The 30th of May was our first full day in the DR Congo. The main vent of the day was a driving tour of the city. In the early morning I wrote of waking to birds singing their praises and the noise of people working outside and talking in languages I knew not. And also noted how I was surprised by how at home I felt, here in this land far from where I had ever been, with the primary spoken languages one I knew not.
As we traveled around the city my heart went out, and I struggled to understand some of what I saw. In part as it was hard for me to tell at times the state of a building. For at times in new areas of the city, would seem buildings that seemed old and abandoned, but perhaps were just halted in the construction process, or buildings looking as if they were deteriorating, but perhaps just in use even though never fully finished. Would see small homes of some of the poorest of society right next to homes of wealthier ones. And then some neighborhoods primarily of one level at least from street view. the vast differences amazed me, not so much because they existed, but existed side by side and so clearly evident. Upon our trip was a stop at an equestrian center, a place where few Congolese would ever go the cost way beyond what they could afford. It was interesting to see, but among the group were some who wondered why we were visiting a place so few of this country could see, as they wanted to be out and with the people, and not where they could not afford to be.
afterwards we traveled to visit a deteriorating hotel. Built in the 1960s it is one of the fanciest in town, but like everything else years of neglect has taken its toll, though unlike where Iw as staying the first two nights, it still had running water, and was scheduled to shut down in a few weeks for 9 months for rehabilitation to bring it back up in quality. Around the time it was built is when the political situation in Congo would be changing and lead to years and years of neglect to the countries infrastructure and economy leading to some of the great struggles the country is now dealing with.
We then went to lunch and then started the driving tour of areas where perhaps the more typical Congolese citizen lived, in smaller homes, bunch together, less walled in compounds, more homes in proximity to one another visible from the road. We stopped at a small market where artwork was sold, and experienced the wonders of negotiating prices, some better at it than others. We drove by many churches. While often the church structures were some of the bigger buildings they often seem to have some feel of connection to the community they were in, some perhaps a bit grander but rarely did they seem maintained better than the surrounding community. perhaps the one exception was the LDS compound we drove by, right near a community of small brick un-stuccoed homes, it was a well maintained stuccoed building that seemed somewhat out of place in relation to the finical state of the community around it. In that community nearby was the elder Sister of the leader of our group and her family, also not far from there was the Methodist church that Caleb was one of the Pastors for, where we encountered many kids playing basketball and football (soccer as most in the US call it).
As we drove around town I also found it interesting to note in a country that “technically” drives on the right, only a few of the vehicles had the driver on the left, most were imported from areas where the driver sat on the right, and thus indication of driving on the left side of the road, thus perhaps a US postal worker would feel right at home in one of them, but others it would be a bit strange driving sitting toward the curb rather than the center of the road. Knowing income levels of people here and seeing prices in stores, I found it hard understand, since wages so much less but prices not much less and perhaps for some things equal or higher than back home.. and yet people seemed to get by. perhaps the greater family support, and much more grown and made rather than purchased. Being able to do more with less perhaps, and the joy upon the faces of the children was so amazing, and upon others. Truly those with less physical did often seem to be the most joyful… though their struggles also often evident.
My second night in the cong would result in a dream. In essence it was about work, both I and my supervisor being upset at each other as she asked me to work the day I came back for a few hours, after I had already agreed to work the next day, both of which I was not on the schedule for. Afterwards I tried to go and apologize, but was unable to as she was in a meting. And talking with a fellow co-worker concern about how she was doing arose. perhaps it stands out even more, for in reality when i came back and was worn out and she saw me at church on Sunday she re-arranged the schedule so that I didn’t have to work Monday and had another day to recover… Getting upset at her in the dream though bothered me for several days, if not the whole time I was there. Silly perhaps, but it is true and so this Monday I told her I know it is silly and awkward, but it is still on my mind, and told her in brief that I had a dream where I had been upset at her and apologized for it… I know it makes no sense but sometimes that is just how things are.
That’s all for this entry…
Peace be with you
— Lyle II