HOSPITAL

We visited the Military Hospital today. This is the only photo. It is in the middle of a military base. The narrow halls were dark and  dirty, the rooms, cramped and crowded. The patients, mostly women and children, sat on the concrete floors, in the entryway, and in a large area resembling a poorly lit underground parking lot, where a single table with an attendant who appeared to be an intake nurse was sitting. Outside in a dirt courtyard, shaded by a single tree, pregnant women and family members lay on blankets in its shade, awaiting delivery in the rooms bordering the courtyard. As we were in the blue truck, about to leave, a man hailed us from the window and signaled us inside. We spent a delight few minutes visiting with the hospital chief administrator, and heart specialist, and gave him a book of Mormon and Joseph Smith, and Family brochure. The base is a complete village with housing for high and low officers in housing meriting their high or low status. It was a very instructive experience.

SUNDAY 2013 04 21 NGALIEMA STAKE

After Church in Ngaliema. Everyone loves a photo.

Brother Billings talking with a ward member.

Jean Pierre, one of Brother Billings students who will go with him to Likasi to help train new students and to support the new couple  that is coming to teach construction when the Billings move to Kananga for the last six months of their mission.

These women wanted a picture with Sister Bybee. We love the beautiful dresses. See the light in their faces.

View of the Chapel.

Wall around the dwelling on the other side of the street from the Chapel.

Closeup of the tile pattern on the wall.

AMERICAN EAGLE

The Moons in front of American Eagle, a variety store owned by a Lebanese American family from New Jersey for twenty years. We have made friends with the two brothers who run it. One is a non-practicing family doctor, and the younger brother is a business management graduate. We enjoy conversation with the older brother who does not speak any of the local languages and so seems eager to converse when we come in. Their inventory is diverse, ranging from home decor, to tools, office furniture, and home furnishings of all sorts, plus fabric and some toys. 

Here is how you fix a broken plastic chair leg.

The old Belgian era building in the background.

Returning to our apartment, approaching 30th of June Plaza.

Rounding the Plaza, the green building is the Gare Central (Central Train Station).

Building second from right is our apartment building. The first two floors are occupied by USAID.. White office building to the right was built bu the Chinese. We look right into it from our office and kitchen. It is not fully occupied yet.

A closer view of our building dead center.

We returned at about 13h00, end of the Saturday school day and the students are leaving.

MICRO FINANCE -- FOOD, ODD COMBINATION

In the office of the National Director of Micro-Finance, Thierry Ngoy on the left, and Olivier Tshimanga on the right. You should know the two in the middle.

This relief is in the entrance of the building which used to be owned by an American petroleum refinery company. I don't know which one.

This is the only head of cauliflower I will eat in the two years we are here. It cost $26.00, $14.00 per kilo. We will eat it slowly and with great relish.

The pot of lentil potato curry, with peas, tomato, and some of the pricey cauliflower. It tasted VERY good.

MICRO FINANCE MEETING

We met with the National Director of the Ministry of Micro-Credit for the DRC. He is at the head ot the table. Left to right: Sue, Elder Moon, Moi, Olivier, the Director Thierry, His associate, Rodrick. The Ministry was created in 20ll by the President to promote "autonomie" self-sufficiency among the disadvantaged class in the DRC. Two thousand women from the four divisions of Kinshasa, plus three thousand young people of promise, will be trained and assisted in establishing small business with the end result to become self sustaining. The program will be rolled out across the DRC in collaboration with religious, NGOs, and other capable groups that strive to improve living conditions for the people of the DRC. The Church will collaborate by expanding the Interweave program that teaches good business practices, and living standards that create a well rounded individual bound for success. The Interweave program has been in operation for awhile and has graduated many students, many to successful small enterprises. We will publicize the effort. Rodrick is our main local media person who helps spread the word. http://www.digitalcongo.net/This is the URL for the digital journal where Rodrick is employed.

HOME ALONE

Figs are very ripe now. They attract some unusual birds that I tried to photograph without success, but will try again. There are also flying beetles.

Fig clusters.

Closeup of figs.

The leaves are not the shape we have on the fig trees at home, but they have the same tacky feel. 

WELL EXCAVATION -- AGED WOMAN

Courtyard of home where well number 5 is being excavated. The bucket frame and pulley for removing dirt stands over the well where a digger works and men empty buckets of sand as the digging progresses.

View of the courtyard and new well lining rings with the forms still attached stand to the left.

Far left, supervisor from the NGO, a worker, the Moons, the woman who owns the property, workers, and family members looking on.

Newly cast well lining rings, worker emptying a bucket in the background.

The Moons watching the digging.

Worker digging. The lining round is attached to a base ring slightly larger than the liner, barely visible at the bottom edge of the liner, As the liner sinks into the hole, gravel is packed around the shaft to ease the descent, and to assure that the tube remains vertical.

Worker digging.

Moving a second liner into place. All is manual labor.

Positioning the second well liner ring. A worker has entered the well to prepare to make a hole in each ring in three places so that an iron rod can be added to attach the segments so they don't separate during the descent.

This is how they descend and ascend, even when the well reaches sixty feet deep, or more.

Worker punching hole for the attachment rods.

We talked with the landowner who has been a widow for twenty years, and found that her 95 year old mother lived with the extended family in the compound, in an adjacent room, and were invited to meet this delightful, blind, woman, who was happy to meet Mundeles (white people) and she sang a song of thanks. She attributes her longevity to the Grace of God. Their faith is evident by the images on the wall.

Mother, daughter, Sister Moon, Elder Bybee. The daughter was in her sixties. She has six children and 15 grandchildren. We did not ascertain the posterity of the aged lady.