Well, the adventure as I have known it is over. I returned home on Monday afternoon, and it is now Friday. Recuperating takes a long time and many forms. I'm exhausted by the culture here. The biggest shock was leaving Kigali and ending up in Dallas. You could hardly create a greater disparity of cultures. The trip home was full of small events but nothing too life-changing. Except that I gradually realized how much I would miss my friends with whom I had shared the time and experiences. They are the only people in the world who have those things in common with me. A couple nights ago, I had a dream that we were all hanging out together.
Being home is great, but just different from before. I can tell a new season has arrived, and I'll have to get used to it and figure out how I am now supposed to live. I can hardly believe this whole thing happened, and I would not trade it...although it was difficult knowing I missed my sister's last track meet and my friends' wedding. I am so grateful to God for calling me and sending me and taking me and teaching me and humbling me and stretching me and carrying me and protecting me and loving me. Rwandans asked me not to forget them, and not to forget Rwanda. With all that is in me, I will not. To do so would be to lose a part of myself. I want everyone to know and to remember.
Thank you for reading, praying, and supporting. I hope to be able to converse with you in person about Rwanda, and I hope that one day you also will love her or maybe move in that direction. :) Thank you very much, murakose cyane for sharing in this journey with me. And as they say in Rwanda, 'Bye!'
05 June 2010
02 June 2010
The Kagaminators, or Team Muzungu
Tonight (Friday) is the last one in Rwanda …at least for a while. It is hard to believe that it’s come already. We watched the sunset as a group tonight, and I don’t like the idea that in a few days we’ll all be separated, although maybe watching the sun set still. I have loved being with these amazing people. I have grown to be comfortable with them, and I want to still share life together. I feel so torn between home and them – but I don’t really have to make that decision, it’s just that I feel that way. If any of y’all (or all y’all?) are reading this, I love you!
Today was spectacular. Kelcy, Campbell, and I watched the moon set and the colours of the sunrise this morning around 5:30. It was freezing, wet, and gorgeous. Birds serenaded the morning in brilliant chorus, and we were blessed to take it in. Then Kelcy and I hung out and got ready for the day, etc. It is so nice to have so much time in the morning, which is about half the reason I’m a morning person. I even had time to spend an hour sketching the view from our porch and eat a great English breakfast. What a great start to the day.
We visited Iby’iwacu Cultural Village, and the best way I can describe it is to tell you to think Colonial Williamsburg, but different. People live there as they did when there was still a king. We got to tour the village, see the king’s house, be welcomed by dancing and drumming, see a traditional healer and a blacksmith, shoot arrows, grind flour, and dance. It was so much fun, and also really eye-opening.
Before we went into the king’s house, we had to have a king to give us permission to enter, and we had to choose our king. We all knew we were going to choose Parker, which we did (and he was a great sport). Then Kelcy was our queen. (Her birthday is today!) We were on the tour with two Australian people, one of whom was chosen for the advisor, as he was the eldest and most to be respected and heard. Then they invited us into the house and we had fun in there, learning about what went on there.
Once we told the guide that Blake was a doctor (pre-med is close enough, right?), he always called him Doctor. I tried shooting an arrow and it literally was a flop several times, but the awesome [former] Twa man helped me out so that I almost made it to the target that was 15 feet away. Okay, so maybe I’m not a natural. It was still fun. The dancing at the end was also so enjoyable. The warriors were dancing after returning home from winning a battle. The guide called it the ‘local military ballet.’ Dancing here is so fascinating – it involves great use of eyebrows and smiles, head shakes/flips, jumps and stomps. And loud exclamations.
It was so great to see these people working in the village in this way because they (1000 people) all used to be poachers and hunters of buffalo, gorillas, etc., and are now working to protect those animals. The money that goes to the village goes to support them, which is awesome. I think that it’s a special kind of redemption story – a man used to hunt and poach (one has killed 200 buffalo and 5 gorillas), but now he does the opposite. All of us have the choice – to move from sin to righteousness, brokenness to wholeness. And not through our own strength. Neither did these people stop strictly of their own volition; they were asked to stop and given a new chance at something else. That to me is so beautiful. Isaiah 2:4
Walking to and from the village (from and to the bus), there were children all along the way. It hurt to see them, some hardly clad at all and others with dirt and mud on their faces, and with deep, needy eyes. I wanted to scoop them all up and kiss them and make things better. That’s the idealist in me. Obviously that can’t happen quite like that. But I want to know what can make that situation a little better. I mean, something that would really help in the long run. The kids wanted to sell us pictures they had drawn, or they just followed us, and I just want to do something to fix it. What makes me so lucky?
The rest of the afternoon was so pleasant and relaxing. I journaled a bit, conversed with a bird, watched people play Frisbee, and became chilly. And today is Kelcy’s birthday!!! She is 20 and doesn’t look a day older than she did when she was 19. But she had a pretty sweet birthday. She had a nice sunrise fest, cheery greetings at breakfast, and cards and bubbles. Then she got to be Queen of the Cultural Village and share her wise words with the people there. Then ‘Happy Birthday’ was sung to her in seven different languages, in this order: English, Kinyarwandan, Spanish, Mandarin, Gibberish, French, and Italian. Ms. Coldwell surprised her with a delicious, rich, moist, satisfying birthday cake. Then we encouraged her around the campfire after supper. Sounds like an okay day!
We also took some group pictures and then watched the sunset together while talking on the porch. We saw the dancers from last night come in and waved to them. Supper was delicious as usual. Our end of the table had an intense discussion about make-up. Enough said, I believe.
And then after supper, we were thinking of what to do, and somehow we all ended up around the campfire chatting. Then we all went around and encouraged Kelcy for her birthday. And then we decided to do that for everyone. It was just the perfect way to close out this trip. I have noticed that few things are better for unity than encouragement. And unity is what we’ve been learning about so much in Rwanda. It was so beautiful tonight. I felt so blessed and loved. And after that was done, some people just said general things about love and goodness and our team and life things. It was lovely. Then we did a ‘Team Muzungu’ with our hands in the middle over the fire, and then we prayed. I love ceremonies because they mark a certain moment or event in time (and I love memories too), and this was relieving to me as a closure for our team. Not an end, just a marking point. We really do have something special, and I think none of us wants to let that fade.
I love my teammates so much. I started out calling them teammates, but I will now call them friends. I have been individually blessed by each person. And even though we are so tightly knit as a group, I still feel as though I have so much more to learn about each one. Which means that we simply cannot be disbanded because we’re not done.
Things of note:
• Butterflies love Fred. Well, one certainly does.
• Put hot rosemary on your back if it hurts. Rwandese healers all agree.
• Nick is going to become an expert pirouette-ist.
• Smoke follows something…but what is it really?
• God is moving all the time.
Today was spectacular. Kelcy, Campbell, and I watched the moon set and the colours of the sunrise this morning around 5:30. It was freezing, wet, and gorgeous. Birds serenaded the morning in brilliant chorus, and we were blessed to take it in. Then Kelcy and I hung out and got ready for the day, etc. It is so nice to have so much time in the morning, which is about half the reason I’m a morning person. I even had time to spend an hour sketching the view from our porch and eat a great English breakfast. What a great start to the day.
We visited Iby’iwacu Cultural Village, and the best way I can describe it is to tell you to think Colonial Williamsburg, but different. People live there as they did when there was still a king. We got to tour the village, see the king’s house, be welcomed by dancing and drumming, see a traditional healer and a blacksmith, shoot arrows, grind flour, and dance. It was so much fun, and also really eye-opening.
Before we went into the king’s house, we had to have a king to give us permission to enter, and we had to choose our king. We all knew we were going to choose Parker, which we did (and he was a great sport). Then Kelcy was our queen. (Her birthday is today!) We were on the tour with two Australian people, one of whom was chosen for the advisor, as he was the eldest and most to be respected and heard. Then they invited us into the house and we had fun in there, learning about what went on there.
Once we told the guide that Blake was a doctor (pre-med is close enough, right?), he always called him Doctor. I tried shooting an arrow and it literally was a flop several times, but the awesome [former] Twa man helped me out so that I almost made it to the target that was 15 feet away. Okay, so maybe I’m not a natural. It was still fun. The dancing at the end was also so enjoyable. The warriors were dancing after returning home from winning a battle. The guide called it the ‘local military ballet.’ Dancing here is so fascinating – it involves great use of eyebrows and smiles, head shakes/flips, jumps and stomps. And loud exclamations.
It was so great to see these people working in the village in this way because they (1000 people) all used to be poachers and hunters of buffalo, gorillas, etc., and are now working to protect those animals. The money that goes to the village goes to support them, which is awesome. I think that it’s a special kind of redemption story – a man used to hunt and poach (one has killed 200 buffalo and 5 gorillas), but now he does the opposite. All of us have the choice – to move from sin to righteousness, brokenness to wholeness. And not through our own strength. Neither did these people stop strictly of their own volition; they were asked to stop and given a new chance at something else. That to me is so beautiful. Isaiah 2:4
Walking to and from the village (from and to the bus), there were children all along the way. It hurt to see them, some hardly clad at all and others with dirt and mud on their faces, and with deep, needy eyes. I wanted to scoop them all up and kiss them and make things better. That’s the idealist in me. Obviously that can’t happen quite like that. But I want to know what can make that situation a little better. I mean, something that would really help in the long run. The kids wanted to sell us pictures they had drawn, or they just followed us, and I just want to do something to fix it. What makes me so lucky?
The rest of the afternoon was so pleasant and relaxing. I journaled a bit, conversed with a bird, watched people play Frisbee, and became chilly. And today is Kelcy’s birthday!!! She is 20 and doesn’t look a day older than she did when she was 19. But she had a pretty sweet birthday. She had a nice sunrise fest, cheery greetings at breakfast, and cards and bubbles. Then she got to be Queen of the Cultural Village and share her wise words with the people there. Then ‘Happy Birthday’ was sung to her in seven different languages, in this order: English, Kinyarwandan, Spanish, Mandarin, Gibberish, French, and Italian. Ms. Coldwell surprised her with a delicious, rich, moist, satisfying birthday cake. Then we encouraged her around the campfire after supper. Sounds like an okay day!
We also took some group pictures and then watched the sunset together while talking on the porch. We saw the dancers from last night come in and waved to them. Supper was delicious as usual. Our end of the table had an intense discussion about make-up. Enough said, I believe.
And then after supper, we were thinking of what to do, and somehow we all ended up around the campfire chatting. Then we all went around and encouraged Kelcy for her birthday. And then we decided to do that for everyone. It was just the perfect way to close out this trip. I have noticed that few things are better for unity than encouragement. And unity is what we’ve been learning about so much in Rwanda. It was so beautiful tonight. I felt so blessed and loved. And after that was done, some people just said general things about love and goodness and our team and life things. It was lovely. Then we did a ‘Team Muzungu’ with our hands in the middle over the fire, and then we prayed. I love ceremonies because they mark a certain moment or event in time (and I love memories too), and this was relieving to me as a closure for our team. Not an end, just a marking point. We really do have something special, and I think none of us wants to let that fade.
I love my teammates so much. I started out calling them teammates, but I will now call them friends. I have been individually blessed by each person. And even though we are so tightly knit as a group, I still feel as though I have so much more to learn about each one. Which means that we simply cannot be disbanded because we’re not done.
Things of note:
• Butterflies love Fred. Well, one certainly does.
• Put hot rosemary on your back if it hurts. Rwandese healers all agree.
• Nick is going to become an expert pirouette-ist.
• Smoke follows something…but what is it really?
• God is moving all the time.
The Nest
Thursday, 27 May
Today we left Kigali for Musanze. It was a pleasant last breakfast and then we were off. It was a beautiful drive, up and up and up and down and up, around so many curves and hillsides. Everything was green. There were fields on steep hillsides where people would probably never farm in the United States. People were walking along the road in different parts. It was quite a ride, with changing air pressure all the time and ups and downs. Nobody got very much carsick, which was nice. I was staring out the window the whole time.
When we got to Musanze, we hung out in a parking lot for a while to stretch and stuff. People played with a foot ball, and others played games. A guard was watching us suspiciously. Then we went to the Sonrise School, a boarding high school where the Engineering team has been working the whole time. Then we hung out some more while Ms. Coldwell had a meeting. Some of us spent some time with kids by the road and took pictures and such. The headmaster of Sonrise had chased them off the property because they apparently go to a different school.
We had a tour of the school, which was neat. They have computer labs and IT people teach those classes. I got to speak with an amazing student who is our equivalent of a junior in high school, I think. His name is Emanuel, and he is so well-spoken and wise. He wants to go to school in the United States and become an engineer. He also enjoys public speaking. He told us, “I don’t know if I’m smart, but God is very smart and He gives me the brain.” He is remarkable.
Travis entertained some students with his awesome dance/miming. Then we saw the water purification system that the engineers have been working on. It is impressive, although I don’t understand much of how it works. But their hard work means that the students can have clean water right there at the school. That’s so great.
And at last we arrived at the Gorilla’s Nest, a fantastic, peaceful place where we spent the next two nights. As we came out of the bus they gave us small warm towels to refresh us (which has also happened on the plane and at restaurants - I could get used to that...and did). After moving our stuff in, some of us played Nertz for a while before joining others for Frisbee fun. Allison’s skirt ripped so she just tore off the bottom part and made it a little shorter yet still appropriate and fashionable. Allison is hardcore.
The view from our porch is a hill going down to trees which stretch to far-off mountains. On our right are the volcanoes. The place is designed as a little village of individual cottages, some of which have grass on top and remind me of Hobbiton. It felt like a pleasant English neighbourhood.
Before supper, we gathered by the campfire to watch a traditional dance group. They were so fun and at the end got nearly everyone to join in. It was exceedingly pleasant. Then the sun went down, we ate with the amazing Engineering team, and I basically went to bed right after that. My roommate, however, stayed up very late. :) Typical.
Things of note:
• Nick and Campbell colliding mid-jump is hilarious.
• Joel falling down a hill is equally as hilarious.
• Rwandan speed bumps really work.
• Rwanda has its own smell.
• The excitement and happiness that people show about us muzungus makes it seem as though we are innately awesome. What is really so special about us? I’m not sure.
Today we left Kigali for Musanze. It was a pleasant last breakfast and then we were off. It was a beautiful drive, up and up and up and down and up, around so many curves and hillsides. Everything was green. There were fields on steep hillsides where people would probably never farm in the United States. People were walking along the road in different parts. It was quite a ride, with changing air pressure all the time and ups and downs. Nobody got very much carsick, which was nice. I was staring out the window the whole time.
When we got to Musanze, we hung out in a parking lot for a while to stretch and stuff. People played with a foot ball, and others played games. A guard was watching us suspiciously. Then we went to the Sonrise School, a boarding high school where the Engineering team has been working the whole time. Then we hung out some more while Ms. Coldwell had a meeting. Some of us spent some time with kids by the road and took pictures and such. The headmaster of Sonrise had chased them off the property because they apparently go to a different school.
We had a tour of the school, which was neat. They have computer labs and IT people teach those classes. I got to speak with an amazing student who is our equivalent of a junior in high school, I think. His name is Emanuel, and he is so well-spoken and wise. He wants to go to school in the United States and become an engineer. He also enjoys public speaking. He told us, “I don’t know if I’m smart, but God is very smart and He gives me the brain.” He is remarkable.
Travis entertained some students with his awesome dance/miming. Then we saw the water purification system that the engineers have been working on. It is impressive, although I don’t understand much of how it works. But their hard work means that the students can have clean water right there at the school. That’s so great.
And at last we arrived at the Gorilla’s Nest, a fantastic, peaceful place where we spent the next two nights. As we came out of the bus they gave us small warm towels to refresh us (which has also happened on the plane and at restaurants - I could get used to that...and did). After moving our stuff in, some of us played Nertz for a while before joining others for Frisbee fun. Allison’s skirt ripped so she just tore off the bottom part and made it a little shorter yet still appropriate and fashionable. Allison is hardcore.
The view from our porch is a hill going down to trees which stretch to far-off mountains. On our right are the volcanoes. The place is designed as a little village of individual cottages, some of which have grass on top and remind me of Hobbiton. It felt like a pleasant English neighbourhood.
Before supper, we gathered by the campfire to watch a traditional dance group. They were so fun and at the end got nearly everyone to join in. It was exceedingly pleasant. Then the sun went down, we ate with the amazing Engineering team, and I basically went to bed right after that. My roommate, however, stayed up very late. :) Typical.
Things of note:
• Nick and Campbell colliding mid-jump is hilarious.
• Joel falling down a hill is equally as hilarious.
• Rwandan speed bumps really work.
• Rwanda has its own smell.
• The excitement and happiness that people show about us muzungus makes it seem as though we are innately awesome. What is really so special about us? I’m not sure.
27 May 2010
Moving On
Good morning! Today is our last day in Kigali. Technically yesterday was, because today we're leaving in less than two hours for Musanze, a few hours away. The last night in Kigali passed uneventfully but we were up kind of late packing and getting ready. People taking a certain kind of malaria medicine have been having weird/bad dreams, so I hope none of those happened last night. I haven't had dreams at all. :)
I think most of us feel bittersweet about almost being done with our time in Rwanda. We will be in Musanze tomorrow debriefing and then we head back to Kigali airport on Saturday and leave. It is difficult to put into words how we feel. I'm saying 'we' because I've been asking other people too.
For Kelcy and me, fitting all our new things in our bags was an adventure, but I think mine will work out, at least enough to get to Musanze. I wonder how the others have done with it.
Last night at the restaurant, I forgot to mention that it was started by Americans, and runs in order to train Rwandans in the hospitality services. And there was a Wii there. Fred and Bosco played tennis and it's possible that they'd never played anything like that before. They really enjoyed it, and Bosco proudly said at the end, "I won," with a big smile.
I don't know if there will be internet for the rest of the week, and if not then this is the last post for a while until I get home. If that's the case, then au revoir! It's been an amazing ride and I know I still have things to learn from it. If I am able, I'll post more later on.
Things of note:
I think most of us feel bittersweet about almost being done with our time in Rwanda. We will be in Musanze tomorrow debriefing and then we head back to Kigali airport on Saturday and leave. It is difficult to put into words how we feel. I'm saying 'we' because I've been asking other people too.
For Kelcy and me, fitting all our new things in our bags was an adventure, but I think mine will work out, at least enough to get to Musanze. I wonder how the others have done with it.
Last night at the restaurant, I forgot to mention that it was started by Americans, and runs in order to train Rwandans in the hospitality services. And there was a Wii there. Fred and Bosco played tennis and it's possible that they'd never played anything like that before. They really enjoyed it, and Bosco proudly said at the end, "I won," with a big smile.
I don't know if there will be internet for the rest of the week, and if not then this is the last post for a while until I get home. If that's the case, then au revoir! It's been an amazing ride and I know I still have things to learn from it. If I am able, I'll post more later on.
Things of note:
- A very loud bird just flew past our window.
- I love Rwanda.
- The neighbour in the house nextdoor keeps pacing on his porch. Back and forth, back and forth.
- I wonder how much we've all changed.
- If you plan to ever see me, please try to think of another question besides "How was Rwanda?". That could make our conversation easier. :)
- Tomorrow is Kelcy's birthday!
- I am hungry and I'm going to eat breakfast now.
Looking Up
This morning (Wednesday) we started with some time at Ambassador Symington’s home (the U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda). We were greeted by his son, Stuart, and fed drinks and little foods. When the Ambassador walked in, the atmosphere changed, just from his dynamic presence. And he basically conducted a discussion. It was neat to see the perspective of someone as experienced as he is. If you want to learn more about him, look up Stuart Symington – the U.S. Embassy site has information, and so do other more or less reliable sources, I’m sure.
We talked about Rwanda in all sorts of contexts – education, faith, peace, business. Ambassador Symington recommended that our goal for our career should be to be able to say, “I can’t believe I get paid to do this.” That puts a nice view on it. He gave a lot of ideological insight – about the source of conflict, unity, what Rwanda needs, what the world needs. We went around the group and each said something we’d learned or seen. I said that I’d learned from Rwandans how to treat people. I see them treating each other with respect and love, and just naturally in community all the time instead of demanding their time for themselves. Some of that is just by the design of living situations, but it makes people interdependent so that they have to submit to one another in selflessness. There’s another thing for the U.S. to learn.
The Ambassador also asked Fred and Bosco what they wanted us to take away from this experience. Bosco said we should tell people how Rwanda is developing, as well as help others develop. He said he thought we had learned how to live with people (which is hopefully true). Fred also said to tell how Rwanda is developing, and that he thinks we have seen and learned how to care about people.
Ambassador Symington talked about peace, especially in Rwanda, and how people don’t really come together until they once again put their trust, lives, and honour in the hands of another. He challenged us to figure out how to create enough jobs for the upcoming generations. And basically he just generally inspired me to think more critically about the world. I’m going to have to review my notes from that time in more detail and concentration later and really think about how to respond.
During our lunch break, Kelcy and I got to pray with the man who cleans our room, Jean-Pierre. He doesn’t know any English so once again, French it is! Now I have his contact information. He said he sings in the choir at church and loves God very much, which he was very happy about.
In the afternoon we spent some time at Cards From Africa, a card-making business that only employs orphans. They make their own paper out of old paper that’s ready to be discarded, and from that they create cards, bookmarks, etc. It’s amazing and I bought several. They also do custom work, so if anyone wants to request some, go ahead! http://cardsfromafrica.com/
It’s fun how warmly Nick, as an African-American, is welcomed here. Several people have told him that he looks Rwandan. And one person at the card factory (not what we’d think of as a factory though) today told him that he was beautiful. I love that.
We went to the post office to buy stamps, and I forgot to buy Parker’s. I am confessing it here, even though he graciously said it was no big deal. I am sorry, Parker Willis, that I let you down. I hope I will not do so again.
Then we went to the market one last time, after which Bosco took us on a little tour around parts of Kigali. We drove by the president’s house again, and through other areas too.
Then some of us played Nertz, which I lost quite well. And then we ate supper in Heaven.
No really. It’s a deliciously expensive restaurant on a hill with a beautiful view of the city, very tall ceilings, and an atmosphere of niceness. Paul (not Kagame), Bosco, Fred, Austin, and Daniel all joined us for supper. Those of us sitting towards the middle amused ourselves with ridiculous conversation and games, such as one where you are given a certain scenario and you have to give a facial expression in response. Sometimes that can become ridiculous. I floated back and forth between about three conversations, maybe four. But it was great and relaxing. We were there for about 2 ½ hours, I think.
Things of note:
• After the visit with the Ambassador, Ms. Coldwell told us she was proud of us. That’s encouraging! As much as she says we’re annoying loud Americans, she was proud of us then. :) And yesterday at Eco-Tours, one employee knew we were from a Christian school because of how we behaved. I don’t think any of us knew that such a thing could be observed, but at least it was a positive observation. It shows that people really are watching you and notice what you're like.
• Ambassador Symington says, “You don’t have to work for the government to be a diplomat.” In case anyone besides me was wondering.
• Parker does a great Shania Twain impression.
• Every restaurant is basically a roof with a couple of walls, and then a couple of air walls. It’s kind of like eating on the deck every night.
• Reason to carry your passport at all times: intense security guard requires them before entering the Ambassador’s residence.
We talked about Rwanda in all sorts of contexts – education, faith, peace, business. Ambassador Symington recommended that our goal for our career should be to be able to say, “I can’t believe I get paid to do this.” That puts a nice view on it. He gave a lot of ideological insight – about the source of conflict, unity, what Rwanda needs, what the world needs. We went around the group and each said something we’d learned or seen. I said that I’d learned from Rwandans how to treat people. I see them treating each other with respect and love, and just naturally in community all the time instead of demanding their time for themselves. Some of that is just by the design of living situations, but it makes people interdependent so that they have to submit to one another in selflessness. There’s another thing for the U.S. to learn.
The Ambassador also asked Fred and Bosco what they wanted us to take away from this experience. Bosco said we should tell people how Rwanda is developing, as well as help others develop. He said he thought we had learned how to live with people (which is hopefully true). Fred also said to tell how Rwanda is developing, and that he thinks we have seen and learned how to care about people.
Ambassador Symington talked about peace, especially in Rwanda, and how people don’t really come together until they once again put their trust, lives, and honour in the hands of another. He challenged us to figure out how to create enough jobs for the upcoming generations. And basically he just generally inspired me to think more critically about the world. I’m going to have to review my notes from that time in more detail and concentration later and really think about how to respond.
During our lunch break, Kelcy and I got to pray with the man who cleans our room, Jean-Pierre. He doesn’t know any English so once again, French it is! Now I have his contact information. He said he sings in the choir at church and loves God very much, which he was very happy about.
In the afternoon we spent some time at Cards From Africa, a card-making business that only employs orphans. They make their own paper out of old paper that’s ready to be discarded, and from that they create cards, bookmarks, etc. It’s amazing and I bought several. They also do custom work, so if anyone wants to request some, go ahead! http://cardsfromafrica.com/
It’s fun how warmly Nick, as an African-American, is welcomed here. Several people have told him that he looks Rwandan. And one person at the card factory (not what we’d think of as a factory though) today told him that he was beautiful. I love that.
We went to the post office to buy stamps, and I forgot to buy Parker’s. I am confessing it here, even though he graciously said it was no big deal. I am sorry, Parker Willis, that I let you down. I hope I will not do so again.
Then we went to the market one last time, after which Bosco took us on a little tour around parts of Kigali. We drove by the president’s house again, and through other areas too.
Then some of us played Nertz, which I lost quite well. And then we ate supper in Heaven.
No really. It’s a deliciously expensive restaurant on a hill with a beautiful view of the city, very tall ceilings, and an atmosphere of niceness. Paul (not Kagame), Bosco, Fred, Austin, and Daniel all joined us for supper. Those of us sitting towards the middle amused ourselves with ridiculous conversation and games, such as one where you are given a certain scenario and you have to give a facial expression in response. Sometimes that can become ridiculous. I floated back and forth between about three conversations, maybe four. But it was great and relaxing. We were there for about 2 ½ hours, I think.
Things of note:
• After the visit with the Ambassador, Ms. Coldwell told us she was proud of us. That’s encouraging! As much as she says we’re annoying loud Americans, she was proud of us then. :) And yesterday at Eco-Tours, one employee knew we were from a Christian school because of how we behaved. I don’t think any of us knew that such a thing could be observed, but at least it was a positive observation. It shows that people really are watching you and notice what you're like.
• Ambassador Symington says, “You don’t have to work for the government to be a diplomat.” In case anyone besides me was wondering.
• Parker does a great Shania Twain impression.
• Every restaurant is basically a roof with a couple of walls, and then a couple of air walls. It’s kind of like eating on the deck every night.
• Reason to carry your passport at all times: intense security guard requires them before entering the Ambassador’s residence.
26 May 2010
Excellence
Tuesday morning (25 Mai), we had breakfast with Dr. Carter Crockett, with Karisimbi Business Partners, a consulting firm. He moved to Kigali with his family and a few other families and friends in order to start this business. His method is to become partners with businesses, not only consulting but coming alongside them and making sure they succeed. The business is not a non-profit organization, but is participating in Rwanda’s market. They make relational ties with their clients, who are typically mid-sized businesses.
Dr. Crockett noted that Rwandans are not typically motivated to start a business by greed, but by social factors. They are interested in learning business, but progress is slow just because of the systems in place (or not in place) in Rwanda. What it really takes is people to stick with clients, to be flexible, and to be committed. Short-term trips to fix things don’t show that much desire to invest in people here. Dr. Crockett wants to equip people to steward what they have; to do that, one has to know what they need and want. And to do that, one has to listen. More impact can be made if you go in to a situation ready to learn, humbly.
Then we visited with Martha at Eco-Tours, one of Dr. Crockett’s clients. Martha is the Managing Director there, and she’s such a vibrant, admirable woman of integrity. She said that this is the busy time of year because it’s nearing summertime for lots of people, and “each traveler thinks he is the only one traveling.” That puts it into perspective; I need to be careful to be considerate and not expect that I’m the only person whose needs are worth meeting.
Martha had so much good advice. The following are some things she said. We need to be the same, whether under pressure or no; who you are shows up in the difficult situations. That’s something we talked about in our debriefing time on Monday. You need to die to yourself when working in customer service, to work as if this is the last day you are working. Martha seems as though she has not taken complaints personally; she is persistent and flexible at the same time. She speaks amazing English. She is patient and generous, and very wise as well, about people and about business. She said she wants to learn more, even though she already knows so much and has had experience. I think that shows a certain humility. Someone pointed out that the office is very organized and simple, that the nonessentials really aren’t there. I love that they aren't all about themselves.
Eco-Tours also works with a cultural village by Musanze, where former poachers are now employed to exemplify the Rwandan traditional way of life instead of killing animals like the near-extinct gorillas. Martha works with the people in the villages to convince them that the children need education, and she also provides school supplies. This involves changing an entire mindset that the people have, one which includes them questioning the importance of education. She mentions that such changes take time, persistence, and relationship-building. It was a very pleasant visit; I could have listened to her for hours.
Driving to lunch, we noticed an excellent establishment called Hair Force One Salon. Eventually we arrived at the Africa Bite, where we had more delicious Rwandan food. During debriefing time, Parker agreed to be the king if we visited the cultural village and they had us choose a ‘king.’ Ms. Coldwell also said that Taylor might be allowed to ride the mototaxi in front of the hotel so we can take his picture. Then we started discussing the name Patel.
Later in the afternoon, some of us went down to play football again. When we got down there we saw some threatening clouds moving very quickly towards us. I sat under some overhanging plants next to Travis’s backpack, and then I took a few pictures with Dr. Wu’s camera, and then the rain started to fall. For not knowing how to play, Dr. Wu got in there pretty well. For a few minutes, people kept playing in the rain. Then there was lightning and we decided to head out. We had to climb up the dirt hill which was now sort of like mud. I can enjoy getting dirty; getting wet is another matter. So walking back in the rain was fun. Parker’s shorts still had detergent in them from when they’d been washed. The reason I know this is because suds were streaming down his legs after we’d walked for long enough to be soaked. He was a good sport about being drenched after not really being eager to go in the first place. Blake ran uphill to the hotel and then back down to the field to bring Travis a rainjacket to cover his backpack.
That night, the students went back to the Indian place while the adults ate off somewhere by themselves. And it all went fine! I went to bed contented, and as I walked back to my room I could see the cards group assembling in the restaurant area, just as they have done basically every night. It was comforting to know that all was well in our little hotel. (rhyme!)
Items of note:
• The former Rwandan king lives in Texas. Of course.
• Giving your best consistently will lead to success.
• Do all things without complaining.
• Whoever is more than a little late has to sing a song about Baton Rouge.
• My feet may be permanently red-brown.
Dr. Crockett noted that Rwandans are not typically motivated to start a business by greed, but by social factors. They are interested in learning business, but progress is slow just because of the systems in place (or not in place) in Rwanda. What it really takes is people to stick with clients, to be flexible, and to be committed. Short-term trips to fix things don’t show that much desire to invest in people here. Dr. Crockett wants to equip people to steward what they have; to do that, one has to know what they need and want. And to do that, one has to listen. More impact can be made if you go in to a situation ready to learn, humbly.
Then we visited with Martha at Eco-Tours, one of Dr. Crockett’s clients. Martha is the Managing Director there, and she’s such a vibrant, admirable woman of integrity. She said that this is the busy time of year because it’s nearing summertime for lots of people, and “each traveler thinks he is the only one traveling.” That puts it into perspective; I need to be careful to be considerate and not expect that I’m the only person whose needs are worth meeting.
Martha had so much good advice. The following are some things she said. We need to be the same, whether under pressure or no; who you are shows up in the difficult situations. That’s something we talked about in our debriefing time on Monday. You need to die to yourself when working in customer service, to work as if this is the last day you are working. Martha seems as though she has not taken complaints personally; she is persistent and flexible at the same time. She speaks amazing English. She is patient and generous, and very wise as well, about people and about business. She said she wants to learn more, even though she already knows so much and has had experience. I think that shows a certain humility. Someone pointed out that the office is very organized and simple, that the nonessentials really aren’t there. I love that they aren't all about themselves.
Eco-Tours also works with a cultural village by Musanze, where former poachers are now employed to exemplify the Rwandan traditional way of life instead of killing animals like the near-extinct gorillas. Martha works with the people in the villages to convince them that the children need education, and she also provides school supplies. This involves changing an entire mindset that the people have, one which includes them questioning the importance of education. She mentions that such changes take time, persistence, and relationship-building. It was a very pleasant visit; I could have listened to her for hours.
Driving to lunch, we noticed an excellent establishment called Hair Force One Salon. Eventually we arrived at the Africa Bite, where we had more delicious Rwandan food. During debriefing time, Parker agreed to be the king if we visited the cultural village and they had us choose a ‘king.’ Ms. Coldwell also said that Taylor might be allowed to ride the mototaxi in front of the hotel so we can take his picture. Then we started discussing the name Patel.
Later in the afternoon, some of us went down to play football again. When we got down there we saw some threatening clouds moving very quickly towards us. I sat under some overhanging plants next to Travis’s backpack, and then I took a few pictures with Dr. Wu’s camera, and then the rain started to fall. For not knowing how to play, Dr. Wu got in there pretty well. For a few minutes, people kept playing in the rain. Then there was lightning and we decided to head out. We had to climb up the dirt hill which was now sort of like mud. I can enjoy getting dirty; getting wet is another matter. So walking back in the rain was fun. Parker’s shorts still had detergent in them from when they’d been washed. The reason I know this is because suds were streaming down his legs after we’d walked for long enough to be soaked. He was a good sport about being drenched after not really being eager to go in the first place. Blake ran uphill to the hotel and then back down to the field to bring Travis a rainjacket to cover his backpack.
That night, the students went back to the Indian place while the adults ate off somewhere by themselves. And it all went fine! I went to bed contented, and as I walked back to my room I could see the cards group assembling in the restaurant area, just as they have done basically every night. It was comforting to know that all was well in our little hotel. (rhyme!)
Items of note:
• The former Rwandan king lives in Texas. Of course.
• Giving your best consistently will lead to success.
• Do all things without complaining.
• Whoever is more than a little late has to sing a song about Baton Rouge.
• My feet may be permanently red-brown.
Friends
I woke up Monday morning incredibly stiff and sore from that intense football match. And it was our earliest morning yet, as we left in time to be at Urwego Bank for their twice weekly devotions. We were able to attempt to sing along in worship, to hear them sing, and to share a song with them as well. We sang ‘Be Thou my Vision,’ and it was all right. We had to try intentionally to not outdo our hosts. Just kidding - we definitely needed way more work, and the Urwego choir was amazing. But it was all enjoyable. One woman shared about unity within any organisation, and I thought this was remarkably applicable to what we are doing right now, even just being a team. She did not put things gently, which I very much appreciate. She meant what she said and it was great. Don’t talk about people, don’t fight for your own way, etc. No division! That was a great message.
After UOB, we drove out to Les Enfants de Dieu, an orphanage of sorts…but not exactly. Rafiki, the man who runs it, helps boys who used to live on the street. The program helps the boys rehabilitate so they can re-enter the community, prepared and effective. The home is completely voluntary because too many rules and keeping kids there makes it seem like a prison, like they’re stuck. Instead, they are taught responsibility and discipline in a really neat way. Everything that happens at Enfants de Dieu is run by the kids who live there. There are different ministries for each boy to participate in. Four boys head each ministry, such as Home Affairs, Administration, Health, etc. So they have ownership in their own community, and that authority is real. The adults rarely ever override a decision made by the boys. What empowerment!
Rafiki had so many good things to say about life in general. One thing he said is that “giving is not having, but giving is filling.’ If you can give nothing else, give a smile. He said that he wants to change himself so that he can help others. He survived the genocide, after being left for dead in a hole. It is amazing that he has come out of that experience to say that revenge does not work. He is investing in these boys so that they will change Rwanda.
Then we watched some incredible drumming and dancing by several of the boys, after which one of them, the Minister of Administration, welcomed us. Here are some things he said: “We have nothing to offer you…only God can reward you for what you have done.” “We didn’t used to have people coming to see us and smile at us.” “We can just pray for you.” “Thank you for the love you have shown us.”
The boys all have great vision for their futures; some want to be doctors, teachers, government officials. Football players, pastors, and beyond. One wants to become rich so he can help street kids. We spent time talking and playing with them. One named Damond told me his sadness of not knowing his parents. I asked him if he knew that God loves him, and he said, “I used to think God hated me, but now I think He loves me.” I wonder what brought about that change; I love seeing the Lord work transformation in people’s hearts. One boy named Rukundo wrote down many Kinyarwanda words for me to learn. I also collected several email addresses. Some of the questions I heard were the same from each boy: Do you have a brother? Do you have a husband? Do you have parents? What are their names? And it broke my heart when some would talk about how they don’t know their family, or their mother is too tired for them, or something like that. It almost made me embarrassed for what I do have, but I’m learning to turn that into gratitude. These boys were so easy to love, and they also easily love.
After that we went back to Amani Ya Juu to hear Grace’s testimony and to see the women dance. They started out dancing and singing, but then pulled us in to join them. It was so fun and relaxing. Grace talked about how she lost her husband in the genocide and found Amani Ya Juu when she was lonely – and now she’s been comforted.
Things of note:
• The only way to force you to smile at me is for me to smile at you.
• The way to get someone’s attention here is to make a sharp ‘sssss’ noise.
• You can feed fish with the help of rabbits.
• Sometimes, letting go of things can give you a better grasp on them.
• Think about what love can do.
After UOB, we drove out to Les Enfants de Dieu, an orphanage of sorts…but not exactly. Rafiki, the man who runs it, helps boys who used to live on the street. The program helps the boys rehabilitate so they can re-enter the community, prepared and effective. The home is completely voluntary because too many rules and keeping kids there makes it seem like a prison, like they’re stuck. Instead, they are taught responsibility and discipline in a really neat way. Everything that happens at Enfants de Dieu is run by the kids who live there. There are different ministries for each boy to participate in. Four boys head each ministry, such as Home Affairs, Administration, Health, etc. So they have ownership in their own community, and that authority is real. The adults rarely ever override a decision made by the boys. What empowerment!
Rafiki had so many good things to say about life in general. One thing he said is that “giving is not having, but giving is filling.’ If you can give nothing else, give a smile. He said that he wants to change himself so that he can help others. He survived the genocide, after being left for dead in a hole. It is amazing that he has come out of that experience to say that revenge does not work. He is investing in these boys so that they will change Rwanda.
Then we watched some incredible drumming and dancing by several of the boys, after which one of them, the Minister of Administration, welcomed us. Here are some things he said: “We have nothing to offer you…only God can reward you for what you have done.” “We didn’t used to have people coming to see us and smile at us.” “We can just pray for you.” “Thank you for the love you have shown us.”
The boys all have great vision for their futures; some want to be doctors, teachers, government officials. Football players, pastors, and beyond. One wants to become rich so he can help street kids. We spent time talking and playing with them. One named Damond told me his sadness of not knowing his parents. I asked him if he knew that God loves him, and he said, “I used to think God hated me, but now I think He loves me.” I wonder what brought about that change; I love seeing the Lord work transformation in people’s hearts. One boy named Rukundo wrote down many Kinyarwanda words for me to learn. I also collected several email addresses. Some of the questions I heard were the same from each boy: Do you have a brother? Do you have a husband? Do you have parents? What are their names? And it broke my heart when some would talk about how they don’t know their family, or their mother is too tired for them, or something like that. It almost made me embarrassed for what I do have, but I’m learning to turn that into gratitude. These boys were so easy to love, and they also easily love.
After that we went back to Amani Ya Juu to hear Grace’s testimony and to see the women dance. They started out dancing and singing, but then pulled us in to join them. It was so fun and relaxing. Grace talked about how she lost her husband in the genocide and found Amani Ya Juu when she was lonely – and now she’s been comforted.
Things of note:
• The only way to force you to smile at me is for me to smile at you.
• The way to get someone’s attention here is to make a sharp ‘sssss’ noise.
• You can feed fish with the help of rabbits.
• Sometimes, letting go of things can give you a better grasp on them.
• Think about what love can do.
25 May 2010
Foot
Sunday was much less busy, it seemed, but I was still exhausted at the end of it.
In the morning we tried to get to church. We left about 45 minutes before it was to begin, but naturally, Sunday was also the date for a marathon throughout Kigali. You would have thought the church we were trying to reach was the point of focus or something, because every next road Bosco took was taped off for the runners. We basically drove all the way around the church, down random streets and one verrrrry steep alleyway thing, before parking and walking. We walked up a steep hill (not uncommon here) and down another one, to the church gates. Where we were told that church was canceled due to the marathon.
After that, we walked up that steep hill and down that other one, and then went to lunch at the Bourbon Café – the nearest thing I’ve had to American food, in the form of sandwiches and hamburgers and smoothies. And a great view.
Celine Dion was on the radio that afternoon in the bus.
The afternoon was pretty relaxed until eight of us walked down to the football field to see if anyone there wanted to play. The field is downhill of a very steep slope from the road. We were on the sidewalk at the top and the kids saw us and started yelling for us. Then Blake held up the ball and they cheered even louder. So we decided that was inviting and we headed down there. It was so fun. We sort of hung around a bit for a while, but then decided to play. We picked teams and went for it. It was so wonderful because no one had to learn the rules or explain in a language that wasn’t their own. We all knew what to do, and no language barrier could bother us. How lovely.
I hadn’t played in so long, but it came back to me a little. Some guys said that I was good,… for a girl. That cracks me up. The teams would call the smallest boys ‘Petit’ when they called to them, and they called the girls (Allison and me) ‘sister.’ I had such a great time. By the end, our white football was red from the dirt. And the boys kept asking us when we’d be back. One older fellow did a sweet handshake with Campbell and told us he is very Rasta. And he loves marijuana. What do you say to that second bit? Options: ‘Oh!’ ‘Good for you!’ ‘Mmmmm….’ ‘Oh okay.’ ‘How delightful!’ ‘Ah.’
On the walk back uphill, we bought flowers (thanks to Taylor and Blake) from a street vendor to give to our dear professors. Then for supper we walked down one hill, found not what we wanted and walked back up, and then walked down another until we reached a restaurant called Hot Racks, which apparently had opened two days before. We had delicious Filipino food, but it was so dark that we had to use our flashlights to see what we were eating. Then we could turn them off to actually eat. Some people loved the meal and vocalized it often. :) Michael Jackson music videos were playing in the background. There were also some sweet lights in another part of the restaurant, basically creating a dance floor. That place was groovy.
All in all, it was a very pleasant day and my legs were ready to fall off by the time they met my bed.
Things of note:
• Emily knows how to walk with things on her head; she could totally live here. I am perpetually fascinated by that skill that I see in women walking down the street. Baskets, bags of potatoes, huge other things, whatever you like.
• Purple food is somehow just difficult to process.
• Playing football in a skirt is actually feasible.
• It seems that most restaurants we’ve been to use the same glasses. I’m supposed to find out why.
• I love my team.
In the morning we tried to get to church. We left about 45 minutes before it was to begin, but naturally, Sunday was also the date for a marathon throughout Kigali. You would have thought the church we were trying to reach was the point of focus or something, because every next road Bosco took was taped off for the runners. We basically drove all the way around the church, down random streets and one verrrrry steep alleyway thing, before parking and walking. We walked up a steep hill (not uncommon here) and down another one, to the church gates. Where we were told that church was canceled due to the marathon.
After that, we walked up that steep hill and down that other one, and then went to lunch at the Bourbon Café – the nearest thing I’ve had to American food, in the form of sandwiches and hamburgers and smoothies. And a great view.
Celine Dion was on the radio that afternoon in the bus.
The afternoon was pretty relaxed until eight of us walked down to the football field to see if anyone there wanted to play. The field is downhill of a very steep slope from the road. We were on the sidewalk at the top and the kids saw us and started yelling for us. Then Blake held up the ball and they cheered even louder. So we decided that was inviting and we headed down there. It was so fun. We sort of hung around a bit for a while, but then decided to play. We picked teams and went for it. It was so wonderful because no one had to learn the rules or explain in a language that wasn’t their own. We all knew what to do, and no language barrier could bother us. How lovely.
I hadn’t played in so long, but it came back to me a little. Some guys said that I was good,… for a girl. That cracks me up. The teams would call the smallest boys ‘Petit’ when they called to them, and they called the girls (Allison and me) ‘sister.’ I had such a great time. By the end, our white football was red from the dirt. And the boys kept asking us when we’d be back. One older fellow did a sweet handshake with Campbell and told us he is very Rasta. And he loves marijuana. What do you say to that second bit? Options: ‘Oh!’ ‘Good for you!’ ‘Mmmmm….’ ‘Oh okay.’ ‘How delightful!’ ‘Ah.’
On the walk back uphill, we bought flowers (thanks to Taylor and Blake) from a street vendor to give to our dear professors. Then for supper we walked down one hill, found not what we wanted and walked back up, and then walked down another until we reached a restaurant called Hot Racks, which apparently had opened two days before. We had delicious Filipino food, but it was so dark that we had to use our flashlights to see what we were eating. Then we could turn them off to actually eat. Some people loved the meal and vocalized it often. :) Michael Jackson music videos were playing in the background. There were also some sweet lights in another part of the restaurant, basically creating a dance floor. That place was groovy.
All in all, it was a very pleasant day and my legs were ready to fall off by the time they met my bed.
Things of note:
• Emily knows how to walk with things on her head; she could totally live here. I am perpetually fascinated by that skill that I see in women walking down the street. Baskets, bags of potatoes, huge other things, whatever you like.
• Purple food is somehow just difficult to process.
• Playing football in a skirt is actually feasible.
• It seems that most restaurants we’ve been to use the same glasses. I’m supposed to find out why.
• I love my team.
24 May 2010
Amahoro
Saturday was just nice. In the morning we were going to go to an orphanage, but those plans changed. Instead, we visited Amani Ya Juu, a place where women make things like clothes, bags, jewelry, etc., and sell it. They actually have a store in Washington, D.C. The women make such beautiful items. I spoke with Merabu, who was sewing a laptop case. She knew little English and I know zero Kinyarwanda, so we compromised with French, which was quite adequate. She is lovely. Blake explained to Grace, the lady who showed us around, how to say ‘okey-dokey.’ Some from our team were in the backyard lifting this sort of dumbbell thing, and a guy from the next house over peered over the fence and had his and started lifting it. We attract attention so easily.
Then we went back to the first market. Those of us who didn’t want to shop stayed outside and Emily brought out her instant camera again. We took a picture of some of the women there, and they were very excited, and then they got to keep the photo. People were crowding around, looking and squeezing in to see the photograph. Something I love about this culture is how much they touch each other and just spend time together – life is so communal and people aren’t all trying to escape and have their ‘me’ time. I was standing near one woman with a baby, and I touched the baby and patted/hugged the woman, and she looked so joyful after that. I said nothing to her but ‘au revoir,’ but it was as if I had said, “We are friends. I am not too good for you. You are valued.” Which I know is what God wants her to know.
Next, we had lunch at the residence of the South African ambassador. I met him; he’s great, he danced, he smiled, he told us to try his wine (which we did not, heeding Baylor restrictions). There was food from all over the world, and each country had a table. We could just take whatever we wanted off of it. I had food from the Middle East, African countries, Italy, Japan, etc. There was an American table with hamburgers, hotdogs, and chocolate chip cookies. Of course.
Towards the end of the event, some kids came and danced for us, and they were precious. Then the ambassador spoke for a bit. The event was to raise money for a Rwandan charity. In closing, the South African dignitaries or officials or people of some importance came to the front and all joined in an awesome line dance reminiscent of the electric slide. Why does this not happen in the United States? The party was such a blend of different people from all over, speaking different languages and looking very different, naturally. It was lovely to see all those people together. Except that the music was all American stuff, which seemed unnecessary. :)
Outside the gates of the residence, kids asked us for money. What a contrast that was – there were children at the party running around, completely comfortable, full, and without a thing to worry about. On the other side is dirt, hunger, and poverty. I’m still trying to figure out what to do with that.
Our last outing of the day was to attend a football match. Real football, that is. We were planning on finding a field somewhere and just starting to play and see if people came. Instead, we actually went to the Amahoro (“peace”) stadium and watched Rwandan teams play teams from other countries. First was Rwanda Rayon S. versus Tanzania’s Mafunzo – we won 3-0. [We is of course Rwanda] Horns were blaring, flares were lit, and it was very exciting. We were some of the only muzungu in the place, and definitely even fewer of us were some of the only females there. We got fantastic seats, right at the bottom of the bleachers…basically front row.
The second match (one ticket is good for however long you want to stay!) was a bit more controversial from the start. Rwanda APR (Armée Patriotique Rwandaise, Rwandan Patriotic Army) played Democratic Republic of Congo TP Mazembe. (TP = Tout Puissant, All-Powerful). This is a big deal because Congo last year won the national championship. Said a fellow watcher, “We expect this to be a very interesting match.” In the stands on the other side of the field was the African equivalent of the Bear Pit – family members of the players were all in one section and they were constantly cheering.
The game started out well, and I noticed that some of the guys in our group were really getting into it, booing and cheering and standing up in indignation and waving flags, etc. We had just as much Rwandan patriotism as the locals, I think. That was the biggest sports event I’ve ever attended, barring Baylor football games. But in this case I wanted to stay for the whole thing and I also understood it.
Then something went a bit wrong. From what I thus far understand, Mazembe wanted a penalty to be called for an alleged handball by the APR, but the referees would not give it. Suddenly, one of the Congo players went after the head referee, chasing him until he caught up with him and finally, flying through the air in some sort of kungfu football move, kicked the ref in the leg and took him out. Security men rushed on, as did a random man watching the game. Things got a little crazy; everyone was standing up, trying to see what was happening. Some guys on the field were out of control. The huge screen kept replaying the situation, and everyone around us was talking and we were trying to figure out what would happen next. Having Fred and Bosco is super helpful, especially if combined with a nice man to sit behind you and explain things. Apparently this angry player was one of the best in Congo; it’s a bummer that he did this because his team was consequently kicked out and his reputation might be a little shaky now. So we won that game too, 1-0! Yay! And so now you may see why it is ironic that this stadium is named “Peace.”
While crawling through traffic on the way out, we saw one of the guys who works at the desk at our hotel. I find it so amusing that we can see people we know. At the Ambassador’s house we saw Patty Yoss again. I am beginning to love it here. Getting to be part of another culture’s daily life is so great and I can’t believe we’re halfway through. Going home will be bittersweet.
For supper we all ate at the hotel restaurant together. That was highly enjoyable. I love our long suppers together. They remind me of the times back at Baylor when some of us sit at supper for hours in the Brooks Great Hall, simply being in each other’s presence. I think Brooks and Rwanda and Africa have a lot to teach the United States.
Things of note:
• A few of us began to realize how atrocious our posture is and so now we try to focus on it every once in a while.
• The quote thing is starting to catch on.
• People on this trip are hilarious.
• A high-five from a little kid can put a smile on even the most reserved person’s face.
• I need to find Rwandan music.
• Diplomacy is sounding pretty good right now.
• I miss football. (the real kind)
Then we went back to the first market. Those of us who didn’t want to shop stayed outside and Emily brought out her instant camera again. We took a picture of some of the women there, and they were very excited, and then they got to keep the photo. People were crowding around, looking and squeezing in to see the photograph. Something I love about this culture is how much they touch each other and just spend time together – life is so communal and people aren’t all trying to escape and have their ‘me’ time. I was standing near one woman with a baby, and I touched the baby and patted/hugged the woman, and she looked so joyful after that. I said nothing to her but ‘au revoir,’ but it was as if I had said, “We are friends. I am not too good for you. You are valued.” Which I know is what God wants her to know.
Next, we had lunch at the residence of the South African ambassador. I met him; he’s great, he danced, he smiled, he told us to try his wine (which we did not, heeding Baylor restrictions). There was food from all over the world, and each country had a table. We could just take whatever we wanted off of it. I had food from the Middle East, African countries, Italy, Japan, etc. There was an American table with hamburgers, hotdogs, and chocolate chip cookies. Of course.
Towards the end of the event, some kids came and danced for us, and they were precious. Then the ambassador spoke for a bit. The event was to raise money for a Rwandan charity. In closing, the South African dignitaries or officials or people of some importance came to the front and all joined in an awesome line dance reminiscent of the electric slide. Why does this not happen in the United States? The party was such a blend of different people from all over, speaking different languages and looking very different, naturally. It was lovely to see all those people together. Except that the music was all American stuff, which seemed unnecessary. :)
Outside the gates of the residence, kids asked us for money. What a contrast that was – there were children at the party running around, completely comfortable, full, and without a thing to worry about. On the other side is dirt, hunger, and poverty. I’m still trying to figure out what to do with that.
Our last outing of the day was to attend a football match. Real football, that is. We were planning on finding a field somewhere and just starting to play and see if people came. Instead, we actually went to the Amahoro (“peace”) stadium and watched Rwandan teams play teams from other countries. First was Rwanda Rayon S. versus Tanzania’s Mafunzo – we won 3-0. [We is of course Rwanda] Horns were blaring, flares were lit, and it was very exciting. We were some of the only muzungu in the place, and definitely even fewer of us were some of the only females there. We got fantastic seats, right at the bottom of the bleachers…basically front row.
The second match (one ticket is good for however long you want to stay!) was a bit more controversial from the start. Rwanda APR (Armée Patriotique Rwandaise, Rwandan Patriotic Army) played Democratic Republic of Congo TP Mazembe. (TP = Tout Puissant, All-Powerful). This is a big deal because Congo last year won the national championship. Said a fellow watcher, “We expect this to be a very interesting match.” In the stands on the other side of the field was the African equivalent of the Bear Pit – family members of the players were all in one section and they were constantly cheering.
The game started out well, and I noticed that some of the guys in our group were really getting into it, booing and cheering and standing up in indignation and waving flags, etc. We had just as much Rwandan patriotism as the locals, I think. That was the biggest sports event I’ve ever attended, barring Baylor football games. But in this case I wanted to stay for the whole thing and I also understood it.
Then something went a bit wrong. From what I thus far understand, Mazembe wanted a penalty to be called for an alleged handball by the APR, but the referees would not give it. Suddenly, one of the Congo players went after the head referee, chasing him until he caught up with him and finally, flying through the air in some sort of kungfu football move, kicked the ref in the leg and took him out. Security men rushed on, as did a random man watching the game. Things got a little crazy; everyone was standing up, trying to see what was happening. Some guys on the field were out of control. The huge screen kept replaying the situation, and everyone around us was talking and we were trying to figure out what would happen next. Having Fred and Bosco is super helpful, especially if combined with a nice man to sit behind you and explain things. Apparently this angry player was one of the best in Congo; it’s a bummer that he did this because his team was consequently kicked out and his reputation might be a little shaky now. So we won that game too, 1-0! Yay! And so now you may see why it is ironic that this stadium is named “Peace.”
While crawling through traffic on the way out, we saw one of the guys who works at the desk at our hotel. I find it so amusing that we can see people we know. At the Ambassador’s house we saw Patty Yoss again. I am beginning to love it here. Getting to be part of another culture’s daily life is so great and I can’t believe we’re halfway through. Going home will be bittersweet.
For supper we all ate at the hotel restaurant together. That was highly enjoyable. I love our long suppers together. They remind me of the times back at Baylor when some of us sit at supper for hours in the Brooks Great Hall, simply being in each other’s presence. I think Brooks and Rwanda and Africa have a lot to teach the United States.
Things of note:
• A few of us began to realize how atrocious our posture is and so now we try to focus on it every once in a while.
• The quote thing is starting to catch on.
• People on this trip are hilarious.
• A high-five from a little kid can put a smile on even the most reserved person’s face.
• I need to find Rwandan music.
• Diplomacy is sounding pretty good right now.
• I miss football. (the real kind)
23 May 2010
There's a Way
Friday was quite a nice break in all the bustling about we’d been doing (if you can call it that in Africa).
We started the morning with an 8 o’clock breakfast meeting with Festus, Mary Jean, and Emanuel from Hope International. The organization is based in Pennsylvania and is located in 14 different countries. It runs by savings and credit associations. It’s an interesting system – members of groups save their money and pool it for the needs of different members. Their savings stay with them and there is also no external injection of capital. They borrow each other’s money. This is how Hope intends to reach the poor – by helping them borrow loans of less than $50 in rural areas, rather than by small loans in more urban areas.
The groups make their own policies but Hope helps them in the process. Similarly to UOB, Hope integrates the financial and the spiritual through the structure of church networks. People who would never have access to loans have a chance in this set-up, and when they’ve reached a sustainable level, they can perhaps join a trust group. Mary Jean had a great testimony of how this sort of thing worked for her and a group of other widows. They are at this point looking to buy their own houses!
We had the rest of the morning to relax and then a lunch meeting with Kat and Mark from Bridge to Rwanda, and Claire from the Rwandan Development Board. What a group. Kat and Mark came first and just talked with us about random things like the lack of addresses in Kigali, the time their house was broken into, and Waco. When Claire arrived we got down to business and talked about economic development in Rwanda. She gave us the basics of what RDB is there for and why it was established in 2008. It seems that many of the ministries and organisations we’ve interacted with are fairly new. The RDB wants to bring business to the private sector in an orderly and efficient way, rather than have duplicate services and product providers. I’m not entirely sure how that would work and still allow competition, but Claire seems rather capable. She said the idea was to do business but not to compete with private businesses (who need income).
She talked about Vision 2020, the “development road map” for Rwanda. It’s an ambitious plan which focuses on economic growth and investment. Rwanda has been the fastest economic reformer in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, there is still so much to be done for growth.
Later on we went to a different market, which I liked better because it was individual little house-room things and each person had their own room of products that they would love to sell to you. I felt less hassled and more able to take my time because our bus was in a central location and it wasn’t a maze to get in and out. I bought the majority of my gifts there. I’m pretty sure I got ripped off, but I am choosing to call it a requested blessing. Also I was able to converse in French and I’m growing more confident – since it’s a necessity for communication I’m forced to use it, which I haven’t been in several years.
Then we went to a sportsy store which had jerseys, trophies, shoes, ballons, etc. Allison was twirling in her skirt outside and misunderstanding ensued after Parker remarked that her knees were showing and that was risqué. Hilarity ensued after we all realized that Allison had heard him say something else... Glad we got that cleared up.
Devotional/Debriefing Time:
Three points of focus…
- We should be careful of our words, and how we react to small disappointments.
- There is power in the group – having others to support and to lean on makes the whole group stronger, and things can get done.
- We need to meet people where they are, to get into their circumstances rather than trying to bring them to our level (whatever that may be). In terms of microfinance, you have to go to the rural people to serve them, rather than only looking after whoever is in town and able to come to the bank. This concept takes on myriad other forms.
For supper, we walked to the mall and bought groceries or walked around or ate at Bourbon (chique restaurant/coffee place). Some of us found Muzungu 1 T-shirts but left them for others of that name. I bought cheap bread from the galette in the grocery store. We saw Paul – not PK but our trip/tour guy. I can’t figure out how, when Kigali is so big, you find people you know all over the place. And that’s only for us – we’ve been here less than a week and we already can know people. This is fun.
The walk to the mall included a little boy walking with us for quite some time, wanting/needing food or money. We just aren’t supposed to give it so that the younger generation does not grow up with a mentality that begging works and is all that’s needed. But it is not easy to walk away.
On the way into the hotel, we met Peter Robinson from Pepperdine University, who knows Ken Starr. Now when I meet our new president, I’ll have something enjoyable to talk about! “Hi, Dr. Starr, I recently spoke with Peter Robinson about how great it is to take students to Rwanda. What are your thoughts?”
Later some folks played more Phase 10, a game that will continue to faze me for some time. I sat there and took down scores and notes, which was probably a needless job that someone else could have done but I stayed anyway. It was really fun, though, to hang out and laugh and be confused and see Joel’s facebook picture mysteriously morph into one of PK. All sorts of values go out the door during this game, such as honesty, compassion, self-control, selflessness… ah! the competitive spirit often drives out charity. Thankfully, it seems as though the door has been reopened to those pleasant virtues.
1 Muzungu means foreigner, white person, or other things too. We hear that everywhere we go.
Items of Note:
• Ms. Coldwell hears everything.
• Don’t give me the Muzungu price. That price is disagreeable.
• Nutella is expensive in Rwanda. Bring your own.
• I was told that I will be a good mother. Note to good mothers: always carry insect spray.
• It’s a bummer to be colour blind during the colour phase of Phase 10.
• I love my teammates.
We started the morning with an 8 o’clock breakfast meeting with Festus, Mary Jean, and Emanuel from Hope International. The organization is based in Pennsylvania and is located in 14 different countries. It runs by savings and credit associations. It’s an interesting system – members of groups save their money and pool it for the needs of different members. Their savings stay with them and there is also no external injection of capital. They borrow each other’s money. This is how Hope intends to reach the poor – by helping them borrow loans of less than $50 in rural areas, rather than by small loans in more urban areas.
The groups make their own policies but Hope helps them in the process. Similarly to UOB, Hope integrates the financial and the spiritual through the structure of church networks. People who would never have access to loans have a chance in this set-up, and when they’ve reached a sustainable level, they can perhaps join a trust group. Mary Jean had a great testimony of how this sort of thing worked for her and a group of other widows. They are at this point looking to buy their own houses!
We had the rest of the morning to relax and then a lunch meeting with Kat and Mark from Bridge to Rwanda, and Claire from the Rwandan Development Board. What a group. Kat and Mark came first and just talked with us about random things like the lack of addresses in Kigali, the time their house was broken into, and Waco. When Claire arrived we got down to business and talked about economic development in Rwanda. She gave us the basics of what RDB is there for and why it was established in 2008. It seems that many of the ministries and organisations we’ve interacted with are fairly new. The RDB wants to bring business to the private sector in an orderly and efficient way, rather than have duplicate services and product providers. I’m not entirely sure how that would work and still allow competition, but Claire seems rather capable. She said the idea was to do business but not to compete with private businesses (who need income).
She talked about Vision 2020, the “development road map” for Rwanda. It’s an ambitious plan which focuses on economic growth and investment. Rwanda has been the fastest economic reformer in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, there is still so much to be done for growth.
Later on we went to a different market, which I liked better because it was individual little house-room things and each person had their own room of products that they would love to sell to you. I felt less hassled and more able to take my time because our bus was in a central location and it wasn’t a maze to get in and out. I bought the majority of my gifts there. I’m pretty sure I got ripped off, but I am choosing to call it a requested blessing. Also I was able to converse in French and I’m growing more confident – since it’s a necessity for communication I’m forced to use it, which I haven’t been in several years.
Then we went to a sportsy store which had jerseys, trophies, shoes, ballons, etc. Allison was twirling in her skirt outside and misunderstanding ensued after Parker remarked that her knees were showing and that was risqué. Hilarity ensued after we all realized that Allison had heard him say something else... Glad we got that cleared up.
Devotional/Debriefing Time:
Three points of focus…
- We should be careful of our words, and how we react to small disappointments.
- There is power in the group – having others to support and to lean on makes the whole group stronger, and things can get done.
- We need to meet people where they are, to get into their circumstances rather than trying to bring them to our level (whatever that may be). In terms of microfinance, you have to go to the rural people to serve them, rather than only looking after whoever is in town and able to come to the bank. This concept takes on myriad other forms.
For supper, we walked to the mall and bought groceries or walked around or ate at Bourbon (chique restaurant/coffee place). Some of us found Muzungu 1 T-shirts but left them for others of that name. I bought cheap bread from the galette in the grocery store. We saw Paul – not PK but our trip/tour guy. I can’t figure out how, when Kigali is so big, you find people you know all over the place. And that’s only for us – we’ve been here less than a week and we already can know people. This is fun.
The walk to the mall included a little boy walking with us for quite some time, wanting/needing food or money. We just aren’t supposed to give it so that the younger generation does not grow up with a mentality that begging works and is all that’s needed. But it is not easy to walk away.
On the way into the hotel, we met Peter Robinson from Pepperdine University, who knows Ken Starr. Now when I meet our new president, I’ll have something enjoyable to talk about! “Hi, Dr. Starr, I recently spoke with Peter Robinson about how great it is to take students to Rwanda. What are your thoughts?”
Later some folks played more Phase 10, a game that will continue to faze me for some time. I sat there and took down scores and notes, which was probably a needless job that someone else could have done but I stayed anyway. It was really fun, though, to hang out and laugh and be confused and see Joel’s facebook picture mysteriously morph into one of PK. All sorts of values go out the door during this game, such as honesty, compassion, self-control, selflessness… ah! the competitive spirit often drives out charity. Thankfully, it seems as though the door has been reopened to those pleasant virtues.
1 Muzungu means foreigner, white person, or other things too. We hear that everywhere we go.
Items of Note:
• Ms. Coldwell hears everything.
• Don’t give me the Muzungu price. That price is disagreeable.
• Nutella is expensive in Rwanda. Bring your own.
• I was told that I will be a good mother. Note to good mothers: always carry insect spray.
• It’s a bummer to be colour blind during the colour phase of Phase 10.
• I love my teammates.
Gradual Restoration
Thursday P.M.:
After a delicious buffet lunch, we went to the Nyamala site. Before the guide explained things to us, we just walked around. It was a much bigger main building than the first one, which means that more people were hiding there; 10,000-11,000 people were killed there on the day the Interahamwe1 arrived. The layout was similar to the first church – clothes lying on pews, blood stains remaining, bullet holes in the roof. There were more bones displayed, and some were just in large bags in one area because they were remains recently found by family members. One family brought in the bones of their loved ones while we were there and laid them out. It was surreal and terrible. In the mass graves about the area, there are about 45,000 people buried. That number is less than 10% of the total number of people killed in 1994.
I don’t know how I would have taken all this if we hadn’t had to watch those films earlier in the semester. In March I could not understand why we needed to go through that but now I see that it has kept me from falling apart in these two experiences. At the very least, I was unsurprised.
Bosco told us lots about the genocide and things like that from personal experience. He told us some of his story, but also said that it was hard for him to talk about. I can't even imagine.
How we managed to move from that to normal activities again is beyond me…except that Emily had her Fujifilm camera that produces instant photographs, and a few children walking on the street got to take a picture of themselves home with them. Seeing the joy that this brought to them provided for a slight lightening of the sadness.
On the way to the market, we had some exciting moments. The first was seeing Paul Kagame, ol’ PK himself, driving down the street! We all freaked out, basically. The next time we freaked out was less desirable; Katey asked an RPF soldier if she could take his photo. The man’s eyes turned an angry shape in very little time. Oh and he was holding a gun. So that was a ‘no.’
The market was an interesting experience for me, mostly uncomfortable because there were so many people and they were all talking to you. This is not my preferred method of communication or transaction. Bargaining is also not too fun2; since I was so new to it and it was tiring, I gave up after buying a few things. I needed more time to take it all in.
While we were waiting at the bus for a bit for everyone to be done, Travis and Campbell prayed for a boy with a broken elbow. Then Campbell got our bus driver to translate while he shared the Gospel with a gathering crowd of men and boys (because we're told that the women are the ones doing the work and the men are always sitting around here, which I've seen and it's interesting...but great because they got to hear the Gospel! Fun stuff.) And others then went out and just started loving on people. It was beautiful. So awesome - anointed to preach good news to the poor, like in Isaiah 61. As we drove away, one man who had decided to follow Jesus shook Campbell’s hand through the window and said something like, “Thank you for the gift you gave me.”
Devotional/Debriefing time:
We reflected on the full day and our reactions.
- We talked about how it felt wrong to be taking photographs in the churches, but that it is needed so that we can help others remember.
- There is a view that some hold that Christianity is for and from white people, and is therefore distasteful to many who remember that white Europeans brought about the division between the people of Rwanda.
- The mothers in Rafiki Village sacrifice most other things in their lives in order to love the children. They’re supposed to be committed to raising those kids.
- Ways to market and sell things at home that we saw in the market.
- The incredible lifestyle gap – even just looking at the market kids and the Rafiki kids.
Dr. Wu encouraged us to think about where to go from here – how can we constructively use what we’ve seen and done and learned, and combine that with ministry? We should look to serve everyone better.
For supper, We walked to a sweet Indian restaurant of deliciousness. Our end of the table was ridiculous. Despite or because of that, we came up with great entrepreneurial ideas such as are listed in my Business Ventures page, a link to which you will see on the right.
1 The Interahamwe was not state-run, but was one of the main groups involved in the genocide – sort of a paramilitary collection of killers.
2 My personal reflection.
Things of note:
• An inchinyomoro is kind of like a wee pomegranate. Tide pens are hard pressed to get out the stains.
• Keeping the glass soda bottles is not kind. They always want them back.
• Bus rides are the perfect chance to drive people crazy with mind games.
• One of my Bibles now belongs to a new Rwandan Christian.
• Can you play this game? Listen to me: if Rwanda is a cup and my pet cricket likes sunlight, we will spend 3 days in Chicago. This is deep, but your teeth are profound. Bang bang bang! Who’s dead? It is Travis’s watch, which is not a cup.
After a delicious buffet lunch, we went to the Nyamala site. Before the guide explained things to us, we just walked around. It was a much bigger main building than the first one, which means that more people were hiding there; 10,000-11,000 people were killed there on the day the Interahamwe1 arrived. The layout was similar to the first church – clothes lying on pews, blood stains remaining, bullet holes in the roof. There were more bones displayed, and some were just in large bags in one area because they were remains recently found by family members. One family brought in the bones of their loved ones while we were there and laid them out. It was surreal and terrible. In the mass graves about the area, there are about 45,000 people buried. That number is less than 10% of the total number of people killed in 1994.
I don’t know how I would have taken all this if we hadn’t had to watch those films earlier in the semester. In March I could not understand why we needed to go through that but now I see that it has kept me from falling apart in these two experiences. At the very least, I was unsurprised.
Bosco told us lots about the genocide and things like that from personal experience. He told us some of his story, but also said that it was hard for him to talk about. I can't even imagine.
How we managed to move from that to normal activities again is beyond me…except that Emily had her Fujifilm camera that produces instant photographs, and a few children walking on the street got to take a picture of themselves home with them. Seeing the joy that this brought to them provided for a slight lightening of the sadness.
On the way to the market, we had some exciting moments. The first was seeing Paul Kagame, ol’ PK himself, driving down the street! We all freaked out, basically. The next time we freaked out was less desirable; Katey asked an RPF soldier if she could take his photo. The man’s eyes turned an angry shape in very little time. Oh and he was holding a gun. So that was a ‘no.’
The market was an interesting experience for me, mostly uncomfortable because there were so many people and they were all talking to you. This is not my preferred method of communication or transaction. Bargaining is also not too fun2; since I was so new to it and it was tiring, I gave up after buying a few things. I needed more time to take it all in.
While we were waiting at the bus for a bit for everyone to be done, Travis and Campbell prayed for a boy with a broken elbow. Then Campbell got our bus driver to translate while he shared the Gospel with a gathering crowd of men and boys (because we're told that the women are the ones doing the work and the men are always sitting around here, which I've seen and it's interesting...but great because they got to hear the Gospel! Fun stuff.) And others then went out and just started loving on people. It was beautiful. So awesome - anointed to preach good news to the poor, like in Isaiah 61. As we drove away, one man who had decided to follow Jesus shook Campbell’s hand through the window and said something like, “Thank you for the gift you gave me.”
Devotional/Debriefing time:
We reflected on the full day and our reactions.
- We talked about how it felt wrong to be taking photographs in the churches, but that it is needed so that we can help others remember.
- There is a view that some hold that Christianity is for and from white people, and is therefore distasteful to many who remember that white Europeans brought about the division between the people of Rwanda.
- The mothers in Rafiki Village sacrifice most other things in their lives in order to love the children. They’re supposed to be committed to raising those kids.
- Ways to market and sell things at home that we saw in the market.
- The incredible lifestyle gap – even just looking at the market kids and the Rafiki kids.
Dr. Wu encouraged us to think about where to go from here – how can we constructively use what we’ve seen and done and learned, and combine that with ministry? We should look to serve everyone better.
For supper, We walked to a sweet Indian restaurant of deliciousness. Our end of the table was ridiculous. Despite or because of that, we came up with great entrepreneurial ideas such as are listed in my Business Ventures page, a link to which you will see on the right.
1 The Interahamwe was not state-run, but was one of the main groups involved in the genocide – sort of a paramilitary collection of killers.
2 My personal reflection.
Things of note:
• An inchinyomoro is kind of like a wee pomegranate. Tide pens are hard pressed to get out the stains.
• Keeping the glass soda bottles is not kind. They always want them back.
• Bus rides are the perfect chance to drive people crazy with mind games.
• One of my Bibles now belongs to a new Rwandan Christian.
• Can you play this game? Listen to me: if Rwanda is a cup and my pet cricket likes sunlight, we will spend 3 days in Chicago. This is deep, but your teeth are profound. Bang bang bang! Who’s dead? It is Travis’s watch, which is not a cup.
If You Knew Me
Many of us woke up Thursday to nifty bird noises from an unidentified source. It was early. It sounded nice1.
Thursday was a full day and it took a lot out of all of us, I think. I will now proceed to tell you why.
Thursday A.M.:
We boarded our beloved bus in the morning and drove out of Kigali. Just for the record, bus rides are some of my favourite times with everyone. We get to just relax for a bit and hang out with each other. It’s so pleasant; it is also the source of jokes and quotes for my records.
The drive through the countryside (paysage) was so gorgeous. We were all plastered to the windows snapping away with our cameras. I’m very lucky that green is my favourite colour. The hills just keep going, and the land is covered with growth. We drove past a swamp where people probably hid during the genocide. The génocidaires would often send dogs in to find people who were hiding in the bush. That was a thought to help us prepare for what was coming…
We first visited the church at Ntarama, which is now a genocide memorial so that no one forgets what happened, in order that it should never happen again. People were all around as we parked; it struck me as interesting that they would hang around a place like that (although Bosco, our splendid driver, told us they were there to get their new national IDs2 so they could vote in the upcoming election). It would seem eerie to me if I lived there. Not that it wasn’t anyway. As we went into the main church building, the first things I saw were skulls. Sorry if that shocks…but that’s not the worst. There were shelves of bones and skulls. On the pews and hanging from rafters were the clothes of the victims, unwashed and dusty from the years they’d been there. Bosco mentioned that people fled to churches during the conflict because it was always generally known that “no one can kill you there.” How tragic that these places were desecrated so.
One of the buildings had been burnt with people in it. There were shelves of burnt and mangled belongings, books, Bibles, shoes, and other miscellaneous items. Somewhere was written: “If you knew me and you knew yourself you wouldn’t have killed me.” 5000 people were killed in Ntarama church in one day.
Fortunately, on our way to the second church site, we had a change of plans and rerouted to Rafiki Village, where we met and spoke with Patty Yoss. Rafiki Village is home to a good number of orphans who Patty and others have found based on recommendations from the government. They investigate the situation of each child and then accept some in to the Village. When the orphans arrive they are anywhere from 18 months to five years (and Rafiki only opened about 1 ½ years ago). The children live in cottages with a “mother” who cares for them. They are taught everything one would learn from a classical Christian education, plus English (required by the government) and other Rwandan curriculum items.
As the organisation moves further on in time, they plan to have the children stay until they finish secondary school, and then pay for each one’s university education. One of the goals of Rafiki is to raise the orphans to become Godly contributors to Rwanda, to help the country in many different ways with a generation of Christ-followers who, as someone said in our debriefing time that night, may end up being the leaders of Rwanda one day.
It was peacefully refreshing to play with the kiddos there after a very sobering morning. They were so beautiful and joyous. They spoke to us in English and we all played with blocks and took pictures. I got to hang out to Epa and Dadi, two little boys who were fascinated by Katey’s nice camera. The children sang songs for us, and at the end little five-year-old Naomi prayed. In that moment, I felt so small; it was pretty humbling to hear a sweet young one talk to her Father, though she has no earthly one, in such a trusting and knowing manner. As she prayed I really questioned whether the kids were supposed to help us more than we were supposed to help them.
1 My personal reflection.
2 The new IDs have no Tutsi or Hutu identification. They are just Rwandan.
Thursday was a full day and it took a lot out of all of us, I think. I will now proceed to tell you why.
Thursday A.M.:
We boarded our beloved bus in the morning and drove out of Kigali. Just for the record, bus rides are some of my favourite times with everyone. We get to just relax for a bit and hang out with each other. It’s so pleasant; it is also the source of jokes and quotes for my records.
The drive through the countryside (paysage) was so gorgeous. We were all plastered to the windows snapping away with our cameras. I’m very lucky that green is my favourite colour. The hills just keep going, and the land is covered with growth. We drove past a swamp where people probably hid during the genocide. The génocidaires would often send dogs in to find people who were hiding in the bush. That was a thought to help us prepare for what was coming…
We first visited the church at Ntarama, which is now a genocide memorial so that no one forgets what happened, in order that it should never happen again. People were all around as we parked; it struck me as interesting that they would hang around a place like that (although Bosco, our splendid driver, told us they were there to get their new national IDs2 so they could vote in the upcoming election). It would seem eerie to me if I lived there. Not that it wasn’t anyway. As we went into the main church building, the first things I saw were skulls. Sorry if that shocks…but that’s not the worst. There were shelves of bones and skulls. On the pews and hanging from rafters were the clothes of the victims, unwashed and dusty from the years they’d been there. Bosco mentioned that people fled to churches during the conflict because it was always generally known that “no one can kill you there.” How tragic that these places were desecrated so.
One of the buildings had been burnt with people in it. There were shelves of burnt and mangled belongings, books, Bibles, shoes, and other miscellaneous items. Somewhere was written: “If you knew me and you knew yourself you wouldn’t have killed me.” 5000 people were killed in Ntarama church in one day.
Fortunately, on our way to the second church site, we had a change of plans and rerouted to Rafiki Village, where we met and spoke with Patty Yoss. Rafiki Village is home to a good number of orphans who Patty and others have found based on recommendations from the government. They investigate the situation of each child and then accept some in to the Village. When the orphans arrive they are anywhere from 18 months to five years (and Rafiki only opened about 1 ½ years ago). The children live in cottages with a “mother” who cares for them. They are taught everything one would learn from a classical Christian education, plus English (required by the government) and other Rwandan curriculum items.
As the organisation moves further on in time, they plan to have the children stay until they finish secondary school, and then pay for each one’s university education. One of the goals of Rafiki is to raise the orphans to become Godly contributors to Rwanda, to help the country in many different ways with a generation of Christ-followers who, as someone said in our debriefing time that night, may end up being the leaders of Rwanda one day.
It was peacefully refreshing to play with the kiddos there after a very sobering morning. They were so beautiful and joyous. They spoke to us in English and we all played with blocks and took pictures. I got to hang out to Epa and Dadi, two little boys who were fascinated by Katey’s nice camera. The children sang songs for us, and at the end little five-year-old Naomi prayed. In that moment, I felt so small; it was pretty humbling to hear a sweet young one talk to her Father, though she has no earthly one, in such a trusting and knowing manner. As she prayed I really questioned whether the kids were supposed to help us more than we were supposed to help them.
1 My personal reflection.
2 The new IDs have no Tutsi or Hutu identification. They are just Rwandan.
21 May 2010
Microfinance in Action
Wednesday was eye-opening. Well, I guess that can be said for every next day we're here.
Wednesday A.M.:
We visited Urwego Opportunity Bank. Urwego means ladder - the bank helps people climb out of poverty and into better welfare. It's such a cool organisation because its purpose is not only to improve the financial aspects of lives, but the spiritual part too. The bank trains people about money but also about living as a Christian. Legit! Some of us want to open accounts there - it just takes a small deposit. Then they'd have a little more money in there, too. And it would be handy for the next time I might come back. (who knows?)
We then drove outside the main part of Kigali to visit four different trust groups (we split up into two groups and each met with two). Our first one was called (if I can spell it right) Aviseranye, meaning "people who trust each other." That is lovely. We drove into a poorer neighbourhood and when we arrived, the people ushered us in to the living room, insisting that we sit on the furniture while they stand or sit on the floor. We opened with prayer and then Emory, one of the bank employees, talked about how the group was doing very well and had come far in their growth. Peace, another employee, translated as we interacted with the group. We got to ask them questions about what they do, how their lives are, what they hope for the future, etc. It was really neat to see the effects of microfinance and those it has impacted.
They asked us questions too, especially: What are you doing here? :) Then we got to talk about (through Taylor mostly) our hopes for learning how to do missions along with business or whatever else we're called to, and how UOB does a great job of this. They thought that was good, and they asked us not to forget them, to greet our families for them, and to come back to see them. What beautiful people.
The second group we met with was named Abishema, and they too gave us their furniture. We had a similar conversation with them. They told us we looked much older than we were, which is quite a compliment here because it means we have been well-nourished and are growing up healthily. They were wondering if we were married because we looked old enough. And they told us that because they have now known us and we share one faith, we are friends forever. I think I'm learning so much that I want to take back home; how to treat people and honour them, how to live simply, how to have patience, etc.
Also I was able to converse a little in French, which was exciting. I was beginning to feel it was useless in Texas (which it is) but I’m glad to know that it’s not useless in all places. Especially since I don’t know Kinyarwanda. But I’d like to.
Our tour guide, who is our age, is named Fred. He's awesome and always smiling. He's so helpful and friendly. And another interesting thing is that his father was an officer in the RPF with Paul Kagame when they came into Rwanda from Uganda to stop the genocide.
Wednesday P.M.:
We visited the Rwanda Trading Company, which is run (I believe) by our friend Todd Brogden, who we met last month when he came to Baylor. We had a tour of the coffee plant and then were able to taste it - like wine tasting. But different. I had a delightful conversation with the Taster, Leticia. She was beautiful and sweet. We talked about coffee, what we were doing, her life, etc. And then they gave us each free coffee.
We ate supper at a nice place, the New Cactus (I guess the old one stepped down)…and had pizza. It was nice, though. Our end of the table was unfortunately far away from Todd Brogden so we tried to amuse ourselves (which is not at all difficult). We took photographs of funny faces, folded napkins in fancy ways, tried to pronounce our names backwards, and found our blind spots. Nick took more candid photos, which everyone loves. Blake enlightened us as to why we think we see different colours when we see the same one, and other confusing things about eyes. Kelcy put her arm over a candle. Travis bravely tried the spicy oil first so we could all know how hot it was. Joel told us about a fun game where you shine flashlights at people and they fall over. Campbell was generally hilarious. I don’t know what I did other than remember these random things (which, no, were not things I took notes on).
Things of note:
• I heard a Nicole C. Mullen song as we drove past one part of town – When You Call on Jesus…
• The infrastructure here seems to be improving but could still use a lot of work.
• I can’t help everyone. I can help someone.
• I had an unlucky night with making weird faces for photos; I couldn’t do it on command!
• It’s refreshing to meet Americans in other countries who aren’t tourists but are here.
• I don’t have malaria.
Wednesday A.M.:
We visited Urwego Opportunity Bank. Urwego means ladder - the bank helps people climb out of poverty and into better welfare. It's such a cool organisation because its purpose is not only to improve the financial aspects of lives, but the spiritual part too. The bank trains people about money but also about living as a Christian. Legit! Some of us want to open accounts there - it just takes a small deposit. Then they'd have a little more money in there, too. And it would be handy for the next time I might come back. (who knows?)
We then drove outside the main part of Kigali to visit four different trust groups (we split up into two groups and each met with two). Our first one was called (if I can spell it right) Aviseranye, meaning "people who trust each other." That is lovely. We drove into a poorer neighbourhood and when we arrived, the people ushered us in to the living room, insisting that we sit on the furniture while they stand or sit on the floor. We opened with prayer and then Emory, one of the bank employees, talked about how the group was doing very well and had come far in their growth. Peace, another employee, translated as we interacted with the group. We got to ask them questions about what they do, how their lives are, what they hope for the future, etc. It was really neat to see the effects of microfinance and those it has impacted.
They asked us questions too, especially: What are you doing here? :) Then we got to talk about (through Taylor mostly) our hopes for learning how to do missions along with business or whatever else we're called to, and how UOB does a great job of this. They thought that was good, and they asked us not to forget them, to greet our families for them, and to come back to see them. What beautiful people.
The second group we met with was named Abishema, and they too gave us their furniture. We had a similar conversation with them. They told us we looked much older than we were, which is quite a compliment here because it means we have been well-nourished and are growing up healthily. They were wondering if we were married because we looked old enough. And they told us that because they have now known us and we share one faith, we are friends forever. I think I'm learning so much that I want to take back home; how to treat people and honour them, how to live simply, how to have patience, etc.
Also I was able to converse a little in French, which was exciting. I was beginning to feel it was useless in Texas (which it is) but I’m glad to know that it’s not useless in all places. Especially since I don’t know Kinyarwanda. But I’d like to.
Our tour guide, who is our age, is named Fred. He's awesome and always smiling. He's so helpful and friendly. And another interesting thing is that his father was an officer in the RPF with Paul Kagame when they came into Rwanda from Uganda to stop the genocide.
Wednesday P.M.:
We visited the Rwanda Trading Company, which is run (I believe) by our friend Todd Brogden, who we met last month when he came to Baylor. We had a tour of the coffee plant and then were able to taste it - like wine tasting. But different. I had a delightful conversation with the Taster, Leticia. She was beautiful and sweet. We talked about coffee, what we were doing, her life, etc. And then they gave us each free coffee.
We ate supper at a nice place, the New Cactus (I guess the old one stepped down)…and had pizza. It was nice, though. Our end of the table was unfortunately far away from Todd Brogden so we tried to amuse ourselves (which is not at all difficult). We took photographs of funny faces, folded napkins in fancy ways, tried to pronounce our names backwards, and found our blind spots. Nick took more candid photos, which everyone loves. Blake enlightened us as to why we think we see different colours when we see the same one, and other confusing things about eyes. Kelcy put her arm over a candle. Travis bravely tried the spicy oil first so we could all know how hot it was. Joel told us about a fun game where you shine flashlights at people and they fall over. Campbell was generally hilarious. I don’t know what I did other than remember these random things (which, no, were not things I took notes on).
Things of note:
• I heard a Nicole C. Mullen song as we drove past one part of town – When You Call on Jesus…
• The infrastructure here seems to be improving but could still use a lot of work.
• I can’t help everyone. I can help someone.
• I had an unlucky night with making weird faces for photos; I couldn’t do it on command!
• It’s refreshing to meet Americans in other countries who aren’t tourists but are here.
• I don’t have malaria.
19 May 2010
Memorials
The rest of Tuesday afternoon was spent traveling around Kigali, to two sites specifically.
1) Belgian Memorial. In April 1994, ten Belgian soldiers were there to protect the Prime Ministre, Agathe Uwilingiyimana, who was a moderate Hutu, in the tense times before the genocide began. After President Habyarimana's plane was shot down, the Prime Ministre was killed along with her family. The ten soldiers were taken to this site and were killed by grenade, gun, and machete. The memorial area has ten pillars set up in memory. Inside the building, one part is just the room where the men were shot. There are bullet holes outside and inside, and there is still some blood on the walls. The other rooms have more information on the walls to read about this incident and the genocide, etc. It was a sobering way to be introduced to Rwanda. But things didn't lighten up after that.
2) Genocide Memorial. Beautifully and thoughtfully put together. The grounds had many locations of mass graves -- thousands of people are buried there. Inside is more like a museum. The story of the genocide is told in some detail, including stories of specific people and their suffering and deaths. There is a section also just about the children who were murdered. The top floor talks about genocide worldwide and covers different instances, such as Cambodia, Armenia, the Holocaust, etc. I hate that I have to put an 'et cetera' on there. I hate that this has happened so many times on earth that there has to be a museum about it. It makes me angry and sad all at once. It reminds me of something Theoden says in The Two Towers (film), regarding the Uruk-Hai (an army bred for a single purpose: to destroy the world of men): "What can men do against such reckless hate?"
I'm not sure that it's a rhetorical question...
I came to feel physically sick towards the end. I can't imagine what I would have felt if I had gone in not already knowing what had happened here. I am so disappointed with the international community for acting in ways that really made it all worse. I'm also amazed at how Rwanda is recovering; more about that to come.
I haven't said anything about today (Wednesday) yet, but it's bedtime so I'll work on it tomorrow. Still trying to catch up from the journey.
Things of note:
1) Belgian Memorial. In April 1994, ten Belgian soldiers were there to protect the Prime Ministre, Agathe Uwilingiyimana, who was a moderate Hutu, in the tense times before the genocide began. After President Habyarimana's plane was shot down, the Prime Ministre was killed along with her family. The ten soldiers were taken to this site and were killed by grenade, gun, and machete. The memorial area has ten pillars set up in memory. Inside the building, one part is just the room where the men were shot. There are bullet holes outside and inside, and there is still some blood on the walls. The other rooms have more information on the walls to read about this incident and the genocide, etc. It was a sobering way to be introduced to Rwanda. But things didn't lighten up after that.
2) Genocide Memorial. Beautifully and thoughtfully put together. The grounds had many locations of mass graves -- thousands of people are buried there. Inside is more like a museum. The story of the genocide is told in some detail, including stories of specific people and their suffering and deaths. There is a section also just about the children who were murdered. The top floor talks about genocide worldwide and covers different instances, such as Cambodia, Armenia, the Holocaust, etc. I hate that I have to put an 'et cetera' on there. I hate that this has happened so many times on earth that there has to be a museum about it. It makes me angry and sad all at once. It reminds me of something Theoden says in The Two Towers (film), regarding the Uruk-Hai (an army bred for a single purpose: to destroy the world of men): "What can men do against such reckless hate?"
I'm not sure that it's a rhetorical question...
I came to feel physically sick towards the end. I can't imagine what I would have felt if I had gone in not already knowing what had happened here. I am so disappointed with the international community for acting in ways that really made it all worse. I'm also amazed at how Rwanda is recovering; more about that to come.
I haven't said anything about today (Wednesday) yet, but it's bedtime so I'll work on it tomorrow. Still trying to catch up from the journey.
Things of note:
- Americans worry about silly things.
- Jesus' words about anger and hatred are so true. They totally count as murder; in this case, they led to it.
- I have a lot to learn.
18 May 2010
Having Arrived
Praise the Lord. My roommate and I are now what you might call 'chilling' in a nice hotel in Kigali, although it's actually sticky and hot. We are not to wear sleeveless shirts or shorts outside, but right now in the room it seems necessary for some relief.
The journey here was incredibly long and now seems like a hazy stream of consciousness and unconsciousness. We took off from Waco without a hitch after praying with the other teams headed to Africa. Then we waited for about two hours in line to check our bags, after which we hurried through security and made it just in time to board to take off around 9:00pm. Then followed a lovely flight to London, during which I dozed off and on, thereby surprising myself. I must have been exhausted, because I rarely fall asleep on planes. I had planned to read and write but I simply couldn't. So I'd wake up for a bit and watch a movie, sleep, wake up and see another movie, sleep.
We landed in London at 12:30pm Monday. Some of us went with one of our professors to meet some of her friends. They led us around town a bit. We visited Kensington Palace and Gardens, and had a spot of tea at the Orangery there. Then, sadly, we had to return to the glorious place of mass air transit. We got to experience a little train ride, Underground, and walking across London streets. When we entered the area of Kensington Palace, our guide pointed out embassies along the street. We saw Israel's flag, as well as South Africa's. That was neat.
That evening we left London around 8:00, arriving in Kenya at 6:00 this morning. There was talk that the volcanic ash from Iceland might interfere, but thankfully it didn't. This second flight, I hardly slept whatsoever. That's because it was daytime for my body and nighttime for real. I spent time with God, wrote in journals, organized some things for school, played word games, and watched half of two movies. Right after they served us breakfast, I was accosted by achy, tired eyes and an almost absent mind. Which was a bummer, because we were about to land. I sat next to a worn-out fellow who works for the UN. He told me he was South African. I could have told him that. :)
Kenya. I wish I could have actually seen it, but the airport was definitely a new experience after Western culture. Small hallways, people looking at you a little differently, things not in English, grasshoppers on the walls, low security, "special offers" on M&Ms. Sounds great!
And we came into Rwanda around 8:00 this morning, beautifully sunny and hopeful. Peacefully went through customs and were met by congenial fellows who loaded our luggage into vans and delivered us here, to the Hotel Gorillas. It's a very pleasant place. While we were waiting for our rooms, we were brought glasses of this sort of mango iced tea liquid. Birds are heard all over the place. People waved at us as we drove here from the airport; we kind of stand out.
Now we're resting until our next phase...and getting used to being here, waiting, and taking advantage of rest. Our feet are a little swollen, but aside from that and feeling gross, everything has gone dandily. Oh and I'm exhausted. Apparently it's about 4am Texas time, and I am feeling that very strongly right now. It is coming close to naptime.
I said earlier that the concept of going to Rwanda wouldn't hit me much until we actually arrived. Having arrived, I must correct that a bit by saying that it is only beginning to be clear to me that I am spending two weeks on another continent, as a minority, tourist, student, and I hope, servant. The drive from the airport was amazing. If you could only see the countryside in person, because a camera cannot adequately capture that beauty. We saw all kinds of people doing a countless number of different things, and I realized that there really are people who live in places like this and have their own stories and culture and purpose. And that fascinates me. I am excited now, however hesitant I was before.
-----------------------------------
Items of Note*:
*(this idea borrowed from my dear friend Kim's blog)
The journey here was incredibly long and now seems like a hazy stream of consciousness and unconsciousness. We took off from Waco without a hitch after praying with the other teams headed to Africa. Then we waited for about two hours in line to check our bags, after which we hurried through security and made it just in time to board to take off around 9:00pm. Then followed a lovely flight to London, during which I dozed off and on, thereby surprising myself. I must have been exhausted, because I rarely fall asleep on planes. I had planned to read and write but I simply couldn't. So I'd wake up for a bit and watch a movie, sleep, wake up and see another movie, sleep.
We landed in London at 12:30pm Monday. Some of us went with one of our professors to meet some of her friends. They led us around town a bit. We visited Kensington Palace and Gardens, and had a spot of tea at the Orangery there. Then, sadly, we had to return to the glorious place of mass air transit. We got to experience a little train ride, Underground, and walking across London streets. When we entered the area of Kensington Palace, our guide pointed out embassies along the street. We saw Israel's flag, as well as South Africa's. That was neat.
That evening we left London around 8:00, arriving in Kenya at 6:00 this morning. There was talk that the volcanic ash from Iceland might interfere, but thankfully it didn't. This second flight, I hardly slept whatsoever. That's because it was daytime for my body and nighttime for real. I spent time with God, wrote in journals, organized some things for school, played word games, and watched half of two movies. Right after they served us breakfast, I was accosted by achy, tired eyes and an almost absent mind. Which was a bummer, because we were about to land. I sat next to a worn-out fellow who works for the UN. He told me he was South African. I could have told him that. :)
Kenya. I wish I could have actually seen it, but the airport was definitely a new experience after Western culture. Small hallways, people looking at you a little differently, things not in English, grasshoppers on the walls, low security, "special offers" on M&Ms. Sounds great!
And we came into Rwanda around 8:00 this morning, beautifully sunny and hopeful. Peacefully went through customs and were met by congenial fellows who loaded our luggage into vans and delivered us here, to the Hotel Gorillas. It's a very pleasant place. While we were waiting for our rooms, we were brought glasses of this sort of mango iced tea liquid. Birds are heard all over the place. People waved at us as we drove here from the airport; we kind of stand out.
Now we're resting until our next phase...and getting used to being here, waiting, and taking advantage of rest. Our feet are a little swollen, but aside from that and feeling gross, everything has gone dandily. Oh and I'm exhausted. Apparently it's about 4am Texas time, and I am feeling that very strongly right now. It is coming close to naptime.
I said earlier that the concept of going to Rwanda wouldn't hit me much until we actually arrived. Having arrived, I must correct that a bit by saying that it is only beginning to be clear to me that I am spending two weeks on another continent, as a minority, tourist, student, and I hope, servant. The drive from the airport was amazing. If you could only see the countryside in person, because a camera cannot adequately capture that beauty. We saw all kinds of people doing a countless number of different things, and I realized that there really are people who live in places like this and have their own stories and culture and purpose. And that fascinates me. I am excited now, however hesitant I was before.
-----------------------------------
Items of Note*:
- Some birds deposit green poop.
- Kenya Airways gave me PG Tips and marmalade this morning. I am pleased.
- Don't eat tomatoes here. And close your mouth when you shower.
- Beds are gifts from heaven.
- I have spend almost 30 hours trying to get to Rwanda.
- I am literally falling asleep.
*(this idea borrowed from my dear friend Kim's blog)
16 May 2010
Time to Embark
I leave today! The thought still occurs to me as a far-off event; who knows if it will ever happen? But it is about to. In a little over 12 hours I will be on the way.
The past week was very busy and unrestful, and the people in Baylor Missions kept telling us to be preparing our hearts, which I have found difficult to do. Good thing it'll take a couple of days to get there. :) However, I think there is only so much preparation to be done. The rest will hit me as I deplane in Kigali. And over the next two weeks.
There doesn't seem to be much left to say that wouldn't sound like babbling, except this:
I have experienced the provision of God like never before. This seems like a good time to talk about it.
In January, I made the official decision to go on this trip by laying down the first deposit for a goodly chunk of money. I was so unsure as to what I should do; I'd been praying and asking others to pray, but I hadn't heard anything clearly from the Lord. I called my dad on the day the deposit was due and asked his advice. He said to trust where I feel God is leading me, and he prayed with me. I was reassured and made the deposit. That was a Friday, and I paid that first bit with the knowledge that I did not have enough money in my possession to pay for the rest. That weekend my church had a huge conference, and on the second night of it, a day after I made the deposit, a person who was praying for me told me that God was going to cover my finances and take care of me. I don't know that person, but God spoke through her to the place of insecurity in my heart. Then, even though I didn't have the physical money, I had a promise.
And then the craziness began. I applied for one scholarship and received it. I applied for another smaller one and received it. Some people gave me financial gifts. Then came the largest scholarship yet, and it was one I didn't apply for. By this point, I was astounded by God's faithfulness. I hadn't asked anyone to give me money; I kept not having time to send support lettres, and I didn't know where I should send them. And then I asked the school for more money, and it was given, so that a week before I was to leave, I had my trip basically completely covered. I remembered God's promise to me, and I see that it has been fulfilled to the fullest extent.
How faithful God is to meet our needs. In this case, the provision of finances was tantamount to confirmation for me that I did follow God's leading in choosing this trip. But regardless of our wants being met, He knows our true needs. I believe that He will continue to give me what I need for this trip, spiritually, physically, relationally, etc. Because He is a God of wholeness and completeness. He finishes what He starts.
So I intend to embark on this journey down the Road with eyes and ears open to what God is doing, expecting to see Him. I want to be a vessel of Christ's peace and compassion and to draw my strength from Him through every situation. I can hardly believe I've been so blessed. Here we go. As my grandparents say, Bon voyage!
The past week was very busy and unrestful, and the people in Baylor Missions kept telling us to be preparing our hearts, which I have found difficult to do. Good thing it'll take a couple of days to get there. :) However, I think there is only so much preparation to be done. The rest will hit me as I deplane in Kigali. And over the next two weeks.
There doesn't seem to be much left to say that wouldn't sound like babbling, except this:
I have experienced the provision of God like never before. This seems like a good time to talk about it.
In January, I made the official decision to go on this trip by laying down the first deposit for a goodly chunk of money. I was so unsure as to what I should do; I'd been praying and asking others to pray, but I hadn't heard anything clearly from the Lord. I called my dad on the day the deposit was due and asked his advice. He said to trust where I feel God is leading me, and he prayed with me. I was reassured and made the deposit. That was a Friday, and I paid that first bit with the knowledge that I did not have enough money in my possession to pay for the rest. That weekend my church had a huge conference, and on the second night of it, a day after I made the deposit, a person who was praying for me told me that God was going to cover my finances and take care of me. I don't know that person, but God spoke through her to the place of insecurity in my heart. Then, even though I didn't have the physical money, I had a promise.
And then the craziness began. I applied for one scholarship and received it. I applied for another smaller one and received it. Some people gave me financial gifts. Then came the largest scholarship yet, and it was one I didn't apply for. By this point, I was astounded by God's faithfulness. I hadn't asked anyone to give me money; I kept not having time to send support lettres, and I didn't know where I should send them. And then I asked the school for more money, and it was given, so that a week before I was to leave, I had my trip basically completely covered. I remembered God's promise to me, and I see that it has been fulfilled to the fullest extent.
How faithful God is to meet our needs. In this case, the provision of finances was tantamount to confirmation for me that I did follow God's leading in choosing this trip. But regardless of our wants being met, He knows our true needs. I believe that He will continue to give me what I need for this trip, spiritually, physically, relationally, etc. Because He is a God of wholeness and completeness. He finishes what He starts.
So I intend to embark on this journey down the Road with eyes and ears open to what God is doing, expecting to see Him. I want to be a vessel of Christ's peace and compassion and to draw my strength from Him through every situation. I can hardly believe I've been so blessed. Here we go. As my grandparents say, Bon voyage!
18 April 2010
Some Glimpses
Kigali, Rwandan capital.
Juvenal Habyarimana, whose plane was shot down April 1994.
Paul Kagame, leader of the Rwandan Patriotic Front and currently head of state of Rwanda.
UN General of UNAMIR 1994, Romeo Dallaire
Countryside.
17 April 2010
Visual Education
The Rwandan genocide of April 1994. Easy enough to say, not even that difficult to hear an explanation of it. I had never heard of it until last fall at one of the first meetings for the trip group. In one of my classes on Africa this semester, I read about it. And then the first two actual classes in preparation for the trip, we watched movies dealing with the genocide. I think that's when it finally hit me -- the terror, hatred, demonic anger.
After the first night, I could not sleep. The content bothered me so much that I couldn't get it off my mind. I was blessed to not have nightmares. The second one bothered me more, because the images were sudden and frightening, but not explicitly violent. I had left the first movie feeling heartbroken, but when I left after the second, I wanted to punch something.
Despite these miserable experiences, I feel like I better understand what happened, from the perspective of those in Rwanda. My journal took the full force of my emotions, so I'm much more calm now. :)
I found myself questioning lots of things about humanity and evil. If you ever watch these films, you'll probably do the same. It's good to think about.
* Movies watched: Sometimes in April, and Shake Hands With the Devil
I found this website that gives a pretty accurate picture of what happened.
Also, here are trailers for movies made about the genocide.
Shake Hands With the Devil
Hotel Rwanda
Sometimes in April was so graphic that I wouldn't recommend viewing it unless you feel you must.
After the first night, I could not sleep. The content bothered me so much that I couldn't get it off my mind. I was blessed to not have nightmares. The second one bothered me more, because the images were sudden and frightening, but not explicitly violent. I had left the first movie feeling heartbroken, but when I left after the second, I wanted to punch something.
Despite these miserable experiences, I feel like I better understand what happened, from the perspective of those in Rwanda. My journal took the full force of my emotions, so I'm much more calm now. :)
I found myself questioning lots of things about humanity and evil. If you ever watch these films, you'll probably do the same. It's good to think about.
* Movies watched: Sometimes in April, and Shake Hands With the Devil
I found this website that gives a pretty accurate picture of what happened.
Also, here are trailers for movies made about the genocide.
Shake Hands With the Devil
Hotel Rwanda
Sometimes in April was so graphic that I wouldn't recommend viewing it unless you feel you must.
12 April 2010
Before the Beginning
Well, this is my first blog entry ever. I'm told I should keep one for this trip, which I will attempt to do faithfully.
This first entry is rather uninteresting, however, because nothing has yet occurred. I mostly want to talk about God's provision. I have lettres to send out asking for assistance -- prayer and finanical. I am walking in faith that the Lord will take care of me. I have received wonderful, generous help from several folks. I also have one scholarship. These help me loads, but I still haven't paid for it all yet. I have technically paid for less than a quarter of the costs.
I also hadn't given much thought at first to extra costs for necessities such as immunizations (you'd think that'd be obvious), appropriate clothing, etc. I never realized things cost so much...welcome to the adult world!
I am excited to see what God does through all of this, and I won't hesitate to praise Him when it's all taken care of! In fact, I think I'll praise Him beforehand as well. :) He will give me my daily bread. I just need to seek His kingdom first.
This first entry is rather uninteresting, however, because nothing has yet occurred. I mostly want to talk about God's provision. I have lettres to send out asking for assistance -- prayer and finanical. I am walking in faith that the Lord will take care of me. I have received wonderful, generous help from several folks. I also have one scholarship. These help me loads, but I still haven't paid for it all yet. I have technically paid for less than a quarter of the costs.
I also hadn't given much thought at first to extra costs for necessities such as immunizations (you'd think that'd be obvious), appropriate clothing, etc. I never realized things cost so much...welcome to the adult world!
I am excited to see what God does through all of this, and I won't hesitate to praise Him when it's all taken care of! In fact, I think I'll praise Him beforehand as well. :) He will give me my daily bread. I just need to seek His kingdom first.
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