R&J Hall's Durban Mission -- Visit to Harare, Zimbabwe

As you may recall, we visited Zimbabwe late last year, taking a wonderful package tour to the area of Victoria Falls and the Hwange park. We were most impressed by the area, and the people, especially their friendliness and resilience in the face of the troubles their nation has been enduring.

We had promised ourselves that if circumstances -- that is, the impact of the political situation in the country -- allowed, we would, before we were done with our tour of duty in southern Africa, take another trip to Zimbabwe. This would be to visit Selby Nera and his family. Selby is a great family friend of Ruthann's, from nearly thirty years ago when he was an engineering student on a mission scholarship in Pennsylvania. He now heads the Harare campus of a private technical college chain.

By Selby's own recounting, Ruthann's parents served as his surrogate parents during his years away from his home in the then Rhodesia. Selby was at our wedding; in fact, he was the driver for Ruthann's father's car that ferried us from the church to the reception! But in the intervening years, the families had lost touch but regained it just as we were heading out to Durban for our service here.

So it had been a very long time since Ruthann and Selby had seen each other when we came to Harare for a weekend's visit, and the chance to meet Selby's wife and children for the first time. It was a very special time.