52. Instant Flashback! And Other Happenings at MPH

Last Friday I was in my office with a meeting so I was pre-occupied. But I did hear a ruckus and went out to find a guest all but carrying a Congolese lady into the lobby. She was sort of quietly weeping and so was the guest. (The guest’s father was David Law- a missionary that had died recently.)The lady was most upset but calmed down eventually. But last night … WHEW!!  We were eating supper and in walked a huge Congolese man. He saw the Missionary’s son, Paul, and began a “Madilu.” It is a funeral wailing and rolling on the ground and thrashing and louder wailing and crying. I instantly knew what it was when I heard the first wail!! I will try to include a picture of one from long ago at Lubondai. Back then they would all be dressed in leaves, wailing and weeping in high shrill sounds, have at least their faces painted white, carry baskets and have spears to shoot the evil spirits that killed the person so they could be put in the basked and be buried too. They would come from the village and go to the hospital “shooting” and then back to the village to the grave.

Paul had their old cook come and use our kitchen here at MPH to can some of the greens we eat here. They used the Law recipe from their part of Congo not the MPH one from here. ;) (I am looking forward to eating Kasai greens and bedia when we get to Marcia’s.)Then once it was all done they put the jars in the pressure cookers to seal them all. Hope he doesn’t mind losing a suitcase if one of these jars breaks or leaks on the way home in the plane!

Happenings in the last 15 hours:

Our curtain rods here at MPH are Re-bar. LONG, big re-bar for our 10’or so windows. One fell from the window in one of the bedrooms. That will wake a person up for sure. The guest had a good sense of humor about it all. Today the guys are getting that all back together.

Then we have to fix a leak in a cement formed kitchen sink from when MPH was first built. Did not use it all weekend so it could dry out and be able to use caulking/ putty -that they call cement- on it today. The challenge was to be quick enough to remind all the cooks and night sentries to not do the dishes in the normal sink but to use the other two sinks!

Then we have a toilet that is now on its way to being a marathon track athlete! I opened the back expecting the chain to have come off. It’s one of those weird deals where you pull up a deal on the back and it flushes. No chain. Closed the back and waited for the guys to deal with it. Above my pay grade!!

We have also been moving furniture that is the Boyd’s out to the yard to get it cleaned and moved to their new home. He is one of the PCUSA folks that will be back here in Kinshasa for a few years. He works other African countries too but is based out of here.

In my other life as a teacher I use to have “Needy Students.” Always up at the desk or raising their hand wanting or asking something. They usually had great grades. Even when I told them to do it how they wanted, they would ask something like- but if you had a favorite way for it to be done what would it be? Well, we have a “Needy Guest”- older acting missionary (They are a lot younger than I am for sure!). They have been here almost a week. They need to be reassured all is ok. So they needed me to come and see that their towel was used two times and they wanted another one. Ok- just gave them another. Locked their Key in the room- four times!!  They wanted me to walk down with them each time to unlock it. OK- I need the exercise.  Not sure what they are doing with the toilet paper but….OK- not going there!! They saw some ants and could I come, spray them, kill them and sweep them up. NO. Gave them the spray and told them where the little whisk broom and dust pan is for their hall. (It is Congo- and they live in this country out in the bush -and ants are a part of life. We spray the rooms before each guest arrives but it is really futile!) Last one was to let me know that their socks are getting dirty here. Sorry? We mop the halls every day. Put your shoes on? It is Dry Season and dust is everywhere? Just smiled. Life is fun running a guest house! People are interesting curmudgeons. And guess whose toilet it was that kept running! Yep!

Starting tomorrow it will be Ken and”me and a dog named Boo”- really two cats!- I mean- and MPH. So keep praying that all mechanical things run fine for 11 more days until Clay gets back!! Really pray hard!! PLEASE!! ;)  I am beginning to run low on Patient Panties and am all out of P-Nut M&Ms!! Clay probably wants a few days of grace with his jet lag! So make it 15 days!  ;)) I have phone numbers etc but I’d rather that all just keep on keeping on for 11 more days!

Well, here it is the end of another blog.

Have a great week!!

Love Ya! Me