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Rcmblings
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81971

July 1972
Dear Friends in Christ:

It is with great joy I write you at this time.

For some months we

have been preparing for church services at the old Mission Chapel at Forestbale. The building is very old, being the first Church of Christ built
in Rhodesia. It was built by John Sheriff, Later F.L.Hadfield lived . in
the house and conducted the church services. For the past seven years there
have been no church services and no repairs to the building. We have been
using the building for Sunday School for the past year and a half now. In
the past three months we have cleaned and white washed the walls, after re

pairing some holes.

Zingari, the builder has put in two steel window frames

and replaced the broken window panes.

We paneled the old doors and have

paint for the doors and window frames to be put on.

We have cleaned up the

yard and put in a rockery.

We duplicated handbills about the first church service, and went from
house to house distributing them. We made posters and put them up where
all could see. We asked our Sunday School children to invite others to
come.

July 16th arrived. Early in the afternoon we gathered our extension

cords and electric lights, gas lamp, communion tray and cups, offering bas
ket, song sheets, Bible and extra chairs and went to Forestvale. We set up

the lights and prepared the chapel.

At 7:00 p.m. we began our first service.

Mr. Berry Kennedy conducted the service and preached the opening sermon
to the 40 people present. The next week our attendance was 28 and Brother
John Dirks from Barham Green preached for us. The third week we had 18 pre
sent to hear Tony preach his first sermon. The fourth week we showed the
first of a series of film strips on the Life of Christ. Our number was back

up to 28 for that service.

We plan to use a film strip from this series

once a month, as 3/4 of those who attend are children and young people.

This past week has been another week of preparation.

Mr. Kennedy had

handbills printed in Fort Victoria by the printers to advertise the coming

of Reggie Thomas and the Todd Sisters. Three or four of the Sunday School
Children took these handbills and gave one to every home in the Forestvale

area. This Sunday is the day Mr. Thomas is to preach for us and the children
and young people are very excited about their coming.

Since we began calling in the area and have started the church services,
the Sunday School attendance has increased. Each week we add additional

names to our register. This morning we had 28 children to attend. This in

crease can be attributed to the calling in the area.

We have two classes, one

for the younger children under school age and one for those 6 to 12 years of
age. None of our children are over 12 though we set no limit. As yet we have
not been able to reach any of the teen-agers, but we do thank God for this
group of children who are very good and seem eager to leam.
Class One at Makokoba Sunday School is growing again.

For awhile we

seemed to be in a rut and unable to increase either in numbers, knowledge

or spirit, but in the past few weeks we have begun to increase in numbers,
a test given over the lessons was better than usual and the spirit of the
class seems to have improved. They seem to take the things of the Lord
more serious than before and try to co-operate more. The teachers have
taken over the cleaning of the building. Every Saturday morning they swe
ep, dust and polish the building. After a month of being without a hose
to water the flowers, we have been able to get the hose mended and Tony put
a new faucet on so that there is now water available to water the flowers.

You see there are two faucets there, both of which must be locked when not
in use to keep people from leaving them turned on and wasting our water.

Our hose only fit^ one faucet, and of course, that was the one that would
not work.

Thanks to Tony the garden can look better now.

On Tuesday morning, 8:00 I still go to teach the three African Script

ure classes.

We have three classes at Lobengula Primary School with over

50 in each class.

Mrs. Kennedy and Aeleen Wilkinson teach the other two

classes.

At our second school we have only two classesMrs. Kennedy and

myself, but my class is very lar{',e and I am hoping that we can get cinother
room so that Mrs. Wilkinson can teach here as well. At Losekeyi we divided
my class and Mrs, Wilkinson has taken the girls and I have the boys, while
Mrs. Kennedy has the Grade 7's. Next term we plan to arrange the other two

classes by grades as well. The school term for the African school term will
finish next week, though the European and Coloured children have two more
weeks to go.

On Thursday morning I go to the two European Scripture Classes.

Baines School I have about 45 children.

At

We have been studying the Life of

Christ through film strips. We are using Cathedral Films and find them very
effective. At Hugh Beadle School I am using the same films, but do not have
so many students, only about 30. The students all want to help and enjoy
their Scripture lesson very much.

This week Brother Doug Willis and the Rosvitt Twins will be holding
evangelistic services here at Colenbrander Ave, Church, so the Rosvitt

Twins (Janice and Faye) will be coming to the Scripture Classes with me
on Thursday to present a program there as well.

Our family has had surprisingly good health during this winter.

We

had a round of flu, starting with Roland, then Veronica, then Tony, then
me and back to Tony again. We are all well now and the weather is warming
up some. Summer and the rains are not far away now, we are hoping. Roland
can talk of nothing but going to school in January. Veronica is seven
months and has two teeth and weighs 18 pounds,
Sunday, August 13 was a great day for the Lord in Bulawayo. At Makokoba Sunday School Brother Reggie Thomas preached to the older young

people and at the end of his message 65 to 70 young people came forward to
say they believe in Christ as the Son of God and want to be baptized. It
was a wonderful thing to see the young people come out one after another

until there was a large circle in the middle of our Sunday School building.
We have been preparing for many weeks for Brother Thomas* message and many
of the young people were just waiting to come. We were all thrilled and
thankful to God for each one who accepted Jesus as their Saviour.
On Sunday evening Mr. Thomas and Miss Gayle Todd came to Forestvale
to present their program there.
We had a record attendance of 60 people
and though there were no decisions we were all pleased at the good spirit
and attendance at the service.

I have never really enjoyed writing letters, but something I like far
less is asking people for money. When I have said this to some of my friends

they say, "But it is for the Lord!" And so once again I am asking for you
to continue to give toward the spreading of the Gospel here in Rhodesia. The
value of the American dollar has not increased. We still get only 63o for

$1,00 American.

We know that times are not easy there but if you could in

crease your giving even a little it would help us in the work here and pos
sibly a little for the furlough fund. We will be due for furlough in 1973,
Please forgive me for not writing a newsletter to you more often. I
know you want to know what we are doing and what progress is being made,
however, it does cost money to have the letters printed and postage is no
longer cheap. If you move and don't let us know your new address, it costs
us 10c for the letter to be returned. With your help and prayers, the
Lord willing we shall continue to do as much as possible to build up the
Kingdom,
Love in Christ,

Rosemary, Tony, Roland & Veronica

ROSEMARY (SWARMS) WHITE

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE PAID

CENTRAL AFRICA MISSION

40 Colenbrander Avenue

Loogootee, Illinois

North End, Bulawayo

Rhodesia, Africa

Permit No. 1

MACEDONIA CHRISTIAN CHURCH

cv \

M/M Willard Ragel F.A.

R. R. 1

Loogootee, Illinois

62857

Return-Postage Guaranteed

Change of Address Requested

Rosemary's

Rcmblings

T(Miy, Rosemary, Veronica, and Roland White

We wish all of you the very best and happiest holiday season. We rejoice in victories for the Lord here in Bulawayo. There

have been over 500 people come to the Lord in 1972. The Reggie Thomas Campaign was a time for many to make decisions. The
baptisms and follow up are still being carried out. Praise God for His messengers and for each one who has accepted Him as
their Saviour.

Just after the Reggie Thomas Campaign we held a Holiday Bible School at Forestvale. Forestvale, you will remember, is a
small Coloured area where the first church of Christ building was built in Rhodesia. The next week after Holiday Bible School

a new lady appeared in our 5:00 p.m. Church Service. As I spoke to here at the end of the service, it turned out she had come

for a purpose. "My Kate wants to join the Church of Christ, will you come to talk to her!" So Monday at 1:00 p.m. found me
talking to Kate. The following Sunday Kate came forward along with three others, who seemed to be just waiting for that bit of
encouragement. On Wednesday we brought the young people into town to Colenbrander Avenue Church and five of them were
buried with their Lord in Christian baptism. They were very happy and one who wanted to be baptised and was not allowed
was very disheartened. She is nine years old. Pray for her, but even more for her father. Her mother is a Christian, but her
father is not. We rejoice with each of these young people as they begin their life for Christ. Now they must be fed and nourished
that they may grow as followers of Christ.

Sunday School at Forestvale is at 11:00 each Sunday morning. Mrs. Kennedy and Joy Lynn Kennedy are both helping me
now. Joy Lynn has the pre-schoolers and Mrs. Kennedy the Primary Class. I am taking the Junior Class. We are having about
24 each week. Joy Lynn and her guitar have been teaching the children some new songs.
We now have the worship service for these young people at Forestvale at 5:00 p.m. We tried having it later but lighting and
transport are both problems. At 5:00 it is still light and even when we finish just after 6:00 the young people can walk home

before dark. We do now have an electrical outlet installed, so we can have a li^t and we can show filmstrips as well. We have
been using the filmstrips of the Life of Christ once a month. Brothers Berry Kennedy, Dave Finney, John Dirks, and Tony have
all preached for us.

Makokoba Sunday School is preparing for the Annual Party. Class One has been learning some new songs and with the aid
of Class Four (all girls) has been teaching them to the Sunday School.

Scripture Classes proceed as usual. Three African Classes on Tuesday morning and two European Classes on Thursday.

Here we come to the part if you are not a Christian, you stop readiiffri am a missionary, which mea^s for my living, I am
dependent on you. Right now I need you very much. I need to come (jack on furlough next.yer.in.March. I have only $255.00 in

my Furlough Fund, I need $1400.00. At the present rate of contributiim^I will only have abour$355.00 by the time of departure$1045.00 short. Therefore, it is time for me to plead with your generosity. I k.iow you can do this. I shall pray about it and I am
sure you will cope and I vdll be very grateful to you.

I want to give you some information which will be of interest to you. The U. S. dollar is only worth 60' here. Last month I

got only $115.00 Rhod^ian for my check. Here are some of the prices out here which will give you an idea of the cost of living
out here:

1962 Chevrolet Biscayne car $1500.00 American

1966 Chevrolet Impala car $4000.00 American
1972 Chevrolet six cylinder $7000.00 American

Petrol 80* per gaUon. Tires for small four cylinder car cost $30.00 each and the tubes are extra.

I have only given you a sample of prices in one realm. The only thing which is cheaper here is meat. We are labouring un
der heavy financial strain, please help us by sending your donations to Mrs. Willard Ragel, Loogootee, 111. 62857. May the Lord
bless you. Remember we need you, we are dependent on you, we trust you.
In Christian Love,
Rosemary

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE PAID

ROSEMARY(SWARMS) WHITE
CENTRAL AFRICA MISSION
40 Colenbrander Avenue

North End,Bulawayo
Rhodesia, Africa

OiO 'i

MACEDONIA CHRISTIAN CHURCH

M/M Willard Ragel F.A.

R. R. 1

Loogootee,Illinois 62^
Return-Postage guaranteed

Change of Address Requested

Loogootee, Illinois
Permit No. 1