Scenes from Kinshasa

Chez Victoire where we buy sandwiches to go.

Well and (below) cistern built by the church for a hospital.  Unfortunately pump has failed and cistern is undersized; failure of water systems due to lack of maintenance or no regular replacement is way too typical.  Sigh.





The kids may play for a few minutes when the rain starts, while the mothers run for buckets to collect precious water.  Then the work begins, the kids pour water from the buckets into bidons through funnels made from cut off water bottles.  Reminded me of when my kids were growing up, when the strawberries, raspberries, blackberries were ripe, it was off to the fields, like it or not, these kids have to work too. 

This is the rainy season here in DRC....and when the skies open up buckets pour and the kids love it!   I almost ripped off my clothes and ran out to play with them, they were having a great time.  



Fine dining in kinshasa at Portugese restaurant‏.

Delicious!

My two year-old friend Ryan.  I didn't even have to flirt with him to get him to climb up on my lap!

Back of feathered hat of chief‏.

Hole in street we must avoid every day‏.

Hotel.

These are my Keens that I wear into the jungle.  Note how nice and clean they are.  When I return from a jungle trek I have to scrub them with a brush, rinse and scrub again and again.  But they always survive.   Our guys are envious, they want Keens.   They and Ro wear either tennis or other sturdy shoes, but for me anything else is too hot and heavy.   Next jungle trip I will take a picture of them AND my feet, I also scrub my feet with a brush post jungle trip.  It is all worth it...I love the jungle and the inhabitants.  I might change my tune if/when I run into my first snake but so far no encounters.   The guys assure me that snakes like us less than we like them, I DOUBT THAT.  If we plow through tall grass or reeds Eddy runs ahead and runs around stomping saying that he is scaring the snakes away!  

A note I took a while back about "our guys": I am sitting in my office waiting to leave for another day in the jungle.  We are looking for villages who meet the criteria for water projects.  I just wanted to write about the fact that Eddy, Eric, Felix (site monitors and translator) and DeDe (the last one doesn't work for us but a young man who works in the building)  Ro is on the phone out in the hall and I am working away at my computer.  These guys are carrying on in Lingala, hooting, laughing, slapping legs having a great time acting like junior high boys.   Just makes my heart happy. They are all thirty somethings, dads, hard workers, have endured each one great trials in life.  To enjoy watching them be silly for a few minutes just reminds me of all the many times silly kids (including myself) acted ridiculous, giggled and carried on unmercifully.   A great day ahead.  I LOVE GOING TO THE JUNGLE!  I am wearing my traditional Congolese skirt (Pagne).....the locals go nuts over it! (will sent pictures)  Hope all is well with my favorite peeps...with whom I have engaged in many a silly moment (read, pants wetting) and hope there will be more! :-)   

Kinshasa sunday school class we taught‏.

Van and Marie Christensen, humanitarian missionaries in DRC 2005-07, returning to do vaccination training.  Waiter really wanted a picture with him in it.