October 15th – October 18th
This week has been a relaxing week. We have been just hanging out and going shopping for things we need at practicum. I have enjoyed this time a lot. I feel like it was needed. The highlight of this week was definitely yesterday.
I could feel the butterflies in my stomach and the dread/excitement as I stared at the upcoming rapids. “I’m gonna die,” was the thought that frequented my mind. I was sitting on the left side in the front of a huge blue raft with a white paddle in my hand, a light pink helmet on my head, and a blue and yellow life jacket on my torso. There were 6 other people in the raft with me. One was the male Ugandan guide named Tutu, one was an aging man name Burt from the Netherlands and the other 4 were girls from my group. They were Kate, Camille, Charith, and Anna. Kate and I shared the front row. Tutu kept yelling things like, “Wicked Sweet” in his Ugandan accent, which I’m sure he learned from many American rafters that have come through.
Another thought that frequented my thoughts was that I was on the Nile, baby! So cool. The raft that I had chosen to ride was the mild raft because we didn’t want our raft to flip. I knew I would panic if I had a bunch of water in my mouth and nose and a raft on top of me. So I figured mild would work best. The guide started out with teaching us how to paddle, how to get back in the boat if we fell out, what commands he would use, and how we were to brace ourselves as we went through rapids. The first rapid that we encountered was a level 3 which is fun, but not very dangerous if you have a good guide. And we did. He had been doing this for 11 years. Later we encountered level 4s and 5s which looked really scary when you are just to raft them. But they were also the most fun. We never flipped because our guide was so good. He was able to steer us to the places in the rapid that made it so we wouldn’t flip. We greatly appreciated it. Every time we went on a rapid, Kate and I, since we were in the front row, got a bunch of water in the face, nose, and mouth. Fun stuff. We felt like we had swallowed half of the Nile by the time we were through.
As we watched other teams go down some of the higher level rapids, some of the guides would jump into the air and twirl as they went down them. They would often have to throw themselves forward too so they could land in the raft which had moved out from underneath them. It was pretty crazy, but cool. If I had to do this everyday, I would also figure out a way to make it more interesting. One of the guides was out of the raft and so our guide told his crew to paddle away from him, so they did. It was pretty funny. Many of times, especially toward the end, there was plenty of time to just float down the river and relax. So we would take off our helmets and jump out of the water so we could swim. It felt really good because the sun was beating upon our bodies when we sat on the raft. The scenery was very beautiful and the sky was beautiful. It was a perfect day for rafting.
Some of the other rafts flipped, but ours didn’t. I felt like we had just as much fun as everyone else, but we didn’t have to swallow as much water. The second to last rapid we went on was a level 5 and it had a 2 meter drop and then a bunch of other rapids along it, so it was super scary looking down for me as I sat in the front. My eyes widened and I yelled, “oh my gosh!” The girls in the other boat were yelling for us as they watched (because they had just gone down it before us). When we hit the bottom they cheered for us and I could tell they had seen my face. They were laughing at me. I didn’t mind.
Half way through we got to stop on a little island for a delicious lunch with nice wheat bread sandwiches, potato salad, and pineapple. It was a nice break for our tired bodies. Our group got especially tired because we only had 7 people to row and all the other ones had 11. Consequently, we were probably the slowest boat. It was still fun. After we were done with the sweet rafting trip I could tell that the top of my thighs were burnt from the sun. I thought I would be burnt other places too, but today, I can see that that is the only place I am burnt. I think that is because we don’t ever wear shorts here because it is inappropriate, so when we were able to on the rafting trip, they hadn’t seen sun in a long time! This morning I also woke up a little sore from paddling for hours and hours. The whole trip lasted seven or eight hours, plus there was a two hour drive there and a two hour drive back. It was a long day, so I ended up going to bed at 9 last night! Crazy.
So this might be my last blog for a while since I don’t know what the internet will be like in Ethiopia. Ethiopia is the least developed country in the world. I still don’t know much about my practicum there, so I’m a little nervous, but I think I will survive. I’ve got my peanut butter, crackers, and cookies just in case I need to sustain myself while I’m there. For some reason I’m not excited about the food. Hmmm...I can’t imagine why. Hah. I do know that I’ll be teaching a classroom with Kate of about 85 students! Aaaaah! We will be teaching English. They said that they only have like 3 books for all of those students! I can tell that it will be very interesting. Then in the evening we will be able to help with CDP (Child Development Program) or other things that Food for the Hungry needs help with. Anyway, I’ll write as soon as I can. Later ya’ll.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Crazy African Nights
October 10th – October 14th, 2007
Last week was a bit of a whirlwind because we had to do last minute visits with people we’d never see again and we had our 1 and a half hour presentations due on Friday. As a result, we all had pretty short tempers with each other. Hence, I wanted to escape. But it’s all over now, so I feel much better and so does everyone else. Group projects are always a nightmare and I’ve always hated them. I guess it’s so difficult getting all the personalities to work together and think alike and agree. It’s also difficult to trust everyone.
On Wednesday I went out to dinner with a bunch of us girls and the guy I met on the plane and a couple of his friends. We had a great time talking and had pizza. We taught them how to say ‘dig in’ before we eat and they taught us how to say ‘bon appetit’ which is somehow much more sophisticated to me. We also taught them what a mullet was by drawing pictures. We also explained what a comb-over was and how many men in the US do that as well as wear toupees when they lose their hair. Fred (my airplane friend) and his friends (Emma and Robert) ended up paying for all of us and then also paid for our ride home in the taxi. It was very nice. It was then that I realized that I was probably hanging out with the top of society there in Rwanda. They did not seem to be in want and they were successful business people at the local phone company called MTN. That was very much a change from many of our other acquaintances there.
On Friday night Caitlin, Christy and I visited Paul and boy did we get a surprise! He ended up confessing his love for Christy – since the first time he saw her. And he wanted her to know that he will love her forever, wherever she goes. And that she does not have to return his love. The strange thing was that he was talking at me, she was right there. He said it like this, “I just want her to know that I love her and I always will.” And she was RIGHT there! Listening. It was very awkward for me and for Christy. Then later he took Caitlin aside and told her that he wanted her to mediate between Christy and him while she is in Ethiopia so that maybe she will be convinced to marry him. So that was awkward for Caitlin. He said that if she was his friend then she would want for him what he wants for himself. But she kept saying that she couldn’t tell Christy to love him because she wants to keep in mind what Christy wants and not just what he wants. She has been her friend longer than his. At first I almost wanted to laugh because I thought that he wasn’t serious because he kept asking us if we had boyfriends and saying that he wanted a girl that was one of our friends and who loved him for himself instead of wanting money from him. So I thought that (since Caitlin and I had boyfriends) that he was just choosing the girl that didn’t have one. But then when he gave her the note I saw that it actually had Christy’s name on it and he had drawn a picture of a piano (which she plays). So he had obviously been thinking about this for a long time. Now Christy has to find a way to tell him that there is just no way that it would work out. I could not help but feel so bad for her because it was the most awkward situation that any of us had ever been in and it must have been soo much worse for her.
So after we hung out with Paul, we went to a coffee shop and hung out with Fred and his friend Emma. We talked and laughed and then they invited us to go to a club. So we did. Christy had never been to a club before, so I wanted to share this experience with her. We just all danced in a big group and had a great time. If a man tried to dance with me alone, I would quickly turn toward someone else or look with begging eyes toward my friends to rescue me. So it worked out. We taught Fred and Emma how to make spitballs and spit them out straws. That was super fun and hilarious. Then we taught them a bunch of retarded American dances like the funky chicken, the sprinkler the shopping cart, the disco, washing machine, lawn mower, and the fishing pole (you reel someone in). They taught us a super complicated game (or at least I thought so) and Christy was really good at it because it is a math type game and she is a math major. They kept saying, “Ah, you are so good because you are a mathematician.” Christy had a great time at the club. And I had a fun time altogether that night.
So then we ended up staying out all night and got in at 4 am. Don’t freak out guys, we were perfectly safe. I know it sounds weird doing this in Africa, but it really is safer in these two countries (Uganda and Rwanda) than it is in the states. There is much less crime. So since we got back at 4, we had to pack because our bus left at 5 am for Kampala. So we finally reached Kampala sometime in the afternoon. I did not use the bathroom, eat, or drink anything because I slept the whole way. Except when I was rudely awoken by people. It was so hot in the bus because they would not open the windows. Ugh. The woman next to me kept adjusting her shirt and elbowing me and I got so irritated with her adjusting her shirt. I don’t know why she had to do it so much. And it was a scratchy shirt.
Anyway, when we arrived in Kampala, we were so glad to be back! It was so beautiful at our guesthouse there. I took a nice long shower in which I could actually get all the conditioner out of my hair. In Kampala, it was difficult because sometimes we didn’t have great water pressure, so I could barely rinse my hair out. Also, it didn’t help that we had to hold the shower head to rinse out our hair, so I could only use one hand to help rinse it out. So usually my hair didn’t always look clean after I cleaned it. I also had thought I liked Kigali better, but now that I’m in Kampala again, I am not so sure. I really like Kampala. I’m comfortable here. More people speak English, so that’s always more convenient for us. I guess I missed the craziness of Kampala. Its quirkiness. How you can look around and always see something new or something you can laugh at (like the guy who was wearing a door on a motorcycle). It was like coming back home in a way. I am much less homesick here for some reason. Maybe it’s also because we have internet that actually works well here and we don’t have to reset every 5 minutes. Also, since we went out a lot in Kigali (much more than we did here), I think I am more comfortable about going out. I used to be way too tense.
So last night I went to bed early and this morning I woke up at like 9 am even though I had an early night. I read Harry Potter and I contemplated going to church, but I realized that I just wanted to relax. So I finished the 3rd Harry Potter book and then went to a mall called Garden City in which we found cheesecake and chocolate cake! Personally, I thought the cakes were ok and I had had better, but the other girls really liked them. They also had milk which we never get here. Then we went to the Nisleys and had a beeeautiful dinner of shish kebobs and rice and Caesar salad and yummy bread and brownies. Yes it was delightful. I played volleyball with a bunch of people and then we sat around singing worship songs while Caitlin played guitar. We walked back and now I’m enjoying just catching up on all my blogs, talking to all ya’ll at home. Good night. I am probably forgetting some things that happened last week, but I tried. I love this place and I love you guys. Have a happy fall and enjoy the fall leaves for me.
Last week was a bit of a whirlwind because we had to do last minute visits with people we’d never see again and we had our 1 and a half hour presentations due on Friday. As a result, we all had pretty short tempers with each other. Hence, I wanted to escape. But it’s all over now, so I feel much better and so does everyone else. Group projects are always a nightmare and I’ve always hated them. I guess it’s so difficult getting all the personalities to work together and think alike and agree. It’s also difficult to trust everyone.
On Wednesday I went out to dinner with a bunch of us girls and the guy I met on the plane and a couple of his friends. We had a great time talking and had pizza. We taught them how to say ‘dig in’ before we eat and they taught us how to say ‘bon appetit’ which is somehow much more sophisticated to me. We also taught them what a mullet was by drawing pictures. We also explained what a comb-over was and how many men in the US do that as well as wear toupees when they lose their hair. Fred (my airplane friend) and his friends (Emma and Robert) ended up paying for all of us and then also paid for our ride home in the taxi. It was very nice. It was then that I realized that I was probably hanging out with the top of society there in Rwanda. They did not seem to be in want and they were successful business people at the local phone company called MTN. That was very much a change from many of our other acquaintances there.
On Friday night Caitlin, Christy and I visited Paul and boy did we get a surprise! He ended up confessing his love for Christy – since the first time he saw her. And he wanted her to know that he will love her forever, wherever she goes. And that she does not have to return his love. The strange thing was that he was talking at me, she was right there. He said it like this, “I just want her to know that I love her and I always will.” And she was RIGHT there! Listening. It was very awkward for me and for Christy. Then later he took Caitlin aside and told her that he wanted her to mediate between Christy and him while she is in Ethiopia so that maybe she will be convinced to marry him. So that was awkward for Caitlin. He said that if she was his friend then she would want for him what he wants for himself. But she kept saying that she couldn’t tell Christy to love him because she wants to keep in mind what Christy wants and not just what he wants. She has been her friend longer than his. At first I almost wanted to laugh because I thought that he wasn’t serious because he kept asking us if we had boyfriends and saying that he wanted a girl that was one of our friends and who loved him for himself instead of wanting money from him. So I thought that (since Caitlin and I had boyfriends) that he was just choosing the girl that didn’t have one. But then when he gave her the note I saw that it actually had Christy’s name on it and he had drawn a picture of a piano (which she plays). So he had obviously been thinking about this for a long time. Now Christy has to find a way to tell him that there is just no way that it would work out. I could not help but feel so bad for her because it was the most awkward situation that any of us had ever been in and it must have been soo much worse for her.
So after we hung out with Paul, we went to a coffee shop and hung out with Fred and his friend Emma. We talked and laughed and then they invited us to go to a club. So we did. Christy had never been to a club before, so I wanted to share this experience with her. We just all danced in a big group and had a great time. If a man tried to dance with me alone, I would quickly turn toward someone else or look with begging eyes toward my friends to rescue me. So it worked out. We taught Fred and Emma how to make spitballs and spit them out straws. That was super fun and hilarious. Then we taught them a bunch of retarded American dances like the funky chicken, the sprinkler the shopping cart, the disco, washing machine, lawn mower, and the fishing pole (you reel someone in). They taught us a super complicated game (or at least I thought so) and Christy was really good at it because it is a math type game and she is a math major. They kept saying, “Ah, you are so good because you are a mathematician.” Christy had a great time at the club. And I had a fun time altogether that night.
So then we ended up staying out all night and got in at 4 am. Don’t freak out guys, we were perfectly safe. I know it sounds weird doing this in Africa, but it really is safer in these two countries (Uganda and Rwanda) than it is in the states. There is much less crime. So since we got back at 4, we had to pack because our bus left at 5 am for Kampala. So we finally reached Kampala sometime in the afternoon. I did not use the bathroom, eat, or drink anything because I slept the whole way. Except when I was rudely awoken by people. It was so hot in the bus because they would not open the windows. Ugh. The woman next to me kept adjusting her shirt and elbowing me and I got so irritated with her adjusting her shirt. I don’t know why she had to do it so much. And it was a scratchy shirt.
Anyway, when we arrived in Kampala, we were so glad to be back! It was so beautiful at our guesthouse there. I took a nice long shower in which I could actually get all the conditioner out of my hair. In Kampala, it was difficult because sometimes we didn’t have great water pressure, so I could barely rinse my hair out. Also, it didn’t help that we had to hold the shower head to rinse out our hair, so I could only use one hand to help rinse it out. So usually my hair didn’t always look clean after I cleaned it. I also had thought I liked Kigali better, but now that I’m in Kampala again, I am not so sure. I really like Kampala. I’m comfortable here. More people speak English, so that’s always more convenient for us. I guess I missed the craziness of Kampala. Its quirkiness. How you can look around and always see something new or something you can laugh at (like the guy who was wearing a door on a motorcycle). It was like coming back home in a way. I am much less homesick here for some reason. Maybe it’s also because we have internet that actually works well here and we don’t have to reset every 5 minutes. Also, since we went out a lot in Kigali (much more than we did here), I think I am more comfortable about going out. I used to be way too tense.
So last night I went to bed early and this morning I woke up at like 9 am even though I had an early night. I read Harry Potter and I contemplated going to church, but I realized that I just wanted to relax. So I finished the 3rd Harry Potter book and then went to a mall called Garden City in which we found cheesecake and chocolate cake! Personally, I thought the cakes were ok and I had had better, but the other girls really liked them. They also had milk which we never get here. Then we went to the Nisleys and had a beeeautiful dinner of shish kebobs and rice and Caesar salad and yummy bread and brownies. Yes it was delightful. I played volleyball with a bunch of people and then we sat around singing worship songs while Caitlin played guitar. We walked back and now I’m enjoying just catching up on all my blogs, talking to all ya’ll at home. Good night. I am probably forgetting some things that happened last week, but I tried. I love this place and I love you guys. Have a happy fall and enjoy the fall leaves for me.
Visiting Kibuye in Western Rwanda
October 6th-October 9th, 2007
I drank in the beauty of the lake in Kibuye and watched the goose bumps form on my arms, which was highly unusual for Africa. We were staying on the lake in Kibuye, which is in eastern Rwanda (Kigali was in Middle Eastern Rwanda). On the way there we looked stopped at two more genocide memorial sites. They were both churches in which thousands of people were killed. I read a book along the way, which is highly unusual for me. Usually, my stomach does not agree with reading in vehicles.
Also on the way, we stopped at a site where there was a waterfall surrounded by a beautiful, green view. As we piled out of the van for a break, children encircled us and played instruments which were handmade. They were essentially bent sticks with some sort of container at the end and one string was attached to each end of the stick and made the stick bend. The music was played using a handmade ‘bow’ on the string. Somehow, they managed to get many notes and melodies out of that simple instrument by moving their fingers along the length of the string and with the use of the bow. At first I listened, fascinated. But I quickly noticed the hungry looks in their eyes and the desperation on their faces. They were not playing for the sake of pleasure or for the sake of entertaining others. When they stopped playing they spoke to us in French and Kinyarwanda and we just stared back because we did not know their language.
I felt helpless to do anything. I wanted to give them a little money, but I felt like that would not help them get out of their desperation so that they would no longer be slaves to that instrument, slaves to their stomachs. Unfortunately, we had to leave, so I did not dig through my purse for money. I often feel the urge to give, but I never feel like it will be enough to make a difference. I guess we have to remember that we can only help one at a time and that’s what true eradication of poverty is all about. But the faces of those children, the desperation as they played their music, still haunt me. It made me angry. I was angry at society for letting people become poor. I was angry at the children for seeing us as money bags. I was angry at the adults who made children do those things in order to make money for their family. I was angry at the whole situation. I felt manipulated. Then I had to remember that if I was in the same situation that I would probably be doing the same thing. I would do anything I could for my family. It’s so hard to step in people’s shoes sometimes.
When we finally arrived in Kibuye we had a delicious lunch which included mushroom soup that we ended up pouring all over our food. The head waiter did not appreciate that and kept pointing at the tomato soup (which was actually meant for pouring all over a person’s food) and trying to get people to eat that instead. I found it quite humorous myself. When a girl went back for seconds (or was it thirds?) the same waiter said, “Are you trying to get fat?” Also hilarious. Here, people don’t go for seconds usually, but instead, pile their plates high with food. I personally didn’t see how that was any different (except if you get a little at a time, you will be less likely to waste food). Anyway, different cultures, different ways of thinking.
That evening we hung out, enjoying the beachside and the cooler weather, and listening to Julie’s life story. At night, I ended up sharing a room with Stacy and we ended up sharing a bed too because there was only one mosquito net. It was above the double bed. Unfortunately, throughout the night I kept wondering why Stacy kept nudging me and elbowing me. Then early in the morning, I woke up to her practically spooning with me. Naturally, I was a bit uncomfortable with that. But I quickly (or not so quickly) realized that the bed sank in the middle so that we each were forced into the middle of the bed. I couldn’t stand it anymore, so I switched to the smaller bed and slept much more soundly.
The next morning we went to a small church outside of town. It seemed very similar to the Jordan House Pentecostal Church except that there wasn’t nearly as much dancing around in the congregation and the preaching wasn’t nearly as loud and flamboyant. We got to sing for the congregation again. We sang “This Little Light of Mine” with hand motions because it was a simple song which we knew the words to. We did not want to make the same mistake as when we sang for the sewing girls last week. After the service we talked to many prominent members of the church in a separate room and drank pop (or soda for whomever prefers it). I have had so much pop here that I am sick of it. I don’t ever drink it at home, but sometimes it’s all there is to drink and it’s rude to turn down a drink or food when people offer them.
After lunch we were about to go on a boat ride on the lake, but it started to rain. Consequently, we waited for it to subside. Meanwhile, I read Harry Potter #2 (I’m going through the series a second time) and took a nice, long nap. It seems like I can never sleep past 6 am here, so naps are frequent. At around 3:30 we left on the boat. It was a serene ride and it was only a little bit chilly. We rode to an island which had a bat cave. It was pretty amazing. We did not visit the cave, but we didn’t need to; the bats streamed out of the cave and only grew larger in number when we clapped and yelled in encouragement. They seemed to like the attention. Camille (the girl with the greatest accent because she lived in England for 10 years) was hilarious because she kept screeching, holding onto me, and hiding behind me. As I looked up at them, I realized I should not gawk with my mouth open or I might receive an unpleasant present from the bats. We rode to another location and played volleyball with a really flat ball and a short net. But it was still fun. Others swam in the lake. I also got to pet a monkey which was roped to a tree. Kinda sad, but it was cute. All of us girls have this thing where we ask, ‘what is the first name of every animal?’ So the whole time I was thinking ‘rabies monkey’, but fortunately, it was friendly and enjoyed being scratched. That night the girls yelled and rooted for their favorite team while watching the football game (known as soccer in the states), while they also checked out the guys. Yeah, I was reading Harry Potter. Then we watched an episode of Felicity, which really isn’t that good (the plot especially), but for some reason, you still get sucked in.
Monday morning we left for the next location. We stopped at a church memorial along the way. I don’t know the name of the place. On the way, we had a bit of an accident. A man on a bike ran into one of the vans! I was in the van which was not hit, but it was pretty scary. This is how I think it happened, but I’m not sure if I am right since I was reading Harry potter (hee) and had to hear about the impact second hand. We had brought two vans along so that we would have plenty of room and we would not be squished together for the long journey. Technically, you can get 21 people in those vans, which counts the driver. But we had maybe 10 people in each.
Someone in the other lane was passing a car and so my van (which was in front of the other one) had to pull to the side a bit to let the car pass. Then the van behind us had to break really fast and so the biker slammed into the back of the vehicle (we were going downhill a bit) at full speed. Our van did not realize what happened for a minute until someone in our van said, “A bike hit their van!” And I was like ‘Huh?’ as I came out of my Harry Potter reverie. I looked back as our van pulled to the side and pulled backwards toward the other van. I could barely see a bicycle on the ground and some sandals on the road, with glass everywhere. But I clearly saw the rear window to the van almost completely gone. I had expected to see a man lying down on the ground unable to move, but instead the man was staggering around holding his head. He finally collapsed on the bank by the ditch.
I was very proud of the some of the girls from my group. Two of them are pre-med students, one of them is a trained lifeguard, and the other thinks she might become a pre-med student (Kirsten). Kirsten was amazing because she slapped some gloves on and treated his cuts. Stacy (the lifeguard) had a fully equipped first aid kit which they used to treat him. The pre-med students helped and they were able to treat all of his gashes. But they believed his nose was broken and he might have had a broken rib or two. Also, they were pretty sure he had a concussion, especially since he kept coming in and out of consciousness. Stacy kept checking the guy’s pulse and his breathing and was ready to use that Seal Easy if he stopped breathing. I did not come near to the man because too many people were crowded around him (besides the girls from our group, many Rwandans stopped to watch really close). Even though I was not near, I could still see that his head was bright red from the blood coming out of it. I was so proud of our girls. The man was finally taken away in a truck and the driver who was driving the van that was hit had to stay. As a result, the rest of us had to pile into the van so we had all 20 people in the one van. It was rather squishy. Luckily, the man was able to meet us at the place we were staying at. I had personally been afraid that there would be violent justice because sometimes when people hurt other people here, they try to take the law into their own hands. But he was fine.
When we arrived at the next location, in order to get to our rooms we had to walk a maze-like path. I didn’t think I’d remember how to get there again, but I succeeded. Then we left for a conference about peace building. It was a class taken by pastors from all over Rwanda. They talked about the church’s involvement in peace building and reconciliation. Most of us were falling asleep or making lists in our small notebooks in order to amuse ourselves. There was one man who kept trying to sneak pictures of us, but he wasn’t being very discreet. Afterwards they took us for a tour of the university which had a nice campus and could almost have been the George Fox University campus because of its style.
The next morning we visited the king’s palace. It was pretty cool. They had a building for beer, a building for, the king, a building for his wives, and a building for the milk. The building for the wives and daughters had men who took care of them but were eunuchs, for obvious reasons. It wouldn’t have been so awkward that he told us that, but he seemed so reluctant to say that word. It was pretty funny. Then when we went to the king’s building, there was a big bed and he said that a wife isn’t supposed to ‘jump him while he’s sleeping.’ We all laughed just because his wording was really funny. The buildings were really cool because we were huts with mats on the floor. Of course the king’s was the largest.
We drove home without any spectacular (or horrible) incidents this time and were glad to be back so we could take showers (because where we were before, the showers didn’t work very well). It was a nice weekend away from the Kigali guesthouse.
I drank in the beauty of the lake in Kibuye and watched the goose bumps form on my arms, which was highly unusual for Africa. We were staying on the lake in Kibuye, which is in eastern Rwanda (Kigali was in Middle Eastern Rwanda). On the way there we looked stopped at two more genocide memorial sites. They were both churches in which thousands of people were killed. I read a book along the way, which is highly unusual for me. Usually, my stomach does not agree with reading in vehicles.
Also on the way, we stopped at a site where there was a waterfall surrounded by a beautiful, green view. As we piled out of the van for a break, children encircled us and played instruments which were handmade. They were essentially bent sticks with some sort of container at the end and one string was attached to each end of the stick and made the stick bend. The music was played using a handmade ‘bow’ on the string. Somehow, they managed to get many notes and melodies out of that simple instrument by moving their fingers along the length of the string and with the use of the bow. At first I listened, fascinated. But I quickly noticed the hungry looks in their eyes and the desperation on their faces. They were not playing for the sake of pleasure or for the sake of entertaining others. When they stopped playing they spoke to us in French and Kinyarwanda and we just stared back because we did not know their language.
I felt helpless to do anything. I wanted to give them a little money, but I felt like that would not help them get out of their desperation so that they would no longer be slaves to that instrument, slaves to their stomachs. Unfortunately, we had to leave, so I did not dig through my purse for money. I often feel the urge to give, but I never feel like it will be enough to make a difference. I guess we have to remember that we can only help one at a time and that’s what true eradication of poverty is all about. But the faces of those children, the desperation as they played their music, still haunt me. It made me angry. I was angry at society for letting people become poor. I was angry at the children for seeing us as money bags. I was angry at the adults who made children do those things in order to make money for their family. I was angry at the whole situation. I felt manipulated. Then I had to remember that if I was in the same situation that I would probably be doing the same thing. I would do anything I could for my family. It’s so hard to step in people’s shoes sometimes.
When we finally arrived in Kibuye we had a delicious lunch which included mushroom soup that we ended up pouring all over our food. The head waiter did not appreciate that and kept pointing at the tomato soup (which was actually meant for pouring all over a person’s food) and trying to get people to eat that instead. I found it quite humorous myself. When a girl went back for seconds (or was it thirds?) the same waiter said, “Are you trying to get fat?” Also hilarious. Here, people don’t go for seconds usually, but instead, pile their plates high with food. I personally didn’t see how that was any different (except if you get a little at a time, you will be less likely to waste food). Anyway, different cultures, different ways of thinking.
That evening we hung out, enjoying the beachside and the cooler weather, and listening to Julie’s life story. At night, I ended up sharing a room with Stacy and we ended up sharing a bed too because there was only one mosquito net. It was above the double bed. Unfortunately, throughout the night I kept wondering why Stacy kept nudging me and elbowing me. Then early in the morning, I woke up to her practically spooning with me. Naturally, I was a bit uncomfortable with that. But I quickly (or not so quickly) realized that the bed sank in the middle so that we each were forced into the middle of the bed. I couldn’t stand it anymore, so I switched to the smaller bed and slept much more soundly.
The next morning we went to a small church outside of town. It seemed very similar to the Jordan House Pentecostal Church except that there wasn’t nearly as much dancing around in the congregation and the preaching wasn’t nearly as loud and flamboyant. We got to sing for the congregation again. We sang “This Little Light of Mine” with hand motions because it was a simple song which we knew the words to. We did not want to make the same mistake as when we sang for the sewing girls last week. After the service we talked to many prominent members of the church in a separate room and drank pop (or soda for whomever prefers it). I have had so much pop here that I am sick of it. I don’t ever drink it at home, but sometimes it’s all there is to drink and it’s rude to turn down a drink or food when people offer them.
After lunch we were about to go on a boat ride on the lake, but it started to rain. Consequently, we waited for it to subside. Meanwhile, I read Harry Potter #2 (I’m going through the series a second time) and took a nice, long nap. It seems like I can never sleep past 6 am here, so naps are frequent. At around 3:30 we left on the boat. It was a serene ride and it was only a little bit chilly. We rode to an island which had a bat cave. It was pretty amazing. We did not visit the cave, but we didn’t need to; the bats streamed out of the cave and only grew larger in number when we clapped and yelled in encouragement. They seemed to like the attention. Camille (the girl with the greatest accent because she lived in England for 10 years) was hilarious because she kept screeching, holding onto me, and hiding behind me. As I looked up at them, I realized I should not gawk with my mouth open or I might receive an unpleasant present from the bats. We rode to another location and played volleyball with a really flat ball and a short net. But it was still fun. Others swam in the lake. I also got to pet a monkey which was roped to a tree. Kinda sad, but it was cute. All of us girls have this thing where we ask, ‘what is the first name of every animal?’ So the whole time I was thinking ‘rabies monkey’, but fortunately, it was friendly and enjoyed being scratched. That night the girls yelled and rooted for their favorite team while watching the football game (known as soccer in the states), while they also checked out the guys. Yeah, I was reading Harry Potter. Then we watched an episode of Felicity, which really isn’t that good (the plot especially), but for some reason, you still get sucked in.
Monday morning we left for the next location. We stopped at a church memorial along the way. I don’t know the name of the place. On the way, we had a bit of an accident. A man on a bike ran into one of the vans! I was in the van which was not hit, but it was pretty scary. This is how I think it happened, but I’m not sure if I am right since I was reading Harry potter (hee) and had to hear about the impact second hand. We had brought two vans along so that we would have plenty of room and we would not be squished together for the long journey. Technically, you can get 21 people in those vans, which counts the driver. But we had maybe 10 people in each.
Someone in the other lane was passing a car and so my van (which was in front of the other one) had to pull to the side a bit to let the car pass. Then the van behind us had to break really fast and so the biker slammed into the back of the vehicle (we were going downhill a bit) at full speed. Our van did not realize what happened for a minute until someone in our van said, “A bike hit their van!” And I was like ‘Huh?’ as I came out of my Harry Potter reverie. I looked back as our van pulled to the side and pulled backwards toward the other van. I could barely see a bicycle on the ground and some sandals on the road, with glass everywhere. But I clearly saw the rear window to the van almost completely gone. I had expected to see a man lying down on the ground unable to move, but instead the man was staggering around holding his head. He finally collapsed on the bank by the ditch.
I was very proud of the some of the girls from my group. Two of them are pre-med students, one of them is a trained lifeguard, and the other thinks she might become a pre-med student (Kirsten). Kirsten was amazing because she slapped some gloves on and treated his cuts. Stacy (the lifeguard) had a fully equipped first aid kit which they used to treat him. The pre-med students helped and they were able to treat all of his gashes. But they believed his nose was broken and he might have had a broken rib or two. Also, they were pretty sure he had a concussion, especially since he kept coming in and out of consciousness. Stacy kept checking the guy’s pulse and his breathing and was ready to use that Seal Easy if he stopped breathing. I did not come near to the man because too many people were crowded around him (besides the girls from our group, many Rwandans stopped to watch really close). Even though I was not near, I could still see that his head was bright red from the blood coming out of it. I was so proud of our girls. The man was finally taken away in a truck and the driver who was driving the van that was hit had to stay. As a result, the rest of us had to pile into the van so we had all 20 people in the one van. It was rather squishy. Luckily, the man was able to meet us at the place we were staying at. I had personally been afraid that there would be violent justice because sometimes when people hurt other people here, they try to take the law into their own hands. But he was fine.
When we arrived at the next location, in order to get to our rooms we had to walk a maze-like path. I didn’t think I’d remember how to get there again, but I succeeded. Then we left for a conference about peace building. It was a class taken by pastors from all over Rwanda. They talked about the church’s involvement in peace building and reconciliation. Most of us were falling asleep or making lists in our small notebooks in order to amuse ourselves. There was one man who kept trying to sneak pictures of us, but he wasn’t being very discreet. Afterwards they took us for a tour of the university which had a nice campus and could almost have been the George Fox University campus because of its style.
The next morning we visited the king’s palace. It was pretty cool. They had a building for beer, a building for, the king, a building for his wives, and a building for the milk. The building for the wives and daughters had men who took care of them but were eunuchs, for obvious reasons. It wouldn’t have been so awkward that he told us that, but he seemed so reluctant to say that word. It was pretty funny. Then when we went to the king’s building, there was a big bed and he said that a wife isn’t supposed to ‘jump him while he’s sleeping.’ We all laughed just because his wording was really funny. The buildings were really cool because we were huts with mats on the floor. Of course the king’s was the largest.
We drove home without any spectacular (or horrible) incidents this time and were glad to be back so we could take showers (because where we were before, the showers didn’t work very well). It was a nice weekend away from the Kigali guesthouse.
PHARP Women Rock My Socks
Sometime between October 4th and 6th
For class we visited PHARP which is a peace building program under Food for the Hungry. There was a small office in which there were sewing machines that were used by young women who sewed clothing to sell for income. Then we went to another place that did the same thing. There, we actually got to meet the young women, who were between 15 and 17, I think. All of the women had been impacted by the genocide because their families had been torn apart. They sang for us and then we sang for them. We sang the ever dreaded “Father Abraham” for them because it was requested. I felt like a white fool as my limbs twitched awkwardly. Thankfully, since we paused as a result of our forgetfulness, they started clapping so we were able to stop singing before it was over. Then we sang “Blessed Be Your Name” and forgot which verse went where, so it was rather muddled. But we able to get some harmonies in there. Since we were singing outside, we attracted quite a crowd of people from the neighborhood who stopped and stared and listened. Some children made faces at me and I made them back. Those same children tugged and gawked at my leg hair (yep, it’s been a while and I’m not sure if I should be ashamed or proud). After we sang, we attempted to speak with the young women. Unfortunately, only a few of them knew a couple words of English and only one girl in our group knows French, which is widely spoken in Rwanda as a result of the Belgian colonization. That was the very first time I felt like I really desired that I had learned French. I just remember my friend Nicole from high school learning French and me purposely read her homework with a horrible accent just so she could laugh at me. After all, I was learning Spanish, not French.
Before we left that place, Pastor Anastas, who has been our professor for this class in Rwanda, reminded us of something really good. He said that although it looks like these people are joyous and happy when they sing these songs, we still have to remember the terror they experienced and remember to help them out. They are Hutu and Tutsi who are living together and loving each other. I’d say that this is a true story of reconciliation among the peoples.
For class we visited PHARP which is a peace building program under Food for the Hungry. There was a small office in which there were sewing machines that were used by young women who sewed clothing to sell for income. Then we went to another place that did the same thing. There, we actually got to meet the young women, who were between 15 and 17, I think. All of the women had been impacted by the genocide because their families had been torn apart. They sang for us and then we sang for them. We sang the ever dreaded “Father Abraham” for them because it was requested. I felt like a white fool as my limbs twitched awkwardly. Thankfully, since we paused as a result of our forgetfulness, they started clapping so we were able to stop singing before it was over. Then we sang “Blessed Be Your Name” and forgot which verse went where, so it was rather muddled. But we able to get some harmonies in there. Since we were singing outside, we attracted quite a crowd of people from the neighborhood who stopped and stared and listened. Some children made faces at me and I made them back. Those same children tugged and gawked at my leg hair (yep, it’s been a while and I’m not sure if I should be ashamed or proud). After we sang, we attempted to speak with the young women. Unfortunately, only a few of them knew a couple words of English and only one girl in our group knows French, which is widely spoken in Rwanda as a result of the Belgian colonization. That was the very first time I felt like I really desired that I had learned French. I just remember my friend Nicole from high school learning French and me purposely read her homework with a horrible accent just so she could laugh at me. After all, I was learning Spanish, not French.
Before we left that place, Pastor Anastas, who has been our professor for this class in Rwanda, reminded us of something really good. He said that although it looks like these people are joyous and happy when they sing these songs, we still have to remember the terror they experienced and remember to help them out. They are Hutu and Tutsi who are living together and loving each other. I’d say that this is a true story of reconciliation among the peoples.
Churches of Refuge?
September 25th to October 3rd, 2007
(I can finally post my blogs! Hurray!)
I am sitting on the porch that connects to my room here in the guesthouse in Kigali, Rwanda. I have to admit, since I was able to come before anyone else, that I was able to pick the nicest room. It’s spacious and has a porch and a table. Very nice. The only complaint I have is that the beds are squeaky and since their bunk beds, that can be annoying sometimes.
As we continue to live in this city, I have continued to fall more in love with it. the people are very friendly and it is much less congested than Kampala, Uganda. We have had our one class about peace-building and issues of conflict and it has been pretty good. we constantly talk about the genocide. We have had two guest speakers now as well. yesterday we had a guest speaker who spoke about the church’s role in the genocide and how they’ve helped with reconciliation and things like that. I really enjoyed that and it will help with my presentation since my group is talking about that very subject.
This weekend was relaxing because I went to a coffee shop with some friends (Kate and Caitlin). I drank a whole cup of coffee myself, which is not usual at all. It was good for coffee. It was called a vanilla kawaccino. Then Caitlin and I walked around town and looked at shops. At one of the shops we met a guy named Paul and he was very nice. He seemed really genuine. The shop that he works at is owned by his aunt who helps women make money by teaching them how to make crafts. He said that we could come back any time and speak to him about the genocide. I was surprised that someone that we just met would be so open to talk about his experiences concerning this terrible ordeal. So Caitlin and I are going to return to his shop on Friday.
On Sunday, we didn’t attend church service, but instead, we got to attend trials. They are called the Gacaca Courts and the people who are tried there were allegedly involved in the genocide. The man whose trial we witnessed was accused of being in possession of firearms (because it is illegal in Rwanda) and providing them for other people. he was also dressed like the Interahamwe which is the trained Rwandan army that was killing people in the genocide. Some people said that although he had weapons, they never saw him do anything like kill people. Others said that he used his weapon to protect people. but who knows who is telling the truth. That is the difficult thing about those trials. The genocide happened 13 years ago so it’s hard to get the whole truth without it having become distorted over the years. But I can see that the courts are still a very positive thing in Rwanda. It helps people acquire some justice and get some closure.
For me, it is amazing to believe that genocide occurred in this country. It is so peaceful and the people are so friendly. You would never guess what happened. They have definitely come a long way from the genocide in so many ways. I even feel safer in this city than I do in Kampala. I think because it’s less overwhelming, less congested, and cleaner.
On Monday we went to two more memorials. The first one was a small church with a few buildings around it. They said that 5,000 people had been hiding in that church and had been killed with bullets and grenades and other terrible weapons. When they said 5,000 people I could not imagine it. It was a tiny church, possibly the size of a small chapel in America. We could see holes in the walls of building where grenades had been thrown in. There had to have been layer upon layer of bodies. They laid the bones of many of the people out for everyone to see. One shelf would have skulls and others would have other bones. A couple of coffins held the bones of many people. Hanging against the walls and from the ceiling was the clothing of the people. There were so many clothes! The clothes were dirty from years of weather and because they had once been on dead, decaying bodies. As I looked around I saw a small child’s dress. All of these innocent lives, gone. People had left baskets of flowers to remember the dead.
The next location was another church, but larger. 10,000 people had been hiding in that church and in the fenced in area that belonged to the church. All but two people were killed there. They were both young children. even though the church was about 4 times larger than the other one, I still could not imagine 10,000 people hiding in it. once again there were some bones laid out in the church and flowers. We observed many bullet holes and grenade shrapnel holes that had punctured the tin entry way. Some of the bars on the door had been broken off so they could throw the grenades in. Even the cement was eroded from the carnage. Below the church there was an area where bones were kept as well as some of the people’s personal items. There was a glass case so we could see even farther down that there was a coffin with a cross on it. It was an eerie, dark place. We were told that a lady was buried in it. She had been dug up and they saw the disgusting things that had happened to her. She had been stretched and torn and then a stick had been shoved up her private area. It was a gruesome story that made me shudder. It reminded me that this is only one of the horror stories of things that happened to these people.
Next, we visited the graves of two white people who had been killed and one of them was an Italian lady. She had been a journalist or at least some sort of communications person. She had tried to communicate with other countries about the horrors that were happening. When the government found out, they had her killed. Behind the church we visited a mass grave area where bones were either laid out or kept in coffins. I was glad that there were no bodies preserved so that they looked like they just died. I don’t know if I could have handled that. In some memorials they have thousands of bodies laid out with lime poured over them so they are preserved. Usually the pastor who teaches our class takes the students there, but he decided not to this time. I was glad.
So, on a happier note, (sorry to depress you again), Rwanda is slowly building peace and reconciliation. People are able to live side by side even if they do have a bit of hard feelings toward them. Many programs have been made to aid people who are impoverished and who have been traumatized by this experience. But there is still so much to be done. The government has realized its error and makes laws to make sure this doesn’t happen again and to take care of its people.
The guest speaker yesterday said something that really made sense and made me think. He said that one of the reasons that the people so willingly carried out the genocide was because the government ordered it and they always follow authority. This is because they believe that all authority comes from God. they get this from Romans 13 toward the beginning, I believe. While this can be a negative thing like it was in the genocide, it can also be a positive thing. Since the genocide, they have been working toward the good of all as a result of orders from the government. In other words, they obey whether it is for good or for evil. So when there are positive goals in mind, then they are able to carry them out very well. One of the stories he gave to me to illustrate this point was that one policeman with one gun is able to shepherd 100 or 200 prisoners at one time back to prison. They aren’t handcuffed or shackled in any way. I found this amazing, myself. In America this would never work because Americans have rebellion deeply rooted inside of their culture and lives. The guest speaker, his name is Antoine by the way, also said that although the people are obedient, that does not make them passive. They can be very passionate about things.
Antoine also said that the church’s role in the genocide was 'very confused.' There were some who had prophetic voices and spoke against it, but there were those who gave up their congregations to the killers for the cause of following authority in the name of God. usually those who spoke against it were killed. But the most interesting thing about it is that the most effective thing the church could have done is cried out. The catholic church was the major church here at the time and if they had gotten the news to the pope, he would have told them that it was against God’s will and because he is a huge authority, they would have stopped the killing. This shows how much of an impact the church can have on our world, whether for good or bad. Anyway, I have all this stuff running through my head and it interests me. I’m sorry if it doesn’t interest you, kind of. It is important for us all to know what is going on in the world. I have enjoyed my time in Kigali and I’m sure I will continue to enjoy it. This weekend we are going to a rural area, so I’m excited about that. Seeing more of this beautiful country will be an adventure.
(I can finally post my blogs! Hurray!)
I am sitting on the porch that connects to my room here in the guesthouse in Kigali, Rwanda. I have to admit, since I was able to come before anyone else, that I was able to pick the nicest room. It’s spacious and has a porch and a table. Very nice. The only complaint I have is that the beds are squeaky and since their bunk beds, that can be annoying sometimes.
As we continue to live in this city, I have continued to fall more in love with it. the people are very friendly and it is much less congested than Kampala, Uganda. We have had our one class about peace-building and issues of conflict and it has been pretty good. we constantly talk about the genocide. We have had two guest speakers now as well. yesterday we had a guest speaker who spoke about the church’s role in the genocide and how they’ve helped with reconciliation and things like that. I really enjoyed that and it will help with my presentation since my group is talking about that very subject.
This weekend was relaxing because I went to a coffee shop with some friends (Kate and Caitlin). I drank a whole cup of coffee myself, which is not usual at all. It was good for coffee. It was called a vanilla kawaccino. Then Caitlin and I walked around town and looked at shops. At one of the shops we met a guy named Paul and he was very nice. He seemed really genuine. The shop that he works at is owned by his aunt who helps women make money by teaching them how to make crafts. He said that we could come back any time and speak to him about the genocide. I was surprised that someone that we just met would be so open to talk about his experiences concerning this terrible ordeal. So Caitlin and I are going to return to his shop on Friday.
On Sunday, we didn’t attend church service, but instead, we got to attend trials. They are called the Gacaca Courts and the people who are tried there were allegedly involved in the genocide. The man whose trial we witnessed was accused of being in possession of firearms (because it is illegal in Rwanda) and providing them for other people. he was also dressed like the Interahamwe which is the trained Rwandan army that was killing people in the genocide. Some people said that although he had weapons, they never saw him do anything like kill people. Others said that he used his weapon to protect people. but who knows who is telling the truth. That is the difficult thing about those trials. The genocide happened 13 years ago so it’s hard to get the whole truth without it having become distorted over the years. But I can see that the courts are still a very positive thing in Rwanda. It helps people acquire some justice and get some closure.
For me, it is amazing to believe that genocide occurred in this country. It is so peaceful and the people are so friendly. You would never guess what happened. They have definitely come a long way from the genocide in so many ways. I even feel safer in this city than I do in Kampala. I think because it’s less overwhelming, less congested, and cleaner.
On Monday we went to two more memorials. The first one was a small church with a few buildings around it. They said that 5,000 people had been hiding in that church and had been killed with bullets and grenades and other terrible weapons. When they said 5,000 people I could not imagine it. It was a tiny church, possibly the size of a small chapel in America. We could see holes in the walls of building where grenades had been thrown in. There had to have been layer upon layer of bodies. They laid the bones of many of the people out for everyone to see. One shelf would have skulls and others would have other bones. A couple of coffins held the bones of many people. Hanging against the walls and from the ceiling was the clothing of the people. There were so many clothes! The clothes were dirty from years of weather and because they had once been on dead, decaying bodies. As I looked around I saw a small child’s dress. All of these innocent lives, gone. People had left baskets of flowers to remember the dead.
The next location was another church, but larger. 10,000 people had been hiding in that church and in the fenced in area that belonged to the church. All but two people were killed there. They were both young children. even though the church was about 4 times larger than the other one, I still could not imagine 10,000 people hiding in it. once again there were some bones laid out in the church and flowers. We observed many bullet holes and grenade shrapnel holes that had punctured the tin entry way. Some of the bars on the door had been broken off so they could throw the grenades in. Even the cement was eroded from the carnage. Below the church there was an area where bones were kept as well as some of the people’s personal items. There was a glass case so we could see even farther down that there was a coffin with a cross on it. It was an eerie, dark place. We were told that a lady was buried in it. She had been dug up and they saw the disgusting things that had happened to her. She had been stretched and torn and then a stick had been shoved up her private area. It was a gruesome story that made me shudder. It reminded me that this is only one of the horror stories of things that happened to these people.
Next, we visited the graves of two white people who had been killed and one of them was an Italian lady. She had been a journalist or at least some sort of communications person. She had tried to communicate with other countries about the horrors that were happening. When the government found out, they had her killed. Behind the church we visited a mass grave area where bones were either laid out or kept in coffins. I was glad that there were no bodies preserved so that they looked like they just died. I don’t know if I could have handled that. In some memorials they have thousands of bodies laid out with lime poured over them so they are preserved. Usually the pastor who teaches our class takes the students there, but he decided not to this time. I was glad.
So, on a happier note, (sorry to depress you again), Rwanda is slowly building peace and reconciliation. People are able to live side by side even if they do have a bit of hard feelings toward them. Many programs have been made to aid people who are impoverished and who have been traumatized by this experience. But there is still so much to be done. The government has realized its error and makes laws to make sure this doesn’t happen again and to take care of its people.
The guest speaker yesterday said something that really made sense and made me think. He said that one of the reasons that the people so willingly carried out the genocide was because the government ordered it and they always follow authority. This is because they believe that all authority comes from God. they get this from Romans 13 toward the beginning, I believe. While this can be a negative thing like it was in the genocide, it can also be a positive thing. Since the genocide, they have been working toward the good of all as a result of orders from the government. In other words, they obey whether it is for good or for evil. So when there are positive goals in mind, then they are able to carry them out very well. One of the stories he gave to me to illustrate this point was that one policeman with one gun is able to shepherd 100 or 200 prisoners at one time back to prison. They aren’t handcuffed or shackled in any way. I found this amazing, myself. In America this would never work because Americans have rebellion deeply rooted inside of their culture and lives. The guest speaker, his name is Antoine by the way, also said that although the people are obedient, that does not make them passive. They can be very passionate about things.
Antoine also said that the church’s role in the genocide was 'very confused.' There were some who had prophetic voices and spoke against it, but there were those who gave up their congregations to the killers for the cause of following authority in the name of God. usually those who spoke against it were killed. But the most interesting thing about it is that the most effective thing the church could have done is cried out. The catholic church was the major church here at the time and if they had gotten the news to the pope, he would have told them that it was against God’s will and because he is a huge authority, they would have stopped the killing. This shows how much of an impact the church can have on our world, whether for good or bad. Anyway, I have all this stuff running through my head and it interests me. I’m sorry if it doesn’t interest you, kind of. It is important for us all to know what is going on in the world. I have enjoyed my time in Kigali and I’m sure I will continue to enjoy it. This weekend we are going to a rural area, so I’m excited about that. Seeing more of this beautiful country will be an adventure.
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