This story describes a short period of my life when I left behind my husband and family to take up an assignment with the New Zealand Volunteer Service Abroad. This organisation employed me to work in Zimbabwe from 2002 to 2004, a difficult time in that countrys history. For me, it was a life-changing experience that a decade later I feel compelled to share. I have used the diaries I kept during my time there and also drawings to convey the lasting memories of the people I met and my experiences working and living alongside them.