Today Kisanga

Hardly a day goes by that isn't interesting enough to want to record. Today was no exception. We will be getting additional elders in each of the next couple of transfers. That means that we have to get additional housing for them. So, after much consideration and study, we are trying to rearrange all the apartments and sectors where the elders work and to get another apartment. Justin, one of the bishops here, who is our right hand man, located a place for us to consider.

He helps with missionaries' needs, does buying for us. He's the man

we call when things aren't working at our house. Justin is great!

So, today we went out in the "suburbs" of Lubumbashi with Justin to a place called Kisanga. There is a fairly new house that is available and we went to look at it and negotiate with the landlord. When we entered, we were amazed that it was a very nice African home.

It was the very nicest house that we have been in. When we walked out of the living room into the rest of the house, it looked more like the typical Congolese house, with cement walls, floors and ceiling, but some walls were painted and there was even a stove in the kitchen.

It is a good place for our elders. It has water and power most of the time. It is also very near several of the areas where the elders will work, so we will save money on transport. We negotiated with the landlord and think we got a good enough arrangement to send our information to Kinshasa for ratification.

While we were out in Kisanga, we decided to look at a piece of land very nearby that is already owned by the church for a future building. We drove down the dirt road that the house was on just a short distance, when Justin told us to turn into what we thought was a field. It was actually the road (path) that leads to the church property. We were not sure the truck would make it, but he assured us that we would be fine. Sometimes we were on a pretty severe tilt when the road narrowed and there were hills on each side and we bounced around a lot as we made our way though the housing area to the land, but we did arrive just fine.

The best part of the road to the church property

Houses across the street from the property.

The church land

On the property is a well with a hand pump. The church will use the well for its water until running water is available. Right now, the people of the area use it to get water for their bidons. When we build, we will run a pipe and a tap outside the fences so that the people can continue to use the water. Getting clean water to the people is a big part of the humanitarian projects of the church. Today there was a group of women and children filling containers there. Brent got right in and helped them.

We all enjoyed it.

Just as we were leaving a little group of pre-kindergarten children

came by in their blue smocks and waved frantically at us.

We couldn't resist taking their pictures.

Next we went to a rented house that one of the wards is due to move into in about two weeks. There are four wards currently using one of the chapels, so they are happy to move to this place, although it is very tiny. A member of the ward who was overseeing the work gave us a tour of the building.

Notice the customary hymn page number board already installed.

Some of the workers were making a lunch of fish and bukari. (It's called bukari in Swahili and it's fufu in Lingala). Bukari is the favorite dish of the Congolese. We have not yet tasted it, but I keep teasing the elders about teaching me how to make it. We have seen it in the markets in its powdered form. But more often, they buy it fresh and then they dry, grind and cook it.

When I first saw it in the markets, I thought it was powdered sugar and was very excited, but alas, they have no powdered sugar here. Our cute zone leaders knew that we were looking for

"sucre en poudre" and this week they brought us what they call powdered sugar. It was just granulated sugar, like we have at home. It was so kind of them to think of us. We thanked them gratefully, but hope they don't expect frosting on their cookies next time they come for lunch. Their sugar here is very coarse and has a brownish tint to it.

When I asked the chef, at the new building, if we could take a picture of their meal, he said no. That was a first! I had been taking a lot of pictures. He couldn't figure out why I would want a picture of his food and he thought I was teasing him. Then when he realized that I was serious, he and a friend jumped into the picture. The fish is cooking on a charcoal braiser, which is what most people here use to cook all their meals.

Here are some scenes from the street across from the newly rented church building.

This place is directly across from the church and it was tended by two little girls.

We never saw anybody else there the whole time we were at the church.

The block wall on the left is on the church property.

Cute little kids who couldn't help but stare at the funny white people.

When these ladies saw me with a camera,they asked me to take their pictures. Congolese love to have their pictures taken. I have never had anybody, but the man cooking fish and bukari, hesitate for even a minute.

It was a good day in the Congo. We think we made a deal on the house and hopefully six elders will be able to live in a good place close to their areas of labor.