Love

Today we celebrate love. All kinds of love! I used to think Valentine's Day was too cheesy, because I thought you should celebrate the people you love EVERY day, not just once a year. But now, I enjoy this celebration of love. It's a wonderful day (and reminder) to lavish love on those you love, and accept it too! And for me, it's a reminder of the greatest love story of all...The Cross...and a day to spend with my First Love and the One who claims my heart! I found this Valentine's Day, that I was led to a different Scripture, than the usual 1 Corinthians love verses. I began reading in Luke 15, the story of the Prodigal Son.

"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate."

compassion. kisses. worthiness. feasts. celebrations. alive! I was reminded by this story, of the unrelenting, overwhelming love our Father gives us. All the time. He loves us! And it's a perfect and real love, with kisses and hugs and cleebrations! :) unconditional. I know it's hard to believe sometimes..when sin creeps in and we think we need to be good enough to deserve His love. Thank God His love is based on Him, not on us! And it's perfect and true!

Today, my Father lavished His love on me in many ways...from emails from old, old friends. :) And smiles from beautiful children. and prayers with a grieving family. And the hope of a new adoption! and the most amazing African sunset! My class and I were also privileged to visit my friend, John Bosco's school in the village today, and have praise and worship with them! So fun to see love in action and alive!  My kids were alive with love! Singing praise songs in three languages, and teaching and writing, Jesus Loves You in the different voices. Imana Ira gukunda! :) Yesu anapenda! Beautiful!

Whether or not you think you deserve it today or not...He is waiting for you to come home! And waiting to give you a giant hug and kiss! Forgiveness is love in action. He has forgiven us, so that we may also forgive others. One of my favorite quotes from Henri Nouwen...

“Forgiveness is the name of love practiced among people who love poorly. The hard truth is that all people love poorly. We need to forgive and be forgiven every day, every hour increasinly. That is the great work of love among the fellowship of the weak that is the human family.” 

Abba Father...

Your love is Deep, Your love is high
Your love is long, your love is wide.

Your love is deeper than my view of grace
Higher than this wordly place
Longer than this road i travel
Wider than the gap you've filled.

Who shall separate Us? Who shall separate us from your love?
Nothing can separate us from the love of Jesus.
Nothing can separate us from your love.

The Road Not Taken

                                                      THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

-Robert Frost

Reflections from 2011

Ok, so we've already established that I'm a tardy blogger. :) Even though I know I'm a month "too late" in blog-reflecting on this new year that we are already in.... (I mean, it's already the Superbowl this weekend! But better late than never, right?)...I still wanted to reflect and look back on 2011...and all the many AMAZING blessings I have to thank God for! I tried to choose just 11 pictures from 2011 that capture the memories, the stories, the people I met. But I could only narrow it down to 15! And that was even too difficult.

Some of these pictures only represent a smigden of a larger experience or on-going challenge, or a beautiful story. 2011 was exciting for sure! It was an adventure...that took me around the globe, and back home to my most favorite people. It was also a rocky year. I messed up and accepted and gave forgiveness to some of my most favorite people. I loved and laughed and traveled, and learned....oh, I learned! I dreamed. I still worked too hard. I was challenged by new friends and put in roles I didn't know what to do, but God helped equip me!

I rang in 2011 with my favorite brother, celebrating here in Rwanda, after the coolest Christmas both of us will ever have. I had wonderful visits from Heather and Greg and Joe, and Chris, from K-nap! I met a life-long friend, Mary Elise, who was years younger than me, but much wiser. :) 2011 took me to the shores of Lake Tanganyika, swimming with the hippos in Bujumbura with two great friends, and to the top of the most active volcano in the world in the DRC.  I was challenged by some new friendships, and understood what audacious forgiveness really looks like. 

This past year, I saw friends and students being transformed by the love of Christ, even though they didn't recognize it at first! I am still seeing the transformation in many of them, and others as they are shining their light now for Christ! I was blessed with the coolest group of Sunday School children, and enjoyed listening to their praises in kinyarwanda each week. Exercising and getting "FIT" with my sweet girls in the afternoons continues to be a highlight of mine that I look forward to each day! I cried with joy when Marico and Mario and others were adopted from Home of Hope, and I saw them be united with their forever families! Kang-Hee Lee and his precious family continue to change my life with their stories of faith and trusting in God, even when it's difficult to do so. They have taught me what it means to really PRAY!

2011 brought awesome trips to Puerto Rico to explore and visit my sister, and also an amazing layover in Greece, taking in all the ancient ruins and having some much-needed alone time, before making the trek back to the States. During the summer I got to take the girls to Great Escape camp for the third summer in a row, a total highlight of the summer! I love romping around in the North Carolina mountains, my favorite place. Even got to make a quick stop by Merrie-Woode and reunite with some of my favorite people on this planet. I spent many lazy summer days splashing with Aiden in Baker's Creek or in the backyard, and just marveling at how a 2 year old views the world. He is literally my best friend! It was such a rich summer...I was fortunate to spend a wonderful week in Florida with one of my very best friends, Leslie, and her great family, and also a visit from cousin Julie from camp, and her 3 year old little girl. I reunited with Ethan down there and we spent a great afternoon with our aunt and uncle. And of course, I got to spend a fabulous long weekend with my foster family...the Walkers and Hulseys, and my friend of a lifetime, Jordan. Dang, it was a good year! :) He really filled me with joy in His presence....eternal pleasures at His right hand! (Psalm 16:11) 

I hiked around with the gorillas, and started the new school year with a classroom full of fresh, fun faces from all over the world. ...with so many new friendships and relationships this past year....with people who have totally blessed me with their generosity and honesty and their presence.... and others I've been in a position to bless. Meeting and hearing the stories of the women from Tubahumurize co-op, and my sweet ladies at the market, Josephine, and Felicita, and Grace, and others...they give me HOPE. ENCOURAGEMENT. JOY! I think about their stories when I'm having one of "those days," and I immediately am reminded of God's goodness in my life. And how thankful I am to know these ladies and share my life with them. It was such a wonderful gift to me to be able to share their work and their handicrafts with my friends back home in North Carolina over Christmas. With all of your support, we were able to raise $1,200 to give back to these sweet servants of God, and their everyday ministries. Praise Him! And thanks to all of you!

Lord, thank you for seeing us through 2011 and for your hand on our lives! Help me, in 2012, to walk closer with you, to learn more about you, to desire you more, to want to love you more and love your people more. With you as my guide!

I love you all!

Em

Yay for February...a new season!

Well folks, I admit, I'm officially an awful blogger. It's not my intentions to be...and it's certainly not in my heart to let you all down with no updates from over here in the Motherland, but all I can say is I will do my best in 2012 to be better at communicating! I guess it does get hard trying to balance real life, and write about it too! I know to many of you, the life I'm living over here seems either wonderful and glorious, or hard and frustrating...and either way, you are eager to hear stories and see pictures, because it's a different life than you are living. But really, it's not! It's real life here that I do. It's my home...and the place I teach and love children, and serve our Maker. Yes, there are glorious, wonderful days. And yes, there are hard, frustrating days just the same! But I guess since I am so comfortable with this life now...I sometimes forget to tell you about it! Not that I have a lack of stories to tell! Too many, actually! Right now, I'm at that point...(and all of you who know me know how I'm like this..) where I have tooo many stories to tell..and I don't even know where to begin, so it's paralyzed me in the blogging world...and I haven't written about ANY of them! But I'm just going to start! And do my best to get back into writing! Thank you for your encouragement! :)

Every year that I've spent abroad, the month of January seems to be the most difficult! Either I've been sick, homesick for my other home, or just in a funk. And this January was no different! I know for some people, January is a month of new beginnings and a new birth and the anticipation of a new year. But for some reason, it's never been this way for me. It's been like the "hump" month to just endure and get over. I know that sounds horrible. Maybe you have a month or a "season" like this too....where you are enduring more than enjoying. Or surviving more than thriving. I think Jesus understands us when we have seasons like this. I know He does! The verse I have clung to recently is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in ALL circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." It's so easy and natural to thank Him for the overtly good gifts in our life. But this verse reminds me to thank Him for the hard ones too....the gifts and blessings in disguise that are painful to bear now and to receive. Give thanks in ALL circumstances; for this is His will for you! It gives me hope! And what a nice surprise it was this week when I woke up and it was January no more! Yay for February! A month of celebrating LOVE, and Happy Birthday to my two beautiful sisters!

I promise I will start writing more frequently....but just to give you a brief update...I just spent a WONDERFUL 3 weeks in North Carolina for Christmas!! It was the first Christmas I had been back in a few years, and the first one all four of us had been together in while! So that made it extra-super special! It went by fast, and I was so fortunate to spend so much time with family. I totally surprised my mom by just showing up on her doorstep, and Ellie put one of those big Christmas bags over me...the ones that you use to wrap a bike...and then she rang the doorbell. Wow, you should have heard my mom screaming when she lifted the bag! She had no idea! It was GREAT! She said she thought I looked like a rocking chair under there, or something weird like that! It was so much fun to surprise her! And of course, I cherished every moment with little Aiden (who's not so little anymore!!). We saw Santa, sang, laughed, played in the leaves, and made memories. Christmas Eve at Grandma's was so special, and just the same as I always know it to be...the same sounds, smells, tastes....except of course I missed Pa hanging out by the crackling fire. On New Years, I had the privilege of speaking about Rwanda at Rocky Creek Presbyterian Church, my dad's new church, in South Carolina. They are the neatest, sweetest folks! I am so thankful for their generosity in allowing me to be there and make this long journey home! They are so kind! It was a wonderful day to be with them, and the best way to start a new year and new year of my life too!

More to come...and pictures too!

All who are thirsty!

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

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

Rwanda's future with coffee

Many Rwandans are farmers, and they depend on growing tea and coffee for their daily income. Check out this great article about how organizations like Technoserve and the Gates Foundation have worked to help these farmers produce better quality coffee, increase their profits, and transform many lives. The guy on the left is Paul, who heads up Technoserve here. And James is on the right, from Florence, SC...he heads up Rwanda Trading Company, a coffee factory here in Kigali.

http://humanosphere.kplu.org/2011/11/rwandas-future-could-depend-upon-a-really-good-cup-of-coffee/

Give Thanks!

I know I'm about a week and a half too late in wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving...but I'm thankful, nonetheless! :) I'm thankful for all of you, my family and friends, who sustain me with love and prayers each day! I hope you had a wonderful time of giving thanks and being with each other. I certainly had a celebratory thanksgiving here in Kigali! I got together with 30 friends, from many different countries, and we celebrated life, celebrated community, celebrated all the ways in which we are blessed, and celebrated our time together that God has given us. We all managed to recreate some of our favorite dishes, and we feasted on Rwandan turkey, potatoes, yams, a host of fresh veggies, apple pie and pumpkin pie, and much more! I managed to make a sweet potato casserole dish, with the white cassavas here. It tasted the same, except it was white, not orange! And making pumpkin pie from scratch is not something I want to do again! What an effort! :) But the end result was tasty! Heck, I'm thankful for my time in Rwanda for teaching me how to cook a couple of things! Ha! We feasted and prayed, and had a big ol' time sitting by the fire and watching the Packers game livestreamed on Skype, courtesy of Matt and Tim. For a second there, I forgot what country I was in! It was a joyful night!

With friends, Clay and Hadley

Watching the Packers game on the wall of Clay's house! :)

I am thankful to live in a safe country, to have a wonderful job that I love, and students that I adore. I'm thankful for a community of friends from all over the world who I come together to worship with, laugh with, and live with. I'm thankful for my family here, and my family in North Carolina, and all over the globe. I am blessed beyond belief! I'm thankful for opportunities to share about the grace and love of Christ with nonbelievers every day. I'm thankful to have encouragers and supporters and prayer partners near and far. I'm thankful for a loving God who keeps no records of our wrongs, but continues to pour out His mercy and grace on us, so that we can be free and share it with others! I'm thankful for my health. I'm thankful everyday when I wake up and find He has given me another day to live! I'm thankful for email and technology and cameras and snail mail from my Mom. :) I'm thankful that Rwanda now has Oreos, Ritz crackers and strawberries! And Pringles too! :) I'm thankful for time to rest and time to heal. I'm thankful for all the many people that God has brought into my life this year, and chosen us for each other. I'm thankful that in Christ, we are free! I'm thankful for the gift of the Holy Spirit. In a nation where there are those who are suffering in different ways, just like in all nations, I'm thankful for the gift of life that comes in the form of food, and clean water and medicine, but most importantly, it comes with knowing and loving Jesus Christ!

On this Thanksgiving (or 10 days later...) I give thanks for all of you! See you soon!

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; his love endures forever." ~Psalm 107:1