Christmas in RD Congo

I hope this post gets published. One or two haven't and this is my last chance. They're going to cut off our e-mail access at the end of the year.

It's one week before Christmas, and it's easily 85 degrees out. Christmas dinner is a big discussion here between us expats. We have the basics, but that's about all. There's a flock of turkeys which roams around the village; I will try to find the owner and buy one from him. I've purchased some small gifts for all the expats, just to mark the occasion.

The Congolese vote for their constitution today. It's the first time they have voted since 1984. That time it was for the president: Mbutu or not. There was no other candidate. If you voted "no", you were beat up, sent out of the country, or you disappeared. If the constitution passes, they can move on th general elections, which are planned for June 2006. That would be great. It won't solve all their problems, especially here in the east of the country, but it would be a big step.

Here in Kayna, things are relatively calm for the moment. The military heated up the action against the ex-Rwanda faction a couple of weeks ago, and there were quite a few population displacements, but things have calmed down just before the elections. As a primarily Christian country, the holiday season should be fairly quiet, too. The biggest problem will be theft and looting, with people taking out whatever money they have for Christmas gifts, etc. And then, at the beginning of the year, we expect quite a bit of military action. Things will heat up again.

I gave my date of departure yesterday. It will be March 20-30. Afterwards, I hope to continue with MSF. I just had an evaluation by one of my bosses in Goma, and it seems that MSF is willing, too. My current plans are to buy a small condominium near New York. It's the easiest town in the U.S. to get in and out of for the missions; MSF U.S. headquarters are there; and I could fairly easily get back to Indiana to see my family from time to time.

I wish everyone a merry Christmas, and a very good 2006.
Ed