August 31, 2012, Friday @ Station Katanti, Congo:
The Africans living across the hall from me awoke very early that morning,..like 4 AM! Why?,..I have no idea,-but sleep was at a premium after they started talking/moving around. Found out they thought we'd leave Station Katanti on that Friday,..so got up early to help us get a good start on the day,......well,......stay tuned,.....remember, T I A, 'This is Africa'.........
Tom/Kathy were already up, dividing up supplies & books for the schools at Station Uku, Station Katanti, Station Ikozi, & Station Kasese. We had breakfast later than usual,..scooters(dry cereal), coffee, powdered milk, & water. Our rations were really getting low at that point,.....we agreed to 'take a risk' & cut our rations to next to nothing. We had to get our weights down as far as possible, since the piki-piki wasn't running smoothly. The lighter, the better,......
Meanwhile, one of the house/bodyguards has been pressing me to take my spit bath this morn,....since he carried my water all the way from down in the village,..I made him happy by washing my hair, & doing a spit bath.
Many of the Berean churches' delegates were hanging around, hoping for some handouts from us. We gave them gently used batteries, shoes, & clothes. The delegates love to keep saying,: "Where's Banuamazi??? Then, someone shouts, "KuBisindi,",....(to hunt squirrels),....followed by much laughter, back/leg slapping, & repeating the phrase over & over,..at my expense! No matter,..I actually enjoyed hearing them teasing me,...
My best friend, Yoanne, showed up again this morning with fresh papaya & bananas for us. We had more good times, laughing & carrying on,.....Yoanne is the son of Sansago,..who was another of the old-timers my Dad worked with many years ago. (We will walk to his village today, to visit with Sansago,98, & his wife, 96)!!!-who are Yoanne's parents.
Sansago, 98,..in his home
NyaDenga, Sansago's wife, 96.
Yoanne also said he had been our "defender" since we got to Station Katant??. When asked what that meant, he said,: Someone had put a story out on the local radio that 3 white missionaries had returned to Station Katanti, reportedly to present a Bible Seminar. The radio story continued that the missionaries "REAL GOAL",..was to go to the original mission Station & dig up buried treasure the missionaries had hidden when fleeing in 1960!! Nothing could have been further from the truth! When we fled in 1960, we had only what was on our backs. Crazy & crazier!!!,.......Later the Station Katanti pastors wanted to have a meeting with Tom/Kathy, so I tried to take a nap. My brain was too rattled,..so I just laid down to rest & pray. After that meeting, we walked about 5 miles to see Sansago & his wife NyaDenga in their village. This couple had 12 kids,..one has died,...& the couple are greatgrandparents now! Sansago still remembers a little English from years ago......Since that day was clear & hot,..it was a long, arduous walk back up the hill to my house. Along the way we saw KingNgome, who worked as one of our houseboys many years ago. He just shouted when he saw me!!,....
PTL,...2 men came from Katshungu with piki piki's & 5 liters of gas for Tom's piki. Things are beginning to form up for our leaving! The two men also went to buy a new valve stem for the rear tire on Tom's piki, & returned to install it. NOW, we are praying/hoping for a nice early start on Saturday morn for our trip back to Bukavu,..the border town,......& back to the USA.
SaSimon sat on the front porch of my house with us for hours,...he also cried & cried that we had to leave soon,......
OOOOHH-HHHH,....I almost forgot: this Singer, foot-pump sewing machine still sits in the dining room of my house,....and it still works,...50+years later!! I "claimed" it for my Mom's old machine from back in the day,-all the while acknowledging that Tom would say it was his mom's, & Kathy would say it was her mom's,....anyway,...it is still there, in useable shape!!,..
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