KINSHASA - BACK HOME - VALENTINE'S DAY

Valentine's Day dinner at the Johnsons. Sue was ill so I went alone but didn't stay for dessert.

The surprise main dish is meatloaf with mashed potatoes.

Heart shaped were baked by the Mathesons.

Drinks were a concoction of three sodas. I drank water, thank you. The Sneddons brought fruit salad, and the Smiths brought a red cake.

Everyone got in the group photo.

The red cake.

A bouquet for Sue for Valentine's Day. I couldn't resist.

Sue resting while getting better. She had stomach flu evidently and once her stomach emptied she improved steadily, but didn't eat for over 24 hours.

Visiting with Church members who work in the media and want to make a video about the history of the Church in the Congo.

Newly hatched on the Chapel wall at GB.

I dropped in to see the remodel of the storage facility behind the GB chapel. Eloi and his crew are adding some steel doors and window grates for increased security so they can store equipment here for the temple construction I suspect. I was fascinated by the piece of junk on the floor, but was informed that it is their welder and it is better by far than the new ones on the market. Have a close look

The workers and Eloi.

Power to the welder was supplied by two wires running a hundred yards to a power pole across the chapel grounds. Bare wires everywhere carrying 220 volts. Watch out.

The wires ran off across the grass off into the distance.

Carpet the Gates were considering buying for their apartment.

The Collins, USAID employee, and LDS invited all the missionaries for dinner. This is the hardest duty they have had and Sister Collins feels a bit isolated so they love to have people over.

The Mission President and his wife made this activity. They are usually traveling.

Brother Collin's son trying to eat his cake.

In his bedroom.

Their living room. They live in a new villa because the original family for whom it was built didn't make it to the Congo so the Collins got it because they have the largest family. It is a beautiful home but when they moved in they had to deal with the local construction faults though most of the problems have been resolved. The home is located right on the Congo River near one of the government ministers offices.

Spider man.

Mardoché on the left in yellow and Jacques in the red shoes, waiting for Church to start. After the meetings we went to the prison to visit Mardoché's father, Didier, where we had a memorable experience. No photos are allowed at the prison. It is difficult to describe the feeling there. Lines of mostly women and children file in to visit family members incarcerated, often for little of nothing. Didier has been there for three months and not yet tried or sentenced.

A chapel where we attended church. These are often located in the middle of squalor. Here young men play soccer in the dirt street in front of the chapel.

Attending Priesthood meeting.

Bishop.

The Passion Fruit vine is blooming, and now has fruit.

A very strange flower blooming in the garden surrounding the Temporal Affairs offices.

A street vendor selling turtle on the hoof for dinner. You boil them and pry off the shell to eat it.

Turtles.

The flycatcher on our porch trying to dismember a dead gecko. He shook the thing for a long time and I didn't see him eat it if he did.