Meandering Musings of a Texan and a Carolina Girl in Congo- Month Two

It is hard to believe we have been here in Congo for a month. Wow, how time flies when you are having "fun." We are having so much fun meeting new friends, reconnecting with old friends as they pass through MPH, murdering French, polishing our Tshiluba (Ken's has come back word perfect. The Congolese are amazed!!)

 It has been a steep learning curve for me here at the start because it is like nothing I have ever done before. I want everything to be perfect- Type A that I am- and have finally learned to face the fact that, that can NOT be.  Work ethics,cultures and the land itself are all so different. "It is Congo!" is finally what I have had to realize. That and reaching into a Historical Southern Movie,"Gone With The Wind" and borrowing two movie ending lines: "Frankly, My Dear, I don't give a Damn!"( though I really do!)  and "Well, tomorrow is another day!" And a Death Grip on my Patient Panties!

Last Friday we went to eat Chinese with some of our Ex Pat friends. The restaurant was The Pearl. The food was excellent. One dish was "Sauteed Mutton with Fungus and Flower" - decided to pass on that one from name alone! In America we don't admit on the menu that an item has fungus! (Calm down! I know it means mushrooms! It's that name thing again if Americans are going to be reading it!) We had Spring Rolls and I had Sweet and Sour Pork and Ken had a Pork and bean dish that was great. Nancy ordered Snow peas with her meal and they were wonderful. No service here is fast. But no matter how slow it is shorter than the drive to any restaurant we have been to so far! This traffic is unreal. I think all 10 million people in this city are either on foot, in a car or a Squish People Taxi and on the roads - good or bad roads- and they have NO concept of lane use other than don't use it. Just get there. Luckily there is no Road Rage with all of the VERY aggressive driving. Guess the cops on the corners- just standing (not doing anything  about the traffic) with machine guns keeps that down! The Squish People Taxis amaze me. They are always breaking down and the people hanging on for a ride- because there is no room inside(and they pay .50 too)  or the ones sitting by the doors get out to push.No one else gets out!! The hangers are not supposed to do that cause so many have been killed falling off or getting squished between multiple cars in the lane! Hope you can get a mental picture all of this!

Michael Sthreshley,son of folks who live here while their home is being built on site, brought us a "Matonge" It was a little ripe but ohhhh so good. We called it Bread Fruit or Monkey Brains Fruit when we were kids at Lubondai. VERY tart like I remember and my taste bud's memories loved it. He is going to U.of Hawaii in Hilo and LOVES it there. So he is FBI. (From the Big Island! Learned that last year when we were in Hawaii.) He is into tropical agriculture so Hilo is perfect! He even knows Saddle Road! ;)

FYI- The average per capita income in Congo is $320 a year and 59.2% of the population live on less than $1 a day. So when I give them a 50 cent tip-I now know it is like handing them $10.00. I am messing with the economy big time. No wonder they are so glad to see us  each  week as we grocery shop - and I thought it was our friendly hello each trip. ;) Our cooks here make $10.00 a month plus taxi money and family insurance and work a rotation where some days are 12 hour shifts. Can you see the ACLU in the states with this pay! And they are perfectly content with the pay. It is great pay here!!  Just not in the US of A!! People ask daily for jobs here.

Friday Ken was listening to 104.3 streaming from Lubbock and the Morning Drive to Work Show- at noon for us! They were going on and on about the bucking roads y'all are dealing with from the heat in Lubbock.Was fun to hear West Texas accents! I wrote and told them who and where we were and that we were so excited we could now get the TTU football games. They wrote right back to say howdy but were disappointed to tell us that we can't get the games because they can't carry them. That we'd have to buy something from Texas Tech. So never mind. Someone please keep us up on the scores of the Big XII.

Celebrated Congo Independence Day(53 years ago!) with a BBQ on the MPH patio last night. Chicken, slaw and baked beans. Then on the Fourth the US Embassy is having a Black Tie, Invitation only, party. Guess ours got lost in the none existent mail service out here. ;) They also have something we are going to try. Thursday Night with the Marines. We go up to the Embassy area with our passports and get free burgers and hot dogs etc. and can play games, watch sporting events or just visit with the young men. So that is on the agenda of things we want to do.

Funerals have changed to some extent and not in others. Last night - we found out this morning- there was a Madilu / funeral/wake/party. It went on all night and finally ended this AM at five. It was in the village right next to our back fence. Lots of  none ending drums and very loud singing. The ones up in Lubondai were also loud wailing. I think I have a picture of one to include. The funerals we have seen here all had caskets. BRIGHT colored caskets!!Did not see anyone following the casket with a bow and arrow shooting the evil spirits left behind to dump into the grave!

Walt Shepard gave us an experience for this week. When  he and Val and kids left ? years ago they thought they would be back. When that didn't happen MPH had a garage sale for them of their stuff here in Kinshasa. They made a whopping $206 and 2000 francs ($2.00). MPH had written Walt but he had not answered. So when I had to sign off on the money in the safe there was an envelope with his name on it. They asked that since I know him could I get him to tell them what to do with the money. They had written and gotten no response. So I wrote and told him to either tell me what to do with the money or I was going shopping. He wrote back to go shopping. Then several days later he added another couple of requests. Please look from some book here in the library- maybe- but he didn't remember the name. Yea, Right, Walt! Then on Sunday between the French Service and the English service could I please find Dr. Martin Ndombe from the African Leprosy Mission. He'd be the tall Black man. Yea, Right, Walt!!! In Congo looking for a tall Black man!  He wanted us to give $50.00 for the mission and ask Dr. Ndombe to get him another python skin wallet. So we got the money out of the safe and headed to church. The French service was letting out. And there he was - A tall black man in the middle of Congo. So I sent Ken over. It was he. He was amazed we picked him out. Asked how I knew who he was. So I told him! He died laughing! When Ken handed him the money he wept. He pulled out his government ID to prove who he was but it was obvious he was the man long before some ID! Isn't the Good Lord amazing!

Yesterday we lost all water pressure. Ken and Larry went out to look. Ken thought he knew what it was but... So the electrician, Christian, was called. When he got it all done Ken(and it was what Ken had thought) went out to check. Christian tried to explain it all in French. Both became frustrated with all of the technical talk. "Do you speak Tshiluba?" Ken asked and all was GREAT! So now we know what to do. Call Christian and talk in Tshiluba! ;)

Well, I am at the end of my Meandering Musings for this entry. Now it's fight the picture time! Have a great week. Happy Fourth of July to you all I will miss the fireworks and parades - enjoy them for me.

Love Ya, ME

Hedda Hopper/ TMZ/ or Congo About Town

You younger folks are trying to figure out who Hedda Hopper is and you "mature" folks are trying to figure out what TMZ stands for and I'm just trying to tell you "What's Up Doc?"

Celebrity News:

Dikembe Mutombo has been in town for his father's funeral. His father was from the Kasai and a Presbyterian. Mutombo is also known here for the hospital he had built in honor of his mother. He is still famous here and followed by all the children when he is in town. Several guests at MPH were invited to the Family dinner after the funeral.



Ken and Lenore Murray- Substitutes at MPH -were also seen about town. Latest excursion was the usual Wednesday grocery store trips searching for the best prices. ( Couple more weeks of this and they will be ready to play the Kinshasa version of The Price is Right!) This week they also had to go to Hassan Frere's Butcher to get over $900 in meat for MPH. When they got back with all of the raw meat - some of which was ground, the cook asked Lenore which was the pork. She all but answered, " the one that oinks or squeaks when you pinch it." But those Patient Panties, she talks about so often, kicked in and she just smiled and said she did not know.


The Sound of Music:

The First United Methodist Church of the Ngaliema Communite' and the Pentecostal Church had their usual Wednesday night Sing Off/ Scream Out. The residents of MPH are in between the two churches and their electric sound systems were up full force. A winner was not declared but ear plugs were mentioned  at the MPH supper table for next week.

A week old copy of USA Today was turned into the office. Have you ever listened to the sound of the turning of the pages of a newspaper?  A sound we have not heard in almost a month! It sort of swuushed. We even read the adds! Did you know that ... naw I won't do that to you. ;)

Roofing History in Pictures:

Then and Now - Can you tell which is which?

Transportation News:

No Burlington Northern here! Or Southern either!!
Can't keep track...
 Won't go far. There is talk of trains but then they realize the cars and the people may not stop for it. They don't stop now for each other. The crowds of cars and people in a town of 10 million are always swarming and stop for nothing!

New bus service Scheduled to Start:
 Five hundred buses are to go into service on 30 Juin- Independence Day. Also notice as you go about town the covered Bus stops and steel benches the government has installed.The bus will cost three times as much as the Squish  People taxis currently in use. Many workers will not be able to afford the new buses.. Time will tell.




Employees of the Month at MPH:

 Papa Pierre and Papa Mata after serving 63 people for Lunch on Monday and Tuesday!
Also brought in to help was Papa Pierre's daughter Bridget. According to Kitchen gossip she has had five husbands and has nine children. She helped ground the manioc flour and make bedia.




Seen About Town :







Ken Murray at Nouvelle Patisserie with new friend Angelle. She is a Lulua and speaks Tshiluba.The Murrays also made friends with Tom from England -here to work with palm oil and rubber plantations- and another Congolese who knew the David Laws. Small world!









 Can You Top (or Bottom) This Story:

There are two types of toilet paper at MPH. Rouge and Blanc. Rouge is in the common Restrooms and the dorm rooms. The Blanc is in the Private rooms. Both are like rolls of crepe paper. I am not kidding! TEven stretch a little! The Blanc is a little softer but it ain't Charmin. But at least there is toilet paper. Where ever we go I have to have packages of Kleenex in my purse. They sell it along the streets at your car window when you are caught in traffic.





Embassy News Sent to our Phones and Emails:

We are in Kinshasa and it is in Goma. Congo is three and a half times larger than Texas. (Sorry, Texans!) So that is a long way away from us.

Security Message for U.S. Citizens - “Ville Morte” Protests In Goma

June 27, 2013

Civil society groups in the city of Goma, North Kivu are organizing a “ville morte” protest on June 28, 2013 to express disapproval with what they view as the lack of progress with road improvements in the city. They are asking everyone to avoid going to work, particularly within the professional sectors. In March 2013, the same groups led a similar protest, and some roads in Goma were barricaded. There were also small acts of violence in the streets. We wish to remind U.S. citizens that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence. U.S. citizens are therefore urged to avoid the areas of demonstrations if possible, and to exercise caution if within the vicinity of any demonstrations.



It took me about twenty minutes to write and three hours to get the pictures in!! Gurr!! Have a great weekeknd! Love ya! Me

"Soup to Nuts" or "Restaurants to Bonobos"

This post may take awhile because we have had some excursions other than the grocery stores etc. and one of the groups with Jimmy Shafe went to several stations and then brought back pictures and tales. (This group is the one with Lilibet and Sara Gay so they know the stations and have been here before.)



Our Bill

Friday night we went out with some Ex-Pats to a Portuguese Club. It was technically on this side of town (Remembering Kinshasa has a population of 10 million). So Ken and I and 3 other MPH guests and four Ex-Pats - two of whom are the pastor and wife we met last week before church and Nancy and her nephew Neal who work here in Kinshasa. The club has a restaurant, bar, work out facility, Basketball courts, bowling alley, play area for children  lovely views and a beautiful dining patio where we ate. This place is up much higher than we are here at MPH so it was nice and cool. (I use that term loosely!) Orders ranged from Burgers to steaks and Pizza. Food was very good. Bills were brought to us in a carved wooden box and change returned likewise. Trip up and back was through crowded and narrow streets in  poorer sections of town and then into more "wealthy"areas. Took us about 30 minutes to get there. People are crazy to drive here - maybe that's the problem! Driving here amazes me everytime we get into tha car!! It was fun to visit and get to know more people.

Saturday we visited with the Shafe group and caught up on things from their perspective after visiting Luebo, Bibanga, Bulape and Kananga and Tshikashi. Lilibet was the most upset about Luebo where the graveyard had been torn up where her baby sister is buried. The other stations were still taking pride and keeping it pretty well.They brought us a picture of Betty Lou's grave.  Of course years of neglect has left many of the old home in different forms of disrepair. One of the men on the trip is Charlie Johnson from San Antonio.(These are his pictures from Bulape.) Last year when he visited he saw the hospital beds with just a mat on the springs. So he raised money for mattresses for the hospitals and went to see them after delivery. I'll include some pictures from Bulape. Their plane was welcomed by women waving branches and singing delightful songs as they swarmed the plane to greet them.
The chiefs also showed up. Their picture looks a lot like the one I sent you last week- except the kid in the Mickey Mouse T-shirt! ;) A lot of the Bulape folks still remembered the Vasses. So it was a great time for Lilibet.

                   Love the little faces!

Last time I saw a Bible this well used it belonged to my Grandmother, Bonka,( Irene French McCall) and I am lucky enough to have it!




Funny story of what we missionaries do and I am sure the folks back in the villages/ or in town die laughing at our expense each night! A single missionary lady was telling us at supper last night that she loves butterflies. She gets Congo cloth with them on it. As she visits other African countries she asks them their word for butterflies. " I just love Butterflies!" she tells them. Then after multiple countries of doing this a Congolese finally explained as she is telling them how many ways she can say " I just love butterflies!"and in how many countries she has said: " I  just love butterflies!" that is is a slang word in most countries for "prostitute." Oops!

Jimmy Shafe was telling us at dinner about their night at Bulape. The men were sleeping in one room and the ladies in another. Windows were open for any tiny breeze they could get. Into the night Jimmy work up to the heat. The windows were all closed. " So, I guess the Sentry wanted to keep us safe."  "NO, Jimmy it wasn't the sentry that closed the windows. The men from the village came and did it."said Mike......." Oh" says Jimmy. Then after a pause, Mike continues"because they could not sleep in the village with your snoring!" It brought the house down!!.

Later Saturday afternoon we went to the Symphonie Des Arts run by the Mennonites. Lots of pretty things- sort of like a World Market - only we could miss that mark up part-plus art and pottery. Also had an Orchid garden,(Thought of Uncle Mac a bunch with the  gorgeous flowers and then what did I spy but a tree of Spanish Moss!So I knew he was there with me!) peacocks- even an all white one, African Grey Parrots and those bright colored big Macaw parrots(all of those birds are a loud group and not a single one could carry a tune!!!). It is down from Mabutu's gardens that are still kept up and maybe two blocks from MPH. Lots of carvings, malachite, art work and masks. I actually found my Christmas ornaments for the girls for this year. YEA!!




Sunday we went to see the Bonobos. It's about a 30 mile trip but took over an hour. They are another type of Chimp type animal but different in many ways. They are more like humans than regular chimps. They can walk upright. They are also completely cut off from the rest of Africa since their jungle is surrounded on all sides by rivers. Their area is 4,785 square km (1,874 Sq, Miles) in size. They are vegetarians, Female dominated by the oldest female and conflicts are settled by sex among any sex that is having the issue. The Reserve guards have to check the levels of the rivers every day to be sure the Bonobos  can't get across. The Bonobos check it too. ;) They know their names to a certain degree. One male got tired of the guard pestering him so he picked up a handful of his own mess and threw it at him! Loved the whole trip. We walked through the jungle,  climbed dirt and bamboo steps - 48 of them up to go to the next valley and then down into that valley. Luckily a nice, young Congolese man took pity on Ken and me and he began to be Ken's hand rail up and down the bamboo and dirt steps. Very humid on this part of the trip. The Bonobos were fascinating to watch. Saw a snake- I went the other way, Army ants crossing our path, millions of loud frogs greeted us as we entered their lake "hood", huge ant hills, and birds letting us know they were there too!  Lots of plants, seed pods and flowers that Ken and I both recognized from long ago. After the tour we went to a restaurant along the river and water falls and under a grass roofed  picnic area for lunch. We had picked our spot and they had it all fixed up with table cloth and candles. Mayonnaise and hot sauce(Pelepele) is what folks here use for Ketchup. Safe drinks are beer, soda water, tonic water and water - all in bottles! We all ordered chicken- grilled or Mwamba. The grilled was WAY undercooked so we ate little of that. Just the fries. On the way back to the car I payed more attention to the little "Streams"- about 8" wide flowing into the river where people were swimming and fishing. Asked from where the water coming?  " The village restrooms." Thanks... that was TMI!! And people were swimming in it! GAG!




Had to put Ken and Bardot together!















Steps up and down  the valley. - LOOK in the background! And Ken made it-- well, so did I!! We Southern girls don't sweat we get "dewy" and I managed to do that quite well!
















Man in orange shirt in small picture was a God send to Ken and me! Helped him the whole way!

                                       

                                     







                                                                   Army Ants





 Jungle Canopy

The trip home took a lot longer because of three funerals. Caskets crammed into one of those taxi deals surrounded by fake flowers that make the ones at Walmart look pretty good! People then piled into all sorts of vehicles. We just dodged them as we headed on our way. Two sidewalk Preachers "screaming their wares!"The areas are so very filthy that I don't know if I can begin to describe it for you. Even all the stuff we leave after sporting events does not begin. Maybe if we left it there for years, added tons of drink boxes and smashed  plastic bottles, let the dust pile up on it and dumped more  and added food scraps and then burn little pieces of it and spread those ashes around too and added the smell of urine to it all ....Nope even then this is worse! Filth! Cars abandoned along the road. Ancient vehicles rusting adjacent to tin roof panels used to make one room shanties. Dishes and  laundry washed in the lake -next to where we ate lunch- YES that lake! ;-( were spread out on bushes to dry. People selling everything you can imagine from the boxes or large splatter wear enamel bowls balanced on their heads. Tried to get secret pictures but police were out in force and we were having to drive slowly. So dared not risk it.

So I will close for another entry. I will now go to battle. It is add pictures time! Gurrr! :)  If the captions jump again, you will have to figure it all out. I am beat! Have a great night ! Love ya! Me

Shopping other than Groceries-

Well,Ken has been looking at Congo Connection and I guess the Mission Meeting pictures in the blog got you all going! Also Ken's posting on Facebook on Father's Day of the Congo Dads! Glad you are enjoying it all. I am not on CC but he is reading it constantly. Thanks to those of you who named everyone in the pictures.

Wednesday is go to town and "get the Groceries" and other MPH needs shopping day. Today our plans were to go first by a "reputable"- by Congo standards so the medicine is "real" - pharmacy. Road construction was going on- that means men in bright vests with pick axes and shovels are working and creating a dust storm. Meanwhile on the other side of the same street are the daily government street sweepers just a sweeping away. We needed to get Coarten for treatment if/when we get malaria here. It has a set number of pills to take when you get sick and tends to get rid of it faster. We are taking anti malaria meds but... We have also been advised to take some home when we go. "It will take the American doctors a few days to figure out what you have- especially if they order blood work and the lab has no clue what it is looking for in a tropical illness, then they will have to order the medicine- pharmacies don't keep it usually-and by then you will be VERY sick." So we will take some home. Also got some daily malaria preventative for Marcia to send up country with Jimmy Shafe next week.

Next it was off to the various groceries to get the list. This is our third time to go to the stores and tip the bag boys and the police. They recognized us this time and so all went well with big smiles and jockeying to take care of us. (Sort of the cowboy hat routine with cash). The tip?? It is fifty cents and you would think I'd given them $10! The little girl that has to weigh my produce just smiled when she saw us coming because we always speak to her and smile.

Between groceries we needed to go to an office place but it was closed. Holiday we asked? Chauffeur did not know. But the metal shutters were all down. So we went to another and it was open. Got a box of Blue BIC pens, 6 black and red ones, (These pens out here seem to have feet. They are always leaving!) and copy paper. All new for me but it all went great!!They have figured out that I want it told to me in US dollars! GEE, I wonder how they figured that out? My Texas accented French may be a clue. ;)

 Ate lunch at one of the groceries. I had a mushroom pizza-small-and hot tea and Ken had a club sandwich and Soda Water. He took off the lettuce and tomato- not only does he not like them but they may not be safe. Then we went back to get a basket and shop. Got a few things for us in the apartment. Ham, cheese, croissants, a chocolate one too- thought of you LeeAnn- Tuna fish, jelly, (will use the homemade p-nut butter here) and some Plantain chips. YUM! I got the cheese and Ken went to get the ham. Well,  you have to tell them by the pound or slice. I see him back there talking and talking. It is in Kilos and he is all confused. So he says,"Anyone here speak Tshiluba?" Bingo!! Then all went like clock work. One young lady helping him told him his Tshiluba was better than a lot of Congolese who try to speak it! He was beaming when he came back to join me.  We are having fun and folks are so helpful to these crazy old people. All address us as "Mama and Papa." We caught on to that a couple of boys were following us and listening to us.  So I tensed up a little. Didn't figure they wanted everything on the exact same aisles as we did. Then they took a picture on their phones of the tourists in their store. Us! ;)

Went out to the chauffeur and the car. On the way home our last stop was to be the fabric store. He informs us there are student riots against the Indian Merchants and Traders here in Kinshasa right by the fabric store. In India, some folks had done the Congolese Traders there wrong so it was retaliation time here in Kinshasa. So we called one of the police-we had tipped-back to the car and he advised against us as Anglos going right now. Meeting tonight with the two Embassies. (So, Callie I am still on the hunt for the cloth.)

Have any of you seen the movie "Best Little Marigold Hotel"? Sometimes I feel like I am running that! Amazing doing things in a Third World country. Living in Texas, we are use to things running sometimes on a different mind set about time. But the saying here is:"It is Congo." Getting guests to sign up for the meals they want other than the "free" breakfast is something. I was trying to do it for them but then the cooks asked me to let them do it and if they don't sign up it's a PBJ and then they will learn. So, I am staying out of that equation and see how it goes.

Some guest forget this is a Hostel and expect more than we can  possibly provide. At breakfast an American preacher handed me three pages and asked for 40 stapled, front and back  booklets by 9.( It was 7:30 when he asked.) I'm sure I looked incredulous. Finally got him to understand I only have a reem and a half of paper for business and there was no way. I suggested the church he was working with here might be able to help. The group that is staying here until Monday has been working on the other side of the airport. They have not been getting home until very late. There are two bridges that run in and out of the city-out and manual labor is not getting them fixed- of course with a shovel crew- very fast. So all traffic is snarled and they just invent or take over lanes. First night it took them four hours to make a 20 minute trip because of traffic. The next night a tanker  hours. The next night almost broke the camel's back. (All 6 of them were in the pastor's old car.)Sitting in traffic they ran out of gas, the battery went dead and they had a flat. No Triple A here! Felt so sorry for them. 
"It is Congo". One of our regular guests took four plus hours to get to the airport yesterday and just caught his flight. Luckily he lives here now and knows the languages and the ropes. Another would have missed the flight. Amazing!

My brother asked yesterday if we had gotten into a routine. Nope!! "It is Congo!" Not one single day- not one- has been the same. I deal with people all day and people are people no matter the language or socio economic standing. I mean I'm taking reservations, checking rooms and counting the numbers expected and getting the conference rooms all ready, etc. so that is the same. But then throw in guests wanting laundry and the guy wants to do one less room because of that, or a cook is out with malaria and the tale goes on. Luckily I have extra pairs of Patient Panties and memories of excuses from long ago and I just smile on the inside and deal with it. "We are not in Kansas anymore!" However, in a very weird sort of way it is fun! Guess it is my sick sense of humor at play

This next week will be wild. We will have three groups overlapping and less than one day to get the rooms turned on some. ( Wow! Don't I sound like a hotel manager!) Then this next week we
also  have three conferences 23,43, and 6 folks who will also join us for lunches. So I am going to sit back and watch this go since the cooks have that part all under control. (Thank goodness malaria is not contageous so all three cooks should not go down!) Don't know yet when Papa Andre will be back. ;)

Things we have seen that are funny as we see them with "American eyes.' Bill board here in Kinshasa for Ice cream called Cowbell. Guess it's the Congo version of Blue Bell Ice Cream.  ;) Just struck us funny. I am going to try to get a picture of the Water Company's display outside the company. It is a HUGE water spigot pouting water into a bowl held by a Congolese woman dressed in TIGHT native garb.(and she is cold!) Then there is the don't name your company this sign...Africanus - if it is to be read by foreigners!


Remember when I started this blogging I told you I would try to behave. But so far it isn't happening. Maybe it has gone over some of your heads! ;) But my weird sense of humor and I are having a ball out here. Today we taught Papa Pierre ( the GRAAVEEE" guy)" Beggars can't be choosers." He loved that one and it didn't loose anything in the translation!


Tonight a bunch of us Expats are going to a Porteguese club for supper. Six to ten of us. Should be fun. Lady next door, Nancy,  is driving. Ken opted out of driving on a Friday night in Kinshasa! HAHA!


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"This Little Light of Mine" Sunday in Kinshasa

Sorry folks. Last blog jumped after I hit Publish. I'd spent all afternoon getting the pictures in. Hope you could figure it all out! GURR!!

First Church service in Kinshasa! We went to the church where Ken's Dad was pastor for a few years. It is The International  Protestant Church of Kinshasa. It was an emotional time for Ken on this Father's Day. Lots of folks whose common thread is Christianity  and English. Interesting! Folks from Japan, British speaking African countries,and the USA. Had guests stand up and tell who they were. We had met the preacher and his wife here at MPH last week. So he waved a greeting when we walked in. (Larry Streshley's father and Walt Shepard Jr. were also pastors at this church.) We got there as the French church was letting out. They were switching the Hymnals from French to those old Red ones from FUM churches! Felt right at home- just like in Graham,Texas, America!!

The English service can't start until the French service is over. Since they cannot stay in the church to visit they did it outside the windows as we worshipped. The service was not too long as most of you writing me feared. We started around11:30  and were out by 12:45. Most of it was singing and it was wonderful! A youth choir who had the rhythm and the words and a delightful sound. Had boys on an African drum and an electric piano. They were singing as we entered and just great. Prelude was about 20 minutes of singing. One song was  "This Little Light of Mine" and it was fantastic!! Six hymns all verses. Scripture reading to tie into each item in the Bulletin. Welcome and Announcements, Worship with Tithes and Offerings, Intercessory Prayer, Scripture reading, and Benediction.  Scripture each time! Guest speaker from Kenya with a pretty British lilt to the voice. Postlude was in Lingala with one young lady doing that shrill yell thing they do. I did a recording on my phone but can't figure out how to get it on my computer. A lot of the same worship songs we do in Graham. So much fun. Lots of neat native cloth made into Congolese and American style clothing. Wonderful Sunday at Home in Congo. There is a Congolese Methodist church next door to MPH and  we may go for some of the service. They really sing cause we can hear them through the open windows. Thought the bar across the street was still open! Rockin' and a Rollin' those hymns!

 

Choir on right. Hard pews! Communion cup holes in bar in front of the seats.

Folks visiting after church with Ken. They were so happy to see and welcome us. Fascinated with  his being Dad's Murray's son!



Pretty old church. They hope to have a new one by 2015.

After church we needed to stop off at a store. I found Lenox Christmas China! It is a new Congo and yet sadly it isn't . Poverty is all around us. They don't have the idea of save some of your money to get a ride back to work so you can make more, " But Mama, I have to eat."

Sunday night supper was FRIED chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, gravy and Banana cake. It was so good and tasted like chicken in the ole USA!  ( Guess it was to make up for the Fish Heads!Chickens are smaller here. Have not been fed the harmone stuff.



 A Pastor just brought in his suitcase to store overnight so he does not have to carry it in the morning. He is going up country with a missionary that is here to work on building roads,  teach farming and the use of compost and a little religion on the side. Just had to show you the side of his bag!! Maybe he was a trucker in the US in another life! ;)

Funny what we are hearing from folks as I write this blog. Amelia Pool Sudderth gave us a Paul Harvey moment-  Her mother had brought out to Congo her little net
 Piano Recital dress. Reason unknown. When Betty Lou died, Aunt Sara Pool gave it to Mom and Dad to bury  her in. On vacations home from CS, Amelia use to go to the cemetery and keep Betty Lou's grave clean.  Now you know the "Rest of the Story."

Thus endeth another day in the life we are living here in Congo. Take care! Love ya, Me

 

 

 

 

"Long Ago and Far Away"- "A Little Bit Closer Now"

In this blog I am going to try to share a bunch of pictures from Ken's collection and mine. So no telling who or what you will see. Or what age. I will also include some stories as I remember them - and try to keep lying to a minimum. If I have information wrong- Sam Hill! What do you expect. I am old! Put YOUR patient panties on! ;))  You will have to deal with the Tshiluba spelling too -several are a guess but close enough for the sound! (I'm not Aunt Winnie Vass!)  ;)

Some Central School memories. (Informational for others.) The school- CS- was for Missionary children. Our Mothers alone or with other Moms on the stations taught us- supposedly- First-Third grade. The Calvert System curriculum was used and was really good. About the only thing it did not tell the teacher was: "Breathe here!" Then when we were entering the fourth grade(age9/10) we went off to boarding school at Central School. It had a top enrollment of 54ish-while Ken was there- he says. It was on Lubondai station so those of us that lived on that station went as day students- "affectionately" known as "Station Jerks". We were jealous of them getting to live on campus and they were jealous of us getting to live at home! There were teachers hired from the U.S. as missionaries to be teachers and housemothers for CS. They tried to keep us about 6 months ahead of the US schools so at least we did not have that cultural issue to deal with when we came home for furlough.The classroom for the lower grades was almost like a One Room School House. Teacher taught the 4th grade and then they did desk work and the teacher taught the next or taught two grades the same Bible or history. Discipline was handled by the Principal -we all called just Muambi (Walt Shepard - an architect by trade - when in the US he worked with the group that built the New Orleans Super Dome). He was wonderful -with a great sense of humor, a gifted cartoonist and had lots of patience. For punishment we got to "work in the garden". All kids had chores. Ken and Harry Bolton did the generator and water system. Others had office work, clean the classrooms, check out sports equipment, do the Jungle Log- our yearbook, run Juke Joint and work in the library. Every night there was Study Hall from 7-9. Elementary kids got out at 8 and had to be in bed by 8:30.  High Schoolers went till 9. Lights out at 10.(Ken gave me this info because I was not there!) On Saturdays we would often take our bikes (and a teacher) and ride the 15+/- miles to the Katenda Falls to play in the rough water (No crocodiles there). Ate the sour Bread fruit on the way at a break in the Jungle. I remember when we sliced it open it looked like a brain. Like that stuff on Indiana Jones movie.

Ken's eighth grade graduation.

Friday night Study Hall was kept by Muambi and he was a mess. We spent less time in it and he was busy telling us to "be quiet"as he was sketching cartoons on the board or telling stories- little studying was done. ;) When we all got out we went to Juke Joint. Records were played, ice cream bought and served. We could also buy hot dogs, candy and Bazooka. Special memories! What I remember about Friday nights was that I had to get on my bike and ride all the way home- in the dark, alone- maybe 150 yards- I now know- but felt like 1000 miles.(I peddled like mad in case the leopard was hunting that night! I could hear my heart in my ears! I can still remember that fear! Never did tell my folks I was that afraid because Dad would have come up to meet me and that would have been just awful!!) Saturday night was the official Date Night for HS kids. They could walk the campus and sit on the provided and safely placed outdoor benches.(Supposedly no touching- yea RIGHT- even that long ago ...) Several of these Seniors eventually married each other after college here in the States. The classes were usually only about 4-8 kids in size. We had special dances. (We girls would wash and starch our crinolines and place them on the bushes to dry and get stiff so our skirts would look pretty for the dances!) The HS students always put on a play. We had eighth grade and high school graduation ceremonies. No motels-so if the parents were able to be there for graduation they stayed in the guest house or with station missionaries.

The Congolese in our area of the Kasai were - at that time- in two main tribes. The Lulua and the Baluba. Where Ken was were the Baketa. Lukinga was their king and the king of the rest of the whole Bakuba Tribe. He had multiple wives-as in 100s.(There was a Life Magazine article about him.) As I remember the wives were from various tribes - like Genghis Khan did -to keep control of his empire. Also where Ken lived and near Lake Munkamba were the Pygmies.


 When my family went to visit with Lukenga, my mother was wearing a gold- real gold- bracelet.
Lukenga asked if she was a Queen
in America. Not knowing what was coming, she
said "No." "Then give me your bracelet. Only royals can wear it." So she took off her double string of fake pearls and gave them to Lukenga. They would not fit his neck so he opened up the choker and put them on his head. He ordered the mirro. While all of this was going on, Mother slipped the bracelet into Dad's pocket.  I have it today! ;) Lukenga was thrilled with his gift.

 This is me in the foreground. The lady is one of Lukenga's favorite wives. (Good advertisement on why Bras are important! Or a good surgical candidate for Ron North! ;) ) Notice the straw mat fence around Lukenga's Compound. I think I sent a picture earlier of the men making a mat.The man is holding one of two masks we received as gifts from Lukenga.(My brother Les has this mask.)


These are the Ba Tshange ( Ken's spelling) Village chiefs near Bulape and loyal to Lukenga. Ken is observing the man and his pipe.

My Mom, Dad and Grandmother Irene McCall. As I remember the dark blue skirts on the men shows their status in the Baketa tribe. This man was honored to have his picture taken. My grandmother was as close as she would get. ;) Notice our new car!






Villages were different from area to area. Now I am going to repeat the story I was told. That and 25 cents still won't get you a cup of coffee! This village is a cannibal village. Clear and walls around each hut. No where to hide! Don't trust anyone after dark. So all animals and family were within the straw fence area at night, House on left is being built. The wolf in the Three Little Pigs could have a Hay day here. ;) Get it?
Notice the difference in the village below.

The villages near Lubondai, where I lived, were like this one. We kids felt very safe going to Ntolo's village. They had a "store" and we kids loved to sneak off to it and buy a tiny can- about the size of a shot glass only shorter- of Sweet condensed milk. We'd get the Tatu to poke a hole in it with a nail and we'd suck out the milk on the walk back to the station. No telling what had crawled or whatevered on those little cans. We were less sick than our parents- and I rinsed my toothbrush in the sink water- but always had a glass of water in case a parent walked in! ;)

.
Once a year the missionaries all got together for a meeting.  They discussed issues on stations, transferred missionaries to other stations and handled "sticky issues" between missionaries or families. It was usually at Lake Munkamba. As I remember it was always after we older kids had gone back to CS.

In picture to left Ken's folks are on bottom step in white shoes.





In picture to the right, Murrays are in second row left. Dad (looks like Jon with less hair than Jon has!) holding Marcia and Mom holding Ken.
Betty Lou is third little girl on front row from the left with her hand in her face.





Jobs around the stations performed by our hired help.

No matter how my Dad tried, the boys at the Tech school sawed backwards- whatever that means. I prefer and electric saw, personally.

 

 Filling up the hot water barrel at the Murray's  at Bulape house so they too could have hot water.

This is our sentry bringing in the wood for the fireplace to heat our water. Water was brought up from the rivers the same way.

 My brother Manford and me watching them
 re-roof/re-thatch the garage in the back yard. Weather and ants did a number on a lot of stuff. 

FYI- my brother Manford died in 1992 in his early 40's. His daughter Brianna and her husband live in Massachusetts.

 This is an ironing board! and the charcoal iron. Great till a spark falls out and makes little holes in stuff.











Transportation was what it was fifty years ago.






Murray kid's mode of transportation at Bulape. Betty Lou pulled Ken. Guess he always liked
RV'ing

Dad Murray's favorite car. That Dear, Sweet, tall man loved this tinny car!

"Hit the Road, Jack"- I mean Jill-
is always a way to go!



Guess even Three Billy Goaots Gruff would not live under this BRIDGE!

Globe Master - C119- that came to get Missionaries
 in summer of 1960 when they were evacuated
after Independence.

Guess we Missionary "kids" need a place in the outer atmosphere - since "The Clouds"(what ever those are for) are filling up. In this place we could put and share old pictures and Tshsiluba recipes and stuff. But, oh the time and organization that atmospheric picture place would take-and after dealing with just a few pictures.... forget that idea!! (No one needs that much torture in their later years!!) Glad we all have such neat pictures. And we can share as we can and do on Facebook.Then a lot of you get together when you do the Congo reunions.

So life is good! Memories of a special and wonderful time in Ken's and my life. Neither of us would change anything about it.( Even getting called "Manore" after our pet donkey that got eaten by a leopard.) Love Ya! Me