Wembo-Nyama Sojourn

Saturday 3 March – Monday 5 March 2012

Burning field below on the savannah

Our next stop was at the largest and oldest UMC Mission in the Central Conference, Wembo-Nyama.  On the flight to Wembo we saw several fires burning below.  Nothing large, they looked like controlled burning off fields or burning to create new fields. 

Looking at the strangers

Again, large crowd to greet the plane's arrival and then a parade to the guest house, complete with talking drums.  As soon as the crowds left, we sat down in the guest house living room to relax.  Soon we heard scurrying noises just outside on the porch.  As we looked to the windows and open door, young heads began to appear, just wanting a good look at the strangers in their midst.  They were friendly and inquisitive, but with no French it was hard to communicate.  They soon hurried off to more interesting pursuits.  We stayed Saturday and Sunday nights at the guest house and the Zimbabwe rats we experience last year in Murewa had checked in before our arrival so Jim did not sleep much Saturday night as they were doing laps above his head in the attic.  Sue said she did not hear them in her room... go figure.  (In Murewa, Sue heard the rodents and Jim denied their existence – at first… until the night a rat was noisily chewing its way out of a closet in Sue’s room). 

Sunday morning came very early; we were awakened at 6 am to the sound of the talking drums.  The drummer was just outside by the front porch.  He played there for 30 minutes.  The drums are very loud, with lots of different sounds that say something to those who know how to interpret.  They speak in the language of this region, Otetela.  We learned that it is the custom to greet visitors the first morning with a talking drums serenade.

Wembo-Nyama Village Methodist Church

We attended church at the partially renovated "Mother Church" of Methodist in the Central Conference in Wembo-Nyama Village.  We heard about the history of the church, founded with the arrival of the first UMC missionasry on 12 February 1914.  The church hopes to find sponsors to complete church renovations before the 100th Anniversary 12 February 2014.  We were presented a huge bag of rice and a dozen eggs as a welcome gift and these were served at one of our meals back at the Wembo guest house. 

Wembo-Nyama church interior

Looking at the strangers outside the church

After church we were driven in a Land Rover along the very long main street of Wembo-Nyama Village and also around the mission.

Women's Sewing Institute

Gathering around to see their picture

Saturday and Sunday late afternoons we took a walk around the mission.  On Saturday we had an entourage of young children following us and frolicking beside is as we walked.  Sunday we came upon a group of young women gathered in the courtyard of a school, a sewing institute.  They came out to greet us and were glad to have their picture taken, and then gathered around to see the results.

As we walked back to the guest house for dinner we were treated to a beautiful sunset.

Greeting the visitors at Wembo-Nyama Hospital

Maternity ward

Dental clinic

Jim, Sue & Louise - head maternity nurse

Monday morning we visited Wembo-Nyama UMC Hospital, the number one hospital in this area of the Congo.  It services a population of 95,000 in Wembo and the surrounding area.  The hospital has a 200 bed capacity but there are only 87 beds in operation.  Here, also, the top priority is getting water to the hospital.  Currently, water is transported by hand from a stream to the hospital.  They want to build an underground cistern that will collect rain water.  A pump would pump the water from the cistern to a roof tank and the water would be gravity distributed into the hospital.  There are many more needs – electricity (there is some solar power for blood bank storage, medicines, building renovations, medical equipment and supplies, among others.

Teacher's College Computer Lab

We also visited the Wembo Teachers’ College, among the top teacher colleges in the DRC.  There are 1100 students.  They have recently been accepted to prepare for offering Masters and PhD degrees.  We talked with teachers in the English Department.  They requested and provided us with a proposal for materials they need to better teach their students to speak, read, write and understand English.  As there is no power at Wembo, there is currently no Internet access, although they do have a computer lab, useable when there is electricity.  The program lacks written materials, language lab and audio materials.  Everywhere we visited there are so many needs.  We are gathering preliminary information.  The District Superintendent in each District, the UMC Medical Board, and ultimately the Bishop of this Central Congo Conference will need to prioritize the needs, and provide solid cost estimates for presentation to churches, conferences, and GBGM in New York.

Waiting to take off from Wembo

Monday afternoon we were supposed to be going to the second UMC Hospital at Minga Mission, another very remote location with a small dirt strip, but after flying for almost 35 minutes we ran into a thunder and lightning storm over the plains and had to turn back to Wembo.  Again, we had crowds welcoming us back.  We had battery problems getting the plane started on our takeoff from Tunda Mission and again had to get a couple of batteries rounded up from the Mission to get the plane started.  A couple of times, Jacques was at the propeller, giving it the old WWI prop pull and Jim was in the co-pilot's seat turning over the engine and managing the throttles.