"Time At Station Katshungu,..watching it RAIN!"

                                     "Time @ Katshungu,..with Songa & family & his new laptop!"
August 25, 2012:

     SO,.....this is the 'dry' season,...SO, why did it rain for 3 days!!!   Like Tom said, 'Roger, dry season is a myth,..Congo really has a 'rainy' season, & 'a rainy-er' season!   Time on our hands @ Station Katshungu, watching it rain.............the 'path' would now be a thrill a minute,-when we left on piki's, to go to Station Katanti!!,...........

     Woman came to visit with us,..and me.  NyaYoanne's her name.  She is the daughter of a man who worked starting the Bible Schools with my Dad many, many years ago.  She's quite elderly now,..but a real "hoot" of a lady,..........great times!  We talked & talked.  She says it is sad that the Balega people are losing their culture, language, proverbs, sayings, & tribal markings on their faces. 

     The picture above shows Songa & his family.  Songa is a nice young man, who works at the Hospital here.  He is showing off his new laptop, he just bought from Tom.  Later, he realized it is programmed in English,..-which Tom had told him upfront,-& wanted to know if Tom could take it back to Bukavu & re-program it in French!   "Yes," said, Tom, "but it will take me time, & you'll have to pay for the French program!"   So, there you have it!   I'm guessing Songa didn't think that thru before buying the laptop??  But, it wasn't a big deal, & I'm sure Songa figured it out with Tom.

    Up early on that day,..after it rained most of the night.  Many Africans came to see Banwamazi, aka Rogers, & Tom/Kathy.  Much laughing, talking, & praying!   This is how they show their appreciation for our working so hard to come & visit them.  NyaYoanne brought me a live chicken,..in an old tote bag she got from somewhere!   The gift was for me,..but for all of us to eat for lunch, just a couple hours later. 

     For our part, we were busily discussing "Plans A thru Z",..since our original plans had been scuttled a long time ago!  Tom decided to try to get his nephew Phillip's motorbike working, so we wouldn't have to rent another motorbike.  Also, we had to figure out how to measure gasoline in Congo, since it is sold only in used plastic water bottles,..and we had to figure out 7 liters to take us to Station Katanti!  Like I said earlier,..'everything is a big issue here!'  Tom discovered he needed to take the carburetor off, and trade it out with one from another 'hospital' motorbike,......

                Tom working on nephew Phillips bike,..to save us some money,........stay tuned!

              Dirt & deposits Tom cleaned out from Phillip's gas tank, after sitting idle for 3 years!

     Mid-morning, Kathy & I asked Songa to take us on a walk around Station Katshungu, while Tom worked on the bike.  Toured Station on foot.  Hospital still in use,-making do with what little they have & using African doctors/staff;  Pharmacy & Clinic buildings no longer in use,-they have been folded into the hospital bldg.;  missionary Dr. Zemmer's house is falling down,-with Africans living it it;  Maxine Gordon & Joyce Owens house is gone.  We came across several hulks of trucks and cars,..now overgrown with jungle.  Also, we saw a house built for Tom/Kathy some years ago,..now crumbling to the ground.

                        Rudimentary Maternity Delivery room,..in Station Katshungu Hospital

Pastor Masudi's palm nut press.

"Gold Creek"

On our Station tour,  suddenly the pastor stopped & said "We can't go up that hill, to see that house!  Soldiers have come & taken it over!"  We were all too happy to go a different direction!  Other lowlights or highlights(!):  the Bible School building is still in use,..however, soldiers came & stripped the Library & classrooms;  the Secondary school is still in use,..in AWFUL conditions;  in one place we came upon a gas engine-operated 'flour mill', & Pastor Masudi's palm nut press.  First, it presses out palm oil, then the nuts are heated & ground for palm candles,..then, still later, the husks are sold for making soap.  By Pastor Masudi's press is a stream with dubbed "Gold Creek".   Yes, it IS gold in color from all the gold dust in the water.  There is mining upstream,..where they are taking out gold bars the size of cement blocks,..and you can see gold in the hillsides, where they have been dug out.  

     That day I wore Tom's clothing,....Tom is a size 44 & I'm a size 34,-so it was interesting to say the least.  My clothes were having the red mud/clay washed out.  And, with the rains falling, nothing was drying out! 

     Last project for the day:,......now that I had lost my cell phone & all its pictures in the river on our way thru the jungle,...I was even more upset when I dropped my backup digital camera on the ground,-right on its lens!   Of course, it bent.  So,..Tom & I fiddled with it for an hour,..and got it to work again.  In the meantime, I used Kathy's,....but then had my own back again,...YAY...!!!!

     With Phillip's motorbike giving us fits, & not wanting to start,..we've decided to stay here at Station Katshungu until Monday,....hoping the rains stop & we can fix the piki piki.........

     Stay tuned,....
Rogers, Banwamazi