May 31, 2015 - Shelley

May 31, 2015

It’s been another week of change.  Our mission lost 5 of its 15 senior missionaries!  Including President and Sister Thomas, there were 11 of us serving here in Lubumbashi, and there were two senior couples serving in Burundi.  Burundi is a small country bordering the DR Congo and is a part of our mission.  Sister Emma

Anthony finished her 18-month mission and left for home this week.   

Left to right:  Dr. Mikesell, Sister Mikesell, Clark, me, Sister Vance, Sister Thomas (peeking from behind), Sister Anthony, Sister Cook, President Thomas, Sister Draper, and Elder Draper.

In a previous letter, I think I mentioned about the political unrest in Burundi and that the young missionaries had been pulled out.  Well, the two senior couples wanted to stay, but as the violence increased, it was determined that they should leave.  By that time, the airport was closed.  After making a trial run to see if it was safe, a local church member drove the two senior couples for seven hours into Rwanda – then they flew to Johannesburg.  One couple decided to return home to the US and the other was reassigned to a different African mission.  So we’re down to ten senior missionaries, with no prospects on the horizon for replacements!  Anyone up for a tremendous adventure?!  I am 100% serious when I say that you would love it!

Our last week was spent getting Marcel, our new translator, oriented to our projects.  Steve has been wonderful to help him, but he starts his new job on June 1st.  Below is my able companion

with all three of our translators – Flavien, Steve, and Marcel.

The photo below shows a meeting of disgruntled villagers in the Kafubu Health Zone.  This is the place where we

trained 14 technicians to repair wells a few weeks ago.  The next step is for the villages to collect $300 to be put in a bank account for future repairs.  The church will pay 100% of the first repair.  It seems to be a hard concept for people to grasp.  This group of villagers have raised part of their money but won’t give it to the health zone to be put in the bank.  They don’t trust the health zone doctor or the bank!  Arghh!!!!

Another meeting for a different project was with a neighborhood chief and his family to tell them that their water project has been approved.  Their job now will be to dig the trenches for the water pipes.  Clark asked the chief’s wife if he could take her picture and she ran into her house and got gussied up in about two minutes!  She was a

really cute, talkative gal!

Clark charmed some other ladies in the village who were preparing food.  They were more reluctant to have a picture taken.

The dry season has arrived.  It seems like it rained nearly everyday during the rainy season – and then it just stopped.  We hear that it won’t rain again for about six months.  That means that it’s time for roof repair, among other things.

All along the village roads there are vendors selling grass to make new roofs on the huts.

We met with a lawyer this week to iron

out the final details on the Regideso water project.  

Another activity that is occurring during the dry season is roadwork – just like in the US!  The road in front of our old house was recently paved for the first time.  Stripes have been added to a few streets downtown.  This street below

still has tires to separate the lanes, but more and more streets are getting stripes.  Not that stripes really make a difference because driving is what you could call a “free-for-all” – kind of like the bumper cars at Lagoon.  Amazingly enough, we haven’t seen that many accidents.  Cars get in a jam quite often, but the speeds are slow and people just wangle their way around.  The rule seems to be that you can drive anywhere there’s a space – no matter what side of the road that space is on.  Everyone has to be a defensive driver, and it makes for quite a few “white-knuckle rides”!

We delivered our final batch of backpacks to an orphanage.  We have been to this all-girl home many times.  It’s run by nuns and is always very clean.  There are 30 girls ranging in age from 4 to 20 in this home.  This little cutie has her backpack and blue sucker and is

ready to rumble!

Undoubtedly our biggest news of the week was the arrival of Goldie Valentine Davis!!!  She is the daughter of our son Nate and his wife Laci.  We complain quite a bit about our lack of connectivity – but this week a real miracle occurred.  Almost as it happened, we were able to hear Goldie’s first cry through an audio transmission!  It was like being there!

I recently listened again to the talk given by Linda K. Burton on the Proclamation on the Family.  It made me realize once more how blessed I am to be a member of a church that values the family unit.  I’m grateful to have the privilege of being a mother and grandmother.   I can’t wait to give

some hugs and kisses to this little doll when we get home!

And Happy 8th Birthday this week to our grandson, Luke Muhlestein!!!!

Have a great week!  Love,  Mom/

G-ma/Soeur Davis