I’ve made it! Yes, I’m finally here in the Congo, and will
be going to pick up my daughters tomorrow morning!
So many mixed emotions…thrilled and anxious to get Ada
(Adalie) and Kaiya (Mikaiya), missing Matani and my parents and family at home,
and many others which are more difficult to identify.
The country and city are much as I expected to find them.
The sights, sounds, and smells remind me a great deal of India. Great beauty
mixed with great poverty. The people I have met thus far have been delightful.
Standing in the airport baggage claim, realizing in dismay that all the luggage
carts had already been claimed and trying to figure out how on earth I was
going to carry all 180 pounds worth of luggage out of the airport, two separate
people came up to me and gave me helpful advice on finding a cart. Then, before
I really had opportunity to jump on their suggestions, a driver from the
guesthouse where I’m staying came up to me (with my name on a little
hand-written sign) and introduced himself. I told him my dilemma and he
immediately told me not to worry and guided me over to the conveyer belt before
disappearing briefly. He reappeared moments later with a cart. Problem solved
and the Lord continues to take care of me. J
The city itself is bustling, with a constant flow of people
walking or selling on the side of the road. There are many friendly faces, much
loud and boisterous conversation, and just the general cacophony of city life.
Welcome to Kinshasa!
As a footnote, when I called home to let everyone know I’d
arrived safely, Mati really wasn’t particularly interested in talking to me.
Her first words to me, “I want to talk to my sisters! Where are they?” After
telling her I’d go get them tomorrow, she was slightly mollified, but still
clearly impatient. J
No comments:
Post a Comment