36. " When The Roll Is Called up Yonder..."

My very first Tshiluba Thank You Note! Wow!! I’m pretty sure I got it all translated correctly by saying it out loud and then knowing what it said. The brain’s ear is an amazing thing. (I have also asked Marcia to verify for me! Just to be sure he wasn’t asking for a recipe!) ;)  Just heard from her. Yea! I got it right!! Whee!!

Tatu Ken ne Mamu Lenore, Anu meyi makesa bua kunuela tuasakidila bua mushindu unuvua batuakidila lumingu lushaala--tuasanki be! Me'muiiya ku Tshinsansa kabidi, nendala mu Tshilalabenyi tshienu tshia MPH!Kabidi, ndi musua kunumanyisha bua ne, mamu wanyi Jacky ne mulunda wetu Terri MacGregor nebafika ku MPH lelu'ewu. Nzambi ikala n'enu mu malu'enu onsu! Netumonangana.Ndi wenu,Tshiunza Daniel—

Father Ken and Mother Lenore, Just a few words to tell you thank you for the way you all welcomed us last  week --- many thanks (we are/were very happy/thankful)!  If I come again to Kinshasa, I'll sleep at your  guest house of MPH! Also, I want to let you know that, my mother Jacky and our friend Terri MacGregor will arrive at MPH today. God be with you all in all of your doings/activities! We will see each other again!

I am yours, Tshiunza Daniel     

 Congolese young man, born in Cincinnati and stayed with us last week here at MPH.  He loves football and sports like I do! So had fun visiting with him!! His Mother and a friend are coming in tonight for “two nights and especially hot showers” before they return to the US!

Then I got this forwarded by Ken to me in my office:

“Hi, Ken,

Clint is busy planning his promotion to Colonel ceremony. I think it'll be on Friday, September 27th. We'll invite Jon and family, Mom and Ron, Dad and Fonda. It's killing me that y'all won't be here for the one big promotion ceremony. Heather is going to sing the National Anthem, Dinah (the young preacher, not Donna the old one) is going to give the prayer, Sgt. Robles (the amputee that Clint has worked with for so long) is going to re-administer Clint's oath of office. It's going to be neat! I guess Clint will have to go on to be a general now so y'all will be here! But I haven't mentioned anything yet about the ceremony to Lenore. It'll make her too sad. But we'll have a big family Thanksgiving at the lake. And celebrate being together then!”

Bummer! ;(( Guess we can’t do everything! If I’d won the lottery I’d hire a jet, fly to San Antonio and surprise everyone and then fly right back here and finish up this assignment! But I didn’t, -so I won’t!

Lenore,
I recall going to Lac Fua with Bill Worth and Sid Langrall on a fishing and swimming trip. I believe Jim Miller and I went there with his dad as well. We swam. Uncle Johnny felt the story was probably to keep people from the diamond area.
Anyway, that's the story I told all my classmates. We took our 1967 TASOK senior sneak to Lake Munkamba and one day during the week we drove over to Fua, swam, and picnicked. Beautiful place! The water was much more clear than Silver Springs, FL.
The best spot was where that powerful spring rushed out in a rocky crevice. There were also the places where you could reach down through the sand where a small spring would be bubbling out. You could scoop up a whole handful of clear, small stones. Quartz? Maybe. More precious?Hmm, who knows.
Jimmy Shafe

Phyllis wrote: "Thanks for all your postings. I loved being reminded of jiggers and seeing the picture. We always enjoyed seeing Lake Fwa. I never swam in that water due to the liver flukes, but it was gorgeous. We went canoeing there though. It was good to see a picture of "Uncle" Mark Poole. My brother was named after him and we now have a Mark as well."

Sthreshley kids are back stateside. Michael left with the same mysterious sick deal Inga had a few weeks back. (Hope we dodge it since no one knows what it is and the fevers are 104!) He is all fine now and back on the Big Island in Hawaii. How could he help but be FINE if he is lucky enough to be in Hawaii!! Lucky young man! Miss having Lisa here because she was having the tailor make the neatest outfits for her. Very modern designs but Congo materials. Neat young adults. Enjoyed getting to know them!

Sunday we were invited to go to a Presbyterian church that does the service in Tshiluba.  The pastor was here Saturday after he found out who we were—he had heard about us from the Admin at the Protestant University. He said he’d send his chauffeur for us about 9:30 for 10:00 church. They arrived- he and the chauffeur- at 9:50- early by Congo standards!  

WELL… it was a tiny hatch-back trucky deal and the first entertainment of the day would have been to watch Ken and me get in and out of the thing two times!! ;)) Me in a dress and Ken in Sunday-go-to-Meetin’ clothes! There was a slight leak in the exhaust system or all the rear windows leaked because we were surrounded by the perfume of the exhaust!  As we squeaked to a stop to the angry horn blaring of folks who did not want to stop- about 10-15 minutes from here we turned left down an alley- no, more like a hallway! People had to hug the wall for us to pass. We stopped in a muddy area- they had sprayed water for us so it would not be so dusty.

Out we got and then began the shaking of hands with the preachers and elders. All lined up. Shaking hands and with the other hand holding their elbow area to show high respect. Wearing suits and ties with Italian -pointed toe-leather shoes, matching suits of various designs, non matching suits, invented suits with tennis shoes, a Tuxedo with a hot pink satin Bow tie!

We were given new paper hymnals with the Tshiluba words (with the names of the missionaries from 1903-1950s who had translated the American hymns into Tshiluba) and blue plastic porch chairs- to the left of the raised pulpit area. They rent the area for church. It is usually a small neighborhood bar and the raised area is for the band.  The area for church was divided off by blue and red curtains and smaller kitchen type curtains. The decorations were 4 golden Christmas type 15” fold out bells and a Japanese lantern with a light bulb above the “pulpit.” The pulpit was a mirrored glass display cabinet with red and gold trim. The display case faced the congregation and inside were some plastic carnations- pink ones. The church area was set up around the raised area. Opposite us was the choir of about 20 people. They had rattles carved into balls with seeds in them, Basket rattles, a guitar, electric piano, a neat tall drum (that -since church ran on sooo long -they had to take out and heat over the fire to tighten it back up so it sounded right! ) HUGE speaker sound system (I guess so the whole neighborhood could hear whether they came to church or not!!).

The congregation was all out front. Ages -new born on the breast-literally- to old!! Dressed in typical Congolese garb for the ladies to Modern clothing and jeans for the young ladies and gents. The little ones were in wearing everything -that looked like things from the huge containers that arrive weekly by ship for the “needy.” It was bitter sweet- two boys shared a pair of flip flops and several of the little girls could get their toes into a pretty pair of shoes but the shoes were too short. But they wore them with pride! The little ones- ages 2ish to 6 all sat alone together and were quiet as mice. Wiggled but quiet. But when the “watcher” deemed they were wiggling or changing seats too much – he came and picked them up and put them back on the wooden pew. Then one man’s cell phone went off and the “watcher” made him leave. Then another man fell asleep and he got wacked two different times and the “watcher” gave him a lecture before the old man finally stayed awake!

Then we sang. The choir sang. Then we all sang some more and the little ones just danced and smiled. The choir- mostly younger- got into the music and really cut loose as they danced around the drum. It was amazing for Ken and me as the words to the familiar songs came back to our lips in Tshiluba!  As did the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostle’s Creed. We- yes, even I did- got into the “swing” of the music. The pastor introduced Ken and me and asked Ken to speak. He did and then closed with a Bakete phrase that made them all go nuts!! (The pastor had warned us they would!!) As the kids watched us I waved at them- but forgot that an American wave means come here. (A Congo wave is side to side like the Queen) So one little boy ducked his head and the other came to me. I asked him if he wanted to sit in my lap and he did. So he was mine for most of the two and a half hours. His baby brother tried to get him to leave once and he refused. But near then end when the brother came again he left.

Also as part of the worship we had the treasurer’s report, minutes of the last Session Meeting, and a request for money for a mother and child who were hit and need help to pay for their broken legs. From this poor congregation they raised almost $60.00! Then a man came up from the congregation to share part of his wife and child’s funeral song. He passed around their picture for us all to see. After verse 15 the Lingala translator took the mike back and told him we would pray for him (No,I don’t speak Lingala but it was all translated into Tshiluba this time!) More visitors were introduced. Lots of folks did not arrive until 11 or after! (Smart folks! ;) ).

Then the talkin’ part of church began. First a sentence or phrase in Tshiluba and then translated into Lingala! When that began I knew we were in for a really long haul!  And there was no service after ours!! In America we are use to the “Stand up-Speak up-Shut up” sort of preachers and services! ;)) Each man up on the stage read scripture and preached a mini sermon. Then the main speaker was Mr.Pink Bow Tie! Between each reading and we would and say “Hallelujah and Amen!” and sing another song. All of this was done with mikes- LOUD!! Especially since our seats of honor were right by the speakers!

When it was really over -not just a pause to go again -we were escorted out and lined up with the preachers. Then everyone came to shake our hands and/or kiss us. Then back into the church for refreshments for us, the preachers and the Session. So the throats of the coke and sprite bottles were wiped for us with a Kleenex, lid removed and we were told to enjoy. So I hope some of the germs really do get wiped off by Kleenex!  Then the oldest men in the congregation were brought to us. We were again in the chairs. One began to tell Ken that he knew him. He described Ken’s Bulape home, Betty Lou's death and called her by her Tshiluba name and said he had been to her grave, called Marcia by her name, and then capped it all off by telling Ken he had held him as a baby at Bulape not long after they arrived from the US. Well, Ken LOST it! The little kids just froze! Of course all of this is going on in Tshiluba!

Then we visited some more, finished our drinks and fought our way back into the itty biddy trucky thing and were brought back to MPH. A GREAT time was had by two Murrays!!

So you are worn out and I will close. Now it’s picture fighting time!

Have a great week!

Love Ya! Me