Outskirts Press, INC.

The Mango Bloom: Managing a Missionary Children’s Hostel in Zaire Maturity shaped by unusual forces in an uncommon place

Heeding a call for Christian service, the author and his wife headed for Africa with youthful vigor, high expectations and a three-month-old daughter. Their assignment: to manage a residence for twenty missionary teens in Kinshasa, Zaire. They had no idea what was waiting for them: a demanding set of circumstances that confounded their expectations and tested their limits. Unforeseen challenges to growth assailed both managers and youth in the exotic setting. Together they crafted a distinctive “third culture.” The unique life style they created influenced the “mango bloom,” a tropical metaphor for the critical stage of development that precedes formation of mature fruit. This memoir describes the processes and forces that affected hostel residents – adults and teens – in that place and time, the mid-1970s, experiences that flowered into maturity. The author’s reflections woven into the narrative inspire readers to consider the factors that have shaped their lives. “Our bloom is gone. We are the fruit thereof.” – Wallace Stevens