Pickpockets nearly got my Money

Kinshasa the capital of the DRC.

Kinshasa is a huge city on the banks of the Congo River. It has the largest population of any city proper in Africa with a population of 10,076,099, and ranks as its third largest metropolitan area. It is also the largest French-speaking city proper in the world.

It was early afternoon, I was in the capital for business from our mission in the Central Congo. As I walked quietly down one of the main streets of the City I saw a huge crowd on the footpath. I attempted to make my way through as a stranger in a strange African city. I was completely unaware that I was being funnelled into a trap. 

A European no matter how long he or she has been in Africa always sticks out like a sore thumb.

We come from a community that is built on trust where pickpockets are not generally found on our sidewalks, except perhaps in the huge city malls. Back in the 1970s we were so trusting. Many parts of the world there is not the security and trust that we have in Australia. This I believe is the result of the Judeo-Christian Biblical Ethics that has been the foundation of our society. Sadly this is slipping away as violence is taking over in the big cities.

The sequel to this story happened just two months later when a young Catholic pilot picked up the Chief Bible Translator for the Congo, from Kamina in the south to fly the 1 hour 17 minutes flight to Kipushya Mission in a small single engine plane. He was coming on his year checking run of our translation Project for the Kisonge Bible.
Some tips for travellers
Be careful also of what you take pictures of. Even if they say no photos only at the airport and of government buildings, a lot of times the police and UN people will get upset if you are taking videos at other places where technically it is supposed to be ok to do. Just be sure to have plenty of locals with you that know what they are doing and can provide security and a way out if you get stuck or in trouble. See http://wikitravel.org/en/Kinshasa

Penetrating into this crowded sidewalk I was soon in the narrow part of the funnel and all of a sudden I had strong young men attacking my pockets from either side. I yelled out trying desperately to get some help. A young American came rushing to my aide. He was tall and confident. I was short and fearful. The best thing I could do was to get out of there as soon as I could.

They didn’t get any of my money as it was wedged under a handkerchief in the right pocket of my shorts. Thank God for protecting me. Though on other occasions I have had my money and brief case stolen.

So be careful when travelling overseas into a culture for which you don’t know the mores. It is so easy to get diddled or extorted from shrewd salesmen who offer you things at three times the price. Especially if you don’t know how to barter.

Fly in - Fly Out

 - A trip to Lusambo and Mbuji-Mayi for Bible Teaching -.

We had never visited Lusambo from Kipushya Mission as it was just too difficult to get to. It was situated on the large Sankaru River a tributary of the Congo. During the Belgian days it had been the Capital for the Kasai Province and a place where there was a considerable military presence. The Belgians had been fighting off the influence of the Arab Slavers coming from the East of Congo and their henchmen the Batatela lead by Nongo Lutete from Ngandu. The Batatela came from the Forests to the North and East of Lusambo. The Sankaru River was navigable all the way from the Congo river and Leopoldville, the capital, many days down river.

Lusambo is just West of Lubefu

We had planned a full weeks Bible studies with Missionary Dave Garrard, Pastor Lubangi Eshiba the Leader for the East Kasai Work of the EPCO ( No.30), and Esther and I.

Ronald and Shiela Monot had planted this church after an Evangelistic outreach Ronald had held in the town. He had built a building and installed a Pastor and leadership.

We flew from Kipushya Mission direct to Lusambo where there was an airstrip on the banks of the Sankaru. The Cessna had us there on the ground in about one hour and forty minutes. A trip by vehicle would have taken at least two days of ten hours each day if the road was passable via Mbuji Mayi.

 We parked the plane and left some locals to guard it. Then we walked with our camp beds and picnic basket and our clothes for a one weeks visit. The Bible studies went well. The sleeping conditions were not so wonderful.

The pastor insisted that Esther and I sleep in his bed because it had a wire mattress. Well, it was like sleeping on the side of Mt Everest. The wire springs were so weak Esther was on one side of the mountain and I was clinging to the other side so that we did not roll onto each other all night.

The problem was that Lusambo was strung out along the narrow flood plain of the river bank with high hills on each side of the river. Being nearly on the equator it was very hot and humid without any breeze at all nor any electricity. So it was a swelteringly hot place with no relief.

Outside our bedroom in the Pastor’s house was a near full and overflowing pit - toilet so the window had to remain shut all night.  Dave Garrard slept on an African Bamboo bed but it was infested with bed bugs. Yoyo. Pastor Lubangi was very tired and snored like a coal fired loco all night. Sleeping was not the best at Lusambo. These are the thrills of missionary life in the Congo but it is better telt than felt.

The final meal. The Pastor had the ladies prepare a delicacy for the visitors before they left for our next stop Mbuji-Mayi, the ‘Big City’. It was goats intestines wrapped around meat and tied up in small tubes. Well Esther smelt it and said, “I’m not eating that”. The brave men felt they must as it was our farewell meal. Apparently the intestines had not been properly washed out and prepared.

We walked the 12 kilometres to the Airstrip, did the pre-flight checks and then took-off. Soon after takeoff  my stomach rumbled and I felt as if I need to go quickly to the toilet. A Cessna 206 does not have this convenience. So I held on and made it the 45 minutes to the New provincial Capital of Mbuji-Mayi. (Pop.circa 600,000 inhabitants).

Now  we had another week at Mbuji-Mayi but they had built a brand new cement pit toilet and my didn’t we need it. I didn’t feel well the first night but recovered to do a teachers’ salaries flight back to Kipushya the next day. Dave and Pastor Lubangi both felt ill but they were teaching that first day. When I arrived back from my flight to Kipushya I was greeted with,” You’ll be teaching all day tomorrow by yourself as both Pastor Lubangi and Dave a desperately sick.” Esther was smiling and ok. She hadn’t eaten any intestines.

Pastor Lubangi deteriorated so that eventually they gave him opium to stop the stomach pains and treated him for dysentery.

Eating Maize and manioc Mush with my  washed hands

Preparing for Bible Studies at Lusambo

Our Lusambo Cooks 

We made it home safely to Kipushya Mission glad to be home and having learnt a few lessons on the way.