2014.06.13
Trip to Luputa
Well, I am truly in the middle of nowhere! I’m sitting on our bed in what is affectionately known as the “Turkish Prison.” That is not to say that it is terrible. But it’s a little bit close! We’re spending the night in Mwene Ditu on our way to Luputa. We are traveling with President and Sister McMullin, Sister Riendieau, Sister Anthony, and the two AP’s – Elder Ngandu and Elder Tshipi. We are on an eleven-day tour to the outer parts of the mission so that the president can conduct his final zone conferences before going home at the first of July.
We left Lubumbashi at 2:30 for the one hour flight to Mbuji-Mayi. After about an hour or more in the Mbuji-Mayi airport gathering up our stuff, we left for Mwene Ditu. Well, one reason it took so long was that it’s transfer time and about 8 elders were also traveling with us. We also had supplies and church pamphlets – probably about 50 pieces including everyone’s luggage and the boxes.
I would just have to say, as I have said many times in our travels to various places, that the Salt Lake City Airport is one of the finest anywhere!!!! Lubumbashi is an absolute joke!! President McMullin has been here for two years and he still won’t go to the airport without someone to help him. It is just total chaos, with no rhyme nor reason for delays or added expense. When we first came a month ago, Clark and I were met at the airport by Tommy. He seemed so capable and took all of the worries out of getting our bags and passports back. Well, as it turns out, Tommy and his buddies were “on the take”. I’m not sure of the particulars but the church has stopped using him and now have a guy named Bidi (?). Anyway, Bidi and President McMullin managed to get us through the ordeal of the airport this time. Heaven only knows what will happen if we ever have to do that alone.
It took us about 3 ½ bumpy hours to get to Mwene Ditu. It was quite a fantastic trip! We passed all kinds of people out walking. Even after dark, there were hoards of people out on the road. They just jumped out of the way as we passed. Many others were riding on top of truckloads of “stuff” – anything and everything imaginable!! It’s the dry season, so people burn at this time of year. With all of the smoke in the air, it made the setting sun AND the full moon a beautiful orange! The moon followed us all the way, like an old friend.
I had heard from others, including Elder Wright, that we would be staying in quite a “unique” hotel. Elder Wright gave it a minus star. Actually, this hotel is owned by a member – Jean-Pierre and his fourth wife, Aimee. He has 38 children!!!! He and Aimee have had 11 of those children. Their daughter, Monique, opened her mission call, which President McMullen had brought with him. Aimee had prepared a nice dinner for us. I’m not totally certain what was served, but at 9:00 at night, about anything tastes good.
When we got to our rooms, I totally understood how the place got its name of the Turkish Prison, especially after I used one of the community bathrooms! No details needed. It was right after that that I saw a mouse, so my intensity level was at an all time high. Neither of us slept well – especially knowing that we will return here next week for two more nights!!!!!
Aimee and Jean-Pierre were lovely people, though. And their children were very attentive to our needs. Jean-Pierre has a loud, infectious laugh. They have been members about one year. I know that Aimee was up until 2:00 a.m. because Clark was sitting outside until then trying to cool off. She was up again at 4:00 to start breakfast and to heat water for us to have a bucket bath. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t understand what to do with the bucket of water – so I just had to get by with a little spit bath. Next time I’ll know. Unlike Lubumbashi, the interior of the Congo is pretty hot – not humid, just hot.
We left early the next morning for Luputa on an infamous, unpaved road. Fortunately for us, road crews using only shovels recently have done work on the road. It only took us 90 minutes to go 35 miles! Usually the trip has taken much, much longer! The Land Rover was the perfect car (other than a Hummer) for the trip.
In Luputa, there are no hotels. There is a small building behind the church house that has been made into rooms where people can stay. There is a bed in each of three rooms and an indoor bathroom, which is shared by everyone. Also, there is a gathering room that has tables – sort of like a kitchen/dining room. (Heavy on the “sort of”.) There is a water pump on the property. So we bought bottled water to drink. The water from the pump is only for bathing. There is a large barrel in the bathroom that is filled with water from the pump. When it’s time to bathe, you take a small bucket of water, stand in the tub, and pour water on yourself. You can soap up and rinse off – and you’re done! No Aimee to heat the water, however! L One of the major drawbacks is that there is no electricity. Hence, the cold water and no lights! Just so I don’t sound too whiny, the church does own a generator, which they run for a couple of hours each night. It’s enough time to recharge our devices and heat water for Mountain House dehydrated dinners. Luputa has no restaurants.
Clark and I were greeted when we arrived by a representative from ADIR, the company who completed the Luputa water project five years ago. He had come all the way from Kinshasa to meet with us – and we didn’t know he was coming! He’s a very wonderful man who has hopes of figuring out how to rescue the failing water system so that the church will build another project with his company. The whole water project is very complicated in many, many ways. Clark and I spent the day with him, along with representatives from Luputa’s current water committee, touring different water stations.
Today was Stake Conference. You know, this experience is just so different from anything I’ve ever gone through before that I hardly know how to relate to it – or to tell about it. I’ve been in my usual selfish North American mode – thinking that I’m living under some pretty humble conditions – kind of like camping. Well, next door to the church is an empty building. A group of 50 Saints from the village of Ngandajika left home at 5:00 Thursday morning and WALKED 40 miles to be here for Stake Conference. They made it by Friday night. They carried supplies and food on bikes. The people are sleeping for three nights in this abandoned building next door – on the cement floor!!!! And I’m whining about sharing a bathroom and cold bath water!!! And the people seem totally happy and smiley!!!! It is a lesson in humility on every level.
It is Sunday afternoon and things have quieted down – that is, except for the children outside. If any of us step out, we are bombarded by hundreds of children. They truly are darling and wonderful – but it’s hard to deal with them at the same time. There are so many and we don’t speak their language. Church was all translated again today – back and forth from French to Tshilupa (?). All of the children yell out – “Hey, Mistah!” They tell that to everyone – male and female.
More to come. –Sister Davis/Mom
Well, here's our room at the hotel affectionately known as the Turkish Prison. Keep us on your prayers.
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