Jordan

This Christmas, I am traveling in Jordan and Israel. How exciting! I am staying in the apartment of a few girls whom I just met yesterday after getting off the plane :) Jordan is beautiful, albeit quite cold (especially compared to Rwanda!). Any minute now, I am off to go shopping and am quite excited...Amman has an actual mall! Wow. I am not used to such a Westernized place anymore :)

Joy in little things

What joy there is in simple pleasures! It is so easy to forget how good we have it in Canada, and how especially easy it is to forget to thank God for his abundant blessings. I pray that I will never again take simple things for granted and will always praise God for his abundance (though I know I will still fail at this). Living in Kigali, I find joy in... finding corn chips on the shelf of a little store; finding diet pop (I can't have sugar in my diet due to hypoglycemia) and not paying close to $3 for one can; an entire day without the power going out even once; hot water; not being run over while walking across the road; restaurant service that only takes 1 hour; a "fast" (definitely a relative term) internet connection; the fact that geckos aren't poisonous; students who love the Lord.

Mangoes

I have discovered I am also allergic to mangoes. I was drinking mango juice 2 weeks ago and noticed a rash developing, so I stopped drinking it. Just this week, I was holding a mango (picked from the mango tree in my front yard) and the juice was all over my hands. That very night, I developed a rash over my hands and face. My eyes, lips, hands, neck, and facial skin are now swollen, red, and covered with itchy hives. One more tropical fruit added to the list... :) Lovely.

2 John

I am memorizing the book of 2 John. In fact, my students are challenging me to a competition: them vs. me in the memorization of the entire book. :)

This came about last week when we read of a feat of Fanny Crosby's (the prolific blind Christian hymn writer): she memorized over several books of the Bible by the time she was 10 years old. We discussed this in awe and decided to attempt the memorization of one book of the Bible in honour of her. So, the book of 2 John it was (the shortest book). My students absolutely love to compete against me any chance they get, so we have hashed out the details and are on our way to learning the book. I have 3 verses down so far, and will be working on the other 10 in the next few weeks. January 15 is the day of reckoning. I hope they beat me :)

I continue to be amazed and so proud of their desire to learn more and more about God. Their prayers of adoration for Christ certainly reflect their hearts of gold.

Thanksgiving Weekend

Went to Lake Kivu again. What a beautiful place. So charming. I went with 2 families from KICS along with David for the American Thanksgiving long weekend. It was quite relaxing...swimming, hiking, playing games, and enjoying a lovely boat ride.

Thanksgiving

It is American Thanksgiving today. School is out, sleeping-in has taken place, and the turkey is frying (yes, frying... apparently, that's how Southern Americans do it). Should be an enjoyable feast!

Locust Delight

Yet another plague has arrived... this time, locusts. One night: the usual army of ants, towering hills of termites, and groups of geckos. The next morning: an additional host of locusts added to the lengthy list of insects and the like. They were everywhere... and enormous! I couldn't walk the courtyard path without being bombarded by leaping locusts with every step. They lined the walls and floors, while occasionally lining me as well. Yikes! :)
That evening, they surrounded every white light they could find, circling the glowing lamps in hordes. Also surrounding the lights were Rwandese people with buckets. You see, they eat these locusts. They collect them and eat them as snacks. It was an amazing sight, to behold. And quite the culture-shocking experience to be sure: people gathering and eating large grasshoppers (as if it were Christmas-time and a feast to enjoy). How interesting! I haven't yet tried eating one...but perhaps I should ;)

My Malaria Malaise

Malaria...? Me...? Most likely!
Last week, I managed to become quite ill (fever, headache, fatigue, muscle aches, and a number of other malaria-like symptoms). I went to the hospital to have a blood test taken, and though the test for malaria came back negative, it still seems as if malaria was the culprit because as soon as I began taking anti-malaria medication the fever (et al) reduced dramatically. Others noted that when you take anti-malaria medication, the test results are often inaccurate. I experienced all of the malaria-associated symptoms along with the same pattern of recovery related to malaria...so it seems fairly clear that it was indeed malaria. Regardless, I am now well again (besides remaining very tired) and continue to serve God in all I do. Although, my dislike for mosquitoes has now overtaken my dislike for ants! :)

T.S. Eliot's "Christianity and Culture"

"The problem of leading a Christian life in a non-Christian society is now very present to us, and it is a very different problem from that of the accommodation between an Established Church and dissenters. It is not merely the problem of a minority in a society of individuals holding an alien belief. It is the problem constituted by our implication in a network of institutions from which we cannot disassociate ourselves: institutions the operation of which appears no longer neutral, but non-Christian. And as for the Christian who is not conscious of his dilemma — and he is in the majority — he is becoming more and more de-Christianized by all sorts of unconscious pressure: paganism holds all the most valuable advertising space."

Jars of Clay

" ¹Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. ²Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. ³And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ⁴The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. ⁶For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. ⁷But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." 2 Corinthians 4

Light of the World

Light of the world (Jesus, you are a beautiful light...I am like the Moon while you are the Sun - I can only shine when you shine upon me)
You stepped down into darkness (Thank you, Jesus, for humbling yourself to bring light into this dark world)
Opened my eyes, let me see (I now have freedom from sin, through Jesus Christ. He has shown me the errors of my ways yet has offered me freedom and wisdom anyway)
Beauty that made this heart adore You (I love you, Jesus Christ. You are a beautiful presence in my life)
Hope of a life spent with You (I eagerly wait for your return, O Lord, and desire to spend eternity with you)

Here I am to worship (You are the King of Kings, Lord, and you deserve all of my worship)
Here I am to bow down (I declare that you are Lord of Lords and I submit my life to you)
Here I am to say that You're my God (and I am your servant, O God)
You're altogether lovely (so beautiful and worthy to be praised)
All together worthy, (more worthy than I can even fathom)
All together wonderful to me (and to all of creation)

King of all days (You will reign forever, my God)
oh, so highly exalted (I lift you up, my Saviour)
Glorious in heaven above (May your glory fill my life)
Humbly You came (in a manger, on a donkey, on a cross...Jesus, your humility is a beautiful example)
To the earth You created (You are a God of wonders...the whole earth is filled with your glory)
All for love's sake became poor (You loved me so much to die for me...thank you, Jesus Christ)

I'll never know how much it cost
To see my sin upon that cross

Thank you for your sacrifice on my behalf! You truly are the Light of the World!

H20 - no

By the way... I spoke too soon about the arrival of hot water and lovely showers... :(

Random musings...

I am now able to more fully imagine just how horrible the locust plague would have been during the time of Moses... Locusts are huge! Just thinking about them makes me want to run screaming!

Speaking of plagues... there seems to be one at David's house. Hundreds and thousands of insect wings litter the ground (sidewalk, driveway, porch, even inside the entrance hallway!)...! My students tell me they are termites but they look more like beetles with wings to me. Nearly every step - from the car to the front door - is filled with the sound of crunching bodies. The ants (yes, I still hate them) enjoy torturing the insects that unfortunately get flipped over on their backs (I'm sure they are screaming, "Help, I can't get up! I can't get up!" like the old lady in those ancient commercials) by eating them alive. Of course, they don't go for the bugs that are already dead (that would be too kind and compassionate for ants, I believe). Poor things.

On another note, I have seen some awesome sights. Such as heifer cows and goats walking along sidewalks in (near) downtown Kigali. Fun :)

Goats, you say? Well, goat meat abounds here. And it is really quite tasty... similar to beef, I think, but a bit more grisly.

Church antics

At church on Sunday, we sat beside a woman named Mary, whom as we found out, was a priest in the Anglican church in Kenya. She was dressed beautifully, elaborate wig and all, with a smile and energy to brighten anyone's day. Throughout the course of the service, she proceeded to take numerous pictures of us while singing, walked up to the front of the church and took many pictures of the choir singing, along with several pictures of the ministers (while preaching and administering communion, etc.)... and all of this on her cell phone! Of course, after each picture taken, she would smilingly return to her seat beside me and show me the picture, pointing out details that she enjoyed about the picture. She was hilarious. Mary definitely brought a smile to my face!

On the informative side, David and I attend an Anglican church that offers English services (the Kinyarwanda service takes place shortly after ours ends...and the English service is usually around 2 hours while the Kinyarwanda service is much longer, or so I have been told). A beautiful, fully-robed choir leads us in worship each week which is a highlight for me. We sing a combination of modern songs and older hymns - but all with energy, enthusiasm, and a heart of worship that is evident to those in attendance. Raising of hands and moving to the music are part and parcel. I love it!

It's official. Airline tickets to Jordan and Israel just purchased for Christmas holidays... woohoo!

Praise God for hot water!

Hallelujah! We finally have water pressure and heat! It has only been nearly 2 1/2 months! :) AND, when the landlord and plumber (and various other assistants) came to fix this problem, they also checked out the stove/oven and figured out why nasty smelling smoke poured out every time we turned it on... they found a rat's nest situated therein. Rwanda rocks.

1 Peter 1

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

God's love for me is great... but how much love do I really give in return? If our faith is worth more than gold, why is it that we place more energy and time into gaining "gold" (via our jobs, our love for money, our quest for success and academia) than we do in strengthening our faith? The goal of my faith should be the salvation of souls, not personal fulfillment or individual growth, but a care for the eternal....
God continues to teach me more and more about his desires for my life!

Joshua 1:8-9

"Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

This was my students' memory verse this past week. A great one to learn! God is here with me in Kigali. And God is there with you wherever you are as well. What a comfort to know that his presence is constant, regardless of circumstances or location!

Inhale, nice and slow

Don't inhale while driving or walking around Kigali. The smell of exhaust is overwhelming at times with all of the motos and somewhat older cars lining the streets. Sometimes I wonder (and worry :) ) about how many brain cells are being destroyed each and every time I take a deep breath while walking or driving through the city streets... What a pleasant thought. :)

Housekeeper

We now have a new housekeeper. We had to let the other one go as she was not performing her duties well at all. Too bad. But our new girl seems to be hard-working so pray for that to continue. She doesn't speak any English at all though, so communication may be difficult.

It's so strange to even have a housekeeper at all. She works for us 3 days per week - cooking dinners, cleaning the house, going to the market, and doing our laundry. It is part of the culture here. Nearly everyone has a housekeeper - even, I am told, many poorer people, as it elevates their status a bit more. It also provides employment for local people. Plus, their presence at the home acts as a day guard so the house is protected. Nonetheless, I still struggle at times as I feel extremely privileged to have someone perform those duties for me on a daily basis... especially when I CAN do those things for myself.

Chapel Fun

The elementary division enjoys Chapel once per week. We had had only 1 so far, led by the Headmaster, but each grade is responsible for leading a chapel every 5 weeks. Of course, the other teachers "voted" Grade 5 to lead the first one and so I decided we'd take it for the team. This decision was made on Friday. Thus, we began to put together our Grade 5 chapel as of this past Monday. And did I forget to mention that the chapel takes place each Wednesday? Hah!

But, they truly are a remarkable class. They have such sincere hearts who can become so passionate - and especially when it comes to a focus on God! Together with my guidance, they managed to put together an excellent Chapel for Kindergarten to Grade 4 students - complete with singing, acting, praying, and Bible reading - in 2 days. Everyone participated and despite their extreme nervousness (near hyperventilating mere moments before starting... I found out none of them had ever performed "on a stage" before... yikes :) ), they performed beautifully.

But here's the funny part... All of the other students from K-4 loved it so very much that they erupted into loud cheering and clapping after every single Bible reading, prayer, or mini-skit. When returning to class, they were giving high-fives to the Grade 5 students and congratulating them on an awesome Chapel that they loved. And here's the cherry on top... after school, many of my Grade 5 students were bombarded by younger kids asking for AUTOGRAPHS! :) So cute! And they really did give out their autographs on little scraps of paper to anyone who asked...! Way to go, Grade 5! :)

Package!

I received my first package in the mail today! So exciting! It included ant traps and tostitos with salsa! What a thrill! (Seriously... I will never take these items for granted again...) :)

Philippians 4:4-9

^"4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

God is good. Life seems so much more simple here. I love waking up each day and simply being excited about the day ahead and what God is going to do. So far this year, one high school student has come to know the Lord just this past week. Let's rejoice in that!

Kibuye

2 weeks ago, I went to Lake Kivu and Kibuye for the weekend. It was a beautiful place!

I went with a group of friends by motorcycle, for which I have my very own PINK helmet. Yes, you read correctly...it is pink. Some call it a Barbie helmet. Well, it sure did draw attention. The entire 2 1/2 hour drive there, I was stared at. As the local people walk alongside the road, they stop and stare when they see us both coming and going. With a big smile on my face (I love riding on a motorcycle! And I love living in Rwanda!), I would return the waves and thumbs up signs of all the little children as they laughed and jumped around when we drove by.

At one point, in part to rest our legs and in part to see a well that Living Water International drilled for a community, we stopped on the side of the road and watched/played soccer with a large group of local children. They loved it - gathered around us, smiling, playing homemade instruments, laughing...

Once arrived, we checked into a hotel where I shared a small room with a friend and then sat in the restaurant to order our food. Restaurant service is very slow (compared to Canadian standards) is Kigali, but extremely slow in smaller villages... it takes hours from the time you sit down: you order drinks and wait for a long while, then order food and wait for a long while, then eat, and finally wait for a long time for the bill. The whole eating out process takes hours from start to finish. But usually the food is worth it :)

In Kibuye, we hired a boat complete with 2 drivers for the day and went out to Bat Island on Lake Kivu. We climbed it in 16 minutes (I won a bet about this, thus the time is important... I said it couldn't be done in 15 minutes or less... and I won a free dinner out :) ). We stopped to take pictures of giant millipedes that littered the hillside (I picked them up, too!) while the guides threw rocks into the trees to startle the bats into putting on a display for us. There were hundreds of them flying overhead! It was pretty amazing, because I loved bats to begin with.
Upon reaching the top, we had a spectacular view and took some group shots (hope to be posted soon). After our descent, we enjoyed another hour or two just swimming in the Lake and praying against being infested with parasites from the water. (So far, so good) :)

Overall, a wonderful weekend with some great people!

General Update

Well, it's been a while but I am still alive. :) I have been busy with my teaching - writing progress reports, preparing to teach a series of in-service workshops to my colleagues, etc. My classroom of students (now down to 13 adorable grade 5's) continues to be an excitement here as I so thoroughly enjoy teaching them. They are really hardworking kids with sincere hearts for God. It is refreshing each and every day to see their desire to love God.

Each recess, I enjoy playing 4-square with them, to which they absolutely love getting me out. On another note, some students "spotted me with a boy" (imagine that?! Ms. V has friends and can actually be seen outside of the school yard!) and have done detective work all week to determine the 5 W's surrounding this said boy. In fact, they have veritably planned our wedding for us already! I simply shake my head and cannot help but smile at their excitement and innocence in being involved in my life :) They crack me up!

Money, money, money

Well, I'm down to my last 2000 RWF (equivalent to approximately $4)... Really need to get to the bank! Of course, it will cost me 1000 Francs to even get to the bank via moto. Oh, for a beloved bank machine or interact card. :) Just kidding! Living simply is refreshing to the soul... and God continues to provide. He always has and always will. God is good!

Long Weekend

We had a long weekend with a holiday today to honour the Muslim celebration of Eid which marks the end of Ramadan. It was nice to sleep in (no Rufus the Rooster crowing every 3 1/2 minutes for some strange reason... I guess he was enjoying his holiday too! Usually, he begins his morning routine around 4:00am and continues on even throughout the day... and no, I'm not kidding. Oh, and did I mention that he resides in a neighboring backyard...nice and close to my window :) ). I enjoyed a leisurely day of cranking the worship music both in the house and my classroom as I spent time in both - cleaning, marking, eating, and planning for the week. And now I am soon on my way to a restaurant called Bourbon Cafe which slightly resembles Starbucks (also has a full menu for meals) for some good food.

God of this City

I pray these song lyrics (Chris Tomlin's "God of this City") for Kigali:
You're the God of this City
You're the King of these people
You're the Lord of this nation
You are

You're the Light in this darkness
You're the Hope to the hopeless
You're the Peace to the restless
You are

There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

[Chorus]
For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater thing have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City

There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done in this City
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done here

Ant Rant

I made up this song today while eating corn chips from an ant-infested bag... (yes, they chewed through the plastic)...

I hate ants
Yes I do
I want to murder them all
With my shoe

They managed to wiggle their way into my closed jar of honey. Through the plastic into our one precious bag of corn chips. Through the box into my coconut milk powder. Into my bag of candies that I give to my students (I had to pour the bag on the classroom floor today in order to distinguish between candy and ant - nearly similar in size too - only to then stomp out the innocent little lives of all the ants so we could get to the candy... needless to say, we were all feeling rather itchy after that scene). They crawl on our plastic saran wrap, on our dish towels, into our freezer (bad decision, ants!...we now have a mass grave of hard-bodied vermin in our freezer)... and the list really does go on.

I really don't hate any of God's beautiful creatures on earth. Except ants. It's official. I hate them.

Insightful Children...

As a teacher, there is nothing better than knowing you've made a child's day better or equipped them with the tools to face life and do their best... Well, I had the most fantastic discussion I think I've ever had with a class just this Friday morning. The topic was focused on the Armor of God and the tools that Christ makes available to us to take a stand against the devil’s schemes. We studied Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 to base our discussion on. Some of these children have such valuable insights to offer and it is so exciting to see that come out! They shared stories of how they sometimes sense Satan's power in their lives and also shared stories as to how they deal with it. It was such an eye-opener for some, as they realized that God's power trumps all and also that this kind of spiritual warfare is more prevalent than assumed. We talked quite a bit about prayer - how to pray, the power of prayer, and that prayer in the name of Christ has ultimate power to defeat the devil. We also stopped our discussion on two different occasions and prayed together right then and there. It was amazing. Many of my students has such sincere hearts for God and it is such a blessing to me. They love holding hands in a circle to pray, something they had never done before I introduced it to them on the first day of school... and now they nearly beg me to do that with them each morning. It was so exciting to me, as a teacher, when at the close of our discussion many students enthusiastically declared that they love Bible class and that it is their favourite to learn about. Praise God! It is not by my power but by the Lord's...

Random goings-on

Well, we caught a gigantic mouse in our kitchen with mouse glue. Poor thing. Micah had to drown him.

We are getting close with our water pump. Still no hot water (said to be fixed tomorrow :) ) but we do have some water pressure.

I enjoyed praising God today - sitting around together in the living room, singing worship music with guitar accompaniment. Good times.

I've lived a pretty sheltered life... never seen a cockroach until I came here! :)

Student survey thoughts...

The following quotes are taken from beginning of the year surveys that my students wrote... and some of their comments made me laugh so I wanted to share them with you! (All typos are student-made :) )
One question was: “Anything else I need to know about you to make this year successful...”

-“I have a small promblem with my writing”

-”I forget things fast”

-”I have a hard time listing” (listening)

“I need to sharpen my pencil a lot”

Sometimes kids are so random! I love it!

And one more that touched my heart... "Your thoughts on studying the Bible or Bible class..."
-”I want to grow in Christ and serve him in all I do”

We are going to have a great year together!

Genesis 48

^{Genesis 48:14} But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim's head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh's head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.

¹⁵ Then he blessed Joseph and said,
"May the God before whom my fathers
Abraham and Isaac walked,
the God who has been my shepherd
all my life to this day,

¹⁶ the Angel who has delivered me from all harm
—may he bless these boys.
May they be called by my name
and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac,
and may they increase greatly
upon the earth."

I was reading about Manasseh and Ephraim this past week and will just share this simple thought. Specifically looking at verse 16, wouldn’t it be fantastic to be Jacob, and to be able to declare God’s promises as were promised to his FATHERS, Abraham and Isaac...! What a privilege to be chosen in that capacity. Yet, God has also chosen me and has great plans for me and my future. I am called to praise him in whatever capacity he has for me. In any and every situation, privileged position or not.

Yummm...

One of the things I love about being here is the food (and if you know me, you won't be surprised by that comment at all! :) ). I have been out and about quite often enjoying a variety of restaurants... an Indian restaurant where their coconut fish and naan are mouth-watering, a Chinese restaurant with delicious fried noodles, and many African buffet-style restaurants which I love. I have had goat meat quite often (goat brochette: grilled goat on a skewer) and since KICS provides lunch each day for us at school, I have been enjoying a variety of food including chapati (a type of flatbread), lentils, and more American-style food such as pizza, spaghetti, and hamburgers.
As for keeping myself hydrated, water and tea are constants for me. Coke Zero is hard to get my hands on (and also much much more expensive than Coca Cola in restaurants - which I learned the hard way!) but I have enjoyed the occasional can.

Oh to have a hot shower...

So, let me tell you about my shower experiences thus far. Oh wait...there have been no such things. Our house has had some plumbing delays... simply, little pressure and no hot water from the showers. So...each morning I awake at 5:40 to fill a bucket with water from the outside tap (which for some reason has surprisingly strong pressure), boil some water on the gas stove, and have what could be called a semi-cold bucket shower while sitting in the tub. It is one experience that has daily made me appreciate the luxuries of Canada... ;) But, praise be to God, because the plumber came today (again) and hopefully we will see some positive results very soon!

School has begun...

School has begun and we are off to a great start together! My students really are fantastic already - so sweet, so hard-working, well-behaved, and desiring to do their best and serve God. I love it!

We started school this past Tuesday and though it has felt like a long week (it always does during the first week of school), it went very well. My expectations need to be altered as I have been repeatedly surprised with what they know/don't know as grade 5 students, but I look forward to the challenge. Math especially, should be fun :)

It is a challenge for me as a teacher who has relied upon technology in her teaching for the past 5 years in Canada... I am used to using a smartboard in the classroom everyday. Or at least, the use of an overhead machine. Here, I have use of a plastic sheet that is posted on the wall over a white wall - to be used with dry-erase markers. That will definitely take some getting used to!

Also, until we work out some more details with supervision/yard duty, I have been with my students almost every single minute of the day: from 8am to 3:10. Thankfully, they are a great group of kids to spend time with! ;) During one of the 2 recesses, my class plays outside without any other class (due to scheduling, etc). So, I have made it a pattern of playing some sort of game with them while out there. Mostly, I have played basketball in my barefeet (I would surely break my neck running around on the cobblestone in my heels!) with the boys. They seem to love it when I play on their team (though I'm not so sure why since my skills are most definitely surpassed by theirs!). I enjoy that time as well.

Walking in the Light

"This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." 1 John 1:5-7

I want to walk in the light. Pray that I have courage to reach out to others in His name, regardless of not knowing the language (Kinyarwandan and sometimes French or Swahili) or being familiar with the customs/traditions.

A short short summary

The people here are beautiful. The school staff are wonderful. The culture is fascinating. God is so good!

Genocide Memorial

"He who saves a single life saves the world entire" - Talmud. Definitely an interesting thought that I have been contemplating all afternoon...

We visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial today. It was an intense time full of personal reflection, prayer, and contemplation for me. I know God is powerful and is working in my life...but I struggle with not living the life He has given me to the fullest. I feel as if there is always more I could do to make positive changes in the world. I want to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord; one that actively seeks Him at all times. I don't want to live a life of mediocrity, but one of passion, joy, perseverance, love, and kindness.

It was extremely difficult to see so many pictures of victims in both the Rwanda genocide of 1994 and the various other genocides that have occurred around the globe... to see their faces and know that God loves them so much...and to also know that God loves me so much and offers me so much grace. Yet I don't deserve it at all. Why have I had the privilege of living in such a beautiful, prosperous country for my entire life?... I don't deserve it. Why have I been blessed with a loving, healthy family?... I don't deserve it. Why have I been given so much?... I don't deserve it. Yet God has showered me with His grace, and love, and freedom in Christ...and I am so thankful. Glory be to God!

It compels me to act and desire to live justly. To promote peace and extend kindness. And while I strive for those things, I must pray and ask for strength. God is good and worthy to be praised.

Driving

The roads here in Kigali are excellent (especially for Africa). And apparently the driving here is a breeze too. But being the novice that I am, the driving here seems crazy! :) Honking is a regular occurrence, as is making sudden stops. The ladies and I don't have a car so the options are: walk, take a mototaxi (motorcycle taxis - very dangerous in town! :) ), or matatus (car/bus type taxi). So far, I've just made some new friends with cars in order to avoid the craziness! :) ha ha

Psalm 37

"Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him..."

Housing, part 2

We signed a contract for a house today! God is so good and worthy to be praised. It is a furnished house about 3 minutes away from the school and 2 minutes away from the church. It is similar to a 2-storey townhouse with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. It comes with a fridge and gas stove, beds, wardrobes, a leather sectional sofa, hutch, and dining room table and chairs. We can move in as early as tomorrow as we get the keys then. The guys also found a house that is 4 houses down from us, which is great. They lucked out with free internet and a lot of other items in their furnished house, so we will definitely be making ourselves at home over there! I'm still trying to make a deal with them that entails me cleaning for them and they cook for me! :)

Every house hires a night guard here in Kigali along with a housekeeper. At the back of the house, there is a small room and a washroom for the guard to use. There must always be evidence of a physical presence on the premises at all times to discourage robbery, etc so nearly everyone has either a guard, housekeeper, or gardener at their house at all times. In fact, I'm told that even the poorer people have housekeepers. I find that interesting.

KICS will be helping us to find a guard and housekeepers that are connected through the church (Christ's Church Rwanda). We will then start the process of purchasing dishes, sheets, towels, etc. and groceries. It should be fun.

Muzungus

Everywhere we go, they stare. I'm sure it's an interesting sight for many of them to see a car jam-packed with young-looking white people. Sometimes they wave at us, though it is usually young boys who wave. When in the downtown area, some try to sell us touristy things such as maps and they are very persistent!

Yesterday, while all the other teachers were looking at motorcycles in a shop, I stepped outside just for a moment to take a breath of air on my own, and a Rwandan man began talking to me about renting houses. He had some that he thought we would be interested in and wanted convince me of such. I had a very difficult time understanding him as his accent was very heavy and ended up suggesting he talk to our orientation leader about the houses instead of me. He was friendly but still very persistent all the same.

My intro to Rwandan food

Yesterday, we went to a restaurant called "Africa Bite," which is a buffet-style restaurant known for its cleanliness and quality of African food. In the yard outside the restaurant building, there is a tradition to wash your hands in a tap prior to eating. Everyone then dries their hands on the same communal towel. :) I did it. And I didn't get sick :)

I took some of everything there was offered in the pots around the table. The waiters are very quiet and respectful and wait on you hand and foot. As I was enjoying the food, the other people we were with (new teachers like me, the headmaster and his family, and the KICS orientation leaders) began raving about the delicious sauce that I had poured over my rice and some of my potatoes (as I had seen the locals do...so of course I followed in suit)...and it was peanut sauce. I laughed and pushed that sauce to the side, as I am allergic to nuts. Then a few minutes later, they explained what all the food was that we were eating... grilled fish, tomato/onion/green pepper salad, beef stew, potatoes, and mashed bananas (the bananas I gave to someone else to finish for me as I am allergic to those as well...I thought they were potatoes when I scooped them on to my plate!). Thankfully, I had no allergic reactions at all! The food was delicious and I would definitely eat there again!

As for other food so far, we have eaten a lot of Mexican-style food, although the tortilla chips are very expensive and can only be found in a few stores. Maybe I should start a tortilla chip fund, since that has been a staple in my Canadian diet because I can actually eat them (!!!!), and they will definitely be a staple in my diet here! :)

You can buy powdered coconut milk here - which the people I am staying with right now have given me as a gift - since there are no other milk alternatives (yes, another allergy). I haven't tried it yet - and frankly, I'm a little nervous to actually try it! - but I think I will just have to get used to it if I ever need to use milk in a recipe. Yumm!

We cannot drink the water here, so all water must either be filtered or purchased in bottle form. I find I am very thirsty and want lots of water, but don't quite get enough yet. Hopefully, those kinds of things will work themselves out more once we get into a routine and have our own place.

Housing

I think we may have finally found housing. Yay! We have spent the last two days viewing houses for rent, negotiating the prices, and deciding on going with an unfurnished house or a furnished house. Furnished houses typically come with a couch, chairs, dining room table and chairs, and sometimes pots, pans, and dishes. Some of these houses are taken quickly by others, so if we are too slow in our decision-making, we may lose it. Also, some landlords change their prices once they see that it is a car-load of white people or "muzungus" coming to see the house... of course, they raise the price since all white people are wealthy in their minds! Nonetheless, I think we may have found both a house for the new female teachers currently here and one for the new male teachers. It is difficult to decide together, since we may prioritize different things. For example, I care most about living close to the school in order to avoid taking transportation each day to and from the school. I don't mind living further away from the shopping centres, as we would only need to go there 1 or 2 times a week. Other people care more about a variety of different things...It makes for a sometimes stressful decision-making process! Please pray for peace and unity among one another, as we will be living with each other for the next 10 or 11 months. God has brought us together for a reason and I want to seek His will in each and every decision.

Greetings from Kigali

I made it - all limbs and bags intact... :)

Things are great so far. I'm staying with the Chair of the Board's family for the time being, until we get another place. The other new teachers are great! I'm eating spaghetti noodles right now. :)

Very very tired. Slept a total of about 3 hours since Friday night. We are working on our VISA applications tomorrow and setting up bank accounts. It's all a bit overwhelming - though going very smoothly - and I just want to sleep!

Departure Time...

Yes, it's finally here. My plane leaves tomorrow from Pearson airport in Toronto, set to arrive in Chicago about 2 hours later. From there, I fly to Belgium, and then on to Kigali. I am very excited (and also going a bit crazy tonight with panic! :) )! I will update when I arrive and let you know how I'm settling in... Kigali, here I come!

The countdown

4 days until I'm on the plane. I am very excited and just want to be there already! Please pray for traveling mercies.

2 Weeks to Go...

God is definitely working miracles in this adventure already! Miracle 1: my belongings fit into the storage unit I have rented for the year (thank you to my generous parents, hard-working brothers and sister-in-law, and rockin friends!!!). Miracle 2: the rest of my stuff fit into the cars to take to Peterborough, where I'll be living for the next 2 weeks! Whew! :)

I choose life!

"This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life..." Deuteronomy 30:19-20

James 3

James 3 was the focus today... understanding more about wisdom and taming the tongue. The use of metaphor is astounding in James 3, with many beautiful images describing the importance of the tongue. The following verses are ones which I will try to exemplify in my life, as difficult as the list appears:

"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness" (verses 17 and 18).

I continue to be greatly encouraged at Heritage Green Baptist Church. I spoke briefly there this morning about God's leading to Kigali, Rwanda and shared a Keynote presentation I put together for this purpose. God is good and continues to provide people and situations in my life where His leading is evident and clear. I enjoyed talking with people from HGBC and have felt extremely blessed to have found a caring community in which I can praise and worship my God. I am thankful for the support they have shown in such a short period of time and I look forward to what the future holds regarding my relationship with HGBC.

I loved this quote from this morning:
"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." ~ Leo Buscaglia

Colossians 4

" Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."

Prayer is amazing! With God, all things are possible...

Getting Ready...

I feel both excited and overwhelmed... So much to do! I just found out I was going last Friday, so I've been in quite the whirlwind since then. Anyone want to buy a car? :)

Going to Rwanda!

I am going to teach grade 5 at KICS in Kigali, Rwanda for the next year! God is so good! What an exciting opportunity!