The Wheel Chair Project

Because of our assignment as leaders in this mission, we get to share in wonderful things that happen by the hand of the Lord through others with whom we serve.  We get to attend baptisms of people who  have been touched by the spirit as they've been taught by the young missionaries.  We get to meet great young church leaders who are working hard to establish the church as they grow in faith through membership.  We get to see the educational efforts of the church done through the inspired perpetual education fund and the construction program that help young people to break the cycle of poverty and enjoy fuller, happier lives.

We get to see humanitarian services and our humanitarian missionaries tend to the most needy of the Lord's children through water and latrine projects, neonatal resuscitation classes, club foot treatment, and wheel chair projects. We get to watch  people walk in the footsteps of the Master to serve the Lord's children.
This week we thought of the words of the Savoir when he said, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."  We spent some time, at the invitation of our humanitarian couple, at the church's wheel chair project.  It both touched and broke our hearts as we saw the many disabled who came with the hope of a better life that would come by having a wheel chair.  Life in the Congo is difficult for everybody, but for those who have a physical limitation it is brutal.
Through this project we received 350 chairs made and delivered by the church.

 

 Six volunteers came from Utah and California, two physical therapists, two technicians, and two short-term humanitarian missionaries, who assembled chairs and measured & fit recipients to “their chair.”  

This is Sister Dow, the humanitarian short-term specialist, the PT, Scott and the OT, Lara.
Elder Dow was at the hotel sick the day of the ceremony.

 

 They fit a total of 12 people to their chairs and, at the same time, trained local physical therapists and technicians in doing this work so they can fit the rest of the chairs after the departure of the volunteers.  These recipients are handicapped people who have been moving around the dirty streets of Kinshasa on their hands and knees, or carried by others. They were selected with the help of the ministry of health and screened so that only those who could actually use a wheel chair would receive one. They had to  meet criteria of physical condition that will allow them to be sufficiently able to sit in and work a wheel chair.  Making those kinds of decisions is heart-breaking, but necessary.  All those who received chairs were chosen before the team came.  

However, the word got out that wheel chairs were being given and lines of people showed up every day wanting a wheel chair. Many had crawled or were carried to the church hoping that they would receive a chair. They were upset when they found that today was not the day for them to get one, but they would be considered for one of the other chairs that are here waiting to be given in the next few months. Some refused to leave and sat outside the building all day, waiting, believing they would get a chair if they just waited long enough .  Many did wait, having already been warned that they wouldn't get a chair that day.  They were very upset.  This scenario broke our hearts.  

 

But the lives of others were greatly improved and we saw the happiness they felt. The real blessing of this project is its sustainability.  Those who were trained to assemble and fit the chairs will be able to assess the needs and fit many more individuals to new chairs in the coming weeks and months.  They will do this without much involvement of the church.  Our humanitarian missionaries will simply follow up to ensure that the project continues as it is laid out.  The church does this all over the world in developing countries without any fanfare and with little recognition.  

There is just a small plaque on each chair that carries the name of the church. However, having lived in Burundi and we knew Frère Méthode .  He found the church as he read the words, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" on the back of a wheel chair in a refuge camp in Eastern Congo. He felt the spirit as he read that name and went on a search to find the church.  We know that many miracles can come from a little plaque.  We also know that miracles will come, too for those who will find mobility and hope through a new wheel chair. 

The Refugee-Brother Fataki

During our last visit to Yaoundé, we went to the chapel on Saturday for an interview.  When we arrived the team of missionaries and the person to be interviewed were standing outside the locked gate.  They announced that the man with the key was "en route." We have discovered that in this part of the world that  means that he will be there in 2 minutes or it could be 2 hours. We waited anyway, hoping for the quick "en route." I'm so glad that we didn't leave.

. 

The man with the key arrived in about 15 minutes and Brent went to do the interview. I had about a half hour to wait.  So, I began to talk with this man..  He wasn't Cameroonian. He was Congolese.

  

When I asked how long he'd been a member of the church, he said that it had been one year since he found the church.  He said that it had given him "life again." Then he told me his story.  He was born in the Eastern Congo, near Goma.  That's the area that you hear about when you hear horror stories about the Congo. It's been war torn for many years. The battle's still raging and terrible things happen. Life is very fragile there and the innocent suffer in this conflict.  He said that his parents, wife and two children, and several brothers and sisters, literally his whole family, died at the hands of soldiers. He watched it happen, but could do nothing to save them.  He said that he too "died that day!"  But he, along with one remaining nephew and his family, walked   nearly 1,000 miles through the forest to find a place of refuge. They walked for months, eating what they could find and sleeping on the ground. They ate small animals raw because of fear that starting a fire would cause them to be discovered.  He said that sometimes they ate grass and dirt to fill their stomachs.  Eventually, they arrived at Kinshasa and were officially declared  refugees and sent to Cameroon. 

Brother Fataki said that life was very hard in Cameroon because he felt as if he had died with his family. He was without hope.  Then one day he was walking the streets and saw the big sign that we have on all church buildings.

He felt drawn to it and went inside.  Missionaries were there and began to teach him and he embraced the gospel with all his heart.  He said that the church had given him back life. Because of the gospel, he is alive again.  He now serves as a counselor in the branch.  He has not yet built much of a life and longs to have a family and a job.  But Brother Fataki is filled with faith and hope and it was an honor to meet him and share his story. 

I'm so glad that we waited when he was "en route" and that the Lord has given me enough of the gift of tongues to have this kind of conversation.   It would have been so sad to have missed the opportunity to meet him. I feel privileged to know such a man.  

A Good Saturday

Today was a great Saturday! We laughed when  Brent and I discovered that it was such a good day that each of us wrote about it in our journals.  This will tell you something about the fun available in Kinshasa.
After 10 days, where we flew over 2,000 miles on six flights, visited four cities, held four 5-hour zone conferences and at least a couple of other meetings per city, traveled quite a few miles on  crazy roads, crossed the Congo River twice,and then held two more zone  conferences back to back in our home in Kinshasa starting the day after we got home, we were pretty tired. We seriously needed a break. It was the day that we had planned for a nervous breakdown, but we decided to head off to the grocery store instead.  We didn't have much food in the house because we had been gone so long, so this trip was really also a necessity.  We decided to be bold and go to two stores and really stock up.  We got to both of them without any police harassment, or traffic jams and found everything for which we were looking.  We even saw that Magnam Ice Cream Bars have come to City Market.  Sadly at $27 for 8, we passed on them.  But there were great veggies, even broccoli., which we didn't pass up!  We decided not to even look at prices and just go for them.

All washed and bleached and ready to eat. YUM!

Having had that kind of success, we decided to press our luck and look at two bakeries that have recently come to our attention. One was the discovery of the French couple who lives in our building and work for the church, the Van Hauvermats. The other is a new one that just opened on the corner where  "the nice policeman" stands. We've been watching them work on it for a couple of months and it looked great from the outside.  Thankfully, it's the nice policeman's corner or we'd probably have pass on it no matter how good it looked, knowing police would always be there.  To our joy both of these bakeries were fabulous.
Many things are improving in Kinshasa lately. Some streets are being repaired, things are getting painted and new businesses are opening up.  We've been told that it's because the International Francophone Conference, with  leaders of  French-speaking countries all over the world, is being held here in October.  I guess it's like having the Olympics in your city.  Lots of good things are happening and we hope that they will stay that way. We are however, very sad that they have torn down many marchés and chased away a lot of street vendors, including the souvenir marché, which disappeared while we were on our trip. We don't know what will happen to those merchants whose stands were destroyed. Their livelihood is gone if they can't find another place to sell their wares.

Back to our Saturday outing. We went to the two bakeries and looked around. Each was fabulous, with a wonderful selection of delicious looking French breads and pastries.  Were we dreaming? Is this France?
There was even a little café in each store. We decided to buy a small selection of goodies, like croissants, pain au chocolate,  bread, tarts and an eclair.  We took them home, cut each in half and did a taste comparison test. There were no losers! Every one was a delight!
It was just a very fun day.  Having found these nice, new, clean places, where things look and  taste like they were made in France, we'll be back.   We'll probably gain a few pounds after this discovery, but we are thrilled!  Saturday was just the kind of day we needed.

Picking up the Baton

The  assignments that were left vacant by the first group of couples in our mission, were filled by great new couples and even a few new assignments were added.   We're so grateful that they felt the influence of the spirit prompting them to serve.  We're also grateful that they were willing to change plans they'd made and be the answer to our prayers as they agreed to serve in the DR Congo.  We know that it was not an easy move to come here and each couple had to "step out into the darkness" with great faith to accept their calls.
Republic of Congo was the first place where that change happened. Pointe Noire is a long way from Clinton, Utah, but answering the call from a prophet the Wheatleys came.
They spoke no French and had no idea of what lay ahead but with faith and courage they tackled the call as member/missionary leadership missionaries for the eight missionaries and three branches in Pointe Noire.  It doesn't matter what needs to be done, the Wheatleys are right there to take care of things and people. One visit there were baptisms scheduled and there was no water in the church.  Without a hesitation Elder Wheatley jumped into the hole that contained the well and began handing buckets up to waiting elders and members. They've survived water and power problems, finding and moving to a new apartment and two break-ins and like energizer bunnies they just keep going.

   

The next to come were the Smiths. They are our new office couple and are well prepared with talents and skills that are blessing the mission.  Newlyweds of about 4 years, they planned a mission in the US and without the need of a language. Surprise! They came to Kinshasa.  But they have dived right in, learned to navigate the crazy world we live in, and are doing just great.  Elder Smith has a background as an IRS auditor and is just want we need in the finances of the mission. Sister Smith worked as an office manager and has also never met a person that didn't become her friend. And there was never a project that they didn't tackle with love and service.

A new project was started as a pilot program in the Kinshasa mission. It's a little like PEF, but for construction.  Young returned missionaries are taught construction skills by our wonderful Elder Billings and his sweet companion, Sister Billings. He spent his career teaching construction at Salt Lake Community College and received a special call to teach this program. Sister Billings aids with documentation of the program and compilation of teaching materials.  The young men in this program love the Billings and so do we. I think that the Lord also sent them here because Sister Billings has expertise in Family History. She wasn't called here as a Family History trainer, but has offered her skills to help the people do Family History and prepare for a temple in Kinshasa. 

Many of our beloved missionaries from the Lubumbashi and Kinshasa missions have already been in this program.  Their big smiles show the satisfaction they feel to be making progress toward happier, more productive lives.  What a blessing the Billings are to these young men.

       

Joining us as our humanitarian couple are the Moons.  This is a second marriage for both of them and they have spent almost half their married life serving as missionaries. They served in Kiev, Ukraine; Pennsylvania and now in Kinshasa.  They came off the plane with bright smiles and willing hearts.  They seem to be fearless as they tackled their new assignment.  They jumped in their truck after a few days in Kinshasa and headed right out to all the crazy parts of this city. They are already looking at going to some of our other cities to start projects there.  They are a wonderful, faithful pair who will continue the great humanitarian work in our mission areas.




 A week after the Moons arrived the Robinsons, our new PEF couple, came.  They too have served another mission.  However, I don't think that their first mission on Temple Square in Salt Lake City exactly prepared them for Kinshasa.  But what good sports they are!  Coming from Star Valley, Wyoming didn't give them much of a  heads up for the Congo either. But working in banking all his life and speaking French certainly do qualify him to run the labyrinth of the financial system required for PEF.  Sister Robinson is using her considerable skills to  contribute to the success of PEF and is also a Family History expert and enthusiast.  She's ready and willing to help Sister Billings teach  our people in the Congo to prepare for the work in the temple, which is coming someday soon. The Lord certainly does know whom to send to move His work forward.
On the same plane in September two couples left the MTC and flew off to the Cameroon to serve in our two cities there.  The Gaileys are serving in Douala and the Whitesides in Yaoundé.They have already forged a great relationship communicating during their preparation and their MTC stay and trip to Cameroon. Since they're only four hours apart, they will have chances to see each other more than they will have to see the rest of the couples.

Gaileys had planned on a mission in the US and were quite surprised when their call came to the Kinshasa mission to serve in Douala, Cameroon. They had planned to come in January, but felt the need to move their report time up after they received their call.  What they didn't know was how hard we were praying for that and trying to figure out how to ask them to do it.   Heavenly Father certainly did bless us through their change of heart.  They're making the hard adjustments to a new language, crazy traffic, venturing out in a city on their own, and learning the customs and life style of Africa.  But they are determined to do what the Lord has called them to do.  They're already relating to and loving their elders. This will be a great experience for all of them.         

 Whitesides served a previous mission in Cambodia, so life in a developing nation isn't new to them.                                   

However, French and Africa are. They seem to readily handle the challenges and opportunities of this          

new mission call. It will not take long for them to integrate themselves into the world in Yaoundé and they will be a great asset to our missionaries and branches there, as well as great fun to visit.     

We spent last week with these couples and had a wonderful get-acquainted visit.  It was so fun to learn about them, share some training time and have a few laughs together. They were so kind and helpful to us.  We are grateful that they are with us and look forward to a wonderful next nine months with them in our mission. 

In January yet another couple will come to Kinshasa to be directors of Public Affairs.  There is always great need for senior couples to keep the work moving forward all over the world in all kinds of assignments. We're thankfully that these couples have responded to the request of the Prophet and serve in our mission. 

Our new crew has taken the baton and starts their service together.  They will all still be serving when we leave and others take our place.  Isn't it wonderful how the seniors of the church can be a part of all of this great work if they're only willing to put aside things at home and say "yes" to the Prophet's urging to serve.  

We are very blessed to know so many wonderful mission couples. The memories and friendships forged here in Africa are a great treasure that we'll keep forever.   

Changing of the Senior Guard

For nearly the first year of our first mission we were in the unique situation of being the only senior couple within 1,000 miles of our assignment in Lubumbashi, DR Congo.  It was good that we like each other because we only had each other.  Then with the division of the mission we had the Frogleys and the Packers with us. It was wonderful to share those 7 months with others. We were grateful for their company and love them. 

Now, one of the most different and wonderful things that we have on this mission is our work and friendship with other couples. What great people we've been able to know because of our missionary service.  We can't imagine not having known them for a season and hope to see them again.

In the month of August the last of the couples, who were in our mission when we arrived, packed their very full bags and fly off to the US and Canada.  They've all gone home to lives full of children, grandchildren and life in the "real world," but they have left an imprint on our lives and we love them all. We appreciate their devoted service and miss them greatly. We will be bonded forever with these great friends and consider knowing them to be one of the greatest joys of  this mission.

The Gates, in Pointe Noire, were the first to leave us. They worked there without any other couples around, just as we had done in Lubumbashi.  Because of their love for the missionaries and their hard work with the branches, the Pointe Noire area began to really grow and move forward with a joyful and loving spirit.  Even without French the people there were sheparded  by the Gates, as they spoke the language of love, through their bright and happy manner of leadership. They were just plain fun to be with and made serving a great adventure.

The Thompsons lived and worked in Yaoundé, Cameroon.  Their steady, loving leadership helped contribute to many great changes in Youndé. They worked on and accomplished two successful temple trips for the members there. They helped to prepare for the organization of the first District in Cameroon. Their leadership was recognized and they now serve in the Presidency of the Mozambique mission with responsibility to preside  in Angola. Visits to these outlying cities is  a joy to us and  makes the travel worthwhile.  We love our time with the couples and the elders there. It's always something that we look forward to doing. 

The Hatches  were our wonderful office couple, who loved and served with two of the biggest hearts in the world. Not knowing French made no difference as they just loved the people and gave of themselves to the mission and the wards. They organized basketball practices, YA dance lesson, and the first Youth Conference ever held in Kinshasa where over 1,000 youth from the 5 stakes  mingled and enjoyed a Youth Conference experience. And these things were done outside of the 40+ hours a week they spent keeping the mission office running. What a blessing the Hatches were to us.

 Below is the office staff.  Pascal, housing manager, Hatches, Jamesons, and Thierry, our senior office assistant. These titles in no way explain the work that Pascal and Thierry do for the mission and keep us all safe and sane.
Our weekly meetings and daily encounters are a highlight of our work here. Without these guys, I would be on the first plane heading back to the USA.  They're our heroes!

The Binghams were our Humanitarian couple when we arrived in Kinshasa. They  were fearless and undaunted as they traveled around Kinshasa working with site monitors and NGO's to accomplish humanitarian projects that brought clean water, latrines, neo-natal care and medical aid to the people of the Congo.  We loved nothing more than to be able to head out to a project or project closing with them. It made us proud to be members of a church that reaches out to change lives through great humanitarian missionaries and the faithful Saints of the church who contribute money to bring aid to people in such great need. Besides their hard work, they were a delight with their kindly natures and fun sense of humor. Nobody was more fun that the Binghams. They also loved their work.  Sister Bingham used to say "Who wouldn't want to be Santa every day!"

Mr. and Mrs. Santa worked long, hard hours administrating humanitarian services, showing love and encouragement to all of us and to the Congolese people, as they served in the humanitarian "trenches." 

Next,  the Staggs went home. As PEF couple, they made church history by opening the Perpetual Education Fund program in Kinshasa. They started from scratch to find banks, schools and training facilties for the young adults of Kinshasa, who so badly need opportunities to learn and qualify for much needed employment.  Their success was not just measured by the number and success of their students.  It was also shown  in the eyes of young adults who now had hope for a better future and who adored the Staggs.  They worked tirelessly to provide opportunities for their students, teaching them life skills, and plowed through enormous piles of paperwork that are required to administrate PEF.  With their help the PEF students were "livin' large!"  Sister Stagg also taught piano and made a great contribution. To top things off, they were terrific cooks and always had something special to contribute to couples' dinners.

The Evansons served only a short time in our mission,but their service was quite remarkable and a huge blessing. Having served as a mission president in Ivory Coast, then in a temple presidency and, later, as  temple president, the Evansons decided that they had been called to serve the Lord, but had never volunteered. So they put in mission papers and went to Burundi, where they lived in the apartment that we had vacated at the end of our first mission, and served as Public Affairs missionaries Then they were transferred to Lubumbashi. About that time,  the Thompsons in Yaoundé went home and no couple was available to serve there. This caused our Douala couple to also work with Yaoundé, a four hours drive away. Huge challenge! Elder Evanson had the impression that they were needed to fill the gap in Cameroon and with the approval of the Area Presidency and  the Lubumbashi mission,  they moved again toYaoundé. They were an answer to our prayers as they filled in until we could get another couple for that part of the mission. They're a prefect example of the spirit of senior missionaries who "go and do" whatever  the Lord wants them to do. 

The last of our couples to leave were the Nuttalls. They served in Douala, Cameroon, supporting 8 missionaries and two branches.

The Nuttalls have lived all over the world and didn't skip a beat as they adapted to Cameroon and began their service. Sister Nuttall even drove, something that none of the rest of us sisters have been brave enough to do.  Elder Nuttall was tireless in resolving problems with branch facilities and moving the work forward. Sister Nuttall never met a person that she didn't take under her wing and love and nurture. What a great combination. What a blessing they were to the developing church in Douala.  

We have come to love each of these missionary couples and it's been hard to imagine how life in our mission could go on without them. But they have all served with commitment and love and deserve to go home to loved ones and new adventures.  They are wonderful friends and fellow servants in the Lord's work.  We miss their gifts and talents and we miss them personally.  The work will roll forward as Joseph Smith promised and nothing will stop it until it fills the whole earth.  We will move forward in the Kinshasa mission. But a part of our hearts has returned to North America with these wonderful friends and we won't ever forget them.  We've shared something that only those who have been in missions like ours will ever understand.  We will miss sharing our mission days with them. They have occupied such a great place in our lives and will be a part of us forever. 

Now we know what other missionary couples meant when they said that knowing and mingling with other couples is one of the great blessing of serving a mission.    We love them too.  These friends put a smile on our faces, even on the hardest of days.We worked hard together and we had lots of  fun times too.   Every time we were with them was a happy, special occasion. Other great missionaries have come to serve with us and we're grateful that they have. All of them will "outlive" us in the mission.  I'm sure when it's our turn to leave it will be just as hard to say good-bye.  We will always remember and express thanks to all these missionaries as we served the Lord together in the DRC Kinshasa Mission. 

Refugees in South Africa

Dinners together

The Primate park in Yaoundé with Thompsons

Zone Conferences together in Pointe Noire

A little P-day with Evansons

Nice Cream in Kinshasa

Everything is better when you share it with friends!