FINAL Full Day in the Congo,..Exciting as always!!

Sept. 4, 2012: "My Final Full Day in the Congo,..Exciting, as always!!"

     Up @ 6:45am, took a spit bath & shaved!!  Wow, hadn't shaved in at least 2 weeks!!  Packed my bags to get EVERYTHING into my backpack,.....just carryon people-,..that's what my goal was!!

Ruins of Hotel where we were guarded in house arrest: 1960

More ruins of hotel

     A man named Wavimba, who owns an auto/truck parts store in Bukavu-since 1986-, came to take Kathy & me on a driving tour of places I'd remember in Bukavu.  Nice of him to do that!  He spoke pretty good English.  We saw the Grace Mission Guest House, on which property my parents & my sister lived for several years,-in a smaller house.  Then, we went to the ruins of Hotel Riviera, where the 30 of us missionaries were held under house arrest by drunk African soldiers with Soviet weapons,...all the way back in 1960!!   The Hotel is in ruins, but someone is planning to rebuild it, right on the shore of Lake Kivu. Also, Wavimba took us to see the Orchid Club, restaurant, lake front, & swimming/bar areas.  This is an exclusive type place built by the Belgians back in the day.  Rooms  here were $300-$500 dollars a night,..& the suites even higher.  It is still open, & locally run.  We took the steps down to the lake,..& Kathy 'snuck' a cellphone picture of me putting my feet into the water,..As a kid we swam many, many times in Lake Kivu.  Nowadays, the lake is giving off methane gas & carbon monoxide.  Well, I stuck my foot in anyway!!   There is some concern that the two chemicals being emitted may combine to force a MASSIVE explosion in a very populated area!!   Drove by the Plaza de la Independence, where policemen pulled us over, after seeing white people in Wavimba's car with hi!!.  Hassled him over his papers for his car.  One has to have 18 different 'permits' to maintain a car in Bukavu, Congo!    The police made him show them ALL!  Finally satisfied, they let him/us go ahead, without any money changing hands,.....!!!!!  On the way to the top of the hill overlooking Bukavu, we drove past the Governor's house,...-no pictures allowed,...-& one can only drive by,.....Anyway, @ the top of the hill was a beautiful view of Bukavu, Lake Kivu, the Ruzizi river,  Goma & volcanoes,what I call "Gorilla Mountain",  & Rwanda. 

Lake Front, Lake Kivu, Congo

Lake Kivu now give off methane gas & carbon dioxide,......

Me dipping my toe into Lake Kivu, for old time's sake!

     Lastly, we stopped downtown and saw the Grace Mission Apartment where my parents & sister lived,..and the building that was a Bookstore run by my Dad back then,...Oh,  I forgot,...while touring I walked right into a corner of the open car door,..hitting my left cheek!  Of course, as on old person,..it bled profusely, & looked like I had lost the match,............why is it I have always hit my head?????   BTW, while we were downtown we heard what sounded like a gunshot.  Kathy jumped a foot,..of COURSE,..I was cool & calm,.......NOT!

    .  Back to the apt. by 1:15pm,..waiting for Rich & Kathy MacDonald,..who own the Kahuzi Christian radio station here,..to come for a visit.  I grew up with Kathy(Baylor)MacDonald,..& my parents knew her husband Rich very well.  In fact, Dad & Kathy's father, Fred, used to play amazing practical jokes on each other & on our families.  Good Memories! 

      After a bit, the Berean pastors & two Youth pastors came with Pastor Kitoto.  We had promised them that I would give them my thoughts about their work I had seen Downcountry & in Bukavu.  We discussed the Orphanage they are starting here with 50 kids in 5 locations,-maybe this is something I can help with????  The meeting took 2 hours,-then, the Youth Pastors & the Adult Pastors gave me a 3 page letter to take to USA churches,.....

     For dinner, we shared bread, cheese, Grenadine(yum), tomatoes, pineapple, & peanut butter/jelly sandwiches.  sent texts to kids when to expect me in DFW airport.  No water, nor power in Bukavu again,...went to bed about 9:15pm.

Rogers/Banuamazi

     OH, an agent for the flights from Kamembe to Rwanda came by the house to see me.  After discovering that I planned to be out on an 8am flight,...he did some checking.  This was because the border between Rwanda & Congo is VERY BUSY in the early morning,..with folks coming from the Rwanda side to work,..& vice versa.  My original schedule would have included an 8 hour layover in Kigali, Rwanda.  This man was able to re-book me free on a later flight with the same routing,....--so, my wait would be mostly at Tom/Kathy's apt. the next day, instead of in Kigali airport.  AND, we wouldn't have to get up at 4am!!!  PTL.