled many holes of things we were missing. Thank-you to everyone who donated goods! Over the next weekend the man who made our playground equipment will be finished which means I can finish my fence and we’re getting our designer to put up display boards in Sophie’s classroom. We’ll post pictures of the classrooms and playground next week so you can all see.

Finally we are again up to the point where we have exhausted out funds so please pray for the continued provision of OneWayPreSchool.

God Bless,

Greg (,Sophie and Clive)

We hope you have managed to have a read through our newsletter and seen the progress that is being made. We are pleased with all of the work so far and look forward to putting the finishing touches so it looks like a classroom!

Many things have happened –

–  We have the official permit for the school, in writing!

– We have heard that our shipping has cleared customs (THANK YOU for praying) and we should be able to collect it by the end of the week.

– We have received nearly all the playground equipment – swings, slide, merry go round, see saw and jungle gym, which will be cemented into the playground on Wednesday.

– We have registered our first 2 children, and 3 more have a form which they are bringing back – making 5 so far.

PLEASE continue to pray. It is such a joy to see the progress being made, but the way of working here is difficult at times – so please pray we continue to hold strong to the plan God has for us and that we would continue his good works with the children here.

Please also pray that the shipping would now arrive with no further complications.

On an exciting note…my parents are coming to visit soon! (Sophie’s) We look forward to sharing our Zimbabwean life with them.

God Bless xx

Hello to you the faithful readers of our blog. The title of this blog really does describe it quite well. Zimbabwe is amazing! Yes  we have had lots to do and achieved a lot of progress with regard to the school recently, but this is only one of the reasons why Zimbabwe is incredible. Firstly is the people, secondly the people and thirdly: the people.

This could become a little Blair esc if I am not careful but Education, Education, Education is kind of why we are here. (Sorry for the awful pun.) But here in Zimbabwe the people are amazing. Sophie got up to announce that people could register their children for the school yesterday which is essentially a church notice so therefore a little un-interesting, mundane even. But whenever either of us says anything people holla and woop at us and scream with joy (A little like the American’s listening to those awful presidential debates but thousands of times more sincere) Sophie stands up and explains that they can register and it is like Christmas has come. I am so humbled by these people.

Next I was asked if I could help a child with her school revision and I said I could do this morning. She was very attentive and took on board everything I had to say, a very hard worker. (If Bev or Jane is reading this notice I have not said ‘Clever Girl’) It is wonderful to be invited in to such a lovely home! But not just that, we were fed chocolate cake, muffins, popcorn and a huge lunch which was followed by an english trifle and we still got to take home a bowl full of muffins and a chocolate cake! The wonderful family, and for that matter every family we have visited whilst we have been here, treat you like the most important visitor they’d ever had. They take as much time and go to as much trouble as if the Queen was coming for tea. I am sure if she turned up she’d have the same treatment as Sophie and I.

Now I’m fortunate enough to have had many incredible examples of hospitality to learn from in England. But here in Zimbabwe the joy is in being the host rather than the hosted and this I think is more uncommon in our country. I love hosting people but I equally, if not more, love being invited to someone’s house. Here in Zim the pride is in the hosting and after all that is biblical. “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” which is taken from Joshua, 24:15. I genuinely feel that you are shown God’s love and the example of Jesus whenever you enter a Zimbabwean’s home and that is another humbling lesson I have learnt from this ‘amazing’ country! Today I thank God that his love has been shown to me so often by the people in my life and I pray I can be the same encouragement all those people have been to me. I urge you to pray the same for yourselves

Love Greg x

Today is hot.

Love Sophie x

Hello world.

Love Clive the Cat x