Bug Game Hunt

These first three photos are for the Moore grandchildren who love bugs.  They love to bus us with bugs. No giraffes, lions, elephants or hippos -- yet!  We do plan to take a safari before we come home.

 Grasshopper found under Sister Moore's cross-stitch chair

 This leggy beast flew into the office

 A mosquito carcass from the morning hunt at the window screen

 Now some Lubumbashi Congo Zone Conference photos

This the the special choir.  All these elders live in the same "musical" apartment.  President Packer has visions of them performing first in all the wards on special fellowshipping nights and then in concert someplace in the city.

 Two happy elders.  Who could resist their smiles and spirit.

 The sisters led the way to lunch: KFC, bread, cookie and apple

 Older missionaries

 A Hong Kong Mission Conference at the "Peak"

 Hot dogs and slaw were maybe not Chinese food

 Sister Chiu (in red) was from our ward in Sheung Shui

 Mission skit

Lubumbashi Stake Center = scene of the Zone Conference

A Missionary Moment for us this week involved the security guard coming to me with his Book of Mormon in hand. He had a question.  He opened to Moroni 10 and read me verses 3-4.  Then he explained them to me and asked me if that was what they meant.  He understood perfectly.  We talked about testimonies, tithing (he brought the subject up), families and going to Church (almost impossible for him because he works every Sunday.  He said that he was making arrangements to get a Sunday off and to take his family of 9 to the ward in his neighborhood.  He really has 11 children but two died young (3 years and 8 months) of malaria.    We talked about how he could raise them in the next life.  

His salary is $100 per month working here as a security guard.  How does he feed his family?  

Thanks for praying for us and all the missionaries.

Elder William and Sister Ann Moore

ps  still no visas.  We are still in Lubumbashi.

African Road Rage

These 7 pictures are for the grandchildren and you older children who like pictures.  We received these pictures from the Platts in Washington D.C.  

"Dinner for Six" with two very nice men.  Sister Packer was still in the restaurant hostage becasue we hadn't yet paid the bill.

We had a successful “Dinner for Six” at the Italian Restaurant.  The Church Humanitarian Services have developed a “free” workbook for teaching Conversational English.  The University of Lubumbashi was interested in having it printed so maybe we’ll use the workbook when missionaries start teaching English on campus.  The university offered us a tract of land on campus to build a church.  Apparently 4 others religions have buildings on campus.  The Church, if /when it builds a building in that part of Lubumbashi (there are 7 Church buildings in town) would rather buy property and build just off campus. 

Our Toyota Hilux was air mailed today to Mbuji-Mayi, at least the Indian air freight company promised to try for today.  Lots of money but probably cheaper than attempting to drive it there and then attempt repairs.  I learned that the new Hilux the mission purchased to replace our older model cost $38,000.  Those imports are always more expensive!  The domestic options were limited.  I’ve noticed, Dutch, German, Indian, and Chinese semi-trucks here.  There’s a new Caterpillar dealership going up near the airport. 

One of the annoying features of Lubumbashi is something I did as a child for my parents: burn the trash.  In the 1960’s everyone had a little wire incinerator in the back yard and we burned paper type trash.  Here we close our windows at night to avoid the smell of burning trash.  The paper trash (not wanted by the recyclers) from our office is burned in the dirt street just outside the front gate.  This country is only a few years behind the United States. 

Only one more hurdle before our move to Mbuji-Mayi: our long-term visa.  Today is a holiday (President Kibila’s assassinated father removed the former president from office on May 17^th.  It’s an independence day for the Congo.

Elder William and Sister Ann Moore

Trivia

The electricity is running at less than full power (which means that the arrow on the voltage regulator is below the “green 220 volt” level).  My computer battery is at 59%. 

Who is it?

Last week we visited the place where local artisans sell their wares: wood carvings, stone carvings, copper plate engravings, jewelry, old coins, paintings, etc.  The venders were very very hungry for sales.  Lubumbashi is not a tourist town and the venders’ 3 small buildings were far from city center (but in a very nice, quiet neighborhood).  Two members of the Church were working there and a very nice, modern LDS chapel was just up the street.   

Serge is the name of the other office worker.  He told us that he liked to care wood, specializing in caricatures.  We supplied a photo and he surprised us with a framed copper plate, not a woodcarving.

Notice how slim and healthy we look.

Adoption!  The world made greener!  Ann suspended a sprouting avocado pit in a cup with toothpicks.  It pushed forth a shoot.

  The gardener has now planted it behind the President’s house where there is little traffic.  Hopefully it will be a tree before we go home in August 2012. 

Mystery solved!  An office worker helped us replace the water filters after the suggested 2 months.  The result: bad smelling and tasting water.  He had taken out all the filters to show us what they looked like but replaced them in the wrong order.  The simple “white” filter takes out the worst of the pollutants but leaves a taste.  Filters #2 and #3 remove the taste.  For a two-man apartment, the #1 filter is replaced every 3 months (depending on the water quality); #2 every 5 months; #3 every year.  In Kinshasa the filters come out black.  Ours here was barely barely stained at one end.  

We foolishly bought a couple of things that will not be easy to transport but will brighten up our home in Mbuji-Mayi.

Yesterday we finished shopping for our move to Mbuji-Mayi: 15 black plates, silverware for 12, 2 metal mixing bowls with lids, dish towels, Chinese clothes drying rack (like we hade in Hong Kong), 3 sets of king-size sheets, 3 large towels (2 brown and 1 pink), a baby’s facial towel (because they didn’t have a regular), a fan, and an electric tea pot.  We added pillows, printer, folding table, bath mats, and 6 plastic hangers and Justin, the office manger hauled it all off to the “Agency” for shipping.  A precious shipment included an electric stove, a fridge, a washer, our bedspread, office supplies, 2 water filter systems, our cooking pots, etc.  And after moving to DayBreak we vowed never to move again!

Nights are a little cool here so without our bedspread, we drape our large bath towels over our thin blanket.  We cherish the cool weather since Mbuji-Mayi has much higher temperatures, more rain but thankfully less dust than Lubumbashi. 

Our Toyota pickup “Hilux” returned from A WEEK at the shop (5 new tires, oil change, hand holds in the back seat) and will be shipped (also my air) next week after one more trip to Likasi. 

Too many details.

One last item.  While shopping yesterday, we hailed a woman carrying a large basket of bananas and oranges on her head.  (Sorry no picture)  6 oranges and about 10 bananas = 6000 francs.  She also had apples, pears and mangos in sacks.  She gave me a nice mango for my last 1500 francs.  We had paid 6000 francs for 2 smaller mangos at Jambo.  (We figure 1000 francs = $1.00 in round figures.)

Next blog from Mbuji-Mayi?  Yes, if our long-term visas arrive from Kinshasa and the President doesn't delay our departure until the end of May.

Elder William and Sister Moore