Didn’t China do a great job with the Olympics? The opening ceremony was beautiful! And the games were great! I thoroughly enjoyed getting to watch them in English via satellite at Chez Canadian – more on that change in a bit.
So I have successfully made it another month here in the lovely city of Kinshasa! This month has just flown by and has carried with it many changes. First of all the temperature has begun to increase. Today felt like the warmest day I have experienced here (still nothing like the heat of Fresno, CA). I also moved once and will be moving again on Thursday, September 4th. The first move was in answer to a situation I was in that was decidedly unfortunate. While I appreciate everything I learned from my original placement and total immersion in Congolese culture and French for a month and a half or so, I also appreciate the change. I currently live with a Canadian couple and get to work for them in their office as well as continuing my program with the kids. The kids go back to school on September 1st so that means that I move again to be closer to my next batch of assignments. Beginning on the first I will be living with an American family from Kalamazoo, Michigan!
I will be working with the wife, Suzanne, in the MCC office in Kinshasa a few days a week and the other days I will be working with UCKIN and their English Center as well as computer support and visiting the school they have K-12, Mama Makeka’s office in Kinshasa for computer support, and anywhere else I am deemed useful. I may also get to go visit some artisans as they produce and sell their goods! Look at me using all my schooling!!!! Needless to say this change will keep me busy going from office to office working with different people and taking in many different experiences. I’m very much looking forward to seeing different offices, meeting new people, increasing my French, and living in a different area of Kinshasa.
This month I have also successfully SKYPEd with my parents and my sister so my parents got to see my great hair that I could only stand for a week! And I got to see my niece walk for pretty much the first time! She is super cute and has super cute sparkly pink shoes that my sister showed off to me! I will again use SKYPE on Monday, September 1st because it is my brother’s birthday! Which will make the 4th family birthday I have missed in being gone, but also the second of 12 of my kid’s birthdays I have been here for! Trade off I guess.
I also had amoebas this month. Another great experience! But I got meds for them and they seem to be gone…who knows really. All part of living in Africa and getting the full experience! I also found a doctor who speaks enough English that I can go on my own (with a driver of course) and that’s really nice!
Below are some pictures!! Belated but there they are! The first is me and all but one kid...she was behind the camera. The second is me and my three girls! I didnt get all the pictures I wanted loaded so Ill do a second post for that...
That’s all I can think of for now. I hope you all have had a great month. I have enjoyed all the emailing back and forth with people and hearing about life in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and everywhere in between. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers!
Love and God bless, Andrea
