Our Gisenyi Family

In order to have an opportunity for concentrated culture and language-learning, as well as relationship-building, Brad and I are going to try to stay in the homes of some pastors in different regions of the country for about 2-3 weeks each. Our first experience was for two weeks in October in the town of Gisenyi, in the Northwest corner of Rwanda on Lake Kivu and bordering Goma, Congo.

Relationships
When we arrived at Pastor Augustine Habimana’s home in Gisenyi we were warmly welcomed by him, his wife, Mama Erise, his nine-year old daughter, Erise, his four-old son, Sam, and his five-month old baby boy, Shamu. Also staying at the house at the time were his mother, nephew, and two girls that they have living with them right now. As the two weeks progressed, we felt like we had a home and a family with our new friends. We had many, many conversations together about things both light-hearted and serious. We played with the children, watched television (mostly soccer) together, visited churches, talked with visitors who came to the house, and visited families in the neighborhood. One time we walked to a church member’s house, then joined him on a visit to his neighbors to talk to them about Christ. It was interesting to be observing and praying for people during these visitations and exciting that the Friends church people are reaching out to their neighbors.

Learning
One of the most difficult things I did each day was to gather up my courage to “put myself out there” into some situation where I could learn something new. However, I had some very fun and fulfilling times learning/observing how to make some kinds of foods, how to wash clothes, how to go and buy things at the market, how to use a charcoal iron, etc. I would often write down words that came up in conversations and, later, Brad helped me remember them by asking me questions in Kinyarwanda. One day, Brad and I walked to the market to buy some fruit that Mama Erise asked us to get. She told us the expected prices and the quantities of what to buy, but I knew it was up to me to do the talking. I practiced ahead of time, and was nervous, but I did it! The ladies selling the food were kind, and didn’t try to make us pay an exorbitant amount, and for that I praise God!

Fun times
Sometimes Brad and I walked around town, one Saturday morning we had a great time kicking the soccer ball around with Sam and Erise, and every day we got to enjoy playing with little Shamu. He loved to smile and laugh! The first morning we were there, Mama Erise told her son that he needed to teach me Kinyarwanda, so he got out his book about constellations (in English) and I actually did learn a couple words. One morning, Pastor Habimana guided us on a thirty minute drive to the hot springs - a nondescript little place on the edge of the lake that had hot water bubbling up out of the earth. I had never seen anything like it before, so it was pretty fascinating. Also, one day we told our family that we wanted to cook something for them. So, we went through the sreps of buying the food, washing, cutting, peeling, and cooking (the whole process took about five hours). Everyone liked it and Mama Erise asked us to teach it to her a few nights later! This family cooks over charcoal and has places for three pots to be going at once. So, it was a new experience for us, but fun!

There were times I felt tired, confused, and even a little sick. But, there were also so many times I felt at home, excited to be learning, and loving our new family. God helped me so much to have courage, to give me rest when I needed it, and to just see the beautiful things He was doing around me.

Teaching during our time in Gisenyi

During our times with Pastor Augustin and his family I (Brad) was asked to teach/preach 3 different times. Two times were during the time slot for the “short sermon” (A 15 – 20 minute sermon toward the beginning of the worship service which is later followed by the 30 – 45 minute sermon.) I brought several sermons that I already had prepared in Kinyarwanda thinking that the Lord would point out one of the messages already prepared but as I prayed and tried to prepare for each one, I sensed that the Lord desired me to share on different topics for each of the groups and none of them were the messages that I brought with me! In my life before living in Rwanda, this would have been no problem for me because I am used to preparing different messages and am used to the Lord leading me in English, even as I am speaking to a group. But since we live in Rwanda and minister in the language of Kinyarwanda and the Lord usually speaks to me in English, it usually takes me a really long time to prepare something to teach here!

But the Lord helped me to enter into the next phase of my ability to teach here in Rwanda. As I prayed and sought to hear what the Lord would have me share, I sensed Him give me different topics to share upon and so I wrote out each message and then translated them into Kinyarwanda. And then I preached them! This is the first time that I have ever prepared a message by myself without at least some editing by a Rwandan. After each message I asked the Pastor and his wife for feedback on what I said and if it was understandable and each time they said that it was very understandable. When I asked to know what mistakes I made, they told me that I was making a mistake tonally. The way I was saying “He came” (as in Jesus came to save us) meant that He came earlier today rather than in the distant past. The difference between the two is in the pitch of the voice as you say the two words. This is still something that I really have to work on…as you can tell this is a very foreign part of the language to an English speaker. But at the same time it feels like a great victory in the language to be able to write, translate, and preach in Kinyarwanda and to have the mistakes be tonal and not major grammatical mistakes! Please praise God with us at His continued faithfulness to us here in Rwanda and with me in learning Kinyarwanda and being able to minister to Rwandans in their heart language!

Moringa Field Well

Ubuzima Moringa is a business that Debby Thomas started as a way to minister life and show God’s love to Rwandans. The business will enable them to buy moringa at a cheap price which will help them very much nutritionally. The business also has a vision to be Christ’s light in the communities in which it works , through relationships with farmers, workers, salespeople etc!

Ubuzima Moringa is growing its moringa trees right outside the city of Kigali in a low-lying swampy area. Moringa leaves need to be washed with water once they’re harvested but dirty, slimy, swamp water would have had to do the job since wells are very expensive to dig, about $15,000 at the least. Debby inquired into having a well dug on their property, but the business did not have the necessary funds.

One organization that Debby had contacted had problems with some equipment and had to have a foreign team come to repair it. Once it was repaired, they needed a place to test the equipment, but it couldn’t be on one of their contracted sites. Out of all the possible places, they thought of Ubuzima Moringa and of the well that they wanted at their field! Having a well dug to test the equipment would cost exactly nothing.

As I was finishing my lunch with the school kids the other day at the Thomas house, Debby announced that the well-diggers were at the moringa field about to start digging…and would we like to go watch? This invitation included all the students as well, once the parents were asked, and since the digging would start any minute, we had to hurry and get everyone packed into the vehicles and onto the road.

We had barely started our twenty-minute drive, however, when the timing belt broke on the Thomas’s land cruiser and Dave had to pull over. Our car went back to get another car so we could still all go see the digging, but then realized we were almost out of gas so stopped on the way. We finally all got to the field, having found enough vehicles and drivers, and got to see the magical well-drilling machine and workmen.

There is no way I could explain the mechanics of it all, I just knew that when we got there, a hole was already in the ground and a few people from the community were watching the whole process. We gladly joined them. When we reluctantly turned around to leave, the workers started digging again! This was the exciting part, the loud noise, the spinning drill, the dirt flying up out of the hole (and the poor operator getting covered with it). I saw a child holding two jerry-cans (water containers) and thought of the blessings that this water would bring - not only to help provide moringa, but also as a water source for the whole community around the field.

Initial Language study

I have been studying Kinyarwanda for about six weeks now. The woman who is helping me is Joyce, a woman from the Friends church who speaks great English and has great language abilities in general. I meet with her on my own every now and then, but meet in a group with other learners most of the time. The people in the group are Molly (who is also with EFM, teaching missionary children) and a couple from our neighborhood, Krystan and Ruth, who are with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC).
We use various methods for learning, like comprehension projects that involve drawing sketches and doing actions, labeling items around the room, practicing conversation, paper lessons that involve reading and writing, and projects to help us memorize monologues or dialogues. Our brains hurt and are tired sometimes, but we have fun as well. Krystan always manages to make Joyce laugh with his silly drawings. We also like to play Phase 10 (a card game) to practice our colors and numbers.

Though I can’t say very much yet, I feel like I am learning a lot and can comprehend more each day. The other day, in the church service, I realized I understood more than I ever have! So, my message to you from a limited vocabulary is jya kwisoko (go to the market), kata ibitunguru (chop up the onions), and umunsi mwiza (have a good day)!

God is faithful

This is an interesting time. I have flashes of joy, contentment, and happiness here. Other times I’m stressed, overwhelmed, and downhearted. I know that many of you could say the same in your current situations. The fact that most of what I experience in a day is new and foreign stresses and tires me out. It’s the beginning of what’s labeled culture shock, culture stress, or culture fatigue. I felt exhausted last night and was anticipating getting up really early in the morning. It was not a good feeling. I prayed, admitting my inability and weakness, asking for His help, and Brad prayed for me too. I praise God, because this morning He gave me help, energy, and joy that could not have come from my circumstances! Absolutely could not. So, I have this day as an obvious reminder that, “the Lord is the source of all my righteousness and strength” (Isaiah 45:24). I am weak, so weak, and that’s why I know that it’s only the Lord who is giving me strength.

Settling

Settling in to our house is a gradual process. Before we moved in, the first step was having the walls in the living room painted. So, now instead of dark, lacquered brown walls we have white walls! With a brown ceiling and pink floor, the white walls make such a difference! When that was done, we went on a search for curtain fabric, bought enough for every window, and gave it to a seamstress so she could make the curtains.

Once that was finished and the house cleaned we got to move in our stuff and the few pieces of used furniture we had acquired. Then, we had to order some more furniture from a carpenter, like couches, chairs, and cabinets. Next, we put everything away – kind of. We are having some cabinets built for clothes, dishes, pots, etc. so right now, the mixing bowls are enjoying the freezer and we’re storing assorted spices and cookware in the fridge. We also piled up our clothes on our bookshelf.

Then, our couches and chairs (the wooden frames) were finished by the carpenter, so we got to go search for people to make the cushions and for upholstery fabric to cover the cushions and for someone to sew everything together.

The other day we walked around downtown peeking into every plumbing/electrical shop we could find on the great bathroom fixture expedition. The house we are renting didn’t come with towel racks or a toilet paper dispenser so we hunted for and found those items with the help of a man from the Friends church who is amazing at fixing and building things.

The main thing we still have left to do is to get a stove and then we will be able to cook and eat at our house! Right now, we’re eating at the teacher’s house.

So, things are a little different. No Walmart for buying everything from pre-made curtains to shower shelves. No apartment that comes with a stove and refrigerator. No used couches passed around in a student community or new couches from a furniture store. All these steps seem to take longer than in the U.S., but it’s still exciting to be establishing a home.

A Rwandan Wedding

Recently Brad and I got to attend the wedding of a friend of ours, Daniel. Daniel and his fiance had been living in different countries, so before Brad or Daniel were married they sympathized with each other having to live far away from their fiances! Now they are celebrating together.

From what I've learned so far, I understand that many Rwandan weddings have four parts. There's the "gusaba no gukwa" which means to ask and to give the dowry. This ceremony involves the family of the groom visiting the home of the bride. The families have an amazing verbal interchange that follows certain ceremony and is filled with humor.

There's also the civil wedding which is the legal component. A few friends and family gather in the government office to witness the bride and groom promising to stay faithful. The third wedding is the church wedding and the fourth component is the reception, both of which have similarities to our American weddings.

Brad witnessed the cultural ceremony but we both got to go to the church wedding and the reception. The highlights I remember are from the reception. The wedding party entered into the church to the sound of traditional Rwandan music. At the end of the procession came the singers, dancing as they went up the aisle. When the bride and groom cut their wedding cake and fed it to each other it was to symbolize that each would do their part to make sure the other was taken care of/had enough food to eat. Also, when it came time for all the guests to eat a piece of cake, the families of the bride and groom were served first. The bride served the groom's family and the groom served the bride's family. Then, all the guests were able to eat some cake and drink some Fanta! It was a beautiful wedding and it was great to be able to be a part of such an important event for Daniel and Angelique!

Kumbya Missionary Conference

We just returned from a week and a half at a missionary conference! It's located on a peninsula on Lake Kivu called Kumbya that is owned by missionaries so the conference itself is also called Kumbya. This annual Kumbya conference brings mostly American and British missionaries together from Rwanda, Uganda, and other countries around this region. You may have heard that one of the top reasons missionaries in general end up leaving their field is because of conflict (unresolved or unhealthy conflict) with other missionaries. I recently learned that much of missionary cooperation and unity in this region is because of Kumbya.

Brad and I stayed in a cabin with Molly and the Thomases. The cabin didn't have electricity, so it was kind of like camping, but under a roof and sleeping on a bed. And walking to the communal outhouses, which is an adventure in the middle of the night. At the conference there were about 120 missionaries and kids altogether. We had times of listening to speakers, sharing testimonies, worshiping together, praying together, and eating together. We would have different sessions and small group times in the morning and evening, and our afternoons were free for swimming in the beautiful (clean) lake or just resting. On some evenings we also had a talent show, a movie on a big screen, and a board game night. So, it was a pretty fun time together.

Brad and I volunteered for various odd jobs and had some meetings to go to in the afternoons, so didn't necessarily rest the whole time, but did get some rest and lots of fellowship with others.

God really used the speakers to encourage me, but mostly just challenge me again to the age-old call to come to Christ in friendship, in intimacy, in quality time, in communion with Him. My first desire and priority should be to be with Christ. To let Him love me. Only then can I love Him and only then am I able to love others. I want to be praying for that desire to be with Him, especially as we start life and work back in Kigali.

I felt so glad to be accepted into this community of believers. I know that they will become my friends, my mentors, and kind of like family in Rwanda. Not forgetting to keep learning kinyarwanda and building relationships with Rwandans, I also look forward to future times with people I met at Kumbya.

Our first blog entry ever!

Hi friends,

This is our blog...we will try to share some of our thoughts and some daily life experiences here in Rwanda.

Below is a short video we made about the Retreat for Future Missionaries!