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.
Glad everything is going well and im glad your enjoying yourselves me kevin and lily are all missing you love you xxx
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