Africa is BIG!

Ok, I know this is a random blog, but when someone emailed me this depiction of Africa, I just had to post it. It's very helpful! I know many of you are curious about just how big Africa really is! I know when I returned home this summer, I got so many questions, like, are you close to Ghana? (No) Are you in North or South Africa? (Neither!) Have you met....so and so who went to Africa? Do you know this person who was a missionary in Nigeria? (No!), etc, etc.

It's just like here, many Africans don't realize how large the United States is. Many of my friends just assume that I am on a first-name basis with President Obama and that I've been to his house and we see each other at the grocery store all the time! They also think all Americans must see Brittany Spears, Paris Hilton, and Beyonce like every day! They think we are all friends and live in the same neighborhood. :-) It's funny to me, but also a little scary to think that these names are what they think of when they think of America. Is this a good thing? Hmmm...

Anyway, this picture really showed me how big this great continent is! (Yes, Africa is a continent, NOT a country!) :-) I hope it helps you too!

Inauguration

News in Kigali this week...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-11229201

The U.N. Secretary General made a surprise visit to Rwanda on Tuesday to speak with and "appease" President Kagame. This came right after a U.N. report was leaked accusing his troops of committing genocide against tens of thousands of Hutus in Congo after the events of 1994. Kagame had threatened to remove peacekeeping troops from Sudan if the report was released. Apparently now it will still be released, but not until October. It was kind of a crazy week around town, because Monday was Inauguration Day for the President. This will be Kagame's last constitutional term of 7 years. Rwanda's blue, green and yellow streamers and flags were flown all around the city, and people stayed up all night streaming flowers all along the roadsides where the President would drive, and the other 16 Heads of State that were in town. The fountain in town actually had water spewing from it! (This only happens on VERY special occasions!) :-) Monday was a public holiday, so I woke up and ran down to Amaharo Stadium to see what was going on. I decided not to go inside the stadium because once you're inside, no one can leave before the President does. That's the rule, whether it's an inauguration or a football match. You can't leave until he does. And the events lasted from sun-up to well past sun-down. It was mainly lots of speeches in kinyarwanda, followed by traditional dancing and singing, and more kinyarwanda speeches. I decided I didn't want to be trapped inside for a good twelve hours listening to something I couldn't understand a lick of. It was rumored that Tuesday would be another "spontaneous Rwandan holiday" as well, but lo and behold we had school. :-( According to the radio, it was only a government holiday; I guess because all the government officials were out partying at the Serena Hotel all night. But it's ok, because tomorrow is a holiday too! Tomorrow marks the end of the Muslim holiday, Ramadan. All the KICS staff are going on a retreat to Kibuye on Lake Kivu for a little bit of R&R. I'm exicited to boat to Bat Island again, and just have some quiet reading and journaling time. My spirit needs it for sure! I just read where Iran is finally releasing one of the American hikers! All I have to say is, it's about time!!!! I hope and pray the other two get to come home shortly after. It's time for sleep now...I've been up making zucchini muffins for my roommate, Kelly's birthday tomorrow. Not exactly a cake, but I know she'll appreciate! :-) Goodnight everyone!

Eyes Wide Open

Ephesians 1:18~ "May he enlighten the eyes of your mind so that you can see what hope His call holds for you."

I've told some of you about Kang-Hee, my student from South Korea. Kang-Hee struggles with Autism and a special eye condition that is frustrating to him. He can see, but his eyes become irritated so much so that sometimes, his vision disappears. In class on Friday, Kang-Hee had a really bad "eye" day. He is also learning English for the first time. In his journal, he wrote, "God ono lick KangHee. He no mack eies bettr." I soon learned that this meant, "God doesn't like Kang-Hee because he won't make my eyes better." It made me sad. I find it hard communicating with Kang-Hee at times, but I tried to tell him that yes, God does love him, and He does hear our prayers. I don't think he understood me fully, and he just looked at me so forlorn. But then a beautiful thing took place in my 4th grade classroom! Megane said, let's all pray for Kang-Hee. So everyone stopped, put their pencils down, and came over to his desk and made a circle around him. He lowered his head to pray with us, and every student in the room prayed for him. Kang-Hee may not have understood what I was trying to relate to him, but I know he understood the actions of the students as they prayed. I was so proud as a teacher, and so blessed to be in this environment where we were able to just stop everything, put our pencils down and just pray! How wonderful! They prayed for Kang-Hee's eyes to be opened so that He can fully see all that is around him. They prayed for God to give him "wide eyes" to see the beauty around him. They prayed for his future, and his health. They prayed blessings on him and his family. It was a beautful thing to be a part of. May we all be blessed with eyes wide open as we continue on our journey this week!

I want to share a quick "blessing" from a book I just finished..."The God Who Smokes, Scandalous Meditations on Faith." Author is Tim Stoner. I loved this book because of his honesty and how real it was. Stoner ends each chapter with a blessing. Chapter 2 ended like this..

"May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
Give you a  Spirit of wisdom and eyes wide open.
May He bring you to full knowledge of Him,
May He enlighten the eyes of your mind,
So you can see what hope and rich glories are being reserved for you.
May you know this Jesus, who is Unique and Exclusive, and Above,
every other "savior" who has ever come or ever will come...
And through His Spirit,
May He empower you to grow strong in your inner self,
So that Christ may love comfortably at home in your heart.
And then, firmly built on the bedrock of His unyiedling love,
may you be able to grasp its breadth and length,
it's height and depth;
And, knowing His love, which is beyond understanding, amazingly-
Be filled with the utter fullness of God Himself.
(Ephesians 1:17-21; 3:16-19)

Artists and Potters

I had a full and interesting weekend. Friday, I was privileged to see some amazingly talented Rwandan artists doing live painting at the restaurant, Heaven. Through some of the Bridge to Rwanda folks, I became friends with Emmanuel and Innocent last Spring. They are brothers and artists with Ivuka Arts, here in Kigali. Ivuka Arts is an amibitious project headed up by another brother, Collin, who aims to develop Rwanda's cultural heritage and "use art to change lives." All the artists at Ivuka were self-taught, and now this core group of brothers has also mentored many promising young artists in Kigali, and helped them to hone their skills and become more exposed. Ivuka artists also do a lot to give back to their community, by teaching children at the orphanage art. Also, children who formerly begged on the street are finding hope and educational opportuities through Ivuka's traditional dance troupe, RwaMakondera. If you are artistic, or appreciate art, I encourage you to check out their website, http://www.ivukaarts.com/.

Art by Collin

Art by Innocent

On Saturday, a group of us headed right outside of the city to Gikondo, and attended the opening festivities of the 13th annual Rwandan International Trade Expo. I wasn't able to attend last year, so I was excited. It was a fun afternoon, and neat to see about 130 exhibitions from 70 different countries! There were even "county fair-type" rides like the swings there! But don't think I risked my life to ride those! Heck, the swings are dangerous enough at U.S. county fairs. I'll ride a motorcycle to town everyday, but there aint no way you can get me on a "fair ride" in Rwanda. Ha! I spent a nice afternoon perusing the booths. I almost bought a very large traditional drum for a very good, fair price, but then I remembered I had to take a moto home. I did buy a beautiful handmade, blue and green, pottery vase made by the Batwa Pygmy tribe here in Rwanda.

 The Batwa, or "Twa" people in Rwanda are the oldest record inhabitants of the Africa Great Lakes region. But now there are only about 50-60,000 left in the area. 30% of the Twa died in the genocide of 1994, and now they make up only 1% of Rwanda's population. The Twa are also known as semi-nomadic forest dwellers, and they have lived off the land for many years. But now, with the introduction of new development, and the clearing of forests for agriculture and other reasons, many Twa have been forced to leave their ancestral homes and have not been compensated in any way. Twa children have limited access to education, and have little to no say in political affairs. They are often discriminated against because of their pygmy ancestry, and sometimes treated as if they were animals. The European colonists who first settled in Rwanda treated the Batwa as "less than human." During the genocide, the Twa were used as human shields, between the warring Tutsi and Hutu tribes. It's estimated that now at least 70% of the Twa people in Rwanda make their living from begging on the streets.

However many of the Twa have turned to pottery as their new source of livelihood. Making pottery is an ancestral tradition, and carries social importance for the Twa community. The process of digging the clay and carrying it to their settlements allows for socialization and a sense of community amongst the potters. The Twa make beautiful pottery and sell it in the markets. I usually see the brown and green tones, but when I saw the blue vase on Saturday, I knew I had to get it! Another issue the Twa are having to deal with now is the competition from rice farms. The land where they harvest the clay is quickly becoming rice plantations due to a land policy change. Even since I've been here in Rwanda, everyone says the amount of pottery you see now is dwindling and pretty soon, the Batwa could lose another occupation that supports their livelihood. This article below, titled, "The People Who Don't Exist," is an excellent look into the plight of the Batwa. It's a little lengthy, but worth every minute of it. I highly suggest taking 5 minutes and reading this article. It'll give you a good historical picture of Rwanda as well.

http://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/rwanda/people-who-dont-exist

My weekend ended with a visit to my special children at Home of Hope. I spent an afternoon with Genina, and two small, precious toddler boys that were brand-new to the orphanage. They just at on my lap, and starred as I sang to them, and you could tell they were a little "shell-shocked" at all the stimulation. Even though one of them lost his bladder all over my pants, I still had a wonderful afternoon. :-) And to top it off, I got to Skype with Aiden last night for like 30 minutes! (And Bekah and Caleb too!) I can only imagine what the guards on the road thought when they heard this white girl singing, "Old Macdonald Had a Farm" again and again. He was precious, and it was the perfect end to a great weekend. I just wished I could have jumped through the screen and kissed him. But he blew me enough kisses to last until next time...I miss that boy so much!

Hope ya'll had a good one as well! Peace!

One Year

This past Sunday, August 22, marks my one year anniversary of being in Rwanda. (minus the summer in NC!) This summer, people always asked me to tell them about what life is like here in the land of a thousand hills. Tell me about Africa is a phrase I heard so often. And many times I didn't know where to begin. There's too much to say, and too much that would be left unsaid if I tried. I can't quite adequately give this experience the justice it deserves when I talk about it; the life, the culture, the people, their smiles and hopes and dreams. I think I do the best when I try to tell their stories. Because their words always speak louder than anything I could say. Everyone has a story to tell here, and I try to adopt others' stories, as I fumble over my own. But the truth is, it's hard to explain it in words. Being here again, on African soil, running down the red dusty roads, listening to conversations at the market in all kinds of languages, being in a position to help others, to teach, to learn from them...it has changed me. Africa changes you. If you've spent any time in this wonderful continent, you know what I mean. There's something about this place that gets in my blood, and it has changed me. It has changed the way I view the world, the U.S., people. It has changed the way I view God. This one year has flown by. Like any experience, at first everything is new and foreign, and then you find your niche, and learn to adjust to the myriad of differences. And then one day, after being here a few months, you wake up and realize that this is normal now; that this is now your home! Of course, it was wonderful being back at "home" in N.C. this summer, where my family is. My heart is there, but my heart is here also.

I guess the irony is that home is really neither here nor there. Not for any of us! We, as followers of Jesus Christ, are kind of like aliens who don't have a home, per se. Or our real homes have not been realized yet. There's a lot about Rwanda that now feels like home to me, but of course, for all practical purposes it is obvious to everyone around me that Rwanda is not my true home. Having much lighter skin, blue eyes, and blonde hair, really sets me apart. I'm called "mzungu" every day by the locals, and hear the shouts as I run by them. "Mzungu" can mean foreigner, white person, or man walking in circles. Ha! I'm still an outsider here in many ways. But do people realize that we are all outsiders here on Earth? (Hebrews 11:13, 1 Peter 2:11). Is our life and walk with Jesus such that people recognize us as alien from an eternal “home”, rather than from North Carolina, the U.S.A. or elsewhere? (2 Peter 3:13) I try to ask, do my actions and words reflect my life in Christ, or do they simply reflect a stereotype, an accent, or regional behavior?

I know I am normally stereotyped as "rich" and "influential" in this current environment I am in. The influence God has given me here in Africa has come with not only a great ability to influence others, but also a burden to reflect Christ Jesus even more carefully. My days are filled with challenge and opportunity. Sometimes the challenges make it hard to appreciate the opportunity, and yet it is both a challenge and opportunity that God has called me here to this wonderful place, with your prayers and generous support. I'm only here by the grace of God!

This is home for me now. But in many ways, North Carolina felt the same this summer. But neither one feels exactly right. I guess wherever your home is, you shouldn't be too comfortable that you don't long for something better. Not a new city, or new house; but an eternal home that awaits us....and in the mean time, we are called to be the salt and the light to reach others with the knowledge that grace covers our humanity. (Matthew 5: 13-17).

Sorry, I got off on a tangent there about "home." Back to reflecting on one year in this beautiful place...

It is lifegiving to me to be here! There's something about Africa that makes me come alive...the beauty of the land, the brilliant smiles of the people you meet daily, the laughter of the children, the smells from the cooking huts, the hustle and bustle of the chaotic and lively market, the culture and vivacious traditional dancers, the beating of the drums in church, singing praises in so many languages, my diverse classroom, the huge volcanos and the rolling plains that are host to the wild animals, afternoon chai with a friend, not being constrained by time (it's African time!), running down the dusty, red dirt roads, the joys of watching the contentment in a child untainted by the desire for earthly possessions, the thrill of riding a motorcycle through the city during rush hour, and through the rolling hills as well, the sparkle in the eyes of the children at Mother Teresa's, the hardworking nuns who greet me, the hope of young people to achieve their goals and dreams, the determination and strength of a country to move past their dark history and into a bright future....these are just a few of the things that make me feel alive here in Rwanda and in Africa. Life is being lived here, and it brings me hope! Each day is a new adventure to be claimed.

But we also know that not all of Rwanda, or not all of Africa is full of joy and color and beauty. This country has suffered deep pains for many years. Suffering that neither you nor I could ever imagine. People here know horror. But they have also learned forgiveness. Even with the country's great strides though in the past 16 years, there are still millions of children who are orphaned and who still bear hunger pains daily. Even though Rwanda is set to be the next "technology" hub for East Africa, people are still dying of easily treatable diseases everyday.

I'm just gonna be honest here...one of the hardest things for me to find is my response to all of this. I wish I could say that I am always perfectly compassionate and that I respond in the most sensitive and appropriate ways. However, there are days when I am completely annoyed by the beggars who follow me around the neighborhood wanting my change. And there are days when I feel overwhelmingly guilty that I have white skin and was born into a family of privilege in the United States of America. There are days where I am extremely infuriated by the social injustices of this world, and there are days where I am just hopelessly heartbroken by needs around me, and I don't know what to do. But I know someone who does! And I continue to call on Him for answers.
But each day as I face different challenges and opportunities, I also feel blessed beyond belief to be here! To be a part of peoples' lives and their stories. To have influenced some of those stories...I am blessed! There are people who have rocked my world teaching me about the capabilities of the human heart and the limitless boundaries of the human strength. There are instances everyday where my faith is strengthened through a simple conversation and where I am awestruck by the beauty of the scenery that surrounds me. I relish in the freedom that comes from escaping a life of comfort, security, and familiarity. These people are teaching me more about life, love and our Father than I could ever teach them! God doesn't need me here. But I'm so humbled He chose to send me here. And so I try not to go through life each day overlooking simple joys or abundant blessings....OR ignoring distrubing injustices and cruelties of this world we live in. I must face both realities and gracefully learn to balance the two. And so here I am, this white-skinned, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, Southern girl, in this foreign land, learning to do just that. And in the meantime...longing for a more "permanent home."

A revelation!

Last night, I had the most wonderful affirmation from God. It was one of those awesome moments where I honestly could hear His voice talking to me, and EVERYTHING was made clear at once! I just grinned and just said, thank you Lord! I have been praying all summer about a certain situation, and praying for some specific confirmation about it; specific knowledge on how to act one way or the other, and the way the whole situation was resolved was NOT at all how I thought or wanted it to be....but last night, I finally understood what God was trying to show me for so long. I saw it, I heard Him, and everything totally clicked. I got the specific confirmation that I had been praying for, and I feel so overjoyed and feel like God is just totally awesome in answering His prayers. Of course, a couple weeks ago, I was starting to doubt and think, "What is going on here?" And last night, it all came together! I don't know if you've ever had one of those moments when everything is made clear, and you see how God protected you, and how He was with you, and why He allowed a certain thing to happen. I felt His presence in such a huge way last night, and just heard Him saying, "See, Emily, I knew all along. I know what's best for you. You are my child...my daughter. I know what is best for you, and I have worked out everything according to my plan for your good." Last night was one of those times where the light came on for me and I was just thanking him over and over again for his grace and mercy and His abundance of good gifts for me, his beautiful daughter! We are His children and He knows exactly what we need, exactly when we need it! Thanks for letting me share!

Elections

The citizens of Rwanda went to the polls on August 10 and re-elected President Paul Kagame for another term, his last constitutional term. He was elected with 93% of the vote, down from 97% seven years ago. Many expatriates had left the country for the elections, but I was just returning. And there was no fear. Rwandans held a safe and orderly election, and are to be commended for that. They are an example for many East African nations. Even with the sporadic grenades this quarter that have been attributed to the opposition or outsiders, there has been no climate of fear in the country, as many Western media outlets have reported. I've learned that you can't rely on a Western news outlet who comes in for one week or less, interviews a few people and think they know the whole story. There's a lot more to most stories than what the reader gets on Time or Newsweek or CNN. Rwanda is a constitutional democracy, and well recognized as the most progressive and “cleanest” government in Africa, with zero tolerance of corruption. There was another grenade thrown in town the night the results were announced, and 20 people were injured, but there were no fatalities, and they arrested the perpetrators when they tried to flee. On election night, my first night back, millions gathered at the stadium to celebrate Kagame's apparent victory. It was 4am when I got home from the airport and got in bed, and the partying at the stadium could be heard, even miles away. Then, something new happened in Rwanda. Fireworks were set off! And sparklers and other noise makers. Since I had just returned from the States and heard firworks on the 4th, I was used to the sound of them. However, many other expatriates, including my principal and his family, were alarmed and immediately got up, started praying and packing their bags to leave the country. They had been used to hear loud gunshots and bombs in Kenya, and along with other families here, they thought things had gone horribly wrong. I had to respond to many texts at 4am telling people that it was only firecrackers. Ha! Anyway, I, along with many, many other Rwandans are proud of what President Kagame and the people of Rwanda have acheived in rebuilding their country, and it's my hope that the progress will continue in his next term.

Here are a few points that President Kagame campaigned on:  
1. Many things thought to be “impossible” have been accomplished. The genocide totally destroyed Rwanda's economy, infrastructure, justice system, hospitals, schools, and all other civil institutions. They have all have been rebuilt to standards far superior to the pre-genocide era. But much work remains to achieve Rwanda's well-articulated "Vision 2020" by the year 2020.

2. The standard of living in Rwanda has been dramatically raised with universal education, access to healthcare, a government of “inclusion”, a doubling of per capita income, spectacular growth in economic development, foreign investment, and tourism,... but we are not yet satisfied,... we cannot rest upon these achievements when we can still do much more.

3. Rwanda has some critics in the West (as well as many passionate supporters). Let the critics come here to Rwanda and see the work and achievements of this government. Proof of the legitimacy and effectiveness of current “good governance” is found, and shall be found, not in rhetoric, but rather its achievements.

4. Rwandans must not look outside Rwanda for affirmation or for others to determine our destiny. Rwandans must bear the great responsibility of self-determination.