a little Kigali drama...

Thankfully, I live in one of the safest African cities there is! But Friday night, there was a bit of a scare. Normally, I never go to town on weekend nights....not because it's not safe, but it's a little ways out, and you have to ride a moto at night on dark roads, and plus I'm a teacher so I like to have lazy weekends. But Friday, some friends were having "Mexican food" night at their house in town, and since I haven't tasted El Amigo, (or anything resembling such) in quite a long time, I had to be there! Shortly after dinner, we heard a couple loud blasts, like a big cannon going off, or a really loud gunshot that lasted for a few seconds. Then we heard another one. Not immediately in our vicinity, but close enough to be curious and somewhat frightened, nonetheless. We all stayed put (about 15 of us), except for Hez, the British reporter from Reuters. He jumped up, zipped up his jacket and left to get the story. It wasn't safe for me to head back up to my house on the hill that night, so we all stayed put and prolonged Mexican night with a slumber party. :-) Saturday, there were plenty of roadblocks out and police were checking everyone's ID's. We found out that there were actually 3 simultaneous grenade attacks that night. One person was killed, and about 18 others injured. One attack was at the Simba supermarket we shop at.

They are not saying who exactly is responsible for the attacks, but there is a strong probability it is the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda.) The FDLR is an ethnic-Hutu rebel group that is based in eastern Congo and western Kenya, around Lake Kivu. Its members include people who were responsible for carrying out the 1994 genocide. 2010 is an election year for Rwanda...(elections will be in early August,) and that has caused tensions to increase in the past few months. Plus, French President Nicolas Sarkozy has planned a visit next week, and since French-Rwandan relationships have been hostile since the genocide, his visit could be causing some disturbances among certain people groups.

When it comes time for an election in most places in Africa, it makes me really appreciative of our founding fathers in the U.S., our Constitution, and our whole election process. Yes, we have some "dirty" campaign ads on television, some "hanging chads", and some disgruntled voters, but the end result is ok. Someone is elected, his/her opponent calls to concede and congratulate, America finds out the winner, and life goes on. But it's different here. The strong democractic foundation or structure is not as solid, or nonexistent in some places. I left Kenya in 2007, right before the ugly New Year's elections that resulted in the violent deaths of about 1,000 citizens and MPs. No one foresees Rwanda's election becoming anything like what happened in Kenya, but it IS in the back of your mind.....the possibilities. I read last week that rival tribes in Kenya are already buying and procuring AK-47s and other weapons, in advance of the 2012 elections....just so they can be ready! Awful to think about.

Kigali is still one of the safest places to be in Africa, and I am blessed to live here (and I feel safe, too!) But it was just a scary reminder of what is reality.Thanks for letting me be honest. And you can please remember to pray for the country's continued safety, especially during this election year.

Love Letters

In honor of Valentine's Day....and any day....we wrote love letters to Jesus! My kids surprised me at how beautiful and eloquent and heartfelt they were! Their words are precious, and I wanted to share them with you. May we all see Jesus as these 10 year olds do!

Jesus, I adore you. You give us knowledge. When I sit at my desk, you are there. When I'm lying in my bed, you are there. You're beautiful just like the nature you gave us to enjoy. Your love is so high we can't get over it and so wide we can't get around it. I love you Jesus! Love, Gwyn

Lord, Thank you for everything. I love you! You are awesome! You are so awesome that you died for me. Your love is eternal, and you are my real parent. I love you God and I worship you Jesus, powerful redeemer, Mighty to Save, Prince of Peace, Messiah. You have all these names, and I love you. Love, Weston

Lord, I love you because you forgive me when I sin and you died on the cross just for me. Thanks for being with me every day, even on the good days and the bad ones too. Thank you for helping me all the times I need you. Love, Alex

Dear Jesus, I adore you and I lay my life before you. You are so wonderful and you are the one I love. You are my soul and my strength! I love you. Love, Lilly

Dear Jesus, I wrote this love letter to you to show you how much I love you. First, I want to thank you for creating me in your own image and breathing in me and giving me a long, wonderful life. Your compassion is so wonderful. I never could ask for anything more than your love! Love, Vanessa

Dear God, You are a mighty God and I love you because you created me with your own hands. You are a victorious warrior. I love you! I love you with all my heart. You are beautiful like the rain. I love you because you even love the people who don't love you back. Love, Sandra

Dear Jesus, I love you because you are mighty and beautiful and I can't even tell you how much I love you. You give me joy when I'm scared, and you raise me up when I fall down. You hug me when I'm sad. I will love you forever. I promise. Love, Norah

Dear Jesus, I love you! You run to me when I'm sad or scared and wrap me in your arms. You are my all in all. I need you. I miss you when I don't talk to you for a while. You are like a jewel in a hidden rock. You are beautiful. Will you be mine? Love, Zoe

Dear Jesus, Thank you for loving me even when I sin. Thank you for healing me and my mom and lifting us up! I want to worship you because I am in love with you Jesus! When I'm happy, you laugh with me, and when I'm sad you cry with me. You are with me through it all and I know you will always be there for me. I love you always, Love, Audrey

Dear Jesus, I love you because of how great you are and really awesome and cool too. You didn't have to die for our sins, but you love us so much and I need to tell you now that I love you sooo much too. I want to sing and worship you every day because I love you! Thank you for everything. Love, Joshua

Valentine

Yes, they celebrate Valentine's Day in Rwanda! But, thankfully it's not very commercialized at all....just more red and pink decorations in town, sales on the chocolate bars, and many street vendors trying to sell red roses. We had a small "party" in class today, and revealed our "secret friends" that we had been doing kind things for all week...and we made cards for our family and friends. I have to share one of my kids' valentines with you! It made me smile. :-) Weston, a 4th grader, wrote this valentine to his girlfriend, Grace, in 5th grade....

"Some sit and look at Grace,
And think she needs a change of pace.
On Friday, when school is out,
I don't even laugh or give a shout.
My heart is filled with sorrow,
cause I won't be seeing you tomorrow (cause it's Saturday)."
I love you. Weston

I thought it was pretty clever! :-)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope

Even though they're record stands at an ugly 13-10, and their 2 big men are down, I have hope. Just this week, I received a package from home with this nice, new Carolina shirt. AND....at the market on Saturday, I stumbled upon this beautifully woven basket, with the PERFECT colors. I think it's a sign. I have hope! I'm even going to bed early tonight, so I can wake up at 4-5ish and catch some play-by-plays on a friend's laptop, granted the internet connection works. I wish my friend, Mr. Jay, could be here to watch it along with me. I miss chatting with him about the games. Yes, I have hope. It's happened before. They can do it! I'll be watching and cheering from Kigali! Go Heels! Beat Dook!

Random things...

Sorry I haven't posted much this week. Been busy with report cards, a new student, and I started a KICS girls' running club this week! Thanks Heather, for that inspiration. :-) You can be praying for the girls who are involved. This year at KICS, there are slim to none after school activities for students and kids in the community. I opened the club to middle and highschool girls, just to get to know them better, connect with them, and get some fun exercise time in! There's a chance I could get a group to train for the Peace Marathon races in May, but with these hills....that's a slim chance! :-) So far I've had about 9 girls come out, some Christian, some not. It's been interesting, the dynamics, and trying to empower the Rwandan girls to do things like this. It's something different for them, but a good way to bring everyone together.

We got a new student this week... Alex, from Bolivia, and most recently, the Dominican. So far it's been a tad awkward for him..he's got a big language barrier to deal with, and socially too. Alex was never raised in Christian home and no one in his family has ever owned a Bible. Pray that the Spirit will do awesome things in Alex's life, his sister Sophia, and their parents, during their time in Rwanda. I don't think it's by accident they are here with us now!

God has answered a specific prayer of mine lately, and I've been able to meet some really neat folks, outside the tight-knit "teacher" group. Rwandans, Americans, and others too. Last night, I found myself in a house where at least 20 different countries were represented! I'm just starting to see how diverse and international Kigali really is. I guess there's many, many opportunities here right now, as the country is still in it's developing stages. I see Japanese, Chinese, and Filipinos every day, just in my own neighborhood....and Rwandans too, of course. I love meeting new people from new places...it really helps the world feel much smaller to me...like we are all connected...and not spread out everywhere on different continents.

The world really felt small to me last week when I met a couple of Bridge 2 Rwanda volunteers from South Carolina, of all places. Immediately my southern accent became strong again, and I smiled, being able to talk to people who knew about Sundrop and Cheerwine, and Whataburger. Bridge 2 Rwanda is a great ministry, that links young, faith-driven business entreprenuers and teachers with ministries here in Rwanda where they can serve and let God's light shine. I've been blessed to meet these guys and gals who have a similar desire to see His face be glorified. In talking with one guy, we even discovered that my grandfather and his great aunt used to be good friends, (he's from Florence, SC). Such a small world. I also got to make a connection with a camping ministry that I may be getting involved with soon. It's in Musanze...near the volcanoes...and that's exactly where these guys and gals are based! Another great affirmation from above. I don't think anything happens by coincidence! I'll tell you more about that opportunity later.

To end the night last night...one of the South Carolinian's reaches in his laptop bag and pulls out a big ol' bag of freshly boiled peanuts he had boiled himself after he convinced the farmer to sell some to him raw. They were delicious, and a fun taste from down South! I quickly scooped up some in a cup, and threw them in my purse for the ride home. For a second there, it felt like home again. Then, how do I quickly realize I'm in Rwanda again? I look in my purse and beside the cup of boiled peanuts, also find a roll of duct tape, and toilet paper, two very much needed staples almost any night in Africa. Good things to keep handy. It was a fun night meeting some more of His servants! :-) Take care ya'll!

Cravings

This past week, I was riding to the orphanage in a matatu...(those are the 15 passenger Nissan mini-vans, that routinely hold around 25 or more here in Africa!) Even though matatus generally aren't the safest thing to ride in, I always enjoy my time in them, because I can look around at all the different people and picture what their lives are like. Most of them are already staring at me, the mzungu on board, so it's not too impolite if I stare back! :-) Or sometimes, I'll be able to read a chapter in my Bible or look out the window and just let my mind wander as I wonder. In Kenya, matatu time was always a good time to talk to your neighbor, but here in Rwanda, that's more difficult to do.

Anyway, this day as I was sitting crammed in the back, I look at the man sitting in front of me, and what do I see? He's wearing a Bojangles shirt, that reads, "Gotta, wanna, needa, getta, hava Bojangles!" Wow. It had been a looong time since I had thought about Bojangles and their made-from-scratch biscuits. But right then, when I saw that shirt I craved a nice juicy, greasy, Egg and Cheese biscuit, or their mashed potatoes and gravy, or their spicy greenbeans. Mmm....my mind was visualizing all these wonderful tasting foods, and I could even see myself going through the drive-thru on Cannon Blvd., and placing my order and eating the food even before I got home! I could taste it! I was CRAVING it so badly!

Of course, it made me laugh, to think that the man wearing the shirt had no idea what Bojangles was. To him, it could have been someone's name, or the name of a football team. That's probably why he bought it at the market, he thought it was "soccer related." He sure couldn't have liked the color!

As I made my journey to town and tasted hot biscuits all the way there, I started to think about cravings we have, and things we desire, and WHY we desire them. I had NOT ONCE thought about Bojangles since I had been here. (Whataburger, yes...Bojangles, no!) Honest! One thing I loved about living in Kenya was how healthy I ate, and how good my body felt. I ate nothing out of a can or box; everything fresh and freshly cooked, and my body could tell the difference! And it's pretty much the same here in Rwanda. I've gotten used to the diet of avocados, rice, chapati, fresh fruits, and the occasional meat. But now...when I saw the shirt, I was taken back...to Cannon Blvd, to that Egg and cheese biscuit that is sooooo bad for me!

And I started to think about cravings...much of the time what our bodies desire, what we are tempted with by our flesh (and I'm not just talking about food...) what our minds want to do, the initial craving we have to do something, eat something, say something....it's not from above! But from our sinful flesh, or of the world. Basically we could substitute anything in that phrase, for Bojangles..."Gotta, wanna, needa, getta, hava......whatever!" Whatever it is, we most likely don't really need it, but we just think we do. And we don't have enough self-control to overcome whatever temptation of the flesh we are dealing with. Alone, we are powerless. We are so gutless and spineless. It's only through His power, His Spirit that dwells in us, that we can overcome certain temptations of our flesh.

I also thought about the craving I had at that moment for Bojangles. And I thought about my "cravings" for the Word, for quiet time with my Father....did they add up? Do I totally desire that alone, totally focused time with God, just like I craved that biscuit? Do I spend so much time dwelling on Him and thanking him and thinking about being with Him...just like I spent about a good 20 minutes thinking about Bojangles the other day. Hmmm....something to think about. Do I crave and desire Him..being in His presence, bathing in His light! The book I'm reading now is called, "The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus," by Brennan Manning. So far, I give it an A+. He's my favorite author because he's so honest and real, and his humility shines through. As I was sunbathing this weekend on the shores of Lake Bunyonyi, I read a passage in the book that talked about how spending time with God is like sunbathing...people can see it, they notice you and say things like, "Wow, you must have gone to the beach, or you have a nice tan!" When we spend time basking in His light...or "Sonbathing," people will see a difference too! When we have that yearning, that desire to spend with Him, alone in prayer, talking to Him like He's right there in the chair beside us (cause he is!)....people can see that in us too just like they can see that I got severely sunburned this weekend! :-)

I'll have an egg and cheese biscuit when I get home to K-nap, a Whataburger, and probably Waffle House too, and definitely a Cookout banana milkshake. But I realize those are just cravings that pass by....I don't need that stuff...just cravings of the flesh. Just to wet my whistle and make me say, Mmmm for a few moments until I feel so full and sick! But I DO need to Sonbathe in His presence, always!

Concrete floors

Sometimes they really get on my nerves, and I just wish just for one day I could step on some nice, soft, cushy carpet. I know you're thinking I'm crazy...but that's one thing I miss about America....the carpet! :-) But at other times, the concrete floors aren't so bad. One great advantage to having concrete floors is......you can write on them! And clean it up later! My kids love scribbling things with chalk. Last week they had to trace their bodies and label all the parts of the skeletal and muscular systems that we had learned, and even the other systems for extra credit. They did a fantastic job!