1.) Where do you live?
We live in the main city of Rwanda, called Kigali, and it is much like US cities, but more hills, red dirt, pretty trees, and people with baskets of vegetables on their heads
2.) Do you have a toilet?
Announcement everyone, WE DO HAVE A TOILET. Having the alternative (a squatty potty) would not be all that bad, but I do enjoy having our toilet
3.)Who is your family
Our host family is Papa Fred (our loving pastor and father), Mama (a selfless mother to us), Eva, Natasha, and Linda (our 3 sisters, 17-24), Joshua (outgoing 9 year old bundle of joy and curiosity), and Prince (quiet 10 year old brother, so sweet)
4.) Do you lock the doors at night to keep out lions?
Yes we lock our doors, no it is not to keep out lions. Contrary to popular belief, wild African animals do not just roam through the cities here
5.) Is there water anywhere on the continent?
Occasionally we run out of drinking water at our house, but we just drink tea until they bring the water container back a few hours later. Villages still retrieve their water every day from wells and haul it back to their house
6.)Are markets the only place to buy food etc?
Nope, grocery stores are all over, they might just have slightly different items than we are used to. P.S. the Rwanda roll on deodorant DOES NOT WORK. Even if it smells like vanilla in the bottle, it does nothing except make your armpits sticky
7.)Are all of the children starving beggars?
No. Many of them are living in poverty or pretty close to it, but many of them also get by just fine and have food and a family to go home to every day. They wear dirty and torn clothes, but many times that is just the standard for kids here
8.)Do men just pee on the side of the road?
So actually, yes. Unfortunately. I have seen five, FIVE men pee less than five feet away from me in the past week. I really don’t know why it is socially acceptable. Side note though, my teammate Kate also pees on the side of busy streets when we are still far from bathrooms and her bladder is about to explode- ask her about it sometime, I’m sure she would love to share with you
9.)Do we eat rhino and stuff?
No rhino, but we make bets on what the “mystery meat” is we have with dinner. We have come to the consensus that it is most often goat or cow, and sometimes sardines or cow intestine
10.)Are gages, necklaces, nose rings, a naked top and big african skirts the dress norm there?
Uh, no. Women sometimes wear tribal looking dresses, but mostly normal nice looking clothes we are used to. Just more modest ones
11.)If you are desperate, can you find granola, the main staple to michelina’s diet (other than veggies n stuff)?
If you are willing to pay a stinkin’ buttload of money, then yes, otherwise, no. A big fat no
12.)Is your team called up spontaneously on stage in front of an entire church to sing a song that they don’t actually know the lyrics to?
Yes. This happens quite often actually.
Know that we have gone over some FAQ’s, here is a guide on how to live out your life like African Michelina does:
-wake up and put on clothes that hopefully smell at least mediocre (anything resting in the range of slightly dusty to Bold B.O. is completely acceptable)
-put your hair up somehow, then feel your half-cornrowed hair and smile because putting in those braids was the best decision of your hair’s life (next to fully dreading it, of course)
-drink some black tea and eat some chapati, a boiled egg and piece of pineapple. Then decide you neeeed more chapati. But just a little. But you might as well take the whole piece…
-head to the bathroom and praise the Lord Jesus Christ that you have a western toilet instead of a dark, ominous hole in the ground (the semi-feared “squatty potty”)
-climb into the back of our 1980 Toyota truck (Alex and I dubbed him “Tucker”) and head to teaching, hoping it won’t just die in the middle of the rutted out road
-Scream “Good Morning!” and “How are you!” at all of your students as you and Alex walk into the tiny church you teach english in (literally though, most of your guys’ bathrooms are larger than this church building/room)
-act out verbs, and repeat-after-me’s, and “No Jessica, you don’t eat LICE, you eat RICE”, and memory verses, and group teaching the little ones (I teach teenagers and Alex teaches the kiddos), and I-can’t-read-your-handwriting-so-I-guess-it’s-correct, and telling them about my family, and “No, 14 year old Samual, I do not have a boyfriend”, and why is Aline asking me the cause of the American Revolution, and thinking to myself “Wow, I just adore these kids so much”
-head back home after class is over for Team Time, lunch, and to spend time with Jesus, maybe sneak in a nap
-drive back to church to preach, listen, or go evangelize and pray for people in the village nearby (such an incredible experience- people are so welcoming and open to hearing about God’s grace and the gospel)
-head back home to scarf some 8 p.m. dinna down and jump into bed, singing praises that you live such a joy-filled and adventurous life, and that you get to do it all with Jesus by your side
Africa is amazing. Rwanda is amazing. Our host family treats us as their own family. We teach such smart and kind students. People are coming to know God all over the place. We are making a huge impact here and I am honored the Lord chooses me to be a part of it. Christmas is coming up. I am a little sad to not be home but excited to experience Rwandan Christmas too. I love and miss you all a whole lot, I really do. Thank you a thousand times for making it possible for me to get here and for continuing to support me as I live out this crazy life Jesus has asked me to live.
