Many Goodbyes at the Construction Graduation and Billings Dinner

Missions are filled with wonderful opportunities to meet and love people. Sadly, they're also filled with saying goodbye to those same wonderful people. This week we had to say goodbye to George and JoAnn Billings.

 

We had all the couples come to dinner at our home to enjoy one last evening with them before they move to Likasi to continue their mission. They've been the couple working to formulate and teach the program for construction. This is a pilot program, only being done in the the DRC. Its purpose is to train young people in construction skills and prepare them for employment and self-sufficient living.  The program has been going for about a year and we feel like it's been a HUGE success. We have about a dozen RM's from our missions who are now trained and are filled with hope and enthusiasm for their future. These are just a part of those who have received this training. The Billings have been the heart and soul of this program.  They have taught and served these young people with exceptional love and devotion.We're honored to know them.

On Monday they're being transfered to the Lubumbashi mission, where they'll begin the program for construction in Likasi.  They'll be the first American couple to ever serve in Likasi. After two months there, they'll move to Kananga, where again they'll begin the program and be the first American couple to ever live there. What brave pioneers they are!  They're  really giving their all to love and teach these young people.  He's right in there with them. Below he even joined them in a transport bus ride home. Brave man!

It was fitting that on Friday the final graduation of their three groups of students was held. The first group of students have now formed their own little construction company and have asked permission to name their company "Billings 1."  We attended the graduation ceremony where Brent spoke and passed out the graduation diplomas awarded by LDS Business College. When he presented them with their certificate he was able to give many of the dear RM's from our Lubumbashi and Kinshasa missions a big hug and it was a very special time.

  

Sweet Baby Gracia

President Kabengele, our first assistant in Lubumbashi
with his wife and baby, Gracia. 

Just love Junior Diazola. So proud of him.

Cedrick Mambuku was married this day to his African Rachael. He always teased that he was going to come to the US and married our Rachael.  But he found a wife in Kinshasa, named Rachael.  He was not to be denied his graduation and they appeared in their wedding clothing just after the meeting started.  
It was a great graduation and we were so happy that our trip to Gabon was postponed a day so that we could be there.
It seems that everyplace we go now, we see members, returned missionaries and church leaders whom we have come to love.  Each time we wonder if this will be our last time with them. So much love! So many goodbyes!

                                                           President Lono of Kimbanseke Stake
                                                    was there to support his members. 

It's a Double Dimple Day!

We just love time with the missionaries. We talk about serious things and have great spiritual moments with our missionaries. They're young men on a serious errand for the Lord, but being with them can be really fun too!

When we were in Douala a couple of weeks ago the elders got in a discussion about ties. Everybody knows that Brent loves ties. So, the Elders like to talk with him about their ties, his ties, tying ties, etc.  Elder Thibault  kept looking at Brent's tie and finally asked why his ties always look better than everybody else's ties.

Brent answered that it's a secret, but he would divulge it, just to them.  He said if you get a "double dimple" in your tie, then it's a very good day. He just happened to have a "double dimple" that day. So, he pointed it out to the elders. Then all the elders started redoing their ties trying to get a "double dimple." We had a good laugh.  They were just hilarious!

Well, the next Monday in his weekly letter to the president Elder Zurcher attached a picture and the following:

"Dear President, The picture attached is of yesterday morning.  Double dimple day! We were pretty excited.  It turned out to be a great day! You were right." Notice Elder Zurcher's happy, smiling face.  Now we're laughing twice as hard. What crazy guys! These guys are great, dedicated, hard-working missionaries, but they're also lots of fun!

Translation Doesn't Always Work

Hard as one tries, it's nearly impossible to understand and work with a culture and place as different as the US and the Congo without little mistakes.   Some things just don't "translate."  Here's a good example.  The most common seating in African chapels  is wooden benches, sometimes padded, sometimes not. They're made locally and, although not comfortable enough to let you get a good nap in church, they work just fine.

 

The other common option is the comfortable plastic  chair.  I liked the white ones in Burundi the best but they come in all colors and sizes.  

They stack well and are easy to transport.

.  

Sometimes well-meaning folks try to do things for Africa in the American way. If folding chairs are the order of the day in the US, they should work well in Africa and we should import them. Right!  People do their best to make things here just like they are in the church buildings in the US. It doesn't always work just right, although the intentions and expectations are pure, the things of one world just don't "translate" into the culture and life style of another world. This is an example of the results.

It's a great blessing that, although the "one-size-fits all" rule doesn't apply to chairs, the Gospel of Jesus Christ does apply to all people in all places.  The doctrines, principles and saving ordinances are applicable to all of God's children.  Our hearts are the same. Our love of the Lord and our family is the same.  Our desire to help and serve each other is the same.  Our willingness to change our lives to live in harmony with the will of God is the same. 

In the end, things like chairs give us a good laugh but don't really matter much at all! 

Museum of Culture in Kinshasa

We anticipated a trip to Gabon this weekend, but because of visa problems, we weren't able to go.  They now require a marriage license in order to get a visa for a couple going to Gabon.  Our poor kids have searched our house and not found our proof of marriage.  So, we're in Kinshasa and a bit frustrated. Our time is too short for this kind of nonsense! This could mean that we won't get back to Gabon before our departure.
We decided that we might as well take advantage of a day in Kinshasa and go to the museum of Culture.  One of our couples had gone and said it was quite interesting. So, we went to see something in Kinshasa

                                                                                                                             
As it turned out that  wasn't the best day to go to the museum. It was "International museum day," something of which we were unaware. We didn't know a thing about this internationally designated day.  Go figure! Do we celebrate this in the US?

The place was packed with students. There were probably 100 students  and that about filled the small museum.  There was hardly room to walk around.
They were more interested in taking pictures of themselves in front of displays and in front of our car than they were in anything else. We, actually, seemed to be more of a novelty than the displays.  They also seemed to think that soft drinks and each other were  more deserving of attention than the artifacts. Not so different than their counter parts at home.  Typical teens!


Because of the crowds we missed the guided tour and just  "poked around" on our own. We read the plaques at each of the dozen or so displays. The whole museum was about the size of our family room at home, but it was interesting.
The Congo has quite an unique past and the artifacts were something that would only be viewed in Africa. Most were of wood and raffia and were related to the chief's power and authority and to the human male and female figures.  There was almost nothing made of metal, porcelain, pottery or glass.

Door surround for chief's home. Protective
man and woman figures flank the doorway.

Another chief's ceremonial head dress.

Six foot tall sculpture of a man and a women

                                                                                                                                                                                   There were murals painted on the outsides of the  three buildings, only one of which contained displays.  One of the favorite subject of Congolese art is women, and especially women at work. I thought the one below was very nice. It was my favorite work and it was painted on the back of the building.  

 In the parking lot there was a display of archival photos taken by early visitors to the Congo. The photos were every bit as interesting as the museum. There are some things from their early culture that we see still reflected in their modern day culture. 

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CHIEF OR LEADERS OF GROUPS. 

The majority of the pictures were of the chiefs in their royal attire and with their families. Chiefs are still important in the Congo and being the leader is a significant goal that we find in almost everybody. To the chiefs goes the best things and the most power. Honor and deference are given to leaders and all would like to be one.  

Familly of a Bandundu chief

                                                     

Kananga chief

                                                                                                                     This Kanangan chief reminded us very much of the Native American culture. His headdress, beads, feathers, and his turtle and eagle symbols made us think of Native American tribes at home. Even his features seem to relate to the Native American  culture. Looked like a proud Apache warrior to us.

WOOD CARVINGS ARE A MAJOR PART OF CONGO ART

BODY ART

It was most interesting to us that the major place that art work was done and individuality and creativity expressed was in body art and clothing.  It's so interesting because today, although they don't do much body art, not even tattooing, their clothing is the most important means of self-expression and pride among the Congolese people. Woman's dresses are amazing and they look just fabulous, no matter what kind of circumstances they live in.  They don't seem to see their homes as an extension of themselves as we do, but their clothing is definitely their way of expressing their individuality and making a statement. Their hair styles are extremely important.  Both men and woman love to wear jewelry, hats and scarves, and enjoy things as bright and showy as possible.  Shoes are one of the things they love the most.  They come in all kinds of bright colors and styles for both men and woman.  Many woman wear very high, very fancy,stylish heels. I'm not sure how they walk on the uneven pavement without hurting themselves, but it seems worth it to them to look chic.  How you look is all important to the Congolese.  It seems that this could have come from the past and the culture of body decoration that existed in earlier times. 

Examples of facial piercing, scarring and hair and body modifications. 

 Facial painting, tattooing,  body modification and scarring were usual in times past. They're not common now in the cities but are still done in some rural tribes.  Earth, dyed red, is still spread on the body of a young Masai man during this coming of age ceremony.  Today people all over the Congo sprinkle white powder (usually talcum powder) on themselves and their friends and family when they celebrate an accomplishment such as a marriage or graduation.  

                                                                                                 Also on the grounds was a plaque and several other items related to Henry Stanley and his exploration of the Congo. It was interesting to us to see the names on the sign. Ngaliema is the name of a chief during the time of Stanley and that's the name of one of our stakes in Kinshasa. Makoko is another name that we see used today.                                                                  There was also a very large statue of  King Leopold of Belgium who actually purchased and ruled  the Congo during the Belgian colonial period. 

King Leopold

Stanley and tribal chiefs are represented in this statue

Very large statue of Henry Stanley 

Looking at the past culture and history of a place can really help you to understand how things got to be the way they are.  It was interesting to visit this "very Congolese" museum.  We still have lots to learn about the DRC's  culture and its people. This visit added another piece to the puzzle. 

Our Biggest Transfer Ever

On May 17th we had our biggest transfer ever.  We had nine missionaries who finished their and 17 who arrived wide-eyed, eager, enthusiastic and somewhat overwhelmed as they begin their service. missions...

Again we had a special reunion with one of our new missionaries.  Sister Emelyne Kwizera is the first sister missionary from Burundi. We knew her in the branch in Bujumbura during our first mission. Three years ago when we first met she talked about wanting to serve a mission. Her road to this day has been long. She was born in a village outside of Bujumbura. Her father was killed during the Hutu Tutsi war, and her family sent her to Kenya for protection. Many Burundians sent their families to distant countries to escape the genocide.    She grew up in Kenya and decided to return to see her mother and other family members about the time we arrived in Burundi. Her mother was in the village, which was too far from the city to allow here to go to school or find work.  So, she lived with an uncle in Bujumbura. Having joined the church in Kenya she was thrilled to see that the church had come to Bujumbura, but her family members were not so happy about it.  They made her choose between a home with them and the church. She chose the church and the Malabi family took her in as a member of their family. She completed her mission papers more than 6 months ago, with President Malabi interviewing her and submitting her papers. (On a side note, because of the difficulty of getting passports and visas  and processing and delivering calls in DRC, missionaries often wait a long time to be able to serve.  I asked two of the new elders how long it had been for them.  For one it took 15 months.  The other said 8 months.)  When Frere Malabi was arrested and imprisoned, his family moved to Dar es Salaam and Emelyne went with them.

We're so thrilled that we get to spend a transfer with Emelyne in our mission. 

In her initial interview on Thursday Brent talked to her about the love and support given to her by the Malabi family. He asked her if she knew that Frere Malabi was still in Kinshasa.  She said that she knew that he was in Kinshasa and was in prison.  Then she began to weep openly. 

What a joy it was for Brent  to tell her that he is now a free man and is still in Kinshasa trying to get documents to join his family on Tuesday. 

Friday after our day of meetings with new missionaries and  just as she was about to leave the mission office to go to her first assignment, Frere Malabi arrived.  It was a tender and joyous reunion of  "father" and "daughter" as they saw each other again for the first time in many months.  

We are privileged to experience some most unique and tender moments with saints in the mission field. 

 Emelyne has faced many unimaginable challenges in her life and has more to come. She speaks only Kirundi and English. She will have to learn French and Lingala on the job, as a missionary. I offered her encouragement and promised her that if she did her best, the Lord would help her to do more than she ever imagined. I could speak from experience about his bestowal of the gift of tongues. I reminded her that she has done many hard things in her life and conquered all.  She smiled knowingly and told me that yesterday she spoke in English with her companion, who has good English, but they had agreed that today she starts speaking French!  What a great young lady!

Deja vu for the Gates

The night after our arrival home from Douala we had all the couples over for a welcome dinner for the Gates. We had met them at the airport the day after we got home from Johannesburg and then we left for Douala the next morning.  Our wonderful couples took care of them while we were gone- feeding them, taking them shopping, loaning them phones, etc.  They are another example of the unselfish and unbelievable service of senior couples. They were serving a first mission in the DR Congo Kinshasa mission as an MLS couple in Pointe Noire, Republic of Congo when we first arrived. They returned in home in December of 2011 and now they're back in Kinshasa to serve in the Construction program. We're grateful to have them with us again. Their love of the young people and enthusiasm, along with their personal skills, will be a great blessing to our mission.

Interviews Continue

After one day home after mission presidents' seminar, we flew to Douala, Cameroon for interviews with the missionaries.  The ten elders and couple bused down from Yaoundé because we didn't have time to go to both cities.  All the missionaries stayed together in the missionary apartments.  The couples stayed together at the Gaileys' home and we stayed in a hotel for the first night. When the Yaoundé elders went home, we opted for better lodging and the Gaileys kindly invited us to stay in their home.   Brent  interviewed the first group of elders on Friday while I talked to them about of the view of the mission.  We always share the news from other parts of the mission with our missionaries  Though we're separated by many miles, we want to be one in spirit.

 Saturday Brent interviewed the next group of elders and then we all met for a mini-zone conference and meal with all 18 young elders and two couples.  On this trip we had a little time to have a relaxed visit with each group of elders.  In their next letters many said that they really appreciated the down time with us, particularly recognizing that we will only see them one more time before we leave.  We've grown so close to these missionaries and almost consider them family.

Sunday we attended the Douala branch . They have a new rented building that they've worked hard to remodel and they're very proud of it.  It's a great facility. The chapel isn't exactly standard. I felt like King Benjamin on the tower when I gave my  talk.  I also needed one of those children's stools so that I could see over the pulpit. But the church is still in its infancy in Africa, comparatively speaking, and they have much to learn.  We need to be patient and teach the most important principles first and not worry about a little thing like an extremely high stand. These are faithful, wonderful Saints who are doing their best to serve the Lord.                                                                                    

Our time with these North American missionaries  is very precious.  We are blessed by being with such dedicated people. They live at a standard far below what they've had at home and they never complain or ask for things. They are so outwardly directed and their conversations are about people they teach and how they can do a better job to support those with whom they work, and occasionally who's eaten the most disgusting thing!   It's just awesome! They're just awesome! And we laugh and have a lot of fun too. 

Below is an example of what a great sense of humor they have. Elders Hatch and Adriamamonjy are squaring off for the title of Mr. Tough Guy Missionary!  Yes, they are standing together on level ground.

 

 When the time to leave came, parting was filled with many hugs, much back slapping and many tender expressions of feelings. These 20 North Americans serve all their missions together. They sometimes transfer from one bedroom to another in an apartment and their bond is very strong.  The feeling of brotherhood and unity was palpable and a joy to share with them.

 Each time the separation is a  bit hard for us all. I can't imagine how hard it will be to leave them the next time, when we know it will be our last visit.
I was amazed when I saw all 18 of them and their bags loaded into the truck for their short ride to the bus station. I never would let my own kids be or put anybody in the back of a truck.  Here it's how you do it. I'll never get used to it.  So I closed my eyes and prayed until they got to the station.

  We love, love, love these guys!

Parental Love is Universal

We saw these two pictures from dear friends in Arizona and Brazzaville just a day apart on Face book.

 Parental love and pride are universal!