Central DRC... Mbuji Mayi, Mwene Ditu and Luputa

Pam writes(in italics): This is probably the most talked-about place to go in the mission. It is spoken of with real feeling and amazement that such an interesting place exists as a stronghold of so many good members and yet also being so remote. Most people describe the hardships of visits there and quickly follow with a pronouncement of how wonderful the people are…making the trip well worth it! Well I am here now to report about our adventure in going there.

The first step is to get to the closest airport… that would be Mbuji Mayi. This area is about half-way between Kinshasa and Lubumbashi. Trips have to be well-planned because the airlines only fly in and out certain days of the week. This trip was a whole week for us.

I am not sure who started figuring out the logistics of how, when and with what to bring for this adventure, but I am grateful for their good information. You see…you cannot just go to Luputa. You have to prepare and pack for this adventure with specific things. It is much like going camping.

We arrived in Mbuji Mayi and spent the night. We hired a car from Catholic Charities and it comes with a driver who knows very well what he is doing. We soon saw that this is the ONLY way to do this trip. Another thank you  to whoever found Omer and the Land Cruiser from Catholic Charities!

Bad roads make a 4wd a must...like when we got stuck here!

Luputa is 4 to 5 hours away. We purchased 4 cases of water for our needs the day before then we loaded up the car and started on our way. Just before leaving town we were stopped by a policeman who wanted to see our “papers”… not a common thing for this town. It turns out he just wanted a bribe, so $5 later we were on our way.

The road was macadam with very good healthy potholes. They were often enough that we probably only averaged about 35-40 mph. Omer was pretty skilled at avoiding them…although I wondered on occasion if we might tip over when we rode half on the pavement and half on the shoulder. As we drove along we could see that this was really beautiful countryside…. rolling green hills (a little like NY, but with palm trees).

We passed through lots of little villages with thatch roofs. Goats were constantly crossing the road as well as mama hens and their chicks.  My guess is that we passed no less than 500 goats scampering along or in front of us. Omer must have a soft heart…he beeped the horn for every person and creature we passed as a warning to get out of the way…even a mouse! This area has very few cars so we saw hundreds of people walking along the roadside continually. Most were carrying loads on their heads or on their bikes.

We saw very few other cars on the roads, but we did see lots of trucks filled with goods being transported and then crammed with people on top. This is hitchhiking at its finest!

Either walk or ride a truck

Lots of extra room on top

Hang on tight!

Even the side has room!

No truck is too small...

Always room for more

One interesting thing we observed after leaving the city of Mbuji Mayi is that people started taking pride in what their cities and villages and homes looked like. The garbage was absent. It was all dirt, but nevertheless it was swept clean and no litter was seen.

We entered the village of Luputa to find a mixture of old Belgian buildings and African mud homes.

One of the hardest things to see here in Congo is the ruin that has set in after 40 years of neglect.  When you see buildings crumbling that once were beautiful you wish you could just see a glimpse of what it was like in 1940 or 1950.

It is easy to imagine. The basic infrastructure here is mostly ruins …no municpal water or power, streets that have not been maintained for decades and on and on. There is an important role that government plays and when it stops functioning for its people, then decay sets in. It was obvious that years ago this was a lovely little city. But now the roads had gone to ruin. Driving them is a major chore.

The people were all so friendly in this area. We seem to always be the center of attention. It isn't very easy to blend in here.

Mike (not italics):  The Luputa Branch was organized in 1996.  The first branch division took place in 2002.  The Luputa District was organized in 2006 with 4 branches.  Today the district consists of 7 branches, 3 of which are currently in the process of being divided.  There will soon be 10 branches, 7 which meet the criteria to become wards in a stake.  As of December 31, 2009 there were 1603 members in the district.  At their current rate of growth they should reach the necessary threshold of 1900 members during the 4^th quarter of 2010 or the 1^st quarter of 2011.  By then there could be as many as 12 units of the church in Luputa.  There will be an immediate need for at least 3 chapels to be built in the new stake as soon as it is created.  There will be a minimum of 3 wards to meet in each building as soon as they are available.

As soon as we arrived in Luputa we went to the offices of the district authorities to register our visit, accompanied by the district presidency.  We next visited the home of the chief of the region to pay our respects and be welcomed.  Then on to the monastery to unpack, relax and prepare to return to the chapel to interview prospective missionaries.

Returning to the chapel at 3:00pm I began interviewing prospective missionary candidates.  This went on until after 8:00 pm, 16 in all.  The missionary spirit in this district is very evident. They are led by a “missionary minded” district president right from the mold of Samuel Smith.

Saturday morning I met with the Luputa District Presidency and reviewed with them what they considered as their most notable successes as well as the challenges they currently face as a district.  We also explored their current district goals which include the organization of a stake in Luputa in the very near future.

District Presidency

They function very well as a presidency, led by an organized & very capable district president.

The presidency reaffirmed their success with branch missionary baptisms and the number of young people who have prepared for and who are serving full time missions.  They are also very encouraged with the self sufficiency of their members as well as their increasing tithing faithfulness.

Their greatest challenge is obtaining suitable and adequate facilities for their rapidly growing congregations.  They are also having great challenges getting to the temple due to the difficulty and cost associated with the obtaining of passports.  They are a patient and humble group of saints.

They are currently focusing on increasing sacrament meeting attendance, encouraging family and individual scripture study, and encouraging more families to hold a regular family home evening.

The Saturday afternoon priesthood leadership meeting was very well attended as was the evening’s adult session which filled the chapel and the adjacent porches to overflowing.

The district choir sang for 20 minutes prior to the beginning of the meeting which created a wonderful atmosphere prior to the commencement of the conference session.

Sunday morning’s district conference was a real treat.  We arrived at the district building at 9:30 to an already crowded to capacity chapel.

Attendance at Sunday’s general session was 1713.  The district member ship filled the entire front yard which was covered with a makeshift tent for protection from the elements.  Additional overflow was located next door in the building occupied by President Binene’s private school.

Distict Conference overflow

There is not currently a building in Luputa large enough to accommodate our conferences.

Sunday afternoon following a 30 minute debrief with the district presidency we held a special meeting for returned, prospective, and branch missionaries.  There were 65 in attendance.  It was like holding an all-zone conference in Kinshasa.

65 people attended the branch missionary meeting

Following our missionary meeting we visited the home President Binene.  His home is conveniently located within a ten minute walk from the current district center as well as the site the church has purchased for the construction of the Luputa District Center.  Dallin Oakes is the name of his youngest son.

District President at his home

Currently physical facilities.

There is a rental currently in Mwene Ditu approximately 40K from Luputa and a second rental 65K from Luputa that houses the Ngandajika branch.

In Luputa there is one rental which houses the Luputa, Kabusanga and Mukukuyi branches.  This also serves as the district center and is a very good facility.  A second building, owned by the church, houses the Katshisungu & Tshibiayi branches.

The Luputa branch building has a maximum capacity of 225.  The Luputa branch’s average sacrament meeting attendance of 299 necessitates its division now.  Following the creation of the Luputa 2 branch there will be 4 branches sharing the same facility until a new rental can be secured for the Luputa 1 & Luputa 2 branches.  The other two branches currently sharing the building with the Luputa branch also have sacrament meeting attendance which exceed the maximum capacity of the facility, Kabusanga 230 and Mukukuyi 250.  We will be requesting the Mukukuyi branch division as soon as a facility can be found for the 2 Luputa branches to move to.  There will still be 3 branches meeting in the current district office facility until the division of the Kabusanga branch can be organized and submitted then it will be back to 4.

The other two branches in Luputa  are meeting in a church owned building.  We will need to secure a new rental for these two branches as soon as approval to build a new chapel on the site is received.

We arrived at the monastery where we would stay the next 2 days.

The monastery earns money by renting rooms

It was a long line of rooms with a sitting room/dining room in the middle. No electricity unless you pay $5/hr for the fuel for the generator.

Monastery Bedroom

Bathroom which all guests share at Monastery

Shower room....byow : bring your own water

Junior (orphan from monastery) and I became friends

The 2 bathrooms are shared…along with the 2 shower rooms. Those were a little bit difficult…I can’t exactly describe the smell or the state of cleanliness…but believe me that some things are better left unsaid!  Our room had 2 twin beds pushed together with mosquito nets on each. It was moderately hot & humid, but not oppressive. A fan would have been nice.

Mike had interviews all that afternoon…16 new missionary interviews in all. While he did that I went out to the Luputa water project to see it and to get water. Read about the Church's water project here: http://mormonchurch.org/147/church-helps-bring-water-to-african-communities

It is 15 kilometers there, but took about 45 minutes to get there. Along the road the same trail of walking people continued and the goats never stopped dashing along either. We saw 3 watering spots…out of 16. Each had a type of cement sink with 2 spigots.  The water came out fast and it was clean!  This is a great blessing f thousands of people in this area.

How we take water for granted!

When I was told that there were lots of children in Luputa, I had no idea what that really meant. There are thousands of children here and everywhere we drove the children ran to the side of the road and yelled “Mutoka, mutoka!!!” (white person) We felt like movie stars everywhere we went. Because of the water project the Americans, especially church members are well received by the people here. Within seconds of approaching the wells I was surrounded by 60 to 80 children…all wanting to shake my hand.

Everywhere we went we were swarmed by children

After heading back to the church I had to wait another 2 hours for the interviews to be finished then we headed back to the monastery. We came prepared for this camping experience. We had brought our freeze-dried backpackers meals with us and loads of other stuff. It took a large suitcase to hold it all… oilcloth, flashlights, electric teapot, sheets, towels dishes, easily prepared food for breakfasts & lunches, knives, cutting boards and, of course a pitcher for the “bucket shower.” The dinners were all really pretty good…and kept us from having to seek for local food, which might not have been safe or palatable. Once it was dark we paid for electricity for 3 hours and could then watch a movie on our laptop.

I am not sure how to describe my short night of sleep. Bed nets are not my favorite thing, especially in the heat. You kind of feel like you are being smothered. But that wasn’t all…I kept feeling jabbed by something sharp. As it turned out there was a spring that was in the mattress that came right through into me. I did bring a sheet to go over the sheet they provided and was supposed to protect us from…things. But in the process of investigating the metal protrusion I got a good look at the mattress…bad idea. Better to not see what you are sleeping on! I am sure it was at least 40 years old. They, of course, just put their sheet on top with no other protection. I was itching all night.  I wasn’t sure if the mosquitoes were finding their way through the holes in the net or if the bugs in the mattress were finding a way through the sheets…so I was hot and sweaty and itchy and sleepless. I should have thought about taking an Ambien.

Morning came when the bare bulb overhead turned on with the roar of the generator. We had one hour of power for getting ready. Quickly we heated water in the electric teapot and filled the bucket with warm water for the shower. Armed with towel, plastic chair to put clothes on, soap, shampoo, etc., flip flops and the bucket & pitcher I headed to the public bathroom. It was best not to breathe through your nose in that place. I was hoping one bucket would be enough, and it was. The pitcher is a must. I’m not that good at rinsing my hair with handfuls of water. It was certainly better than no shower at all. I hurried to blow dry my hair and finish getting ready before the power went off.

Saturday training sessions for all the auxiliaries was my first assignment. They were supposed to have 3 or 4 talks in addition to mine. Seven minutes after we started they were done with their portion. I had 83 minutes of time to train! There were about 50 women in attendance. Concurrently Mike did the priesthood training. We then had the adult meeting and both spoke there. It was well attended with about 250 people.

We headed back for a repeat of the dinner and evening. This time we knew what to expect…I threw a towel over the bed for more protection from the spring and whatever else was under me. We watched “Walk the Line” on battery power until 1am. Afterward I wondered if everyone else in the monastery enjoyed the Johnny Cash music! We survived the night.

Sunday brought the District Conference. As we got out at the church it seemed as if there were a thousand children surrounding us. They all wanted to touch the Mutokos…We had a great conference. I gave my talk in Tshiluba, the local dialect. It was longer than I wanted and a challenge to pronounce…I was pretty nervous. I compared it to how I felt just before plunging into space at the Victoria Falls Gorge!  We had a wonderful missionary meeting after the conference consisting of all the ward missionaries from the district, including the 16 who were submitting their papers. There were 65 in attendance.

We visited the district president’s home and then headed for Mwene Ditu. Before leaving we were able to find room in the vehicle for giving 7 people from there who attended the conference a ride…9 climbed in!  The others would be walking that same distance the next day…it would take us 1 hr 15 minutes in our vehicle and they would walk it in 5-6 hours. We hoped to avoid any storms. They would have cost us another 2 or 3 hours in delays getting through the mud. 5 minutes after we got into our hotel room in Mwene Ditu the heavens opened up for an hour giving about 2 inches of rain!

Giving a lift to Mwene Ditu

We enjoyed the hotel immensely. It was right out of the 40’s or 50’s. Very clean with a beautiful bathroom, but no running water! That is a thing of the past for rural DRC. They also had a generator on in the evening so we had power. The rains brought a wonderful breeze and we enjoyed the coolest evening since arriving in the Congo 7 ½ months ago!  It was like a breath of spring.

Rain turned the streets to a river

Rainy season does a number on the roads

The next morning we met with the branch president of Mwene Ditu and toured the rented building used as a chapel after doing the “formalities” in the municipal building. It was the nicest rented building we have seen in our mission.

Mwene Ditu chapel

Members at Mwene Ditu

By mid-day we were on our way back to Mbuji Mayi…to the KayBe Deluxe Hotel.

KaBe Deluxe

After staying in the monastery this hotel really lives up to its name. At first glance it seemed a little shabby, but that was 3 weeks ago when we didn’t have as much hotel experience. This place actually has air conditioning and a swimming pool. We were given the heads-up to ask for room #4 and indeed it was the best room because it actually was 2 rooms…a bedroom and then a living room. It also has a mini refrigerator. The water seemed to only be turned on from 7 to 7:30 am…but this stay we had it during the day, too. Since Mike does branch business during the day I spend a lot of time here. I am glad to have my laptop with me. They have a restaurant, but it wasn’t wonderful. We at least know to trust the chicken and frites. There is an internet café right next door and that is a blessing to Mike as he gets about 40 emails a day and it is discouraging to come home to hundreds of emails to answer.

The longer we have stayed in Mbuji Mayi, the more comfortable we have become. I have had a chance to go to the local Marché with the branch president’s wife and that was a lot of fun. The blessing of having water and electricity cannot be overstated. The hotel has it, but most people don’t. The 3 branches here now will turn to 4 by years end and this will soon become a district. Missionaries will be sent here possibly within a year from now. It has huge potential for church growth. The people are wonderful and they make it a pleasure to serve here.

Mike has spent a lot of time working with the leaders here in Mbuji Mayi, in Mwene Ditu and Luputa as he has helped to train and to assess their needs. The hours and hours of interviews has brought the number of new Melchizadeck priesthood holders to about 40 with about that many more to interview and ordain in the future. We are taking home with us almost 20 new missionary recommendation applications for processing. We will be submitting applications to the church to split at least 5 of the branches in this area. There is not one church-built building and that is the next challenge. We only will be able to continue to work with this area for another 4 ½ months as it will then be in the new Lubumbashi mission under President Gary Packer.

Burundi

9 DECEMBER – WEDNESDAY

We were up and prepared at an early hour for this day.  We departed for the airport at about 8:00 am.  Pam is headed for Johannesburg while I go to Bujumbura, Burundi.

10 DECEMBER – THURSDAY

Formalities at the Bujumbura airport were efficient and well organized.   The airport is never very crowded as there are a very limited number of flights to the capitol city of Burundi.  The 10K drive into town took less than 15 minutes.  The roads are very good and there is little traffic, we would learn, except during the morning and evening “rush hours.”

[caption id="attachment_210" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Lake Tanganyika and Congolese Mountains"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_211" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Bujumbura and Eastern Mountains"][/caption]

Eustache and I stayed at the Hotel Source du Nil, a nice hotel by African standards and is located very conveniently near the center of town.  I enjoyed the Presidential Suite for a whopping $135 per night.  I enjoyed the air-conditioned room, very nice swimming pools and the food was acceptable for all meals during the day.  This is a relatively advance country as indicated by the fact that I was able to pay the final hotel bill with a visa card.

The first afternoon we met with Pastor NKEZIMANA Venuste Paul (hereafter referred to a Pastor Paul) and 4 other members of his church.  They have a wonderful spirit and were anxious to receive instructions on how to begin organizing the church in Burundi.  We enjoyed their enthusiasm and faith in the newly discovered religion we are spreading throughout this continent.  Teaching Pastor Paul that “We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof” did not faze him in the least.  Something has stirred their souls and they are seeking and accepting of these truths.

11 DECEMBER – FRIDAY

This morning we met with Pastor Johnson HATUNGIMANA and several other wonderful people including pastors of other small churches..  Johnson had been taught the gospel several years ago by an employee of the American Embassy.  He knows and understands the local government protocol and was an invaluable advisor and is a friend of the Church.

At 12:00 we rented a car to be able to visit a grocery store and changed some money.  We also took time to tour the town, “quartier” by “quartier.”  There are numerous, very nice, safe areas in this city where American missionary couples can reside.  Imported food is expensive as in other countries in Africa but fruits and vegetables are very reasonably priced when compared to Kinshasa.  This once war ravaged city, and nation, seem to be progressing well since its first free democratic election in 2005 and are readying themselves to join the rest of the world in the 21^st century.

12 DECEMBER – SATURDAY

Today we visited the province of Cibitoke, approximately 60K from Bujumbura, accompanied by Pastors Paul and Johnson and two others.  We traveled into the mountains to small villages to discover numerous small congregations who were waiting for our arrival.  Another pastor came along with Johnson who manages and leads an additional six congregations with memberships of between 50 and 90 faithful. (450 in total)  We spent the entire day with pastors and their people.  We were exhausted following our long day on the road.

[caption id="attachment_196" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Road to the Valley"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_209" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Village on the hills"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_198" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Future Saints High on a Mountain Top"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_199" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Inside Cibitoke chapel"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_208" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cibitoke Council of Pastors"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_200" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Outside Cibitoke chapel"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_207" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Tailgate Preacher"][/caption]

13 DECEMBER – SUNDAY

Today at 8:00am we met with a pastor from Uvira DRC about 36K from Bujumbura who was accompanied by Pastor Methode BELANWA from Baraka DRC.  He explained how he was working with international refugees in camps near the border with Burundi. The beginning of his conversion is inspiring.

[caption id="attachment_201" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Pastor Balanwa"][/caption]

Pastor BELANWA told us how his heart was touched by the spirit as he read the name of the church on the back of the wheelchairs that were being distributed in the camp to the handicapped refugees.  He then “googled” the name of the church to get information but was not able to find an address.  He eventually found references to the church on the internet site “Family Search” so he sent a message which was forwarded to the missionary department who in turn forwarded it to the DRC Mission President (ME) in October.   The final result of his efforts, and those of numerous others, was our meeting this Sabbath morning before we were to leave the hotel to attend church with various congregations throughout the city.

We gave them several copies of the book “Gospel Principles,” and the Book of Mormon with which they were already familiar.  We read with them the articles of faith, and answered questions regarding our “lay ministry,” tithing, and the word of wisdom.  He would have been very happy if we could have baptized him right then. We counseled him to first read from the books and meditate regarding our teachings and the books we gave him and told him we would return in several months. He and his traveling companions were also told that the Church would first be established in Bujumbura, the capitol city, and would expand from there several years hence.  They were encouraged that the Church would soon be coming to this country. He and his friend would wait the entire day for our return following our scheduled meetings so we could again teach and respond to their numerous questions. 

We next went to the home of Pastor Paul and accompanied him and his family to his small church.   We attended their worship service, which was a most interesting and spiritual experience.  It was inspiring to witness the spontaneity of the little children as they clapped and sang along with the adults.

[caption id="attachment_206" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Children after church"][/caption]

There will be numerous changes in the way meetings are conducted in the near future in this small congregation of between 40 -50 and I am confident they will welcome and accept these changes.  We sang, clapped and praised the Lord together with this small faithful group.  Their desire to worship and praise our Lord is heartwarming and encouraging.  At this meeting we met Isidore NDUWONKIJIJE who was baptized a member of the church in 2000.  He was asked to translate for us.  (Kirundi into French)

[caption id="attachment_202" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Pastor Paul Veneusti's Family"][/caption]

The son of the Pastor did most of the singing, along with his sister, and he did all of the praying.  The service was attended by a deputy of the National Assembly, the Hon. Arcade NGEDNANZI, his post being similar to that of Congressman in the US.

[caption id="attachment_203" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Pastor Paul's Flock"][/caption]

Following their abbreviated worship time the service was turned over to Eustache Ilunga and me.  I first taught the first 4 articles of faith, the first vision and the restoration of the gospel through Joseph Smith.  I bore testimony of a living prophet today and promised happiness, joy, peace and blessings through obedience to all of God’s laws and the words of our modern prophets.  I explained the roles of the Holy Ghost and that this member of the Godhead will reveal the truth of all things (Moroni 10:4-5) to each of us as we ask, having faith in Jesus Christ.  We bore witness to our divine nature as sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father.  They wanted to know more.  We bore testimony of living prophets and they wanted to know who he is and what he teaches.  We expressed our love for the savior and for them and they applauded.  Every congregation, family or group we visited are looking for more information and seeking direction.

Following a short visit to the Pastor’s home for refreshments following services we continued on to the KAMENGE “quartier” where we would meet with Pastor Johnson in his home, along with his family and representatives from another dozen families who have been waiting for months for our visit.  We met 2 people at this meeting who spoke and understood English well.   Both Eustache and I taught basic gospel principles, as we had earlier that day,  and then responded to questions for about 1 hour.

[caption id="attachment_204" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Pastor Johnson's Home"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_205" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Pastor Johnson's Home"][/caption]

We returned to the hotel to meet again with Pastor BELANWA, Jimmy and their traveling companion. We invited them to dinner and spent an additional 2 hours teaching and responding to their questions.  They had many questions as to how the church is administered and how to conduct a Sunday worship service.

During the day we learned of several members of the Church who were living in Bujumbura.  Somehow people knew we were in town and how to contact us. One was a young Burundian sister whose family was currently living in Nairobi. She has returned to her home country to obtain a passport in preparation for a full-time mission. We were able to arrange for her visit with us later in the evening.   During our meeting with her she informed us of a young man, Aimable Otis BURUNDI, who had been baptized in Kenya and had returned and was working in Bujumbura.  She contacted him by phone and he came “straightway” to the hotel to visit with us this same evening.  During our conversation with Aimable we discovered he had 3 other friends who were members of the Church and had also returned recently to Burundi from Kenya and he was very excited to inform them of our visit.  They have all been patiently waiting for the church to get established once again in their country.  At about 10:00 PM our newly found member friends departed for their homes.

As I read from the scripture before retiring I was profoundly moved by the 80^th Section of the Doctrine and Covenants.  After substituting my name and that of my traveling companion Eustache Ilunga into the 1^st and 2^nd verses I felt as though I had received this revelation directly from the Lord.

1. Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you my servant Michael Headlee:

Go ye, go ye into the world and preach the gospel to every

creature that cometh under the sound of your voice.

2. And inasmuch as you desire a companion, I will give unto you

my servant Eustache Ilunga.

3. Wherefore, go ye and preach my gospel, whether to the north

Or to the south, to the east or to the west, it mattereth not, for

ye cannot go amiss.

4. Therefore, declare the things which he have heard, and verily believe,

and know to be true.

5. Behold, this is the will of him who hath called you, your Redeemer, even Jesus Christ.  Amen.”

This was such an unexpected, yet sweet, reward for a Sabbath day spent in His service.

The promise in D & C 78:22 was also impressed on my mind.

14 DECEMBER – MONDAY

This morning was to be our last on this trip.  We first met with Pastor OBENGI SONGOLO Jacques, and another young man who had traveled for more than 4 1/2 hours by bus, at their own expense, to meet with us at 9:00am this morning.  This brother’s conversion story is amazing.  On his way into town from the refugee camp he found a brochure in the dust alongside the road.  It had an LDS Charities stamp on it.  He heart was touched with the words “Latter-day Saints.”  He searched the internet and found the address of the Church and sent a letter in July to SLC.  This was in turn forwarded to the Africa Southeast Area in August of this year.

The refugee camp is located about 270K from Bujumbura, a 4-5 hour bus ride.  There are approximately 10,000 refugees currently residing in this camp located in Kinama. He and a friend came to meet us, representatives of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  We met with them for about 3 hours teaching them the 1^st vision, of the prophet Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon and the Restoration.  We gave them several copies of the book “Gospel Principles,” read the articles of faith, and answered questions regarding our “lay ministry,” tithing, and the word of wisdom.  They wanted to be baptized, receive the Priesthood, and return to start the Church in their camp.  We counseled them to first read, study and meditate regarding our teachings and the books we gave them and told them we would return in several months.  They were also told that the Church would first be established in Bujumbura and would expand from there.  They were excited that the Church would soon be coming to their country.

15 DECEMBER – TUESDAY

We started out the new day, just after midnight, leaving for the Bujumbura airport.   Our flight was scheduled to leave at 1:20 am.  The routing of the flight took me for my second visit to the Kigali airport and then on to Nairobi.  Our flight for Kinshasa departed on time and we arrived back home shortly after 9:30am.  After waiting for over an hour for our bags we made a claim and headed for the mission office.  Home sweet home.

I met with the assistants this afternoon.  They were happy to be able to present a pretty good weekly report, 73 baptisms and all of the other indicators were up, as expected following the week of a large transfer.  It was my turn to present the spiritual thought as we began our meeting.  I shared with them the thought that had come to me during our exploratory trip to Burundi.  I read section 80 of the D & C and substituted mine and Eustache’s names.  The spirit deeply touched my soul, once again, confirming my calling in a most unexpected way.  The promise in D & C 78:22 was also impressed on my mind.

[caption id="attachment_212" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Bujumbura from the Eastern Mountain"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_213" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The Avenues in Bujumbura"][/caption]

Sad Farewell!

It is with great sadness (and fear) that we say goodbye to Elder and Sister Moon. They have been our office couple since our arrival and served with the Livingstones since March of 2008. We had a replacement scheduled in August but a medical emergency prevented that from happening. The Moons graciously stayed until a new replacement could be found. We waited and waited and sure enough we did get a new office couple assigned. Another medical emergency almost stopped this one again, but thankfully we learned that the James' from Roy, Utah will still come, only six weeks later. So the Moons continued their plans to be home before Thanksgiving.

Not enough can be said about what wonderful missionaries Annette and Bill Moon were. They shared their skills and talents in every conceivable way. They kept the office running smoothly and efficiently (which is a challenge in the Congo) and managed to do many other amazing things, too. They taught English classes, Annette taught piano lessons, they completed our kitchen renovation in the mission home, Bill repaired hospital equipment and they even taught missionary lessons, converting a wonderful family from Namibia. The list could go on and on. We will sing their praises forever and so will many many people in this country!  Most of all they became wonderful friends.

As much as we hated to say goodbye, we knew that there were many anxious people looking forward to their arrival home and we knew it was time for them to reunite with their family. We love them...we honor them... and appreciate all they have done to further the work here in DR Congo.

[caption id="attachment_186" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Annette and Bill Moon"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_187" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Farewell dear friends"][/caption]

Updated Kitchen

We brought some Ikea kitchen cabinets with us since it is so difficult to get them made here. We started assembling them and then the Moons helped us. During one of our trips they surprised us by finishing the whole job!  We appreciate them so much...what a blessing they have been!











[caption id="attachment_182" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Old stove - New stove"][/caption]

Beautiful Kananga

Kananga is in the central part of the DRC, pretty much in between Kinshasa and Lubumbashi. We have no missionaries there, but we have a district with seven branches. We weren’t sure what to expect. As we packed for the trip (the night before) I seemed to remember that it might have been one of the places where we needed our freeze-dried meals and other “camping” equipment. I searched and found the documentation that confirmed that fact, so I then packed up food and ready-made freeze dried meals, paper products, flashlights, knives, etc. We took this trip with Elder Kola and his wife, the area seventy from Congo.

[caption id="attachment_114" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Waiting for a taxi with the Kolas"][/caption]

The adventure began … as we landed on a very small airfield I realized that Kananga was a fairly rural area, with LOTS of people. The internet says 1.5 million, but the people that live here say it is about 5 million people. (Not sure who to believe!) It was easy to see that 40 years ago this had been a very beautiful city, with fountains and large grassy areas between lovely boulevards.

The district president drove up to greet us on a motor scooter… then I saw how most people were leaving the airport. I thought this would be a little tricky to fit all 4 of us with all our luggage on motorbikes…





This seems to be the way to commute in Kananga...

After waiting a while we did get a “taxi” of sorts…

[caption id="attachment_117" align="alignright" width="300" caption="This is how we felt INSIDE this car!"][/caption]

This car looks much better than it really was…. And fortunately for you, smells do not cross through the internet! The most interesting part of this car was the gas tank… a gallon jug sitting in the trunk with a little hose running out of it. I am sure the gas tank rusted out long ago, but the real advantage to using a jug is that you can clearly see how much gas is left. They buy their gas along the road from vendors selling it pint or quart at a time. It was about $8/gallon.

We were taken to a motel…a new one, in fact. Usually the mission president stayed in a local brewery, but the inn was full so we tried out a new business. The main lodge was not quite finished, but it should be by our next visit.

[caption id="attachment_118" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="This motel is not quite finished..."][/caption]

So the motel was supposed to have air conditioning and water. Sounded good to us!  As it turns out, they have a generator that they run from 7 pm to 11 pm and indeed we did have air conditioning then. We just had to pay $10/room (Kolas and us) per hour for additional time with electricity. We opted for 2 more hours in the morning.

Here is the bathroom….

[caption id="attachment_119" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Ever heard of a "bucket shower?""][/caption]

They said WATER, not RUNNING WATER!  The 5 gallon bucket of water on the left was available for you to shower, wash and flush the toilet with.

If you got to sleep before 11, when the air conditioning went off, then you were okay until about 4 am, when you woke up in a sweat, suffocating with heat and humidity and tried to survive until the air conditioning came on at 6 am.

Are we spoiled, or what?  I remember in the good old days we didn’t have air conditioning and in upstate New York it was plenty hot and humid!

So once we dropped off our bags we proceeded to the branch building for a district auxiliary meeting. I thought with only seven branches that there might be just a handful of women. Imagine my surprise…

[caption id="attachment_120" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Kananga District and branch Auxiliary Leaders"][/caption]

What friendly wonderful women these were!  There was one who spoke some English so I was able to understand a little bit of what was said. Today’s discussion was what needs they had and how could the leaders help.

It was obvious that the branches were bursting out of their seams. They reported having between 25 and 70 children in their branches and there wasn’t enough room for them in Primary. They wanted sewing machines so they could learn how to sew and be productive. They wanted church pictures for the lessons. This was a humble growing group of sisters who believed in the Gospel and just needed more materials and space for learning.

That night we did walk to a local restaurant with the Kolas. It was a good thing that we brought our good flashlight because it was pitch black outside. Did I forget to mention that there is no public electricity in Kananga?  Only for those who have generators.

[caption id="attachment_121" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="Kananga Church, formerly governor's home"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_122" align="alignright" width="500" caption="Back yard of church and baptismal font (rain water)"][/caption]

The next morning (and throughout the weekend) Mike had interviews… lots of them… with 13 prospective missionaries and another 17 for priesthood advancements, temple recommends and new district callings. (He is the ecclesiastical leader for this district.) I toured the town with the Kolas.

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In the afternoon we toured the town with the district president seeing the various branch locations, land owned by the church for future buildings and rentals. We were quite the attraction to young and old throughout the streets as we were the only white people in the whole city! Children flocked to see us and as I took pictures they all wanted to be sure they were in them.

We both spoke at the adult Saturday meeting after also speaking at the auxiliary training and priesthood leadership meetings that day.

The next morning we had the general session for the district conference in an old (1940’s) theatre in town. It quickly filled up and it appeared they were trying to get sound outside for those who couldn’t fit inside. We noticed that there were lots of people who didn’t raise their hands at the sustaining of the church leadership. As President Headlee started his talk he asked by a show of hands how many investigators were there… there were between 500 and 600!  The attendance was taken and it was 2162 people! The active members of the district is  about 1300. It is not hard to imagine that this area will be a stake or two before we are completed with our mission. We know that we need to send missionaries here within the next 6 months. They will be kept very busy!

[caption id="attachment_161" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="District Conference"][/caption]

We left from the theatre straight to the airport and then home. We brought some delicious fresh pineapple with us and some great memories.

Dedication of Cameroon

We were privileged to be able to witness the dedication of the country of Cameroon to the preaching of the Gospel. Cameroon is the northern-most part of our mission. Our North American missionaries serve here. We also have two senior couples here.  The four local branch presidents all attended this ceremony along with our area president, Elder Paul Koelliker and his wife.