It won't be long now!

Well. Sunday evening brought our first batch of goodbyes. We had our last youth activity with the Kasompe congregation. While this hasn't been my favorite activity it was sad to say goodbye. We had a short bible study (we got there the same time we usually do, but of course this was the day they actually started on time..so we were late..) and then we taught them a couple songs, and they had one last question and answer session for us which mostly revolved around dating in our culture..which was awkward at times..At the end they presented us with wrappers-just fabric they wear as skirts and then we took a LOT of pictures. We got a good group picture and then they went nuts wanting us to take every pose possible, of them by themselves, in groups, with us etc. It went on until 6 when we were supposed to be done, but our driver, surprise surprise was late. So we awkwardly waited inside with the two leader until the driver arrived, said our goodbyes and headed home.

When we got home we were barely in the gate before Priscilla was there and somehow knew we had been taking pictures and wanted to take more. So we spent 20 of the best mintues of the trip outside taking pictures and laughing more than any other day so far. It got cold so we went inside and started making dinner.

Monday was a strange day. We made it to see the monkeys! We were supposed to leave at 9 but of course that didn't happen. Catherine had to go with the driver to get fuel and a permit because I guess we were going out of his registered range. Who knows, and she didn't leave until 9 and didn't come back until 11. So. But we left with Priscilla and drove for maybe an hour, had to ask for directions a few times, and finally made it there. It was this beautiful wooded area-we drove to the office, paid our entrance fee and then drove to the chimp section. A guy met us and started taking us around the different buildings that housed chimps, and then took us up to the roof to look down on them in the trees and watch them feed. He introduced all of them, I have no idea how he told them apart-but one of them was named BooBoo (family joke, sorry to those who don't understand) I started laughing pretty hard when he said the name and they all looked at me like I was crazy, but oh well. I got a picture-the similarities are uncanny...

He took us to this hut and we sat and watched as he put out food for another group of chimps, when we were done there we left. We headed back to Chingola but made a stop at the Congo/Zambia border to buy some fabric and then headed home. We made dinner, watched Scandal and a movie and went to bed.

Tuesday Ashley did laundry and when she was done we decided to go into town. We stopped by the bureau to exchange more money and then decided to make a trip to Nono's. We saw Priscilla sitting across the street so we went to say hello and she said she was waiting for her classmates so we invited her to come get ice cream with us. It was strawberry, a nice change. After ice cream we said goodbye to Priscilla went to Pie City, then the bakery for bread and finally ShopRite. Then we went home. We unpacked and watched a movie.

Wednesday morning I did my laundry and watched the end of a movie they watched the night before. I prepared for bible study in the afternoon-it was my turn...we ate lunch, watched a movie, I did some Sudoku and took my laundry down and then we left (way to early, but Catherine was ready...) for the church. No one else was there of course, so we just sat inside and I wrote out the words to the song I was going to teach on slips of paper while we waited. I was hoping to make it to 20 minutes but my whole thing ended up being about 40..I got lucky and people talked a lot. Not too bad though. It was after six when we got home and we made dinner and watched Scandal (tonight is our last episode!) and did the dishes.

Today we went to Kasompe to take some pictures of the school they have started for Jac and Sherri. They have three classrooms, and Catherine (who used to be a teacher) has been going everyday to help train the teachers. On the way there Catherine needed to stop to scan some documents and we got a flat tire. Luckily we were in town and it didn't take long to fix. Then on the way back from Kasompe the driver got stopped by some traffic guy, and didn't have his id to give to him..uh oh..the guy told him to drop us and then come back...when Catherine got home later they were shouting outside and then he drove the car into the gate, and they talked for a long time outside. Then he handed her the keys and left..not a good sign for him since it was only 2 o'clock and he doesn't usually bring the car back until 8ish.

We're waiting now to go to the our last women's group where it's Ashley's turn to lead it. Packing tomorrow, and our last trip in town. Kid's activity on Saturday and sadly our last choir practice. Bright and early Sunday we're on our way home! Only a matter of hours now...