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By Christine Kumar
UMConnection Staff

Four year-old Pauline cried hysterically when her missionary caretaker, Lynn Norman, returned to the United States. Norman tried to soothe the child as she held her in her lap. It seemed too hard a thought to bear that they would never see each other again.

Norman, a member of Oakdale Emory UMC in Olney, is one of the many women and men of the Baltimore-Washington Conference who travel hundreds of miles to Zimbabwe on Volunteers in Mission trips.

She and others leave the comforts of their homes to give hope to the people of Zimbabwe, where an estimated four million people have fled the country because of political turmoil, the economy has decreased by 40 percent since 2000, and an estimated 1.3 million orphans are in need of a safe haven.

One of these safe havens is the Fairfield Children?s home where Norman volunteers. She also serves on the board of directors of the Fairfield Outreach and Sponsorship Association, which is a non-profit organization, under the Nebraska Annual Conference, which gives financial support to sustain the children?s home.

According to Norman, because of the AIDS epidemic and other social ills, many newborns are left at bus stations, open fields, riverbanks or brought from the cities to the orphanage. In Pauline?s case, her father feared for her life and knew that at Fairfield she would be safe. He died shortly after he saved her life.

Pauline thrived at Fairfield where she had food, clothing, shelter, an opportunity for an education and a chance to go to a nearby Methodist church to learn about Jesus.

'The life that these children have is better than others in Zimbabwe,' Norman said.

The Fairfield project began in 1998, when college students from Nebraska went on a mission trip to repair the orphanage which was in ruins. They rallied other students, got sponsorship, and began the tedious work. Repairs were done and the home was freshly painted.

The orphanage was called Old Mutare Center. It became the home of 25 children. In 2001, the facility housed 35 children.

A few years later, the Methodist - affiliated facility was renamed Fairfield Children?s Center, which currently houses 80 children.

The facility has better equipment and supplies with the financial help of the Fairfield Outreach and Sponsorship Association.

'We also build houses and 10 children live in them with an adult - usually it?s an aunty, pastor or an administrator,' said Norman.

Each home has a garden so that they can grow and eat their own vegetables. There is also a skill training center in Mutare where children can learn how to maintain a chicken incubator along with other trade skills like woodworking and carpentry.

Norman, who found and embraced God in her 30s, travels to Zimbabwe frequently to help out at Fairfield. She loves the children and looks forward to every visit.

'I did not have children and I asked God to take the pain away, so he gave me 80,' she said. 'And I am free to do what God calls me to do.'

She was also happy to see that during a visit to Zimbabwe Pauline was living with her aunt - she was with her family again.

Norman credits God for her endurance and strength. She has battled four types of cancer without radiation or chemotherapy because they were caught in early stages. 'I had tremendous prayer cover,' she said. 'There was a whole team of people praying for me. It?s a gift to be alive.' And with that gift, she continues to spark hope to the children of Zimbabwe.

SIDEBAR:

New mission style introduced

As a part of our covenant with our sisters and brothers in the two Annual Conferences of the Zimbabwe Episcopal Area as partners in ministry, spiritually adventurous young adults are being sought to join in a new style of mission work.

For the fifth time in the last 10 years, a delegation of pastors from the Baltimore-Washington Conference will lead a Pastor?s School from June 5-18, at Africa University in Mutare, Zimbabwe, to provide formal training to the pastors.

This school will focus on spiritual development and renewal, biblical studies, worship, preaching, church administration and community development, as well as other topics, in a place where despite rapid church growth, more than 60 percent of the clergy are local pastors who have little seminary education.

'We are at the recruitment and planning stage,' said the partnership chairs, the Revs. Joseph Daniels ( ) and Timothy Warner ( ), 'but we are particularly interested in taking a delegation of young adults to participate in projects in Zimbabwe while the Pastor?s School is going on.' Those who wish to be involved may want to begin their fundraising efforts now.

For more information on the Zimbabwe partnership or to be notified as further news of the mission opportunities unfold, please contact Jo Chesson at (800) 492-2525, Ext. 490, or by e-mail to