So, what ‘big things’ have been happening in the Letchford household? Well, my Dad has just come back from a trip to Zimbabwe.

When we told other people where he was, the eyebrows would go up and this question would pop up: Why?

Frankly, God wanted him to. The timing was perfect - we had come back from holidays and Dad’s work season was yet to start.. So off he went - down to Perth for a few days, then on a 11-hour trip to Johanasburg, then a trip to Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare. There he spent two weeks visiting people, from politicians to pastors to kids at orphanages. Seeing the photos from the trip its amazing the persaverance, compassion and forgiveness these people are living out, day in day out. Farmers whose farms has been stripped off them, familes whose homes has been literatly bulldozered over, and children who are left orphanes after the violence of the past few years. They’ve chosen not to habour bitterness, but to forgive and move on, makng a difference in their country. Zimbabwians are passionate about their country. They are the ones who can make a difference for the better in Zimbabwe.

Another reason that helped Dad make the decision to go was a conference, Farming God’s Way, that was happening the same time he was over there. They basically taught four principles, which really can be applied by anyone into all areas of life.
1. Punctuality - you do things on time. For every day that you miss after the planting deadline, you loose a certain amount of food (their staple food is mane, or corn)
2. Resourcefulness - you do things right with what you have. You use fertilizer when planting; if you don’t have that, you use compost, if you don’t have that you use manure, if you don’t have manure you use powdered ant hill. Substitiute, don’t comprimise. The other word you could you use here is Faithfulness
3. Diligence - you work hard and do the job properly.
4. JOY - you do things with a glad heart, thankful for what you have.

Dad also had the opportunity to go to a hunting park, where he saw lots of different African animals, such as Elephants, giraffes, and monkeys. Actually there are a lot of boab trees (which are Australian) imported to Zimbabwe because it helped the tabacoo buisness, and ironically, it is the perfect monkey playground!

Dad had an amazing time with amazing opportunities, and I don't think God's finished with Zimbabwe yet.