B I T T E R S W E E T

Since we are leaving the Democractic Republic of Congo soon, I thought I would list things I've learned here, or seen here, things I might miss, and things I can't wait to have again.

• Thankful that we could meet the people here and learn a little about their culture.



• Never will forget the airport or the men who stand there with AK-47s.


• Had some tramatic stress dreams here, which I will be glad to be rid of.


• Had a wall and barb-wire around our house, with guards, OH and one who had a key to our house and stole my only jewelry (yes my engagement ring I will never be able to show to our children, very sad.)


• Everything is expensive here!!! $40 for a quart of cream!


• you can sell ANYTHING--on the side of the road (monkeys, dogs, coat racks, suitcases, maps, newspapers, tissues, lamps, food, pictures, clothes hangers, random things).
  
• Will be grateful to drink from the tap instead of distilled water.


• No more malaria pills!!! (finally we will sleep well)


• Motto in Africa -> If you don't ask for it then you won't get it (i.e. the maid has asked for things around the house knowing there is a 50/50 chance of getting it. no harm in asking).


• Another motto in Africa ->If you have more (wealth, things, food, money) you should feel obligated to give it to others who don't have as much. (Example: if someone gets hit by a car here--which happens A LOT--if you help that person, you could be the one paying for medical stuff and kids' future schooling!)


• Can't wait to have more fruits and vegetables and not have to bleach them this summer(Although I will miss our banana tree we have and the fresh pineapple for sale on the side of the street).
  
• I most likely will be able to drive at the next place we go, nothing like no road rules to scare a person from driving.
  
  
• I will never forget the anxiety I had here, there was always a threat of something bad happening. I wish the world was a safer place, we are all human, right?


• On the flip side of the previous one, this place has made me a more laid-back type of person. I'm not quite so controlling (only about no crumbs on the floor-then the ants come!) and I have started to react differently to things.


• I learned that being the minority and not speaking the language you become a little invisible, but I didn't mind. :) I could observe more that way. But you also had to be aware when it made you the target, thankfully we haven't had anything bad happen!


• I have gotten used to seeing soldiers with AK-47s walking down the street by us and not think twice about it...and the military tank too.


• Nature is beautiful especially when it's NOT man made.
  





• Nature has lots of sounds, and some of them can be quite loud, but beautiful too! Never before have I seen so many different kinds of unique birds!


• I will be happy not to take a dirty bath anymore, there is no clear water here.


• Being basic & simple is GREAT!


• Slowing down things in life won't make things worse just better. You enjoy things more.


• Children are precious and sometimes wise beyond their years, yet so innocent still. We could learn a thing or two from them. The children here are beautiful and have smiles that light up the room.
  
  


• I will miss how quiet church is here.


• Bugs in Africa are HUGE! Will not miss them, or seeing them in the middle of the night hanging above us on our mosquito netting around the bed. (true story, this happened the other night with a cockroach up there!).
  
• And in that case, I don't like sleeping with mosquito netting around our bed, especially since the husband gets tangled in it every night (he tosses too much). :)
  

• I am glad we have lived here to help bring our little family closer together. We have had to depend on each other numerous times and it's made us love each other more and more.

Even though you might hear us gripe of the daily struggles of living here, we have liked it. We are thankful that we were able to enjoy another part of our world that is so different from what we grew up in. Spencer will have such different childhood memories than Tyler and I ever did. I can't begin to tell what a blessing it has been to be here, really it has. We will miss the people we met here, and especially our church ward who have helped us to become accustom to life here in Congo.
Our next adventure: Harare, Zimbabwe!!! Here we come! :)