Mission Tour-Days 6-10

The last part of our mission tour was spent in Lubumbashi. First, we held a zone conference for the elders here. It was our last zone conference with just one zone.

The weekend after this zone conference we had transfers. Since our numbers are growing, we created another zone. We assume that there will be more zones by the time of the mission division.

This was also the last zone conference for our Zone Leader, Elder Olinga. He finished his mission and headed back to Cameroon two days after the zone conference. What a nice experience it was for him to spend his last days on his mission with a General Authority.

He was counseled by Brent to make the most of his last transfer and assignment here and he really did. He and his companion went to open the new city of Kipushi by teaching there two days a week. The people there had been begging for missionaries and when they came they had groups of people ready to be taught. Two weeks after their first visit, they had 18 baptisms in one day. These people had been coming to church in the small branch and just waiting for baptism. It was a great way to end Elder Olinga's mission. We love him and will miss him, but expect him to be a great leader in the church in Cameroon.

Two other missionaries, Elders Yangoie and Mukenge, who both started their missions in September with us, also left to serve in Kinshasa. Parting is not "sweet sorrow" as Shakespeare said, it stinks!

Elder Mukenge and Elder Yangoie

We do miss our elders when they leave us. Both of these elders have families who are not in the church. They are strong, wonderful examples to their non-member families and their families are very supportive of their service.

On the weekend we accompanied Renlunds to the Lubumbashi Stake Conference. It is a very strong stake and they had a great conference.

These are the stake leaders

RS Pres , Jamesons, Renlunds, and the Stake Presidency

We are get to know people because we live in this stake and are feeling like they are starting to be our friends. Sister Renlund and I did an Auxiliary training while Brent and Elder Renlund did priesthood leadership. Then we had the Sat. adult session, a session for new members, and the Sunday general session.

There was, as usual, a fabulous choir. The people here sing with great gusto and we love to hear and see them sing. They often wear choir outfits and look as good as they sound.

Little usher and the Stake President's kids

Just loved the hair

When the week was over we had given at least seven talks each, traveled by crazy plane and wild car over 700 km (about 435 miles)and met with hundreds of wonderful members and elders. It was a busy, challenging week, but a great experience to share this special time with the Renlunds. Their hearts are with the people of the Congo and I think that they learned many things that will bring support to the people and the church here.

Then the Renlunds flew off to Johannesburg and we went back to the business of our mission. It was a wonderful week and we will always remember what a great time we had with the Renlunds exploring the Congo. We hated to see Day 11 come!

Mission Tour-Days 4-5

This is the community of Kisanga.

The market in Kisanga is fascinating. It runs for about half a mile on either side of the road. It's always packed with people and goods of all kinds, including live goats and chickens, furniture, clothing, food and almost anything else you would want to buy.

We took the Renlunds to land that the church owns in Kisanga, on which they plan to build a chapel. We are hoping to get it on the schedule soon. We really need it badly.

The road to the church site is really just a food path and we almost got stuck, even using four-wheel drive. Imagine having to ask a General Authority to help you push your car out of the mud!

On the road to the church we saw a group of children using a termite mound for a slippery slide. When they saw us they all came running to see the strange white people.

This lady was taking an old treadle sewing machine home. The"road" is seen behind her.

This area is really growing quickly and the church is also growing by leaps and bounds.

We went to a rented building where they just finished the construction and moved in a few weeks ago. We have already out grown the building. It was big enough to hold 120 people for Sacrament Meeting. They are now having about 160-180 in attendance each week.

While we were there we met a young member who were working in the yard. His name was Moroni. He hailed some children who were walking home from school. The youngest one (in the standard checked kindergarten apron) was his brother, Nephi. The children are so wonderful!

We also visited one of our nice, new missionary apartment.

and then one of our worst missionary apartments.

We now only have two apartments that are not up to the standard that we are trying to establish. We are trying to get all our elders into housing with water on the property, power most of the time, toilets that flush, at least a place for a bucker shower in the house, and good security. Something other than cement floors in the main room is a plus too.

We also visited the new place that we hope will be the mission home and office here in Lububashi. The two story building is still under construction, but we and the Renlunds agree that it would be a good place. We hope it works out.

We were grateful for the Renlunds interest and vision for Lubumbashi. We believe that great things are going to start happening that will bless the lives of the missionaries and members.

The Cattle Drive

There are so many interesting things here that we don't ever see at home. People make their living in ways that have long since disappeared from the US. On three different trips to Likasi we saw men herding their cattle to market. On one of those trips we gave a ride home to a member from Likasi who had been visiting Lubumbashi for meetings. As we were driving through the bush we came upon a small herd of cattle being driven down the road. The man with us told us that these men walk and herd their cattle 700km (about 435 miles) to market in Lubumbashi.

We had to go very slowly through the herd to continue on our trip. The herdsman asked us for water and we were sad that we had none to give them. I can't imagine what a difficult trip that must be. In the rainy season they would be rained on daily and in the dry season they would walk the whole way in a suffocating cloud of dust.

One trip we saw the herdsman on our way to Likasi. We were in Likasi for two days and when we returned home, we saw them again, still walking toward Lubumbashi. People here have to work extraordinarily hard just to survive.

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!