An ACT of Thanksgiving Outreach 2005 

Friends, Family, Supporters and Teammates-

The ACT of Thanksgiving Outreach 2005 was a tremendous success! 
 
The team traveled to sub-Saharan Africa to provide wonderful Thanksgiving meals in villages such as the Nyati village in Zimbabwe in the photo.  These days were spent cooking, fellowshipping, singing, teaching, sharing and playing soccer.  The team served everyone a Thanksgiving meal of  rice or corn maize (called Sadza), beans and Kapenta fish.   Everyone ate their fill with many having a second serving.  Thanksgiving meals were served throughout the area including Lapote, Cross Dete, Cross Mablale, and Gwayi. What an awesome experience!
 
On Thanksgiving Day the team provided a Thanksgiving meal for the homeless street children of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. They collected these forgotten children and organized a wonderful meal for them at the restaurant of a local tourist lodge. The lodge even invited the children swim in their pool.   The team was able to provide a complete meal (including desert), and even arranged for entertainment, including African singers, dancers and a marimba band.  It was a tremendous evening of thanksgiving and all these forgotten children ate their fill!  We also met with city government regarding these children and arranged for follow-up with them so they could be helped after the team left.

The outreach was not without challenges with relief shipments being slow to arrive in Zimbabwe, but the team has secured a good supply of food, and mosquito nets.  Everyone on the team was thrilled at what was accomplished.  This really was a wonderful Thanksgiving season for the team and Thanksgiving 2005 will be remembered for a lifetime!
 
The striking contrast between America and southern Africa has impacted everyone.  It is amazing to see the joy in the hearts of these dear people while they face such enormous odds.  Please pray for the people there.  They are wonderfull people.  This truly is a land of great NEED, great BEAUTY and great PEOPLE!
 
This ACT of Thanksgiving outreach is just the start of a concerted effort to impact this region.  FOOD is needed. MEDICINE is needed, and MOSQUITO NETS are needed.
 
Even though the field team returned on December 1, the food relief program will continue on.  If you are interested in saying a loud ‘Thank You’ through support of this effort, please consider a financial gift for these wonderful people facing such difficulty.
 
God bless you all.  Please remember you were very much a part of this Thanksgiving effort...and your ‘Thank You’ is being heard loud and clear in Africa!

-the 2005 ACT of Thanksgiving Outreach Field Team

Become part of this continuing effort with a financial gift now:          

View online presentation A Cry from Africa:
      www.ROCKofAfrica.org/aCRYfromAfrica

Read more news stories concerning Zimbabwe and southern Africa:
        www.ROCKofAfrica.org/news.htm  

View details about the next Thanksgiving outreach for 2006 visit:        www.ROCKofAfrica.org/anACTofThanksgiving