Today is the last day of re-entry camp and we have been state side for about 3 days. It is still a very surreal feeling and I do not know whether I like it or not. God did some amazing things this summer and I do not know the half of what he was trying to teach me yet but I am excited as he continues to reveal himself to me through my experiences.
It has been a good and difficult 3 days here in El Paso, TX with re-entry camp but today was by far the most difficult yet. We had to say "Good-Bye" to Cassie and Brian this morning at 4:30 am. It was really difficult to say because we all have grown so close this summer. "Good-Byes" are never ever easy and they always seem to come at the worse times...
The things I have learned this summer are going to change and shape the rest of my life! God taught me one vital thing this summer...To ALWAYS follow him, NO matter what the situation is and how difficult the situation might be...HE KNOWS WHAT IS BEST FOR YOUR LIFE! Also, to never compromise on anything or my beliefs...there is still so very much more but I am going to process all of these things a little more slowly because I am already overwhelmed by the whole situation of being back in the states and saying "Good-Bye" to my friends.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Well time is short...
My time here in Africa is drawing to an end and this will probably be my last post while in the country! All of this makes me extremely sad!
Although my last couple of weeks in Africa has been amazing!
I just got back from CONGO DR. It was amazing and so eye opening! My whole world view in now under question and thinking.
Honestly, I have been to Burundi, Uganda and Congo in the last 2 weeks...all of these places have left such a unique impact on my life that I do not know where to start in processing all of the things I saw or learnt. So instead I am going to post pictures and let the pictures speak for themselves. My words would not give any of the pictures justice, so I am going to wait and write about my experience when I get home...
Although my last couple of weeks in Africa has been amazing!
I just got back from CONGO DR. It was amazing and so eye opening! My whole world view in now under question and thinking.
Honestly, I have been to Burundi, Uganda and Congo in the last 2 weeks...all of these places have left such a unique impact on my life that I do not know where to start in processing all of the things I saw or learnt. So instead I am going to post pictures and let the pictures speak for themselves. My words would not give any of the pictures justice, so I am going to wait and write about my experience when I get home...
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
My Heart is going to be left in Africa
The more I travel in this wonderful contient the more I fall in love with every aspect of it! We just returned from Uganda and it was amazing! There are so many stories and things I want to share but so little time. My time here in Africa is running out and I wonder where the summer went!
So highlights from our trip...
-Border crossings are no fun and people seem to love bothering the white people
-Our hotel/hostel was really nice and had wonderful food
-Children are possible the greatest gift God has given to his people
-Uganda is a dirty city with too many white people
-Men love trying to pull us girls aside but Brian is a good protector
-Uganda at night is crazy
-Daniel needs our prayers
-Agnes has a great need for her family, which are refugees from Congo in a camp in Uganda
-I don't shower very often
-Laxatives work
-Food gets kind of old after a while
-I don't want to leave Africa
There is so much I could write but not enough time! I miss everyone at home but part of me wants to stay in Africa even longer!
So highlights from our trip...
-Border crossings are no fun and people seem to love bothering the white people
-Our hotel/hostel was really nice and had wonderful food
-Children are possible the greatest gift God has given to his people
-Uganda is a dirty city with too many white people
-Men love trying to pull us girls aside but Brian is a good protector
-Uganda at night is crazy
-Daniel needs our prayers
-Agnes has a great need for her family, which are refugees from Congo in a camp in Uganda
-I don't shower very often
-Laxatives work
-Food gets kind of old after a while
-I don't want to leave Africa
There is so much I could write but not enough time! I miss everyone at home but part of me wants to stay in Africa even longer!
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Top 10 Ways to Die on a Road Trip to Burundi
1. Be stupid enough to get on a public charter bus.
2. Flying off seat and into uncovered metal pieces on other seats (crazy turns and no seat belts don't help this at all).
3. Smelling the puke of the carsick person next to you.
4. Get hit in the head with falling luggage from overhead racks.
5. Get into a fist-fight at the border with the people who cut in front of you.
6. Fall into squatty potty at the border crossing that you paid 100 francs to use.
7. Self-inflicted wound due to being forced to watch African music videos for hours on end (they're all the same, and they're all TERRIBLE!).
8. Snap spinal cord from 3 hours of giving the "I don't care" nod to the African next to you who wants to practice their English.
9. Stepping on live chickens napping in the back of the bus and getting feet clawed off.
10. Have your eardrums be blown out by bus horn that sounds like a dying elephant.
2. Flying off seat and into uncovered metal pieces on other seats (crazy turns and no seat belts don't help this at all).
3. Smelling the puke of the carsick person next to you.
4. Get hit in the head with falling luggage from overhead racks.
5. Get into a fist-fight at the border with the people who cut in front of you.
6. Fall into squatty potty at the border crossing that you paid 100 francs to use.
7. Self-inflicted wound due to being forced to watch African music videos for hours on end (they're all the same, and they're all TERRIBLE!).
8. Snap spinal cord from 3 hours of giving the "I don't care" nod to the African next to you who wants to practice their English.
9. Stepping on live chickens napping in the back of the bus and getting feet clawed off.
10. Have your eardrums be blown out by bus horn that sounds like a dying elephant.
Ashanti!
These past few days have been wonderful and full of excitement/frustration/laughter/anxiety/rude African people and wonderful servants of God!
At the beginning of the week we went to Ngenda, which is a rural area about 3 hours away from the city where we have been most of the summer! It was an extremely frustrating ride and it made everyone a little angry because Africans do not travel like we do! They manage to fit about 24 people into a little "Scooby Doo" van that is supposed to hold 18 people...so you can imagine how cramped we all were...plus the roads were not like American roads at all...plus the drivers drive at insane speeds while nearly missing people in the roads! It is always an adventure to travel in Africa!
Upon our arrival into this deserted shanty town we managed to attract at least 30 kids just because we are white! It is always comical for us to just walk down the street and manage to draw huge crowds of children...feel like the "Pided Piper"! It was crazy!
We went to the housing facasilties and managed to get attacked by a very LARGE spider! African plants and bugs are always HUGE and DEADLY! The plants here...really try to eat you! Okay, not really but a lot of them do have really BIG thorns that you would not want to tangle with at all!
After dropping our things off at the housing, we took another short bus trip to the church we would be ministring at the next morning! It was once again a bumpy ride to say the least! Once we got there we went through an awkward round of greetings and silence with a few of the church members who had showed up to greet us! It is always a guessing game as to how the actually greetings will go!
We only stayed for a short period of time to meet the people and leave! After returning to the town where we would be staying the night we put on an impromptu VBS. It actually turned out poorly but not due to our team just the overall situation. Not only do we attract kids but we also attrack several creepy adult males because there are 4 white girls on our team! We had about 50 kids and about 70(+) creepy adult males who kept trying to encircle us. It was really scary and they keep getting closer and closer. One of the guys thought it would be funny to walk up to me and slap my butt really really hard! It hurt and it made me mad!
The situation was getting out of control and so we decided to go inside because the crowd was going crazy and grabbing at us girls and Brian could not do anything to stop it. Then as we are walking back inside trying to fight our way through the crowd, another guy comes up and hits me really hard on the butt again! The first one really made me mad but the second one made me furious! It was not a good situation at all! The authorities actually had to come out and tell us to go inside so the crowd would die down a lot!
Once inside everything was pretty normal for the rest of the night, it was just dinner and then bed with a little journaling and reading! No one slept well that night!
The church service was good the next morning but a little overwhelming because the pastor seemed really frustrated with us being there! She was a little moody but she has been through a lot in her lifetime! She lost all of her family in the Genocide including her husband and 8 children, her mother and father and several other family members...then she also had another death in the family just recently!
There were about 100(+) kids and about half as many adults in the service!
After leaving Ngenda we returned to Kigali to prepare for our travels to Burundi the next morning!
Bujambura, Burundi!
We were to leave the compound at 7:30 in the morning but did not hit the mark at all...we almost missed our bus...and then the real fun began...
it was so difficult to not get sick on this bus trip because the driver was crazy and insane...the roads were really really windy and things just kept getting worse. we get to the board and everything goes well until they tell Agnes and the kids that they have to stay in Rwanda and can't cross with us. It was such an awful situation and made matters worse for us!
The 5 of us made it to the bus but Milly was late and teh bus driver almost left without him...we all made a big comotion to try and kept the bus there! It was a great effort!
After getting into Bujambura, after an 8 hour ride, it was such a long day! Once we got there...Milly thought he had malaria because he had been sick for a few days and had been sick on the bus about 6 times...so we went to the hospital where his cousin worked to get medicine.
we would be working at the same hospital later on in the week! It was not your standard American hospital but it fulfiled at least part of the needs of the Burundian people!
His cousin was extremely nice and stayed with us for the 3 days we were in Burundi! His cousin Chrispin has 17 kids and would have had 18 but 1 died after being poisioned at school one day with a birthday cake. Africa has many terribly stories about death and devastion.
We went to Chrispin's sister's house for dinner and had a lovely meal! It was wonderful! After dinner we went back to the place we would be staying only to be greeted with a grenade a couple of blocks down. None of us got hurt at all but the noise did scare us. No one got hurt at all when the grenade went off...Burundi has be engaged in a civil war for the past 14 years and is just now at peace. So there are still many rebel groups who are trying to cause problems for the people of Burundi.
The grenade was aimed at two UN vehicle because the UN has really been causing problems in Burundi! They are taking away jobs and making people work for less money! It is not a good situation and these individuals were mad so they decided to blow up 2 of the UN vehicles in protest!
On Tuesday morning we got up and had breakfast then took a drive out to the Children's Nutrition Center where Chrispin works. Chrispin is a busy man and works many jobs! Mostly dealing with the health of the country. He is a nurse by trade!
At the children's home, I fell in love with several of these hungry little children. All of them just took a small part of my heart! There were about 78 children and their mother's staying at the facility! So about 150 in total...all of them suffering from some form of malnutrition or HIV.
One little boy Noah, had AIDs and was not expected to live much longer but his smile warmed my heart and made me just want to take him home and love on him for however long he had left! It was good to just sit with him and read books and watch him laugh as he popped bubbles...
He will forever have a piece of my heart!
It was nice to tour the facality and just help feed the children! We spent about 4 hours there before going to the local national park!
At the park we saw hippos and crocodiles...it was so much fun and the hippos kept getting closer and closer to us, so our police officer who went with us to keep us safe (mind you he had a very large machine gun...very large) told us to go! It was a neat opportunity!
The rest of our time in Burundi was spent at the hospital and at different markets! It was interesting to see the hospital and help clean the facalities! Stacie got to play nurse for the afternoon, she is a nursing major from Mount Vernon.
We went shopping at a few of the local markets and we manage to attract attention no matter where we go! The venders saw 5 WHITE DOLLAR sign walking into the shopping market and we actually had to fight a few of the men away...they wanted to drag us into their shops and then they would corner us and not let us leave...we were rescued by the guys a few times...
We had a lovely dinner with Chrispin and the drivers before we had to go back to the housing compound and prepare to leave really early in the morning! After dinner, Chrispin gave each of us girls a dress that was typical Burundi style and Milly/Brian got a shirt, which was also the local style. It was a beautiful gift and a really special memory of a wonderful time with wonderful friends in a wonderful country!
So much happened during our time in Burundi that my update does not really give it any justice at all! God is truly doing wonderful things in the countries here in the Centeral part of Africa!
Please continue to pray for our team and the work we have to still do while we are in Africa! It is only TWO short weeks and we will be back in the states...2 of those days will be straight travel and so our time in Africa is not too much longer! It makes all of us really sad but we really want to experience all that God has for us before we leave!
At the beginning of the week we went to Ngenda, which is a rural area about 3 hours away from the city where we have been most of the summer! It was an extremely frustrating ride and it made everyone a little angry because Africans do not travel like we do! They manage to fit about 24 people into a little "Scooby Doo" van that is supposed to hold 18 people...so you can imagine how cramped we all were...plus the roads were not like American roads at all...plus the drivers drive at insane speeds while nearly missing people in the roads! It is always an adventure to travel in Africa!
Upon our arrival into this deserted shanty town we managed to attract at least 30 kids just because we are white! It is always comical for us to just walk down the street and manage to draw huge crowds of children...feel like the "Pided Piper"! It was crazy!
We went to the housing facasilties and managed to get attacked by a very LARGE spider! African plants and bugs are always HUGE and DEADLY! The plants here...really try to eat you! Okay, not really but a lot of them do have really BIG thorns that you would not want to tangle with at all!
After dropping our things off at the housing, we took another short bus trip to the church we would be ministring at the next morning! It was once again a bumpy ride to say the least! Once we got there we went through an awkward round of greetings and silence with a few of the church members who had showed up to greet us! It is always a guessing game as to how the actually greetings will go!
We only stayed for a short period of time to meet the people and leave! After returning to the town where we would be staying the night we put on an impromptu VBS. It actually turned out poorly but not due to our team just the overall situation. Not only do we attract kids but we also attrack several creepy adult males because there are 4 white girls on our team! We had about 50 kids and about 70(+) creepy adult males who kept trying to encircle us. It was really scary and they keep getting closer and closer. One of the guys thought it would be funny to walk up to me and slap my butt really really hard! It hurt and it made me mad!
The situation was getting out of control and so we decided to go inside because the crowd was going crazy and grabbing at us girls and Brian could not do anything to stop it. Then as we are walking back inside trying to fight our way through the crowd, another guy comes up and hits me really hard on the butt again! The first one really made me mad but the second one made me furious! It was not a good situation at all! The authorities actually had to come out and tell us to go inside so the crowd would die down a lot!
Once inside everything was pretty normal for the rest of the night, it was just dinner and then bed with a little journaling and reading! No one slept well that night!
The church service was good the next morning but a little overwhelming because the pastor seemed really frustrated with us being there! She was a little moody but she has been through a lot in her lifetime! She lost all of her family in the Genocide including her husband and 8 children, her mother and father and several other family members...then she also had another death in the family just recently!
There were about 100(+) kids and about half as many adults in the service!
After leaving Ngenda we returned to Kigali to prepare for our travels to Burundi the next morning!
Bujambura, Burundi!
We were to leave the compound at 7:30 in the morning but did not hit the mark at all...we almost missed our bus...and then the real fun began...
it was so difficult to not get sick on this bus trip because the driver was crazy and insane...the roads were really really windy and things just kept getting worse. we get to the board and everything goes well until they tell Agnes and the kids that they have to stay in Rwanda and can't cross with us. It was such an awful situation and made matters worse for us!
The 5 of us made it to the bus but Milly was late and teh bus driver almost left without him...we all made a big comotion to try and kept the bus there! It was a great effort!
After getting into Bujambura, after an 8 hour ride, it was such a long day! Once we got there...Milly thought he had malaria because he had been sick for a few days and had been sick on the bus about 6 times...so we went to the hospital where his cousin worked to get medicine.
we would be working at the same hospital later on in the week! It was not your standard American hospital but it fulfiled at least part of the needs of the Burundian people!
His cousin was extremely nice and stayed with us for the 3 days we were in Burundi! His cousin Chrispin has 17 kids and would have had 18 but 1 died after being poisioned at school one day with a birthday cake. Africa has many terribly stories about death and devastion.
We went to Chrispin's sister's house for dinner and had a lovely meal! It was wonderful! After dinner we went back to the place we would be staying only to be greeted with a grenade a couple of blocks down. None of us got hurt at all but the noise did scare us. No one got hurt at all when the grenade went off...Burundi has be engaged in a civil war for the past 14 years and is just now at peace. So there are still many rebel groups who are trying to cause problems for the people of Burundi.
The grenade was aimed at two UN vehicle because the UN has really been causing problems in Burundi! They are taking away jobs and making people work for less money! It is not a good situation and these individuals were mad so they decided to blow up 2 of the UN vehicles in protest!
On Tuesday morning we got up and had breakfast then took a drive out to the Children's Nutrition Center where Chrispin works. Chrispin is a busy man and works many jobs! Mostly dealing with the health of the country. He is a nurse by trade!
At the children's home, I fell in love with several of these hungry little children. All of them just took a small part of my heart! There were about 78 children and their mother's staying at the facility! So about 150 in total...all of them suffering from some form of malnutrition or HIV.
One little boy Noah, had AIDs and was not expected to live much longer but his smile warmed my heart and made me just want to take him home and love on him for however long he had left! It was good to just sit with him and read books and watch him laugh as he popped bubbles...
He will forever have a piece of my heart!
It was nice to tour the facality and just help feed the children! We spent about 4 hours there before going to the local national park!
At the park we saw hippos and crocodiles...it was so much fun and the hippos kept getting closer and closer to us, so our police officer who went with us to keep us safe (mind you he had a very large machine gun...very large) told us to go! It was a neat opportunity!
The rest of our time in Burundi was spent at the hospital and at different markets! It was interesting to see the hospital and help clean the facalities! Stacie got to play nurse for the afternoon, she is a nursing major from Mount Vernon.
We went shopping at a few of the local markets and we manage to attract attention no matter where we go! The venders saw 5 WHITE DOLLAR sign walking into the shopping market and we actually had to fight a few of the men away...they wanted to drag us into their shops and then they would corner us and not let us leave...we were rescued by the guys a few times...
We had a lovely dinner with Chrispin and the drivers before we had to go back to the housing compound and prepare to leave really early in the morning! After dinner, Chrispin gave each of us girls a dress that was typical Burundi style and Milly/Brian got a shirt, which was also the local style. It was a beautiful gift and a really special memory of a wonderful time with wonderful friends in a wonderful country!
So much happened during our time in Burundi that my update does not really give it any justice at all! God is truly doing wonderful things in the countries here in the Centeral part of Africa!
Please continue to pray for our team and the work we have to still do while we are in Africa! It is only TWO short weeks and we will be back in the states...2 of those days will be straight travel and so our time in Africa is not too much longer! It makes all of us really sad but we really want to experience all that God has for us before we leave!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Travel
I will begin traveling soon and do not know how often I will be on the internet! So please pray that God will keep us safe and that he will prepare his will for our lives while we travel. The people we come in contact with as well will need to be willing for whatever his will may be in our lives and theirs!
My summer here is drawing to an end and it is actually very painful! The friendships and relationships I have built here will carry over into the years to come! It is nice to know that no matter where i am...I have friends who I can turn to!
Hope all of you have a wonderful 4th of July! Eat a lot of bbq/picnic type stuff for me!
Much love!
My summer here is drawing to an end and it is actually very painful! The friendships and relationships I have built here will carry over into the years to come! It is nice to know that no matter where i am...I have friends who I can turn to!
Hope all of you have a wonderful 4th of July! Eat a lot of bbq/picnic type stuff for me!
Much love!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Old Man River
"WE know that American pity African," he told me. "But sometimes I think African pity Americans."
"How so?" I asked him.
"Americans seem to expect that everything will be provided for them. For us," he said,"this ear of corn is a gift from God. This evening's rain is a gift of mercy upon us. This healthy breath is life-giving. And, maybe tomorrow we will not have such things, but our hearts are so full of God's provision."
Angel
She is more likely to die from AIDs than survive. She is more likely to become a commercial sex worker than go to school. She is more likely to feel the world has abandoned her than believe that someone values her life.
She is one of many kids in Africa who just need love! She stole my heart and I don't even know her name!
Week # 4 = stress and mind food
This week has been an interesting one and proved a little more difficult than previous weeks. It was a pretty busy week with a full schedule and things to get accomplished before we start traveling more in just a few short days.
Monday: Day off (These days are much needed because of the stress and busyness of the rest of the week. These days are reserved for shopping and internet cafe! So it was a pretty good day!
Tuesday: English Classes/ Ghanaga Church
This was by far my favorite church so far since we have been here and it was such a good day to spend with the church members. When we showed up at the church our team had no idea what we would be doing but this is my favorite type of arrival because it leaves room for surprises...surprised I was. Brian, Stacie and I were able to help the church by doing some yard work, along with hoeing a rode. Yes that is right, Stacie and I hoed a rode to remove the grass on top to make a walk way. Let's just say I was the smelly kid that night because it was HOT and we sweat A LOT! :)
They were so grateful and I really felt like family there at this church. The people welcomed us in with open arms and showered love on us! It was really sad walking away from this church!
Wednesday: English Class/"Hotel Rwanda"
Our group had the opportunity to go to where over 2,000 people were saved by a hotel manager during the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda. It was a really nice hotel and it was amazing to walk through such a place of history. However, the most exciting part happened before we got into the hotel.
There is a conference going on in Rwanda this past week for all of the Eastern African countries, including Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda and Congo. As we were walking to the hotel...ALL of the Presidents from these countries drove by us. I stood in awe as so much political authority drove by us to enter into meetings. I seriously almost wet myself! It was so special and I was so glad to be a part of it!!!!!
Thursday: English Class/ Genocide Memorial
This was a tough day for me because we visited a memorial site where almost 300,000 Rwandans are buried. It really hit me hard and I did not know what to do! Not only did all of the information hit me hard but being around so many white people also hit me really hard. It was so strange because normally I would be happy to see so many white people but I was not happy at all! They actually made me mad! So that was a weird emotion as well! But one I got through.
I am still processing all that I saw at the memorial and I honestly don't know how long that will take me to process but when I finally come to some conclusion I will post more about that experience but for now that is all I have!
Friday: Last day of English Class/Moving Bricks
Our last day of English Class was really sad because we had been working with these students for 4 weeks and built really strong relationships with them. It was so nice to see the success/progress each of them were making. SO we threw a little party for all of them to celebrate the finish of a good class. We played games and had snacks!
Then we went to the local church near our compound and moved bricks! It was a really interesting job and one I enjoyed because it gave me time to process the things that went on during the week. But they do not like us girls working too hard and would always make us slow down or stop so we could rest. This did not make me happy at all! But it all turned out well! I got over it!
Saturday: National Clean UP DAY IN RWANDA!
This was a new day for a lot of things to happen...The whole country of Rwanda on the last saturday of each month is supposed to stop and clean from the hours of 8am to 12pm. So we were supposed to go to the local church at Remera and clean! Everything was going great for the first 2 hours until the governor showed up and killed the clean-up party. It was so weird because HE was mad that we weren't cleaning more of the community property rather than the church.
Since the very beginning of the build of this church, they have had problems with the government and it has been a really difficult journey for the church. They could not get the government to approve a building permit to finish the church for over a year. So we the governor showed up, us white people peaced out because we did not want to get caught up in the conflict. Milly tried to explain more about what happened but it did not make much sense. it was really dumb the whole entire time...so we just chilled for the rest of the afternoon. It was nice but we wish we could have done more on the church.
Sunday: Day of CHURCH
It was such a blessing to be able to go back to Ghanaga Church for morning service, it was a blessing and a half. I felt at home and could have stayed with them all day long! Stacie preached and I gave my testimony, while the rest of the group and us taught them "I have decided to follow Jesus" as well. Our group also told the story of Peter and Andrew and the Good Samaritan. It was such a special service.
Then we went to the pastor's house for lunch, which was delightful! No variation in the food choices but it was still pleasant! The pastor and his family were so nice and welcomed us as family! One of their members in the church has a project they work on with different Arts and Crafts, so he brought them for us to see. Once he was done telling us about the work, he gave us one of his hand crafted items. I got this beautiful little giraffe craving, which they said reminded them of me. It was a special gift and one I will always look at and remember the special church.
After we left the pastor's house at about 2pm, we got back to our compound to drop off our stuff and go to another service. This service left me speechless and I really do not know if I have words to describe what went on for the whole 4 hours we were there. BUT I WILL TRY...
Imagine an ant hill on speed that got shaken by a naughty little boy who thought it was funny! Then the little boy screamed into a microphone at the top of his lungs while the mic was already turned way too high. Then there was some more screaming and howling and dancing and jumping and running and mixed other forms of human bodily expression!
This is only a brief summary of everything that truly went on during the 4 hours of my life...It was so nerve raking that I left and screamed at the top of my lungs when we got out...our whole entire group had to leave early because we were going crazy. I seriously was going crazy! It was the most bazarre and random thing I have ever seen! It was a good time too worship and I really didn't mind it until the last 20 minutes of time I was there.
The week was a good one and one that showed our team a lot! God is truly trying to stretch each of us in different way while teaching us many things! Every experience holds such unique and different opportunities for God to further his direction in each of our lives.
Monday: Day off (These days are much needed because of the stress and busyness of the rest of the week. These days are reserved for shopping and internet cafe! So it was a pretty good day!
Tuesday: English Classes/ Ghanaga Church
This was by far my favorite church so far since we have been here and it was such a good day to spend with the church members. When we showed up at the church our team had no idea what we would be doing but this is my favorite type of arrival because it leaves room for surprises...surprised I was. Brian, Stacie and I were able to help the church by doing some yard work, along with hoeing a rode. Yes that is right, Stacie and I hoed a rode to remove the grass on top to make a walk way. Let's just say I was the smelly kid that night because it was HOT and we sweat A LOT! :)
They were so grateful and I really felt like family there at this church. The people welcomed us in with open arms and showered love on us! It was really sad walking away from this church!
Wednesday: English Class/"Hotel Rwanda"
Our group had the opportunity to go to where over 2,000 people were saved by a hotel manager during the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda. It was a really nice hotel and it was amazing to walk through such a place of history. However, the most exciting part happened before we got into the hotel.
There is a conference going on in Rwanda this past week for all of the Eastern African countries, including Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda and Congo. As we were walking to the hotel...ALL of the Presidents from these countries drove by us. I stood in awe as so much political authority drove by us to enter into meetings. I seriously almost wet myself! It was so special and I was so glad to be a part of it!!!!!
Thursday: English Class/ Genocide Memorial
This was a tough day for me because we visited a memorial site where almost 300,000 Rwandans are buried. It really hit me hard and I did not know what to do! Not only did all of the information hit me hard but being around so many white people also hit me really hard. It was so strange because normally I would be happy to see so many white people but I was not happy at all! They actually made me mad! So that was a weird emotion as well! But one I got through.
I am still processing all that I saw at the memorial and I honestly don't know how long that will take me to process but when I finally come to some conclusion I will post more about that experience but for now that is all I have!
Friday: Last day of English Class/Moving Bricks
Our last day of English Class was really sad because we had been working with these students for 4 weeks and built really strong relationships with them. It was so nice to see the success/progress each of them were making. SO we threw a little party for all of them to celebrate the finish of a good class. We played games and had snacks!
Then we went to the local church near our compound and moved bricks! It was a really interesting job and one I enjoyed because it gave me time to process the things that went on during the week. But they do not like us girls working too hard and would always make us slow down or stop so we could rest. This did not make me happy at all! But it all turned out well! I got over it!
Saturday: National Clean UP DAY IN RWANDA!
This was a new day for a lot of things to happen...The whole country of Rwanda on the last saturday of each month is supposed to stop and clean from the hours of 8am to 12pm. So we were supposed to go to the local church at Remera and clean! Everything was going great for the first 2 hours until the governor showed up and killed the clean-up party. It was so weird because HE was mad that we weren't cleaning more of the community property rather than the church.
Since the very beginning of the build of this church, they have had problems with the government and it has been a really difficult journey for the church. They could not get the government to approve a building permit to finish the church for over a year. So we the governor showed up, us white people peaced out because we did not want to get caught up in the conflict. Milly tried to explain more about what happened but it did not make much sense. it was really dumb the whole entire time...so we just chilled for the rest of the afternoon. It was nice but we wish we could have done more on the church.
Sunday: Day of CHURCH
It was such a blessing to be able to go back to Ghanaga Church for morning service, it was a blessing and a half. I felt at home and could have stayed with them all day long! Stacie preached and I gave my testimony, while the rest of the group and us taught them "I have decided to follow Jesus" as well. Our group also told the story of Peter and Andrew and the Good Samaritan. It was such a special service.
Then we went to the pastor's house for lunch, which was delightful! No variation in the food choices but it was still pleasant! The pastor and his family were so nice and welcomed us as family! One of their members in the church has a project they work on with different Arts and Crafts, so he brought them for us to see. Once he was done telling us about the work, he gave us one of his hand crafted items. I got this beautiful little giraffe craving, which they said reminded them of me. It was a special gift and one I will always look at and remember the special church.
After we left the pastor's house at about 2pm, we got back to our compound to drop off our stuff and go to another service. This service left me speechless and I really do not know if I have words to describe what went on for the whole 4 hours we were there. BUT I WILL TRY...
Imagine an ant hill on speed that got shaken by a naughty little boy who thought it was funny! Then the little boy screamed into a microphone at the top of his lungs while the mic was already turned way too high. Then there was some more screaming and howling and dancing and jumping and running and mixed other forms of human bodily expression!
This is only a brief summary of everything that truly went on during the 4 hours of my life...It was so nerve raking that I left and screamed at the top of my lungs when we got out...our whole entire group had to leave early because we were going crazy. I seriously was going crazy! It was the most bazarre and random thing I have ever seen! It was a good time too worship and I really didn't mind it until the last 20 minutes of time I was there.
The week was a good one and one that showed our team a lot! God is truly trying to stretch each of us in different way while teaching us many things! Every experience holds such unique and different opportunities for God to further his direction in each of our lives.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Week 3
It is wonderful to be here in Rwanda and experience something new and exciting each and every day!
This week was jam pack full of stuff like English classes, Orphanage visits, Children's home, construction at a local church, VBS, card projects and sickness!
So where to begin....English classes will be finished this week and then we begin traveling to different areas here in Africa! It should be loads of fun! Every day for English class we have a fun time trying to explain the different words that individuals come up with or that we try and teach them. At times it can be very slow going but always rewarding when you see the recognition on their faces...it is so wonderful!
Children's Home
The children homes here in Rwanda are different than in the states because hundreds of kids can be in an out in a matter of months. Each child is more than likely an orphan due to AIDs or the genocide. Everyone here has a family member or several family members who lost their lives in the genocide. While we were at the children's home we just loved on kids and played games with them...we brought a parachute from YIM and the kids LOVED it! I never saw so many kids, so very happy to see a parachute and the games they could come up with were amazing!
Kicukiro Church
This was our first construction project at a local church. Most of the time we travel to rural churches for projects but this week we staying in the area where we worked in the city. The church wanted to build a school/orphanage for the local children but they had HUGE holes in the back near the church so we filled the holes for them! It was hard going cause the tools weren't the greatest but we got the job done!
VBS @ Remera
This is the local church near our compound! It is actually right in our back yard! So we held a VBS for about 20 kids on Saturday in the afternoon! Kids are so wonderful! They all made me smile! Our team told the story of Zacheous...I know my spelling is off, so I will blame the keyboard! :)
My favorite story from the whole week came at such an unexpected time...We are hitting the half way point and I am getting hit with many terrors! It happens every time I travel but it was really hitting me hard yesterday! To the point where I almost had a panic attack...There were so many thoughts going through my head....so i will try to describe all of the things i was going through...
My heart has always been drawn to international work and yet at times...I am very unsure of what God really wants me to do! Always though I have felt comfortable in foreign countries and with the people...I always seem to fall in love with the people and culture of wherever I may be! This time it was really hitting me hard though...I never felt anxiety or depression by being here...although several thoughts kept coming in about the future and things in my life...It terrifies me to think that I will be a senior this next year and the idea of having to make a decision about what I will do in my life scares me.
I want so very much to live out of a backpack and travel the world serving God's people! But to do that I need money and right now I also need to graduate from college! Also, I have an amazing boyfriend whom I care about deeply! He is wonderful! So the devil was really hitting me hard with worries about home and things here as well! There is such a need for the people of Rwanda and yet, I can't do anything for any of them! I can only pray but it seems so small and little in my mind!
This all happened Sunday, I was trying to ask God to give me some sign in my being here and the things I am doing! But nothing came...we left for church and i was still really unsettled by everything that was going on in my mind...but i could do nothing about it. I was just really uneasy about a lot of things...
then during the service a little girl was sitting in front of me and i wanted to so badly to get her to smile because she had the saddest look on her face...I love kids and my heart is so open to kids and when they hurt, I hurt as well...it did not seem to be going anywhere with this little girl but all of a sudden she looked back at me with the biggest smile on her face...it melted my heart....I was so excited that she had actually smiled at me! Then our group had to go up and introduce ourselves to the whole congregation at the church...it is pretty standard for us now! When I was going back to my seat the little girl was waiting for me at my row...she wanted to come and sit with me...it made me want to cry and I had this overwhelming sense of calm when I saw her...she came to sit on my lap and our interpreter who was sitting next to me asked what the little girls name was and she said...Peace. Once I heard her name...I knew GOD had given me a sign...he sent me a little angel in the form of a little African girl. He knows exactly what I needed and I was so calm after that moment that I am reassured of what God is doing in my life!
So I may not know what the future holds but I know who holds the future and that is ALL that matters!
This week was jam pack full of stuff like English classes, Orphanage visits, Children's home, construction at a local church, VBS, card projects and sickness!
So where to begin....English classes will be finished this week and then we begin traveling to different areas here in Africa! It should be loads of fun! Every day for English class we have a fun time trying to explain the different words that individuals come up with or that we try and teach them. At times it can be very slow going but always rewarding when you see the recognition on their faces...it is so wonderful!
Children's Home
The children homes here in Rwanda are different than in the states because hundreds of kids can be in an out in a matter of months. Each child is more than likely an orphan due to AIDs or the genocide. Everyone here has a family member or several family members who lost their lives in the genocide. While we were at the children's home we just loved on kids and played games with them...we brought a parachute from YIM and the kids LOVED it! I never saw so many kids, so very happy to see a parachute and the games they could come up with were amazing!
Kicukiro Church
This was our first construction project at a local church. Most of the time we travel to rural churches for projects but this week we staying in the area where we worked in the city. The church wanted to build a school/orphanage for the local children but they had HUGE holes in the back near the church so we filled the holes for them! It was hard going cause the tools weren't the greatest but we got the job done!
VBS @ Remera
This is the local church near our compound! It is actually right in our back yard! So we held a VBS for about 20 kids on Saturday in the afternoon! Kids are so wonderful! They all made me smile! Our team told the story of Zacheous...I know my spelling is off, so I will blame the keyboard! :)
My favorite story from the whole week came at such an unexpected time...We are hitting the half way point and I am getting hit with many terrors! It happens every time I travel but it was really hitting me hard yesterday! To the point where I almost had a panic attack...There were so many thoughts going through my head....so i will try to describe all of the things i was going through...
My heart has always been drawn to international work and yet at times...I am very unsure of what God really wants me to do! Always though I have felt comfortable in foreign countries and with the people...I always seem to fall in love with the people and culture of wherever I may be! This time it was really hitting me hard though...I never felt anxiety or depression by being here...although several thoughts kept coming in about the future and things in my life...It terrifies me to think that I will be a senior this next year and the idea of having to make a decision about what I will do in my life scares me.
I want so very much to live out of a backpack and travel the world serving God's people! But to do that I need money and right now I also need to graduate from college! Also, I have an amazing boyfriend whom I care about deeply! He is wonderful! So the devil was really hitting me hard with worries about home and things here as well! There is such a need for the people of Rwanda and yet, I can't do anything for any of them! I can only pray but it seems so small and little in my mind!
This all happened Sunday, I was trying to ask God to give me some sign in my being here and the things I am doing! But nothing came...we left for church and i was still really unsettled by everything that was going on in my mind...but i could do nothing about it. I was just really uneasy about a lot of things...
then during the service a little girl was sitting in front of me and i wanted to so badly to get her to smile because she had the saddest look on her face...I love kids and my heart is so open to kids and when they hurt, I hurt as well...it did not seem to be going anywhere with this little girl but all of a sudden she looked back at me with the biggest smile on her face...it melted my heart....I was so excited that she had actually smiled at me! Then our group had to go up and introduce ourselves to the whole congregation at the church...it is pretty standard for us now! When I was going back to my seat the little girl was waiting for me at my row...she wanted to come and sit with me...it made me want to cry and I had this overwhelming sense of calm when I saw her...she came to sit on my lap and our interpreter who was sitting next to me asked what the little girls name was and she said...Peace. Once I heard her name...I knew GOD had given me a sign...he sent me a little angel in the form of a little African girl. He knows exactly what I needed and I was so calm after that moment that I am reassured of what God is doing in my life!
So I may not know what the future holds but I know who holds the future and that is ALL that matters!
Photos
The gentleman who is standing in the middle is a Pastor from Burundi, a neigboring country of Rwanda, and his name was John Claude. He received one of the English Bibles I brought from the states. He told me that this was the first English Bible Burundi has ever gotten. So I felt blessed to have been able to give it to him...
Friday, June 20, 2008
Sickness
so not fun but sickness seems to be hitting me today. last night we had some new food and it did not set well with my stomach.
this week has been interesting and only going to get more so but I will have to write more later because our time here is almost up.
I miss a lot of people in the states and yet I am falling in LOVE with Africa more and more every day! It is amazing here and the people are all wonderful! Something I do not know how to describe!
this week has been interesting and only going to get more so but I will have to write more later because our time here is almost up.
I miss a lot of people in the states and yet I am falling in LOVE with Africa more and more every day! It is amazing here and the people are all wonderful! Something I do not know how to describe!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Week # 2
so 2 weeks down in the BEAUTIFUL country of Rwanda! It is an amazing country and one i hope to return to at some point!
This week we began teaching English for a class of students. Every morning we begin teaching at 10:30 and have a varied lesson from day to day. The class lasts for about 2 hours. Every student has a varying range of English knowledge and so it proves difficult to make a lesson plan for all of the students but it is a lot of fun. Something of a challenge. I do enjoy it though. Seems like I am the lead teacher. Thanks to my mom's ability to teach ESL for her ministry in New Jersey.
in the afternoons our team has the opportunity to travel to orphanages and play with all the little kiddos or visit different NGO's within the city. There is such a need here for people to just love other people and it is always a joy to hold/hug a child. these visits can sometimes we a little frustrating because people do not always receive us well but God is working in mighty ways here in Rwanda.
On the weekends we have the opportunity to travel to a rural church out side of the city and visit the people/kids. The past weekend we went to Gagatara church, which is a brand new little church starting in a small little village about 2 hours outside of Kigali! When we arrived, we had to walk to the church. People here love to walk and so we walk A LOT! As we got closer to the church we saw a massive rush of children running toward us....not even gonna lie...about 200 kids ran down this hill straight for us...it was the most heart warming sight you have ever seen. God knows exactly what we all needed after a tough week of things not working out.
African are not the best at telling you what you will doing before you actually need to do it. so when we arrived at the church they told us we were in charge of all of the kids and to put on a VBS. Our first thought was WOW...that is a lot of kids to handle. So we busted out bubbles and cameras to keep the kids entertained for like an hour. Then we had a lesson and taught them "Jesus, Loves Me". It was an awesome time. That night we were supposed to be showing the Jesus Film, so we took our stuff and went to drop it off at the hostel we were staying at before returning to watch the film.
At the film, I had about 20-30 kids around me at all times. They were all so adorable and I wanted to take each and every one of them home with me but obviously I could not. A little boy climbed into my lap and fell asleep within minutes. Many of these children just need someone to love them! So I am here to love all of them that I can! I just wish I could do more for them at times! God is going to take care of them when I can't!
After the film we headed to the Pastor's house for a home cooked meal! Mind you it was like 10 at night, we hadn't eaten in about 12 hours! Although, we get into the house and sit down...right across from me is a HUGE spider and it freaked me out! First of all there was no electricity in the town, which meant that I had to view it by candle light. It was HUGE and we were in the house for about 2 hours! They really like taking a long time to prepare the food! Once the food came, it was in a bowl heaped FULL of food. Let's just say the food won that night and I could not finish my meal! The meals here consist of a small piece of meat, potatos, cabbage, beans, rice and some other things I can't pronounce...at least these are the main food items you can see...although in small doses.
Once the meal was finished we sang songs and prayed then departed for our hostel. We went to bed quickly because it was late and we had been up for several hours already! ONLY TO BE AWOKEN IN THE EARLY MORNING BY A HOWLING CAT! It was so loud...it sounded like someone was killing it! It was not a pleasant noise to wake up to at all! That night though...I heard things running around the halls of the outdoor hostel...not altogether settling cause we did not know what lived in the area.
It was a pleasant church service and about 3 and 1/2 hours long again! Once again I had 20-30 kids sitting around me at all times! It was amazing, my heart was so very happy by all the kids!
Our ride back was difficult because the man next to me was actually sweating on me! I moved my arm away at one time and there were droplets of sweat on my arm! It was not a good feeling! The buses here are packed full to the hilt and then some! So it was a pretty tough ride back! I got sick on the bus and could not wait to get back to our compound!
This update does not give our experiences any justice but it is nice to at least let all of you know what is going on in Rwanda! Can't wait until I can tell you stories in person...hope all of you are well!
This week we began teaching English for a class of students. Every morning we begin teaching at 10:30 and have a varied lesson from day to day. The class lasts for about 2 hours. Every student has a varying range of English knowledge and so it proves difficult to make a lesson plan for all of the students but it is a lot of fun. Something of a challenge. I do enjoy it though. Seems like I am the lead teacher. Thanks to my mom's ability to teach ESL for her ministry in New Jersey.
in the afternoons our team has the opportunity to travel to orphanages and play with all the little kiddos or visit different NGO's within the city. There is such a need here for people to just love other people and it is always a joy to hold/hug a child. these visits can sometimes we a little frustrating because people do not always receive us well but God is working in mighty ways here in Rwanda.
On the weekends we have the opportunity to travel to a rural church out side of the city and visit the people/kids. The past weekend we went to Gagatara church, which is a brand new little church starting in a small little village about 2 hours outside of Kigali! When we arrived, we had to walk to the church. People here love to walk and so we walk A LOT! As we got closer to the church we saw a massive rush of children running toward us....not even gonna lie...about 200 kids ran down this hill straight for us...it was the most heart warming sight you have ever seen. God knows exactly what we all needed after a tough week of things not working out.
African are not the best at telling you what you will doing before you actually need to do it. so when we arrived at the church they told us we were in charge of all of the kids and to put on a VBS. Our first thought was WOW...that is a lot of kids to handle. So we busted out bubbles and cameras to keep the kids entertained for like an hour. Then we had a lesson and taught them "Jesus, Loves Me". It was an awesome time. That night we were supposed to be showing the Jesus Film, so we took our stuff and went to drop it off at the hostel we were staying at before returning to watch the film.
At the film, I had about 20-30 kids around me at all times. They were all so adorable and I wanted to take each and every one of them home with me but obviously I could not. A little boy climbed into my lap and fell asleep within minutes. Many of these children just need someone to love them! So I am here to love all of them that I can! I just wish I could do more for them at times! God is going to take care of them when I can't!
After the film we headed to the Pastor's house for a home cooked meal! Mind you it was like 10 at night, we hadn't eaten in about 12 hours! Although, we get into the house and sit down...right across from me is a HUGE spider and it freaked me out! First of all there was no electricity in the town, which meant that I had to view it by candle light. It was HUGE and we were in the house for about 2 hours! They really like taking a long time to prepare the food! Once the food came, it was in a bowl heaped FULL of food. Let's just say the food won that night and I could not finish my meal! The meals here consist of a small piece of meat, potatos, cabbage, beans, rice and some other things I can't pronounce...at least these are the main food items you can see...although in small doses.
Once the meal was finished we sang songs and prayed then departed for our hostel. We went to bed quickly because it was late and we had been up for several hours already! ONLY TO BE AWOKEN IN THE EARLY MORNING BY A HOWLING CAT! It was so loud...it sounded like someone was killing it! It was not a pleasant noise to wake up to at all! That night though...I heard things running around the halls of the outdoor hostel...not altogether settling cause we did not know what lived in the area.
It was a pleasant church service and about 3 and 1/2 hours long again! Once again I had 20-30 kids sitting around me at all times! It was amazing, my heart was so very happy by all the kids!
Our ride back was difficult because the man next to me was actually sweating on me! I moved my arm away at one time and there were droplets of sweat on my arm! It was not a good feeling! The buses here are packed full to the hilt and then some! So it was a pretty tough ride back! I got sick on the bus and could not wait to get back to our compound!
This update does not give our experiences any justice but it is nice to at least let all of you know what is going on in Rwanda! Can't wait until I can tell you stories in person...hope all of you are well!
Singleness
so here everyone is obsessed with singleness...it is the most commonly asked question i have received almost anywhere I go. at first we were hanging out with individuals who were from the church and they were youth, so i thought it was just common for the youth to talk about it but no not true.
since we have been here i have been asked by 4 guys to marry them on separate occasions and they are all serious too...this freaks me out a little bit cause they all know i have a boyfriend.
the most recent story actually happened at a studio recording we went to. a gentleman singled me out of all the girls on the team and asked my name. I thought this was the end of the conversation because there is an extreme language barrier, but not the convo did continue with him asking me if i was single. i said no that i had a boyfriend and he said well i am single. mind you at this time there was probably 30 people standing around us...here is how the convo went...
Guy: "Are you married?"
Me: "No."
Guy: "WELL, I am single and you are single...SO....."
Girl in the background: "SO....question mark...?"
Guy: "So what do you say?"
Me: "I have a boyfriend!"
Girl: "A boyfriend or a boy lover?"
Me: "Ummm...boyfriend...?"
Sarah: "What do you mean boy lover?"
Girl: "Someone more than a friend cause Brian could be your boyfriend!"
Me: "Then I have a boy lover!"
These are always really awkward conversations and people seem to want to get us married here! It is a common theme and not one I enjoy at all! So I am content to say that I am glad to have an American BOY FRIEND!
since we have been here i have been asked by 4 guys to marry them on separate occasions and they are all serious too...this freaks me out a little bit cause they all know i have a boyfriend.
the most recent story actually happened at a studio recording we went to. a gentleman singled me out of all the girls on the team and asked my name. I thought this was the end of the conversation because there is an extreme language barrier, but not the convo did continue with him asking me if i was single. i said no that i had a boyfriend and he said well i am single. mind you at this time there was probably 30 people standing around us...here is how the convo went...
Guy: "Are you married?"
Me: "No."
Guy: "WELL, I am single and you are single...SO....."
Girl in the background: "SO....question mark...?"
Guy: "So what do you say?"
Me: "I have a boyfriend!"
Girl: "A boyfriend or a boy lover?"
Me: "Ummm...boyfriend...?"
Sarah: "What do you mean boy lover?"
Girl: "Someone more than a friend cause Brian could be your boyfriend!"
Me: "Then I have a boy lover!"
These are always really awkward conversations and people seem to want to get us married here! It is a common theme and not one I enjoy at all! So I am content to say that I am glad to have an American BOY FRIEND!
Monday, June 9, 2008
Church/Rural Jesus film
What a church service we had yesterday!
We woke up extremely early in the morning...aka 5am to leave at 6am to go to a bus stop to travel for about 2(+) hours to a church. Once the bus dropped us off we had a 30(+) minute hike to go to the church. It was a long morning.
One we got there I had to go to the bathroom SO BAD! So I asked Agnus where the bathroom was and she pointed to a fence of grass about 4 feet wide and 6 feet long in the middle of this very flat...very open field not too far away from the church. I thought FUN! When I got over there it was sticks over a square hole in the ground. Let me tell you...Going number 2 in an African bathroom is a little difficult AND in a skirt! But I made it!
The service had just started when we got there and it lasted for 4 and 1/2 hours! It was amazing to see all of these people worshiping our God! They truly blessed me in ways I can't even imagine yet cause God is still showing me all of what he has for me here!
I spoke at the service and used Romans 12, which is one of my favorite chapters in Romans. We also tried to sing for them but we FAILED in comparison to their amazing voices!
After the service we had lunch in a prayer hut, which was really fun because it was small and cozy! The food was really good! It is pretty simple but good nonetheless.
We then had a 45 minute walk and a 15 minute bus ride to where we would be showing the Jesus Film that night. It was another amazing worship service and then film.
It was such a blessing because a little girl named Naomi sat on my lap the whole entire time. She would not leave my side the whole entire time we were at the church. Naomi actually hit a girl who came uup and tired to take her away to leave. God knew exactly what I needed! There was a call to accept Jesus and our group went up to pray with about 30 individuals who accepted the Lord. It was such a great night!
We then went to our hostel, where we were staying at had dinner at 11pm. It was so good though!
A lot happened yesterday and this is a poor discription of it but hopefully you know God is doing great things here in the lives of the people of Rwanda!
We woke up extremely early in the morning...aka 5am to leave at 6am to go to a bus stop to travel for about 2(+) hours to a church. Once the bus dropped us off we had a 30(+) minute hike to go to the church. It was a long morning.
One we got there I had to go to the bathroom SO BAD! So I asked Agnus where the bathroom was and she pointed to a fence of grass about 4 feet wide and 6 feet long in the middle of this very flat...very open field not too far away from the church. I thought FUN! When I got over there it was sticks over a square hole in the ground. Let me tell you...Going number 2 in an African bathroom is a little difficult AND in a skirt! But I made it!
The service had just started when we got there and it lasted for 4 and 1/2 hours! It was amazing to see all of these people worshiping our God! They truly blessed me in ways I can't even imagine yet cause God is still showing me all of what he has for me here!
I spoke at the service and used Romans 12, which is one of my favorite chapters in Romans. We also tried to sing for them but we FAILED in comparison to their amazing voices!
After the service we had lunch in a prayer hut, which was really fun because it was small and cozy! The food was really good! It is pretty simple but good nonetheless.
We then had a 45 minute walk and a 15 minute bus ride to where we would be showing the Jesus Film that night. It was another amazing worship service and then film.
It was such a blessing because a little girl named Naomi sat on my lap the whole entire time. She would not leave my side the whole entire time we were at the church. Naomi actually hit a girl who came uup and tired to take her away to leave. God knew exactly what I needed! There was a call to accept Jesus and our group went up to pray with about 30 individuals who accepted the Lord. It was such a great night!
We then went to our hostel, where we were staying at had dinner at 11pm. It was so good though!
A lot happened yesterday and this is a poor discription of it but hopefully you know God is doing great things here in the lives of the people of Rwanda!
Caribou! (Welcome in Swahili!)
So this marks week one day and five more to go for Rwanda team! It has been an amazing week here in the city of Kigali! This was our first true experience with African culture because we did a lot of things the African way.
Firsts....
- washing clothes by hand in Africa with a little bucket
- going WITHOUT a shower for 4 days because we did not have water :)
- power went off for several hours
- POOP in 5 days!
- AFRICAN BATHROOM...we would probably call it a deep ditch with a long drop with a couple of stitchs around it! In the middle of everything!
- SARAH MARIE PENCE peeded in the bush! I was so proud of her!
- motion sickness on the bus
- church service, which lasted 4 and 1/2 hours (AMAZING)
- hostel stay with spiders
so those are a few firsts for me but it was all worth it!
The week has been amazing and gone by quickly looking back on it now but it went a little slow to begin with!
Firsts....
- washing clothes by hand in Africa with a little bucket
- going WITHOUT a shower for 4 days because we did not have water :)
- power went off for several hours
- POOP in 5 days!
- AFRICAN BATHROOM...we would probably call it a deep ditch with a long drop with a couple of stitchs around it! In the middle of everything!
- SARAH MARIE PENCE peeded in the bush! I was so proud of her!
- motion sickness on the bus
- church service, which lasted 4 and 1/2 hours (AMAZING)
- hostel stay with spiders
so those are a few firsts for me but it was all worth it!
The week has been amazing and gone by quickly looking back on it now but it went a little slow to begin with!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Muraja
We made it safe and sound to RWANDA! The flight into the city was so beautiful! They call Rwanda the "Land of Many Hills" and they are not lying!
Our team had a long 2 and a 1/2 days of travel to get to our final destination of Kigali, Rwanda but it was so worth it!
Here is a small break down of our flights to Rwanda...
El Paso to Dallas (1 hour and 40 minutes) with a 4 and 1/2 hour lay over
Dallas to Atlanta (3 hours and 25 minutes) with a 2 and 1/2 hour lay over
Atlanta to Amsterdam (8 hours and 55 minutes) with a 2 and 1/2 hour lay over
Amsterdam to Nairobi (8 hours ish) with an over night stay of 10 hours
Nairobi to Kigali (3 hours and 45 minutes)
When we were in Kenya we stayed at ANU, which is Africa Nazarene University for a night! It was a new and first experience for me in Africa. At night the campus uses 43 dogs and 20 male security guards to protect the campus! It is really frigthening being awoken in the night by dogs barking right next to your window at something foreign! The night proved less restful than we had hoped!
It was a long couple of days but the trip was so worth it! I got stopped twice at security check points to have my bag searched and questioned. It took me over a half hour to get through security for our Nairobi to Kigali flight! It was all due to a pair of eyelash curlers that they thougth looked like scissors!
Then once we arrived in Kigali I had to be taken behind the closed doors to have my checked baggage searched by a security guard. It was a little scary because I did not know all of what they were saying and they kept asking me a lot of questions! So it got a little freaky! BUT they finally let me go through and just smiled at me!
We got to the home we would be staying at and it had cement walls with a guard and there is a British couple staying next door to us! Our site cordinator and his family are amazing! Although, they do like to talk A LOT!
Our team has been really tired trying to recover from jetlag and a new time zone! The plans for this summer are not final but we will be doing A LOT of traveling and church visits. The travel will not only be in Rwanda but also other countries as well! It will be so worth it! The time seems to be going a little more slow but we have not started our ministry yet and once things pick up we will be really really really busy! Hopefully we will have email at least once a week!
Right now we are preparing for a church on Sunday and I am trying to learn Swahili which is proving to be a little difficult! ALRIGHT...A LOT difficult!
Our team had a long 2 and a 1/2 days of travel to get to our final destination of Kigali, Rwanda but it was so worth it!
Here is a small break down of our flights to Rwanda...
El Paso to Dallas (1 hour and 40 minutes) with a 4 and 1/2 hour lay over
Dallas to Atlanta (3 hours and 25 minutes) with a 2 and 1/2 hour lay over
Atlanta to Amsterdam (8 hours and 55 minutes) with a 2 and 1/2 hour lay over
Amsterdam to Nairobi (8 hours ish) with an over night stay of 10 hours
Nairobi to Kigali (3 hours and 45 minutes)
When we were in Kenya we stayed at ANU, which is Africa Nazarene University for a night! It was a new and first experience for me in Africa. At night the campus uses 43 dogs and 20 male security guards to protect the campus! It is really frigthening being awoken in the night by dogs barking right next to your window at something foreign! The night proved less restful than we had hoped!
It was a long couple of days but the trip was so worth it! I got stopped twice at security check points to have my bag searched and questioned. It took me over a half hour to get through security for our Nairobi to Kigali flight! It was all due to a pair of eyelash curlers that they thougth looked like scissors!
Then once we arrived in Kigali I had to be taken behind the closed doors to have my checked baggage searched by a security guard. It was a little scary because I did not know all of what they were saying and they kept asking me a lot of questions! So it got a little freaky! BUT they finally let me go through and just smiled at me!
We got to the home we would be staying at and it had cement walls with a guard and there is a British couple staying next door to us! Our site cordinator and his family are amazing! Although, they do like to talk A LOT!
Our team has been really tired trying to recover from jetlag and a new time zone! The plans for this summer are not final but we will be doing A LOT of traveling and church visits. The travel will not only be in Rwanda but also other countries as well! It will be so worth it! The time seems to be going a little more slow but we have not started our ministry yet and once things pick up we will be really really really busy! Hopefully we will have email at least once a week!
Right now we are preparing for a church on Sunday and I am trying to learn Swahili which is proving to be a little difficult! ALRIGHT...A LOT difficult!
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Leaving in a few minutes
Please pray for our team as we travel today and for the next few days....
El Paso to Dallas
Dallas to Atlanta
Atlanta to Amsterdam
Amsterdam to Nairobi, Kenya (over night stay)
Nairobi, Kenya to Kigali, Rwanda
All the people will depart today and at various times!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Preparation
So this week has been a long one...I arrived in El Paso on Monday night! It was awesome to be able to be here with everyone who is going on YIM this summer. There are 61 people in total going to 17 different countries for 8 weeks. After everyone arrived on Tuesday, we took a 2 1/2 hour drive to New Mexico at a camp where we have done various exercises with our teams to get us ready for the rest of the summer.
Today is our last day at the camp and we are preparing for our final challenge...which will be a World Feast tonight! This shows us how MOST of the world truly lives and how everyone is able to function and live! It will be a tough night but one that should open the eyes of several individuals here.
Our team heads out at 3:30 am on Sunday morning...we do not know our whole travel plans but we will be going through Houston, Atlanta, Nairobi, Kenya, and then into Rwanda. It is supposed to take us a couple of days to get to our final destination. So we are looking at arriving in Rwanda late on tuesday night or wednesday morning. We have an over night stay in Kenya.
This summer we are going to be traveling a bit through different countries around Rwanda. So please pray for safety because a lot of these countries are unstable and in need of some good loving. Hopefully we can show them God! :)
Please pray for everyone on YIM this summer, already plans are changing for a lot of teams and it is a little difficult to anticipate what all God has for us this summer. It is also scary and a little nerve racking for some of us!
I will try to write tomorrow but there is no promises as to when the next time I can write will be! SO more than likely the next time I update this will be when we are in Africa after a fews days of travel.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
I am off....
so tonight is my last night home in Pennsylvania until July 29th. it seemed like my time at home was going so slow and now it is time for me to leave again. it has been tough preparing for this big adventure of my but it is now here and I am ready to face the music and the wonderful things GOD has in store for me.
This summer I did not want to go to Africa, which is funny because I have always dreamed of going there. However, God had Africa in store for me...so I am trusting him to know what he is going to do over there. Honestly, I hardly ever get really scared or nervous but I am terrified to go to Africa this year. My whole life I have had planned out and this is the first MAJOR thing that God has truly changed (or chosen) for me to do. He must have something big this summer for me and I am just preparing myself to accept whatever he throws at me. It should be awesome though!
Please pray for me to keep strong and to know exactly what God wants me to do! I want to be his hands and his feet this summer! God is always faithful to those who are faithful to him!
Not much else to write. Just keep checking this website to see if we have been able to use internet. We should have internet about once a week! No promises on that though. :)
Alright, my flight is early in the morning and it is late! I should probably get some sleep! Next time I update this...I WILL BE IN RWANDA!
Monday, May 19, 2008
good day.
today was a really good day and i count my blessings for how AWESOME my GOD truly is....
he surprises me with the little things and it just makes me smile.
Friday, May 16, 2008
First post EVER!
So this is my first post ever! Whole new world of possibilities are now open to me...
I am setting up this blog, so when I travel to Rwanda this summer people can know what all is going on! It will be so much fun....here are so random facts about my trip...
Rwanda...
10 week trip
4 teammates
long plane ride
Youth In Missions
first time in Africa
I might see GORILLAS!
doing my internship in RWANDA for communications
I leave May 26th to go to El Paso, Texas for a few days for a training camp before we head out! Then it is off to Africa until the end of July! So excited! Will be posting a couple of other things before I leave! Don't know how often I will be posting when I am over there but I will try my best!
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