Simply Love: Rwanda - June 1-2, 2012

[The following post is an excerpt from my journal as I traveled to Rwanda. The inconsistency in the entry title and datestamp is due to limited internet access while I was on the trip. These experiences were documented in real time, and I am posting photoblogs now that I have returned.]

 June 1, 2012 - 2:28 PM Central Africa Time; Kigali, Rwanda

"A gift opens the way for the giver
    and ushers him into the presence of the great."

Proverbs 18:16

We fly out today. We started our journey home around 7:30 AM with our three hour bus ride from Gisenyi back to Kigali. When we got to Kigali, we had lunch with Jean-Claude from Best Family Rwanda. We brought a donated guitar to Rwanda with the intention of leaving it with an orphanage to continue their worship. After visiting each of the orphanages, the team decided unanimously that we wanted to gift the guitar to Best Family Rwanda. We knew it would get the best use there after seeing their love of music and dancing. We all signed the guitar with encouraging messages so that each time the guitar is used, it will remind them of our love.

Jean-Claude came to lunch straight from his law office, and he looked so cute spiffed up in a metallic silver sport coat! He was so grateful to receive the guitar and thanked us several times.

Check out the sport coat! So precious!

After lunch, we headed straight to the airport. There we said goodbye to our guide, Jane, our bus driver, Alfonse, and four of our team members who are on later flights. When I went up to the counter to get my boarding passes, the woman printed two and handed them to me. Everyone else had gotten checked in through to Washington, DC. Luckily, the actuary in me likes to double check. I noticed that the two boarding passes she gave me were for my two flights within the US. I told the woman I was missing boarding passes, but when she went to print them, she had some trouble. Long story short, I ended up with a pretty sweet handwritten boarding pass! It was a new experience to say the least. I thought for sure the chances of me getting on that plane were slim.

"A handwritten boarding pass?! Well, this should be interesting..."

I am tired. I know I have quite a bit of processing to do after my many experiences, so it may take a while to recover. It was an all-over difficult goodbye. Goodbye to selfless Jane. Goodbye to Alfonse, who I am convinced is the best driver in the world. [He was able to maneuver the 25-passenger bus into tight places that I would not have been brave enough to take my compact SUV through!] Goodbye to sweet orphans (with unknown futures due to reunification). Goodbye to the leaders at the orphanages who have dedicated their lives to the kids. Goodbye to a fantastic team of new friends who I now consider my family. [We have already discussed "Rwanda: Music & Missions 2013" with the same team except maybe add a couple of spouses who were not able to come this time.] Goodbye to Rwanda. I will keep praying for you, Rwanda. I will pray for your people (especially my beloved daughters), and your orphanages and organizations that we partnered with.

 June 1, 2012 - 7:30 PM Eastern Africa Time - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

"Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord." 2 Kings 10:16

A young engaged Greek couple sat next to me on the flight from Entebbe, Uganda to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The woman is currently working toward a Masters Degree in London and she was doing research in Uganda. It was her first time out of Europe, so she was discussing with me her surprise at "how underdeveloped Uganda is." Fortunately for me, because she is studying in London, her English is great, and we were able to bounce from one topic of conversation to another!

At one point, she mentioned that her birthday is around Christmastime, which opened up the door for me to ask about religious beliefs in Greece. She shared that Greek Orthodox is the dominant religious belief (which I already knew, but it was a nice way to open up the lines of communication), but she mentioned that the younger generation does not care about religion. She said that she personally practices only for the tradition. Hearing this broke my heart.

I so desire for others to know God the way I know Him. He is irreplaceable and unforgettable. If all people were to truly know who He is, they would care more about Him than anything or anyone else. But, someone who does not know Him the way I do cannot possibly understand the words I would use to describe Him. They would have to see His work and feel His love to gain a clear understanding.

My new friend does not know it, but God pulled through. As we were exiting the plane, she mentioned to me how kind I had been to her, how great she thought it was for me to spend time with orphans in Rwanda, and how thoughtful it was that I engaged in conversation with a complete stranger from Uganda and wished her safe travels. My Greek friend does not know it, but she saw God at work in those moments. I exchanged contact information with her, so hopefully that seed will grow. All I can do in the meantime is pray.

June 2, 2012 - 5:45 AM Eastern - en route Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Washington, DC

I have mastered the art of vertical sleeping. It requires three pillows, a blanket, and a small backpack, but I have it figured out! Well... either that or I am exhausted enough that I could sleep just about anywhere at this point - yeah, probably that one.

I have the privilege of sitting next to a sweet and beautiful 8-year-old Ethiopian girl, her mom, and her little brother (who cannot be more than two-years-old and is sitting on his mom's lap). This is their first ever flight, so I helped show them the ropes. I helped the young girl set up her headphones and find the movies, music, and games on the touchscreen in front of her. This family is moving to the states to live with their dad/husband in Maryland. The little girl and I had quite a bit of fun interacting the first few hours of the flight before we fell asleep. At one point, I woke up to find the precious girl nestled fast asleep against my arm. I could not help but smile. Her mom offered to move her, but I did not mind the least bit. Her little brother was sprawled out over his mom's lap, so I am sure it helped to have a little bit less weight on her.

"He gives the barren woman a home,
    making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord!"

Psalm 113:9

We also have several "special guests" on our flight. Yesterday was a joyful day in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Friday is one of the days that the Ethiopian government issues visas, so many families who had waited two to three years are finally able to take their adoptive children home! I think that a nine-month pregnancy is a long time to anticipate a child, but I can hardly imagine waiting two to three years! That is a ton of joy to build up, and believe me- I could see it bursting forth! There are glowing mothers and fathers all around. Many of them are first time parents, so I can only imagine their excitement! I wonder what their stories are. Did they choose to adopt as a first option? Did they have trouble having children on their own? Are they unable to bear children? Regardless of the path God has brought these families on to this point, they followed His call. This has been the perfect way to wrap up our trip- seeing the hope of orphans being fulfilled! May God bless these families beyond measure.

Simply Love: Rwanda - May 31, 2012

[The following post is an excerpt from my journal as I traveled to Rwanda. The inconsistency in the entry title and datestamp is due to limited internet access while I was on the trip. These experiences were documented in real time, and I am posting photoblogs now that I have returned.]

12:40 PM Central Africa Time - Noel Orphanage; Gisenyi, Rwanda

"For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ." Colossians 2:5

I just gave one of the hardest goodbyes of my life. My sweet Kazuba is off to school for the afternoon, so I will not get to see her again before we leave for Kigali tomorrow. What a birthday gift- to experience that kind of love. All day, Kazuba kept asking me, "You go to Kigali tomorrow?" It was almost as if she hoped I would eventually change my answer and stay. We spent some good quality time together, but she kept slipping away for several minutes at a time. I was told that the kids do this when they are upset. They get bullied at the orphanage when they cry, so they try their best not to get upset in public.

When I was walking Kazuba to the front gate as she was leaving for school, she was trying really hard to tell me something in English, but I could not understand her. I grabbed our guide, Jane, and asked her to translate for me. My heart sunk. Kazuba was asking me if I was coming back. I cannot make empty promises, and at this point, I do not know whether or not I will ever get the opportunity to go back to Rwanda. I could only tell her, "I hope to, but I do not know if I will be able to come back." I nearly choked on these words because I wanted so much to be able to tell her with great confidence, "Yes, I will come back to see you." Instead, I left her with all I could think of to say which was "Nda gukunda cyane" [ndah goo-koon-dah chah-nay] which means "I love you very much."

Kazuba heading to school

"My heart is steadfast, O God;
    I will sing and make music with all my soul."

Psalm 108:1

Rewind. This morning was a different tone than the rest. At our team meeting, the leaders told us that since today is our last day at Noel, quality time is most important. They encouraged us to pour out whatever love we had left to give and use our time in the best way we could think to do so. That being said, we decided to make the morning into one huge worship session. We sat under the awning of one of the girls dorms with our guitars and sang/played our hearts out. As we made music, the kids came in and filled the gaps in our laps and between us. Sweet Mutoni sat next to my left side and was smiling her giant smile the entire time. I could not help but break out in joyful laughter watching her worship. She has such an infectious smile. Lilliane sat on my right, soaking in the music. At one point, Kazuba came out of nowhere and layed her head in my lap. I wish I could bottle that moment and take it with me wherever I go.

We had our last lunch at Tara's house. Sweet Jane goes above and beyond her job of a guide and translator. She has become a part of our family. For example, our first lunch at Tara's house consisted of "chips" [AKA french fries] but no ketchup. One of the team members is very fond of ketchup, Jane picked up on that, and sure enough- the very next day, there was ketchup at lunch. Today, Jane's selflessness was no different. Desserts in Rwanda usually consist of fresh fruit. Well, today there was cake at lunch. Conveniently...on my birthday...there was cake. When one of the team members asked if she did that purposefully, she just smiled; Of course she did. She never stops giving. I hope to grow to be more aware of others in the way that Jane is. Unexpected gestures mean so much more than any word could ever say.

As the lunch hour closed, we prayed over the girls that will be moving into the new house. The girls held stoic expressions on their faces as we explained that we wanted to pray for them and bless their new home. It is engrained in their brains that is is not okay to cry, so as a result, they chose to show no emotion at all. We layed hands on them and prayed blessings and protection over them while Jane translated. By the end of the prayer, there was not a single dry eye in the house. Tears of joy welled up in our eyes. The presence of the Holy Spirit had so thickly permeated the room and clenched a fist around our hearts. Ange, one of the girls who made one of the bags that I bought, ran out of the room as she pulled her sweater over her face. Tara went after her and assured her that it was okay to cry. A couple of minutes later, she came back into the room with her tear-stained cheeks. This was another difficult goodbye. I have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with these ambitious women. Each and every one is an inspiration. They are such hard workers and are 100% sold out to using their new career skills to give back [Read more about the sewing school in this post].

4:45 PM Central Africa Time - Noel Orphanage; Gisenyi, Rwanda

This afternoon was a blur. Emotions are heavy. I already long to see my sweet girls again, but I have to accept that, at least for now, goodbye is in the past. I hung out with some of the older girls that I bonded with over yesterday's dance party in their dorm. They even sang "Happy Birthday" to me in Kinyarwanda, which I was able to get on video so I can watch it for years to come. I was also surprised to receive several handwritten notes from my girls! It made me laugh to read my misspelled name; they spelled it exactly how they were saying it in their accents: "Emmy." I will cherish those sweet letters, and, despite a few tears, I will cherish the memory of my best birthday to date! I would not trade it for any other experience!

We also provided Noel with a truck full of food (worth around $800). We were told that this food would only last them a little over one day. Blows. my. mind.

Because of the heavy nature of the afternoon, and because most of my girls were at school, I withdrew myself from the action to quietly reflect while I took several candid photographs of the other team members.

 I was able to freeze images of everyone loving how they love best, and believe me- they were in "super love mode" today. So much joy and light was captured by my camera.

 

8:45 PM Central Africa Time - Hotel Dian Fossey; Gisenyi, Rwanda

Jane has outdone herself again. She found a restaurant in Gisenyi at the Palm Gardens Resort that is on a stunningly beautiful property. The resort looks over Lake Kivu, which is where they catch the fresh fish that they serve. Tonight is a celebration for many reasons. We are celebrating the family that we have become over these past several days, we are celebrating birthdays (mine as well as Frank's sponsored daughter, Amelie whose birthday is in a few days), and, most of all, we are celebrating love of orphans.

Twenty-three. It has been my favorite number as long as I can remember. Now, it is my age. I have always known that something special would happen in my twenty-third year of life. I thought that perhaps it would be the year I would fall in love...

...I was right...

...I have fallen in love.

I have fallen in love with Kimisagara, Best Family, Imbabazi, and Noel Orphanages. I have fallen in love with the cities of Kigali and Gisenyi. I have fallen in love with the rolling green mountains blanketed underneath cottonball clouds. I have fallen in love with countless orphans who have helped shape my understanding of what love even means. I have fallen in love with Rwanda.

As close as my heart has grown to this place, I feel ready to head home. As hard as it is to say goodbye, I know I must. I pray that I use my experiences here to better my home country. I pray that I am not quick to forget. I pray that a piece of me stays here in the hearts of all the people I have encountered. On the other hand, I pray that a piece of each person I have encountered stays in my heart. Most of all, I pray that I have and will resemble Jesus in all I do. I pray that these people have grown to know Him better through my love. Simply love.