The Mission Tour

We have spent the last 11 days with Elder Dale Renlund of the First Quorum of the 70 and his wife, Ruth. It has been amazing. We traveled the first three days. It was quite an adventure. It was a very helpful trip and we had a great time. They were very supportive and encouraging and their vision of the things that can happen here was inspiring. They are both wonderful and we enjoyed every minute with them. It was almost like taking a working cruise on a pretty lame cruise line, where you are the chef, but where you were there with good friends. We had a great time.

DAYS ONE-THREE The Kolwezi and Likasi Adventure

We headed out on Day One for Kolwezi. Instead of making the grueling 5-hour drive on some pretty hard roads both ways, we opted to fly there. First, we planned to do some things in Kolwezi. Then we would ride with Frere Monga to Likasi, do some more business there and then drive home. It sounded nice not to have to make the brain rattling trip by car between Kolwezi and Likasi twice. This was the best way to do it, but I, not being the great flyer, was not very excited about the 45-min. flight in a 20 passenger African plane. But you do what you have to do.

Our plane was delayed about an hour but that wasn't a problem since we waited in the VIP lounge and just visited and got acquainted. Finally, we got on the plane. It was somewhat surprising how nice it was. It had nice leather seats, was clean and somewhat roomy. I was very comfortable. As we waited to take off, it seemed that there was quite a bit of confusion in the cockpit and on the ground . There was loud talking in Swahili, which didn't ease my mind any. For some strange reason when people speak Swahili, it always sounds to me like they're excited or angry. I don't know what it is about the language, but that's just how it sounds.

After take off, we rode comfortably for about 10 minutes when suddenly we realized that out the window we could see a city. We should not have been able to see a city at that point! Then we realized that we were descending. Being the white knuckle flyer that I am, I was wishing I had taken a little zanex and praying that we weren't landing in a clearing in the bush. Then the familiar sight of the Lubumbashi airport appeared out the window. We were landing back in Lubumbashi. After we landed the pilot came out of the cockpit and announced that he'd had a little problem with the plane and we would be moving to another plane. In just a few minutes we went down the stairs, across the tarmack and into another plane. This turned out to be a VIP plane. It was also nice. It was interesting that it had bench seats that didn't face forward, but faced each other across a central isle. We headed out again for Kolwezi. The second flight went just fine and we landed safely in the pouring rain. So the adventure had begun.

We settled into the (Pepto Bismal) hotel- Hotel Hacienda.

This is the nicest hotel in Kolwezi and generally just fine, although very pink.

After settling in we went to the Distict Center, a beautiful new chapel that was finished just this past summer. We held a meeting that afternoon for the young adults. Both the Renlunds and the Jamesons spoke in the meeting. The Renlunds and I did our best to do our talks in French, tried a little franglais and then they sometimes asked Brent to translate when their French just didn't permit them to say what they wanted to say. Actually, they had said they didn't speak much French, but they did very well. It was a good meeting with a chapel full of young adults. After the meeting we toured two church rental buildings so the Renlunds could get an idea of the kinds of places in which the Saints meet.

We have hoped to improve the conditions some and the Renlunds seemed to agree with us that upgrades would be good.

And here are some of the faces of Africa. They are the beautiful people who we will not forget.

This cute little grandma lives across from the church in Kolwezi and came to greet us, this gorgeous child from Kikula wasn't sure about the white folks, and this young woman was a very gifted musician and lead the sacrament music in Kipushi.

After looking at properties we went back to the hotel and tried to get some sleep on a bed that was as hard as a kitchen table.

Sunday morning we went to a block of meetings and were invited to be the sacrament meeting speakers. There are always surprises in the Congo.

Junior Primary in Kikula 2 Branch

We then went to see a possible apartment for missionaries. We’re planning on putting some elders in Kolwezi as early as next month if we can find suitable housing. This was not suitable housing.

After looking at the apartment we began our three and a half hour journey to Likasi on a dirt road rife with potholes. Monga was driving and Sister Renlund, Brent and I were in the back seat bouncing into each other the entire time. Monga moves right along on those rough roads and he never once stopped when the police motioned him to pull over. Our car was washed just before we left Kolwezi on the wild ride. This is what the car looked like when we arrived in Likasi.

We arrived in Likasi just in time for another young single adult meeting that Monga had arranged. We all four spoke again. Then it was off to the Hotel Relax, which really is a pretty nice hotel. We enjoyed dinner and some fun conversation.

Monday morning we held a zone conference in Likasi with our ten missionaries. We all four spoke again. The Renlunds do very well in French and are very motivated to improve their speaking ability. I am doing my whole talks in French, but am very tied to the paper and sometimes wonder if it would be better to let Brent translate so I could say things that come into my mind as I talk and not just stick to the written talk. After the zone conference we had lunch with the elders at the church. Sister Motshikana had bought the lunch for us this time, since we had been gonefrom home for several days. It was so nice of her.

Then we headed for Lubumbashi. It had been a very successful trip with good input from the Renlunds on our buildings and other church matters; two wonderful meetings with young adults, a great time at zone conference with our elders and many things to remember and fun things to laugh about for years to come, and most importantly, some wonderful new friends.

The Two Lorraines

On the Sunday morning in October that we held the Likasi District conference, the District President's wife gave birth to a little girl. She was premature and was in the hospital for quite a while. So, we didn't meet her. She's now doing well. Pres. Shimbi and his wife named her in honor of our first meeting and first conference together. This trip to Likasi, we finally met little

Loraine Banza Wa Ngoie.

The Problem of Precedence

When we arrived in Lubumbashi, it was a rather isolated spot in the mission. The elders had gotten out of the habit of writing weekly letters to the mission president. Since they only saw him about every 6 weeks, the motivation to write weekly was not great. They had also become rather lax in taking care of their apartments (like kids when Mom and Dad don't check under the bed now and then).

So, one day while we were eating banana bread we came up with an idea.

We decided to give them a reward to encourage them to write their letters and to clean their apartments. (It's the nursery school teacher in me. You know, you should get a sticker or something for good work.)

The first zone conference we gave a mini-loaf of banana bread to one elder who had written five out of six letters since the last conference.

We gave Brent the prize for the only clean apartment and challenged them to do better than he did until the next conference.

At the next zone conference we gave out the prize for the best apartment, but it was a hard choice because they had all improved so much.

We were very happy with the improvement in the apartments and the letters to the president came rolling in.

At that next conference we gave out 7 mini-loaves of banana bread.

So, this zone conference 16 of 20 elders sent in their letter every week. Poor Sister Jameson was worn out from making banana bread and President Jameson's eyes were blurry from reading all those letters.

But we had a pretty happy bunch when the awards started being announced.

We announced at this zone conference that next time we will draw the names of four elders who wrote all 6 letters and they will get the prize. Four banana breads for each zone is all we will do.

So, we have learned a lesson about setting a precedence. We started our mission with only 16 elders here. We are now up to 38. By mid-March we will be at 42 missionaries in our area. We started with 2 loaves of banana bread and ended up with 19.

Be careful! You may have to finish what you start!

WE HAVE A GENERATOR!!!!

Oh What a Beautiful Morning

As we have been driving around lately the words to an old musical have been coming to me.

There's a bright golden haze on the meadow.

There's a bright golden haze on the meadow.

The corn is as high as an elephant's eye

And it looks like it's climbing right up to the sky!

Well, now I know why they say that. I just thought that it was some expression, but now I think that the lyricist has been to Africa.

As soon as the rainy season started corn started popping up everywhere. It seemed that people planted it in every space that they could clear. We bought some expecting nice, sweet, tender corn. NO! It's corn that they grind into flour. You see it everywhere you go and it's the tallest corn I've ever seen. It is climbing right up to the sky.

We have just a little corn in our garden in the yard. It's as high as an elephant's eye!!

It's Finally Official!

The announcement was made last Saturday of the division of the DRC Kinshasa Mission and the creation of the

DRC Lubumbashi Mission.

We are so excited! This has been our dream and our prayer since we got here, as has it been for all those wonderful people who came before us. We know that this will be a great blessing to the people of these areas. Lubumbashi, Likasi, Kolwezi, Mbuji Mayi, and Luputa and the areas around them will be in the Lubumbashi mission. Burundi, which is not yet open to the church, will also be in this mission when the time comes for it to be opened.

Gary Packer is the new mission president. They have spend most of the last few years in Johannesburg. So, they are seasoned African missionaries. We will remain here and Brent will continue to be the First Counselor in the mission presidency until further notice. Our job between now and then is to prepare for the new mission, help integrate 30-40 new missionaries who will come to prepare for the opening of the mission and to support the wonderful work here. Then we give a big sigh of relief and put things here in the this part of the Congo in the capable hands of the new mission president.

It's an exciting experience to see the church flourishing and people's lives changing for the better. We are grateful to serve here. We hope to have an office couple and maybe even a humanitarian couple join the mission president and us in Lubumbashi. We're thinking big and hoping that somebody somewhere is feeling the need to serve and putting in mission papers.

Solving a problem

A few weeks ago when we went to Likasi, there was a very tricky place to traverse on the road.

A big trailer had been abandoned on one side of the narrow, dirt road. It had been sitting there since we got to the Congo. Then, with the coming of the rainy season, a big "lake" had formed on the side of the road that was left after the big truck took up it's share. It was very hard to get through, even with four wheel drive.

Last week, the zone leaders went to Likasi and told us that the problem had been solved. The truck had been moved. We were very surprised that somebody had come to haul it away after such a long time.

Well, this weekend, we went to Likasi and and passed through without any difficulty. They HAD "MOVED" the trailer. This is the solution that they'd found.

AMAZING!

PROBLEM SOLVED!! Right! ??

It seems that nothing is ever easy in the Congo. I got this poem from Juneve Anderson today. It seemed about right to describe things.

POEM OF LIFE

At times we've thought what is the usefulness
To brave the world and its abuse?
Trouble and sorrow seem everywhere
Surely 'tis more than we can bear.

But then a still, small voice would say,
There's joy for you if you'll but pay.
Should roses grow without a thorn?
To unearned ease are mortals born?

The sweetest flowers ofttimes are found
Amid the thorns in roughened ground.
And richest joys you'll find are those
Which spring from work and not repose.

Hamblen

Today the road was so muddy on the way to church that we almost didn't make it using four-wheel drive. The power was out for 17 hours, as was the water. In RS. they spoke as much Swahili as they did French and I'm pretty lost in French, so with Swahili thrown it, it was a real challenge. We sat through five hours of church on very hard seats until our backs hurt like crazy. We were without power for the 31 of the last 37 hours. We had to cook outside on the gas stove by the light of a big flashlight two nights in row. When the power finally came on, it was on for 15 min and went off again. It returned about an hour later.

BUT THEN............. the elders called with their report of baptisms this week. Count.......

Baptisms today in Likasi 5 ... in Lubumbashi 41 . Total.... 46 baptisms TODAY. We were there to witness 16 done by three companionships in one baptismal service.

Is it worth a few inconveniences? OHHHH! YES!!!

Happy Day-part II

Today our power was off for 23 hours straight. But :) We have a stove. We got a hot meal by candlelight. Yeah!!