December 17, 2015 - Interviews, Mwene Ditu to Mbuji-Mayi

December 17 - We slept well. It rained much of the night. If we would have been forced to stay in Luputa last night, we never would have been able to travel to Mwene Ditu this morning. The road would have been impassable. A tender mercy from the Lord. Our prayers were answered. The tires were still OK on the vehicle.

This morning at the Mwene Ditu Branch Chapel President Thomas conducted individual interviews with the missionaries who had attended the zone conference Tuesday night. 

We visited with the six sisters, showing them our family pictures. The sisters wanted their pictures taken with us--many pictures, many poses.

Elder Peterson and I took a walk up the street two different times. The second time we purchased two large pineapple and two small loaves of bread. We caused quite a commotion; we were swarmed with people trying to sell us something else, boys wanting to carry it for us in a bag. We had to say "desolé," sorry, and leave. One boy followed us all the way back to the church.

Boy using a stick to keep the bicycle rim rolling

Mother hen and her chicks

The streets of  Mwene Ditu 

After the interviews were completed we drove the three hours to Mbuji-Mayi, bouncing over the ruts in the asphalt road all the way, Godefroid having to swerve this way and that way to find the best route. 

We were very glad when we arrived on the outskirts of the city. The poverty is very apparent as we drove along the road to the hotel. These are pictures of the Flats Hotel in Mbuji-Mayi.

Small lizard near the ceiling of our Hotel room

Small kitchen area and doorway to bedroom

Living Room

Bathroom; 2 buckets of clean water

Our room on the left; President & Sister Thomas on the right

Arriving at the Flats Hotel, Sister Thomas and I stayed in her room chatting while our husbands went to a chapel. There President Thomas had interviews with the missionaries and Elder Peterson talked with the missionaries practicing his French and trying to understand their particular version of French.

We ate dinner in the hotel dining room - half a chicken each, (this one was not as tough as the chicken in Mwene Ditu), cole slaw, and french fries. We then went to our respective rooms and went to bed. I rubbed deep blue on my neck, shoulders, and lower back. We really had been jostled on the drive here. The sleeping temperature was very nice, cool. I pulled out an extra sheet we had brought and put over me.