April 19, 2015 - Clark

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Although it seems we are continually striving for approval of our projects as if we have nothing to do, it is amazing how full each of the days can become.  We had some unusual events this past week.  I have droned on and on about the Regideso project.  It is the largest and most significant project we have proposed.  It is designed in partnership with Regideso, who is the water utility here in DRC.  They are a monopoly and yet they have no money.  They are currently working with World Bank who is upgrading and extending their major trunk lines.  Our project would piggyback on their efforts by tying into the main lines and extending the water lines to smaller neighborhoods not on the World Bank Plan.  We have been working on the development of this project since October, 2014.  We have had every major player from Johannesburg welfare department visit including the DTA, the Area Welfare Manager and the water specialist.  We have endured major changes in personnel both in Johannesburg and Salt Lake City and yet have felt we were promised this project would be approved.

March 23rd was the final time Phillip Moatlhodi had promised us it would be approved by the end of the week, only to hear nothing.  He again promised us it would happen around April 7th.  Well on April 15th of all days, we received an email from Phillip saying that the head of water worldwide for the church, Brett Bass, had been reassigned and he would be speaking with the new director, Del Brady, in a couple of weeks.  It just felt like we were starting all over again.  Well, since I was already at wit’s end, I fired off an email to Steven Bailey, a short-term specialist, who had previously been assigned to our project but he and Phillip had had a falling out.  I asked Elder Bailey if he could help.  He has intervened and worked with us this past week in finalizing the submission of the proposal.  He has the ear of Del  Brady and told us it will be approved. (It may take a week to a month, but it will happen)  We haven’t had to courage to tell Phillip yet; we’ll let him find out when he calls Del Brady in a couple of weeks.  Long story short, Steven Bailey has rescued not only the Regideso project, but the Davis couple from the brink.  

We remain occupied with other smaller short-term projects.  We spent part of the week preparing for a week of training for 12 pump repair technicians from the Kafubu Health Zone.  We had to locate a trainer, make arrangements for meals and transportation and purchase tools, replacement parts and develop the training itinerary.  Obviously we used local people to complete these tasks and we look forward to this week’s activities.  There are 68 wells in the health zone which are broken that need to be repaired.  Our objective isn’t to repair wells, but to train local people in how to repair and maintain their own pumps while developing a system of charging for water where the money can be used for future repairs.  It seems so elementary but the entire country waits for outside help.  In many cases, aid has spoiled the people rather than rescued them.

Kamwenja is a local high school we are helping.  They had requested new desks, but their roofing was in such poor repair that any investment in desks would have been wasted.  We decided to assist them in repairing the roof.  We can’t participate in construction but we can buy supplies if they perform the work.  Our plan is to remodel 6 classrooms.  We ordered the roofing tins and ceiling tiles through approved vendors but no lumber yards would accept anything other than cash.  We went to the lumber yard this past week.  I should say, we took the two installers and Steve to the lumber yard.  They told us they would have difficulty negotiating the best prices if they had white people with them.  We dropped them off and waited for 90 minutes down the street from the lumber yard.  

We have probably mentioned a vision project we are working on for September.  The church has approved sending examination room and operating room equipment to three eye clinics here in Lubumbashi.  Sainte Yvonne’s is one of those clinics.  They approached us a couple of weeks ago about using our three stake centers to host screening events for the detection of cataracts.  We organized it through the stakes and there were over 300 individuals screened this past week with about 30 cases detected for further evaluation and potential operations.  

We have had a good week with Peage School representatives.  They are an extremely poor school.  We have a project to give them 10 treadle sewing machines, 5 electric machines and 2 embroidery machines.  Their buy-in was to make approximately 300 school uniforms from fabric and notions we have provided.  We weren’t quite sure they would keep their end of the bargain, so we withheld all but the treadle machines and told them we would deliver based upon their performance.  They called us this past week.  They had already completed 130 girl’s uniforms since our previous shopping trip.  We delivered the electric machines and went on   our second shopping trip for the final fabric, shirts and notions.  They have caught the vision and I’m sure they will complete the final uniforms.

This is the first April 15th in 36 years that I haven’t been at Davis and Bott preparing tax returns.  I miss the staff and the clients after that many years of relationship development.  They become some of my closest friends.  I have truly been blessed to have an occupation and that association with people that has made my work life memorable in so many pleasant ways.  Our mission president’s wife asked me how long I had been retired before we left on our mission.  I told her I haven’t retired yet, I’m just taking a sabbatical.  I do enjoy work and will always need an office to go to.

Our translator, Steve Mutombo, is interviewing for employment with the church tomorrow.  We are hoping for his sake that he is successful.  He needs full-time employment to support his future family.  He and Matild have set their Johannesburg Temple date of October 17, 2015.  We have mixed feelings about the prospects of looking for a new translator.  Steve is part of the team and has such good common sense and uncommon judgment for one so young (25).  We’ll keep you posted.  Have a great week.

Dad, (Elder Davis)