Christmastime in Rwanda

It's been a busy few weeks!

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!

Grieving

Paul E. Norton Dec. 24 1918 - Nov. 16 2010

My grandpa passed away this week. I am grateful that I had the chance to see him last July in Omaha before I left for Africa. Thanks to the blessing of Skype I was able to see him and tell him I love him once more, just hours before he was gone. He is not "gone" though, and this I believe with all my heart. He is in heaven at the best family reunion ever, face to face with his Redeemer, at home with his heavenly Father. I do not grieve FOR him, but our loss. I love my grandpa and will miss him very much.

"Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words."

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

I have now missed both of my grandfathers funerals. My grandpa Leeder passed away 13 years ago when I was on a church trip in Washington DC. It is hard not to be with family at this time, partaking in the reminiscing, the crying, the laughing and the celebrating. Last January my great Aunt Bernice went to heaven and I was blessed to be with family as we celebrated her life, and I know the healing it brings. It's much different trying to find that healing so far away, without the family that knew my grandpa.

Actually, 4 families at our school lost someone in their family in the period of one week. The Robinson's lost their grandfather, Micah lost her aunt to a long fight with an unknown cancer, the Miller's lost their grandma/great-grandma, and I lost my grandpa. While we have all agreed that this has been a hard horrible week, it has been good to have each other, to have people who understand this kind of pain and be so far away.

Thank you for all the love and encouragement so far.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. "

2 Corinthians 1:3,4

Rainy days and Mondays

do NOT get me down :)

Last Spring I would take whatever opportunities I had to go for a walk at the beach. I loved looking at and listening to the waves. I loved that whether it was sunny or cloudy, there was always a cool wind in my face. There are days here that I definitely miss those walks at the beach.

I'm sure many of you agree that it's a little harder to wake up on a Monday than other days, just having two days before without the alarm. Then again, many of you had the pleasure of "fall back" this weekend. We do not get that pleasure here in Rwanda. I'm sure if many Africans heard about Daylight Savings they would laugh at the crazy abazungu and our attention to time. No, like most mornings I woke up to Mr. Rooster, and then a little later, Mr. Alarm Clock, and dragged myself out of bed!

School was rather unremarkable today. The kids wanted to sing today, so we sang (they like the "Sunday School" song-track I have from WACC, and Jumpin' in the house of God - I wonder what the neighbor teachers think when we start jumpin'…). We learned how to compare decimal numbers and took a spelling pre-test. I introduced them to a new classroom management system (thanks to my friend Laura!) called BLURTS. It's awesome! They are now terrified of getting a tally mark on the board for a blurt… they were quiet and raising hands all day. Curious about tomorrow… :)

We have an ACSI representative here right now. We are officially candidates for ACSI's accreditation process, but apparently the initial visit 1.5 years ago did not go super well, so he is just here making sure we're moving in the right direction. Trevor (headmaster) thought it appropriate we welcome him with a song. With any luck, the video will be posted by the end of the week. Mr. Epp shared a lot about the christian education effort in Africa and it's very hopeful. There are a lot of growing schools around the continent growing students who recognize corrupt governments (i.e. withholding the development of clean water and electricity programs) and are learning to be moral leaders in their communities.

After school I needed to go to the post office. The sky was getting rather dark and the wind was picking up - so I debated whether or not to go out despite the storm approaching. The moto ride to the post office was 'interesting' - the wind pushed us around a bit, but we made it to our destination safe and dry :) Leaving the post office, I felt the wind in my face and decided to walk and enjoy the cool breeze (it had been rather warm throughout the morning). I walked the 2 miles back to MTN, where my favorite hang place resides: Bourbon Coffee. The walk was awesome. The wind was blowing hard, just like at the beach! I pretended I was walking along PCH instead of the highway filled with cars, motos, and busses pouring out their smoginess. I also enjoyed looking around and taking in the people, the buildings, the scenery. I could see my neighborhood across the valley. I walked past the Parliament building that still has the scars of the genocide on their west facing walls. Many people I passed appeared to be going home from work, hurrying to catch matatus or motos. I learned soon after I got here that it is not culturally appropriate to look a man in the face and smile (could be trying to assert authority or possibly that 'I'm available'), but I enjoy smiling and saying 'hi' to the ladies. Most Rwandan women walk around with no expression on their face, and they almost never initiate communication. As soon as you smile and say 'hi' though, eyes light up, and the greeting is returned "Hi!" "Hello!" "Bonjour!" "Mwirire" I felt the first drop of rain as I got to MTN! Thank you Lord for a wonderful walk!

At Bourbon I worked on some BSF and then finished a book I've been working on for the last week, "Echo in the Darkness" (Francine Rivers). So good! Some families from school came in to have dinner while I was there and I looked up long enough from my book to say 'hi'. When I was getting ready to leave, the waitress brought me my bill and told me one of the school families had paid for my coffee! The unexpected gift of generosity made my heart all warm and fuzzy! Which was a blessing indeed because I forgot about the dark clouds and rain until I walked outside. The warm fuzzies kept me protected while I took my first moto ride home in the rain! Oh the adventures :)

So that was my rainy day Monday :)

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Lake Bunyonyi

I have been in Rwanda for almost three months now, and as I sit and ponder this I realize that it has definitely become 'home' now. Not home as in "where my heart is" but more the in the 'settled' sense, that I am comfortable with where I live, I trust the people in my community, and I have found a sense of independence.

In the last few weeks I have found myself being able and comfortable to get 'here and there' on my own, riding the moto taxis or just walking. It is nice to have that kind of independence, knowing I can get to town if I need to, when I need to. Though honestly, it's not that often. :)

I really enjoy my community here. I have lovely roommates and great friends at school. We have some routine things like dinner, aerobics and bible studies, but there are also the fun excursions to Bourbon Coffee (love their iced mochas!), or out to dinner.

Since I've been here, I've been able to travel east to Akagera, west to Kibuye, south to Butare, and this last weekend we made it north, past Gatuna into Uganda. Five teachers traveled to Lake Bunyonyi to take advantage of our four day weekend! (Four others also went, but we found it easier to go in smaller groups, and the others also extended their trip one night). We got in lots of R&R - much needed after a strong push through quarter 1 and Parent/Teacher conferences!

I almost didn't go to Uganda. Last week I was fighting allergies or a cold and after not sleeping and having a stuffy nose I didn't know if I was up for an 'adventure'. But the alarm went off at 4am on Friday and I found myself breathing well, so I decided not to miss this one. As we walked to school to catch our taxi I looked at the sky getting light and realized I had yet to see a sunrise here. Actually, I still haven't seen an actual sunrise as it's too cloudy to actually see the sun. But it was neat to see the colors change as day came. :)

We were blessed to have an uneventful trip north, and made it to the lake in about 3 hours. I didn't really know what I was getting myself into for the weekend, but I had a backpack with a change of clothes, some toiletries, and two books, so I figured it would be ok (this is not my normal attitude towards travel - I tend to be a bit of an over-planner. This is why I had to calm myself down and not get mad at Doug for giving a false sense of confidence that we actually had plans to get home… he became open about that when we arrived at the lake).

The lake is beautiful, and as we took a motorized boat across to the island we would be staying on, I couldn't help but smile and just take it all in. I love the wind, the hills, and the spray in my face! My favorite part of the ride over was seeing a bunch of kids running and playing on a hilltop nearby - what a cool place for a school!! I learned later that the resort we stayed at organizes free 'bus rides' for island kids to this school. By bus I mean hollowed out tree trunk canoes!

The resort, Byoona Amagara, opened in 2003. It currently has 3 geodomes, some cottages, and dormitories to rent. The owner/developer was there and I was able to chat with him a few times. I told him how I felt like this was the most luxurious camping experience I've had. He smiled and said "that's exactly what I was going for!" People have told him that he could bulldoze his current buildings and put up some fancy hotel-like condos and get hundreds of dollars a night (we paid about $12.50/night each), but he said he preferred this option because he likes the clients better ;) ha! Being missionary teachers, we sure appreciated this economical option. It was also neat to learn that many of the proceeds of this place go to educational programs in the community. If you're interested about this place, here's their web address: http://lakebunyonyi.net/index2.php?page=1

The food at this place was really good! It started to rain, then hail after we got there and the temperature dropped pretty fast. Seeing as most of us don't even have warm clothes here in Africa with us, we sure appreciated a dinner of hot chili, cheese chapatis (think african quesadilla), and hot chocolate for dessert! They also offered Ugandan tea for free every day - of which I took great advantage. Have I told you that I don't drink coffee much anymore? I know - crazy!

I got a lot of reading done this weekend. I read a Francine Rivers book given to me by my friend Kate just before I left. I had a hard time putting it down! It's a story based on the author's heritage, focusing on her grandmother and mother (specifically, their relationship). Her grandmother was born in Switzerland, and through various events ended up in California, living through WWI, the depression, and WWII. I personally enjoyed it because of my own family heritage, great-great-parents who came to America from Germany in the late 19th century, homesteading a farm in Wisconsin. The book gave me a lot of insight as to what life may have been like for my family during those years. For those of you interested, it's called "Her Mother's Hope".

The journey home ended up being fairly simple. The resort was able to arrange a ride for us back to the border ($5 each). As we went through immigration a man driving an electrician's van asked where we were going - when he heard Kigali, he offered to take us. (Those of you freaked out by this, its ok - this is kind of how transportation works here :) ) We paid about $5 each for a 1.5 hour ride back to the Kigali bus depot, where we got motos home. I have to say I'm pretty proud of myself for making it with my heavy backpack, purse, and holding my sweatshirt and water bottle! But I'm no where near as cool as Doug, who made it home on the moto with his guitar!

One thing I was quite aware of on the way home was how many times I had to say "I live in Kigali". It wasn't many times (as I crossed the border), but enough to cause me to hear myself. Honestly it is still a bit surreal. "I live in Africa." But the reality of it is, I do! Thank you all for your continued encouragement and prayers. As I live out each day of my adventure here, I know it is just a small part of the greater adventure called 'life'. It's going by fast, so I pray each day that I make the most of it!

Hope you are well! Please stay in touch and tell me of your life's adventures!

Blessings

On Sunday we sang the Doxology in both Kinyarwanda and English. It is always a good reminder to that life seems more abundant and good when I focus on blessings rather than problems.

This morning I woke up nervous and anxious about my day. I did not sleep well last night due to some allergy issues, and I was looking ahead to a day full of parent-teacher conferences. In fact, by this evening I have now met with 22 sets of parents, and have 13 more sets tomorrow night. The reason so many? Vicki and I are both conferencing 5th and 6th grade parents because we have swapped math and language arts - two fairly big subjects on the report cards! So… I have to admit my feelings as I walked to school were less than positive. :)

When I got to school early to prep for the day, I soon realized it was our devotional morning and so I did not have as much time as I thought. So I quickly left my room and went to meet with the others. Emily led us in a very encouraging devotion based on the rescue of the miner's last week. Apparently from the beginning (August) her fourth graders have been praying daily for the miners, and very specifically. These 8 and 9 year olds prayed for the miners to have dry shirts, and moments of laughter, and good sleep, and most of all that the 'experts' would be wrong and the miners would get out much sooner than Christmas. When it was announced a few weeks back that the date would be November, they celebrated but said "Let's pray for October!" Last week as each miner was rescued (they followed on the internet in class) they sang "Rejoice in the Lord Always" - Emily said they sang it at least 14 times through the school day! What a great encouragement for those kids to see a miracle and answered prayer!

It reminded me once again that so much of how we 'feel' about life is based on perspective. So from that moment on I again thought about my blessings, rather than my problems. Before school started I received a huge blessing! I received a care package from the missions circle at 1BL I joined a year ago! How fun to receive hot chocolate, macaroni and cheese, and onion soup packets (#pot roast!). Thank you ladies!!

I also was reminded all day about what a blessing it is to be here with these students and fellow teachers. I love them each so much and feel privileged to spend this year with them! The conferences have gone really well so far and have been very positive in nature. I have enjoyed meeting some of these parents for the first time! So neat to meet people and hear about their missions and work here in Kigali (restaurant owners, telephone company, English teacher, doctor, banker, and others too!).

I encourage you too to think about your day, your week, your life and focus on the blessings that God has provided for you. If you have time, please leave a comment and share your blessings as an encouragement not just to me, but others that read as well!

Doxology

Dushim’ Iman’ Ihoraho
(Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow)

Dushim’ Iman’ ihoraho

Kukw ari Yo yaturemye;

Yatugiriy’ imbabazi,

Tuyishime, Haleluya.

Iman’ ijy’itugabira

Ibyiza bidukwiriye;

Abayo bayiringiye

Duhora tuyisingiza.

Yemwe ngabo z’Uwiteka,

Namwe bamalayika be,

Muhora mu rurembo rwe,

Mumuhjimbazanye natwe.

Dushim’ Imana y’ubuntu,

Tuyishime twebge twese;

Dushime Data wa twese

N’Umwana n’Umwuka Wera.

New Doxology

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow,

Praise Him all creatures here below

Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Let earth and heavenly saints proclaim

The power and might of His great Name

Let us exalt on bended knee

Praise God, the Holy Trinity

Praise God! Praise God!

Praise God Who saved my soul!

Praise God! Praise God!

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!

Praise to the King, His throne transcends

His crown and Kingdom never end

Now and throughout eternity

I’ll praise the One Who died for me

Praise God! Praise God!

Praise God Who saved my soul!

Praise God! Praise God!

Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!

Butare

Last Saturday most of the teachers went on a 'field trip' to Butare, in the southern part of the country. We stopped at some museums and got a glimpse into the history of Rwanda.

Our first stop was to visit the kings' palaces. The traditional palace is a woven hut, in which the king would sit at the entrance and speak with guests. Inside, the hut is divided into different sections; separate places for men and women to sit and visit, a center are with a type of stove (they used this to keep smoke in the hut to keep the bugs away), and the bedroom. For the first time I got to see a true king size bed! It was huge!! Nearby was a similar, but much smaller hut for a young woman in charge of the milk, and next to that was even a smaller hut for the young man in charge of the beer.

After seeing these traditional houses, we were able to go into the Belgian style home just up the hill. This home, or palace, was built in the 1930's as a gift from the Belgians who had colonized Rwanda by this time. It was only about 20 years that King Mutare occupied this palace however until he visited Belgium and saw that he could 'do much better'. He had a new palace started in the 19050's, but died suddenly a month before completion of the building. He was the last official king of Rwanda, as Rwanda then became a Republic.

We went to that latest building, which was never actually a palace, but was used for government purposes until more recently it became an art museum. Each year the museum holds a contest with a theme, and artists submit original pieces of art to celebrate or remember traditions of this country. "Peace" is often incorporated into the theme.

Not much was mentioned about the genocide that day. A few times it was mentioned in light of some items being taken or destroyed from the palace at that time, but for the most part, the subject was avoided. Not to say it was this way because people want to forget - this I know is not true - but there is more of a sense of people wanting to focus on peace and progress and how well Rwanda is doing now.

If you haven't already seen, I posted a link to some pictures from this day on fb… you will have to go to my profile page, scroll down and see Butare pictures from Jeana Nash. There was a fee per camera used that day, so she was our designated photographer (and if you've seen any of her pictures, you know why we chose her!)

This past week was busy, and a little hard, especially since the previous weekend had been full. Friday was the end of quarter 1, so this weekend I am working on report cards and getting ready for parent teacher conferences.

I was hoping to keep today, Saturday, pretty relaxed, and it has been so far! Last night we tried a new restaurant that opened 3 weeks ago called, Zen. It was amazing! Hopefully we'll go back there soon :) It is a chinese restaurant and they have really good noodles and ginger beef!

I haven't left my room much today - but we have had an interesting day here at our house! Today was the first time that we ran out of water! Apparently we haven't had water from the city in awhile, so we were using up all the water in our tank this week and didn't know it! As our helpers, Emmanuel and Mazembe, and Mark were helping us with this problem (lugging buckets of water from other houses so we can wash and use the toilets!), we then also realized the gas for our stove/oven ran out as well! Emmanuel (aka Superman) helped us with this as well by taking our gas tank on a moto to the gas place and getting it filled (imagine one of the propane tanks on a gas grill, but 4-5 times as big!). We are so grateful to have such wonderful, helpful people in our lives!

I should probably get back to my report cards now… I've never had to fill out entire report cards before! I was quite spoiled before with our online grade program! I have a lot of respect for you elementary teachers who fill these things out 3-4 times a year!!

Next weekend there is talk of taking a trip up to Uganda since we have a 4 day weekend. If that happens, I'll be sure to let you know how it goes and bring some pictures back as well!

I love you and miss you all!

Adoption

It's been hard to sit down and write these last few weeks. Not because I'm too busy because life in Rwanda is much slower than life in L.A. (and that is a good thing!). I think it's been hard because I'm not sure what to write about now. The learning curve is not as steep as it was a month ago (and that is a good thing too!). I've now been here two months.

I am still adjusting and learning a new way of life, but feel settled. My classes as school have gotten into a routine and we are moving at a nice flow, though my sixth graders are learning to test the boundaries! While I know this is a natural part of teaching, it is very wearing because that means I have to work extra hard at pushing back and keeping them in line! But really, I can't complain, they are still a dream class and I love them! If you haven't seen yet, I put up some new pictures on fb, including pictures of the kiddos. I even got one of the geometry kids, but I had to pay them to smile ;)

I've been here long enough now to see some incredible stories, not just hear about them. This is my favorite so far: A month ago when we went to Akagera, a friend of Mr. Robinson came along too. I mentioned him briefly as someone from Texas, his name is Shawn. He is here because his family is trying to adopt a little girl and they were having trouble with the adoption agency back home. He and his wife have 3 boys and just found out that a 4th boy is on the way! This is the problem the adoption agency had. Even though they had been working with the agency for a year and a half, they were told they would have to drop the process because of the pregnancy. The family couldn't bear this news, so Shawn got on a plan and came here to Rwanda to adopt a little girl directly from the Rwandan government - not knowing how long or if it would even be possible. Two weeks ago he got to go to the orphanage (the same one I was at a month ago) and meet his little girl, Grace. This past Thursday Grace got to "go home" with him (to the Robinson's). We all met her at church this morning and it was such a beautiful sight to behold. There are not words to describe the joy in Shawn's face, and there were many other adoptive parents nearby to share in this celebration with him! There are still many issues to work out including a stop in Ethiopia for a health exam so the States will let them come home. Please pray with us that all goes well this week and Shawn and Grace will be with the rest of their family by next Sunday!

This afternoon I went back to the orphanage. I don't know if it was easier or harder today. I think it was easier in the sense that I knew what I was walking into and I could be mentally and emotionally prepared. It was easier to hold on to them and love them and sing and rock and play and hug. It was harder to leave this time, for sure. The same little girls that sat on my lap a month ago found me and we played some more. Then, an older girl (3 or 4) sat on my lap and went from demanding play to sucking her thumb and burrowing her head in my chest. Two little boys (1 year olds) toddled close and stared and as I picked them up they too just put their heads on my chest and sat quietly. Moments like these its easy to look past the flies and scabs and runny noses and just hold on and pray that they will find a family like Grace did.

I love adoption stories. Who doesn't, right? It's hard for me not to cry when I think of the special kind of love it takes to make someone a part of family, and what a blessing that is! Throughout my adult life I've been blessed to be part of some awesome adoption stories, from my sweet cousins, to friends, to some of my favorite students. I hope to know many more of these stories (and maybe even one of my own someday?!) as life's journey continues. (And for all you who are thinking it, no, I will not be bringing one of the darlings home with me! Still waiting on a husband first! ha!) But in seriousness, I think I love adoption so much because it's such a plain reminder of God's unconditional love and how He has accepted us as His sons and daughters. SO COOL!

Well, I was going to write more, but I think I will end there… with a song :) We, rather the kids, sang this song in church today:

This little light of mine

I'm gonna let it shine!

This little light of mine

I'm gonna let it shine!

This little light of mine

I'm gonna let it shine!

Let is shine! Let it shine! Let it shine!

Hope you all have a blessed week letting your lights shine!

Kibuye

This weekend we had a staff retreat in Kibuye at Lake Kivu, about 3 hours west of Kigali. We stayed at the Bethanie House, a Presbyterian retreat center. The location was absolutely beautiful! Some have asked about the accommodations. Its hard to describe, because it doesn't seem fair to compare to other hotels or retreat centers I've been to. After all, I am in Africa :) I shared a room with Gerda, she's the Kindergarten teacher and is from Holland. I love getting to know her! Our room had two small beds (with mosquito nets!), some tables, and a bathroom with running water! (no hot water or toilet seat, but we managed fine) :) There are some pictures on facebook if you haven't checked them out already.

After the 3 hour windy car ride (yay for anti-nausea pills), we threw our stuff in our rooms and went down to the boat 'dock'. 17 of us got on a wooden boat and began our adventure to Bat Island. Half way there, David gets up to go talk to the captain of the boat - apparently we were heading to the wrong Island. So there proceeded to be a bit of an argument (not heated thankfully) about location and price, and after 10-15 minutes we were on our way again, to Bat Island. The whole trip took about an hour as we did not go very fast.

When we got there, David immediately began to lead the group up a trail to the top of the island. I made it about half-way before loosing my breath and thinking I didn't walk to continue to fight my muscles and knees. I got some great pictures of the bats, and the dark clouds that were forming. Mala and I decided to head down the trail together and meet up with the other half of the group that came on a boat after us. The kids got some swimming time in before the water got choppy and it was decided that we should head back before the rain started. As soon as everyone got back from the hike we hopped in the boats and headed back to the Bethanie.

A few minutes after we leave the rain started to come DOWN. And with the wind, the little cloth roof over our heads did not provide much protection. Most of us hunkered down and hid in the middle of the boat under our towels. But as soon as those got wet, we realized there was no reason to hide. We were just wet! It made for some fun times, fun pictures, and fun memories. We made it back safely in less than an hour, and had some time to dry off before dinner.

After a nice dinner we shared in a time of worship and teaching. Dr. Miller spoke about taking advantage of the opportunities we have each day to worship and glorify God. He said that it could be easy to think "Well, I took a big step of faith and moved to Rwanda and so that's good." While that's good, we have to continually be aware of where God is leading and what big and small things He is offering to us to be a part of. After that I went back to room, deep in thought about my time here in Africa and what, beyond teaching 18 wonderful 6th graders, God has in store for me here.

I brought along several of Donald Miller's books with me. I brought these because I find that I can re-read them several times and gain something new. I chose "Through Painted Deserts" and picked a chapter from the time he was at the Grand Canyon and was waiting to hike down into the canyon. These passages stood out to me from chapter 9:

"Imagining the {Easter sunrise} service reminds me again that life is more than clothes and cars and a new flavor of toothpaste, that it is community and creation and beauty and humanity. And I think I am starting to prefer the latter to the former; by that I mean I am getting used to not having any music or television and not pulling over and buying something as a way of feeling some kind of change. There is a serenity in life, after all, and once a withdrawal is felt at having left the lies behind, a soul begins to feel at home in its own skin."

"I begin to think of my time at the canyon in these terms, as learning to dance in a new way, the first few lessons had me feeling clunky and awkward, but soon they will give way to a kind of graceful sway, and I won't stop at gift shops or hunt for a television, but like Paul I will be able to stand over a pot of boiling beans for hours and feel completely content, as though there was nothing in life that I was missing out on. It gives me a little joy to think about things this way, and I smile at a couple as they pass me along the guardrail, and I pull a bit of pine needle off a tree and roll it in my palms and smell the mintlike scent of creation as I let the green shards spill from my palms to the path along the rim. And I think to myself, There is nothing I am missing. I have everything I was supposed to have to experience the magnitude of this story, to dance with God."

Sometimes I feel like I might be missing out on something. I am here, and I am involved and I love what I do, but is there more? Jesus says in John 10:10 that He came so that we may have abundant life. Am I living an abundant life? I think I am learning a new definition of abundant life here in Rwanda. I don't think I fully grasp it yet, but I think I'm on my way.

Saturday morning we spent more time in worship, and Dr. Miller spoke about balance. It was a good time of reflection, a time of rest, and I time to just be, and realize that enjoying the beauty of this place is glorifying to our Creator, and this is the abundant life.

What a Weekend

Many of you by now have seen the pictures of our trip to Akagera! I had a blast going to the animal park and seeing such beautiful creatures. I am now in love with giraffes… specifically one I named Josephina :)

One of the dad's at our school, Mr. Robinson, offered to take many of the teachers at KICS, along with a visiting friend from Texas, to the park on Saturday. The drive to the park was about 3 hours, driving mostly east. Akagera National Park is on the eastern edge of Rwanda and borders Tanzania. We got to see a lot of Rwandan life along the way and my favorite part of the drive was waving to kids as we passed.

I wasn't really sure what to expect, as I had heard that this park did not have as many animals as parks in other countries (and it is also MUCH cheaper), and I did not want to get my hopes too high. As we got to the entrance to the park we saw a few zebras in the distance. As we drove through the park, at first, there was a lot of burned area and therefore not much wildlife. Then someone spotted baboons! They were far away and hard to see and I did not get a picture, but I think someone else did. It continued to get better as we drove. We stopped at 'Hippo Beach' and though there were no hippos surfaced, there were lots of beautiful birds! Soon after we drove towards some plains and we began to see lots of impalas, zebras, and even some cape buffalo and a warthog! My favorite however were the giraffes. It was so cool to stop, get out of the car and walk towards them! They were not to sure what to think of us, but thankfully they did not go away! We stayed in the area for lunch and were able to get a lot of great pictures. As many now have said, "I'll never be able to go to a zoo again!"

Today was a very different kind of day. This afternoon, after church, several of the KICS teachers went into town to the orphanage. I had never been to an orphanage as they do not really exist in the US anymore. I've often heard friends say "I just want to go hold babies in…" some country. That's what I did today. And it was hard. This facility allows visitors every day but Thursdays, from 3-4pm only. So that means for 80-100 kids they only have a few nuns to take care of them the rest of the time. It takes me a long time to process events mentally and emotionally - I have a feeling I'll be working on this one awhile. I could not comprehend the life I got to be a part of for one hour.

As soon as I walked in, little girls came running toward me and just latched on. So I sat down and let them sit in my lap. One girl did not let go until I had to leave. During the hour several other kids came and went, sitting, jumping, playing around me. They played with my hair, they counted marks on my t-shirt, they looked down my t-shirt (yup, the skin is white there too!), and just held on. I would say the average age of the kids was 2, but the range was probably 1 to 3. We 'talked' and sang and laughed and played.

It was hard to see them in a physical state that would be considered unacceptable in the states. They (and their clothes) smelled of old urine, many had scabs on their heads, the little girl I was holding had a very deep cough, and some of the young ones showed signs of malnutrition. There were flies everywhere. So what does one do? James says "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." (1:27). Is visiting enough? Hopefully for now. I pray that these children do have visitors and that the women in charge have the strength and endurance to continue to provide the love and care these children need each day.

That's all for now. I'm quite exhausted. We have the day off in Rwanda tomorrow as it is Inauguration Day. (It was just declared a national holiday last Friday!) I hope you all have a good Labor Day!

Love you all~

Answer to Prayer part 2

I haven't been very emotional since I arrived in Kigali. A few moments here and there I have felt some highs and lows, but when I'm sad I don't cry or show any kind of physical reaction. Yesterday, on the walk home from school the tears came out of no where. It had been a good day, nothing out of the ordinary to report, but there I was walking and crying, and I couldn't make it stop. I just suddenly missed my mom :( I realized that I could not pick up the phone and just call her whenever I wanted, and this just made me so sad. It was then that I realized that it was my 'one month anniversary'. Honestly, it's amazing I've lasted this long emotionally. Three weeks in Korea and I was a homesick mess!

This morning when I got up and online to Skype with Pami, my mom called as soon as I signed on :) (sorry for the delay Pami!) It was such a comfort to sit and talk with her for 20 minutes and catch up. Little moments like that mean a lot to me.

So, all this to say, I am not a big believer in coincidences, but instead I believe in answered prayers and grace filled blessings.

In our Bible lesson today we looked at the song "Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus" - I've been singing it all day:

1. ’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
   Just to take Him at His Word;
   Just to rest upon His promise,
   And to know, “Thus saith the Lord!”
   • Refrain:
     Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
     How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er;
     Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
     Oh, for grace to trust Him more!
2. Oh, how sweet to trust in Jesus,
   Just to trust His cleansing blood;
   And in simple faith to plunge me
   ’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!
3. Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
   Just from sin and self to cease;
   Just from Jesus simply taking
   Life and rest, and joy and peace.
4. I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,
   Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;
   And I know that Thou art with me,
   Wilt be with me to the end.

Answers to Prayer

I find sometimes that I am quite lame at recognizing answers to prayer. I either forget to pay attention or I take them for granted far too often. It was very difficult to be ignorant this week…

I thank you all for your prayers for my health. While I was quite sick, it only lasted about 24 hours. I could almost feel the sickness rushing through me ;) Teaching is far more pleasant when one can stand up straight and speak in full sentences :) I am thankful for God, my Healer!

One of the prayer requests a student raised in class was quite serious. A woman, a colleague of the student's uncle, was kidnapped in Sudan. When she told us this, the woman had been in a slave camp for 101 days. On Tuesday, we heard news that she was released over the weekend after 104 days of captivity with no ransom paid! We are very excited that she is safe, and on her way home and beginning of journey of recovery. Some great conversations were had in class related to miracles and missionaries and courage. I am thankful for God, the All-Powerful!

Last night I went to a Bible study here in our neighborhood. It is a group whose home church is here in our neighborhood, Christ Church Rwanda, which is where I attended this past Sunday. There were 11 of us that met to study the book of John. It was fun to look around and see in addition to 4 Americans, people from Scotland, Ireland, England, Rwanda, Burundi, and Kenya. Some of us are teachers at KICS and others work for NGO's here in Kigali. It was nice to venture out and begin meeting people in our neighborhood/community. It was a great study that ended with a discussion on how keep away from falling into a mindless, cold routine when it comes to 'religion' and stay 'real'. I am thankful for the provision of community!

I'm still struggling with my geometry class, and definitely need to make it an issue of prayer. My students come from all walks of life, but they seem to find unity in disrespect. They disrespect each other, they disrespect me, and they disrespect the school. It is a small class, but I think the smaller numbers are giving them confidence to unite together against me - or I'm just being paranoid! Scary high schoolers!! Yet, I am still thankful for God who brings unity and mercy and grace and love.

While I was writing the last paragraph I got a Skype call from my LCMS friends! Seeing them in school, getting ready and doing what I consider "normal" prep for the school year made me a little sad that I am not there with them. I have been doing really well considering homesickness, at least, better than I thought I would. I find that the worst moments come when there is little to do and my mind wanders back 'home'. I am really beginning to enjoy Kigali though and feel more comfortable with life here. I love my new friends and its a joy and adventure to get to know them each day. This weekend some of us are going to Akagera, a game park here in Rwanda, and I'm looking forward to the outing! I am thankful for God, the All-Knowing, the Alpha and Omega, my Provider, my Friend.

Love and miss you all! May God bless you abundantly with His goodness and mercy!

Daily Life

Hi friends,

So as I thought of what I should blog about next, I figured it may be helpful to describe what daily life is like here in Kigali.

I wake up a little after 5:30 each day because that is when the sky gets light and the birdies begin to sing (loudly!). I usually check my email and such before heading off to school between 7 and 7:30. It's just a 5 minutes walk down the block and around a corner. People I work with: http://www.kicsrw.org/Staff.htm

School begins at 8. My students line up on the playground and we walk to class together and the first thing we do everyday is read in our Bibles (usually about a chapter, one that I choose). Then, we discuss what we read and have some prayer time.

We have math, then recess, then I go to geometry. While I try desperately to describe points, lines, and planes to 12 frustrated high schoolers, my 6th graders study social studies with the lovely Miss Cooper or run around in PE with the very fun Miss Simpson.

We either have Science or Art (with my totally awesome roommate, Miss Seger) before lunch. As part of my compensation the school provides me with hot lunch every day, which is very nice! For the most part lunches consist of a lot of starch (pasta, potatoes, bread, rice), a little bit of protein (beans or some kind of beef) and vegetables (green beans and carrots appear often). For 'dessert' we either get pineapple or a mini-banana. menu: http://www.kicsrw.org/Menu.htm I have taken to making myself eat the banana even though I'm still allergic - I'm determined to be healthy!

After lunch and a break we read and do some spelling. Then 5th and 6th grade trade classrooms and I teach math to the 5th graders. The end of the day is our Bible lesson and Chapel on Wednesdays. We had our first chapel today which was a song chapel. Each grade from K-6 chose a song to lead for the rest of the school. We sat outside in the courtyard - it was a great time!

At the end of the day we pack up and sing a song while I go around and stamp their good behavior cards - I really like this time of day :)

After school there are many options! (not really) I plan lessons, grade work, go home and get on my computer and try to catch up on life in America. I also try to use any remaining day light to go down the hill to the small store if we need food or electricity.

As we now have a Rwandan helper, Emmanuel, we are blessed to have dinner made for us. The three of us (Micki, Hannah and myself) share dinner with the two guys (Doug and Wes). There is something quite nice about having a 'family' dinner every night. We all have our spots at the table, and since Doug sits at the head of the table he says the blessing every night. It's usually a very silly time as some of them cannot control their laughter :)

At night we all spend time working on our computers, and often there are people over because we enjoy free wifi at our house. I try to go to bed early since I get up with the daylight, but that doesn't always happen.

Tomorrow I am going to try baking some apple pies, which I'm quite excited about! So far I've successfully made gingersnaps and peanut butter cookies. It's different baking in Rwanda, as I don't have ingredients that I'm used to, measuring cups, or an oven with a thermostat (even the dials don't have gauges). But I actually really like it - the simpler life is not bad at all! This weekend I have big plans for oatmeal chocolate "chip" cookies (no chocolate chips so I'm going to try blending all the chocolate bars in with the oatmeal).

Well, it's almost 9 which means time for bed! I'm so sleepy! Good night all - love you much!

Can I just say…?

Wow.

For those teachers out there, how many nights do we dream of a class who will come in classroom quietly, put their things away, and get right to work without being reminded… on the third day of school?! I don't know about you, but after 5 years of teaching, today was my first time of experiencing this blessing. My students have a LOVE for learning, an excitement for life, and are just a very willing group. I love it :)

I wish I could say the same about my geometry class. That one I'm not loving so much, but again, it was only the third day. High schoolers are SO different than middle schoolers/6th graders. And the ones I have do not have a love for learning, at least not geometry. This will definitely be my challenge class for the year. A challenge as I learn the content (ha!) and a challenge for the students to put up with me (haha!).

On a different note, I had a more difficult, but good conversation with a student after school today. When I first took this position 2 months ago, I was told that one of the students had just lost her mother. So today, this girl brought up during prayer requests that her mom had died. I asked her about it after school and she had a lot to say. It happened suddenly, at least for her. Her mom had been sick for awhile but had not let on to her children how sick she really was. Last June she went into the hospital and wasn't there many days before she was gone. There was a lot of travel that followed, going to their home country in Eritrea for the funeral, and then later trips to Europe to be with friends and family. She is still grieving and adjusting to this new way of life without mom. I can tell she's frustrated and just trying to understand life right now. I can't, nor do I want, to imagine. If and when you remember, please pray for her, her dad, her little brother (8), and her little sister (5). I'm not sure how to be there for her this year, but as with today, I know God will provide the right opportunities for us to have moments together, so I will wait on those.

The last few minutes of class are spent packing and cleaning up, and I go around and stamp everyone's 'good behavior' card. Today, as I did this, we all sang "Jesus Loves Me"

Jesus loves me this I know

For the Bible tells me so!

Little one to Him belong

They are weak, but He is Strong!

Yes! Jesus love me!

First Day of School

"Oh what beautiful morning! Oh what a beautiful day!"

Today went really well :) We had a teacher's meeting this morning outside the office in the sunshine. As we prayed and dedicated this year to the Glory of God I got goosebumps as Trevor looked at us and marveled at God how He brought this all together. And together we sang "Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow" and one could just feel the notes lift right up to heaven.

My class had 14 students today, all of whom were born in different places, save the 3 who were born here in Kigali. So cool! We started the morning by looking at Luke 2:41-52 - the passage where we can see what Jesus was like at 12 years old. My students are 10 and 11 year olds. It was fun to talk about how they too could grow in wisdom and statue, in favor of God and man. The excitement was palpable :) :) :)

I introduced 'Horton' our elephant friend in class, and we all took a turn introducing ourselves to him and gently sending him around to others (Horton cannot be thrown because he gets airsick and he's afraid of falling). I loved to see how each interacted with him, some were sweet and careful, some talked directly to him, others held him upside down. It helped me understand them a little bit better :)

We took pictures and marked how tall we are - lots of documenting of this first day of school! I hope I remember to revisit all of this the last week of school to tie it all up!! I have to say there were moments I was just so happy to look at them and think "we get to be together for a whole year! yay!" Thank you God for making this happen!

The 'real' work will start tomorrow with books and lessons and all that other stuff.

After school Roberta took some of the teachers to town for some shopping and we stopped at the Maxwell's house to drop off the girls and see their kittens! They have 3, 4-week-old kittens that were obviously adorable!! I held two of them and it was hard to let them go!! They are trying to find homes for them, but sadly I know I cannot take one. I already had to say goodbye to one kitty… :(

Time to eat some dinner and have a 'house' meeting!

Thanks for all the prayers and wishes for the 'first day' - God is good and faithful and blessed us indeed!

All set and ready to go!

I'm finding that I like the simplicity of life here in Kigali. I was worried about not having enough school supplies, but as I finished preparing my classroom and lesson plans today I realized how thankful I am that I don't have too much with which to work. I posted some pictures of the room on facebook tonight - kind of a "before" picture (before the kids show up).

School starts in the morning and I feel ready! I am excited about the year ahead, the students, and the journey God has in store for all of us.

The last few days have been a little slower than the previous. I was able to sleep in a little this weekend, and work on school stuff in the afternoons. Our school "meet and greet" was Saturday evening and afterward some of the teachers went out for Indian food. It was a fun and yummy experience.

Sunday I went to St. Stevens, an Anglican church, with Vicki (grade 5), and her husband. I really enjoyed the worship service, though I admit I had a hard time understanding and following the message. The congregation sang loud - it was very beautiful. For lunch we went to a restaurant called Shokala and I had a quesadilla! It was good - had rice and gouda cheese - not how I would make, but a good attempt :) I think I am going to really miss cheddar jack…

As far as food goes, it been tough trying to get a feel for what I can get beyond basics to make a meal. Stores here vary in selection on a daily basis, and while many staples (milk, cereal, bread, flour, sugar, jam, meat) it's hard to think of ways to prepare meals, specifically dinner. Tonight we had spaghetti as I found a flavoring packet at one store. The store also had jars of spaghetti sauce but they were upwards of $10 for a jar that is half the size of what we are used to in the states! I'm hoping that as I get a better feel for where stores are, what items cost, and what is available I can get a handle on this. Until then, it will be a lot of cereal, toast, and spaghetti :) (If anyone wants to send a care package - creamy pesto, spaghetti, stroganoff, soups (dry), and hot chocolate (also $10+) would be greatly appreciated!!!)

Well, I better go to bed so I'm not too groggy for the kids tomorrow! Thank you for the prayers and blessings for our school year! God is good!

Settling and Organizing

The last few days have been filled with moving into my new home for the year and getting ready for school to begin (next Tuesday!). I love my house and roommates, and am quickly getting used to a new way of life. There are some comforts like a big bed, a westernized bathroom, a kitchen with modern appliances. Some new chores to get used to are turning on the water heater and water pump (outside) to take a warm shower upstairs (can't leave them on because the electricity would be $$), boiling and filtering water for drinking (which is a slow process, and the three of us girls drink a lot!), and having a large security gate to run out an unlock or lock when people come and go. Not hard chores, just different!

At school today we had a lesson about Rwanda's history, land, and culture. One of the dad's at our school teaches pastors at a seminary here. He and his family have been here for about six years. He was able to give us a lot of good information, very helpful to all of us as we are adjusting here, related to how Rwandan people interact, expectations, and some cautions for us as well. We were scheduled to visit the Genocide Memorial in the afternoon, but as we are all so busy getting ready for school, the trip has been postponed a few weeks.

Tonight the guys came over to cook dinner at our house because they do not have gas for their stove yet. They were gracious to share some of what they made (spaghetti - which I've been craving the last few days), and it was fun just to have company. I learned that Douglas has a Whirley Pop (decided he couldn't live without it last year - somehow managed to bring it - I wish I could have figured out how to bring mine!) - and so he is invited to come over and use our free internet whenever he wants - as long as he brings the Whirley Pop - ha! Having a house full of friends reminds me of life in Lakewood - 'tis so sweet :)

My classroom is coming along. It's very different planning, organizing, and preparing for a contained classroom environment. My biggest challenge this week has been scheduling. I am teaching one high school class in the middle of the day which makes things hard as I have to plan for what my 6th grade students will do during that time - and plan all the 'specials' around that time as well. Craziness, but it all seems to be working out. I was able to start putting posters on the wall today, so it's looking more like a classroom. I plan on spending all day Saturday in my room to have it ready for next week.

Tomorrow (Friday) all the teachers are going on retreat to Lake Muhazi, an hour or so away from Kigali. We will spend the day there relaxing and getting to know each other better. Sounds exciting - I plan to bring my camera - hopefully the air will be clear and I can take some nice pictures!

Thanks for all the prayers, comments, and emails! I appreciate y'all so much! I have been sleeping much better (I got a fan yesterday!), and just have an overall sense of peace here.

Love to you all and Good night :)

Random Thoughts

Today (well, yesterday now) I went to church in Africa for the first time. The Sudman family graciously invited me to attend with them at CLA (Christian Life Assembly). It is an Assemblies of God church, with a Canadian pastor, mostly Rwandan congregation, but other nationalities as well. The stage was decorated in an Olympic theme with flags from around the world. There had been a VBS at this church this week and the theme was… Olympics :) I loved the whole atmosphere. I knew one of the things that I felt I would learn most while I was hear was a bigger picture of God's world, and here I felt like I was beginning to get a small taste of that.

However, there have now been countless times when I, or someone here I've just met, have said "what a small world we live in!" Whether it has been people I met at the airport (my 'aunt' Melissa's friend John), missionary families at the school (a mom/midwife has worked in the Philippines and knows Mavis, a midwife who runs the clinic where Pami is going to be working :)), or new colleagues (just heard from Jill A. that a Minnesotan friend will be here at KICS this week to meet up with someone!), we are all making connections to those we know around the world - very fun!

Jet lag has not been nice to me. I can't seem to sleep through the night with the help of some kind of sleep aid. :( So, I read, I pray, I lay quietly, I listen to music, and now I blog…

I've been reading a lot of good books lately. This week I've started on Richard Stearns' "The Hole in our Gospel". Its fascinating to hear his story of how he become the President of World Vision. He did not seek after this position but it sought him. Following God’s will means giving up his comfortable life for he and his family. He is asked to sacrifice and stretch in very difficult ways. But later, as he does follow God's will, he sees that the sacrifice is not so terrible and in fact a blessing.

I've had it pretty easy here so far. It's only been 3 full days. Tomorrow is election day so we are staying home and working on paper work. Tuesday begins meetings and lots of classroom time. It's also the day Hannah and I can move into our house. I am excited about all of these things but also anxious about leaving the Sudman nest and venturing a little bit out on my own (I'll be like a whole 5 houses down the street).

Today we were taken to an outdoor restaurant/park (I'll have to get the name from Lisa later as everyone is sleeping right now!) where we had time to socialize with missionary families, their kids, and the teachers who are here so far. It was a nice afternoon and a good time to get to know people and feel even more at peace about this whole 'living in Kigali' thing :)

Tonight as I first tried going to bed I listened to a song by Lincoln Brewster: Today is the Day. If you haven't heard it, you should! I think these lyrics are going to often help put my day into perspective!

Today is the Day, by Lincoln Brewster

I putting my fears aside

I'm leaving my doubts behind

I'm giving my hopes and dreams to you

Jesus

I'm reaching my hands to yours

Believing there's so much more

Knowing that all you have in store for me is good

Is good

Today is the day you have made

I will rejoice and be glad in it

Today is the day you have made

I will rejoice and be glad in it

And I won't worry about tomorrow

I'm trusting in what you say

Today is the day

I will stand upon your truth

I will stand upon your truth

And all my days I'll live for you

All my days I’ll live for you

Today is the day you have made

I will rejoice and be glad in it

Today is the day you have made

I will rejoice and be glad in it

And I won't worry about tomorrow

I'm giving you my fears and sorrows

Where you lead me I will follow

I'm trusting in what you say

Today is the day