Marcia Kay Thomson^

TtO, Box 240-^

Ft. Victoria

Rhodesia, Africa

Forwarding Agents
Mr. & Mrs. Wilford E. Leasure
Route 1

West Union, Illinois 62477

FEBRUARY, 1978

Dear Christian Friends,

Warm
have
have
Lord

Christian greetings from Fort Victoria. From the reports that I

received from the U. S. A. I wonder if you have all frozen. We
had unusually heavy rains but the showers of blessings from the
are the news I want to share with you.

SUNDAY SCHOOL

In my last letter 1 mentioned that the children from next door were
going to Sunday School with me. They did for sometime and then after
going on vacation they started back going to church with their mother
and attended the junior church held during the service. Last Saturday

I was in my yard and Debbie, who is in the 4th grade, and her mother
were in their yard. Her mother said, "May Debbie go to Sunday School
with you?" Of course, 1 said, "Yes." Then she went on to add,
"Debbie has been going with me, but last week they spent the time
talking about grasshoppers and Debbie said she would rather hear about
Jesus." So the next day Debbie and her brother, Bobbie, went to
Sunday School.

Praise the Lord.

The neighbors I had mentioned on the other side left January 17th and
another family came from Salisbury January 26th.
I took tea over as
they moved in and got acquainted. Their children David and Kathy
started to Sunday School with me on the 29th and have not missed one
Sunday this whole month. These children come from a Roman Catholic

background.
me.

Their step mother has also gone to women's meeting with

Last Sunday I was driving a pick-up truck as I had loaned my car to

Ben and Karen Pennington to take to Chiredzi. Ben was preaching there
because Pembertons are on a short vacation advised by the doctor. On

Saturday night I realized 1 had six children to pick up for Sunday

School and rain was predicted.

Even though it rained hard later it

was not raining when we went to Sunday School and some of the children
were able to ride in the back of the truck.

The Brian Johnson family have talked about moving for a long time.
Just last week they told us that they would be staying in Fort Victoria
They have three children who are faithful attenders of the Sunday
School and we would have missed them.

Now it looks as if we are

getting a basis for Sunday School and I pray that we will be able to
build on this foundation.
CHURCH

Brian Johnson has decided to study for the ministry but recently has
announced that he will start off by doing correspondence courses and
stay in Fort Victoria. This means that he will be here to play the
organ for our services and to preach on occasions as he did Sunday
when Ben was away. His wife, Ann, plans to start working in the
mornings so 1 will be teaching at the Junior School twice a week.
JUNIOR CHURCH

October 1st the Graham Des Fountain family moved to Fort Victoria.

They have two children ages two and a half and five. Since they have
been here I have been having Junior Church for them. They are now
bringing two friends along who are eager to come even though their
parents do not come.
HELEN MCGHIE SCHOOL

This year a Roman Catholic Sister is coming to teach their students.

I feel it was a privilege for me to teach them from March to December

last year. This year when I met the Catholic Priest at my neighbors
house and he realized who I was, he remarked, "You were the one that
taught the children Bible stories." Now I have five students In my
class and sometimes when other teachers are absent I have their class
as wel1 as mi ne.
SECURITY

The same precautions are being taken as when I last wrote.

Many^

people have been killed and injured In the country and we pray for
peace in our land.

TRIP TO

BOTSWANA

On Christmas Day I received an urgent call from Chiredzi. John

Pemberton was sick and he was scheduled to fly to Botswana. Could I
go and take his place? I agreed to go. On the 26th Mr. and Mrs.
Mabona brought their daughter, Stella, to my house. That afternoon

Stella and I flew to Salisbury and the next day to Gaborone, Botswana,
via Johannesburg. We were in Gaborone three days getting Stella a
British Passport and a U. S. Visa, so she could go to school in the
States. Our plane was two and a half hours late leaving Gaborone and
we missed our connections In Johannesburg. We stayed overnight at the
Johannesburg airport and on the 31st I flew on to Salisbury and left
Stella who caught a later plane and went on to the States.

Before

that week she had one short flight in a mission plane. So I showed
her how to find her way around airports and what to look for on the
large planes. I hear that she arrived safely in the States in time
for the opening of the next semester.

Stella Mabona and her parents at my house December

26

DEWURE SECONDARY SCHOOL

This year I am doing whatever is necessary to help this school to run.

This includes not only the payroll but all of the finances. How many
of you have bought sugar by the half ton? It has also been necessary
to make several telephone calls and write letters to get uniforms for
all of the students.

These uniforms were ordered in October and should

have been delivered to the school before the students arrived.

H s;

CANTATA

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The Lord willing March 19, 1978,

3
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we are to sing OLIVET TO CALVARY

by J. H. Maunder twice. The

afternoon time Is so that people

living out of town may attend and
get home before dark, then again
in the evening for those in town.

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FINANCES

A special gift in August enabled

me to pay of^ my car which was
a tremendlous blessing.
August 1977
September
October

2517.00

635.00
522.00

November

690.00

December

662.00

January I978

490.00

A big share of my time is used

teaching at the Bible College,
as has been the case ever since

I came to Fort Victoria. They

need additional funds and any
thing I receive over my immediate
expences I will put to this need.
Besides the regular classes there

are plans for seminars during

school

vacations.

For more

information please see the

Central Africa Story.

PRAYER

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We continue our work for Him

Because of Christ,

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by the support of the prayers

of His people.

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Marcia Kay Thomson.

^-TTvorh
p. 0. Box 2^0
Fort Victoria
Rhodes id

October, 1978
Dear Christian friends.

I am alive and well even though you haven't heard from me for a long
time. The last couple of days In September we had a record breaking
heat wave but I like hot weather so 1 am not complaining.
RELIGIOUS SURVEY

At the present time we are In the midst of a survey of Fort Victoria,

This is being done In cooperation with other churches so we have one

section of the town to do.

We have found the people very cooperative

In answering the questions and have gotten acquaInted with lots of

people this way.

Some people were skeptic at the start as there is a

lot of feeling against the Jehovah Witnesses going from door to door^
but an article In the local paper has assured the people that it is
a combined effort of the churches.
EVANGELISTIC MEETING

iiovember 8-12 there Is to bo and evangelistic meeting with an

evangelist coming from Canada to preach in English and one from
Salisbury to preach In Shona during the same period. The churches
haves appointed representatives and there have bee several planning
meetings held. The Africans are taking an active part In the planning,

A dinner for civic, government, and business leaders Is being planned

In order to reach these people who might not otherwise attend.

I am

on this committee as well as the advertising committee for the whole

crusade.
COFFEE BAR

For some time I have been helping run the Maranatho Coffee Bar.

Lost

Saturday night while I was on duty a soldier stopped by and said he

had 20 minutes before he had to go back on duty but he Just needed
someone to pray with him.

I have found that we don't meet the people

that are In noed unles we make ourselves available.

YOUTH FOR CHRIST

'

Our high school group is small.

'

Youth for, Christ has just started

having programs at the high school once a month.

commltte to plan these.

I am on the

We are praying that more of the high school

students will become really interested in the Lord's work and make

changes at our local high school. .The churches have sponsored two
evenings of Bible study. After a song sery.ice the students that come
are divided Into groups of about 10 with 2 sponsors to study the
passage.

These evenings have had about.150 but there are 350 students

in the dorms besides those that live at home.

A couple of weeks ago

we had a music group from South Africa and we had a larger turn out.
They also had an evangelist with them and tried to get across that
Christ

Is the answer.

Do not think that I am neglecting our services but Instead of

Influencing the 2 or 3 high school students that are coming to our

services tills Is an opportunity to work with a larger number.

" I

SCRIPTURil CLAS.^ES

Scripture classes continue as In the past. Twice a week ! teach at

Helen licGhle School and twice a wetik at the junior school. Once a
week I go to the high school to teach.
BIBLE COLLEGE

Until August I was teaching five times a week at the SIble college, .
This term ,I am not teaching there so I will hsve more time to do the
survey and follow up on the people I meet by doing It.
HIGH SCHOOL CAMP

In August we had a high school camp in Salisbury. There were no

campers from here but I was glad to go and help with the camp. Bill
DeLaughter was the Dean and he decided to try to use the camp to launch
Bible Bowl. We had 25 campers which v.'e divided into ^ teams. Each
morning the teams spent 3 hours studying the Gospel of Hark. Then we
had practice games each day, Friday was the tournament, Hy team did
not win but they certainly learned a lot of scripture.
I was Dean of
V/omen; when I went .in after lights out to check, I found girls studying
Mark by f1 ash 11ght.

Jack Pennlngton taught a-class on How to Preach and some of his,students

had a contest on Friday, Peggy Pennington taught the girls How to
Teach. Friday morning children from the area came for a special time
of learning. One child asked, ''Is It true we are having Sunday School
on Friday?" The girls lead singing, had puppet shows, taught with
flannelgraph and with pictures.
It v/as a super Week.
CENTRAL AFRICA STORY

Perhaps I have done too good a job.

At a meeting In September* I asked

that a new editor be found as I plan to be on fur augh starting In

February, 197^. They decided to seim) the articles to me and let me
edit the paper while I am in the States. .
THE WAR

The situation Is no better, In fact, it hss spread to new areas.

However, I can see people that were not Interested in tho Lord, starting
to listen. Perhaps the Lord is using this situation to wake people
out of sleep. If Christians are killed they just Inherit their
eternal home sooner, ilo matter hov; long people live if they do not
accept Christ It has all been In vain.
The war Is #.ven harder on the Africans than on the Europeans as most

of the fighting Is out in the rural areas. A large percentage .of the
Africans live.in tlie rural areas. In many places Bibles .have been
burned and church services stopped.

Please pray that the Lord's.name might be glorified through all the
trials and many people might turn from their wlciced ways.
Because of Christ,

Marcia Kay Thomson.

 < *'

30th October 1978

Dear Christian Friends,

A newsletter has gone to the printers, but you may not have received

it yet. Please don't faint over the fact that I am writing again so
soon.

As I mentioned in the newsletter, I am planning to come home on

furlough in February. Many people are leaving Rhodesia right now.

Some of them are the type that would leave without paying their debts
and their taxes. Because of this, the government has taken steps to
prevent this, t have just learned that anyone leaving Rhodesia who

does not have a round-trip ticket is listed as an emigrant and they

must take care of everything before they leave. Always before I
have bought a one-way ticket out of the money 1 have set aside for

this purpose and then purchased my return ticket from money given
to me in the States while I am traveling. I have always left my bank
account open here and had someone to take care of any accounts that

came after I had left here on furlough and to keep all things current
such as 1i cences.

If a person is listed as an emigrant, !t Is not possible to do things

as I had done before. So I am in need of enough funds to purchase
the return ticket now. I have U.S. $600 and need another $600 for the
return ticket.

There is something else that I would like to bring to your prayerful

consideration. When I came to Rhodesia in 1963, the Federation of
Rhodesia and Nyasaland was just six weeks from dissolving. Since

people were afraid of change, many people were leaving the country at
that time. Houses were cheap. After a period of time, people started
coming into Rhodesia again. These were not necessarily the same
people who had left, but they came into Rhodesia In numbers equal to
those who had left and even more. The prices of houses went up.
Last year my landlady wanted $18,500 Rhodeslan for the house I am
now living in. Right now she is asking $H,000. People that have
money are buying houses and I expect the prices to go up very soon,

there will soon be Africans buying houses in these areas, and If it

is any.Sing like 1 hear that it is now in Kenya and Zambia, the

prices of houses and the rents will much higher than they are now.
If I can get the down payment for this house before I leave on

furlough, I would like to buy it as I think It will save money in

the long run.

This house Is in a good location to use for work

with the high school youth. Several houses in this area are being
used for youth groups. The house is large enough to have a mission
ary family live here or if there were other single missionary women,
we could share, I use one room now for study and lesson preparation.
The house is In a good neighborhood. A house just two doors away
recently sold for $35,000. The one next dooris being bought now by

some friends of mine for $17,500. I really think that $1^,000

Rhodes Ian is a good price for this house. I now need a minimum of

$1,500 to help with the down payment.

In my newsletter it mentions a big evangelistic meeting. The team

from Ianada have cancelled. This was done so near the time of the

meeting that It had to be postponed. It will be held at a later date.

A student that joined my Scripture class at the high school a few

months ago was recently told that she should speak in tongues. She
was very upset and came to me to talk. We have used the Scripture

class for a study of the Holy Spirit and I have spent a lot of time
at the high school talking to her. She has been studying the Bible
with a new interest and I think she is near to making a decision.
1 look forward to seeing yo'u in a few months and being able to let
you know what life is like in Rhodesia. I fear that you only hear
the sensational. Things are not as they were when I last saw you,
but the opportunities for service here are even greater in some areas
and the labourers are fewer and fewer. Pray that the Lord of the
harvest will send forth labourers.
Yours in Him,

Marcia Kay Thomson

Marcia Kay Thomson

P.O. Box 240
Ft. Victoria

Rhodesia, Africa

Forwarding Agents
Mr. & Mrs. Wilford E. Leasure
Route 1

West Union, Illinois 62477

NOVEMBER, 1978

-r-

^
1 ms

Dear Christian friends,

I am alive and well even though you haven't heard from me for a long
time. The last couple of days in September we had record breaking
heat wave but I like hot weather so I am not complaining.
RELIGIOUS SURVEY

At the present time we are in the midst of a survey of Fort Victoria.

This is being done in co-operation with other churches so we have one
section of the town to do. We have found the people very co-operative

in answering the questions and have gotten acquainted with lots of

people in this way. Some people were skeptic at the start as there is
a lot of feeling against the Jehovah Witnesses going from door to door,
but an article in the local paper has assured the people that it is
a

combined effort of the churches.

EVANGELISTIC MEETING

November 8-12 there is to be an evangelistic meeting with an

evangelist coming from Canada to preach in English and one from

Salisbury to preach in Shona during the same period. The churches
have appointed representatives and there have been several planning
meetings held. The Africans are taking an active part in the planning
A dinner for civic, government, and business leaders is being planned
in order to reach these people who might not otherwise attend.
I am
on this committee as well as the advertising committee for the whole
crusade.

COFFEE

BAR

For some time I have been helping run the Maranatha Coffee Bar. Last
Saturday night while I was on duty a soldier stopped by and said he
had 20 minutes before he had to go back on duty but he just needed
someone to pray with him.
that are

I have found that we don't meet the people

In need unless we make ourselves available.

YOUTH FOR CHRIST

Our high school group is small. Youth for Christ has just started
having programs at the high school once a month.
I am on the
committee to plan these. We are praying that more of the high school
students will become really interested in the Lord's work and make
changes at our local high school. The churches have sponsored two
evenings of Bible study. After a song service the students that come
are divided into groups of about 10 with 2 sponsors to study the

passage.

These evenings hav^ had about 150 but there are 350 students

in the dorms besides those that live at home.

A couple of weeks ago

we had a music group from South Africa and we had a larger turn out.
They also had an evangel IstiWith them and tried to get across that
Christ

is

the answer.

Do not think that I am neglecting our services but instead of

influencing the 2 or 3 high ^chool students that are coming to our

services this is an opportunity to work with a larger number.
SCRIPTURE CLASSES

Scripture classes continue as in the past. Twice a week 1 teach at

Helen McGhie School and twice a week at the junior school. Once a

week I go to the high schooljto teach.

BIBLE COLLEGE

Until August I was teaching five times a week at the Bible College.
This term I am not teaching there so I will have more time to do the

survey and follow up on the people I meet by doing it.

HIGH SCHOOL CAMP

In August we had a high school camp in Salisbury. There were no

campers from here but I was glad to go and help with the camp. Bill
DeLaughter was the Dean and he decided to try to use the camp to
launch Bible Bowl. We had 25 campers which we divided Into k teams.
Ear.h morning the teams spent 3 hours st<"HvIng the Gospel of Mark.

Then we had practice games each day. Friday was the tournament. My
team did not win but they certainly learned a lot of scripture.
I was
Dean of Women; when I went in after lights out to check, I found girls
studying Mark by flashlight.
Jack Pennington taught a class on How to Preach and some of his students
had a contest on Friday. Peggy Pennington taught the girls How to
Teach. Friday morning children from the area came for a special time
of learning. One child asked, "Is it true we are having Sunday School
on Friday?" The girls lead singing, had puppet shows, taught with
flannelgraph and with pictures.
i t was a super week.
CENTRAL AFRICA STORY

Perhaps I have done too good a job. At a meeting In September 1 asked

that a new editor be found as I plan to be on furlough starting in
February, 1979' They decided to send the articles to me and let me
edit the paper while I am in the States.
THE WAR

The situation is no better, in fact, it has spread to new areas.

However, I can see people that were not interested in the Lord
starting to listen. Perhaps the Lord Is using this situation to
wake people out of sleep. If Christians are killed they just Inherit
their eternal home sooner. No matter how long people live If they
do not accept Christ it has all been in vain.
'The war is even harder on the Africans than on the Europeans as most

of the fighting is out In the rural areas.

A large percentage of the

Africans live in the rural areas.

In many places Bibles have been
burned and church services stopped.

Please pray that the Lord's name might be glorified through all the
trials and many people might turn from their wicked ways.
PICTURES

My forwarding agents have some recent pictures of the work here. If

you would like to make use of them please contact the Leasures. I
believe that there are about fifteen.

Some of them are color prints

but most are black and white prints. Also there will be pictures in
the Central Africa Story of the camp and other events.

FINANCES

Many of you have been supporting

p- r^ O

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the work in Rhodesia for years.

It

Is so wonderful

to know that

I am not working alone but that

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I am your representative to do'

God's work here.

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It is good to receive news from

many of you through your church

papers.
It is interesting to see
the Lord working through you at
home as you also help the work here
Janua ry
February
March

Apr i 1
May
J,une

July
August

kso.oo
566.33
682.33
638.33
868.33
1018.66
SkO.OO

823.89

Thank you for your part in His work

PRAYER

Without^'bur prayers we would not

be able to do the work that God

has for us.

In answer to prayers

He has kept us safe and is ever

showing us more areas that need

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to be covered for Him. The number

of missionaries with Central Africa

1 ft 3

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Mission has decreased in the past

few years but there is still much

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work that needs to be done.

times we feel

Many

the need for more

hours in the day.

Because of Chr St,

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Marcia Kay Thomson

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