January 2010
What a diary you must have!
This from a friend who should know me better than to think I can do anything as organized as keep a regular diary. But so she’s not too disappointed, here are some notes from the diary that doesn’t exist…
A day in November 2009
My befuddled brain tried to work out which was worst – finding that I was sharing my bed with a lizard or 5 minutes later on my return from the bathroom, not being able to find the lizard ! Where had it gone? Would I wake up in the night to find it had returned? What kind of lizard was it anyway? Too tired to reach a satisfactory conclusion, rolled over and fell asleep almost immediately. Creatures were clearly on the move. Next morning there was a huge cockroach in my shoe – and cockroaches I do not like. I have tried really hard. I’ve even called them brown beetles, which helps a bit but not enough. I was in the end woken soon after 5am, not by the lizard but by one of the puppies outside, hollering for all it was worth. I crawled out of bed to prepare some warm milk. By the time the milk was ready and I’d made a cup of tea, the puppy had retreated into the kennel, joining the cozy heap of its sleeping siblings.
The next day …
Praise group took the roof off at church this morning with ‘Worthy is the Lamb’ sung in English then in Lingala. Lots of worship songs here are sung in 3 or 4 languages one after the other. It’s sometimes a challenge to know what language we’re singing in!
Guess what – he’s back! Why do I assume it’s a ‘he’? Smart stripy outfit and leering at me from the end of my bed. I refer, of course, to my ‘friend’ the lizard.
Youth group – a December afternoon – making garlands and Christmas cards. Something none of them had ever done. Although you do see Christmas cards in some of the shops in town, there’s no great custom of exchanging cards or gifts at Christmas here. On the other hand, the young people have yet to turn down the chance to do something creative. We had great fun, using all the bits and pieces I’d been able to put together, shapes cut out from old Christmas wrapping paper, glitter bequeathed by some teachers visiting from the UK, felt tips and some pastels that I got on Skipton market… plus oodles of glue! Even the templates got used. The end results were … not bad at all! I overheard one young boy proudly tell his neighbour ‘I don’t do technology at school but I can do this’. In schools here the orientation towards a career starts very young. Secondary school leavers may be primary school teachers the next day or set up their own tailoring, carpentry or car mechanic’s business. Subjects like art, music, drama fall by the wayside or never really happen and then it seems to me some part of who we were created to be remains under developed. At the end of the session, Papa Kas as we call Mr Kasongo, who’s in charge of Christian education at Kawama church, thanked God for his gift of creativity. It struck me that it was the first time I’d heard ‘creativity’ mentioned in a prayer since I came to Congo thirty some years ago!
Week before Christmas
I asked some friends if they’d be doing anything special for Christmas. Okende said that they would try to buy new clothes for the three youngest children in the family and that if there was enough money, they would buy rice for their meal. And, of course, he said, they would be going to church to thank God for having brought them safely through the year. Contrast with Mathy, a young hairdresser friend, who comes occasionally to talk English for an hour. Her family planned to buy rice, 3 kilos of beef, chickens, fish (tilapia), eggs and plenty to drink for everyone – and oh, of course, they would be going to Mass to thank God for having brought them safely through the year…
Christmas Day
Started the morning by joining Debbie and the church she’s part of at Luwowoshi, an area of new development on the edge of the city and a tented church in the middle of a great drift of long grass! The children’s choirs were well rehearsed and gave a lovely performance, far more confident than most children of their age in UK, while the young people did a simple re-telling of the story of the birth of Jesus, the visit of the shepherds and the wise men. Debbie had worked hard with them, including some overnight rehearsals and for once we didn’t finish up with the slaughter of the young children in the Bethlehem area, normally a highlight of local performances.
After church I joined a missionary family who live not too far away, with their two children and a Congolese friend, for a ‘traditional’ Christmas meal with all the trimmings, a Christmas tree (made from 3 upturned palm brooms), presents and lots of silly games!
New Year’s Day
I’d been invited to a service at a ‘Ministry’ in Kamalondo, across the other side of the city. Lubumbashi is awash with ‘Ministries’, small independent groups headed up variously by pastors, apostles, prophets and patriarchs! In this case the pastor is the brother of my good friend Esther, whose family I have got to know well. I picked up Esther and Eben-Ezer (her sister), in front of the Methodist centre and we made our way to another tent but this time one in the heart of a built up area. The service, which included the commissioning of Girls’ Brigade officers and the dedication of the first elders and deacons, started at 3pm or thereabouts and finished at 7pm. The early part of the service was accompanied by spasmodic explosions which had us all leaping out of and back into our skin – not gunfire, mercifully, but left over bangers from the night’s festivities which small children were taking great delight in doing what small children like to do with fireworks! Those who lasted the course of the lengthy service were rewarded with a soft drink and snacks – popcorn, peanuts and ‘crunchies’.
Shambuy came to the door this morning with a small bundle of sticks, dripping with resin. Firelighters Congo style! We’ve had another dearth of daytime power, so the charcoal brazier is back in use. With days and nights of drenching rain, there’s not a dry stick to be found so these will stop Anni having to come up with all sorts of ideas to persuade the charcoal to burn!
(We’ve since had a chance to use them. Amazing. Instant fire. I’ve never seen charcoal light so quickly!)
You probably need to have read this as a 3 part serial. I didn’t realize how long it had become. I should write more often!
Christmas and all your cards arrived again on 15 January. Much enjoyed! I should really take them down though…
Love and thanks for your support, prayers and love,
Bridget