Out and About in Lubumbashi

We are having a wonderful time!  

There are many times when I want to pinch myself to see if it is real, that we are here in the heart of Africa, the Congo.  

We are so grateful to have been called to serve here.  

I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

This was a beautiful day, hot and sunny.  

We find it amusing to see the people here wearing coats and hats in the heat of the day.

This fellow had a particularly bright hat on.  It just shouts out, "the Congo!!"

Here we are in a bit of a jam!!

Cars are so tight it is hard in some places to pass the others and then you add the people to the equation.  haha 

 It's a miracle that the traffic moves at all.  

The edges of the road are not smooth so sometimes the road really narrows where the road has just fallen away.

This is the same traffic jam.  

You can see that cars from behind us are trying to pass us on the left hand side 

to get through the traffic instead of waiting in line.  

This is so common here, especially with the transports.

There are big trucks on the right side of us lined up and stopped.

We are in the second row that has now stopped too and the transports are trying to make a third line but they are leaving no space for the oncoming traffic.

Here they are nose to nose.

It was amazing they could get out of this mess.

There was a little crossing over the deep ditch that is hardly big enough for a car to pass over.

People came out they directed them so they could go back and forth until they could turn off the road at a right angle to the left.  They almost ran into the back of us many times.

Eventually they all got out so the traffic could resume.

Also notice the little wagon in front of the oncoming vehicle that is being pushed by hand.  

There definitely isn't room for three lanes of traffic and a place left over for the wagon.

It is just amazing what we see!!  haha

This is a creative way to carry your luggage.  Who needs wheels?

Here we are in the traffic again.

This time the oncoming traffic has taken up well over their share of the road. 

We just move over and drive half on and half off the road.

Those people will move out of the way when we get to them.

These vehicles are in three lanes of oncoming traffic.

These pictures are at Christmas time when we visited a school that our humanitarian couple has been helping.  We went to the celebration of when they got there kitchen supplies for their cooking classes.

They received a very nice donation of many kitchen appliances and dishes.

They were so grateful.  The humanitarian missionaries have a great time here.

These are some of the school children.  They are so adorable!!

Their faces light up when we go to shake all their hands.

They are waiting to see Santa, Père Noël.

Isn't she beautiful?

... And here he is!!!  ... the man of the hour.

He was hilarious.  He didn't act like the jolly Santa we have at home, he was an old, old Santa that could hardly move.  It was good fun.

Do you love the beard?  He kept losing pieces of it all day.  haha

Santa brought some gifts for the smaller children.  Someone wasn't there to claim their gift so he called me forward and pulled my ear as he scolded me for not bringing my children to get their presents.  It was so funny.  The children thought it was great fun!!!

Here are our humanitarian couple, Elder & Sister Davis from Brigham City.  We have become good friends.  The man between the women is their interpreter because they don't speak French.  The woman is the owner of this school.  She is an amazing woman who cares so much for the children in her community.  It is a girls' school.  The little children are from a school down the street they work with.  This woman wept as she accepted the gifts.  Now they could teach the girls how to cook.  She has already been teaching them to sew.

Here are some sample of their sewing!!  

It was amazing to see how well they did.  

They had fancy dresses with lots of lace.  Some dresses were smocked.  

Some of the outfits were knitted.  They were all very well made. 

 It is wonderful for a woman to do so much good for the future generation in her country.

Another shot with me in the picture.  What a great day!!

These girls were sitting right behind us.  As they were singing I turned around to look at them.  They loved singing for us.  They were happy we were taking their pictures.  These young girl was just giving me thumbs up for taking her picture.  Afterwards they surrounded us and we had about a million pictures taken.  It was such fun.

Everyone wants a picture with the 'white' people.

These are the neighbourhood children that do not go to school. 

 They loved being there for the celebration too.  

They stood off to the side to not be in the way and so they didn't get scooted away.

This little girl is so tiny and so precious!!  She looks like she's enjoying her treats!!

I had to get a picture of this little girl's hair.

It is amazing to see the little girl's hair-dos!!

They must sit for a long time for this.

They are as cute as buttons too!!

This picture was painted and presented to the Davis'.  It is a symbolic picture.

The 4 girls represent the girls around the world.

The pitcher represents knowledge and education.

The flag is for friendship and collaboration.

The tree is a representation of life and bird feeding the little birds in the nest is for the help that all people bring to their country.

I can't remember what they all mean but the picture as a whole is so that the whole world will never forget what you've done.  (Church Humanitarian Work)

Here we are at another project.

The bridge was built so that both the communities on either side of the water could pass over and work together.

You can see the old bridge underneath the new red one. (mostly just planks)

It was about to fall apart  These neighbourhoods had to work together to help with this project and this is where the church turned the bridge over to the people to take care of and be responsible for.

It is wonderful how the church requires people here to help so they are not getting lots of free handouts.  They have to assist in all the projects.  It's a wonderful program.

You can see the old bridge better in this picture.  It was a dangerous bridge to cross.

Here the people are making the first official crossing of their new bridge.

It was an exciting moment.

Afterwards the children were running back and forth across it.  They had lots of fun!!

This little guy was standing close to me and just kept looking up at me.  Isn't he darling?

You can see the water the bridge crosses over.  Other wise they would have to wade through the water to pass over.  They were very grateful!

You can also see lots of garbage everywhere. 

 This is what this country looks like.

So sad.

Here I am walking back from the bridge to the church which is just to the left of this road.

The children here give me such joy.  They want to have fun like every other child in the world.

They love to have their pictures taken so they can see themselves.

It never gets old for them.  I love taking a few minutes to spend time with them!!!

This little guy was so funny!!  He would make funny faces so I caught one of them.

He's do this trying to look fierce and then he would laugh and laugh!!  ... especially when he saw the picture of himself.  I thought he was great!

You feel like a celebrity here because they all run after you.

We were leaving and they were following us the best they could.

I always seem to leave a little bit of my heart overtime we drive away.

There are so many children to love.  I am so grateful Heavenly Father is there to love them all!!!

I've been trying to get a picture of the brooms they sell here.  They bend over and sweep with these short little brooms.  They sweep the dirt in front of the houses and stores to keep the area clean.

I don't know why they still throw garbage everywhere but they do.

This is young boy out trying to sell his brooms.

The transports are a trademark of the Congo.  They fill them up with so many people.

This one is sitting empty for a few minutes.  It's amazing isn't it?

Here's another great hat but I took the picture of the woman carrying her baking through the crowds selling what she can.

Life here goes on from day to day and we are so pleased to be a small part of it.

These people love God and they are so open to the missionaries.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ will bless this land!!