We had a very good day today. Della is feeling much better. No fever, lots of smiles, and still quiet as a mouse.
The other family next to us watched her so we could go to the market where Sarah bought some fabric. There were so many it was hard to choose. The room was large and filled from floor to ceiling with every color and pattern you could imagine. Sarah wanted to take photos sooo bad. We didn't stay long, but it was an experience. Crowded, loud, and busy, but Ety told us to ignore the crazy people, and follow him. It's always fun to get back in the van, because then Ety will tell us what the people were saying. Nothing really mean or threatening, there are plenty of cops to prevent any problems, they just want our money.
Tonight we went to a restaurant with Ety in the town of Bandal (our hotel is in Gombe). We are getting used to the traffic. Just imagine any major city with no traffic control whatsoever. No stoplights, no turn lanes, nothing...just honk and go. One of those smashed up vans that carry people inside and out did (their version of a bus) was trying to cut across traffic in front of us. A cop was yelling at him while smashing the barrel of his AK 47 into the hood trying to get the driver to back up. Ety paid no attention to it continuing his conversation with Sarah as she stared at the scuffle. He calls those vans the "Spirit of Death". Says they cause lots of accidents.
The restaurant was interesting. It is family style and you can use utensils or your hands or both. With Ety's help we ordered chicken, and some traditional Congolese food. Our server had us wash our hands with soap as she poured water from a pitcher in a basin to rinse them, this is what the congolese do before they eat. Two men sang and played for us while we ate. Della was swinging her legs to the music (yeah, that's right, she can use both legs!). The chicken was great, and everything else was pretty good too. It cost $120 for 5 of us, but it was worth it for the experience.
We're really enjoying Ety's company. His english is good, and he says that his job is to take care of us. He is a lawyer, and an excellent guide. He deals with the DGM trying to get our exit papers along with babysitting us. He says that the DGM asked him why we give birth to our own children? He told them we have four. If they have four why to they want another to make 5? His answer was it does not matter what the answer is, we don't need to know that. He says that they are just curious, because they don't understand adoption. He will check on the progress of our papers tomorrow. He has no idea if they have even moved yet.
Ety was asking us for advice on finding a wife. We asked him how old he was, and he said he's 28. He said in DRC a man is rich if he has lots of children. We told him he was young and he said that "in the Congo you don't expect to live to 50, so I'm not young." He also told us that we shouldn't let our girls eat at McDonalds (he pronounces it "MacDunewds"), because "African women get very fat if they eat at McDonalds." I asked if he has ever been to a McDonalds, and he said no, but he's had hamburgers. Ety is a lot of fun. He likes to joke, and when we teach him a new word in english he asks us to write it down for him. He tells us he likes his job, he likes to help children to come to a another country where they can have a chance for education, and doctors and a good life. He tells us a lot of children will not live to make it out of an orphanage.
We were talking about church and Sarah asked him if he knows Jesus, he said "Yes, do you?", she said "Yes, we do!". He praised God and said "Thank-you God for finding another brother in Jesus!" as he raised his arms into the sky.
Ety says he will take us to Della's orphanage tomorrow. I'm sure it will be another interesting trip. Until tomorrow...
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