My First Real African Experience

So I was determined to go to church on Sunday no matter what! So on Saturday we had a supper, long meeting where all I did was sit and doodle in my note pad, while everyone else bickered at each other, but at the end they were saying that we need to have a meeting and work the next day (Sunday)...and I thought no way are they going to make me sit through a meaningless meeting when I could go to church, so I told them that....ok no really in those words, but I did say that I would be traveling to Lusaka the next day for church, they were upset and said that we needed to talk about it, but I said no way! I was going! So I made plans to travel to Lusaka to find the church. Because of this meeting Petronella, the woman i am staying with and who also works in TCE and whos family lives in Lusaka, couldn't go to Lusaka with me...so I geared up to go by myself...and I know what you are thinking, I promised to go no where by myself but I had to or I was stuck another Sunday feeling awful...so the next morning I packed my backpack with all of my books and all of my money...Petronella found a car that was going to Lusaka and that would help me find the church, So I jumped in the back seat with two other men, it was quite cozy....Flying at over one hundred miles an hour we made it to Lusaka in just under two hours....my driver dropped off everyone else and then turned to me and asked, "where is it you would like to go Madam?" I pulled out my paper that had the address of the Branches on it and pointed to one and said, "there!" Sadly he had no idea where "there" was but luckily I had some phone numbers of taxi drivers in Lusaka that Pretonella had given me, so we (well really he) call him up and asked directions....we go to the road and searched for the building...slow we drove down the street looking, I was looking left, and just happened to look right and Ahhh! There was the sigh "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Visitors Welcome"! I was so happy...I paid my driver and jumped out of the car. Running to the doors, with my back pack on I felt like one of those kids I always would make fun of in high school who run around the halls rushing to class....any way, I ran to the doors so excited, I got to the doors and found the missionaries greeting the members....I had the biggest smile on my face I think they thought I was crazy! Sacerment meeting was so good and completely wonderful and uplifting! I have never felt so good! The rest of the meetings proceeded and I meet the sister missionaries and a bunch of members....by the end I felt right at home. But there was the problem of getting back to Mazabuka...Ha, ha, ha...I had no idea what I was going to do, but the good members didn't let me worry, a really sweet guy named Luwani and his brother took me to the bus station and found a bus that was going to Livingston and would stop in Mazabuka. They made sure I was safely on the bus and that all was well....so I go a place on the bus, cramped and extremely hot, I had to climb over boxes and bags to get to my seat, but I had a window so it was perfect! I sat waiting for the bus to leave for over an hour and a half, finally we were off...I enjoyed looking at the landscape...the trees here are amazing! I know I am going to miss them when I leave....but then in my enjoyment a horrible noise came from the bus....We had blown a tire...ha ha ha! That was so funny. And we had only been traveling for about a half hour....So we pulled over to the side of the rode, and we were swarmed by young girls selling fruit and water, yelling, shouting, putting it through the windows, I have never experienced anything like that before! It was crazy, so a bunch of people got off the bus, but I didn't want to, remember I had to climb over a ton of stuff and I was in a dress, so I sat watching everyone. I watched people eat their things and throw their trash onto the side of the rode and then I watched a two year old little girl happily play in that trash, she found a broke umbrella and was completely over joyed flipping it around. It was amazing to just watch all of the activities going on. But the bus got super hot and a boy came to my window and advised me to get off the bus while they change the tire....so I struggle over all of the boxes and made my way out of the bus. That same boy then introduce himself as Jackson and his friend as Andrew...we had a great conversation, they tried to guess what state I was from from my accent, I didn't know I had one, but they were way wrong. I know I do not sound like I am from Texas, Florida or Missouri! Hee, hee...so about two and a half hours later the tire was changed and we were ready to go again....so I didn't get back to Mazabuka until about eight that night, but it was the best day I have had here! It was so much fun and I completely loved it! And I felt like it was my first real Afican experience!