December 14, 2014 - Shelley

December 14, 2014

After the week we had two weeks ago, this week has been very calm.  We’ve gotten caught up on some of the office work we do – and worked on getting ready to send several young missionaries home before the holidays.

We’ve really enjoyed keeping in touch with other senior missionary friends we have who are serving in various parts of the world.  Nancy and Barr Cannon, who are in New Zealand, recently wrote about how hard it is to get into the Christmas spirit when it’s summer in the Southern Hemisphere!  We can relate to that!  

Bonnie and Don McCauley, who are serving in Ukraine, told about their Primary Sacrament Meeting program and said how darling the children were.  We also witnessed a Primary Program, but it was in a ward that had been split from another ward the week before.  So this was the first Sunday that this group had met together!  An older child led the music (without accompaniment) and the children hopped right up and gave their parts without any prompting.  After tearing my hair out over several of these programs at home, I can’t imagine how they pulled it off!  Actually, one thing that is totally natural here kept us on our toes!  A well-endowed Primary teacher on the stand spent the entire meeting breast feeding her baby.  And I don’t mean with a cover-up!  It’s a very, very common occurrence everywhere we go – in all public places.  But it did seem a bit much for being on the stand in Sacrament Meeting!  We all stayed awake.  

Whoever invented the plastic chair made a fortune in Africa!  They are everywhere!  One really wonderful thing concerning chairs is happening this week.  Marriages that take place within a church aren’t officially recognized by the government.  Most people get married in the mayor’s office.  Well, couples who want to be sealed in a temple have to have a marriage that is recognized by the government.  The president of one of our stakes made arrangements to have 40 LDS couples (who were previously married at church) married in the government office.  These are people who are planning to be sealed in the Johannesburg Temple soon.  Now the chair part:  The cost of a government wedding is $70 AND A PLASTIC CHAIR!!  The president got a special rate for this group of only $35 – AND A PLASTIC CHAIR!  Isn’t that funny!?  But it’s a break-through!

Just like home, there are Christmas decorations in the stores – not nearly to the extent that we see at home, but we know the holiday is coming.  Recently we visited an orphanage with a very interesting Christmas decoration.  It must be for people who want to have all their bases covered!

Last night we were invited to a very nice dinner at the Hotel Karavia.  These were

all people that we have worked with in our projects.  President Tshibanda, on the far right, was the host.  Guests included Charles, who is over physical facilities for the Catholic Church – and the Bourgemeistre and his wife from Commune Annexe.  His wife is the fancy gal in the middle with a gold top.  My plain missionary clothes felt just like that – PLAIN!!  Oh, well.  It was a nice evening.

We had another invitation this week.  This one was about as opposite from that one as you can get – but it was very touching!  One of the two chiefs of the neighborhoods where the bridge was built invited us to his home.   His name is Daniel, and his home is very, very humble.  Daniel’s parents live with

them because his mother suffered a stroke.  (They have 70 grandchildren!!!!) Daniel has nine children and they live in a small home made of homemade bricks.  Here he is with his

wife and some of his children.  (Congolese people are not usually big smilers in pictures!)  And yes, the baby is wearing a wig.  I have no idea why.  There was really no agenda for the visit – we just sat and chatted (Steve was there to translate) and they served us Fanta Orange drinks.  Below is a picture of his daughter and her friend playing

dolls – very much the same as we might see our granddaughters doing.

All of the doll furniture and accessories were homemade from empty containers – and the dolls were white.

We have loved hearing about your Christmas programs and recitals.  This is such a very special time of the year – my favorite!  We also had a Christmas choir program – actually, we’re going to do it three times.  There are three stakes here in Lubumbashi.  Each one has a stake choir.  Sister Draper, one of the senior sisters, organized a program with the stake choirs and also a missionary choir.  The senior missionaries are the “token whites” in the missionary choir – we really stand out!  Anyway, we have had our “Chantons Noel” in the Katuba Stake yesterday and have the other two next weekend.  Christmas music sounds good in any language!

This week we have some family birthdays:  Ruby Roche, our granddaughter, turns nine tomorrow on Dec. 15th – and Nate’s birthday is on Friday, Dec. 19th!  Hugs and kisses to both!

I’m going to close with yet another picture of a darling child from church

today.  Judging by her teeth, I think she must be about 6 or 7 – she’s the Branch President’s daughter in Kipushi.  

We love you!  Have a wonderful, “last week of school for this year” week!

Much love,  Mom/Soeur Davis