Crossing The Loange

ISBN 978-0-692-50291-4

52400>

9 780692 502914

Crossing the Loange Congo Pax Service and the Journey Home John M. Janzen & Larry B. Graber 2015

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Crossing the Loange: Congo Pax Service and the Journey Home Published by John M. Janzen & Larry B. Graber All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, reprinted in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without prior written permission from the copyright holders. Š 2016 John M. Janzen & Larry B. Graber ISBN: 978-0-692-50291-4 Library of Congress Control Number: 2015915853 First Edition 2015 Cover design by Jim L. Friesen Printed by: Mennonite Press, Inc. P.O. Box 867 532 North Oliver Road Newton, Kansas 67114 Printed in USA

Front cover: Loange river crossing, on the main road between Kilembe and Nyanga, during dry season, 1958. Smoke from savanna fires rises on the horizon. An experienced ferry poler from a nearby Wongo village is determining how far upstream to push the ferry so that the much faster midstream current will carry it to the expected point on the opposite shore. Fifty years later, with Chinese aid, a massive bridge is being built at this crossing on national highway # 1 connecting the West Kasai region to Kinshasa and the port city of Matadi. ii

This Book is Dedicated To the people in the Congo who taught us lessons not likely to have been learned elsewhere; To our families and friends who supported and encouraged us, especially to the memory of our parents Hilda and Louis Janzen, Lydia and Jonathan Graber; To our grandchildren: Clara, Henry, Max, Calvin, Felix, Hannah, Emeline; Lydia, Levi, Noah, Leah, Hannah, Erin, Sy, who will now be able to read the definitive version of our stories.

To our children and their spouses: Bernd and Kristi, Gesine and Robert, Marike and Ben; Burton and Julie, Kenneth and Julie, Kiersten and Randall; To our wives Reinhild and Karen.

May this book foster the spirit of service and adventure in all those who come after us.

Acknowledgements To Reinhild and Karen who read the original letters, who offered their thoughts on what we should include or exclude, read the complete manuscript, all along enthusiastically encouraging us to complete this project once we had begun; To Kristi Bahrenburg Janzen who originally encouraged us to actually produce a book out of our photographs and letters of our PAX experiences and journey home, and Kiersten Hofman, who provided a thorough professional copy-editing of the manuscript; To Omer and Zona Galle, friends from college days before we went to Congo, who now, more than fifty years on, have a keen interest in this project, as evidenced by their generous gift of multiple readings of the manuscript with copy and content editing and substantive suggestions for the work’s introduction.

We take full responsibility for any lingering errors. Other mistakes and misjudgments we attribute to our youthful inexperience and enthusiasm.

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Table of Contents Table of Letters . .

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Table of Maps, Photo Plates, Documents .

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Map 1 Larry and John’s Itinerary 1957-1959 .

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Map 2 African Southern Savanna region .

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Foreword .

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From New York to Kamayala Letters 1957

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Letters 1958

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Letters 1959

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Aspects of the Chokwe Tribe, John

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Chokwe Music, Larry .

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Kandala, Mukedi, Nyanga Letters 1959

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Authors’ Sketches .

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232

Glossary-Index

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The Journey Home Letters 1959

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Table of Letters 1957 Sept. 11, New York, Larry Sept. 11, New York, John Sept. 23, SS Lukala, John Sept. 23, Lukala, Larry Oct. 6, Kikwit, John Oct. 6, Kikwit, Larry Oct. 10, Kamayala, John Oct. 13, Kamayala, Larry Oct. 20, Kamayala, Larry Oct. 20, Kamayala, John Oct. 27, Kamayala, Larry Oct. 27, Kamayala, John Nov. 4, Kamayala, John Dec. 3, Kamayala, John Dec. 14, Kamayala, Larry Dec. 22, Kamayala, Larry 1958 Jan. 5, Kamayala, Larry Jan. 12a & b, Kamayala, John Jan. 13, Kamayala, Larry Jan. 19, Kamayala, Larry Jan. 27, Kamayala, John Feb. 15, Kamayala, Larry Feb. 23, Kamayala, John Mar. 9, Kamayala, Larry Mar.30, Kamayala, John Apr. 6, Kamayala, John Apr. 13, Kamayala, John May 4, Kamayala, John May 12, Kamayala, Larry May 13, Kamayala, John May 17, Kamayala, Larry June 22, Kamayala, Larry May 19, Kamayala, John May 25, Kamayala, John June 2, Kamayala, John June 6, Kamayala, John June 10, Kamayala, John June 13, Kamayala, Larry June 13, Kamayala, John June 21, Kamayala, John July 3, Wauseon, Ohio, H. Driver July 7, Kamayala, Larry July 13, Kamayala, Larry July, Newton, KS, L. A. Janzen July 13, Kamayala, John Aug. 11, Salem, Oregon, Janzen & Graber parents Aug. 24, Kamayala, John

Aug. 31, Kamayala, John Sept. 5, Elkhart, IN, H. Driver Sept. 7, Mukedi, Larry Sept. 8, Mukedi, Larry Sept. 15, Kamayala, J. B. Jantzen Sept. 22, Kamayala, John Sept. 22, Mukedi, Larry Sept. 28, Kamayala, Larry Oct. 19, Kamayala, Larry Oct. 26, Kamayala, Larry Oct. 27, Kamayala, John Oct. 31, Lac Madimape, Larry Nov. 2, Lac Madimape, John Dec. 1, Nyanga, John Dec. 18-19, Kamayala, Larry Dec. 21, Kamayala, John Dec. 21, Kamayala, Larry Dec. 27, Kamayala, John Dec. 28, Kamayala, Larry 1959 Jan. 4, Kamayala, John Jan. 4, Kamayala, Larry Jan. 8, Kamayala, John Jan. 11, Kamayala, Larry Jan. 11, Kamayala, John Jan. 14, Kamayala, Larry Jan. 18, Kamayala, Larry Jan. 20, Kikwit, John Jan. 25, , Kamayala, Larry Jan. 25, Kamayala, John Feb. 2, Kandala-Kamayala, Larry Feb. 8, Kamayala, Larry Mar. 2, Kamayala, John Mar. 16, Kamayala, John Feb. 15, Kandala, Larry Feb. 26, Kandala, Larry Mar. 3, Kandala, Larry Mar. 12, Kandala, Larry Mar. 15, Kandala, Larry Mar. 22, Kandala, John Mar. 26, Kandala, Larry Mar. 29, Kandala, Larry Apr. 5, Kandala, Larry Apr. 12, Kandala, Larry Apr. 19, Nyanga, Larry Apr. 24, Mukedi, John Apr. 26, Nyanga, Larry May 3, Nyanga, Larry May 8, Mukedi, John May 10, Nyanga, Larry

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May 26, Mukedi, John June 12, Mukedi, John June 19, Nyanga, Larry June 19, Mukedi, John June 27, Nyanga, Larry July 4, Nyanga, Larry July 10, Mukedi, John July 12, Nyanga, Larry July 19, Nyanga, Larry July 24, Nyanga, Larry Aug. 6, Mukedi, John Aug. 6, Nyanga, Larry Aug. 14, Kikwit, John Aug. 23, Nyanga, Larry Aug. 23, Mukedi, John Aug. 28, Luluabourg, Larry Sept. 1, Bukavu, Kivu, John Sept. 2, Bukavu, Goma, Larry Sept. 9, Park Elizabeth, Uganda, John Sept. 11, Lake Victoria, Larry Sept. 18, Tanga, Tanganyika, John Sept. 20, Tanga, Tanganyika, Larry Sept. 30, S.S. Ferdinand de Lesseps, John Oct.1, SS Ferd. de Lesseps, Larry Oct. 2, SS Ferd. de Lesseps, John Oct. 13, SS Iskendrun, Larry Oct. 13, SS Iskandrun, John Oct. 18, Jerusalem, Larry Oct. 18, Jerusalem, John Oct. 19, Jerusalem, John Oct. 29, Panayitsa Pax Unit, Greece, Larry Oct. 29, Panayitsa, John Nov. 2, Pax Unit, Vienna, Larry Nov. 2, Vienna, John Nov. 14, Basel, Switzerland, John Nov. 26, MCC-Amsterdam, John Nov. 26, Amsterdam, Larry Feb. 2015, John Recollects Robbery Feb. 2015, Larry Recollects Robbery Dec. 3, Brussels, John Dec. 5, Brussels, Larry Dec. 9, S.S. Queen Elizabeth, South Hampton, England, John

Maps 1. Larry’s and John’s itinerary, September 1957 – December 1959, p. viii 2. The African Southern Savanna region in Graber-Janzen correspondence, p. ix

Photo Plates 1. New York to Matadi—S.S. Lukala, p. 8 2. Arriving in the Congo, p. 13 3. Kamayala home and people, p. 17 4. Kamayala work and lives, p. 18 5. Kamayala medical & church work, p.19 6. Kamayala school work, p. 20 7. Across the Loange, p. 27 8. Women’s work, p. 38 9. Infertility and fertility, p. 39 10. Kamayala fire hunt, p. 55 11. River crossings, p. 74 12. Chokwe villages and landscape, p. 94 13. Shangangulu, Kambazi, Shatumbwe, 99 14. Death of chief Tshibumba, p. 106 15. Chokwe worldview, p. 108 16. The mahamba, p. 111 17. Chipangu ch’ajimu, p. 113 18. Mayanga, p. 115 19. Muta, p. 117 20. Yimbali in Chikuza, p. 121 21. Ngombo, p. 123 22. Chokwe music, p. 126 23. Mukanda dancers with Chihongo, p.138 24. Mukedi hospital project, p. 143 25. Pende dancers of Mukedi, p. 144 26. Chiefs, p. 145 27. Nyanga medicine, p. 148

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Wongo village scenes, p. 153 Murder, autopsy, circumcision, p. 154 Crossing the Loange, p. 166 Eastern Congo forest, p. 170 Eastern Congo – Kivu, p. 171 Eastern Congo – Ituri, 174 Tanganyika, p. 178 Kenya – Mombasa, p. 181 S.S. Ferdinand de Lesseps, p. 185 Tween deck, p. 186 Egypt, p. 191 Lebanon, p. 196 Jordan / Palestine –Jerusalem, p. 198 Jordan / Palestine – Bethlehem, p. 199 Syria, p. 203 Turkey, p. 204 Turkey – Istanbul, p. 205 Greece on the Aegean Sea, p. 208 Yugoslavia, p. 209 Austria, p. 212 Italy, p. 216 Switzerland, p. 217 Germany, p. 220 Germany –Berlin, p. 221 Netherlands – Denmark, p. 229 London & South Hampton, p. 230

Documents

Selective Service records: Larry’s 1-0 Registration card; John’s Discharge, p. 3 S.S. Lukala—Baptism of the Equator & “au revoir menu”, p. 11 Genealogy of the Sha Mbimba Tshieko Kasange group, p. 102 Gorilla Sanctuary disclaimer, p. 176 Hamburg and Sittensen news clippings about the robbery, p. 223

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Map 1 – Larry and John’s itinerary from September 1957 through their two-year service term with MCC Pax in the Congo; their trip from Congo in late August 1959 across East Africa; up the Indian ocean coast to Egypt; across the Mediterranean Sea to Beirut, to Palestine-Jordan, and into Europe, before returning to the U.S. from South Hampton, UK in December, 1959. Source: Rand McNally Historical Atlas of the World, 1965. Ed. By R.R. Palmer. The World after World War II showing changes to 1961, p. 38.

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Map 2 – The African Southern Savanna region where most of the action in the Janzen-Graber correspondence takes place. The rivers noted in the correspondence—Kwango, Kwilu, Loange, Lushiko, Tshikapa and Kasai—are highlighted. Automobile roads are in red. Missions are identified by crosses at the names: Catholic with one cross-bar, Protestant with two cross-bars.

The region we identify as “Across the Loange” is identified by hatched lines. Source: Carte Politique et Administrative. Republique du Zaire. Kinshasa: Institut Geographique du Zaire, 1980.

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FOREWORD John writes: “Crossing the Loange,” the title of this work, recurs as a theme in the letters published here that describe our two years of service in the Congo from 1957 to 1959, and our subsequent trip across East Africa, the Middle East, and Europe on our way home (see Map 1). The primary reference of this title phrase is to the ten day trip that our overseer /supervisor John B. Jantzen took annually with whoever he could find to accompany him to examine schools and small parishes.

The region “across the Loange” is framed by the Loange River on the west, the Lushiko River, one of its tributaries, on the east, bordering Kasai province, and the Angolan border on the south (see Map 2). The connotations of this trip were those of challenge, remoteness, and strenuous foot and bicycle travel since no automobile roads existed into this area. But the Loange River also crossed the entire territory of the Congo Inland Mission (CIM), dividing it from west to east, from the region known as the Kwilu to the west, and the Kasai to the east. We crossed this river by ferry numerous times on the road from Mukedi through Kilembe to Nyanga and Tshikapa. In rainy season it was deep and swift; in dry season slow and treacherous, due to the sand bars that needed to be crossed by vehicles to reach the ferry. The “bac” ferry was constructed of four dugout canoes fastened together with planks sufficiently durable to hold trucks, cars, and multitudes of pedestrians. The Loange was one of four rivers that flowed south to north through our region: the Kwango, the Kwilu, the Loange, and the Kasai. Ultimately all these rivers flow into the mighty Congo River that drained the entire Congo Basin. These rivers and their small tributaries reflected the adequate rainfall that made life possible in the broad belt across Southwestern Central Africa known as the Southern Savanna.

The combination of high plains grassland, these mighty rivers coursing through the landscape, and the forests that border them, defined local experience and offered material for rich symbolism. One of the attributes of Nzambi (God) is the all-encompassing realm of the water, named Kalunga. Thus, when local chief Tshimbumba died in March 1959, near Kamayala mission where we were living, we were told that his body was buried in the bottom of a riverbed where his spirit joined the other spirits and the great spirit of the universe. Then, a termite mound shrine was erected for him outside of his village, and after a time moved into the shrine of hunters in the village. The title of our book – “Crossing the Loange” – thus includes not just our experiences, but also these natural anchors of reality and power in the worldview of the Chokwe people and those of the wider Southern Savanna.

This theme of crossing the water is also apt in our own personal lives and the sources from which we draw our inspiration. The very act of going to the Congo to fulfill our Selective Service obligations through the Pax program, an alternative to military service, was rooted in our forebears’ radical decision to leave their European homelands and venture across the water to find freedom from military conscription and freedom of conscience in North America. Crossing water as metaphor for adventure and exploration may have been in the mind of Orie Miller, founder-executive secretary of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), the agency with whom we were serving. During his visit in late 1958 during an all-Africa tour, he playfully christened as

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Crossing the Loange “Christopher Columbus” our Citroen car that we had purchased to undertake our grand postservice journey.

But our narrative is getting ahead of itself. We owe the reader a more straight-forward reason for how and why we sought a two-year term of service in the Congo, and why, and for whom, we are publishing our letters home and our pictures.

Larry writes: John and I are both the younger brothers of our sisters – Sara and Charlotte – who were engaged to the first two MCC Pax men, Fremont Regier and Larry Kaufman, to serve under the Congo Inland Mission in the Belgian Congo. John and I were school mates at Bethel College in Kansas.

A tragic accident in the Congo took the life of Larry Kaufman, my sister’s fiancé, and left Fremont devastated at the loss of his close friend and work partner. That incident was the catalyst that started our conversations about seeking permission to go to the Congo to honor and continue their work, as well as to take some constructive action as affirmation of the sacrifices made by both these young men. It is one thing to talk about going to the Congo, it is quite another thing to actually commit to the process of making it happen. I don’t believe that John or I ever looked back after early conversations when we looked each other in the eye, and said, “Let’s do this.”

John writes: When we responded to the opportunity for two years of service in the Congo, we joined the Pax program of Mennonite Central Committee, especially created for service assignments outside of the territorial United States. The name Pax, Latin for peace, was intended to convey the Anabaptist-Mennonite emphasis on non-violent peacemaking. In terms of U.S. legislation, it was one branch of the alternative service program created by the U.S. Congress during World War II. From that time on, through the time of our service (1957-59) and even till the present (2015), young men, upon turning 18, were and are required to “register” with their local Selective Service Office. County boards exercised a high degree of autonomy in granting or refusing this status. In areas where there were many Peace Church communities – Quaker, Mennonite, Church of the Brethren – most draft boards granted this status to most young men who asked for it. In other areas, or where boards were staffed by military hawks, they were far less tolerant, in some cases sending claimants of conscientious objection to the barracks, and even to prison. Once properly registered, you waited to be “drafted.” The years we are describing – 1957 to 1959 – were between the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and although there was a draft, not many were being called up. One could apply for a “student deferment” if you were a student in good standing, or for a “farm deferment,” if you were the only son of a farmer, or other good reasons.

Some “enlisted,” that is they volunteered before being drafted. This is in effect what we did.

Those who enlisted or were drafted needed to take the physical exam which, for me, John, was in Kansas City. I took a bus to Kansas City to the appropriate location. All I remember is that the “draftees” were ordered to strip totally to their birthday suits, and stand in a long line, bent over.

Then some “inspector” walked along checking our butts (for hemorrhoids?) and feeling our groins (for hernias?). I guess I passed my physical. If one had conditions that disqualified one 2

Foreword

Larry’s & John’s Selective Service Documents: Top, Larry’s 1-O classification card; below, John’s “discharge” paper certifying that he has satisfactorily completed his two-year term of service.

When we turned 18, new registrants were automatically given the 1-A classification for regular military service. One could apply for non-combatant service (1-A-O), for those of us who objected to military service for reasons of conscience against taking human life, the Selective Service offered the 1-O classification (one objector), as determined by our local draft boards. Upon our return home we again went to the boards to receive our “discharge” papers.

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Crossing the Loange from service in the military, the classification became 4-F. We knew some friendly medical doctors who would write such letters for certain young men certifying their flat feet, bad eyesight, asthma, or whatever other debilitating conditions they were said to have. From the days of World War II when Civilian Public Service provided service opportunities to conscientious objectors to war, through the Korean War and beyond, Mennonites and other Peace Churches had negotiated opportunities for their young men who for religious convictions could not, or would not, participate in killing. Some few resisted even registering, a few of whom ended up in prison. Many of our acquaintances spent two years working in mental hospitals, or serving as “guinea pigs” at the National Institutes of Health.

As for those of us who were accepted to a Pax program, once we had passed our physicals, for the duration of our service we were sent to one of dozens of projects. We were appointed by MCC to the Congo Inland Mission. We had no further dealings with the U.S. Armed Services until we returned home, with one single exception described in letters from late November 1959.

The U.S. Military Police came to Sittensen in North Germany to check us out and to inspect our credentials, just to make sure we were not American soldiers who had gone absent without leave (AWOL). Many Pax men worked in postwar reconstruction in Europe.

Once we returned home in December 1959, our lives became fully absorbed with family, career, and other endeavors. We graduated from college, went on to graduate school, got married, and each had three children, who in turn married and gave us grandchildren. Larry became a social worker for the state of Oregon and created a model program for dealing with children put into foster care and with their families of origin. John went on to study anthropology and African Studies and became a professor and researcher of Africanist anthropology.

The few times we met or corresponded we knew we wanted to do something with our memories of our Pax experience. In summer 2014, as I retired, we met in Freeman, South Dakota, with our wives Karen and Reinhild, to reminisce, compare memories and look at our photographs. We agreed that we would try to compile our letters and pictures. John’s daughter-in-law Kristi, a journalist, encouraged us to publish our letters and those fabulous photographs. At the forefront of our intentions was the thought that our families would be the natural audience of a memento to our formative experience of fifty years ago. In particular we thought of our grandchildren with whom we wished to share the growing up moments in these two rich years of our early lives, and the way they reflected the deeply held values of service work. When prodded to be more explicit about why we were going to the effort to transcribe all our letters, and share these experiences with our families, Larry offered the following pithy rationale: Larry writes: The why and wherefore of this project needs to be addressed. I agree. One reason, of course, is that the only reason our children and grandchildren are alive today to read this, is because we managed to survive. That took a certain amount of cunning and an equal or greater amount of good luck. I know toga snakes were abundant in some of the places we walked. Malaria, which you, John, barely survived, was only one of many fevers/diseases to which we were exposed (especially in my work with Dr. Diller). River crossings, lightning strikes, bike wrecks, blowing 4

Foreword a hole through the roof of our carryall with a 12 gauge shotgun, wild animals that could have made a meal of us while riding our bikes through some of those desolate plains and hiking in overgrown jungles, that baboon, John, that could have ripped your arm off had you not let go of its tail at just the right time; getting out of the Congo when we did [before the violence that accompanied Congo’s Independence struggle], getting through Kenya when we did, etc., to say nothing of robbery at gunpoint. I mean, when you look back at it, we are walking miracles. I think our children and the greats on down the line should read this to grasp the incredible reality that they even exist.

John continues: The work of rereading the letters got underway in earnest in January 2015. Over several months we transcribed excerpts of the letters and selected photos and shared them with each other electronically. We were once again reminded that our mothers had done a great job of storing our letters. Our parents’ letters to us have disappeared, as have our “diaries” that we refer to from time to time in our letters.

It is quite an experience to look back at yourself at an earlier time: two seventy somethings examining themselves as early twenty somethings. In hindsight, the letters reveal a number of features that both impress and embarrass us. We are impressed at how full of energy we were, and what we in fact accomplished, yet we are shocked by some of the things we wrote.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the early letters radiate a colonialist outlook, namely that Africans in general, and Chokwe in particular, are “backward”, “primitive”, in need of the civilizing influence of more “advanced” peoples, to help them “progress,” to move forward toward civilization. We are also struck by the judgmental tone in some of our letters, calling individuals or whole groups dirty or lazy. Since we were with a mission, the civilizing work was to be accompanied by evangelization of the heathen.

As the letters unfold over time, this colonial paradigm gradually is shown to be somewhat undermined by our discoveries and encounters: 

acquaintance with Congolese individuals who show great intelligence, speak multiple languages, are accomplished at what they do. These individuals have names in our letters, and may be identified here: Abele Shangangula, the mission overseer at Kamayala, who introduced us to Chokwe culture, and in his own right was an amazing fellow who spoke numerous African languages, and French and some English; Kazadi Matthew, the pastorentrepreneur at Charlesville (Njoko Punda), a leader in the Luba community who played an instrumental role at Independence when these people fled to South Kasai; Mbuya Zachee, a recent graduate of teacher’s training school at Nyanga, who had been a member of the Congolese choir that received rave reviews for their performances at the Brussels World Exposition midyear 1958, and who forcefully expressed the educated elite’s perspective on Congolese-Belgian relations; Fimbo Louis the Mukedi merchant who hauled lumber and construction materials for the mission, and with whom John rode to Kikwit several times; there were others who appear in the letters.

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Crossing the Loange 

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study of Chokwe culture, in particular the discovery of the clan, evidence of an organized community with a clear social structure, paralleled by a coherent set of beliefs and practices in the mahamba shrines, which included the Christian trinity long ago incorporated from Portuguese and possibly 16th-18th century Kongo Christianity; the realization that Chokwe music, in the song-dance, although based on an unfamiliar scale, and punctuated with a complex rhythm different from Western music, is sophisticated and subtle in its own right; the January 1959 riots in Leopoldville (Kinshasa) and the changing mood of Congolese who demanded full Independence very soon. We were involved in responsibilities over Africans that in some cases included paying workmen salaries. The full extent of Belgian colonial exploitation, the surface cause of the Leopoldville riots, appears far clearer in the rear-view mirror of history than it did at the time, although our letters in the weeks after the riot reflect the dawning realization of rapid change to come.

The letters demonstrate us struggling with concepts and words to grasp our experiences, to find historical or other parallels to compare with what we were doing. We had just completed our sophomore year of college, so these letters are, well, somewhat “sophomoric.” Fortunately, we were not on hand to see our parents roll their eyes as they read our judgments based on little or no experience, our attempts at poetry to express our feelings, or our predictions of the future based on a few months’ time spent in the Congo. We have left these predictions stand, resisting the temptation to fill in fifty years of post-colonial history that brought great changes to the people and region where we worked. The photo plate captions were written in 2015 and offer a few postscripts to our experience. The reader should know that we have not transcribed everything, but have rather drawn excerpts from our weekly letters that offer representative sketches of events and accounts of experiences.

We have included a few letters by others, mainly our parents Janzen and Graber, and our overseers, John B. Jantzen in Kamayala, and Harvey A. Driver in Ohio. On re-reading the letters between us and them, or between them, regarding our situation, our work assignments, whether we are measuring up, whether we are emotionally and otherwise doing well, we are struck by their desire to give us a lot of leeway for our adventure, while at the same time showing concern for our safety. This is especially true of their discussions over the idea of converting the funds for our trip home into a three and one half month trip across Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

Our vantage point some fifty years later, now that we have been parents and grandparents, have dealt with many clients in social work and education, shows how wise our parents were toward us. They understood the importance of youthful adventures or explorations of the wider world, all the while assuring our relative safety.

Our work assignments provided us with a mooring to reality. We began with jobs entailing upkeep or repair of equipment, simple construction, and serving as ambulance drivers. From there they grew into more responsible positions involving work in schools, church, and daily radio broadcasting to keep in touch with other missions. Ultimately we were in charge of large construction crews (John) and worked as an assistant to a medical doctor in surgery and general practice (Larry). If there were such an instrument as a “maturometer,” it would have registered 6

Foreword significant growth of character in these challenging assignments. Many of the social skills we may possess were learned during those two years in Congo.

Larry concludes: When one travels with another person from the familiar to the unknown, in our case, into the “dark Continent” there is an undeniable element of risk that tends to bond the travelers. Not only do you always “have each other’s’ back” so to speak, but it is like you gain another set of eyes into the new world around you. Because of differing interests and background experiences, one person might see something the other would be inclined to overlook. And so new appreciation for one another develops. In difficult situations, there was always someone to talk with, to solve problems with, and to strive for best possible solutions. If John and I had not developed that level of trust and confidence in each other, I doubt we would have ever entertained even the possibility of the three and one half month trip that followed our term of service. I think we had enough successes and enough failures to emerge reasonably balanced on what we were capable of doing.

Another way of saying this is that we both seemed to have a reasonable amount of common sense, and flexibility that when combined, was quite impressive.

In addition, we both came from good homes where we were taught appreciation, good manners and the ability to relate comfortably and respectfully with others. So in spite of the typical American thinking that we were smarter than everyone else, and that we had a lot to teach these “heathens,” we quickly discovered that we had a lot to learn from our Congolese brothers and sisters. Listening, observing and learning seemed more effective than pontificating. We had a lot to learn, and definitely matured in that area. I am still amused by our letters home about how awful the Belgian food was on the S.S. Lukala on our trip to Africa only later to experience our first meals of musa (millet and manioc mush), mpuku (mouse or rat) and caterpillars. (Sometimes learning comes faster than you might think.)

I believe both of our chosen careers reflect similarities as they relate to being respectful and encouraging of others no matter what their situation might be. I believe John brought an extraordinarily inquisitive mind that led him into the field of anthropology. I believe his respect for others led to numerous in-depth studies, and his role as professor of anthropology. I believe that my working on ambulance runs and in the hospitals settings gave me a compassion for those facing extreme hardship. I believe it helped me see, appreciate and value other people’s strengths.

But still, the two Pax years and the three and one half month trip were an incredible experience of service and growing up. We continue to see the benefits we gained from this venture that took us beyond our spheres of comfort and familiarity.

7

Crossing the Loange of a relative these people go into the most hideous sounding wail I have ever heard, and when we came to the village where the dead man had lived, the people came out to the truck, and all began to cry. They must do it to gain merit with the chiefs, because they treat a person quite rudely when he is alive, and then when he dies, they mourn him. Well, anyway, that experience was an irreplaceable education…

John writes December 3, 1957 Kamayala Dear folks, … now to the trip across the Loange [river]. November 21 Larry took John B. J. and me and all our supplies, bikes, etc., some 70 miles by pickup to the jumping off place right before the Loange River valley. We slept at a government sombolo [government guesthouse] near Tshikindji village. (See Map 1; Plate 5 – Across the Loange) The next morning at 5:00 a.m. we set out on bikes to cross the canyon-like valley. We rode for several miles and soon it became too steep and treacherous to ride, so we handed the bicycles over to porters and we continued on foot – down, down, to the river. The path was so steep that at times we had to hang on to trees and bushes to keep from sliding down; besides, it had rained the night before and the slick red dirt was very poor footing. About 7:00 we reached the river, and crossed it on three logs tied together with forest vines. At the crossing, the current is quite swift, but a sort of whirlpool sets up a back current on one side, the boat man used this to his advantage and let the back current take the boat upstream a ways, and then with a paddle, moved it into the swifter part of the stream, and came down stream right across from the point of departure. We required about eight trips like this to get all our bicycles, boxes of supplies, and personnel across the 50 yard wide river. Once across, we grabbed a low hanging vine and swung up onto the bank, almost like a wall ahead of us. We climbed up, up out of the canyon and by 10:00 we were about 5 miles from the river, and about several thousand feet higher also. All our supplies had been brought similarly, down into the valley, and up the steep trail on the backs of porters. For the rest of the day, though, we rode across prairies and plains, through forests, coming to rivers occasionally which we had to cross, but it wasn’t quite so difficult as our early morning experience. By night time, we had ridden, by bike, and walked, some 30-40 miles across African terrain, to a far out village far away from civilization.

Twice every year John B.J. makes this trip to visit schools and small churches established in the area, and for twelve days he talks to no one but Africans, and sees nothing but Africans, working with them constantly, and giving sermons to the villagers at every village he passes through. It’s quite a trip to make alone, so he asked one of us fellows to go along with him. It fell to me to accompany him, so I packed my things, contributed to the chow box, and got ready to spend twelve days out of civilization. (Coming back from such an area, I speak of Kamayala as civilization, not even do I consider the States, that’s too far above and beyond the realm of possible to compare.)

In the course of time the missionaries from Kamayala have set up schools and churches in the area, and although they are small, and few and far between, they present an influence on the people. But they’ve got such a long way to come, that even after having small schools in their 26

From New York to Kamayala

7 Across the Loange. The periodic trip “across the Loange� to visit schools and small parishes was made twice annually by senior missionary John B. Jantzen.

This trip was to a region situated in a triangle between two rivers and the Angolan border; it was inaccessible by motor vehicle, therefore bicycles and walking were the mode of travel. Larry and John each accompanied him for one trip, along with a pastor and other support personnel. Top left view is of pastor Paul teaching a gathered community under a shade tree, while John B.J. listens.

Right top view shows the caravan of porters carrying a foot locker and bicycles on the descent to the Loange river. The lower left view is of a village square (khota) where the men and boys were seated under a shade tree. The middle right view shows John B.J. and a guide pushing their bicycles through a swamp between two high plains. John recalls pulling a leech off his leg after crossing this swamp, right before the photo was taken. Lower right, John B.J. squatting on a two-log raft to cross the Loange at a point where it was still a small river.

27

Crossing the Loange

8 Women’s and girls’ work as we saw it in Chokwe society in the late 1950s was tied to fields, food, and family. It was physically demanding. Water was carried uphill from a stream to the house for cooking and drinking. Firewood was carried from fields to the house for cooking and for warmth in cool season nights. Women normally bore six to eight, even ten, children, nursed them, raised them, and saw them get sick or often die from the numerous scourges—malaria, diarrhea, worms. Fertility medicines and shrines abounded, a reflection of the endemic diseases that took too many lives (see plate 9).

38

From New York to Kamayala

9 Infertility and fertility were, and are, important issues in Chokwe society. We were not aware of this during our service term in Kamayala, although we did photograph some striking illustrations of this concern. Historians, anthropologists, and reproductive specialists explain the broad “infertility belt” on the southern savanna by the combined effects of bad diet and the historic spread of venereal diseases introduced by traders at the coast. Within Chokwe and neighboring societies many methods emerged to address infertility and fetal wastage, as well as the celebration of successful fertility. Top left Larry teases a woman who carries the ritual colors of white and red to celebrate her pregnancy. Top right, a pregnant woman is in a “seclusion” (probably Mpombo) enclosure released from work to protect her pregnancy.

Lower left, the Muta shrine addresses the dangerous forces of infertility. Lower right, mother and grandmother, both powdered in white, celebrate the successful birth of twins. White signifies joy, purity, ancestral benediction; red denotes transition and danger.

39

Crossing the Loange

Ngombo – The tahiye, or diviner, among the Chokwe is often consulted by people wishing to know the cause of disease, death, or some unnatural phenomenon, as sinister as a snake bite. The diviner is given special insight into many matters, and when one is come to “draw wisdom” from him, they are met with the words “What, you have come to draw from me?” (Plate 21 – Ngombo.)

If the matter is urgent, it is taken up the same day, but if it is typical, it waits for a day or more.

The tahiye, by tossing correctly the basket of little characteristic objects, can search out the one who entered a snake, and caused one of the village to be bitten. The tahiye is able to wish good luck to the proper people as, through the objects, or a good hunt, many children, etc., to the believing clan members. To them it is a medium of knowledge of the wisdom of the supernatural – another hamba through which they can know their destiny, and the reason for the events of the past.

The Ngombo basket is filled with little wooden and clay objects representing various aspects of life, as well as other objects – hoofs, horns, hair – directed to a particular use.

A carved bit resembling two humans lying together is the characterization of a man and woman in sexual intercourse. The Ngombo basket is held as illustrated, and the objects are tossed lightly into the air, and whichever piece moves out between the red and white clay spots at the front of the basket lead the tahiye to his special conclusion, guided by the Ngombo ancestor of wisdom.

Mukishi – This is placed among the others as a sort of small table, off the ground as a matter of respect to it. The Mukishi spirits are portrayed in two manners. One may be sick, and to regain health and strength one must feed and gratify the spirit of the Mukishi – meaning that it was at fault, and had been dissatisfied. Later on, if the disease clears up, and the person becomes strong, he dances, thus, showing respect again to the Mukishi spirit. The same spirit comes from the graves in bodily form during the circumcision camps and plays a great part in the ritual.

[Nzila – Meaning “road” or “path”, this hamba is in the form of a small boat on raised poles. It is addressed to those who take long journeys. It is believed to have emerged at the time of labor migration to southern African mines.]

Njashi – Through the mahamba not only the ancestors are approachable, and to a degree controllable, but natural phenomena like wind and rain, lightning, are also approachable. They are thought to be capable of being sent to kill personal enemies in the form of a curse. Njashi, the impersonal spirit of lightning, exists near streams and rivers. With a “boom” it strikes, then rumbles off down the valley, along the streams where it abides. But the power of Njashi is devastating, and in the hand of one who knows how to guide it, it becomes a measure of force enviable by all. Many, many times the believing Muchoke, wishing to destroy his enemy, mixed a measure of powder, then lit it, and as the explosion filled the air, special medicine was thrown up to send the fiery bolt to the village of the victim.

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Aspects of the Chokwe

21 Ngombo is a divination technique widespread throughout the southern savanna, from the Chewa culture in Malawi in the east to the Kongo in the west. The objects in the basket are signs of society, daily life, and abstract concepts. Before a client the diviner winnows —tahiye—the basket. An object or constellation that approaches the red and white lumps of clay will then be interpreted by the diviner to provide insight into the client’s dilemma.

Here Shatumbwe demonstrates his technique.

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Crossing the Loange

23 Mukanda initiation / circumcision camps that are held during dry season (and school vacations) are widely represented across the southern savanna. Larry visited one camp near Kamayala in 1958, while John was suffering a bout of malaria. Top: the tundanji (novices) who have gone through the circumcision and initiation, here display their new dancing skills; lower left and right, the mask Chihongo, the elder, dances, and as shown, much of the time presides from a rooftop overlooking the camp enclosure; lower right, a Chihongo dancer, all dressed up with umbrella and suit jacket, encounters John B. Jantzen and his daughter on the road.

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Kandala, Mukedi, Nyanga

KANDALA, MUKEDI, NYANGA Larry writes Feb. 15, 1959 Kandala Spent the night in a small village on the road, coming back from Kikwit with the two new Pax boys, Bernard Thiessen and Robert Schmidt. Good initiation for them, trying musa, a little hot sauce, and night on bamboo cots. They are good sports and seemed to enjoy the experiences. It was pretty much a sleepless night.

Larry writes Feb. 26, 1959 Kandala Thanks, mom, for your advice about warm clothing for Europe. I have a sweatshirt and a few warm shirts. We almost have our car paid off through the money we receive each month as allowance. We would like to have it entirely paid off by the time we get ready to leave. Although trips of this nature are always crowded with unforeseen expenses, we are planning on going as inexpensively as possible.

We have tent, sleeping bags, youth hostels, and contacts with other Pax men in various parts of Europe.

Also, started work on the new church at Kandala. Mr. Falk, who is in charge, decided to build it family style so he invited everyone to bring their hoes and shovels and dig out the foundation.

The villagers came out in droves thinking they were going to build the whole church in one day.

Dirt began to fly furiously, as did the carefully erected strings I had laid out the day before. So much for straight lines. At any rate, by the end of the afternoon we have a good sized hole in the near proximity of where the foundation is supposed to be. So, I guess, we will proceed from here.

Larry writes March 3, 1959 Mr. Sprunger, Bernard Thiessen, Larry Unruh and I are all sitting around a table writing letters here at Kandala. Mr. Sprunger is making plans for an emergency furlough as Mrs. Sprunger needs medical attention. They will be arriving in the States in about 12 days. They have an optimistic spirit and have put their trust in the Lord to look after them in this matter.

Bernard is writing a letter to his girl, so is having to think extra hard.

And how is it here at Kandala. Not as good as Kamayala. That goes for just about everything. All in the game, I guess.

Larry 139

Crossing the Loange

30 Crossing the Loange for the last time in August, 1959, on our way to East Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and home. This ferry that we crossed more times than any other became a memorable icon of our two years in Congo. The reddish hue of the water is due to the soil that washed down streams every rainy season. The ferry is a model of ingenuity, constructed atop four large dugout canoes that are fixed together by cross-beams, which are then again crossed by floorboards, again cross-run with planks to carry the vehicle wheels.

Below, Larry tests his skill at poling.

166

THE JOURNEY HOME Larry writes August 28, 1959 (handwritten on the August 23 letter) We are on our way. Now at Luluabourg. No trouble. Will be in Beirut Lebanon on October 15th.

You can write in care of A.J. Dietzel, Menno Travel Service, Beirut, Lebanon.

John writes Le 1 Sept, 1959 Bukavu, Congo B. Afrique Dear folks, Half way across Africa on our little jaunt – to this lovely city here that reminds me more of America or some civilized place than it does of Congo. Bukavu, ask Fremont, is the capital of the Kivu Province, and way up in the mountains on the edge of Lake Kivu, right on the border between Congo and Rwanda-Urundi.29 Our Citroen has performed well over very punishing roads – some 1,400 kilometers. But the roads are such that wear and tear on a car are more than doubled. For instance, today we came over only 240 kms but it took nine and a half hours of steady driving. Think back, if you can, about 40 years, and imagine driving from Kansas to California on dirt roads, littered with fistsize rocks, strewn with junk and pocked with holes that could bust up any car – that is our trip.

We’ve seen some beautiful pavement, but only so little that it makes us anxious to go on, only to hit more mud, rock, or sand. We were fortunate to come upon a stretch of one-way road the right day, consequently didn’t have to wait over a day to go on.

After reading this you probably think we’re crazy, but wait till you see our pictures of the trip.

We’ve come through some of the most picturesque country I’ve ever seen. We’ve come through the Kasai, and the forests and plains, cotton patches, villages, and finally now into the mountains of the Kivu, inhabited by industrious people and their cattle. These cattle, incidentally, are of the long-horn variety which look quaint, and as if they were brought in by the Spanish yesterday.

We’ve eaten good fruit. Driving along people wave huge pineapples at us and cry out “sumba, sumba” (buy, buy), so we stop and bargain a bit, get an enormously big and juicy pineapple for 12 cents. Bananas, I’m sure, we could get very cheaply too, because the hillsides are covered with the broad-leafed trees.

We’ve slept at missions along the way, and have no complaints. The rural missions are anxious for company, and the city folk are equally hospitable. We’ve eaten well – skipped a meal now and then, but are very healthy. We’ve come this distance on exactly $14, the price for gasoline, one grease job, and a quart of oil. Compare this with the price of other transportation and you’ll be sold on our kind of travel.

29

After Independence in 1960 became separate countries, named Rwanda and Burundi.

167

Crossing the Loange

43 Turkey. Top: a stop on the Anatolian plain in Southern Turkey to admire the view of an approaching village; right, another scenic vista of fall colors and mountains in Central Turkey; left, enjoying a roadside watermelon (note Larry’s half on ground while he’s taking picture of John); lower right, delicious apples on sale at roadside. In Turkey, John’s German was the only way we could communicate with people—many had worked in Germany.

204

The Journey Home

44 Turkey窶的stanbul. Its most prominent site is Hagia Sophia, Saint Sophia, built in the 6th century as the seat of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. In 1453 the city was conquered by the Ottoman Turks, who converted it into a mosque, with the addition of the four minarets. In 1931 it became a museum. The day we visited Istanbul, was dark, wet, and cold, so we have no photographs of the spectacular interior of the church/ mosque/ museum. Our letters barely mention this stop, except for being miserable in the cold. Below, trams, buses, boats, and commuters converge on the Bosphorus bridge.

The silhouette of Hagia Sophia looms in the background.

205

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