March 29, 2015 - Shelley

March 29, 2015

I’m feeling a bit of nostalgia today.  Twenty-eight years ago today (also a Sunday), our youngest child, Andrew, was born.  The next day our daughter Emily celebrated her birthday and the 3 days later our daughter Lindsay had her birthday!  What a special week this has been every year since!  You can never have too much cake, I always say!  Happy Birthday to all of you!  XOXOXO

While our humanitarian work remains an exercise in patience, we had a really rewarding week with Operation Smile.  The ladies were operated on this week.  The patients will have to stay for another 3 weeks before they can go home, so we invested in some “projects” to help them pass the time.  The other senior sisters went with Clark and me to get them started.  We taught the gals how

to crochet with “plarn” – plastic bags that are cut into strips and then crocheted.  It was a huge success and is one thing that they can continue when they go home because there are plastic sacks in most places.  We showed them how to make purses, but there are lots of other uses.

We pooled our resources and had wooden frames made for each patient.  The RS ladies here use these as a kind of a loom.  There are about 20 nails pounded into each of the four sides.  Then they wind yarn back and forth to

make decorative pillow covers or small blankets (several tied together).  We bought enough yarn for them to make

several.  Steve’s mom and her friend came to be the instructors.  And the gals were all over this, too!  Most of them are starting to feel better and really needed something to help them pass the time.  Also, several of the patients are young teenagers who brought their mothers with them – and the mothers were excited to have a project to work on, too.  Steve knows a man who makes these frames, so we ordered them and then picked them up at the lumberyard.  I love the smell of wood being cut – so the lumberyard was another fun experience.  Not exactly like Home Depot!

It’s hard to see but there are huge hardwood logs being cut off to the right.  Anyway, the smell was great!

Also, Clark and Dr. Mikesell have made friends with a man who runs a small store downtown where they buy stale potato chips.  He’s Belgian and speaks English pretty well.  They told him about the OS ladies and he donated enough nail polish and lipstick for all of the patients.  I felt a bit nervous about the lipstick, but their reactions were almost like magic.  This is one of my favorite

pictures.  She is looking so wistful as she sees herself with lipstick on for the first time in her life.  Really beautiful!  You can just hear what’s her name from “West Side Story” singing – “I feel pretty, oh, so pretty . . .”  Below is one of the

church volunteers, Claudine, showing another patient how it’s done.

Painted nails were a hit, too.

Well, Operation Smile has once again been a wonderful experience for us.  They plan on coming back in July to do another cleft palate project.  We had a very sobering and touching moment when we arrived at the hospital yesterday.  The doctors and nurses arrived at the same time to do their rounds.  When the patients and their caregivers saw us all, they broke into dancing and singing.  But it was WHAT they were singing that made all of us filled with emotion.  The words were expressions of gratitude for helping them become whole again and to be accepted back into society.  The interpreter said that they said – “We lost our friends, we lost our families – and our only friends were the flies.”  Very sobering.

On a lighter note, Clark was able to sneak a photo of something you might consider for Sunday dinner.  It was in the freezer section at a local store.  Now,

I’ve heard that octopus can be quite delicious . . .  ☺  Let me know!  haha

Traditionally, we’ve had a family reunion each summer.  This year, however, our children and their families chose to have the annual reunion over Spring Break.  Spencer and Jacey’s family hosted the event in Santa Rosa, California – and it has been this weekend.  The time difference makes

things a little tricky, but here’s a picture of Clark enjoying a Face Time call from Spencer, Matt, and Mike.  He’s with our Congolese sons (and translators) Flavien and Steve.

In connection with the reunion, I was sitting in Sacrament Meeting when I received a text concerning a late-night game that was being played.  The adults were playing the Game of Things (a topic is given and everyone thinks of something in that category).  Anyway, the text was about the topic – “Things you shouldn’t say to your mother/father”.  They were having quite the funny time – and it was very hard not to break out laughing!  (Not that I was reading texts during church! Haha)  We felt so glad that technology allowed us to be connected to the fun!

I couldn’t end without one more OS picture.  Isn’t she adorable?!!!!

Well, I just can’t believe that it almost General Conference again.  We’re really looking forward to that!  Today was Palm Sunday, and we saw many people walking to their churches waving palm fronds.  There was even a transport van with palm fronds tied on the front!  This country is full of wonderful, religious-minded people!  Have a great week!

Love,  Mom/Soeur Davis

March 29, 2015 - Clark

Sunday, March 29, 2015

I thought I’d document our daily routine which never seems to be routine.  Arise at 6:30, exercise, shower, scriptures, breakfast and prepare for the day to drive to the mission office by 8:00.  Spend half of the day, morning or afternoon with Steve Mutombo, our translator, visiting current projects, partners or potential beneficiaries.  The other half of the day is spent in organizing, planning, calling and documenting what we are working on.  We usually complete our work around 5:30 and return home before 6:00 to go walking with Elder Vaun Mikesell.  We walk for 30-45 minutes while Shelley unwinds and prepares dinner.  We then have dinner and wash dishes until 8:00.  We purchased a French language training program called Fluenz from the Clawsons, which we study until 9:30.  To end the day we usually watch some program to unwind.  Thus far we have tried Master Chef New Zealand, The Amazing Race and most recently, Larkrise to Candleford.  Our video entertainment was provided by the Clawsons, veterans at missionary preparation and service.  We go to bed around 11:00 and begin again the following day.

The evening hours seem quite restrictive because we are not supposed to be out beyond dark.  It turns dark around 6:30-7:00.  For security reasons, almost every residence has a wall around it which is guarded 24/7.  I understand the guards make $4-5 a day.  Most compounds have razor wire atop the compound walls.  In some ways it feels like a self-imposed prison and for someone who is used to being outside working in the yard or flower beds, it begins to close in on you if you dwell on it.  You forget about it after a while but I did want to remember some of these impressions.

Our week was eventful and I’ll provide a thumbnail sketch of all projects except for Operation Smile.  

1. Katimel orphanage and Peage School received their treadle sewing machines.  They were delighted but we’ll have to see if they put them to good use.  Peage has to sew school uniforms and Katimel is working together with Therese from Notre Dame to teach the girls how to sew.
2. Muslim orphanage completed all of their cleaning and painting in preparation for receiving their bunk beds.   We were pleasantly surprised at how much better everything looked with a little elbow grease and some paint.  We should deliver the beds on April 6th.
3. Vision-Dr. Jesse Hunsaker continues to be a dream to work with in preparation for submitting our PDW.  We supplied him the equipment lists and all contact information.  We also visited the Ministry of Health to obtain their consent to provide an exemption from import fees, duties and taxes.  Dr. Eric, who is in charge, is gone for 2 months, so we talked with his replacement, Dr. Oswald.  Things are looking good for this fall to have a vision project.
4. Enoch’s Tabacongo well development-met with members of the Kampemba Health Zone and neighborhood chiefs, worked on developing a memorandum of understanding regarding each parties responsibilities.
5. Water projects-Steve and Sheryl Bailey were scheduled to visit us the first week in April.  They are water specialists who were to review and approve our 3 pending project proposals.  Long story short, they are not coming because they do not have visa clearance.  We’re dependent upon Kenneth Mofokeng once again and are in a continual holding pattern.

Now I’d like to share our most memorable experiences from the week which surrounded Operation Smile.  We have been responsible for providing volunteers for registration, translation, delivery of 3 meals a day, transporting patients to and from surgery and in general becoming an advocate for the patients.  The patients are from  Kamina and Mulongo, which are two villages that speak Tshiluba rather than French or Swahili.

We had a wonderful time just being with the patients and taking pictures and recording them singing and dancing the previous Saturday.  During this past week, all of the surgeries were performed and we felt they would need something to take their minds off their recovery.  We decided on a weaving project requiring looms and yarn and a crocheting project requiring hooks and plastic bags.  It was almost an afterthought but we decided to purchase nail polish and lipstick as well.

It sounds so easy to just go down to Walmart and pick up all of those supplies, but here it was a weeklong procurement process.  The looms had to be constructed from scratch; we contacted the local lumber yard and negotiated for 44 frames and picked them up in 3 days.  The yarn was a challenge.  Whenever they see white people coming, the price can double.  At our first store, the price was 10,000 francs per package and after three additional stops and a visit to the Kenya market, we purchased them for 5,500 francs per package.  We purchased 40 packages.

The finger nail polish and lipstick acquisition was another tender mercy.  We went looking for a few containers because they can cost $3-4 each.  Elder Vaun Mikesell and I frequent a local grocery store where we buy snacks (5-10 bags of potato chips at a time).  The store owner is from Belgium and when we asked him about nail polish, he said, oh I can give you those bottles.  There were only 4 or 5 bottles on display and when I told him what their intended use was, he had his store clerk go in the back room and return with a nail polish bottle and a lipstick for every patient, plus some extras.  He said he wanted to help.  We took some pictures of the activity and can hardly wait to return and show him the happiness his gift brought to the ladies at the hospital.

Steve has had about 8 regular volunteers helping during the week.  They are mostly returned missionaries and two YSA sisters.  The sisters took care of the nails and lipstick, while the RM’s assisted with the looms and weaving.  Steve’s mother and another RS sister also came to assist with the training.  The senior sisters: Anthony, Vance and Draper came to help with the crocheting project.  The patients and their guardians took to the projects like naturals and were having fun in no time.  We spent almost 4 hours with them.  They seemed so pleased and appreciative.  The Operation Smile staff was also relieved that there was an activity to occupy their time with something non-medical.  

We had a moving experience when we entered the hospital ward housing the patients.  The OS doctors came at the same time as our volunteer crew.  The patients had organized a song for us and welcomed us with their singing.  It is somewhat like a chant where everyone knows the chorus but there is a chanter that sings the words between the chorus lines.  The message of the song was translated for us and they said, “we thank you for the food, the clothing, the surgeries and your friendship, before we were outcasts, having lost friends and family; our only friends were the flies”.  It was very moving and not many dry eyes among the visitors.  

Last October, for the closing ceremonies and dinner at Grand Karavia on Saturday night, we invited the local priesthood leaders.  This time we invited Steve’s team members who had provided all of the volunteer work.  For two weeks they have been at the hospital every day except Sunday, with no pay, no transport money, and precious little recognition other than friendships established with each other and the patients.  Of the 8, two received job offers during their service and both attributed their good fortune to their volunteer service.  In a country with 90% unemployment, job offers are not an everyday occurrence.  I know they have been blessed for their service and anyone who visited the patients came away well rewarded for whatever sacrifice was theirs.  Operation Smile has been a highlight experience both times and we look forward to their return for another cleft campaign in July.  

Just a couple of additional random notes.  Likasi District Conference held last weekend had nearly 1,800 members in attendance or 81% of the District registered membership.  Compare that to stake conference at home.  Lindsay and Mike had referred a prospective humanitarian couple to us and representatives from the Southeast Area office called them to visit about Kinshasa, DRCongo and Uganda.  It turns out that they had submitted their mission application form 4 weeks earlier and it was too late in the process to tag them for Africa.  Thanks for the referral, we just need to catch them earlier next time.  President Ferry, I expect to hear from the Brigham City West Stake prospective senior missionary couples.    

Love, Dad (Elder Davis)

March 22, 2015 - Shelley

March 22, 2015

What a good week!  We were able to communicate with all of our children and many friends this week – and it has been such a boost of encouragement to us!  You are all such a blessing in our lives!

Well, I think we all have at times felt like we were standing among giants, figuratively speaking.  And this happened to us this week.  Clark and I were invited to attend the organizing meeting for Operation Smile.  This campaign is a pilot program for them, as it is a deviation from repairing cleft palates and lips.  Many women of Africa and other developing countries face grim circumstances when it comes to medical care when delivering babies.  As I spoke of last week, the patients for this pilot program are all suffering from obstetric fistulas and have been here for about a week.  This time has been spent in trying to build their strength for surgery.  The doctors and nurses arrived at the end of the week, and surgery begins today.

About 30 men and women, each with an expertise and willingness to serve, met to discuss the schedule for the coming week.  I was simply awestruck at their qualifications and their dedication to use those talents to benefit the needy.  Most of them have been on many, many OS campaigns.  Most of the doctors and nurses didn’t know each other.  Most were from the United States and Africa.  We listened to one doctor from a rural village tell how he is so grateful to be able to learn from these experienced doctors and to finally be able to help the women in his village.   Other than performing surgeries, the doctors and nurses will train local medical personnel.  The long-range dream is to take the Sendwe Hospital, which is a dying dinosaur but was once magnificent, and turn it into a fistula hospital.  There are currently two other fistula hospitals in Africa, one in Ethiopia and the other in either Ghana or Uganda – can’t remember.

The photo above shows the run-down conditions of the outside and the inside is just the same – kind of like an old, black and white, scary movie.  There is a capacity for 1,200 beds, but only 600 are there now – and very few of those are being used.  The great news is that a completely new operating suite was donated recently.  OS was the first to use it last fall when they were here.

This looks very out-of-place – so much so that it’s almost surreal when you see it.

We had a fun experience when we took the three senior sisters with us to visit the patients.  

Sister Vance who is from Canada is such an outgoing, fun gal!  The ladies were fascinated with her long hair.  She was a good sport to let them braid it.

They were also interested in Clark’s LACK of hair and he had a good time teasing with them!

Of course, all of this was done without speaking a single word that anyone could understand.  Most of the village ladies speak Tshiluba (sp?) – and our French didn’t help with anyone except one OS nurse from France.  Even that was very SKETCHY!!!! Haha

We’ve been studying our French in the evenings using a program on the computer called Fluenze.  It’s helped us a lot, but someone told us that the only way to really learn is to speak it.  SOOO- I got really brave one day last week.

We took Odette (school director) and her daughter Mire shopping for school uniform fabric.  Their school will be receiving sewing machines as a part of one of our projects – and their “buy-in” is to make uniforms for their students who can’t afford them.

Anyway, while at the store, I saw some fabric I needed for a little “P-day” project I’m working on.  So I told the clerk in my very best French that I wanted one meter of this fabric.  He gave me a funny look and promptly put the bolt of fabric back on the shelf!!!  So much for that.  Haha     C’est la vie!

In project news, eight of the bunk beds were delivered to Fifi’s orphanage.  The

mattresses for them sure reminded me of “The Princess and the Pea”.  Fifi and the girls were so appreciative!

We ate out at the zoo restaurant with Dr. and Sister Mikesell, and Sisters Vance, Anthony and Cook.  Yummy!

March is a big birthday month in our family.  Our son-in-law Scott (Emily’s husband) has a birthday on the 26th –  Happy Birthday, Scooter!!!!  

I wanted to end with a picture of this beautiful woman who is awaiting surgery this week.  She is so radiant and lovely.  We are being blessed in so many ways by living among such humble, courageous, faithful people!  Enjoy the week!  We love you!    Love,  Mom/Soeur Davis

p.s.  Welcome home, Cannons!!!!!  We will really miss your weekly letters!  We are so very proud of you!

March 22, 2015 - Clark

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

It’s amazing how your perspective changes while on a mission. I have become a real fan of the Tabernacle Choir and as mom would say, Sunday music has become a priority.  It keeps us in touch with Emily and we really look forward to our ritual at the mission home where we watch Music and the Spoken Word with the other senior missionaries.  I’m sure Jason Maraz and Katie Perry will still be there when we return, but for now MOTAB rules. We are sorry not to be following them on their upcoming tour to the East Coast but expect detailed reports from Scott and Emily.

A year ago I was in Spokane, Washington, with my good friend, Trevor Christensen, watching the NCAA tournament.  My friends at Davis and Bott have kept me in touch with March Madness through the office pool and believe it or not, this is the first time u-tube has worked in months, so I can watch the highlights and game summaries.  That has been a fun tradition and yet I imagine the events of Africa will be much more difficult to duplicate.

I know I’m in danger of losing you with a project or activity update but I need to track these events as this is my only form of journal:

1. Katimel is our all-girls orphanage.  We had 8 bunk beds delivered from Ruashi to Katimel which is in Commune Katuba.  A church member, Prince, who owns a transport van, stuffed everything into his van for delivery.  When we arrived about 18:00, the power was out and so we couldn’t assemble the beds.  Prince returned the following morning and worked with Fifi, the Catholic nun director, in assembling all of the beds.  The girls were elated to receive new beds and new bedding.
2. Justin Mukulay is the welder who has made the beds.  He was painting them green as Prince arrived 3 hours late to pick up the beds.  He had not had power at his home workshop, so he rented a place in downtown  Ruashi that had power to complete the 8 beds.  We have 12 more bunk beds and 6 single beds to collect.   Justin’s family has loved to have us come because we have taken pictures of his wife and children and returned with copies for their family.   We also took Justin to the Muslim Orphanage and reminded him how grateful he should be for his family.  They are not members, but should be, they’re great.
3. Muslim Orphanage-the female directors had been benefiting personally from our contributions, so their leaders stepped in and have taken over.  We delivered painting supplies for them to paint the orphanage before we deliver their beds.
4. Peage School is probably the poorest school we have visited in all of Lubumbashi.   They have 300-400 students and only charge 2,500 francs a month in tuition (less than $3)  Most schools are 5 times that amount and the good schools are 20 times.  Odette is the director and her daughter, Mire, is a teacher.  We took the two of them shopping for fabric and notions to sew school uniforms.  Most of their afternoon students don’t have their own uniform.  We are providing the school 10 treadle machines and their buy-in is to make school uniforms that they can sell to these destitute students at a discounted price, the money to be used for the school.  When they complete the uniforms, we will deliver 5 electric sewing machines and two embroidery machines.  Shopping was educational and they are much better negotiators than the white foreigners.
5. Tumaini is an orphanage in Ruashi where we are in the process of providing 100 desks for their school.  The school’s tuition is used to support the orphanage.  Ruashi Mining is completing 4 classrooms the school built 2 years ago.   We took pictures of the desks that had been delivered and tried to make contact with Ruashi Mining to have a joint ceremony to turn over ownership of the classrooms and desks to Tumaini.  We also visited a bundles store looking for used back packs.  The owners are almost all Eastern Indian and half of them are named Ali.  We want to provide back packs to all of the orphans at the 3 orphanages we are working with.
6. Vision Project-Dr. Jesse Hunsaker from Logan is our specialist and has directed us on what needs to be done to import equipment to 3 clinics in Lubumbashi: Saint Yvonne, Lubumbashi University Ophthalmology Clinic and Sendwe Hospital.  We spent time trying to gather all of the requested equipment lists and working with the Ministry of Health to obtain a tax and duty exemption.
7. Water Projects-Steven and Sheryl Bailey are our specialist.  They live in South Ogden and their daughter used to live across the street from Emily.  They plan on visiting us the first week in April but they don’t have a visa.  We have spent a lot of time trying to obtain a visa which should have been done by the church travel department before they left.  They may not be able to enter the country.  We’ll give you an update.   
8. Operation Smile-I saved the best for last.  We have gained a great respect for their humanitarian work and would love to continue that relationship even after our mission.  They are conducting a pilot program for obstetric fistulas and will perform over 40 surgeries.  They bring their medical team and we are providing the volunteers.  There are two 20-member wards where the women are staying.  We have loved visiting the patients, taking pictures of them dancing, singing, doing hair and socializing.  We have really been made to feel a part of their success this time and those who volunteer are changed by working with these patients.

We found time to celebrate Shelley’s birthday with facetime with the family and I bought some pastries and ice cream from La Brioche, our local bakery. We also went to dinner at the Zoo Restaurant, but mom’s favorite gift was time on Saturday for her to sew.  She made herself a new purse, but I’m afraid this will only whet her appetite.  We have been blessed over the years with her love for sewing.  Grandma Edie probably deserves recognition for this.  The new debate is Bernina or Viking upon her return.  She had to borrow the mission’s electric sewing machine because she gave her treadle machine to Tabu Farah, the leader of the handicapped community.  

One interesting tidbit is that our mission according to Elder Draper, President Thomas’ executive secretary, has been the top baptizing mission in the world for the last two months.  I’ll try to get the statistics to share with you in the future.  We’re excited for Barr and Nancy Cannon’s return home from New Zealand.  We’ve loved receiving their letter and will miss them.  Don and Bonnie McCauley, our friends from Northwestern Days in Chicago, have completed their first year in Ukraine.  Bonnie’s letters are a weekly morale boost.  We were so lucky to reconnect with them before leaving on our missions.  

Thank you for all your efforts to connect with us this past week to wish Shelley a Happy Birthday.  It was almost enough for me to decide to join Facebook.  However, it would be more difficult to age quietly and unnoticed.  I like the verse from Abraham 2:8, “My name is Jehovah, and I know the end from the beginning: therefore my hand shall be over thee.”  We  have definitely felt that this past week.  Bon Semaine (Have a good week)

Dad (Elder Davis)

March 20, 2015 - Lubumbashi Update

Clark Davis <clarkdavis@davisbott.com>	3/22/15
to monica.d.chamb., sbroche, spence.davis, ndavis45, me, matthew.davis.., andy

An email I sent to Elder Cook, our Area President, who is from West Warren by Ogden.  I just wanted to kee track of these emails.  Dad

From: LumbumHum [mailto:LumbumHum@ldschurch.org]
Sent: Friday, March 20, 2015 8:34 AM
To: Clark Davis Forward; Clark Davis
Subject: FW: Lubumbashi Update

From: LumbumHum
Sent: Friday, March 20, 2015 5:24 PM
To: Carl B. Cook
Subject: Lubumbashi Update

Elder Cook,

I apologize for not acknowledging your email sooner.  We do appreciate the concern you have expressed for us.  It’s ironic but as I was beginning my response I received your update request.   I want to be respectful but  honest.  People have certainly reached out to us since sending out our help signal.  Phillip has called, Jamie Glenn wrote to us regarding immunization work that can be done locally, Steven Bailey, a short-term water specialist has been very understanding.  They served in Rwanda and Burundi and are trying to come and visit us in Lubumbashi to assist with our water project proposals.

We have thrown ourselves into the projects we do have control over.  Currently we are working with Operation Smile on a pilot program for obstetric fistulas.  We are providing volunteers from the three local stakes in assisting 40 patients scheduled for surgery this next week.  We have also been busy working with Dr. Jesse Hunsaker who lives in Logan and is a short-term specialist for vision projects. He has identified 3 Lubumbashi ophthalmology clinics where we are obtaining prioritized listings of needed operating room and examination room equipment.

My concern is for the last seven months of our mission.  We are approved to be involved in two of the five major initiatives excluding water.  They are vision and wheelchairs.  Timing for these two projects is anticipated as follows:

1.       Vision-once the equipment lists are obtained and we obtain an MOU with the Ministry of Health to provide the consignee and an exemption from import fees and taxes, we will have nothing to do until the projected September arrival date of Dr. Hunsaker.

2.      Wheelchairs-nothing to do until the projected arrival date of the wheelchairs, perhaps August.  The Dows are the specialist who will come.

As I mentioned in my previous email, we have already spent 80% of our current year allotment for local area initiatives and the major initiatives will not require much of our time.  This leaves water.  My conclusion several months ago was that water should be our focus and yet we still have not had a single project approved.  The approval process has been painful as we have been caught in a major program shift with all control vested in SLC. It feels like the scope, focus and funding of all humanitarian work has shifted from the field to headquarters.  We are on call but not on task.   

We were hoping to build momentum while gaining humanitarian experience.  I envisioned it like serving as a young missionary and obtaining a knowledge of the language and the people and the last six months of your mission would be the best.  I hold out hope that that can still be the case. 

Don’t get me wrong, my wife and I are happy.  We love the people, the missionaries, the other seniors, the members and the humanitarian work.  It just feels we could do so much more. We may not change the country or Lubumbashi but this experience is changing us for the better.  We will continue to lose ourselves in the work that is available for us to do and serve in the role as defined by the area office. 

With highest regard,

Elder Davis

Lubumbashi

P.S.  I’ll attach our progress report sent to Phillip as of March 16^th which describes our local area initiatives which should be completed within 30-45 days.

From: Carl B. Cook
Sent: Sunday, March 15, 2015 3:47 PM
To: LumbumHum
Subject: RE: 2015 budget for Lubumbashi

Dear Elder and Sister Davis,

I hope you have had a nice Sunday thus far.  Today Sister Cook and I participated in a sharing time in one of the branches and really liked it.  I could get used to that.

Let me give you an update on what I have done since receiving your email.  Elder Ellis serves as the chairman of the Area Welfare Committee and David Frischknecht, as you know is our Director of Temporal Affairs which includes oversight of the humanitarian program.  I have written an email to both Elder Ellis and David asking them for a recommendation on what we can do to help.    I know they are both working on it.  We have also set up some meetings with the Humanitarian team in SLC when we return in 2 weeks for conference.  We will also be meeting with the Presiding Bishopric.  So, we know we need to make some adjustments and tuning.  Unfortunately, it may take some time to sort and to align.  We hope we can see some improvement quickly. 

So, please know that I am very appreciative of our email and expressing your concerns.  It helps see what is happening on the ground.  I believe in the coming days, and weeks, we will see improvement.  I certainly hope so.  

Please know that I am praying for you and Sister Davis.

Love ya!

Carl Cook

Update from Lubumbashi – 3/16/15

1.  Islamique Du Congo Orphelinat – WE15COD0003  -  We have 12 bunk beds that have been made.  24 mattresses have been delivered to the orphanage.  We have bought enough paint for 3 bedrooms. We are waiting for clearance to deliver the beds and paint from the Ministry of Social Affairs who gave the directors an ultimatum to clean up this facility or they won’t receive anything.

            

2.  Tumaini Orphanage - We have substituted this location for the placement of 100 desks with the Institut Maisha Karavia.  Maisha Karavia was unable to complete their part of our agreement to pay 50% of the cost of 400 desks.  They bought 50 desks, and we provided 100 desks to them – thus, complying with our agreement to provide 50% of the desks.  

Tumaini Orphanage runs a school.  The tuition from the school funds the orphanage.   The school added four new classrooms, and Ruashi Mining Company agreed to do all of the finish work to make the rooms ready for students – plastering the outside, installing bars on the windows, pouring a cement floor, painting the walls, and providing a door to each classroom.

As of last week, the desks have been delivered and are being stored at the orphanage.  Ruashi Mining still needs to paint the rooms and add the doors.  We were told by the director of Tumaini that Ruashi is also going to construct a security fence around the school.  Upon completion, we will have a closing ceremony to also give recognition to Ruashi Mining Company.

              

This photo shows the front of three of the Tumaini classrooms that are near completion.

  These are part of the 100 desks that are stored in the orphanage.  They were made by Maison des Jeunes.

3.  Katimel Orphanage – WE15COD0004 – We have 8 bunk beds that have been made for Katimel Orphanage.  The plan is to have them delivered this week.  The 16 mattresses have already been delivered there.  In addition, 5 treadle sewing machines will be sent there in two weeks.  The director is planning on going shopping with us to buy school uniform fabric.  Therese, the director from Notre Dame, has arranged to go to Katimel over the Easter school break to give some basic sewing lessons to the girls.

4.  Centre de Formation Socio-Professionnel Source de Vie don de Dieu (Peage School) – WE15COD0002 – We have arranged for 10 treadle sewing machines to be delivered within the next two weeks.  The director is going shopping with us this Thursday to buy school uniform fabric, white shirts, and notions.  Our agreement is that the school will make 20 school uniforms (for their students who cannot afford a uniform).  When they have complied with this part of the agreement, we will deliver 5 electric sewing machines and 2 embroidery machines.

5.  Kamweneja School – WE15COD001 -  We have given a vendor form to Ets Tout Est Grace in order to establish a business where we can buy the tins and ceiling tiles for the Kamweneja School.  The owner has yet to complete the form, but we keep asking for it.  ☺  Buying lumber to make trusses in the ceiling is still an unresolved issue as yet.  We have been told that lumber comes from Zambia and that there is a restriction on how much lumber can cross the border right now, so supplies are low.  We will need to use our cash working fund to buy this if and when lumber comes in because none of these vendors have bank accounts – it’s cash only.