We had our first experience with mango fly larvae.  And any experience with them is awful.  But it happened to Amelia.  Read on…but I can assure you, this is gross.

Yesterday I noticed a large mosquito bite on Amelia’s side (she wasn’t wearing a shirt…it’s hot, you know?).  My mosquito bites get very large and irritated, so I really didn’t think much of it.  A few hours later, Matthew noticed it and said something.  I brushed it off with, yeah, it’s a mosquito bite, whatever.  Then he showed it to me.  It was not a mosquito bite.  It was a boil, but there was something about it that looked…off.  It looked liked something was in it.  So, I got to work sterilizing a sharp knife, while Matthew prepped Amelia.  He began to cut the boil and I couldn’t watch.  Which happened to also mean I couldn’t hold the flashlight for extra light or help hold her still, so we had to go to plan B.

Matthew took Amelia across the street to some friends.  They immediately knew what it was, since they’ve experienced it multiple times in their family, especially while living out in the jungle (where they are missionaries…they are in town getting supplies for a few weeks).  They helped pop the boil (no cutting is necessary, normally) and pull out the larvae.  Oh, what?  What was that?  A what????

It is mango season here.  Mango trees everywhere are dropping ripe mangos.  We have one in our backyard, even, but it’s impossible to reach the mangos because the trees are very tall (the Congolese have ways of getting them down).  During the mango season the mango fly is especially active.  And it likes to lay its eggs in wet stuff.  Mostly, it’s a concern for humans because our clothes are hanging outside to dry.  The typical scenario is this: your clothes dry outside and when you put them on, contact with your skin causes the egg to hatch and the larvae burrow into your skin.  Yep.  Gross.  The way to kill them is simple: heat.  Either iron everything or throw it in a dryer on high heat for 10 – 15 minutes.  I use the dryer method because it’s simplest and makes the clothes less stiff from drying in the sun.

However, sweating while outside can also be a draw to the mongo fly and it’ll hatch directly onto your skin.  I didn’t know that before…but, like I said, Amelia wasn’t wearing a shirt while we were outside.

The larvae are living in your skin.  I cannot get over it.  It wriggles while you are getting it out!  Now go have your lunch!  And I feel terrible that it happened to Amelia.  However, besides the pain while getting it out, she was fine by the time they were back at the house a few minutes later, just babbling away.  Today she seems super content, especially contrasted to the past week of teething and a ridiculously early morning this morning.  She’s crawling at full speed now…which is fun and tiring for the rest of us.

Next up: Picture Post!!!!  But I bet you’re glad we didn’t stop to take any pictures of this particular topic, huh?

This weekend was a pleasantly busy one!  Saturday morning the girls in our missionary circle treated all of the moms to a spa event.  I had my hair done and toenails painted!  There were dainty, tasty treats and great conversations with the other moms.  It was an awesome Mother’s Day gift (the belated-ness was due simply to busy schedules).  With school ending and “summer” break approaching (winter here, of course), many of the families are darting here and there while the kids are out of school, so it may be our last time all in a group for a while.

Obviously, Memorial Day is a holiday the US has all to itself.  However, The US Embassy here in Kinshasa doesn’t want us to miss out and, of course, we all do need to remember the lives lost for our freedoms.  So yesterday afternoon we got to go to a little slice of America!  The ambassador opened his sprawling yard to all Americans living in the DR Congo for an afternoon of festivities.  It looked exactly like what I thought all ambassador’s houses would look like.  White with black wrought iron trimmings, fancy palm trees, a large tennis court, swimming pool, etc.  I didn’t get to go inside (I also didn’t get a chance to personally meet the ambassador, either, but he seemed very friendly, but the yard was all decked out in Americana and tables and chairs.  The food and fun were all paid for by Congolese vendors and sponsors.  I think everyone’s favorite part was free, all you can eat ice cream.  Nice Cream.  Sooooo tasty and, when it normally costs $15/liter, it really is a luxury.  Although, Levi might say his favorite part was the bouncy house.  Or the carnival games in the tennis court where he got all sorts of cool little prizes.  Our other favorite part was having so many friends volunteer to take our kids around and we got a break!

After we all got our food, a mix of various finger foods…did I mention the ice cream?…there was a little ceremony: the presenting of the colors with four of the six marines stationed here on embassy duty.  The national anthem was sung and the ambassador gave a brief speech thanking our service members for the duty.  It was hard to hear because of where we were sitting and, well, you know how a talkative two-year-old eats…  Despite the heat and humidity, we had a great time overall!

The colors being presented. I overheard these guys talking later that they are only in their uniform long enough to do this, but otherwise it’s so hot the uniforms actually start to deteriorate. Awesome.

Saturday evening I got a much-needed nap while the kids rested and enjoyed a bit of downtime.

This morning we headed out to church at Nsango Na Bomoi.  We took Mosengo along with us since he is working today and this is his home church.  Three of his girls were there and, while we’d met them before (you remember the picture?), it was nice to be introduced by their Dad.  Mosengo even led a song and, now that we have songbooks, it is really neat to be able to sing along with them!

Nsango Na Bomoi’s songbook is in Lingala, like the rest of the service.

We spent the afternoon running around to people’s houses running a few “errands” and ended the day with both kids in the tub for splash time.  They LOVE to be in the tub together.  Actually, they love to do anything together.  They are very close and it is really fun to see.  Of course, their fights are pretty hilarious, too, and it’s hard to intervene when we’re trying to keep the laughter to ourselves.

We have also found ourselves acclimating.  It helps that we arrived during the hottest time of year and it is now cooling to winter temperatures.  I know what you’re thinking…after living in Alaska, can anything here really be all that cool?  Apparently, yes.  I’d read that it takes six weeks to acclimate and I think we’ve been here eight.  Sure enough, we get a little chilly at night and I even turned the A/C down during one morning this past week.  Not off, mind you…it’s not that cold.  It was probably 75F or so.

Lastly, I ask you to keep many of the people of this city in your prayers.  The police and military have decided, for reasons we’ve only heard rumored, that many of the roadside stands must come down.  On Saturday, as we drove to the picnic, we watched, devastated, as droves of police officers burned stands and shops.  We saw military personnel tearing off roofs and bashing in brick walls.  Not only are people suddenly without a way to earn a living, their Congolese neighbors no longer have access to their goods!  We’re still not sure how deeply and far this will impact the people and how long the ban on these stands will last, but please keep them in your prayers.  Thanks!

A few weeks ago, a missionary friend not with MAF was trying to explain to our driver that she needed to cash a check and her normal check-cashing option was not available.  His simple question: what is a check?  After several explanations and, finally, giving up, he seemed quite intrigued: you give someone a piece of paper with an amount on it, and they hand you cash!  Awesome!

Obviously, here, the money works a little differently.  In the “Westernized” grocery stores, you can use plastic if you want, but I haven’t tried it.  There are ATMs you can use, if they’re 1) on, 2) working, and 3) have money.  There is a nice one that doesn’t charge a fee in the Commercial Centre that I used our first weeks here while we got things figured out.  Our best bet on actually obtaining cash is using the MAF office downtown.

So, today’s post is a bit about money.  The official currency here in DR Congo is the Congolese Franc.  It comes in 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500 bills.  I’ve never seen a 10 or 20 and 50s are fairly rare.

200, 100, & 50 FC notes

US dollars are accepted, with many qualifications.  It must be in great condition.  Not just good, but great.  No tears.  Not a single, teeny tear.  Also, they only accept the “new” bills with the big number on the back.  And, only bills $5 and up.  No $1s and no coins.

Actually, we are currently living in a coinless society.  Weird, huh?  The only usefulness I could think of for coins are old school vending machines.  We don’t need those here…there are people everywhere selling snacks and cold drinks.  None of this impersonal automated ridiculosity!  You get stuff from people, not machines!

These are all 500FC notes. The top two are the same…despite their pickiness with USD, their money can be very worn, used, and dirty and still be accepted. The bottom note is a celebratory edition for 50 years of independence in 2010.

So, what is the exchange rate?  Well, seeing as the highest bill is 500FC, you’d hope it’d be reasonable.  It’s not.  The current rate is about 920FC/$1.  So, a 500 note is little more than fifty cents.  This is why are so glad merchants take the USD: our pockets are not big enough to carry around that many francs!

This is $200 worth of Congolese Francs

If you’ve seen us present our mission in person, you’ll remember one interesting fact: the cost of living here is estimated to be about 72% HIGHER than in the states.  One person we met who has spent many terms here said it is more expensive here than living in Manhattan.  Of course, that is maintaining Western standards of living, which many of the people here simply cannot do.  The average income is between $100 and $200 per month for the average Congolese.  Many families survive on just that.  It is complicated, and too much for a single post, but we would love to answer any questions you have about this polarizing economy and will continue this topic in a future post…

In many poorer parts of the world, when the “rich” Westerners come in, they are expected to create jobs.  It is a cultural expectation, not merely a suggestion of good will.  The DR Congo is no different.  Hiring someone to do tasks for you could mean the world to that person and their family.  Some missionaries take this to heart and hire as many people as they can afford and assign them all sorts of duties.  Some instead find the concept too unusual.  Guilt can often be a factor – why hire someone to do work that I could do myself and might seem demeaning?  Trust me, it does indeed feel that way.

At first, we just let them do whatever they wanted on top of guard duty, not giving them any actual chores, because we just didn’t know what was going on.  They made their own work outside in the large yard.  Eventually, after talking to others, we realized that giving them specific tasks not only kept them from getting bored (duh!), but also helped build the relationship, increased trust, and gave them a reason to be proud of their work.  As an added bonus, we get work done!  We can spend less time trying to keep up with yard and house maintenance and more time trying to be effective missionaries.  Plus, we are providing two men with jobs so that they can support their families.  It really is a win-win, but we still struggle with moral, ethical, and social questions.  It is hard to get used to!

But, we can put that aside.  Let us introduce to you the two guys God put into our lives here to help us!

Alex

Alex came with the house.  The family who normally lives here has had Alex in their employment since 1999.  He came highly recommended for his trustworthiness and because he knew the house so well.  While the beginning was a little rough, we are so grateful he is here.  He does indeed know this house well.  For instance, he mows the lawn with an electric mower.  It is hard to find time when the grass is dry, there is enough light, and we have power to mow the lawn.  And, so far, every time he mows, the blade hits something and breaks, sending a chunk of blade flying through the air.  Now, in the States, most of us would stop mowing, perhaps we would jump onto Amazon or head down to Home Depot to find a new blade.  Maybe we would take in the mower to have it repaired.  Some might even go all the way to just buying a new one.  Not here.  It’s just not an option.

So, what does Alex do?  He grabs the arc welder and the goggles and goes to work welding the blade back together.  He was trained well by the man of the house here and takes pride in being able to do these things well.  Ten minutes later he’s back to mowing.

Once he’s done mowing, he edges. What, you don’t edge with a machete and a coupe while wearing flip flops? Weird.

Alex has also been a great help to me in the house.  He sweeps, mops, cleans the bathrooms, and dusts.  I know, you can be jealous.  I am SOOOO grateful!  He was already shown how to do these things, so I am extra spoiled.

Alex’s personal life has suffered tragedy after tragedy.  Just since we’ve been here, he lost a nephew in a car accident.  I’m told he is one of the few in his extended family that earns a living, so most of the financial burden is on him.  However, he has four kids and his wife is currently in the hospital in labor with twins!  I am waiting on edge to hear when those babies arrive and that everyone is healthy.  I hope to be able to meet his family, too, since we haven’t had the opportunity yet.  He speaks a little bit of English, which has been very nice.

Mosengo

Mosengo was hired by MAF to be our night sentinel.  He originally worked for another MAF family with small children who loved him and when they left late last year, he was without a job.  Everyone was so excited to be able to hire him back.  This man always has a smile ready and loves to play with Levi outside.  He can often be found pushing Levi in his trike, while making car noises.

Mosengo is so patient!

Mosengo, we soon learned, loves to work with the land.  The dirt and grass are perfectly manicured when he is done.  He is great at gardening, having built two gardens already (one for us, one for him and Alex), saving our plants from frogs and birds.  I even had him buy some plants and spruce up the lawn a bit.  (The ministry that typically takes place here is not conducive to plants, so the bare yard was a good thing.)

Oh, and can this dude fold and iron!  It looks professionally done and makes my folding looks so sad.  He is happy to do it when he’s here, and often has it done before I even realize the laundry is ready!  (Our washer/dryer are outside in a shed.)

Mosengo also has a sad personal history, including the loss of two baby girls and a wife who is not well.  However, two days after we arrived his wife gave birth to a little girl named Christine, and now they have five girls at home, in addition to his eldest son.  He told me just a few minutes ago that all are well.

This is a close-up of a previously posted picture from when we went to Nsango Na Bamoi – those girls are three of Mosengo’s daughters.

Mosengo speaks very little English, and I don’t think his French would be considered fluent, but we are able to communicate comfortably between my French/English dictionary, Google translate, and lots of gesturing!  (This is where I miss my iPhone and its handy apps the most…fix it, Canada!  I believe in you!)

Alex et* Mosengo are both Christians, involved in their churches.  I have often found both of them taking a rest under the giant mango tree reading their Bibles.  I have heard both of them singing or humming hymns as they go about their day.  They are both self-starters, finding work instead of waiting for one of us to prompt them.  They really do have our safety in mind.  When the kids and I go out, they watch outside the gate to be sure we’re safe.  If it’s dark, they’ll wait for us to return.  (We only go across the street when it’s dark, but still…)

Just this week I showed them how I like my dishes done and you wouldn’t believe the burden it has taken off my shoulders!  I can spend time teaching Levi and Amelia!  Yesterday I was able to actually cook a real meal, instead of faking it because I spent the afternoon catching up on dishes, or working around them.  I didn’t even realize the difference it would make.  I also recently learned that, instead of being demeaning, work inside the home, like dishes and cleaning, are considered a sign of trust and the relationship must be valued.  Alex, yesterday, even helped me by preparing the avocados for Amelia and washing the cabbages.  It’s the little things – they are a blessing!

It hasn’t been an easy road.  Providing food is traditionally part of the job and we have had quite the time of it.  There are many ways to do it.  Some provide just the basics, some provide just money.  We have decided to go down the middle of the road, providing their favorite food (fufu…that’s for another blog post), coffee/tea “service” and enough money for variety.  But, you know, men are men all around the world and providing good food is often the encouragement and morale boost that one needs.  When we first had the bulk bags of fufu supplies brought home, Mosengo was here and, upon seeing them, cried out in English, “Madame, you love he…no, me…and Alex! Merci!”  It was sweet.  Again, it’s the little things!

We are also expected to give gifts when babies are born, help with any other large expenses when they come up (often a loan), and perhaps provide a few other items that are needed…like a rain coat, flashlight, mosquito spray, etc.  I even gave Mosengo some diaper rash cream and baby powder when baby Christine needed it.

Mosengo et* Alex are now on alternating 24-hour shifts.  So, one of them is here all of the time.  Because one big part of their job is acting as “guard,” they answer the big gate when someone knocks.  However, it is expected in this neighborhood that someone is at your house at all times.  We are not at any acute risk, but it is in our best interest.

There is a little building in the back that provides them with weather-protection, a bed for sleeping, a two-burner electric stove, and their own privacy.  They have their own bathroom with toilet and shower.  They even have a fire grill if the power is out.

So, if you are financially supporting us, here is a small part of where your money is going: providing for these men and their families.  Hopefully they know how much they are appreciated and how helpful they continue to be to us.  Matthew and I realize, continually, that we could not handle keeping the house and still having a life outside of it.  What a unique opportunity, a learning experience, and a blessing this part of life here has been!

What do you think you would struggle with?  What questions do you have about having hired help?  What unique perspective do you see with these circumstances?

*et is the French word for “and,” pronounced “eh” – French vocab for today!