Rwanda
Ministry: Door
to door… preaching at church, playing with the sweet kiddo’s that lived nearby.
Living
conditions: A house with our pastor and translator. I shared a bed with Heidi,
bucket shows and sqauttie pottie.
Food: French
fries and avocados… sometimes all three meals. Rice, potatoes, bananas… fresh,
mini, boiled, fried and mashed.
Transportation:
Our legs… we walked a lot, we also crammed in matatu’s (10 passenger vans that
at minimum held 25 people) to go to town.
Favorite part of
the month: Playing with the kids up the road, getting hunted down by the shop
keeper when we did not return his fanta bottles, playing scum with the team and
James. Tree time in the morning with Matthew.
Most challenging
part of the month: The slow pace of Africa, some days it was just a few hours
of ministry, some days nothing at all. Bucket showers with a little water and a
heck of a lot of hair was frustrating.
Random things:
Rwanda went through a genocide in 1994 and the oppression can still be felt. We
had the opportunity to visit the mesueam memormial and see “Hotel Rwanda.” A woman offered me her baby to take home to
America. Church was 4 hours long and we danced for a good chunk of it, the in
that village children will always have my heart.
Kenya
Ministry: Tons
of things, preaching, orphanage, prison and hospital visits. Taugh at the
school and played with the kids, painted the doors at the church. Prayer and
fasting. Street kid feedings.
Construction & college outreach.
Living conditions:
Stayed with our sweet contact and his family. Had my own bed! Bucket shower and
western toilet.
Food: Oh, some
of the best food on the race, our brothers Kinu & Albert spoiled us with
pancakes, coffee, green grams, chapatti, popcorn, chicken, mashed potatoes,
avocados, mango juce and momma baked us treats.
Transportation:
The back of our contact’s old green Range Rover.
Favorite part of
the month: Just about everything. The kids at the school, our family we lived
with, hanging with the team, dancing for the church with Kinu, drying my hair
in the sun.
Most challenging
part of the month: Matthew was no longer on our team, church services were
long.
Random things:
The first time I asked anyone if they wanted to receive salvation was to a
crowd of inmates at a prison and over 30 men stood up. Heidi and I went running
every morning but she lauged at me when I ate chocolate in bed before we got up
and put our sneakers on. Oh, calls to America were wicked cheap so I got Mimsie
phone time in.
Tanzania:
Ministry: Door
to door, preaching, orphanage visits, doing handicrafs at NEEMA (www,neema.org)
village trip.
Living
conditions: 14 people in one house, shared a bed with Jeannie, freezing running
shower, squattie pottie.
Food: Greasy
chapatti, rice, beans, greens.
Transportation:
Matatus, Tanzania was the most brutal for getting a seat and or personal space.
Favorite part of
the month: Zanzibar… the squad had a two day get away to regroup before we left
Africa. We prayed a blind man who got his sight back and a deaf boy who could
then hear. Jeannie snuggle and vent session times.
Most challenging
part of the month: Living with two other teams… honeslty we I think had the
strongest personalities together from the squad. Church on Sundays was from 7-5
(with a lunch break) and I was extremely tired of doing door to door.
Random things:
Got sick for the first time on the race, and it was in the middle of the
village… Mango’s were 5 cents, my sweet Tara got on a plane to go home and we
had team changes as we left Africa.
