Chapas!

So...while Wilder was here I got to experience some "visitor" activities. Usually before you are accepted as long-term staff here at the center you have to have come as a visitor. Well, I was an exception to this rule because I'm a nurse. So I had not gotten to go on ministry outings and other things we offer our visitors each week (we have over 1000 visitors that come to Zimpeto every year)!
Well, Wilder and I decided to go on "hospital ministry". Actually I signed him up because I wanted him to see what the best teaching hospital in this country looks like. Hospital Central could give anyone a perspective of life in this country. So we signed up and met Domingos (the Mozambican pastor that takes visitors to the hospital twice a week to pray over people and give out fruit to the patients).
The actual hospital part was not that different from my every day experiences here. We prayed over extremely malnourished babies, hugged parents who were fearful, led a lady to know Jesus as her Lord who had never heard of him before!!! But for me it was no shock to the system. Now the ride back from the hospital...that was a different story altogether!!! Just take a look at this picture...The van on the right is called a chapa. This is the only form of public transportation here in Moz. There are 100's of vans like this and some larger buses (school bus size) that run certain routes around the city all day long. On the front and back windshield it tells you where they are coming from and where they are going. There is a driver and a door man (he collects the money). It costs 7.5 mets to go anywhere...that is about 20 cents. But, because there is a capped cost no matter how far your route is people want to be on the chapa that goes the farthest and the driver/door man want as many people on as humanly possible so they make more money.
So we exit the hospital at RUSH HOUR in the city. I look at Domingos and he just laughs and says...here it goes! So we waited on the side of the road at the main chapa stop in the city. Domingos is only allowed to get on a chapa that goes all the way to Zimpeto (to the center) with visitors because changing chapas halfway through would be too crazy and dangerous because it was getting dark. So we finally find one that is still allowing people to get on (several of the others really were too full...although I'm not sure Mozambicans ever believe chapas get too full). I walked up first to the door of the bus...there were people EVERYWHERE, I was pretty sure I could get on but the other 4 visitors and Domingos...NO WAY! Well, that was my inexperience talking...we all SHOVED on and spent the next 30-45 minutes being shoved, pushed, crammed, smashed and everything else you can think of as we rode back to the center. Each time the chapa stopped more people got on...the door man was hanging out the door holding onto the poles that are suppose to help you get up into the bus. Seriously there were people in the seats with people on top of them and people standing in front of them, not to mention the people that were packing the aisle and the others who were hanging out the windows. It was out of control but such an African experience!
We finally made it home safe and sound. I was just thankful its "winter" not 125 degrees at the moment!
And for all those wondering, we are not allowed to ride chapas as missionaries unless we are with a pastor or on a certain outreach activity...hence this being my first experience in over 10 months. No need to worry!