Once again it has been too many days since I wrote and I'm sorry......I am becoming healthy once again and ready to go.....

Over the past few weeks we have had several of the company leaders come to visit the gas plant being built here in Soyo.  They have come from the capital city, Luanda, as well as the United States.  Several of the visitors brought their wives and so we had time with them either at a meal or going with them as they visited some of the community projects that in process here.  Even tho I was still feeling quite ill, I came to join these outings with the ladies.  It was a interesting and something we do not see every day.

First we went to a school that is being refurbished by Angola LNG.  This is a school of 700 students currently and since they have split day sessions will be able to accommodate 1400 when it is completed.   We were met by some of the current students that sang a welcome song for us as we arrived and also a good by song when we left.  It was really quite enjoyable.

Unfortunately these students will have graduated before the project is completed and will not be able to take full advantage of the new facilities  They are able to use one newly created computer laboratory.

Computer Lab already being used

Inside the computer lab are examples of what the children have already learned to create.  The people showing us these facilities expressed great surprise at how quickly the children learn the new technology.

work product...pictures from computer class

Since this site is under construction we were all given Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to wear.  This included a hard hat, safety glasses which came in clear or shaded, steel toed boots and a reflective vest.  We all looked absolutely amazing in our gear........see if you can check out the one person who has never worn a hard hat before......

Following this visit we went out of town to the Mpinda mission.  There is a church there that was rebuilt in the early 1900s and is still used today.

The hand carved pulpit

Angola is primarily a Catholic country.  The church at the mission also oversees a birth clinic and a school....it is one of the schools where we assist with crafts.

Following this visit we went to our housing area to show the visitors one of the residences.  At this place we were able to change out of our PPE and prepare for a lunch at the Nimpanzu Hotel.  All of the ladies had gone into the house and I was the last getting out of the bus.  Just to give you history, when I came to Cabinda, Angola in 2008 on the last day there I had a fall and had to meet with the Ministry of Health representative with a huge black eye.  So why was I surprised that on this day with guests from management visiting, I stepped out of the bus and missed the step to the curb because I wasn't looking for it and fell again.  Now the bus was between me and the visitors but right in front of the security detail who had traveled with us to the community.  The head of security came and helped me up and kept saying....."Mama, are you hurt?"  I replied, "I am ok.....just embarrassed".  He smiled and took my hand to help me to the house......not a way to keep attention off me.......and then he noticed my finger was bleeding.....so he told the other ladies I had fallen.  Now what I didn't tell them is that my knee and hip had hit the curb and were really sore.  And what distressed me the most is that I had torn the new pants I had tailor made in Thailand......

We enjoyed the lunch at the hotel and then just before the visitors left were able to go into the new air traffic tower for the airport.  This was the day for the opening ceremony and ribbon cutting...

 We are excited that we now have luggage carts and a short manual  luggage conveyor belt.

Up in the tower we were able to see the computer system they are using and from this height and placement of the tower the operators are now able to visualize both ends of the runway....a great improvement.

We all enjoyed the time with these visitors.  They were interested in life here and had requested to come.  I do believe that they have a greater understanding of the unique challenges as well as benefits for those of us who are resident here.