Some of my very favorite moments on the Race so far have happened in Rwanda. My soul absolutely loves this place. The Expansion of the Kingdom is happening so quickly here it takes my breath away. Here in Rwanda, God is bringing restoration to my soul. Restoration of joy, of peace, of community, of spirit, and of so many other things. And they happen through the quiet little moments. So I’d like to take a moment to share them with you, because they make my heart sing. And I want yours to be singing too.
Yesterday for the first time since being here I decided to go for a run. I was heading towards a valley where there’s a path to run on. Completely absorbed in my music, I looked up and saw a young boy running next to me. And I jumped and almost screamed. He sure did startle me. It was hilarious though. And so he continued running with me. For the first few minutes he was quiet but after he started to ask me questions with the little English he spoke. “What is your name?” “Where are you from?” “How old are you?” “You run very fast!” “Are you a Christian?” His questions continued as he ran for about a mile and a half with me in his little foam flip flips. After while we met his brother on the path who was herding cows and so he had to leave to help. But once the path reached its end I turned around and again met this little boy on the path. He walked me all the way back to where I was staying. His name I can’t spell and couldn’t understand, but he is 12 and has 3 other siblings. A little brother, Patrick, who is 7, and another little brother who is one almost 2. This sweet encounter on the path was so unexpected but so joy filled. Since we’re neighbors I now frequently get to see him which I absolutely love.
We have now spent 2 weeks teaching children and adults English. We teach the children in the morning and adults in the evening. We’re supposed to get to the school at about 8:30 a.m. The men on our team as usual were running late that morning and so Bethany, Shelby and I left without them and walked. The boys took bicycles taxis. As we walked through the gates of the school/ church a group of kids that we’ve been teaching came sprinting up to us, saying hello and giving huge hugs to each of us, joy so evident on their faces. And then while we waited for the boys to arrive we happily skipped, holding hands into the classroom. 🙂 and I thought to myself, “I could do this everyday of my life.”
One of my favorite moments was today. We frequently ride on mototaxis which are basically dirtbike taxis. So today while coming home from a wonderful bakery and coffee shop called Tally’s I rode on the back of the moto. I closed my eyes and stuck out my arms and let the wind rush over my skin. One of my favorite feelings is the one of strong wind and feeling like I’m about to blow away. I stayed there and just reveled in the fact that I have a whole month more in this wonderful place. A place that makes my soul smile.
The other day on our way to ministry, my teammate Kit and I went to the store to get these yummy crescent roll things that they warm up in the microwave for you. Kit was super hungry and super excited to eat it. As we walked on the main road to get to the church we walked past a woman who was on all fours with shoes on her knees and hands. As soon as we walked a few steps past her, Kit turned around and walked back to her. He got down on his knees next to her and gave her the sweet warm roll he had just bought. The woman, with tears in her eyes smiled at him and thanked him repeatedly. Then Kit told her he was going to pray for her. The look on her face was one of shock and surprise. Although we know very little of the same language, I think she said something along the lines of you’ve already done enough for me. But Kit and I insisted and Kit prayed for healing and for God to protect her. Afterwards we said goodbye and the look of gratitude on her face made me smile. After we had walked a few blocks Kit smiled at me and said, “I’m so glad I did that!” The look of joy on his face was so evident. It is so cool to get to witness one of your closest friends and teammates step out in faith. I am so incredibly proud of the man of God he is becoming on this trip. My team is lucky to have him as our team leader.
A block away from our house there is a flat alleyway where kids like to gather and play games. And so one day Bethany, Shelby, and I went down there to see if we could find some kids to play soccer or futball as they call it here. As soon as we arrived more and more kids started to show up! They were so excited to have a soccer ball to play with. While we were there 2 kids our age showed up. Their names are Patrick and Emmanuel and are 17 and 18 years old. Bethany and I played a game similar to keep away with them and it was so much fun! Playing soccer with Emmy and Patrick made my heart so full! However I’m actually pretty terrible at soccer.
The ministry we do here is so rewarding! We spent 2 weeks doing door to door evangelism and now are spending 2 weeks teaching English. When we teach adult English at night we split into 2 groups. One group of us teaches beginners and the other teaches more advanced students. Kit and I have been teaching to 2 teenagers in the advanced group. Patrick whom is mentioned in my soccer story (he’s also our neighbor we found out) and Hero. They both know the basics of English and are seeking help with pronunciation and help with conversational English. Most of our classes are spent simply talking to them and getting to know them better. Hero met another World Race team last year which was super cool to find out. These 2 boys have tested my abilities at teaching sometimes. However I do my very best and most days I feel like I would make my high school English teacher (and drama coach) Mr.Olson proud. At one point I was explaining the difference between the words: talk, say, speak, converse, and speech. Needless to say at times it’s hard to be a teacher with no experience at all. However every time we teach, the Lord provides. Teaching them has been one of the most stretching experiences on the Race.
Another happy day on the Race was one of relaxation. After going into town and getting caught in a rainstorm with my flimsy raincoat, I came home freezing cold and sopping wet. As soon as I got home I dried off and put on warm cozy clothes and my favorite wool socks, bundled into my sleeping bag, and got a cup of hot tea to warm up. Soon after Noah, Shelby, and I got into a deep discussion about theology. With rain pelting on the tin roof, my heart was so full. Being in warm clothes almost made me feel like I was back home in my Minnesota winter. There is truly nothing better than conversation with my family here and tea.
When I first found out my squad was getting rerouted to Rwanda I was so disappointed because I know I am called to Ethiopia. But now that I’ve been here for almost a month, I love Rwanda with every fiber of my being. God knew my soul needed restoration and healing and gave me the perfect place to do it. He knew that Rwanda was where I needed to be and so he sent me here. God’s goodness and perfect plans continually amaze me.
Xoxoxo,
Liz
