We have been in Rwanda for a few weeks now and we don’t want to leave. Actually, that’s a lie. I’m really excited for Thailand and everything else, but we LOVE it here! Rwanda blew my mind. I thought since the genocide they would be at least about as far along as Uganda and Kenya, if not less. It was a complete culture shock coming into this country. They have sidewalks, traffic lights (traffic makes SENSE!), helmets, the streets aren’t littered with trash, we have running water and electricity in our house! The toilet flushes perfectly! We have a MIRROR! Oh the little things we don’t appreciate as much as we should in the states.
We are staying with Pastor Robert and his family. So, we have 18 people in our house total, wow. All 6 girls are in one room with one queen bed and two queen beds on the floor. Our bags are stacked on top of the one dresser and the rest are lining what’s left of the wall. We have mornings off, while we enjoy tea and hot cocoa every morning, sometimes watch our CABLE TV (with American channels!), read our Bibles and enjoy our HOME INTERNET! Seriously, we are living in luxury here. We walk to church every day at 3pm to teach English and sometimes have a Bible study or door to door evangelism. Sundays we preach and lead a few songs of worship and Fridays are our days off. This is such a rest month, especially compared to last month where we started off moving and shaking every minute of the day.
Our walk to church is my favourite. It is a 45 minute hike/matatu ride through banana plantations and up and down the rolling hills of Rwanda. We are definitely panting and sweating by the time we reach church, but we love it. English class has been fun, I’m realizing more and more how much I like teaching. Maybe teaching in Korea for a year after this will be a good idea? Just waiting on God.
Africa is funny though, it’s such a different culture than America. Not only are half the signs misspelled, but the other half are about condoms. We actually know which road to turn down based on the condom ad that’s planted in front of it. They aren’t offensive, they’re rather necessary to stop spreading HIV/AIDS.
It’s been challenging here, with having so many luxuries, and not getting engulfed in the world of technology. We only have one computer that can get internet, so we have to share, and the TV controls can only be in one person’s hand at a time. We have been challenging each other to stay in God’s word too and making time for quiet time throughout the day. I’ve been going through Romans and I think I might just keep going over and over it throughout the year, there is SO many good things in there! Before my grandpa past away I asked him what his favourite verse was and he said “Romans”. Yup, the WHOLE book of Romans was his favourite verse. Gosh, my grandpa was one of the greatest men in my life, I wish you could have met him. Anyways, I decided to really delve into what he saw in the book and God has been revealing so much to me ever since.
Two words came to me the other day, want and try. It was so humbling. That is ALL God wants of us, to WANT and to TRY. We need to want to be in God’s word, to be seeking after His face, wanting to be doing His works and growing more and more like Him. Then, just TRY, God will do the rest. There is nothing WE can do to make us holier, it is the Holy Spirit and God that does all the hard work. It’s humbling, but also comforting. Do you know that Christianity is the ONLY religion where the God dies for His people? The only God to come to Earth and sacrifice for us, not the other way around? We didn’t have to run through the seven layers of the candy cane forest and run the fastest through the Lincoln tunnel or else we won’t be able to get to Heaven. God did all the work for us.
Anyways, just some things to chew on and pray about, God usually says some big words through little messages.
SUPPORT UPDATE: Our next support deadline is coming up soon, November 1 and…. I’ve past it!! I’m pretty sure at least ha. I was having a hard time getting the exact amount, since some of it is promised funds from what people are giving every month throughout the race, but I believe, with that, I have just past the $10,500 mark. Al lot still to go though, the next deadline is in February, when the rest is due.
Thank you all for your support! See you soon!
