This week we have been studying Tshiluba with Pastor Mboyamba, the Director of the Evangelism Department for CPC. He is the person that Bob will be working most closely with, so studying Tshiluba with him is also a great way to get to know him. He has been a tremendous ‘interpreter’ for us, introducing us to Kananga, culture, the church, and all of life here. On Wednesday, he invited us to come to his house for lunch and to meet his family.
Pastor Mboyamba lives in Kananga, and has a large family. One of the great things about African culture is their inclusive sense of ‘family’, and hospitality for all in their social circle. That said, Pastor Mboyamba usually has a few relatives or the children of friends staying with his family. We were excited to meet them! The youngest two—4-year old twin girls who are Pastor Mboyamba’s grand-daughters, were terrified of us (white people are not so common in Kananga!), but tearfully agreed to greet us while their mother held them.
We had a wonderful meal of bidia, rice, tshiteku (pig-weed), salted fish, chicken, buse, and bananas. They have a large yard that is mostly garden, where they are able to grow most of their own food. We even got to see their goat who recently had twins! The picture below is of buse—it is common in Congo, but no one seems to know the name of the plant/vegetable in French of English. Any ideas?
and make a brown soupy substance—delicious!
After lunch we saw their garden and talked about their family. Much of the conversation we were able to do in Tshiluba, although by the end of the day we were exhausted from the extra exertion that it takes to try to speak and hear in a new language! We are so impressed at the desire of this family to love and serve people in Congo, and we look forward to getting to know them more!
4 comments:
I remember how tiring it is to try learning a language. Well done! Love you're postings, pictures, and titles of your entries.
Hi Bob and Kristi,
When you get time, I would love to for you to post a bit about the internet access situation now. When I was there last July it was limited, difficult, and slow. Hoping it has improved!
-Jonathan
Thanks for the wonderful reports. Lots of folks are praying for this time of learning and adjusting. We trust the sleep time is going well... we just changed to DST.
The "buse" is probably the same thing as "wusi" in Zambia. It has a red stalk and a tart taste. It is also related to the okra and will get slimy if cooked wrong. The British called it "rosella." Indeed it is delicious.
Elisabeth (Jonathan's sister)
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