Government Stuff

I’ve been really busy recently going to government offices trying to get information. These things take a lot of time and the worst part is you never know if what they are telling you is the truth or not. I went all the way to Lubumbashi on buses filled to twice their capacity on the only free day I had for a meeting at 3PM. Of course it was wishful thinking to believing it was actually possible to schedule a meeting and it actually work out. It was one thing after another “wait a little while longer” over and over again. There ended up being no meeting because I could only wait so long I was preaching at the midweek service.

I went to the labor office and they, thank God, had a book on all the laws regarding working in Congo. When I asked about it they told me to go to a local bookstore they are selling them for $50. The pastor I was with went to negotiating and explaining this is for the church and he agreed to allow us to photocopy it and bring it back. When we were photocopying the book we saw stamped on numerous pages “not to be sold” but this is Congo. I looked over it while I was waiting and was extremely irritated that on the same page that stated women must be treated with equality it also said under no circumstances can a woman work at night. I’m sure the idea is protection as it is not safe to walk around at night time but please how horrible to impede on half the population’s freedom by not making any exceptions. It makes me really happy that I “work” at night teaching English so at least in a miniscule way I am proving how ridiculous that law is.

I leave Likasi on Wednesday go to Zambia Thursday and will make it to Kalomo on Friday. I am already starting to transition. I shook a child’s hand and asked “kwaamba”? much to the child’s confusion because it’s a Tonga greeting. One more week to go and I hope it’s amazing.