Ping pong time

Augy (right) teaches 8 yr. old Dieu Donne to play ping pong with the help of a chair to even things out. Dieu Donne (God given) is the most recent addition we've received from the Katanga children's tribunal. We're not sure how long he'll be with us but I'm glad to report he's doing very well.

Mutombo Kabamba

Here is a picture of Mutombo from 2006.... I love to see the change that the Lord has brought about in his life. Compare the picture below. Mutombo was one of the first boys who we began feeding back in 2005 & 2006. He would always come in hurriedly, drink his tea & eat the bread we gave quickly & rush out, with his large plastic bag in tow, to go all around town to pick up plastic bottles. He had to meet the quota that his 'boss' gave so he'd be able to eat or have laundry detergent. Now his worries are just to study (he's in 7th grade), wash clothes, finish chores, eat & play soccer. He loves to sing & praise the Lord.

Recently Michael & I rode a bus the 1.5 hours to Likasi, where Mutombo lived with his uncle. The uncle reported that Mutombo had been sent to live with him by his father until the paternal grandfather came to take him, when he was about 7 or 8 years old. The grandfather accused him of being witch & tied him to mango overnight before taking him the next day to a children's center. After some months at the center he left & rode the train to Lubumbashi where we met up with him. The trip helped to explain the fearfulness that made winning his trust so difficult. Thanks be to God who leads us in triumph...in Christ!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I was able to get a bit of cooperation to get most of the boys looking my way to snap this picture.

We're really grateful for the past year with it's successes & provision.

Nathan

This is 11 year old Nathan. He is one of the boys the Katanga province justice department brought to us 2 months ago. He had spent 1 month in adult jail for picking up a plastic bag he found by the side of the road. He was brought to us because no family had come to look for him.
Three days ago Michael went to the address Nathan gave him for his family. Michael was quite surprised to find the various aunts, uncles, children & other relatives angry at his even bring up Nathan's name. He'd been chased out (along with his twin brother) for being a witch. They believe the deaths in the family (including his mother's) were all caused by Nathan & his brother. This is a familiar reason for boys to be thrown out as the society tries to find a scape goat for the tragedies they face. I'm just glad he is with us enjoying playing, school and just being a boy.

Ilunga & Mulumba

Here is 16 yr. old Ilunga & young brother, 14 yr. old Mulumba. They've been with us for a year and a 1/2 and are 2 of my very favorite boys. They have suffered difficulty most of their young lives but now are thriving in the safe place that God has made for them. They fled their home days after their mother died as they overheard her family blaming her death on them being witches. The conclusion was that Ilunga & Mulumba should die. They were 8 & 10 years old at the time. As they traveled on top of or under trains Ilunga made sure that Mulumba was safe; even, on one occasion, choosing to risk death or serious injury letting go of his safe place under the train when he saw Mulumba had fallen so that they would remain together.
We call Ilunga 'Commander' because he behaves like a soldier. Don't do the wrong thing where he can see you or he'll correct you or make sure that you are brought before some authority regardless of the cost to him. He is a young gentleman in a land where you don't find such people.

Kale

This is 16 year old Kale. He has been with us since April of 2007, when he came one day with another boy. He was very dirty & I think high on glue or some other chemical. How he has changed! He now loves school (he's in 7th grade) and is really beginning to do well. Before he came to live with us he worked stealing whatever he could. His father died leaving his mother alone with him and 2 sisters. A couple of weeks ago he was telling me about that experience and how he (at age 7 or 8) would go to the market & pick up pieces of corn to bring back to his mom & sisters so they would have something to eat. Not long after he began to ride trains back & forth from the province he lived in to Lubumbashi. I'm so thankful that the Lord has kept him & that he now has hope.

What we eat.

This, on the left, is what the Congolese MUST eat. It's bucardi. Corn meal & water. They haven't eaten if they haven't had this. Even if they ate a chicken, rice, 3 vegetables, potatoes, bread....etc. If they haven't had bucardi they haven't eaten.
But on Sundays we've started having spaghetti. They think it's for variety (which is partly true) but the reason we started eating it is because it was and still is on sale for .83/pkg.

And this is Michael showing us all how to cook spaghetti Nigerian style.

Everyone was shocked to see him cooking because that is not something men do in DRC.

Cooking fuel

This is Dauphine, the man who comes every Thursday to bring the charcoal we cook with. He usually arrives at the house around 8 or 9 in the morning; after riding from his home for about an hour. We spend about $80 per month on charcoal. The bundles of charcoal weigh around 25 pounds each. I see many men in & around Lubumbashi selling charcoal. Many of them ride their bikes for hours & hours.

Jeres.

Jeres & Toto discuss whether or not to amputate Jeres big toe. Jeres of course argued hard to keep it while Toto teased him that maybe it would be best to cut it off since it had a small injury that required too many bandaids. Jeres lost both his parents and has been with us since May. He is eager to be getting on with school and is in 1st grade.
His toe averted amputation!

Wash day.

Every Saturday morning the boys wash their clothes. Well they are supposed to wash their clothes. It has been a battle all along in every way. First just to get them to do it, to get them to wash all their clothes that are dirty, to admit that something is dirty, to not use all the soap (too much is not enough), to not fight over the buckets & basins, to wash more than one person per basin, etc, etc, etc. The battle goes on & on. I usually use the carrot of soccer or showing a DVD to get them started & to finish. But still you'll end up with someone like Kamba with a pile of dirty clothes hidden under his bed or worse yet in a basin of water.

MY hero.

Tarzan, the wonder cat. Responsible for making sure all the rodents, large & small, are either dead or at least stay on the roof. Thanks Tarzan.

Before & After pics

Wanted to show in pictures what the Lord has been doing here since 2005. The picture of the boys receiving bread & tea was taken while they were still living on the street. That is Yannick pointing and looking at the camera. AND here is Yannick today in the suit that our friends in Belgium provided. Transformation. And not just outward but I am thrilled to report that not only is Yannick now dressed, fed & sleeping well but he's learning about the Lord, receiving an education and being reconnected with his family. That is resurrection power!!!

Aaron

Here's Aaron with his 1st level class. He is a good teacher, a pastor and I think an artist. I always like to go in and just look at his writing on the board. Below is an example of his handwriting. In the Congo school system great emphasis is put on handwriting... actually it is more calligraphy than just handwriting. I think it's pretty.

Katanga fabrics

Here are the some of the boys 'modeling' some of the fabrics that I see everywhere, everyday.

Above is Ilunga with the black/tan/white. Below is Yannick with green and Jacque is holding the orange/yellow/white. Most of the women, and some of the men, where clothing made from bright bold fabrics like these. I love to look at all the colors & patterns they wear.

Before & After pics

Here is what they looked like when there were 12 of them.... 2007.

Now they are 30 and how they've grown!! God is good!!

Thank you Belgians!

Here are the 4th level boys with their teacher, Mr. Gerome. They are wearing sports clothing that the Belgians furnished money for. The boys love having outfits for physical ed & to wear to play soccer.

Belgian gifts.

Here are the boys & Michael with Samera, receiving the letters, cards & pictures that Samera brought them from Belgium. Samera's stepmother, Michele Dokens, lives in Belgium where she works for a private school. Because of her the ministry was the school's Christmas 'project'. The kids there raised money for school supplies and lots of other things, which Michele will have shipped to us. The boys were very happy & excited to get letters & pictures of the classes in Belgium. We're very grateful for Michele, the kids, their families, the teachers and the school for all they've done. THANK YOU!!

What THEY eat. WARNING: disgusting.

Sorry for any ill effects these pics may have on you. Just wanted to show a slice of life from here in Lubumbashi. The boys were happy & excited last week that these big fat catepillars were part of their meal. I could not look at them let alone give even 1 a try.

More cooking in Congo.

This is the kitchen. And that thing that looks like a wheel of a tire filled with charcoal is just that and serves as one of the stoves we use. In the back ground is bags filled with the charcoal that we use. It is made by a man who brings it once per week (more on him in the near future). Two of the boys work in the kitchen with the cook for 2 weeks at a time. It is has helped them to learn to schedule their lives as they have to haul water, start the fires, go to the bakery for bread, chop vegetables, etc..... And do all of this along with their school duties. It has been a humbling process for them also as males in Congo usually don't help with cooking at all.

What we eat.

The giant, wooden mortar & pestle thing above is to smash
saumbie (sp?) leaves; which are then cooked and then we eat them. One of the boys favorite greens.

This is Kambala doing the work of smashing and cooking.