Ahhhh.. It is always so hard to say goodbye and it proved to be even harder then I had imagined. The last 7 weeks in Congo have been so amazing. I have met and become good friends with some brothers and sisters that I will always hold dear! It has been such a privilege to be able to work side by side with all of them.
The last few weeks of work flew by, with me trying to fit in as much as I possibly could. Work in the sewing/laundry department was fantastic; the sisters & brothers there had so much patience with me and I learned a lot of new things: I can now tailor a mans dress shirt, shorten and re-cuff mens dress pants, take in a skirt or enlarge one, change the placement of darts on a blouse, and sew loads and loads of buttons;)
My last weekend there was full of get togethers with some of the ones who I especially grew close too. Hockey, sauna; pizza, dance party, dinner party; all of this I somehow fit it which ended with me barely having time to pack!! Oh well:) And also on Sunday Brian, Mona, and I were invited to a local sisters home for a meal. She is a widow with several children and supports her family by selling beverages out of the two large ice boxes in her living room. She made a delicious Congolese meal that I will never forget: beans, rice, plantains, grilled fish, smoked fish, caterpillars, legumes, fufu, & fresh coconut afterwards for dessert. Her hospitality was amazing! I only wish I had had more afternoons like this, spending time with the local brothers and sisters in their homes & with their family.
Just after morning worship on Monday I had to say my goodbyes. I was a bit overwhelmed by all the love shown to me from everyone; they had all become family! Something that they do here when someone leaves is to gather at a certain area outside and as your car drives away they all stand and wave to you. Just imagining that picture again in my mind as I write this makes me emotional all over again. I really hope that this was not my last time in Congo!!
ps: where I am staying now I cannot load pictures onto my blog. So stayed tuned for photos, I will put some on as soon as I can!
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