Friends,

We thought we would finish the tale with one last letter (But, like Hollywood and TV, we have a sequel in the works already). Those of you whom we missed earlier for one reason or another can find all the earlier letters (And pictures) by double-clicking on http://www.taber.net/anm/letters.htm

We arrived home Saturday evening, June 5--a tiring but uneventful trip. Ann's suitcase made a visit to Frankfurt, Germany, instead of changing planes with us in London. No problem--by the time we reported it in Detroit, it had already been located and was on its way courtesy of Lufthansa. All in all, a quiet and safe ending to an equally safe, but exhilarating and successful five months.

Those last three weeks, however, were anything but quiet and uneventful. As noted in the 16 May letter, things were hectic that week. Morris managed to pass all his students and the Hartzell staff prepared and presented an impressive grand opening of the TABER LIBRARY. All of you who were a part of that with your books, gifts, and prayers should feel as proud as Ann was that day. We will post some pictures on the Web site, but they won't do justice to the occasion. The two and a half-hour program included the entire school, parents, friends, and visiting dignitaries. The recent arrival of a host of books, especially from the Hartland, MI primary schools and Greenhills School in Ann Arbor, meant that the library shelves were impressively stocked. Despite their best efforts, Kuziwa and Danai, Ann's helpers, still have weeks of work to do to get them all processed and ready for use. Classes are coming in on a regular schedule and the free drop-in period sees a steady stream of children. It is a novelty in all senses of the word -- the excitement of something new, but it is also unique in their experience-- this is the first time that they have had access to books, especially ones that have interesting stories, instead of mere exercises. The library is already being spoken of as a model for other schools in the area.

Quickly shifting gears, we left Sunday morning to drive across the country to the northeastern border to begin a four-day canoe trip and safari lodge stay. Starting at the great dam, which created Lake Kariba, we were taken part way down the Zambezi River by bus and motor launch to Ruchomechi, where we began canoeing. We paddled 70+ kilometers in the two days of canoeing. We both discovered previously unknown muscles as we dodged hippos at almost every turn. Our guide saw to it that they were usually somewhat in the distance. When they were not, we were usually too busy paddling to take pictures. Only once did one decide that we needed to be taught a lesson and charged in our direction--fortunately, he was satisfied in merely sending us on our way. We discovered that hippos are very 'talkative' at night, making lots of roaring & rumbling sounds, and that sound travels a long way across water. Although they often sounded quite close and fearsome, only once did one come at all close--the loser of an extremely noisy nocturnal contest for power in the near distance made his slow and painful way past our campfire, as he plodded up a dry river bed into lonely seclusion.

Ann, who had always wanted to see a lion, was thrilled one night in camp to wake up at 2:00am to the sound of roaring. Our guide whispered into our tent, telling us to come out if we wanted to see a lion. It was skirting the edge of our camp area--a tawny shape in the light of the flashlight.

The trip also got us some neat close encounters with elephants--one grazing all around the buildings of our safari lodge and near our "tent." They are impressively graceful in their movements and very protective of their young. At night, an armed guide escorted us to and from our tent--just in case some elephants or buffalo might be in the way. We also saw lots of waterbuck, impala, and Cape buffalo. The real fauna treats, however, were the multitudes of different and extraordinary birds. Majestic Goliath storks and gray herons, beautifully multicolored malachite kingfishers, carmine bee-eaters, and watchful fish eagles were sprinkled along our way in abundance.

While America was celebrating Memorial Day weekend, we rushed back across the country and into packing for home. We had decided that Morris should offer to teach again in January 2000 and Ann would like to continue work in the library, setting up a card catalog and doing more with story telling and teaching of reading. The verbal response at AU was enthusiastic, but the necessary written approval eluded us in our remaining days there.

Nonetheless, we are confident of the necessary approvals--eventually--and thus we packed and left boxes of things that we will be using next time. We also organized and shipped home our pictures and the sculptures, carvings, baskets, and other art works we (mostly Morris) could not resist.

Despite everything, our luggage was still dangerously overweight. Nonetheless, on Friday morning after we had said our good byes at Hartzell and AU and were 15 miles down the road, we retraced our tracks for one last massive purchase at Ann's favorite spot--Hands On, a nearby artist enterprise making elaborate designs on cloth using potato prints, stencils, etc. Those of you who come in personal contact with us will have ample opportunity--like it or not--to see for yourselves why we are so enamored with the Zimbabwean artistic spirit.

We have been richly blessed in these five months. Rarely does one have so singular an opportunity to create something from nothing, with virtually no external restraints. Almost never does one experience the widespread mushrooming of support, much of it unsolicited and spreading by word of mouth.

131 more elementary pupils are now in school for a year because one person was astounded to learn how far American dollars could go in this poverty-stricken country. 1000 children have a library of roughly 8000 books. Four bright high school students, whose parents were losing the financial struggle to pay their way, are now getting substantial assistance. A group of secondary teachers returned to their classrooms last week armed with a better understanding of American history and what it means to them and perhaps will be more willing to teach it to their secondary students. Another group will be similarly equipped with texts next year as well. The university library's history section is expanding. The list of things you folks have made possible goes on. Much of the many expressions of thanks and gratitude we received really belong to you people. We add our own to those of you who provided the materials that made our work so much more effective and enjoyable.

Once our pictures have arrived and we have time to organize them, we will be available for presentations for churches or other groups. Please contact us if you would like a "show". We also will have some Zimbabwean art items for sale--proceeds to go to benefit AU or Hartzell primary school. We thank God for the privilege we have had of being of service these past few months. And we thank you for your part in it.

Morris & Ann