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.