DINNER WITH MISSIONARIES AND SARAH KESSLER, US GOVERNMENT OSAC ADMINISTRATOR

Before the guests arrive.

Happy guests. Sarah Kessler at the far end, President and Sister Cook foreground. By now you should know the others. We met Sarah through Church Security. She supervises Overseas Security Advisory Council, a collaboration between the US Government and private sector to share security information around the world. The Church is the most active participant in Africa. She will give a lecture Monday. We were asked to meet with her on Friday. Dinner was lamb, green salad, roasted potatoes, gravy, creamed corn, fruit plate, bean dish, and carrot cake. Everyone contributed.

Conversation underway.

After dessert, Carrot Cake by Sister Moon.

More conversation.

President and Sister Cook.

Party is over.

Sarah and us after dinner.

CONCERT COLOGNE SYMPHONY AND KIMBANGUISTE SYMPHONY COMBINED

Walking toward the open air theater for the symphony concert. The history museum in the background.

We walked past the statue of King Leopold of Belgium who ruled the Congo as his private domain until forced to cede it to the state because of abuses.

Stanley, the intrepid Congo River explorer whose trading station located on this hill overlooking the river in Kinshasa.

At the tree lined entrance way to the theatre. Buy your popcorn and drinks at the right.

We were there.

The Mormon contingent. We arrived an hour early, for a concert that started an hour late, this is Africa after all.

We enjoyed the rehearsal prior to the concert.

Waiting. Some read, some....

Slept.

From my seat.

A good crowd arrived for the show.

The end. The concert was sponsored by the French and German Embassies to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Elysee Treaty which officially established peace between the two countries. The French Ambassador was unable to attend, the German Ambassador, speaking passable French, dedicated the evening to them both. A combined orchestra made up of part of the Kimganguist Symphony and Cologne Symphony. It was a wonderful night of Mozart and Beethoven. We were out late though, arriving back at the apartment a minute before 22h00.

WEEK -- JULY 15-21 2013 TEMPLE SITE, NTUMBA VISIT-NGABA, NEW TRUCK, ETC.

Kinshasa Temple site. Kinshasa Stake Center and Seminary and Institute buildings to the right.

Panorama of the temple site.

Frere Ntumba, his wife, one grandson, the Moons in front of his home under repair. Walls were sinking. Last time we were there they had not begun work. It should be done or at least roofed before the rainy season in September.

Ntumbas and us.

They are living in this little room in the corner of their compound.

Inside the one room temporary shelter.

Sister Ntumba.

Inside the temporary living quarters.

The Moons.

View of the rubble filled courtyard -- the trusses and gravel for concrete to the right and foreground, rubble from wall demolition in the background.

Kinshasa by night from our ninth floor roof. It was Bastille day, but we missed the fireworks that went off from time to time during the night.

The new truck, Toyota Hilux.

Ready to load up and drive away. Notice the cover over the truck bed. It will be replaced by a shell in the near future. We see these covers on vehicles used as transports, benches installed in the bed for paying passengers. Maybe we could make a few CF until they get around to installing the shell (canopie). 

Somebody recommended this restaurant so we stopped by to look at the menu. It is located at the back of ShopRite's parking lot, across from the GB Stake Center/Temple site.

KIMBANGUISTE - HANDICAP CHOIR - BUS RIDE - ETC.

Today we rode the new buses. They went into service on 30th of June, independence day. The Moons joined us. We had a great trip for about an hour to the end of the Boulevard and back, about 10 miles round trip. The people were delightful, and we made some friends.

View forward. We took the Kitambo Magasin line, a mid sized bus that makes a circuit down and back to the stop outside our building. It goes right by the Mission Offices.

The driver and an Evangelical Preacher whom we befriended, and who preached a fifteen or twenty minute sermon on the return ride to a full bus, reaping a few donations, amens, and hand claps, all recorded on video. Quite an experience.

Ticket seller on the left, the controller who enters the bus at the turn around point to record arrival time and departure time. The man in red is the ticket taker who checks all tickets. If caught without a ticket, the offender pays 2500 cf, the price of five tickets, and could be arrested.

The preacher and the preacher.

The Moons, Sue and the bus driver.

The controller and the ticket taker.

The preacher exhorting the audience.

View of the building housing Patachoux, a favorite pastry shop for some, next to Chez Victoire, perhaps the largest bread store in Kinshasa. This is the landmark for turning toward the walking loop by the river and embassy row.

Bus stop in the distant background, on the opposite side of the road.

Street vendor in the road. There are many at every stop.

Modified moto. The handicapped rider modified it to a three wheel scooter. He was a participant at the handicapped choir that we attended. They meet at St. Anne's next door to our apartment building. 

This is the owner of  the three wheel scooter. He sat beside us at the devotional that takes place prior to the choir practice. Didier's wife is handicapped and participates in the choir.

Cute little girl that smiled and Sue and blew a kiss and her mom at the choir practice. Practices occur out of doors at the back of the Church.

As usual, children love to be photographed with the mundeles.

Another photo with Sue.

The choir assembled after the devotional, about half the size of the entire congregation that comes for the devotional.

This the only accompaniment for the choir. The eleven year old tom tom drummer was phenomenal. I have the video to prove it.

This little boy sitting next to Sue, could not help drumming along with his hands on the chair he placed before him.

A view of some of the choir and a few children of choir members. There are thousands of these three wheel chairs around the city.

This is Didicr's wife, with the grey hat.

A view of the sky line from our seats. The man in the foreground is the choir director.

I thought the construction of this wheel chair was interesting. Recycled motorcycle wheels and pieces of scrap metal make up the frame. There was one chair with our Church's logo on it as a gift. We will do another wheel chair donation soon.

This the drummer. He has a confident and serene expression, and incredible rhythm.

We love their smiles.

And we love their hairdos.

Everybody wants to be photographed.

Didier, Sue, and Didier's Wife.

Olivier with his class of employment seekers.

We unexpectedly were invited to attend a Kimbanguist celebration for the 20th anniversary of the death of Armand's father who is revered because they descend from the founder.

We were the subject of much curiosity, as were they for us. Music plays a very large and a very loud part of their services. Everyone marches down the center aisle to the rhythm of the band, most leaving donations in boxes placed on two chairs in the aisle. You can see them after the procession on the ground on the right of the photo.

We were seated a few feet from the painfully loud brass band. They play with great gusto and talent.

The announcer at the right welcomed us and had us stand while the congregation bid us welcome. Green, I was told, symbolizes tranquility. All are bare foot, except some of the marchers who wear white socks.

An important person, but we were not told his station or office. He came aided by flanking helpers, to salute the descendants of Kimbangu who were seated in a covered area to the right of the photo.

View of the brass band. At a given moment Armand Diangienda joined them to play a few pieces with his trombone. He plays many instruments. He is not visible in this photo.

Our friend Olivier accompanied us extreme right. In the covered area the descendants of Kimbangu, their founder are seated. One of the three brothers gave a 45 minute discourse all in Lingala, about the history of the Church to the present.

Back to the bus tour. Sue paying for our tickets.

Sue and the Moons on the bus.

The Mission home and offices are in this building. Two other LDS employees and their families live here.

At the bus stop.

The bus we rode.

The ticket taker.

The evolving multi-use area outside the entrance to our compound that should be paved over in the future.

Didier seated under his umbrella in his "office" where he conducts his shoes shine and repair business.

Street side barbers by our entrance.

Our florist who sells cigarettes on the side, 50cf the individual cigarette.

Upscale street barber.

View of Hassan Frere closed for Jewish Sabbath.

View of the extent of the Hassan Frere store.

One of our street vendor ladies.

Drummer in action.