Thursday 31st January 2013

Tuesday 29th January 2013

We both went to ISTM College this morning, although Janice was feeling a bit under the weather following a strange attack of shivering and nausea during the night!

John continued his work with the librarian, a very pretty young lady, who was a bit embarrassed one day as to how to tell him she needed to go and feed her baby!!!

Janice and Nancy had a session in the library, re-arranging, tidying and polishing. Books and shelves get coated in dust very quickly here, and some of the books and papers had not been properly sorted and tidied since their move [not a priority for the Congolese!!].

Janice in the library.

After a further attack of sickness followed by headaches at the College, Janice was prescribed with a precautionary dose of medication as the symptoms pointed to a “touch” of Malaria! The pills said ‘for Malaria in pregnancy’...!!?...However, they did the trick by the next morning, and as it’s me writing this blog you can see I am fine again! Well, that’s another new experience, and if that was a “touch” of Malaria I sure hope I never experience a “thump”!! It was not pleasant, and I wouldn’t like to experience it again!!

Wednesday 30th January

The early morning dawned with Janice feeling better; and with another sudden tropical rainstorm. This was bigger than Sunday’s storm and lasted for 2+ hours with amazing overhead lightning and thunder claps....rain on the tin roof is deafening! We later heard that about 100 little homes near the local river had been washed away. One blessing is that rain in the dry season keeps certain crops growing which would otherwise dry up. Climate change is causing problems here though with unpredictable growing conditions for many crops.

Mele by his car and water running off the road into an eroded gulley beside the College property.

This iss a bridge over the river

Mele and John set off for the College when the storm had eased, but the holes in the roads were once again filled with water, with rivers of mud in between! [Pot holes in UK are nothing!!]

Today, John was working with Christian, who is the accountant for ISTM College. In the past the accounts have been kept on “Excel spreadsheets” which are very complex and well devised. The accounts are being transferred to “Sage” accounts. This is a very comprehensive package but it, like other comprehensive software packages, takes a lot of learning. Setting budgets and comparing income/expenditure against budget is something which the directors wish to do but which Christian was unable to set up. John has no experience with “Sage” but was sure that such a facility existed. Christian speaks no English! John speaks no French! AND the “Sage” package is in French! It was nothing short of a miracle that together they managed to navigate the “Help” documentation and find out how to achieve the desired results. Praise the Lord for His enabling in a situation which John had thought would be hopeless.

A very happy Christian at his computer!

Janice stayed at home to make sure of full recovery, reading, and writing in preparation for this Blog and doing a bit of baby minding again, while a mopping up session was going on indoors and on the veranda....the heavy rain with strong winds penetrates through the old windows even when shut! But as the concrete floors are all washed and wiped every day, they don’t see this as too much of an extra chore!


As we’ve said before, sending Blog news and Emails and receiving Emails is very haphazard here, and will probably be worse from 4th-20thFeb when we are on our Trek across the DR Congo; so we were very shocked to hear, a few days late, that after our daughter Julia and Chris, her partner had moved from Devon to Salisbury last week, and their furniture arriving last Wednesday, Chris was rushed into Salisbury Hospital and had an emergency hernia operation last Friday! Thankfully, there was an excellent surgeon who immediately found the problem and operated quickly. We have now been in touch with Julia and Chris, and have been told by both of them “not to worry”. He was home on Sunday, and progressing OK....but not up to sorting out their furniture and unpacking in their new home!

Wednesday 30th January 2013

Sunday 27th January

Drs. Nancy and Philip called for us at 9.45am to take us to the French Morning Service at the CECA20 Church. This is the very large (1000+) and lively church which holds services in Swahili and French, each equally packed! We were welcomed and soon felt as if we had never been away! The congregational singing is great; the young peoples’ choir is great; but the male voice choir is out of this world wonderful!! (Janice’s words). Hymns and sermon notes are projected (in French) which helps us to follow. Janice gave two brass cornets to the band teacher (One hers and the other from Robin from Waterloo Road Church). During the service they were presented to the Pastor on the stage with a quick burst of “Jesus, keep me near the Cross”! Thanks, prayers and blessings were made. Dr Nancy said that young men in Congo long for their own musical instrument as young men in the UK long for their own car!

It was also interesting to see two families bringing their babies to be dedicated. The early afternoon brought a sudden, amazing tropical storm with torrential rain, deafening thunder and lightning which lasted about an hour. At 5pm. Nancy and Philip arrived to take us to the home of Jonathon and Jeanine & 3 children, 8, 9 & 11 who we know well from previous visits. On a previous visit Janice taught Jeanine how to use the visual aid flannel graph and she is in charge of then at the French church where each class has a turn with them. A lovely Congolese meal, they really are delicious, even if the goat and chicken are very tough!! Little presents for the excited but so well behaved children & lots of laughter and English, French and Congolese chatting. Nancy and Philip have a kind of bed sit with en suite apartment with Jonathon & Jeanine now that they are unable to maintain a house in Bunia all the year round. Very well fitted into an old colonial house. Home again at 8.30 pm, driven by Nancy in the pitch dark on terrible roads, the potholes made even worse by the afternoon’s rain. As I’ve said before it’s like being in a badly loaded tumble dryer – quite good for pummelling the fat away! Bed by 9.00pm ready for tomorrow!

Monday 28th January.

The rebel armies are not near us here in Bunia but the effects on the people here are very sad. A cousin of Mele’s was shot yesterday in his home in Goma. The rebels were following someone who was their target, but he escaped so the shot Mele’s cousin instead!!

John spent the day at ISTM College and has had success in getting the library software working! Praise the Lord!!! Now he is training the librarian, Moseka, in its use and passing on other computer skills. Janice was at home doing various jobs including a stint at baby minding. We were perfectly warn enough but to the Congolese it turned “cold” in the afternoon with a little more rain, so baby Nehemiah was wearing a lovely jumper and hat knitted for him by Mavis Swallow from our church.

We heard from Nancy that the material for the Proreso School Solar Power set up had been purchased and that the electrician was on site to start installing. A carpenter and a mason were taken off the “Water Tower Project”; the mason to channel the wall for the trunking to take the wiring and the carpenter to construct a frame to take the solar panels. By evening the panels were on the roof and the channelling cut! Nancy said “ Sometimes things DO happen quickly in Congo.



Monday 28th January 2013

Friday 25th January

We were both at ISTM College in the morning. John was endeavouring to get the library administration programme working. He installed this programme in October 2010 and when he left it appeared to function well while being tested, booking books out to students and back in again but needed a lot of work entering all the book data before it could actually be used. Now the data is all entered but the booking out and in function does not seem to work. As it is over two years since he used the system it is difficult to remember how to operate it. Very frustrating!!

Janice was re-labelling in the library which was moved from the old building with all the bookcases and shelf units. Many of her labels from 2010, protected with strong sellotape are still in situ, but there were more to do!

In the afternoon she stayed at home with the children, who are at school every morning except Sunday [7.30 am to 1pm]. Once at home, after their lunch, they all scurry around doing various jobs.....carrying 5 gallon cans of water from the stand pipe to the store; helping in the kitchen and the garden; having a big washing-up session in the garden; taking a turn looking after the baby; laying the table for meals etc. They are always happy and busy and it almost seems like playing! They speak French and Swahili, so we have fun communicating! There are 13 of us, 8 adults and 5 children ages from 3 months to 12 years, in this large rambling old house, with outbuildings [which are boys bedrooms] but it never feels crowded because so much activity happens outdoors! Rose, Mele and their daughter Ruth are so pleased to be able to improve their English [and Janice is surprised at how much French she remembers from school days in this family situation].

The evening meal was Janice’s chicken!! Chopped into the usual bony chunks favoured for all meats and fish, in a delicious sauce......but it was a pretty tough bird!! [I did eat some, but I must admit I can’t quite stomach eating a bird I’ve just held alive and warm....it was difficult!!].

Saturday 26th January

John is at the college this morning with Mele [53: Directeur Generale], and Janice is busy at the house, sorting many gifts/ donations....and just waiting to take a turn of baby minding while his Mum[23 yr old Ruth] cooks the lunch!

Grandma Rose [a qualified Nurse age 49] is also out working. She has an important job in the Bunia Medical Health Insurance Company which, as well as providing health insurance, is undertaking a huge water and sanitation project in the area. Bad water causes so many serious health problems and deaths here, and there is a great surge to improve it in as many Villages as possible...a huge task, involving a lot of administrative as well as practical work; like building water towers and sinking wells, and installing pumps. Proreso School for the Deaf now has a well in its grounds, and a water tower is nearby under construction. Janice nearly had a fit when she saw all the many workmen without hard hats, and men at the top of the scaffolding throwing large boxes of [don’t know what!] into the middle of the ground workers!!! No problem! All happy and waving and cheering at us!

John continues to be frustrated by the library programme which would not work!!

At ISTM Nursing College and PRORRESO School for the Deaf.

Wednesday 23rd January 2013


I am sitting out on the veranda at 5.40pm, enjoying the cool of the early evening!

As explained we are staying with a Congolese family. We got to know Mele, who is Director General of ISTM Nursing College, on our previous visits. Now we are getting better acquainted with the rest of the family who all go out of their way to ensure that all our needs are met.

On Tuesday morning Janice spent the morning at the home getting to know Ruth and her three month old baby son Nehemiah. Ruth, who is a single mum, is Mele and Rose’s daughter. They sorted through the many little gifts which Janice had acquired during the time we have been planning this trip and decided what would be appropriate to give to which child in the extended family living in the house. For example Mele’s brother died and they have taken in his son and daughter to give them a home and an education.

Mele took John to one of the ISTM campus sites to meet with the new accountant with a view to giving him one of the laptops which had been donated to us for Congo. As it turned out his existing laptop was more powerful than the one we were offering!!! They spent some time discussing the “Sage” accounting system which is being used and how to develop it to provide more information to the management. John and Mele then spent the rest of the morning at the new building on a large plot of land that has been allocated to the College for future development. We had visited the site in 2010 when we were shown an abandoned part completed bungalow which was being overrun by the jungle. This has now been “Completed” and is in use as offices and classrooms.

The afternoon saw both Janice and I taking long siestas!!

Thursday 24th January.

This morning Dr. Nancy took us to Prorreso School for the Deaf where Janice had worked on previous visits to Bunia. The journey by car is over some of the worst roads! But it was wonderful to see the new school building....finished enough to use, but still with work to do! As we arrived and alighted from the car, we saw all the school children lined up outside ‘singing’ in sign language, with a presentation party of teachers greeting and presenting Janice with a large bouquet of flowers!! It was on a par with the greetings for the Queen.They were so pleased to see her again, and pleased to be introduced to John. The head teacher had sent Emails periodically over 2012 to ask about John’s health, and to assure us they were praying for his recovery from his heart operation; plus “when are you coming back?”

We visited all the classrooms when the children were inside for lessons. It was great to see them with more space for classes. One dear little 5 year old also has Downes Syndrome, but so happy, and like the others able to be stimulated with learning.

We were then given a breakfast of coffee, bread and homemade peanut butter!

John then had discussions with Nancy and the head teacher re the proposed installation of Solar panels to provide power for 8 laptops which have been donated to enable computer training for the older students. After the visit to the School we paid a visit to Nancy’s favourite electrical “store” in Bunia to see what was available and the possible cost of the project. We propose to raise some funds for this project!!

Janice had a final surprise, which again caused much laughter [as it did in 2010], when she was again presented with a live chicken in a bag!!!! I am afraid to say, this will be meals for us and the family for tomorrow!!! [And it is such a pretty chicken!!].

On our second day here, there was a sudden death of a young female student nurse who attended ISTM College. It was a great distress to everyone, necessitating visits to the family, and organising the post mortem and funeral. There was a Service at the college this afternoon, which we also attended, for all those who couldn’t travel the long distance for the actual funeral and burial.

Tuesday 22nd January 2013

Our last posting said that we were almost ready for the off and now we are here in Bunia DRC and so much has happened in these last two days!!

The weather was uppermost in most peoples’ minds at the end of last week and particularly so ours!

Friday’s snow all day left us with about four inches of snow and Heathrow reportedly in chaos. Our son Peter, who works there, told us that the reported “closures” were only to clear the runways of snow and a lot of the cancellations were either local flights where there were alternative flights available or caused by flights from the continent where conditions were much worse that in London. Saturday was overcast all day but with no more snow and a slight thaw we were confident what all would be well.

On Sunday morning our flight was reported as “on schedule” so we made our way to Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport and were directed straight to an empty check in desk, through security, and to the departure lounge. We had a coffee and our flight was called to the gate and everyone was on board, doors closed ready for departure on schedule.

That was when the fun started!!

As we were being driven to the airport the snow began to fall lightly and continued to do so until we finally departed. It didn’t seem to be heavy enough to be a problem. After we were all locked in the pilot told us that we were in a queue to be de-iced and would be de-iced on the stand before moving off to departure. Time went by and drinks only were served, because it is not possible to serve food on the ground and it was announced that we would go to a de-icing point rather than wait for a crew to come to us. In the queue we stood stationary a number of times for so long that the engines were switched off. We finally took off five hours late having sat on the tarmac for five and a half hours!! On the plus side this meant that we spent five hours less (we had expected to be there for 12 hours) in the “Transit Office” at Entebbe Airport trying to sleep on a row of chairs which was not long enough for both Janice and I to lay full length.

The MAF handling team arrived at about 8.30am and were “processing” us (weighing baggage and checking details) when we were asked if four Norwegians were travelling with us as there was a pilot looking for them and they could not be found. It turns out that they had booked two flight dates and forgot to cancel the one which they didn’t need!! We were given the opportunity to take this earlier flight, Just Janice and I in an eight seat Cessna Caravan. This meant that we were in Bunia about 3 hours before schedule!

We were able to contact Nancy and let her know that we were arriving early so that she could meet us and escort us through customs which was just as well as for the first time they opened all five of our cases! We were taken to the home of Mele and Rose, with whom we are staying where we received a welcome from all the family and had time to relax - - - - - - - - unknown to us the “Motor Bike Safari” team were in Bunia and were due to be present at CECCA16 (the Swahili speaking WEC founded church) for a service and meal in celebration of the Centenary and a send off for the rest of their Safari. If we had been on the scheduled flight from Entebbe to Bunia it would have been straight from the plane to the church.

This service was a fantastic time of worship very much in the African style, of looking back and of looking forward. It also was an unexpected opportunity for John to meet up with the three Australians for whom he had been getting visas.

We are already very much at home with all the family and enjoying the new experience of staying with a Congolese family!

Saturday 19th January 2013.

Less than 24 hours until our flight leaves Heathrow for Entebbe. According to BA the flight is on schedule so we should get away OK in spite of the weather. Our cases are almost packed with just the last minute bits and pieces to throw in just before the off. Our spare bedroom will look quite empty after a month with piles of clothes and ministry paraphernalia covering every available flat area in the room!

Many thanks to all who have emailed with good wishes and blessings for the trip. Watch this space.

John

Weekend 5/6th Jan 2013

This has been a busy weekend!!

Our friends, Philip and Nancy Wood are passing through the UK en route Toronto to Bunia, DRC.  We met up with them on Friday 4th and with Stephen and Catherine McGoldrick who are planning to go to DRC full time in October. We were able to sort out one or two things relating to the the Centenary Trecks, both Foot and Motorbike.

Philip's home church, Millmead Baptist Church in Guildford held a special service on Saturday to comemorate their 40  years of service with WEC.  It was a wonderful testimony to their faithfullnes and to God's unending power and grace in their lives.

Packing and emails continue to occupy us as we prepare for the 20th when we leave!

Hi all!!  Sorry it's been so long since my last post.  I did intend to keep the Blog up to date during 2012 but here we are in 2013 and not a single posting in 2012!  What can I say?  It was quite a year!
What I CAN say is that on the 20th January, yes in less than three weeks time, Janice and I are off to DR Congo again for a four week trip.  God has been good and given me back the strength to return to DRC.  This time we will be staying for two weeks with a Congolese family, our friend Mele and his wife Rose. Mele is the Director General of the nursing college where I worked.  This will be followed by two weeks in the interior with the WEC founded church to celebrate their Centenary.
Enough introduction.  I have added below the text of our 2012 Christmas Letter to give you a flavour of our year:-
Our annual family Christmas/New Year weekend was delayed until early February this year, when we were then able to celebrate John's wonderful recovery from his open-heart surgery in December to repair a leaking mitral heart valve. We are so thankful that there were no post-surgery heart complications, and he surprised everyone with his quick return to normal activities! In fact he was such a star that, in the summer, he was chosen to take part in a teaching demonstration for a Medical Heart Conference at Harefield Hospital, which involved a group being filmed while demonstrating the aftercare physiotherapy sessions of Cardiac Rehabilitation in the gym!
More celebrations during the year included the birth of a great-granddaughter, Lily-Rose in September; a friend’s wedding on the Isle of Wight, where we also celebrated our 56th Wedding Anniversary on the same day, where the Reception was a wonderful experience at Osbourne House! We toured the island for a few days holiday, and remembered our last visit there 41 years ago, taking 6 children age 2-14 years [5 of ours and one extra!] in our minibus/dormobile and camping for two weeks at Freshwater, and visiting places!
Other celebrations included joining friends and family for 2 Golden Wedding parties, and three 80th Birthday parties....and various birthdays of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren! Grandson Alex [policeman] reached the milestone 21st Birthday!
But, sadly we also attended several funerals of dear friends and family during the year, including Services to celebrate their lives. In particular, Janice's cousin Linda, who had lived her life so bravely as she battled with leukaemia for 9 years, including the sudden death of her husband in 2004.
We enjoyed all the Olympics. The Olympic torch, carried by Michael Vaughan, passed nearby on its way to the Uxbridge Sports Centre near us.....we joined with neighbours to cheer him on!

Peter earned a Silver Medal and money award for his exceptional work at Heathrow, when he was part of a chosen team from their workforce, to assist paralympians off the planes, and back on again at the end of the Games! Although he has dealt with numerous disabled passengers during his 13 years at Heathrow, his experiences with the paralympians surpassed it all.....blind, deaf, one leg, no legs, one arm, no arms, cerebral palsy etc...or a combination of several disabilities...with the happiest and strongest people he has ever dealt with! His stories and hilarious experiences were many!
Our big news for 2013 is: we are visiting D.R. Congo again! Leaving Heathrow on 20th January and returning 4 weeks later on 20th February. We had to cancel our previous mission trip planned for October 2011 due to John's heart surgery being imminent! Since then we have been continually asked “When are you coming again?" Many of our Congolese friends have prayed for John's health, and we've received Emails or text messages throughout the year. Some of the English translations have been amusing; and if in French, then WE have to do the translating! Fortunately none come through in Swahili!
In particular they want John to do some more work with the computer system at I.S.T.M, the Nurses training College in Bunia [sorting out viruses is a main request!]. A new college building, nearer the Mission Hospital, was completed during the year, built on the remains of a derelict building. The London Male Voice Praise Choirs and others contributed money to provide solar panels to give more stability for electricity and they were installed during the year. They are so grateful for this help, and never cease to send their thanks and blessings to all who donated! We are looking forward to seeing and working in the college.
Janice is also looking forward to visiting the Hospital and the School for the Deaf where she had a lot of contact. They also have a new building.....but don't imagine 'new building' as we would know it here! But it is larger and better and cleaner than the very old, small hut where about 40 or so profoundly deaf children of all ages were crammed in, but taught to an excellent standard! I hope I don't get a surprise gift of a live chicken this time, but at least it wasn't a goat, which had been their first choice!
We will have a new experience staying with a Congolese family....our friends Mele and Rose and various children! Mele is the 'Directeur General' of the Nurses College. With our friends Doctors Nancy and Philip we have been for meals in their house, and worked with them during our previous visits, but we will be 'going into the unknown' this time! We can just about get by with their limited English and our very limited French.....but we are sure there will be a lot of laughter and fun!

We will stay for 2 weeks working in Bunia, and after that we will join a group of missionaries, including Nancy and Philip Wood, travelling across DR Congo by road and MAF planes on what is called a 'Prayer Walk' through the heart of Africa from Bunia to Isiro, following in the steps of C.T.Studd, where WEC missionary work first began 100 years ago! We will meet with Christians in Churches, including a large church in the tropical rain forest. Also visiting other places of interest and giving encouragement for the future as they celebrate this centenary. Our accommodation will be pretty simple and varied, but we know that the Congolese people everywhere will welcome us and be thrilled to share their homes and experiences with us.
We are now practicing for our Male Voice Choir's Christmas engagements, in which we are both involved as usual. The fellowship with the men and their wives is still a big part of our lives; as is various work and friendship within our Church. We are thankful to God and our friends and family who give us joy and support.

We hope to have a family weekend together in the New Year before we set off for the Congo, and we are thankful that our family are all well at the time of writing, and busy in their various work and home lives. Julia and Chris are planning a move to Salisbury when they sell their house in Devon. It will be nice to have them a bit nearer to us!
As always, our thoughts and prayers are with those of you who have been bereaved this year, or suffered health, work or family problems.


God Bless you all,

With our Love and Best Wishes for 2013,