WE ARE IN THE CONGO!

    At this part of our journey, we had arrived in South Africa at the Sun Hotel. After a pleasant night sleep, shower, etc, they brought us breakfast at 4:30 AM, insisting on a credit card and signature. As we wrestled that through our wake up call came at 5 AM so we could catch the six oclock shuttle for the airport and our 9:00 flight to Lubumbashi. This young greeter in the lobby shared his African hat with Elder Frogley and then posed for the picture.

Here we are with Sister and President Packer, along with Sister and Elder Jameson.  For now, we are the only couple missionaries in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Lubumbashi Mission.  We all get along just wonderfully! Craig and I are definitely the rookies.  This is the Packers third mission in Africa and the Jamesons have been here for 10 months. We are so thankful for their experience.  There is so much to learn in every aspect of living here! We are trying to be patient with ourselves.  Just getting through the aeroport was a shock!  The reality really hit us as we went to get our luggage and men started to argue over picking it up because they wanted a tip!  They will open your car door even when you don't want them to, to get you to offer them anything, a coin if possible. The photo on the right is a typical street scene.  These are the shops the average storekeepers run.  Most streets are not paved. The day this photo was taken, was a holiday, the 50th year of Independence from Belgium, so there were not many people on the street.  This a city of 2 million people, with 90% unemployment, so most of them are just trying to survive.

We are also trying to adjust to the language differences, the money exchange differences, the cultural differences, the constant power outages, and much more!

This is the wall that surrounds where we currently live. Inside is where we spend much of our time.  Pres. Packer has been meeting with us and many young black missionaries to give us his vision of the missionary work that needs to begin in this area. There is a new mission home being set up, which we will help alot with. Below you see the new Seminary and Institute Building that was just dedicated a few weeks ago.  We are there with several of the church employees.

There are many beautiful black people that are very family minded and loving Jesus Christ.  The man in the first photo saw our name badges and before even meeting us said, "Oh, Jesus Christ is my King!"  There are so many people who are looking for the truth.  We are honored to be here even though it is challenging in many, many ways! Please keep us in your prayers! We love and miss you all deeply!