Getting Back into the Culture in Congo

We are back in Congo at last! It is still what we were used to, at least for the most part. But after being gone for 11 months, there are circumstances that are once again plenty frustrating. Traffic is MUCH worse owing to more vehicles and no rules of the road. It can be a nightmare, and one might want to plan by the clock for the least traffic.

To think that the Ukrainian situation doesn’t affect the entire world is false. Our first night here with visiting coworkers, it was all they could talk about. And they were understanding of the problems, especially concerning Russia’s oil. Why? Because it has affected life here in a very damaging way. Prices of everything have skyrocketed. No, not like in the U.S. More like 35 to 50% higher or more. A year ago, bread in baguette form was 3 loaves for $1.50. Today, we went to our favorite store, and it was 3 for $4. In the past, whenever I went to that store, I always bought enough loaves to send several home with each of our workers. They cannot afford such luxuries, so the families were thrilled. Now, at the new price, I cannot do that as regularly. 

There is a shortage of gasoline, and what is available is more than $6 a gallon and continuing to rise. That means that the price of riding on motorcycle taxis, or in vans and buses, the mode of transport for most people, has gone way up, too. Congolese food has risen literally overnight, and many can no longer afford to feed their families well or even every day. 

Making meals is always a problem, at least for me. What grows and is available here is limited. Today, I happily bought a few things at my favorite grocery store to increase my ability to make meals more easily. A large bottle of mayonnaise, a can of tiny peas (they are grown here but are too large and mealy), a can of mushrooms, an apple ($1), olive oil from Spain, napkins, peanut butter, four-berry jam, sardines, and a round loaf of sliced bread freshly baked that morning. Mind you, we have to buy bread often because it has no preservatives and gets green quickly. But don’t we love having the real thing! 

On the brighter side, I was once again greeted warmly by the young Lebanese man who owns the store, now stocked with more imported items than I’ve ever seen here. He says I remind him of his mother back in Lebanon, and for some reason, he always comes to greet me with a big smile, then puts goodies in my cart, telling the cashier they are free. This time one was a box of Milka chocolate-covered praline hearts. He greets Ray with a fist bump and asks where we have been. But he doesn’t give Ray any freebies. (Sorry, Ray, you don’t look like his mother.)  However, I do share. I left with a smile and a happy heart over enjoyable little things, like friendly people and small conversations. When I got home, I read the prices on the receipt. Yikes. Yes, prices have definitely gone up! 

Work and home are tightly intertwined. We have people around us 24/7 who talk a number of different languages, plus their traditions and cultures are drastically different. We always have to be alert, to listen and hope we understand exactly what they are saying or vice versa. Sometimes we think we’ve communicated something exactly right only to discover we didn’t, and the person is doing something quite different than we intended. 

Just this morning, I was giving Annie a list of veggies and fruit to buy at the open market. Red onions (onyo rouge) are most prevalent here. But I wanted a couple of white onions for a specific recipe. I couldn’t remember what they are called nor the word for “white.” So I wrote “onyo muzungu.” Muzungu is the word for a white person so I thought it might get the idea of color across. Oops! Mweupi is the proper Swahili word for the color white. Or blanc is French for white; you can use either. By her shocked reaction and the peals of laughter that ensued, I knew I had made my mistake of the day. (Only one of many!) White onions are more expensive and not always available, but she found them. So I put the correct word back in my memory. For me, where language is concerned, mistakes are boundless! 

Jet lag is one of the very first challenges we must overcome whenever we return. It takes time to be able to sleep only at the right time. Until we get regular sleep during our Congolese nights, we are just trying to keep our heads from bobbing and falling asleep in terrible positions during the day. Sadly, staying upright doesn’t always help. But it is passing, and we are eager to get to work!

Under His Wings,

Jayn Harkema, Heart for Central Africa/ Building Bukavu 

“Those who live to bless others will have blessings heaped upon them, and the one who pours out blessings will be saturated with favor.” (Prov. 11:5 TPT)

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