And...a random picture of Orla and I with our masks. :-)
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
I forgot to post...
The best picture of the whole trip!!...posted on the factory wall...in TWO languages...
And...a random picture of Orla and I with our masks. :-)
And...a random picture of Orla and I with our masks. :-)
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Silkworms
Last Friday, we took a field trip to Utexwra, a textile plant in Kigali that specializes in silkworm farming! It was so fascinating! We were able to see the entire process of how a piece of silk is made, beginning from the eggs being hatched, all the way to the women who spin and weave it by hand into beautiful silk. We watched silkworms munch on their favorite food (their only food!) of mulberry leaves. We saw two worms mating, and watched the female lay eggs, over 300 in about 15 minutes! Wow! Sadly, then the female dies, but the male continues to mate with others. We discovered that only one tiny cocoon of silk can be stretched out for one kilometer! We also got to tour the spinning and weaving part of the factory, and the power mill plant as well. The kids loved wearing the surgical masks, and we left there with tons of cotton all over us. We walked up and down through the loud machinery and watched cotton being cleaned, and the fibers sorted, and eventually made into Army uniforms for the Rwandan army. Such a neat process to see! Here's a few pictures from our trip.
24 day old silkworms
Silkworm eggs that have just hatched
Norah, touching the silk on the machine
Watching the lady weave the silk together. It was such a neat, rythmic process to watch! It was all about timing for sure!
Putting the silk on spools
24 day old silkworms
Silkworm eggs that have just hatched
Norah, touching the silk on the machine
Watching the lady weave the silk together. It was such a neat, rythmic process to watch! It was all about timing for sure!
Putting the silk on spools
The weekend
Thank you all for your prayers for peace and security here. We had an uneventful end to the week and a calm weekend as well. I can't say the same for the people in Chile. My heart just aches when I hear the stories, and I just wanna go there and help! And so close to the Haiti earthquake! I just wanna go help in some way so badly. Do you ever feel that way? And sometimes I feel so helpless. But I know we can pray, if we can't help in another tangible way. I sometimes forget how powerful prayer is. When I spend that time, and take that time to really let everything else go and focus in, it's so powerful.
I like to talk to God when I run, and I had a LONG time to talk to Him on Saturday. A friend convinced me to go on a long run, without telling me how long, OR the fact that he enjoyed running up mountains for fun! So I'm still trying to decide if I will train for this race in May, so I joined him. Whoa! We literally ran up a mountain...for 13K! Ok, half of it was running DOWN the mountain, but still! He was gracious and stopped and walked with me on the steepest parts, cause I'm just not there yet! But it was fun, winding our way through village after village, jumping a swollen creek, stepping into huge mud piles, and ending up back in town on the main cobblestone roads. I think we provided much Saturday morning entertainment for many people not used to seeing mzungus in short shorts with mud streaked on them, panting and sweating through the village. And....the BEST part of the run....I got to eat GRITS afterwards! Yes, REAL SOUTHERN GRITS! They were amazing! And totally worth the long effort to get them! :-)
On another note, I want to tell you about a man I met Friday night named Ian. We just happened to be at the same house, with loads of different people from all countries (and walks of life,) and I got to chatting to Ian, an older man from Scotland. He's here with his Ugandan wife, and they have just adopted Danny, a 2 year old boy who was left on their doorstep when they lived in Uganda. Danny turned out to be his wife's nephew, and the parents were unable to take care of him. Ian told me how much joy Danny has brought into his life, and his wife's as well. We talked about many things Friday night....Ian struggles with alcohol, and it is having an effect on this second marriage of his. And the conversation turned to faith while he was sitting there sipping on his gin. We discovered that we both lived in the same neighborhood, about 2 minutes walk from our houses. The church is in between us. He started telling me how he used to go to church in Scotland and Belgium, but he never felt welcomed and he never felt good enough to be with "all those other people in their nice clothes." Ian is very simple and is the kind of person that would give his shirt to you off his back if you commented that you liked it. He said what I've heard before...that he never fit in in church, and he blamed other people in his life for what he thinks about church now. But he kept coming back and saying to me that when he looks at the stars he knows God is there and He believes in Him. He said his mother should have died many years ago from cancer, but that is the last time he prayed, and He really believes God heard him cause his mom is still alive. He said, "I think my faith is still there. I really want to believe, and I think I do." He's a real simple fellow, and struggles with sin, just like the rest of us. I invited him to church this morning...since it's right down the street from his house. I could tell he was seriously considering, and I was excited to welcome him. He didn't show up at church today. But he has been on my heart and my mind all weekend. I know God put us beside each other Friday night for a reason. Please pray for this guy, Ian, that God continues to place people in his life who encourage him and that the Holy Spirit will continue to work. I know the Spirit is already working!
I like to talk to God when I run, and I had a LONG time to talk to Him on Saturday. A friend convinced me to go on a long run, without telling me how long, OR the fact that he enjoyed running up mountains for fun! So I'm still trying to decide if I will train for this race in May, so I joined him. Whoa! We literally ran up a mountain...for 13K! Ok, half of it was running DOWN the mountain, but still! He was gracious and stopped and walked with me on the steepest parts, cause I'm just not there yet! But it was fun, winding our way through village after village, jumping a swollen creek, stepping into huge mud piles, and ending up back in town on the main cobblestone roads. I think we provided much Saturday morning entertainment for many people not used to seeing mzungus in short shorts with mud streaked on them, panting and sweating through the village. And....the BEST part of the run....I got to eat GRITS afterwards! Yes, REAL SOUTHERN GRITS! They were amazing! And totally worth the long effort to get them! :-)
On another note, I want to tell you about a man I met Friday night named Ian. We just happened to be at the same house, with loads of different people from all countries (and walks of life,) and I got to chatting to Ian, an older man from Scotland. He's here with his Ugandan wife, and they have just adopted Danny, a 2 year old boy who was left on their doorstep when they lived in Uganda. Danny turned out to be his wife's nephew, and the parents were unable to take care of him. Ian told me how much joy Danny has brought into his life, and his wife's as well. We talked about many things Friday night....Ian struggles with alcohol, and it is having an effect on this second marriage of his. And the conversation turned to faith while he was sitting there sipping on his gin. We discovered that we both lived in the same neighborhood, about 2 minutes walk from our houses. The church is in between us. He started telling me how he used to go to church in Scotland and Belgium, but he never felt welcomed and he never felt good enough to be with "all those other people in their nice clothes." Ian is very simple and is the kind of person that would give his shirt to you off his back if you commented that you liked it. He said what I've heard before...that he never fit in in church, and he blamed other people in his life for what he thinks about church now. But he kept coming back and saying to me that when he looks at the stars he knows God is there and He believes in Him. He said his mother should have died many years ago from cancer, but that is the last time he prayed, and He really believes God heard him cause his mom is still alive. He said, "I think my faith is still there. I really want to believe, and I think I do." He's a real simple fellow, and struggles with sin, just like the rest of us. I invited him to church this morning...since it's right down the street from his house. I could tell he was seriously considering, and I was excited to welcome him. He didn't show up at church today. But he has been on my heart and my mind all weekend. I know God put us beside each other Friday night for a reason. Please pray for this guy, Ian, that God continues to place people in his life who encourage him and that the Holy Spirit will continue to work. I know the Spirit is already working!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
I Saw What I Saw
This is the title of a song by Sara Groves. Sara is a Christian singer/songwriter, and her lyrics are so beautiful and honest and pure. This Youtube video was made after one of her trips to Rwanda last year. She's coming back in March, and I hope to meet her. You can check out her website at www.saragroves.com I think she'll be in Greensboro in April.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSdP6PqsbJY
The lyrics are:
I saw what I saw and I can't forget it
I heard what I heard and i can't go back
I know what I know and I can't deny it
something on the road, cut me to the soul
your pain has changed me
your dream inspires
your face a memory
your hope a fire
your courage asks me what I'm afraid of and what I know of love
we've done what we've done and we can't erase it
we are what we are and it's more than enough
we have what we have but it's no substitution
something on the road, cut me to the soul
I say what I say with no hesitation
I have what I have but I'm giving it up
I do what I do with deep conviction
something on the road, cut me to the soul
your courage asks me what I’m afraid of
your courage asks me what I am made of
your courage asks me what I’m afraid of
and what I know of love and what I know of God
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSdP6PqsbJY
The lyrics are:
I saw what I saw and I can't forget it
I heard what I heard and i can't go back
I know what I know and I can't deny it
something on the road, cut me to the soul
your pain has changed me
your dream inspires
your face a memory
your hope a fire
your courage asks me what I'm afraid of and what I know of love
we've done what we've done and we can't erase it
we are what we are and it's more than enough
we have what we have but it's no substitution
something on the road, cut me to the soul
I say what I say with no hesitation
I have what I have but I'm giving it up
I do what I do with deep conviction
something on the road, cut me to the soul
your courage asks me what I’m afraid of
your courage asks me what I am made of
your courage asks me what I’m afraid of
and what I know of love and what I know of God
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Kigali drama part 2
Wow...it's been an interesting week and it's only Tuesday! So today, I was out running with running club, and immediately we smelled smoke. We got to the top of the giant hill we were about to run down, and noticed that the club/restaurant/store at the bottom of the hill was totally on fire! We stood there to watch along with everyone else in our community, plus at least 5 nearby communities. It was interesting, and sad. For about one hour, people were trying to put out the fire with jerrycans full of water they got from the lake. People would run into their houses, run down the road with all their jerrycans, fill them up with lake water which wasn't too far away, and run back. It was sad watching people run back into the fire just to bring out tables, chairs, etc. My first thought was why in the world are they running back in the fire!? Then I quickly realized that it's their livelihoood in there! If it burns, they are left with nothing. It took 90 minutes for the first "fire truck" to arrive. It did have sirens though. But no hoses and no water. I really don't know what they did. Then it took another 45 minutes for 2 more trucks to arrive. These had airport labels on them. The airport is only 20 minutes away. Who knows why it took them 2 hours to arrive!? The roads were blocked off, soldiers with their AK-47s stood guard as people started trying to salvage tables, chairs, whatever. The petrol station is next door. It's a real blessing the fire didn't spread there! It took about 4-5 hours, but they finally put it out. That place was such a great little eatery to get some goat brochettes! Now, I'll have to get my protein elsewhere. :-( So sad. Oh by the way, we're not yet sure the cause of the fire. Here's a pretty bad picture...you can't tell a lot. I was trying to be inconspicuous.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
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.
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.
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