This post is for our grandchildren. We want you to see some photos of the cute kids here in the Congo. We miss all of you so much... and sometimes we just hug these kids, and remember how much we love to snuggle with you.
Cole... this picture is especially for you. I understand that you take your scriptures with you to church every week. I took a picture of this little boy so you could see that we do the same thing here.
This book is a Book of Mormon written in the tribal language of Lingala. The official language here is French, but not everyone has learned how to speak French. Some people only speak Lingala.
These are some of the primary children singing a new song that I taught them. We were learning "Praise to the Man" which is in the Hymn Books. We call them Cantiques in French. The kids felt very grown up to use the books.
This week we learned to sing "I love to see the Temple". All the primary children in the whole wide world are supposed to learn to sing that song this month (July). I know that many of you have been singing it since you were tiny. Some of you like to sing it as you drive by your temple. We don't have a temple in this country. When our families are sealed to each other they have to fly over a thousand miles to the South Africa temple.
Did you know that there aren't computer games for children in the Congo? None of the children have computers. They don't have toys like we have in America. These are some of the toys that children have to play with in the Congo. They have to make their own.
When the Congolese adults talk on their cell phones, some of them are very expressive and use their hands and make lots of faces when they talk. These are 2 little girls that Papa saw playing like they were talking on their cell phones. They used old piece of plastic for their "cell phones." One little girl just grinned at Papa, but the other was chattering away on the phone... and then scolding Papa when she saw he was taking her picture. They were soooo cute.
There are no strollers, car seats, carriers, baby swings or saucers or fun floor mats. The babies sit in little tubs like this or they are carried on the mothers' backs.
These are some of the children that live close to four of our Elders. They love to see Grandpa drive down the street in his turquoise truck, because he usually brings them a piece of candy. There was so much trouble with the kids trying to get seconds, that he now organizes them all into a big line, by heights, and passes them out
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These are some of the children we saw when we were driving recently. They don't have swimming suits, so they just go naked and have lots of fun. They don't go into deep water.
When they take baths at home, they are bucket baths. They don't have bathrooms in their houses. They have toilets in a separate little building outside, and they don't have any tubs or showers. At night somebody in their family scrubs them down with soap and then pours water on them from a bucket to rinse them off. Doesn't this look like he is having a good time?
Sometimes the children stare at us because our skin is so white! They don't see very many white people in the Congo, so they think we look a little bit scary.
They call us "Moondellies".
This little boy is wearing Papa's name tag. He wants to be a missionary when he grows up.
I am teaching this little 9 year ol girl to read. She has been very sick, and missed lots of school, so she hasn't learned to read yet.
This is a little boy that we give a ride to in the mornings, after we go jogging on the beach. His mother died, and his father takes him with him everyday wherever he goes. At first he was very frightened of us, because we are "Moondellies" with white skin. However, Papa let him sit on his lap after quite a few days, and pretend to drive the car. Now he adores Papa and waves him down every morning so we will stop for them. He sits on Papas lap every morning, and is our "driver".
We are trying hard to help these children in everyway we can. Most of them seem happy, even though they don't have houses with bathrooms or electricity... and they don't have cars... and they don't have toys. However, most of them are Christian and have families that love them. They know that their Heavenly Father and Jesus love them. We are teaching their families that some day they can return to Heaven, and be a Forever Family.
This is our wall in our Front Room, where we can show everyone our Forever Family.
We love and miss all of you so very, very, very, very, very, very much!!! But we know Heavenly Father needs us here. Thank you for your prayers.
Love, Grammy & Papa
This is Elizabeth, who Ed will report to for the next couple of months. Yes... what can I say?
This is an excerpt from a letter from our mission president thanking us for our hard work in trying to get the work moving along, to get our members the building they need.
"GREAT JOB!!!!!!! This is wonderful news. It appears to me that when done correctly this process can work. Thank you so much, infinitely, Elder Gates for making this happen. I am confident this could not have happened without your guidance and direction."
The work should start August 8th and be completed in 60 days. The building is 3 stories. We are gutting out the 2 apartments on the 1st floor to make a chapel area. The other 2 floors (3 apartments) are perfect for all the auxiliaries to have all sizes of meeting rooms.
We are thrilled for the Saints of Pointe Noire to have another beautiful facility!
