Redy to leave the hospital to go to Lubonda.

Dear Loved Ones:

I'm here at the hospital with Nancy Haninger. She is the most gracious, kind, capable, loving, fantastic nurse/healer I have ever met (in addition to her husband). Yesterday, we went throught the hospital and I held a severly malnurished 7 month old because the family who brought their four children in didn't have enough "hands" to help. So, I just picked the beautiful child and took him to all his tests (blood, urine, stool, etc). Nancy showed us all of the Pediatric and Gynecological Units (Women's Health). Problem pregnancies here would not be considered problems in the States. The slightest problem with a pregnancy is cause for extensive treatment. Mike operates non-stop on women who have fistulas (I think that that's what he called them). They are holes between the bladder and Uterus, Vagina Cavity, etc. They can be terribly injurious and even fatal if not taken care of. He does such fantastic work.

We saw the station where the children who had "sever starvation or malnutrition" came in by the vanloads!!! Immediate observation shows that they have whitening hair, bloated stomachs, scarring on the legs and hands, open sores, discoloration in the eyes, fevers, diminished growth, etc. We saw a number of children who were in critical condition...some appeared to be better than others, but were (clinically) much worse. It took the medical expertise of Nancy to figure that out. Measurements of the upper arms are critical. Evidence of Diarhea. Length of growth compared to age, weight, etc. One of the children came in with open sores all over his lower extremities. We saw him and shortly after we saw him, he died. We were in the hall when his mother began to scream and cry. It was horrible.

We also visited a woman who had triplets...here a very difficult and "problem" pregnancy. One of the babies, who were all seemingly healthy according to the sonograms, died shortly after birth. Did not make it in the incubator. The two babies who survived were doing well. And, I say this without any humor or lack of respect in any way, the attitude here was "two out of three is not bad". In other words, the people here are used to death, starvation, poor growth patterns, crying, and moaning. They are used to not having enough to eat.

Which brings me to the Morenga Tree. What a Godsend!!! It was introduced here at the hospital by someone who brought the seeds from India and Napal!!!! It has leaves that contain exactly the missing nutrients, enzymes, vitamins, etc. in the average Congolese diet...especially in the children's diet.

Seeing dead or dying children is hard. But, knowing that the Morenga Tree leaves are making a difference (a good one) and watching Nancy and Mike work somehow provides hope to all who may come this way to witness the miracle of truly Christian mission work.

We met the Secretary General of the Presbyterian Church in the Eastern half of the DRC. He was a very wonderful man who works very, very hard serving as a pastor to the pastors here.

We also met the first Governor of Kasai last night in his home. Unfortunately, the lights were out (as has been the case for much of our trip...they have "rolling blackouts" here quite often because the generators and electrical production cannot meet up with the loads being "pulled" by electrical things). The government put in an electrical line from what is going to be the largest damn in the world...back near Kinshasa. However, they have forbidden the people between Kinshasa and the copper/diamond mines in the Eastern part of the country to use the electricity from those lines. In other words, this is just another way of the centralized and corrupt government in Kinshasa to control the people completely. Outside of Kinshasa the "ruling" government has absolutely no support...they are by far a minority party. But, because of the way they manipulate the politics here, they somehow stay in power. The opposition party in the last election wasn't even allowed to participate!!!! If they would have, the current President would have been trounced in the election!!!

But, just to give you an idea, as I said, there is a "switch" in Kinshasa that controls the main electrical line that runs from the damn near Kinshasa to the copper/diamond mines hundreds of miles away. Whenever the government in Kinshasa wants to "turn off the switch", they can. The electricity produced by that one electrical line could power all of Africa, not just the DRC!!!!! But, the government uses it as a "club" against the people. No electrical power = they stay in power...or so the sinful, horrible, evil theory goes.

We are going to Lubondai this morning as soon as John and Bill get here with "Jim", who studied at Appalacian State University in America and is the former/first Governor's son (after Independence). He has been a Godsend. The Landcruiser that we paid to fix is still not ready, but will be when we are ready to leave Lubondai and for the time that John stays here completing the first stage of the project. This is no problem because "Jim" is driving us to Lubonda...he is running for Mayor of Kananga and I told him that I wanted to vote for him. He told me that I couldn't. What a shame!!!

He wants to see the damn at Lubondai. He wants to help try to figure out what to do there. And, the network (a huge one) that John has put together is lining up to help. If I haven't said it before, John Metzel is amazing! His Tshilube (local language) has "come back" (maybe it never left) and his French is amazing. He is truly "home" here. The emotions that he is experiencing are often present in ways that I never witnessed back in the United States. Tears of joy have been common...walking hand in hand with his "brothers" is a common sight (the men hold hands here in the Congo)...it's a beautiful and totally sexless thing. Unfortunately, since we are so preoccupied with sex in the United States, something like this innocent practice would never (or almost never) occur. Here it is a beautiful, holy, and loving sight...and it means a lot to the people. The women hold hands here too...it's just that when we Americans see men holding hands, it appears strange to us. Here it is a sign of friendship.

I wish we weren't so preoccupied with sex, money, ownership of "things", critical, negative, and so prone to point fingers in the US.

Innocence is a beautiful thing. I think that innocense left the US a long time ago.

Well, they are coming for me right now. I will probably not be entering any entries into this blog for quite a while because of the remoteness of Lubondai. Maybe, I'll get a opportunity to do so, but will back up my comments on WORD and then transfer them to the blog when I get back to Bujimon or Kinshasa.

I want to say to all of the Congolese who may read this that I know that I am butchering (mispelling) a lot of the words...as well as the English words... I do know how to spell, but you can't imagine how precious the time here is on the internet and I have to rush, rush, rush when I make these entries. I am so truly sorry.

Bill is doing very, very well. He is experiencing things with a maturity and gentlemanliness that comes from his blessed generation. We young bucks don't have a clue about all of the decent manners that were so traditionally and regularly taught in their lives. Those of us who are below 50 years of age, have no idea.

Nancy just showed me what a "Capped Spring Water Source" is. Basically, the water that runs down two ravines on either side of Tshikashi (the place where the hospital is) have gravel, stone, and sand areas that naturally filter the water that comes running down the ravines. The water then enters a pipe. Then flows at a rate that "flushes" out other forms of hurtful small things in the water. And, at the other end of the pipe, out comes perfectly clean drinking water. The two systems that they have here provide enough clean drinking water for 9000 people!!!! Can you believe it. Shallow wells do not work here. The Capped Spring Water Source System is the best system and it is relatively easy and inexpensive to build. Amazing.

Maybe we ought to think about using this at Lubondai???? I'll ask John.

Well, I really miss my wife, Genny, and two boys, Ben and Sam. I miss the my church family. I am an emotional person and there have been a few times when I have cried a bit. But, it's good to get the tears out...it just proves to me that I truly love my wife, kids, FPCA, FKPCV, and my home in America. The tears often come uncontrollably and seemingly "from no where". Thus, they much be "talking" to me from deep within my subconscious. It's nice to know that deep within my subconscious, I love my wife, children, FPCA, FKPCV, and all my friends at home as much as my conscious self. But, enough of the psychobabble!!!!

Apparently, John told the people here that I am a hunter. They told him that there is a crocodile or two in the damn at Lubondai. They have gotten a 12 guage shotgun and want me to shoot the crocs (or are they called Alligators here???). I said, if it helps the cause, I'll be glad to go hunting!!!! If Paul or Diane Malone are reading this, I'll use this "hunting practice" to get ready for hunting season down in Louisa County!!!!! By the way, hello Paul and Diane...give my love to everyone in the Malone clan...expecially that softball allstar daughter of yours!!! I Sandra. Hi, Emily!!

I wish to say a hearty hello to all of my loved ones at the church too. Hello Marta, Isabelle, Ruth, Jack, Judi, Barb, Hugh, Susan H., Susi, Nadine, John (oops, he's here), Sandy, etc. I think that's all of the Elders. Hello everyone in the congregation.

I love you all.

Here comes John to yank me away so that we can get to Lubondai. I have to go.

Until the next time...

In Christ's Precious Love,

Dr. Chris Looker