September 20, 2015 - Clark

Sunday, September 20, 2015

It was just last Sunday that we were watching the Tabernacle Choir broadcast with Kenneth and having him for dinner at our home.  Monday was spent in Likasi, a city of 400,000 located 120 kilometers from Lubumbashi.  Regideso engineer (Peter) was our tour guide.  Serge described this city as a Belgium city compared to Kasumbalesa which he called a Congolese city.  Likasi received the most beautiful city award for all of the Congo just a few years ago and Kasumbalesa is an armpit similar to Tijuana.  Likasi was very impressive with clean streets that were paved and sidewalks and curbs.  We had visited Likasi during the first month of our mission but we were still in the shock and awe stage where everything looked foreign and frightening.  Now is looked almost refined and so pleasant.  Regideso is proposing we help them with the addition of 12 new public water stations.  We visited almost every site as well as the source of water and two reservoirs.  The infrastructure is old but in the past, there was a lot of planning and thought that went into the development of this city as contrasted to Kasumbalesa where there seems to have been no thought given to any form of a development plan.  43% of the population in Likasi has access to clean drinking water compared to 4% for Kasumbalesa. (That number is 63% for Lubumbashi)

Tuesday we took Kenneth to the Regideso Director’s office for an exit interview.  The Director has never given us so much attention and time.  He had approved the travel plans for both Kasumbalesa and Likasi which committed his personnel and a vehicle for two full days; unheard of here.  After the interview, we took Kenneth to the airport for his flight and we had made arrangements to pick up the second vision equipment shipment that had arrived the day before.  We met Bosco from CETA and Andre from the Ministry of Health.  The warehousemen were prepared to make us pay before we ever realized our goal.  They look at cargo as a revenue source and everyone wants a piece of the action.  There are taxes, import fees, handling, storage, document preparation and those are only the one’s I could understand.  In the end we paid an additional $200 for handling and storage and Andre paid $50 for document preparation before we escaped with this precious cargo.  We took it directly to Sendwe Hospital where the director Andre Mwelwa met us with his staff who received and stored the 13 boxes safely on the surgical floor of the hospital with the microscope previously donated by the church.

Wednesday, we caught up on reporting and administrative matters in the office and prepared for Sharon Eubank and Phillip Moatlhodi’s visit.  They arrived at 12:00 on Thursday and left at 10:30 the next morning. We kept them as busy as time would allow.  Mom packed a lunch and we were off. Visits included:

• Quartier Congo where we met Serge who explained the Regideso project in 5 neighborhoods and also the background of Kasumbalesa and Likasi
• The market fire in Commune Kampemba where the construction crew from the church built two shelters for displaced vendors who had previously been located near the Lubumbashi Stake Center before their market was destroyed by fire
• Kamweneja School where we have provided materials for replacing the entire school’s roof and ceilings.  The project was almost a total restoration of a school that could have been bulldozed
• Katuba Regideso site where 3 public water fountains are being constructed.  The neighborhood had recently made major progress in digging their ditches for pipe installation.  
• Notre Dame School for Girls where we met with Therese, our Congolese Oprah.  She directs a school of 350 girls and teaches them homemaking skills (sewing and culinary arts) in addition to the regular curriculum.
• Kisanga General Hospital-we met with Delfin of Mukembe Building Services.  They have been our best contractor and they are just completing the water storage system where 20,000 liters of clean water storage will now be available 24 hours a day to support maternity and surgery.
• Katuba Bridge-our first project located near the Gecamine building.  The neighborhood still recognizes us and are always welcoming.
• GRAHPEE-a handicapped association-this is a failed project where we wanted to partner with them in improving their well.  They spent their match money on a 12 year anniversary party instead.
• Leadership meeting with 3 stake presidents and 2 relief society presidents and 2 bishops from each stake where Sharon conducted training.
• Finished at Lattelicious for dinner around 8:30

Friday we visited Sendwe Hospital to see the vision equipment and had another conference with the Regideso Director, came back to the mission home to introduce Sharon and then rushed off to the airport.  Sharon keeps this type of schedule on a regular basis, but we were wiped out.

Friday following the airport, we had arranged to meet Valentine, a journalist from the local TV station.  She and her cameraman have already completed two 30-minute TV segments on wheelchairs and vision and we wanted similar coverage for the Regideso project.  We visited all five neighborhoods and she developed human interest stories along the way by interviewing neighbors, health clinics, hospitals and taking film footage of children swimming in the local river.  Her father is a member of the church and she is definitely a friend of the church.  We capped the day off with a pizza party at the mission home with the other senior missionaries.

Saturday, Shelley spoke on leadership principles at the women’s leadership session of the Katuba Stake conference and in the evening we were invited to a “dinner for ten” a promotional dinner conducted by the Katuba Stake to develop better public relations.  They invited the principal of Kamweneja School and his wife as well as the female doctor in charge of Katuba General Hospital.  Today is their stake conference where we have been asked to bear our testimonies in a “farwell” capacity.  We were hoping to sneak out of town with no fanfare but Justin Mukuna wouldn’t allow it.

This week was the final week of our marathon finish.  We have been constantly on the go since mid-August with wheelchairs, vision, Kenneth, Sharon and Phillip.  We have enjoyed being totally consumed and “over-the-top” busy, but we have also looked forward to this time.   We found out this past week that the probability of Steve being able to attend the temple with our exact timing is remote due to all hoops he has to jump through.  We met with Justin, who works with church travel to schedule the travel.  We don’t have any confirmation yet but we said following Steve’s civil marriage on October 3rd, we would like to return home.  We’ll keep you posted with any news.  

Today mom and I were invited to speak in Katuba Stake Conference.  Mom talked about filling out our missionary papers and electing not to state a preference on location, language or assignment.  She said that she was happy that the Lord knows her better than she knows herself  because she could never have imagined such an assignment as Africa has provided.  Mom also taught a 30-minute leadership session to the presidencies of all women’s auxiliaries for the Katuba Stake yesterday.  Her talk became a 50-minute presentation and the audience grew from 30 at the beginning to over 90 at the conclusion.  She was famous today because all of the sisters congratulated her.  

I bore my simple testimony in French and then had President Thomas translate for me.  I told them some of the best advice I received from our first translator, Flavien Kot, was “when you’re in Africa, live in Africa”.  We have tried to do just that.  I shared two of the many things I have learned to love about the people:

1. I had President Thomas read D&C 25:12 and told them they have taught me to treasure that scripture.  We seldom know anything that is said in meetings but because of the music and their singing we always feel the spirit.  These members not only know the words to all the hymns, they have memorized the page numbers and can always tell me which page I need to look up.
2. I said I had learned service in a different light by examples from members of their stake.  When I look at Claudine, the choir director, I see her as a volunteer for the Operation Smile Obstetric Fistula Mission.  She didn’t volunteer for an hour, or a day or a week, but for six weeks.  I mentioned Marie who is the janitor at the seminary and institute building who spent her entire Saturday off volunteering at Kamweneja School cleaning all of the classrooms.  She worked so hard.  These people know the meaning of service and their efforts unparalleled in my limited experience.  I shared with them one of my favorite African sayings, “If you want to travel fast, go alone, if you want to travel far, go together”.  

We have enjoyed sharing our experiences with you throughout our mission.  Have a great week.

Love, Dad (Elder Davis)