ENOS and Lubumbashi

We are now here in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo after being in Bujumbura, Burundi for 5 months.  It has been a little like going from the Garden of Eden into mortality although it is kind of a beautiful semi-desert.  We do have to contend with a reddish dust that accumulates every day and covers everything.  We have been here almost two weeks already and have pretty well settled in.  I thought I would show you a few photos of our apartment and where we live.

Our apartment is situated behind an electronic store and cyber cafe. ENOS stands for Est (east) Nord (north) Ouest (west) Sud (south). In the photo you can see our truck and apartment at the end of the driveway in the back.

There is a bakery (the smell is heavenly) and small restaurant on the side of it that cater to the many people that wait to get on the trucks that stop here.

In front of our apartment is a truck stop and people climb on the truck loads to ride from town to town.  I am sure that it costs less than the bus.  We will try to get a picture of them on the trucks but you have to be very careful when you take pictures.  I was approached by the neighbourhood police after I took this picture and asked why I was taking pictures.  I had to show them the pictures I had taken.  He OK'd them.

As you enter our apartment, you are in our kitchen.

Looking at the kitchen towards the entry.  We do have doors on the cupboards under the sink unlike the open ones in Bujumbura.

From the kitchen you enter the living room and our office.  As you can see I can hardly wait to kick of my shoes.  You might think our apartment is on fire--but no, it's only our bright orangish-red drapes!!  Africans love color!!

A different view of the living room and also looking into our bedroom.  Don't be fooled by the TV---we don't have cable!!!

Our apartment has two bedrooms like this one with a bathroom and walk-in shower in each of them.  The window has a scenic view of a 2 storey cement wall.

Phyllis has commented on her spacious closet space.

The bathrooms are not too bad although they have a very small pedestal sink and almost no counter space or cupboards--nice big shower, though!!!

This is the view looking out from our living room.  We do live a little ways off of the street although the door opposite the truck is the cyber cafe and there is a steady stream of people who use it.  We do have full time guards.  If you look to the bottom right you will see the roof of the guard house.

This is the view from our kitchen entry door.  Notice the razor wire on the walls.
Somewhere in that yard is a goat that "bleats" continually.

This is looking down from our second floor porch-balcony.  We do have a electrical generator for when the electricity is off (very often) which is a blessing.  It is in the enclosed area.  You can also see the red dust on the leaves.  Rain in the wet season will wash it all off.

These next pictures were taken on our way to the mission home and office.  We are always amazed at the balancing of loads carried.  This is a fragile balancing act.  Maybe this could be a "Minute to Win It" trick.  "How high can you stack eggs without breaking any? --And then carry them on one hand?"

We pass many bicycle loads of charbon ( charcoal) used to fuel the small cooking stoves.
Making charcoal is causing much deforestation.

Motorcycle gas stations.

It always amazes me that these bicycles can carry such heavy loads.  In this picture you are able to see the source of all of the red dust.

This is the mission office.  We have a very nice office here at the back of the building.  It takes about 20 minutes to drive here from our apartment.  Elder and Sister Wilson live on the second floor and Elder and Sister Bunker have a small house behind.

This is the mission home of President and Sister Packer.  If you look very closely to the left of the grassy area, you can see the trunk and leaves of a palm tree imprinted in the cement.  It actually is very pretty.