We started 2015, Month 5 of The Race, in our second African country, Rwanda. The set up of the month seemed similar to last month in Uganda, but all of expectations were surpassed. It was an incredible month and one of my favorite so far. Before the Race, whenever I would picture the next years, I basically pictured our life in Rwanda.
We lived with a pastor, his wife, and their six children in a village outside of the Capital city, Kigali. You can read one of my other blogs about my reaction when we first got to the home, but let’s just a say we lived like normal Rwandans. We slept two or three to a mattress on the floor, and the mosquito net kept out all sorts of bugs and creatures that go bump in the night. And I’m now I’m a pro at using that hole in the ground (sorry to brag).
In the mornings we would do door to door ministry sharing the gospel and praying for me. We saw a couple people put their hope in Christ and a man be healed of back pains. Those moments were cool, but most of the time we were just there to hold hands and encourage. Some widows would cry when they saw us; we were proof that they hadn’t been forgotten. We became friends with a young couple that had a gorgeous farm. They even let us name the cow. Halfway through the month, we started teaching English in the morning. All of my teammates have different stories and experiences, but I was teaching the kids outside. Without any materials, translator, and sometimes chalkboard, this was the biggest challenge of my month. After about an hour of teaching, we would play to keep them from disturbing the adult classes inside.
If I had to sum up my Rwanda experience in one word it would be Kidd. Kids would constantly follow us, and we would play or sing with them multiple times during the day. Even sitting on the front porch at the house, kids would just walk up to us and watch us read or sleep or sit or workout. We were fascinating and different, and they were fun and exhausting.
We also did a lot of preaching this month. We had church everyday but unlike the 7 hour services in Uganda, these services were only 2-3 hours. Preaching was a challenge, and still is, but I loved it. Going to church meant I couldn’t take myself too seriously. Often we would sing and dance in front of the congregation, and sitting down meant multiple kids would be sitting or trying to sit in our laps. I’ve loved experiencing churches in other cultures, but I am excited to eventually be in church services that I can understand. Until then, thank God for podcasts.
This month in Rwanda was one of my favorite months so far. The family we stayed with was absolutely incredible, and my job for the month was asking God for big things. How cool?! The culture was so mature and peaceful. We went to the genocide museum one day, and while I still question how these things can happen, I got to see a country that has healed so much since then. The landscape was beautiful no matter the direction, and I think that’s how the whole experience was for me. I saw moments of God showing off his power, sweet quiet moments just sitting in him, and every uncomfortable moment in between. But no matter how I look at it, the month was beautiful.
