Today I was happy and sad to be an American.
I got to explain a washing machine. Not once, not twice, but 3 different times today. The hard part was the people I explained it to are a part of our sweet blessings here and they were hand washing our laundry. ( I helped ring it our but man these women are amazing. My clothes smell and feel cleaner then they have in months!) Saturday morning is laundry day.
The conversations all started with a version of, “Is this how you wash clothes in America?”
To which the reply is no. One man even thought, “Wow, you have thing like this, I wonder how we would get it here in our village?” Another one I was talking with told me, “You should buy it a cup of tea when you get home.” ?? I told him I am going to hug it. The interesting part of laundry day today was getting to wash with Courtney (One of my amazing new teammates) and discussing with her and our friends all of the things we get done while we are doing laundry at home. You put the laundry in the washer and then you can do countless things. This then lead to a talk about Wal-Mart with one of the guys and how stores in America work, verses here in our Rwandan village. The whole time Court and I were still just helping wash our clothes. (It took almost 3 hrs and then everything was hung up to dry.)
Guys, I have come to love doing laundry by hand… don’t get me wrong I am going to use the washer when I get home but, there is something sweet about it. It brings people together and has a rythym to it. (I am still bad at it.) I also love being able to walk down into the village and just be in the heart of it all. We even walked to a pre-wedding today and it was not super far but at home we definitely would have driven in our cars there. I made the mistake of saying it out loud, and our host apologised as if I ment that walking was an inconvenience, I had to back track and explain that I loved walking I was just reflecting about home. I love the simplicity here it is beautiful and intentional. People are getting things done but they are not running a million miles an hour to do it. Our host is busy as the Pastor of her church but she has time to spend with us and space to let the holy spirit guide her day. I am loving the land of 1,000 hills the views are like nothing I have seen before.
Even riding into the hospital was a treat when we went to pray for the sick, and the new babies. I got to hold a 1 day old beautiful baby Stephen. His mother didn’t even know my name she just handed me her baby to pray over and bless. The blessing was all mine though because he was so stinking cute. The culture here in Africa is very trusting and open people are genuine and they know their neighbors. The church here is alive and active and I love it.
The sad part about being an American was realizing how fast paced our culture really is. I am also nervous about going home and stepping back into that way of life. We jump from one task to the next and our to do list are never ending. We do not rest well and we do not live simply. We have too many distractions and instant things. In explaining Wal-Mart, I realized that to get everything on a normal shopping list at Wal-Mart here I would have to go to at least 3 stores in our village and then take a bus to the next town to get to the market and go to maybe another 3 stores. It would take all day instead of the maybe hour or two in Wal-Mart. This would include the drive from my house there and back. I could probably get a load of laundry done while I was on my trip. We are so fast paced.
I was also talking to my team yesterday about how I am going to visit everyone when I get home and I realized that I was already falling into the pressure of, “I have to see everyone as soon as possible, and as fast as possible.” I miss y’all like crazy. I had my whole first 2 weeks planned out and as I told them, I thought about it and started to cry. My plan made sense, it was a good strategy but the thought of trying to accomplish it made me want to curl up into the fetal position. I didn’t know why I was crying, I love people and I miss you all a lot. My team was super great and listened to me. They then reminded me that I can not see everyone in 14 days, nor should I, and that I should not stress about it so much. I realized I was holding all this anxiety about going home. It will happen in about 55 days which is crazy. I was also carrying the weight of expectations for myself that were just unrealist and not healthy. I had fallen into an American mind set without even realizing it. I was overwhelmed just picturing trying to get it done.
I has forgotte that God is going home with me. He will help me to transition. He will have preordained times and places to see and love on everyone. I don’t have to try and see EVERYONE in one week. Because, I am starting to get excited, I am making plans and can tangibly see the finish line but I don’t have to worry about it. I love Rwanda I am not wishing it away (squatty potty and all) but less then 7 weeks til I am home is feeling very real. I am excited and nervous but I also know that I am going to choose to keep it simple. Everything will happen in its time.
Highlights of Rwanda ministry so far.
*helping teach baby class. Ages 4-7 they are loud they are precious and I love them.
*preaching a sermon this coming Tuesday about the power of our tongue and the words we use. Also preached last Sunday on the power of our personal testimonies. I love preaching/teaching.
* went to hospital for praying for the sick and got to hold baby Stephen. Also prayed for healing over multiple patients.
* led fellowship with the kindergarten and baby classes probably 50 kids or so and did the lost sheep they loved it.
* we are staying in a former chicken coop it is awesome and our amazing host is a women pastor and she is amazing. Her story is incredible and the food is good and we are so blessed they cook and wash the dishes and they do our laundry. Y’all God is good.
*went to a pre-wedding today and next Sat we get to go to a wedding and wear traditional Rwandan dresses, I am so pumped!!!!
Prayer requests
*for our lesson in Sunday school tomorrow I am teaching on Joseph’s story to about 100 kids with a translator
*please pray for my ankle I twisted it a few days ago…skipping in baby class. It is almost healed.
**I still need a little over 2000 to be fully funded and I am believing God that it will come before I touch down in the I US.
*please pray for peace about coming home that I wouldn’t forget the lessons I am learning now about simplicity and God’s presence
