We arrived safely, made all our connections smoothly and all flights were on time. We arrived in Kigali at 7:00 pm which was perfect timing since we were all exhausted from 20 hours in flight. We are staying at AEE (African Evangelical Enterprises) in Kigali who had dinner waiting for us when we arrived (just one example of their great hospitality here). Typical food is potatoes, pasta, beef with sauce and steamed vegetables. Breakfasts are usually dry cereal with milk, GREAT coffee, bananas, pineapple, crepes and eggs. We are eating well!
And we are playing hard!
Our first morning, we were up at 6:30 AM for a trekke up to Byumba to a boarding school. Byumba is located in northern Rwanda, near the Uganda border. It took approx 2 hours by car through beautiful, steep hills that wound around the landscape dotted with patchworks of farming fields and terraced gardens that were obviously created by hand. We were met at the school by Joseph Nyamutera and Christine who represented Mercy Ministries...a healing and reconciliation program in Rwanda. Our team was given the task to work side by side with some of the students painting tables, walls, and window shutters of the dining hall at the school. We were given a tour of the school which included observing thier livestock of several cows and pigs. It is considered a great value to have these animals because they generate revenue for the school and the students take care of them, creating self esteem for the students. They served us lunch in a classroom with other students and a few governmental officials of the area which consisted of the same menu stated above. We thought we were all done, but the Headmaster called an assembly gathering to show appreciation towards the volunteers of the day's project, which included issuing certificates to each of us for our work. The children sang accapella for us, which was beautiful and the finale was ALL the students singing and dancing for us, inviting some of us that were comfortable to dance, to join them. When we had finished, dust was floating in the air from all our feet pounding the floor!
My personal experience was with several female students, about the age of 12-14. I offered to help them with thier wash, which they were scrubbing in a bucket in the backyard. They found this offer hilarious and invited to show me their sleeping dormitory. It was about 2000 sf concrete building with bunk beds tightly lined up. They showed me what was special to them...stuffed animals and dolls. We took pictures of each other, and the dolls. They asked lots of questions about America. After the assembly, one of the girls named Jen, called my name out. She had this look on her face of longing. It was crowded and noisy as everyone was exiting. All I could do was stroke her head, look in her eyes and tell her God loves her and will take care of. She has no family to back her up. No parents that she can "go home" to. Once they receive thier graduation certificate, they are on their own. This broke my heart which had just been gloriously charmed by their dancing and singing.
As children of God, we are spiritually connected to all these people here. It is not us in America, and "them" in Africa. We are all under one God. We are brothers and sisters under God. We have a responsibility to take care and love these people. Even though we have different cultural experiences, ethnicity does not get in the way of love.
Speaking for the group, thank you for your support. We see God at work here. They are paving roads, laying down fiberoptics and building schools. Please feel confident that your prayers and support are working.
In God’s love,
Mary Williams
Team Member
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