June 29, 2014 - Clark

Sunday, June 29, 2014

The days are long but the weeks are starting to pile up.  This past week was a real contrast to our African adventure into the backcountry.  We arrived home from our trip just a week ago today.  Everything in Lubumbashi seems so much more civilized after our trip.  We appreciate the comforts of home: flushing toilets, regular showers, a refrigerator, no hoards of people following you wherever you go, etc.  Our creature comforts seem pretty plush after our Indiana Jones adventure.

We spent Monday and Tuesday documenting all of our project work from our 10-day trip.  We spent two full days in the office just preparing those reports.  Wednesday and Thursday I was sick with fever, headache and aching back muscles.  It worries you a little when the first test the medical officer performs is a malaria test.  No malaria and I seem to have recovered over the last couple of days.  It is alarming when you’re sick and no real medical services available.

Our translator had his car radiator fail and we missed two days of work with him being out of commission.  We were able to spend time together Friday and Saturday.  We met with contractors bidding on the Mapendano School latrine project and met with another contractor who performed a water project at the local hospital.  We also had a chance to follow-up on a possible bridge project with one of our stake presidents, President Tshibanda and the architect who had drawn the plans.  

Yesterday we met with Ministry of Health officials regarding the 2012 wheelchair project.  They had never completed their reporting of recipients receiving the chairs and success stories on how lives were changed.  We’re trying to get another project approved but they have to meet their previous obligations before any consideration will be given to another project.  We also met with the office in charge of immunizations.  Immunizations are free but many of the children go without because of the movement in the population and the schools do not require them.  Publicity and media communications seems to also be a problem.  

We’re encountering some frustration with church bureaucracy this week.  We had 3 major initiative projects included in our annual budget (wheelchairs, immunizations and clean water).  Within the last week we have had water put on hold, immunizations cancelled for the 2014 year and wheelchairs restricted because the prior 2012 project was never completed regarding the reporting.  That means that 87% of our budget allotment has been taken away and we have the 13% of funds left to do small, less significant projects.  We’re still learning the system and yet I’m impatient and want to get things underway.

President and Sister McMullin go home tomorrow.  The new mission president is arriving about 3 hours before the old president leaves; not much overlap.  They intentionally do this so there is a change in administrations and the new president is in charge and not trying to execute the old president’s agenda.  What a culture shock for the new president and his wife.  We’ll finally not be the newest missionaries in the mission home.

Last night we went to an Indian restaurant called Indian Spice.  Mom and I ordered the most bland thing on the menu but still returned home with gastric distress.  It was a farewell dinner for the McMullins who love Indian food, so we went along peaceably.  (No mister nice guy in the future)  We attended a branch meeting in Kipushi today with all the senior couples including the McMullins.  This was the weakest branch we have attended and there was definitely a different spirit in the meetings.  All other branches and wards in Lubumbashi area are growing and have split but Kipushi has gone backwards.  There are baptisms there but people have stopped coming to church.  It seems obvious that it is the Branch President that is the problem.  He came late for Priesthood meeting and had no sacrament meeting program prepared. He had members of our party talk in sacrament meeting and no one else spoke.  

This probably sounds like a bit of a whiny letter, but the toughest thing from this past week was being out of touch with family.  Upon return from our trip, we had wanted to connect with the family but we experienced the worst week of connectivity yet.  We had no internet at our apartment most of the week until Friday.  We can’t explain it other than knowing we didn’t have internet in the evenings at home.  This means we can’t email, skype, facetime etc.  That seems to be better now and we’re grateful.  I have never been this IT dependent before in my life.  We are certainly glad we brought both of our computers and every other bit of technology available.  

We appreciate so much your emails, texts, pictures and phone calls or facetime calls.  Your correspondence keeps us connected and feeling a part of the extended family.  It’s rewarding to see you taking care of each other and playing, vacationing, boating and socializing with one another.  We love you and pray for you daily.

Love, Dad