Thanksgiving
We had a lovely Thanksgiving celebration. After having to work a half day in the morning, several teachers got together at the home of the Leatherwoods to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal. There was turkey (very difficult (#expensive) to find, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, cranberry sauce, apple and pumpkin pie! And though I'm not much of a football fan, there was even some live Thanksgiving American football thanks to satellite TV! It was fun to introduce some of our non-American (British and Dutch) friends to this gluttonous holiday. It was hard not to be home with my family, but I guess that makes the traditions all the more special :)
Bake Sale
A few months ago some 5th and 6th grade girls decided they wanted to have a bake sale to raise money for some local orphanages. I am very proud of all their hard work! They had to write down all of their plans, advertise, and implement all the aspects of the sale. The donations came from the 5th and 6th grade classes - cookies, brownies, breads, and juice. Last Thursday and Friday the sale was held during our morning break and it was very successful! We raised a total of 221,590 Rwf for the two orphanages! (For those of you who think in USD like I do, that currently translates to about $375!)
One of the more interesting things that came out of this experience was finding out that we have students who didn't know that Rwanda had orphans. At first I was shocked! How could one not know this as Rwanda has one of the highest percentages of orphans? But then, I realized that most of my students live fairly comfortable lives here in Kigali and come from upper class homes. How many upper class American children are aware of the poverty and homeless issues in their 'backyards'? What a blessing it was to open their eyes and hearts to this issue. The goal is now to have a field trip to one or both of these orphanages during the second term to give our students an even better understanding.
Jotham's Boys Christmas Party
On Tuesday nights I participate in a cell group Bible study here in our neighborhood. Last month we decided to put our faith into practice and practically help in some way. Several of the group members know a man, who sometimes attends CCR, named Jotham who opened his home last year to 25 street boys. These boys are between the ages of 12 and 16 and are orphans. Jotham, and another man John, take care of these boys, providing a roof over their heads, food, and education. This past Sunday 12 of us drove out to their home (about 40 minutes away, mostly due to the windy dirt roads - it's close to where we live if you're just looking at a map), taking with us the makings of a Christmas party. We brought lunch for the boys (samosas, meatballs, potato balls, popcorn, brownies, and cake - healthy, eh?), a guitar for singing Christmas carols, and gifts (pencils, paper, colors, soccer balls, dart board, tennis balls, and decks of cards).
When we arrived John gave us a tour of their home. There were two buildings on a large parcel of land. Once building had the meeting room and two dormitories, the other building had a caretaker/storage room, and some other small rooms for preparing food or washing. The kitchen was outside which consisted of pots over open flames, under a makeshift roof. There were some rabbit hutches with several rabbits, an open space for future gardening (or playing games!), and lots of current gardening surrounding the area. Most noticeable was a very large deep pit in the area of a future outhouse (there is not one currently ) - about 20-25 feet deep! The most humbling part for me was their dormitories. There are three bunk beds in each room. That's 2 boys per bed. They have few belongings and what they do have is stored in the rafters of the room. Such a contrast to my own situation. As I type this I sit on a king size bed in a large room filled with very nice 'stuff'. What a great reminder to not take these things for granted, and to be ever grateful for the blessings I have.
It was a great afternoon as we sang Christmas carols (which drew in many neighbors), played games, and watched the boys open the gifts. I enjoyed taking pictures and playing with some of the younger neighbor kids who came to watch. At the end of the day, one of the members of our group carefully explained to the boys in their native language why we were there - to share the gift of Christ's love. Before we left, one of the boys got up and spoke to us, giving us a blessing. It was hard not to be emotionally overwhelmed by the magnitude of his simple words. It's a moment I hope to never forget.
(pictures on facebook)
Going Home
2 months ago I bought a plane ticket to fly home for Christmas. I have had a hard time letting myself get excited about this because I didn't want the emotional ramifications of wanting to be there "NOW". But now that I have less than two weeks to go - I'm letting myself get excited! I'm so excited to see my family and friends, to meet my parents new puppies, to sleep in my own bed, and eat American food (though I don't know if my tummy will be excited for the rich food).
Being in Rwanda for the beginning of the Christmas season has been interesting. Many of us complain (yes, myself included) that it doesn't "feel" like Christmas. But, what makes it feel like Christmas? The weather? The decorations? The music? But obviously that's not what Christmas is about. And I know that - I've always "known" that - but being here has really forced me to "accept" that. Preparing for the Christmas season is not about buying gifts, putting up pretty lights, and drinking peppermint mochas - even though I've made these things a part of my traditions. Here, the one "tradition" I can cling to is listening to Christmas music non-stop. My students have been making their own Christmas hymn books for the past few weeks so we can sing these songs together. It is exciting to point out the rich words and meanings of the words we sing:
"For unto us a child is born"
"God and sinners reconciled"
"Truly He taught us to love one another"
"Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee o Israel!"
"How great our joy!"
"Then let us all in one accord sing praises to our heavenly Lord!"
In the midst of these words we find the true meaning and therefore the true 'feeling' of Christmas. One of hope and peace and joy. I pray these things for you.
May God bless you and the ones you love this Christmas season!
