Language Lessons

So on top of everything else going on this week...fall festival, report cards, parent conferences, etc... we still had Kinyarwanda languauge lessons after school yesterday. I'm really not complaining! I want to learn more of the language, but practicing Kinyarwanda for a couple hours really does a number to your already-tired brain! Let me tell you a little bit about Kinyarwanda. It's been said that it is the 17th most difficult language in the world to learn. But for English speakers...it becomes the 7th most difficult language! After a few lessons, I can understand this!

I really love learning and studying new languages. I was hopeful my French would improve and be restored from when I learned it in college....but so many people can speak Swahili here, so it's been easy to just speak Swahili. I know what you're thinking...too many languages in one tiny country the size of Maryland! Yes, I know! There are many French speakers due to Rwanda once being colonized by Belgium, and later France. And of course, theres the national Kinyarwanda language. And many of the adults also speak Swahili and perhaps even another tribal language due to their days of exile living in Congo, Uganda, Kenya, or Tanzania. And to complicate matters, now President Kagame has said that his country will no longer speak French, but will instead become an Anglophone country, and beginning this year, schoolchildren will be learning English too! (Apparently there's some bad political blood with the French now...they have even refused French parents to adopt Rwandan orphans.)

So, you basically have your pick of languages, and out of all those, Kinyarwanda is by far the most difficult one! Swahili is really easy...all the words sound exactly like they are spelled, and they easily roll off your tongue. Plus, you can travel to almost anywhere in East Africa, and they will know Swahili. But Kinyarwanda is only spoken here. So I have to admit, I haven't felt this huge desire and need to learn Kinyarwanda, even though I know I really need to learn many phrases just out of respect for the people here since this will be my home for at least a year. It's been a slow learning process thus far!

For example...here are two words....mwiriwe? which means Good afternoon. Yes, you have to say it like a question you are asking them. Then theres, mwiriwe! which is spelled the exact same, but sounds a bit different right there in the middle, and you don't say it like a question. This one means Have a nice day.

Nibyiza is what you say when someone asks you how is everything? Nibyiza means everything is good. But here's how you pronounce it....neebeegeezay! Not at all like it is spelled!

The plural form of you is mwebwe...but you say it like this...mwebgay.

Basically there are no G's in the Kinyarwanda alphabet, but there ARE "G" sounds. Go figure. Also there is no "L" in the alphabet, but again, there are L sounds. All their "Rs" are pronounced as "Ls." Also, most "D's" you don't pronounce, but a few you do. And all "K's" are pronounced with a "ch" sound.

And there's some Kinyarwanda words that totally sound like they belong to another country....like "iki niki." You pronounce it like, "ichi nichi." It means what is this? To me, that sounds like Japanese.

And how about the word, turasubira? Sounds and looks like Spanish to me. But it means See you later. And this word actually sounds just like it's spelled!

The funniest thing to us Americans is the word for "No" which is "Oya." They say it all the time, and we still think they are agreeing with us, and saying, "Oh yeah!" :-)

I love language...I really do. But I need help with this one!

God Knows Me

In our Bible lesson this week, we've been studying about how God is omniscient and what that means. We've marveled at how He knows all the hairs on our head, He has names for all the stars in the sky, and He even knows what we need and desire before we even ask Him! God is cool! Today we wrote acrostic poems with the word Omniscient. Students had to complete the sentence or phrase and list something God knows about them. Some of them were sweet, some were so honest and innocent, and some were just hilarious. The innocence of children is so refreshing! I wanted to share some with you...

God knows that I like otters.
God knows that I like obeying Him. (precious!)
God knows that I like my friend Orla.
God knows that I like Oreos (American kid!)

God knows how I like my eggs cooked.
God knows how I like to milk my cow.
God knows how I manage to forgive myself when I sin. (precious!)

God knows that I will never hate Him.
God knows that I will never steal anything.
God knows that I will never stop respecting my elders.
God knows that I will never be a boy! (written by a girl. :-))
God knows that I will never punch anyone.
God knows that I will never forget him.
God knows that I will never give in to Satan.
God knows that I will never stop loving Him! (Amen!)

God knows when I feel ill.
God konws when I feel immature.
God knows when I feel ignored.
God knows when I feel invisible.
God knows when I feel incouraged. :-)

God knows that I can skateboard down a mountain in New Zealand.
God knows that I can sleep late on Saturdays.
God knows that I sin sometimes because I'm not perfect like Him.
God knows that I can scream. :-)
God knows that I can say, "Yes, God you rock!"
God knows that I can scare my sisters.
God knows that I can stomp on an ant.
God knows that I can seek Him every day.

God knows that I eat Cocopuffs. (American kid!)
God knows that I eat crispy, crunchy chicken.

God knows that I love Irisse and Inah, my sisters.
God knows that I love icecream.
God knows that I love Indiana Jones.

God knows that I have excellent praises for Him.
God knows that I have embarrassed my parents before. (haha!)
God knows that I have everything I need.
And my favorite one....God knows that I have enteligense. :-)

God knows that I am not giving up on being a good Christian.
God knows that I am not really a bad person.
God knows that I am not a burgular.
God knows that I am nice.
God knows that I am never alone because He is with me!
God knows that I am never going to be 1,000 years old like the people in the Bible. (haha!)
God knows that I'm not gonna lie or steal ever again!

God knows where I take my breakfast. (this is the term they use for eating.)
God knows where I take naps.
God knows where I track down the termites and catch them.


Sometimes I need to remind myself that God really does know everything about me, and He still loves me completely and wants to bless me! Psalm 147:5 says.. "Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has NO limit." None. Nada. Zero. No limits to his abilities and understanding! :-) What have you been trying to "keep" or "hide" from God lately? Whatever it is...it's really just KEEPING you from Him and enjoying the fullness of His presence!

Be blessed! He knows us and still loves us!

Happy Halloween!

This is the scariest picture I could find to post. I saw this really weird plant in Nyungwe rainforest a few weeks back. How freaky! It looks like a witch's finger or someone coming out of the grave. I would NOT like to grow this plant at home. Still haven't figured out what it is.

Our school had a fall festival today for the entire community. It was great seeing all kinds of fun, creative costumes, and eating food from all over the world! Falafels, samosas, chapatis, crepes, shawarma sandwiches, pizza and more! Yum! Another teacher and I dressed up as "the salt and the light" from Matthew 5:13-14. I know it's cheesy! :-) Here are a few pictures for you! I hope your Halloween was fun and festive! Love you all!

The "Salt"

The "Light"

The Light and the Mosquito Net girl, aka "Ella Jade"

Lazarus, aka Mr. Bryan, 3rd grade teacher

Prayer Request

Can you please pray for our school cook, Leonard, and his wife, Jillian. They are Rwandan, and Leonard is the best cook ever! He can even make burritos! Leonard's wife was just hospitalized this week, with a miscarriage. This is her 2nd one recently, and it's been very traumatic for them. Added to that, they had a child that died at birth 2 years ago. It's been a very painful journey for them, and they need your prayers for physical, emotional and spiritual healing. Thank you for praying for these special people.

Justice?

Discovered this story a few days ago on CNN.com....

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/africa/10/25/italy.rwanda.arrest/index.html

Before coming here, I knew very little about what actually happened during the genocide in 94. And what I did know, I realize was just what was in our Western media. I'm learning more and more being here and reading up on it.

I'm reading a fabulous historical acocunt now called, "We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families." Stories from Rwanda, by Philip Gourevitch. It's amazingly powerful. I can't really fathom what happened. Soo hard to comprehend. Especially when you live in Kigali now and see how nice and "modern" it is. Hard to believe a million people were brutally murdered in 3 months and the whole nation was dead.

Anyway, back to the CNN story....this guy had been living in exile in Italy. My book says there are many, many Rwandans living in exile, even in the U.S! Preachers who gave up their entire congregations to be slaughtered, living in a Texas mansion and driving a Mercedes! As we speak! Other government officials living a lush life in Arkansas or Alabama. Too many stories of those! I don't understand how they can't be extradited and taken back to stand trial? There are still genocide trials being held today, 15 years later. People are still being tried and convicted. It makes me so furious to read what these people did, and hear they are living the "American dream" now. Justice? Huh uh. But what does justice look like for the survivors?

A quote from a survivor in my book reads...."This was a true genocide, and the only correct response is true justice. But Rwanda has the death penalty, and....well, that would just mean a lot more killing."

In other words, a true genocide and true justice are incompatible. Something to think about. It makes me want to ask, then, is the death penalty justifiable for just one killing? 5 killings? I don't know. I also saw the article where the U.S. can't afford the death penalty anymore. Interesting.

I don't know what justice will look like for the survivors that are left here with no families, or no arms....or for those genocidaires livin' it up big time in Texas, driving their Mercedes. But I do believe in His word! 2 Corinthians 5:10, "For we all must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad."

Justice will come!

I smell a rat!

Well, since we moved into our cozy abode, we've wanted to try our hand at baking, and figure out how to make some sort of bread, or at least cookies when we are missing home. Each time we've tried to crank our oven up, it will work for 2 minutes, and then the whole place will be filled with heavy, black smoke, and smell like a charred something or other. We couldn't figure it out! We thought, well, maybe it's cause our oven is kind of dirty. Cause you know how little leftover pieces of food that get stuck to the rack can cause it to smoke. So last week, Micah tirelessly cleaned the whole oven, inside and out. It's a tiny oven, but still, its a lot of work. Still didn't work. We thought it must be the wiring. Our crazy and lazy Rwandan landlord came over again and said he fixed it; apparently it WAS the wiring. Now, he said it would work. Nope. It still smoked the whole house through. So today, Mark, one of the administrators of our school, came to see if he could help. He opened the oven, took out the rack, and started taking out the floor piece on the bottom. Then, to his amazement, he found a very large rat's nest with part of a charred rat inside, complete with rat bones, other bones, insulation, and many pieces of trash! Haha! Unbelieveable. I wish I had been there to take a picture before they threw it out. Mark had to open all our windows because he said our house smelled like burnt rat. Glad we now know what that smell was. I could never pinpoint it! Ha! Now, the question is...do we try to make cookies in it this weekend? Or will they smell and taste like burnt rat? Hmmm....

A treasure!

I just love a good deal! All ya'll at home know how much I love shopping at Value Village. It excites me when I find a treasure, and then I have to tell everyone about it! Well, I have to tell ya'll about this good deal I got today! I bought this awesome, sturdy, three-tiered basket today for less than $4 to serve as my nightstand! Now I can keep my Bible, glasses, flashlight, phone, and journal off the dirty concrete floor. I love it! And it really serves its purpose! Thanks for letting me share!