Skipton Baptist Church Blog

Dear All

I daren’t look at the date on my last blog! 

The more mathematically inclined will have worked out that I was a ‘man’ short in ‘my’ taxi.  There were of course, 3 squeezed in the front as well.  Funnily enough, that same week, the Provincial governor decreed that the maximum number of passengers in a taxi should be 4, and although at first the taxi drivers were unhappy about it, just about everyone now seems to have complied with the order.  There has also been some improvement in the number of passengers carried by minibuses and on the route out to Ruashi where we live, 2 big yellow buses have recently put in an appearance.  So even in these few short months there have been some welcome changes to the public transport system.

We finally made it to graduation day at the Theological College, on 21 July, though fewer students graduated than expected.  Re-sits will be in October, while for some students the hold-up has been caused by their failure to turn in a major written assignment on time.  Some of the delays almost certainly stem from students leaving things to the last minute, (nothing new there!) while others will have been caused by the illness and hospitalisation of the director, Pastor Kalenga, who eventually had to undergo the amputation of one of his big toes and part of his foot.  He is slowly recuperating but is still far from well.  In  addition, one of the other lecturers (and therefore, director of studies for some of the 3rd year students), was forced to spend a considerable amount of time in Kinshasa awaiting a visa to allow him to attend church meetings in Europe and was again delayed on the return trip.  He arrived just in time to host the graduation ceremony!  A third lecturer, Pastor Mwamba, has been immobilised for over 6 months after an accident last November but finally at the end of June got the go-ahead to start moving with the help of crutches provided he didn’t put his full weight on the damaged leg.  As one of our third year students, Pierre Lubwika, has just had surgery to remove a bone growing out from the bone above his knee and is currently hobbling round with the aid of a crutch, we’re starting to look more like a hospital  than a Theological College!!  Not to mention having exhausted the local supply of crutches.

Graduation over, some of the students headed off for the holidays, while others who live too far away to be able to afford the fares and time, have stayed on in the college accommodation.  A number of them have found jobs with a view to raising their next year’s academic fees and associated costs.  We’ve yet to hear whether fees will be increased in September.  Elsewhere in academic institutions, fees look set to rise by up to 400%.  It’s true that fees are very low, when compared to fees in other countries but already families and individuals struggle to find the necessary tuition fees plus all the course materials and their living costs.  Some of our students are here with their families, or at least their wife and 3 youngest children, and in some cases are delaying sending their children to school as it’s one more cost they can’t afford.

There’s a small lull in the hospitality business here at Eau Vive, while the 2 latest visitors are away in the north of the province.  They’re due back at the end of the month.  In the meantime, there have been some complaints from my house guest, Judith, that I’ve switched off the menu planning part of my brain.  This is probably true.  We’re starting to prepare one of the other houses for the arrival of Pastor John Leese and his wife, Ann, who will be joining us some time in September.  John will be involved in the theological college.  They come to us after many years first planting then pastoring a church in Luxembourg and we’re very much looking forward to having them here, though I’m sure it won’t be long before John longs for male companionship with so many females of the species around!  Carol and Ginny, though, are currently in the UK on a 3 months’ break and aren’t due back till November, so I guess there’s only me for the time being.  Just before they left, Ginny and Carol gave me the joyous news that Zamu, one of their 2 dogs, may be having puppies, due around 11 October, so well before they come back.  As her puppies died last time, they’re keen to try and save the next litter.  Sure it can be fitted into my programme somewhere.

We finally managed to get all the paperwork completed for my residents’ visa application - or at least we hope we did.  You can never quite tell here.  Incredibly a friend of mine who is travelling to Kinshasa tomorrow, has agreed to take it with her and get someone there to follow it up on my behalf.  I really need it back as soon as possible, so trust it will have a speedy and safe passage through the appropriate offices.  I do have an ID card now, so can produce that if necessary.  We’re also waiting on new driving licences coming back from Kinshasa as all drivers have had to turn in their old ones (which still carried the name ‘Zaire’) and exchange them for new ones.  Unfortunately, they’re not being issued in the provincial capitals - in our case Lubumbashi - so again all the paperwork has gone to Kinshasa. 

The sudden change in temperature here, from cold to hot, marks the next phase of the dry season and I’m gradually discarding blankets.  It will continue to get hotter and more humid as we move towards the rains, with October and November generally the most uncomfortable months.  The rains should start either late November or in December.  By the sound of it, you probably aren’t looking for more rain yourselves at present! So, hoping that the weather has finally turned around and that you’re able to enjoy some warm, dry days before the summer ends…

With love

 Bridget