I'm thirsty

I lost my orange water bottle yesterday and I've looked for it everywhere. I can't find it anywhere. I miss it. I kept reaching for it today, it wasnt there. Of course, I'll find another one, or it will turn up. But today, I was thirsty. Thirsty in other ways too. It's just been one of those weeks, you know, "those" weeks, where things haven't gone my way at all. Been tired, felt dry inside and out...frustrated... But of course, things have still gone God's way! They always do. I was comforted this morning at devotion when Doug played this song on his guitar, one of my favorite worship songs. I was introduced to this song at YAV orientation in Chicago 3 years ago when I was about to leave for Kenya. It's simple and beautiful, and it filled me up today! Not thirsty anymore! (But I still need to find my water bottle!)

All who are thirsty
All who are weak
Come to the fountain
Dip your heart in the stream of life
Let the pain and the sorrow
Be washed away
In the waves of His mercy
As deep cries out to deep.

Come, Lord Jesus, come
Holy Spirit, come
As deep cries out to deep.
Come

Lake Kivu pics

Forgiveness

Last weekend, the Muslim community celebrated Eid, the end of Ramadan, and we celebrated a holiday from school, and a reason to get out of the city and see God's beautiful creation. A few teachers journeyed up and 'round some serious winding mountain roads to the tiny village of Kibuye on lake Kivu. Kibuye suffered the worst casualties during the genocide, with 95% of their population slaughtered, leaving many areas with no witnesses or survivors. You can do a circular walk around the town in less than 2 hours....past the stadium where 10,000 perished, and the church where 5,000 died. Those 5,000 were led to the church by town officials, thinking they were being led to a safe haven, but were sorely deceived. A mob, drunk on banana beer, threw grenades through the building, and a total annihilation took only 3 hours. The church has now been rebuilt, with new stained glass in the broken windows, and new hangings on the altar. We attended Catholic mass there on Sunday, and it was one of the most memorable church services I have ever attended. The sounds of the choir, Tutsis and Hutus alike, singing praises to our God in their shared Kinyarwanda language, was deeply moving. It's only in Christ, that genocide survivors can sit on the same wooden bench each week, and sing hymns together with the people who killed their entire family. If there's ever been a lesson for forgiveness, I think this is it. There's a memorial outside the church to remember the victims. There's many genocide memorials all over Rwanda, some still with bones and skulls and perserved bodies in limestone. But to me, this small church in Kibuye is a more evocative, memorable place than the other ones. Because this church is not a reminder of death....it was made alive again! "But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions...it is by grace you have been saved." Thank God for His grace. The rest of Kibuye was just as memorable...a gorgeous view of the hills and islands, looking down the cliff from our Presbyterian guest house....hitching a boat ride to Amharo "Peace" island...waiting three hours for our food to be ready....and singing praises to Him every night, with our fellow musician, Doug. I was thankful for the time away to be reflective. Even though Ramadan is over, I ask you to keep our Muslim brothers and sisters in prayer. Lift them up. One of my professors at CIU told us that if we would commit to praying for the Muslims named Mohammed, Abdullah, Fatima and Khadijah, we would be praying for millions around the world. Enjoy the pics from Kibuye! God bless!

Umuganda Day

In the last 5 years, I've heard there's been many sweeping changes in Kigali, and even the whole of Rwanda. Some are advantageous...(some not so much.) One new idea that President Kagame put into effect is Umuganda Day. Umuganda Day takes place on the last Saturday of every month. This word means "togetherness" or "community." On this morning, until noon, there are no cars or moto bikes out on the roads. All the shops and tiny "dukas" are closed. Everyone stays in their community and works. It's community service day every month! And what is so neat is that all of Rwanda participates...this is a national event, and it actually is effective! I couldn't believe it the first time someone told me about this. I said, no way, that sounds like a good idea, but do people really adhere to it? And they do! It's a day for communities to help one another. It's time to work on a yard project for a widow, or help build a house, or fix something. Rwandans are serious about Umuganda Day. If they catch you out n' about, they will put you to work! I was thinking today... would Umuganda Day work in America? Could people stop their busy lives from 8-12 one Saturday a month to pitch in and help someone. Yeah, I think it could work. Kind of like a Kannapolis Kares Day every month. That would be cool. I know, Renee, at my church would love it! :-)

I've been noticing too, how clean Rwanda is, especially compared to Kenya. I never would have guessed! In 2005, all plastic bags were banned in the entire country. It's even illegal to bring a plastic bag, like a Food Lion bag into the country! They use paper bags at all shops here, but most people bring their own bags from home. When they were cleaning up after the genocide, they found millions of plastic bag remnants all over the place, and the new President just decided to ban them in his attempts to keep Rwanda clean. Wow. Pretty incredible. I'd say, in a way...or in many ways...we are behind in our efforts to protect the environment. (and our communities!) I never would have guessed it would be like this in Rwanda. Makes me think about all the Food Lion bags and Walmart bags I use at home. Not good. Another crazy thing...it's totally illegal to spit outside on the ground! Again, they are trying to keep Rwanda clean. Of course, littering is totally illegal, but spitting? All I can say is that my friend, Keith, wouldn't last a day here. :-)

Found this great verse in Leviticus that reminds me what we are to this earth and what our responsibility is..."The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants. Throughout the country that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption of the land." Leviticus 25:23-24

I want to tell you all about my amazing mini-trip to Kibuye town and Lake Kivu last weekend...but right now, my computer is getting severely overheated and making really weird noises, so I'm gonna give it a rest. I'll write more tomorrow with pics too!

student discussions

Every day I am in awe at my students and how much wisdom they already have about their faith. I absolutely love teaching Bible, and love starting each day with prayer. And I can pray with my kids...we can hold hands, we can pray for each other...it's so neat to see and be a part of after teaching in public schools. (Not that I don't love public schools...I do like the challenge of sharing your faith in other creative ways with students....but this is neat to be part of as well!)

The 4th grade Bible curriculum centers around theology...with topics like heaven, hell, angels, salvation, the Holy Spirit...etc. I was thinking at first it would be too difficult and too advanced for 4th graders, and I was wishing I could teach some fun stories in the Old Testment instead, but it's been a joy to hear their thoughts on these topics. I love their enthusiasm and eagerness to share what Jesus means to them. Their thoughts are beautiful and refreshing, and make me smile. And we have been able to integrate many stories too.

This week we were learning about mercy and forgiveness, and how David showed Saul mercy when he could have killed him, but instead just took his spear and water. I had the students write a journal topic about a time when someone else has shown them mercy, and also a time when they've shown mercy to another person. The answers were sweet and thoughtful....but this one in particular made me laugh. (I think I need to review the concept a little more with her!)

"Once I showd mercy to my family when I sorted everyone in my familys clean clothes and poot them in all ther rooms. no one tolld me to do it i was just bored so i did it." :-)

We did another journal on what they already think/know about different topics relating to our Bible curriculum. I am amazed at how mature many of them are in their walk with God. Reading what they write helps me affirm what I know and believe. The innocence of a child is so sweet!

Their thoughts on heaven...

"Heaven is God's wonderful, enchanted home, like a tall white building, and he's making it nice for you and me so when we get there we will feel at home."

Thoughts on God...

"God is the best and most loving Father ever. He's my very best friend, and the most amazing person ever made." Amen to that!

My favorite discussion this week was in Science. We have been planting different types of flowers and plants, and discussing parts of the plant. Yesterday we looked at a grown flower and picked out the different parts....stem, flower, root...etc. We talked about how the roots are underground and you can't see them but they are very important and you don't want to pull them up because the plant will die. One of my girls raised her hand and said, "Ms. Griggs, I think that the roots on a plant are like your heart, because the good stuff is in your heart, and whats in your heart makes you grow closer to God everyday if your heart is right, just like the plant grows taller and taller to reach God every day too." My kids are soo sweet! The presence of God is here for sure, in 4th grade this year!

Funny things...

1. We opened our jar of honey...and found a dead bee!

2. To kill the mouse/rat in our house.... (I hope it's singular, and not plural)....the only thing available is this substance called, "Magic Glue." Tons of mice in this country, but not a darn mousetrap. Go figure! But this mouse glue stuff is crazy. It's basically just strong super glue, but the Rwandans swear by it. It's actually made in China, and on the back, it reads...."Being toxic, this substance is not dangerous and can be safely used in homes." Don't they mean, being "non-toxic?" Not sure. It IS made in China!

Anyway...you delicately spread this stuff on a piece of cardboard....(we found some in our front yard)....then you put some cheese on there and wait. I bet it was hilarious watching us try to spread the stuff....we were stuck all over the place. The Rwandans were right...it did work....but it was not so much fun seeing the poor little mouse stuck to the cardboard, suffering. Sadly, Micah had to drown him. Maybe it would have been better if it had really been toxic. :-(

3. There's these people that have been coming around and "labeling'' all the many potholes in our community. This is no small task. We've heard that it means that sometime in the next decade, they might be fixed....so it's good news! The funny thing is how they label them. They spray paint a white square around all of them, along with a number. But there's some squares that have like 3 or 4 potholes, but they only have one number. It's funny when I'm running, I'll see hole #26, and then hole #39 right beside it. I still haven't figured out their numbering system. Just yesterday, hole #8 was painted right outside our house! Yay! (or is that #8 AND #9???)

Pics

All those black things are bats!


The back of "Hotel Rwanda"



Front of the hotel

I love the smell of rain!

The rains have come! I'm sitting here in my classroom, listening to the familiar sounds of thunder and lightening....and smelling one of my favorite smells...rain! (in case you were wondering...it smells the same here.) :-) My students have been telling me that the rains were about to come...the short rains. People have been predicting here, even the exact day. Some said the 3rd week in September, some will look up at the sky and say, not till October. A few have said specific dates like Sept 12, Sept 9. I think its funny how they think they know. But God does know, and tonight the rains have come! I've heard they aren't as bad here as I experienced in Mombasa...and don't last as long...just a few really hard rains during the day, but the sun still shines during the other hours. But they do tell me that sometimes it gets pretty bad where the rain seeps through the windows. Ugh! So we'll just have to wait and see.

I'm trying to get to a point...a routine..where I post pretty often, so I don't have to write so much at one time. But I'm not there yet!

I've spent the last 2 Saturdays exploring Kigali town, and attempting to get oriented with what I'll call home for the next year. When I'm exploring a new place, I have to go by foot. If I'm in a car, I won't pay attention to where we are or anything. So...the past 2 Saturdays, I've taken public transporation into the city...either a jam packed-full Nissan mini-van....(they are called matatus in Kenya, just called taxis here.)...or a small motorcycle, moto for short! I get off somewhere that looks interesting, and just start walking. You know, when you walk, you see a whole lot more. And you hear a whole lot more too. All your senses perk up. Jesus walked a lot. Walking up and down these Kigali hills I can see so much of the daily interactions of people in their everyday lives. And I've greeted more people, and met some really nice locals. It's making me realize how much we miss whizzing by in our sweet rides.

One thing, I kind of wish I had my 1995 Tahoe for...last Saturday, I happened along this one street, and I heard this awful screeching noise...it couldn't have been any kind of bird or human being. I looked up in the trees...and every single tree on that road was full of very large fruit bats...I mean there were thousands of them! It was the spookiest thing ever, especially when they started flying around. And it was in the middle of the afternoon! I still haven't figured out what type of tree they were in.

I walked today, up and down hills in Nyamirambo, the Muslim district of Kigali, and also the oldest part of town. I always think mosques are so beautiful, especially old ones....(even though they do wake you up at 5:30 in the morning.) It was good to venture out of the city a bit. I also walked past the Hotel Milles Collines....otherwise known as "Hotel Rwanda." This was the hotel behind the story in the film 'Hotel Rwanda", portraying what happened in the 1994 genocide. I've learned that the film, starring Don Cheadle, was actually filmed in South Africa, and isn't the most accurate movie on the genocide, but nevertheless, this hotel was where the cirumstances in the movie played out.

If you want to watch an incredibly powerful, and very accurate movie on the genocide, get ahold of the film, "Shooting Dogs." It's a BBC film, and when it was released in the U.S., it was released under the title, "Beyond the Gates." So look for either title. We all watched this movie the other night, and there wasn't a peep the whole time. It is super hard to watch, but something I felt was necessary since I'm living here. Prepare to feel numb afterwards and more confused than ever at how something like this happened. This is one of the best films I've ever watched, but maybe the hardest. I was just reminded the other day that the events that took place here 15 years ago, are still fresh and still in people's minds. One of my 4th graders told me she was very happy because her dad was now out of prison, and at home with the family. She went on to tell me that he was imprisoned after the genocide, because at the time, he was a leader in the army, and "things went badly. What an understatement. Watch the movie if you get a chance.

And take a walk this weekend! See what you can see that maybe you haven't spotted before! Love you all!

It's a small world!

I looked out at my kids today....(I had 9 today)...and saw my orange water bottle from Walmart sitting on Norah's desk. I thought I had just inadvertently left it there when I was teaching. But no...it was Norah's orange water bottle from Walmart! Norah is a sweet girl who has lived her entire life in Rwanda and Burundi. But this summer, Norah's mom traveled to Florida and brought back the same orange water bottle that I had! We laughed. It's a small world...but a big one too! I found out today that my 9 kids have lived in 16 different countries on 5 continents! Places my students have lived: Montreal, Los Angeles, Baton Rouge, Annapolis, Haiti, Brazil, Phillipines, Kosovo, Belgium, Paris, London, Ghana, Cameroon, Uganda, Congo, Kenya, Austin, Texas, and of course, Kigali. It's beautiful to see their faces in the morning. They(we) all laugh the same, cry the same, love the same, mourn the same, bleed the same. We're all God's children!

A few pictures

The gardens above the mass burial graves at the genocide memorial.

Looking out from the memorial...part of Kigali town

The KICS staff at Lake Muhazi....kind of easy to find me! :-) (no, you can't swim, unless you want blizharia!)

My first week!

Ok, so I thought I’d hurry and update my blog, since this is a surprisingly “good” internet night. Which means it goes in and out every couple minutes….but hey, I have it and I’m thankful to be able to communicate with so many of you! Skype has been WONDERFUL by the way! What a cool invention.

Today was the first day of school, and it was awesome! I had a great time getting to know my 4th graders….we only had 8 students today, but more should arrive soon! They are funny, sweet, humble, and adorable! (most of them!) I looked out today and saw faces from Rwanda, South Africa, Louisiana, Phillipines, Haiti…and God has chosen all of us for this year to be together here! God is good! I’ve spent all week making my classroom look as colorful and tacky as possible, just like my room at home. I ran out of duct tape on day 2 of decorating. (duct tape is tops on my wish list from home!)

My classroom is painted yellow..its very bright and cheery, and instead of bulletin boards, I have banana leaf boards to hang things on! I brought my “Amazing Work” letters to post above the banana boards, and my “Word Wall” too! Today was a super first day! One thing that all you teachers in the U.S. should not take for granted is your planning period! There’s little to none here! So close your door and make good use of your planning time back home! I had none today, but might get some on Monday and Wednesday when my kids have PE/Music. Enough about school…more later…

I live 2 minutes from school, which is good and bad. It’s very convenient to come and go as I please and work in my room…also school has the only internet. I’m here now at 10:30! But no worries…its safe. I live high on a hill….all I can say about the hills of Kigali are they are worse than hills of San Francisco! It’s crazy! But beautiful to look out in the morning and see the entire city below you. The city is kind of like in a bowl in the middle, and I’m high on a hill looking down into it. The downside though, is that I’m gonna have to be very intentional about getting out in the community and immersing myself in Rwandan culture, and making new friends. That’s gonna be more difficult than it was in Kenya…so I ask for your prayers for that. It’s very important for me to connect with the people here and be involved. I've realized that the Rwandans, while nice, are not as trusting of each other as well as outsiders, and can be more standoffish when it comes to forming relationships. This is, in part, because of the way the genocide was carried out 15 years ago....I don't blame them for being cautious.

I’ve been attempting to run in the evenings…and man, the altitude is no joke! But my body is slowly getting used to it. I think running may be the key to getting involved in the community. I thought I was somehow in this little bubble, but the other day when I went for a run….after a couple miles…there I was….seeing the same sights, smells, noises of the Africa that I came to know and love in Kenya! It’s weird how things and neighborhoods are kind of sectioned off here….all I have to do is branch out! It was beautiful seeing similar sights of mamas carrying their watotos (children) on their backs, smelling those same smells of the market, beans cooking over an open fire, having all the children running after me as I run.

On a more somber note….the first day here, all the new teachers went to the genocide memorial here in Kigali. I really can’t explain in words how monstrous and evil those acts were in 1994. Especially those committed against children, so innocent. And reading up on it, and trying to grasp how it all happened and understand it….I just believe that there were so many ways that it could have been prevented….if the right people with the power stood up, had courage, and made a decision to act and not be bystanders. Hard to believe one million people were brutally murdered in only 100 days. And not once during those 100 days did any international government or organization admit there was a genocide happening. Only 10 years later, did the UN, US, and others admit they committed grave mistakes and serious errors in judgment in not stepping to help Rwanda. A little too late. All I can say is that this was harder to see than the Atomic Bomb museum in Nagasaki, and the Dachau concentration camp in Germany. Amidst all the killings, there were also great stories of heroism that showed that God’s hand was there. I mean, I know God was there throughout it all….I mean I guess He was, but it’s just so hard to comprehend what happened, all the evil…even between neighbors, family members, Christians, priests…Anyway, there were stories of farmer who “hid” people underneath his grass, and then actually planted crops on top of them to prevent them from being found and murdered. And stories where a group of schoolgirls were confronted with machetes by the killers and asked their “tribe.” Half were Tutsi and half Hutus, but they were all friends. None of them would tell, they replied they were all Rwandans. And they were all murdered. Even more chilling was the fact that the memorial museum is placed on top of mass graves of hundreds of thousand Rwandans. The hills I live on now where there are now schools and churches and nice homes…only 10 years ago…some even just 5 years ago…were still forests…many men hid in these hills, and many died in these hills. As I left the museum, this quote from the Talmud spoke to me. “To save one life is as if you have saved the world.”

I have much more to tell you…about Lake Muhazi and Umuganda Day…but it will have to wait! This entry is already way too long! Thank you all for your prayers! Love you!