Stillettos in the Jungle

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Trip Start Dec 18, 2010 Previous
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  Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Congo - The Dem. Repub.
Thursday, September 29, 2011

Wow.  Just 32 days left for the Abbott Family in the Congo.  My, how time has flown by!  I vacillate between moments of unbridled excitement of getting back to the Western world and feelings of melancholy and nostalgia for Kinshasa and the dear, lifelong friends we have made here.

Yesterday as I was driving through downtown Kin, I found myself drinking in all the sights and sounds of this city with the same awe and excitement I did on my very first day here.  I was alone in the backseat, my driver in the front, so I felt some sense of being alone with my thoughts.  I actually felt wetness on my cheeks and realized tears fell from my eyes as I contemplated Congo and her people.  I am filled to the brim with thankfulness and gratitude for the opportunity to be here this year, at this moment in time.  It has forever changed me and I will leave a part of me here as I return back to the USA. 

I have learned many things about myself over this past year.  One of which is that I am highly allergic to Congolese Black Fly bites.  Currently I have 38 of them from my knees down.  They itch like nothing I have ever experienced.  I won't miss these stinking flies!  :)

Since moving our residence to here on TASOK in Kinshasa, it has been a true comedy of errors where electricity and internet are concerned.  For those of you that don't know, I have two HS children that attend school ONLINE so internet connection is imperitive for us right now.  At first it was lack of electricity, then once that was (kinda) fixed, a storm came in and internet went out.  Then more generator issues, then as soon as that was (really) fixed, a Congolese worker came and cut the wire to our internet connection.  It's been CRAZY!  I am so thankful that there is a boarding house nearby where we have been able to go some and the kids could use their internet and do some of their work there.  Now they are just a couple of weeks behind.  At this moment I am writing this with internet AT OUR HOUSE (woot! woot!) so I pray this keeps up.  Like I said, it's been a comedy of errors.....but still a comedy, nonetheless.  It's either laugh or cry so at this moment you can find me rocking back and forth in my chair with a crazed look in my eye and an insane laugh coming from my lips.  lol  :)  Joy is not always the easiest choice to make, is it?

I can say with pure joy, however, that I have NOT been arrested in a couple of weeks...... or even stopped by the Roulage.  Yay!  :)  At this point, I wouldn't even mind it so much..... for "old times' " sake, you know?  lol

These last few weeks at the orphanage will be bittersweet.  I will hold the kids a bit tighter and kiss them a bit longer.  I'd like to sleep over at the orphanage one Saturday at least so that I can have a couple of the kids in my room to spend more time with them.

We are going to try to go to some traditional Congolese churches our last few Sundays here.  We love the Congolese music and watching them worship and participating with them is an amazing experience.  I wish I could bring you all with me to church here one Sunday.  :)

The kids are both taking photography this semester and they have captured some pictures of a few of the beautiful tropical flowers found here in abundance.  Pictures don't do them justice.  There is a tree here with blooms like smell like Chanel perfume.  Supposedly it is actually the main ingredient in the perfume.  It's heavenly!

We plan to be back to the USA by December 1.  We are excited to see friends and family and to see what the next chapter will bring.  We really do miss you all and can't wait to get hugs and to catch up.  BTW..... Tulsa friends, keep collecting those coffee mugs for me and hopefully I'll have some news on that front by January sometime.  Woo Hoo!  :)

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The "little bully" tries to escape!	They love their new exer-saucer!	Could he be any cuter???	Yellow
brilliant pink	Orange	Bamboo Tunnel	Our walking trail
Caleb and our Chauffer, Pepe	Yes, we eat with gloves on at this place! lol	See? I CAN wear them in the jungle! :)   Comments!	Favorite thing I brought from the USA
Palest yellow

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