Back in Kananga

Thursday 8 March 2012

Making friends? Jim on Kindle Fire, Markus on ipad

Soon after returning to Kananga from our flying adventures and visits to three missions, a visitor came to stay for several days.  Markus Wolfmaier is a new missionary pilot who is a candidate for an upcoming pilots slot with the United Methodist Aviation Ministry (UMAM) http://UMAviationMinistries.org here in the DR Congo.  Each of the three Episcopal areas in the DRC has an aviation ministry.  Air transportation is essential, as distances are great and roads are few.  The planes carry medical supplies, critically ill patients, as well as transporting missionaries, volunteers and church leaders.  Markus is a German citizen who grew up in Sweden, the child of missionaries.  For the past 10 years he has lived in Tennessee.   He went to Moody's Bible College and then to their Missionary Pilots and Mechanics school.  He is on an orientation tour of the Congo and if the job is offered and he accepts after this visit, he will be coming back here for a 3.5 year tour.  He is staying in Jacques' house for a couple of days and then Jacques will be flying him or Markus flying and Jacques observing, as they travel down to Lubumbashi for a meeting.  Jacques will be gone a week.

Friday 9 March 2012

Cistern hole ready for rebar

Getting rebar ready

Concrete blocks awaiting use in the cistern

The guest house where we are staying and that we are renovating for future volunteer teams will have a brand new cistern.  Yesterday the cistern hole was re-dug out after the rain last week.  A concrete floor will be poured with rebar reinforcing, then concrete block walls will be built.  The blocks were handmade right here in the compound while we were visiting the missions.  The concrete blocks need rain to cure and make them strong, but rain is in short supply just now.  The Akasa’s roof water tank is empty and their cistern doesn’t have much water.  Water is bought in 55 gallon drums almost daily right now.

Virginie preparing cassava

Cassava plants are all over the compound

Carrying cassava home

We eat cassava at most noon meals, the main meal of the day.  It is very tasty, a bit of a bite the way it is cooked.  It grows all over the compound and is gathered almost daily and prepared on the tin roofed patio, just off the kitchen where all the meal preparations and cooking happens.   All over Kananga we see women with large bowls on their heads, full of cassava, being brought home for dinner.

We are very near the Kananga airport.  Planes land and take off just overhead.  As they pass overhead you can see the planes shadow on a wall or the ground.  There is not a lot of air traffic but you know when one is near.  The CAA flight from Kinshasa comes in 3 days a week, Monday, Thursday and Saturday.  There are some cargo flight, Congolese military flights, UN aircraft, and small planes such as the Cessna 206 we flew last week.

Compound walls

The children follow

Homes on a hillside along the way

We took a walk with Markus this afternoon, down a dust road that passes beyond the two house walled compound where we live.  The road is filled with people walking and sitting outside their homes.  Three white folks create a lot of interest.  We say bonjour or bonsoir; they often say hello in English by saying good morning, no matter the time of day and we reply in kind.  They try to speak to us in French, but we have to say Je ne parle pas français, parle anglais?  Very few folks speak English.  But no matter, the children especially just follow along behind us happily chatting among themselves, observing us, seemingly fascinated.  We feel like pied pipers.

Otetela, Chaluba languages church

Down this road are 2 Methodist churches.  Emanating from each, every other day or so during the week, generally starting about 11 pm, choirs practice and services are conducted.  One church conducts services in French; the other conducts the services in two local languages, Otetela and Tshiluba.  We have spent a Sunday morning at each, shepherded to the front as honored guests by our local host.

Saturday 10 March 2012

Rebar laying

Block delivery

The workmen are laying the cistern floor rebar this morning and concrete blocks are delivered from the main house to the guest house. 

Shelling peanuts

Meanwhile Valentine and friends are shelling peanuts on the kitchen patio, beginning to make peanut butter.  The peanuts are laid out on a large tarp to dry.  Later the peanuts will be mashed with a large pestle about a foot tall.  

Drying peanuts

Over by the chicken coop 3 young men are cutting orange palm fruit down and eating a bit as they go.

UN helicopter near the hanger

Unloading the oil drum at the hanger

Fueling the plane

Pilot Jacques

Markus & Jim discussing planes and flying

After lunch, Jacques, Francois, Markus, Jim and Sue went to the hanger.  Markus and Jacques are flying to Lubumbashi tomorrow morning and the Cessna needs aviation fuel.  The UN helicopter was in the field near the hanger, looking important and ready to go.   Avgas was brought from the compound to the hanger in the SUV.  During the November 2011 DRC elections unrest, Jacques moved avgas from the hanger to the compound.  This was the final barrel to be transported back from the compound.  The fuel is pumped into both wings

Bonjour

The market

Come again to Kananga

Phew, we made it back

Wanting some exercise, Jim and Sue walked back from the hanger to the guest house, about 3 miles, on a hot DRC afternoon.  We passed many folks walking, a market area with a dusty haze, and a borehole, finally arriving at the farewell gate that starts the ride out to the airport.  We walked the distance in ¾ hours, glad to be back.

Borehole, lining up for water

No time to rest.  We went to see the house Markus will live in should he be offered the pilot’s job and accept it.  The house is about ¾ mile from Jacques, with living room, dining room, kitchen and three bedrooms, with a small courtyard in front.  Across the street is a borehole, very convenient for getting water supply.  As everywhere else in Kananga, power is delivered every other night from about 8 – 10 pm.

Sunday 11 March 2012

Valentine making pancakes

Markus

 After a breakfast of pancakes, Jacques and Markus flew to Lubumbashi this morning.  The 3 Congo UMAM pilots will be there with their planes for a safety inspection with a mission aviation safety association.  It is also an opportunity for the 3 DRC aviation programs and for Markus to assess each other for a fit.  If Markus joins UMAM, he will be the 4^th pilot, flying for all 3 programs.

Sue, Markus, Jacques, Jim

Concrete and rebar

The cistern concrete floor was poured today.