Cool Beans - Five Years in DR Congo!

Kinshasa is a large city with some serious traffic!

In the evening on October 11, 2010, we arrived in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo to begin our assignment here. Five years ago! A lot has happened in just five years, both in Congo and in our family.

When we joined MAF, in July of 2008, our family looked like this. We spent two years raising ministry support and attending language school and other training.

We arrived in Congo looking like this.   After our Canadian winter our Florida tans were long gone. And of course the kids were bigger.

We have experienced one election season in this country and face another in the near future. We've learned to be flexible about things like electricity, water (none today), sanitation, and sleep. We have felt the joy of making new friends and the pain of saying goodbye when they left. We've seen our two oldest graduate and return to the states to further their educations, and felt the pride of their accomplishments mingled with the sorrow of not being able to be there for them to help them along. We've had the pride and happiness of seeing our son get married and getting a new daughter. We have lived the guilt and grief of loved ones dying while we were separated from them by thousands of miles, including my mom, my grandmother, my uncle, my mom's cousin, a great uncle, one of David's cousins, and a dear friend. 

We've also seen God perform miracles and met people whose lives have been transformed by Him. We've had opportunities to be involved in God's work here and meet incredible people He has placed here for such a time as this. We've prayed and worshipped with people from all over the world and been places we never imagined we would see. We've heard the gospel preached in a minimum of four languages here and observed that in each language, amen is still amen! We've worked harder and prayed more than we ever had before. We've faced health issues, including a surgery for David and one also for me. We've had our faith challenged, we've been brought low, and God has lifted us up and strengthened us. 

We are so thankful that God brought us here! We look forward to continuing to serve here as long as God in his generosity and wisdom keeps us here! God has given us a ministry team of incredible, faithful friends that makes it possible for us to be here by praying for us and financially supporting our ministry with MAF.

Now, for a little fun to mark our celebration. The Mitendi Center has been growing food for itself for some time now. They have also acquired a couple new residents:

The female arrived first. She was purchased with the idea to breed her and use the additional pigs as a source of income for feeding and upkeep as well as for food.

Breeding animals is generally much easier to accomplish when you have one of each gender, so a month or so later the male was acquired. They have a bit of growing up to do before they are ready to breed, but the girls at the Mitendi Center are learning to prepare the right kind of food for them, to care for them, and to develop a mindset of investing in their own future.

Last time I looked in on the piggies, I captured this with my phone. I thought it might be fun to ask people to come up with captions for my photo. So, please do comment below! 

Photo fun - Multifun Calamity Attack

Today a group of us got together to do a Congo version of an "ugly Christmas sweater" party. We decorated tank tops and t-shirts, ate Christmas cookies, played Christmas music and just had a good time visiting with each other. I'm in the back row, far right. It was a fun time and I am glad someone managed to get a photo of us.

Here are some photos I managed to get over the last few weeks of things I found funny, odd, or interesting.

I went to a local bakery for lunch with a friend and picked up a copy of their carry-out menu. I got a chuckle out of it later when I read it. I honestly don't know how they expect to sell a plate full of "Calamity" to anyone.

I still can't find black olives or pickle relish anywhere, but this was an unusual and interesting option at our local supermarket. I have actually seen what it does and it really is a smart shoe cover machine. It puts a cellophane cover over just the bottom half inch and sole of your shoe. This is way high on the "husbands do not buy this for your wives for Christmas" list.

I really like all the variety and fun in the fabrics that are available here, but you have to be a brave seamstress to be willing to try cutting into this brand of fabric.

Not sure what "CTION RACKS" are, but they are MULTIFUN. 

These are actually quite popular here. They are collapsible racks for drying clothing. Something weird happened in the translation from Chinese to English.

Two games I won't be buying here. In Kinshasa a Twister game is $65.00 and Battleship costs $102.00. 

I saved my favorite for last. When you work in a place that has no indoor plumbing or electricity, you have to be resourceful. This entrepreneur hair salon has placed their chair with its back to the outdoors so that they can have the sunlight to see what they are doing. They pour buckets of water to wash hair and they have rigged a hose to the portable sink so that it drains into the culvert. Clever!

King Henry's Horse is an Olive

Missionaries know going in that depending on where they are serving, certain conveniences and items they are accustomed to having easy and affordable access to in the United States will perhaps not be so available or affordable in their host country. Congo is no different, but knowing and experiencing are two different things. Experiencing it long term is something else altogether and can magnify homesickness if we allow it to.



For example, we seldom see pancake syrup in the stores. This is the last batch of syrup I found here. That sticker on the shelf that say "B208" is the price, 27,405 francs, roughly $30.00 for one bottle. Not in our range.




There is a lot of diversity in the DRC and products are shipped in to the stores from many different places. It is sometimes very interesting to see what non-Americans think are hot market items.

It is increasingly apparent to our family that what we believe are basic staples are not so basic, nor important to the merchants of Kinshasa. After we went a few months without finding black olives (except one brand that is especially yucky) or dill pickles, we were having some serious withdrawal. What is a sandwich without a pickle? And what is any "Mexican" meal or pizza without olives? I began to feel like King Richard when he said "my kingdom for a horse!" except that I had no kingdom to trade for olives and pickles. Probably a good thing. 

So, you can't always find olives, pickles, or even tomato sauce. There are lots of other things you CAN find that keep life here interesting even if you can't put them on your pizza or eat them for lunch.




You can buy sugar peas. Not the sugar peas I grew up with, but still important if you want to bake something or sweeten your tea.








You can buy cookies that make you want to eat some more. Not really but it's a fun name.









You can buy a toilet for your hamster, and even get refills for it. For a modest price of about $15 your hamster can go potty in luxury and privacy.

You can even buy Goose Bumps!

I can't make a meal out of Goose Bumps and sugar peas, so I do what most of my missionary friends here do: get creative or make my own version. Here are some things I have made just in the last several weeks.

Pickles like Claussen's, in recycled mayonnaise and pickle jars. Real canning jars are not easily found.

"Wheat Thins"

Pancake mix, pancake syrup, "bisquick", granola, salsa (not pictured), fabric softener, and bath fizzies (because after all that work my feet are tired!).

Yes, we sometimes are willing to pay more here than we ever would for the same item in the states because when you can't get it, it becomes more valuable to you. Shakespeare's King Henry was willing to trade his kingdom for a horse. We traded a lot of conveniences and the proximity of our families and friends to come to Congo, but Jesus traded his life for mine and for the lives of the Congolese people. 

Meticulously Planned

I saw this at the grocery store today and thought it was funny. Everybody needs a "meticulously plannd kitchen thing." (spelling theirs)  Don't they?

Even though the package says: "advanced stainless steel," it is rusted already. Hmmmmm. 

For me this was a humorous reminder that I was indeed meticulously planned.  Unlike the makers of this kitchen gadget, though, God does not make mistakes or false claims. He says I am fearfully and wonderfully made, that He knew me before I was in my mother's womb, and that He loves me with an everlasting love. And THAT is somethingeverybody really needs.

"I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

 your works are wonderful: I know that full well." Psalm 139:14

Picture This: Somber (and otherwise) moments during Family Conference

Thanks Jocelyn Frey for the photo!

The MAF family of west DRC has officially conferred and our conference time is over until next year. As always, there were many blessings. We had time to visit with one another in a relaxed, non-work/ministry setting, just getting to know one another better and enjoying each other's company. Since some of us live in Lubumbashi and all of us stay really busy, that is a rare treat. We enjoyed goodies that our pastoral team brought from the states - especially chocolates! The teaching sessions were great. The food was great - BONUS: we did not have to cook it! In the land of weirdo-unpredictable power that was a huge blessing.

I promise this is the LAST post about this year's conference. I just wanted to share some of the special moments with you, via photos.

photo credit: Jocelyn Frey

 On the last day of conference the kids showed off the songs they had learned. Except my kid, who was busy talking to his buddy, Nicholas. My gene pool is a strong one, what can I say?

photo credit: Jocelyn Frey

One really neat moment was when the pastors anointed us, all thirty-something of us, with oil and prayed for our team, even the kids. It was a very serious and touching moment...

Photo credit: Jocelyn Frey

...as you can see.










But then, Pastor Don was a very serious kinda guy. Truthfully, we have many special memories from this conference and lots of things to ponder in our hearts. Thank you, Walnut Creek Mennonite Church, Don, Brenda, Beau, and Nicole!












I already have a very nice group photo above of our entire team, plus the pastoral team from the states. I really like bloopers, though, so I thought you might enjoy these. Click on them to see an enlarged view.

Photo credit: Jocelyn Frey

Photo credit: Jocelyn Frey

Picture This 2

My friend and co-laborer in Christ, Nancy Smith has returned to Congo for a time. In addition to attending to their ministries here, teaching in the women's literacy center and the Bible school, seeing to repairs of their radio tower, evangelism, etc, Nancy found time to spend an afternoon with me. It is always a blessing to get time with a friend whom you don't see often. I am extra blessed this time because she and I have a little project we are working on now. I have a bunch of baby soft yarn for knitting and crocheting baby blankets. I never could figure out how to knit or crochet on my own (instructions are always right handed, ugh) and couldn't find anyone with time to teach me. The women in Nkara at the women's literacy center are trained to do both so that they can make things to help support their families. Nancy is going to leave Tuesday for Nkara - in an MAF plane that my amazing husband does maintenance on! She will take my yarn with her and have the ladies in the school make baby blankets for me to donate to the orphanage when Nancy brings them back with her. I will pay them a fair price for their labor and they will have contributed to an important ministry here in Kinshasa. I am very excited to finally see this desire coming to fruition. They should have the blankets in time for the cooler dry season. Don't look too closely at that photo. We both had been in my hot car with no a/c for a while and were both pretty tired.

We had a stressful January, lots going on back home and here, and I thought a light-hearted post of some random photos would do us all good. Here are some of our most recent odd photos.

In the "Things we eat in Congo" category:

Plop - These are actually cookies and aren't too bad if you like store bought cookies.

We also occasionally eat Smoked Russians. Wonder if the Russians eat Smoked Americans?

In the "Oxymoron" category: This made me laugh. It's a bug spray called SafeTox. Seems to me it is either safe, or it is toxic. I am not sure how it can be both.

In the "What is that and why did they put it here?" category:

Gripe Water. Shelved between the yeast and the pudding mixes in the baking section. If you don't have enough to gripe about, try some gripe water.

In the "TIA: This is Africa" category:

If you go shopping in Nairobi, Kenya, be sure to drop your toddlers and preschoolers off at the Kids Corner so they can play with all the nice breakables and power cords while you shop.

Lastly, in the "Things A Mom Just Doesn't Want to Know" category, along with why I found a straw in the litter box: What makes a child want to take a photo of himself doing this?

Lost in Translation: Picture This

No trip to the orphanage this week.  My "driver" is out of town.  I'm still spending my week with kids, though.  I have a missionary friend who is going to the U.S. next week for a month.  Her husband and kids are staying here so this week Daniel and I are taking school to their house to get acquainted with the way she does school with her daughter.  The plan is for me to be her teacher while her mom is gone.  Yesterday went well.  It helps that Daniel is a good reader, has a cooperative spirit, and doesn't mind doing some of his work independently.

The MAF blog is now featuring a weekly posting about raising kids on the mission field, called Moms on a Mission.  This week spotlights one of my recent posts Daniel's Bottle Bucket Battle.  You can check out the MAF blog HERE.

Sometimes we see things here that strike us funny either because their intended meaning was "lost in translation" or because they mean different things in different cultures. Living in a third world culture can affect one's sense of humor.  Our family's sense of humor was already weird to being with, but I hope you enjoy these.  Some of these photos were taken from a moving vehicle and/or with a cheap phone camera because taking photos here can invite trouble, so please excuse the poor quality.

Sometimes the folks who stock the shelves in the stores don't know what an item is so they make a guess about where it ought to be placed. Here the Odor Eaters foot spray is shelved between the bug spray and the rat poison. Our guess is that it was because the can says it "kills odors" and someone recognized the word "kills."

Everyone likes to drink "mildew,"right? This is actually coffee and it wasn't too bad, but the name just doesn't sound very appealing to those of us who speak English.

This is not where all the expats go to exchange their money.  It's actually a new grocery store that the owner named after his wife Monique.

Another good food with a not-so-appealing name.  This is not a cough inducer or a cough suppressant.  It's applesauce.

We love the name of this store that we pass on our way to and from the orphanage.  If I said to someone in the states, "I'm going to Fanny Wax," this is probably not what they would imagine.   "Wax" in Congo refers to the way local fabrics are made. This is actually a store that sells fabric and clothing.