Running from Lions on the Congo Plains.

The Renault Three and a half Tonner was loaded with African Leaders from the East Kasai Province. We had been to Luena for a conference of the National Leadership of the Pentecostal Church of the Congo.

Saved by the Plastic Pipe

On the way to the meetings we had been  wonderful saved when our Legal Representative’s (He represented the Church before the Government) Coat had fallen down from the back onto the hot exhaust and burst into flames which melted the plastic fuel line. This cause the motor to suddenly stop in the bush many kilometres from help or any garage. I quickly jumped out when they said, " fire "and pulled the coat off the Exhaust. It had severed the fuel line and was in danger to exploding the petrol tank. I plugged my thumb over the leaking fuel line and waited till everything cooled down.

Knowing that these Renaults were not the best vehicles for deep sand nor for slippery muddy hills I had prayed that the Lord would help me to carry the right spares and tools for the long Trip From Kipushya Mission in the East Kasai to Kamina then on to Luena approximately seven hundred Kilometres each way on unkempt dirt roads. I had seen a short piece of plastic pipe and put that in the Toolbox just in case. Well it was a miracle for it fitted perfectly. God sure looks after the details of our lives. Within a few short minutes maybe (10), we were back on the road with the engine running smoothly.

After an event-filled conference where I saw 130 Congo run to surrender their lives to Jesus in a Sunday Afternoon Gospel Outreach at Luena. Actually Eddie Rowlands the Missionary, preached on Life and Death Choose Life. He illustrated his sermon from his own family. He had chosen Life by accepting Jesus Christ as His own personal Saviour. He was still alive. His Brother who was a smoker had refused and had died of heart and lung problems earlier.

Yes Friend, while you have the chance, choose LIFE and surrender to the Saviour of your Soul. He will forgive your sin and cleanse all the past and give LIFE with Him for all ETERNITY.

En route back up the Belgian farm roads we stopped for a break and cuppa at the side of the road. I had my thermos flask and some biscuits. I pour a cuppa and was was just about to enjoy my goodies when a big black Monkey went jumping by. He was jumping from small tree to small tree surely he was being hunted. The Pastors yelled quickly to leave the area as they knew that the monkey was being hunted by lions. They were all in the truck in no time and we were on our way glad to get out of there as quickly as we could. That Night we slept at the farms for protection. The cattle on these farms attract the attention of Lions. How often have we slept out in the african bush all night. Silly white people. You should always seek protection at night.

1Pe 5:8  Be sensible and vigilant, because your adversary the Devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking someone he may devour;

1Pe 5:9  whom firmly resist in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions in the world are being completed in your brotherhood.

Don't give the Devil the opportunity. Seek the protection of the saviour, Our Lord Jesus Christ.

9Q - CPA Cessna 206 Still flying in Africa after 36 years

http://www.flyingmission.org/pictures/dsc_0094.jpg

Our plane flying with the Flying Mission

Go to

http://www.flyingmission.org/pictures/hangar.jpg

Main Base in Zambia 15 km from Lusaka. Chilongolo

Flying Mission pilot Timo Kehr tells us how he is finding mission flying in this report of a flight to Malawi he recently undertook. He dubs it 'a short insight into the life of a missionary pilot':

6 am: the alarm clock goes off. Take off is set for 8 am, so I have a small breakfast and off I go…Thank God, the internet is working - what a great start to the day!

First of all: weather check; clouds are low but otherwise no threat. " Good to go".

Next step: checking the plane: fuel, oil; all is functioning and everything is where it’s meant to be…

African quick and Nasty CWEATURES No.4

We have just had a visit from our  Missionary Friend from Faranah Guinea. She teaches Missionary children for Bible Translators. Well she showed me this humongous Scorpion from Guinea. These nasties inject enough poison to kill a young child. She said she was bitten by a small scorpion on the foot. It was like being hit with a cattle prod. Then poison travelled to her groin then to her throat and she found it hard to breathe. Some time elapsed before the Poison dispersed and she felt well again. have you been bitten then you will understand that these are little nasty cweatures.

Then we have "Fire" the guard with an amazing 23 cms Snail the likes of which I have never seen myself. This equals the Guiness Book of Records. How would you like this big little critter munching on you lettuce in the veggie Garden.

African Cweatures No 3. A Mongoose

African Mongoose

Often a mongoose which was caught during a hunt or in the rain forest would become someeone's pet. A cord was tied around it's waist and then it followed its owner just like a dog.
Here is a link to a Mongoose vs Indian Cobra

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdg9gkmWsEA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongoose

African Cweatures No.2 black Army or Soldier Ants

These ants are approximately 1.5cm long and black. They can bite and sting like fury. It feels like a red-hot needle. The big problem is that they work together and usually walk in a column of three metres in length and have a couple of hundred in their army.

Soldier or Army Ants -black

These black soldier ants are not the driver ants which travel in  lines of Billions protected by their soldiers alongside their columns.  sting. They take days to pass and can only be stopped by spreading ashes and coals from a fire in their way.

Driver Ants reddish in colour

One day a Missionary was riding his bicycle home the two hundred Kilometres from a Business meeting in Katanga. As he descended a long hill he was unaware that the deep sand had accumulated at the bottom and he fell off in the deep sand right into the middle of a Column of Army Ants. They hiss to warn their fellow soldiers and then go in for the kill.

This missionary was in the middle of them and they can really sting. He yelled and out popped his false teeth into sand as they got up his legs. He  needed to get his trousers down in a hurry hoping their wasn't any African children in the bush nearby. What a sight!. He eventually got his trousers back up and his false teeth cleaned off. He picked up his bike and his precious briefcase of Business meeting minutes and sore and weary headed for home. He would be more wary next time at the bottom of a long hill.

Soldier ants can sting

Congo's quick and Nasty CWEATURES

There were some very quick and nasty creatures that were around our house while we lived at Mission de Kipushya, Kasai orientale, Democratic Republique of Congo in Central Africa.

The first is the Mamba. Around the Mission we generally encountered the green Mamba which was long and thin around the neck but was very quick. It was generally hunting birds in the high acacia trees around Mission. It could climb up a solid mud brick wall with ease.
One day my wife, Esther, came in to say that she had seen a snake on the stick fence outside our home but she added, “It was only a green tree snake.” I quickly warned her that it was a Mamba and they are very deadly.

In the backyard of our Mission house there was a Kipanda Mpodi. A large thatched roofed structure which sheltered us when working outside on a rainy day. Well someone had yelled “snake! snake!” (“Nyoka, Nyoka”) in Kisonge. People came running from all around into our yard. They were looking for the culprit who had quickly hidden. While they were milling around the Kipanda Mpodi  a young slip of student saw the tip of its tail poking out the thatch . Without telling anyone he whipped it out of the thatch and hurled it into the middle of the crowd of  searchers. They all levitated and took off post haste. Remember to move quickly and know what you are doing when handling a Mamba. Our House help, Eshiba, knew what to do. He would pin the neck with a stick then roll the stick up close to the head and then pick it up behind the head and take it home for dinner.
Eshiba’s brother was running up the ridge shouting 'Nyoka' one day after turning on the water-pump in the valley. He was being chased by a huge black Mamba. His father, YaShimbanyi killed it with a bamboo. It must have been 8 feet long.

A black Mamba

African Cameleon