Hello my dear friends,
Today is the day. Today is the day I write to you my last Rwandan blog. I have been pondering what I would say throughout my entire time here - anticipating sharing with you permanent changes I have seen within myself, the best of stories, and the memories that will forever hold a place in my heart. However, now that I am sitting in front of the computer screen, my hands are struggling to type and my mind is struglling to think - all the while, my heart is aching that this is the end.
Let me start by saying how incredible this journey has been. Thinking back on the blog posts I had written before, I am reminded of my first down, when life seemed so hard and three months seemed impossible to finish. I am reminded of the amazing people I have met - ones who have seen true hardship yet have also experienced true joy. I am challenged to keep going in my desire to travel, change and experience - to serve the world as I am called to serve and to love upon people as we are all called to love.
The other day I stopped and thought about this experience as a whole. For those who know me, you would picture a 20 year old Canadian girl who has lived at home her whole life and who hasn't left the comfort of that home for more than 2 weeks. Take that girl, your friend from home, and put her in Rwanda for 3 months to live with a Rwandan family and teach a course she herself has no knowledge in and you get the girl I am today. I am completely baffled that I was able to spend my first significant amount of time away from home in Africa. But then again, you can do anything when you put your trust and hope in God. This whole trip has been a 'trust-test'. Where is my hope? Where is my trust? Where is my identity? Those were the questions I was struggling with while here, and those are the questions that have been answered above and beyond.
I've learned the hard way, first in Serbia, then at camp and now here, that life back at home does not stop while you're away. No, no. If anything, it keeps going and gets harder. On top of the trials that I've had here in Musanze, I've also been thrown trials that have occurred back at home. The stress is only magnified 100x more since I could not be there to handle them in person and right away. Fear struck me and panic hit me many times these past few months. However, diving into scripture, listening to my podcasts and just completely praying that I would learn something through it all, I have redetermined where I put my hope and my trust - in God. If you put your hope in something earthly, you will soon realize that that earthly object, person, degree, job, etc, dies. Why not put your hope in something or rather someone, that is alive and has eternity on His side? Ya, I thought it was a good idea as well.
While being absent from home, I have really seen some relationships flourish and some reltionships die. There are some individuals who have overwhelmed me continuously with love, encouragement, prayer, funny stories, random information, and with foreign smiles. That truly awakened me to how blessed I am to have such warm people in my life. On the other hand, I was also awakened to how insignificant my relationships with others is to them and how we weren't as close as I had lead to believe. But that is completely ok! Some friends are in your life for a season, and some need to have a friendSHIFT where we just aren't suitable to be as close as we once were. Usually that thought would break my heart as, again, I truly dislike saying goodbye and feel like a failure if I do not keep up with every person in my life. I've learned the tricky way that I am only human and can't be best friends with every person I say hello to (although that would be wonderful). Some friendships grow distant and burn out. But again, I am completely ok with that. To those friendships that have only grown stronger while away, I pray and hope that you will be soft to me coming home after just spending three months here in Rwanda and that you will understand how reverse culture-shock is close in my future. We can get through it together though!
Rwanda has shown me how to be humble, how to truly feel special and how to overthrow my selfishness with selflessness. The people here are so incredibly loving and hospitable that I look at my own character and am ashamed of how closed off and greedy I have been. My family has taken me in as their own and I will always hold them with me. Mama Kellia's laugh will always be echoing in my ear and her determination to find me a Rwanda husband has been appreciated. Papa Kellia's softness and quietness was truly challenging yet I have learned so much from him. Kellia, my little sister, is something else. She's a Tyra Banks waiting to happen and has too much spunk for this world. Kelly is way shy but his toothless grin makes my heart melt every time. Kenney is my teddy bear and my cuddle buddy. He plays with my hair, rubs my arms and loves to shower me with kisses. Kenneth has been an immense challenge. Let me just say I have learned a lot from that child (who completely resembles Megamind!!) and I know that he's got lots to offer to this world once he stops peeing on the floor and learns to speak (I couldn't NOT add that in there!).
I could write a whole novel on my time here, however, I feel as though I've just written chapters 1-5 above. I am battling with a small fear now - what lies ahead for me? What is my next big adventure? Where am I called to next? However, I need to stop waiting for what is to come and start living in the here and now. This upcoming year will be full of finishing school, serving at my church, working hard at my job, and trying to be the best bridesmaid I can be for three of the most amazing women in my life. This year is many lessons waiting to be learned and a mission in itself.
I said to you before I left for this Rwandan mission of my dislike for goodbyes. I mentioned how I am awful at them and fear the day they are to come. Well, the day comes Tuesday morning when I am to say goodbye to my new family. However, I feel I will choose to say the phrase, 'see you later,' and pray that Rwanda is in my path again. So, to my new family and life here in Musanze, I say, 'see you later.' To my family, friends and loved ones at home, I say, 'I'll be seeing you soon.'
I leave this country full of the life I drank in; forever implanted on my heart, and the Rwandan dust on my feet.
Thank you for coming along on this journey with me.
Your dear friend,
-Steph
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
The Little Ones
Hello my dear friends,
I'm really hoping all of you are doing well! I miss everyone a great deal and (although I've said it many times) truly am reminded every day at how blessed I am to have such amazing people in my life. Thank you for being you!
Well, the day has come... the last day of school was today. It was such an odd feeling. I remember talking with Milijana and Naomi in the middle of our time here about how hard it would be to say goodbye to these children. They have become our 'babies' if you will. They greet us, they hug us, they chase us, they bug us. They laugh with us, they laugh at us, they drag us to their classrooms, they make funny faces at us. They make us dirty with their rowdy-ness and lack of care about the huge amount of dust on their playing ground. They bring joy to my life. They have taught me so much and have truly stretched my heart to grow when it comes to learning how to love all children. Moment of honesty here, prepare yourself: at the beginning of my placement (mind you, I was still overwhelmed with everything, tired and hungry ALL the time, so that probably added to this emotion)I thought to myself multiple times a day, "Wow.. I really don't like kids." Don't judge! These children were terrors at the beginning! However, now it seems that the ones who gave me nightmares have wiggled their way completely into my heart and are the ones I was most fearful of saying goodbye to.
I tried for no tears - really, I did. I knew I'd have to come to Rwanda just to turn around and say goodbye. A big part of me was really scared that I wouldn't make an impact in their lives the way they have made in mine. However, their tears showed me otherwise. Many of them clung to me as if they wouldn't let me go. "Teacha, you come back to visit again?", "Teacha, who will teach us computers if you are gone?", "Teacha, no, you can not go. You come back next term!" Each phrase made my heart tug in many different directions.
You may never fully know how big of an impact you have on someone until it's time to say goodbye. I pray that this isn't the last time I see these kids - that I can come back one day and laugh and play with them again. You may also never fully understand how big of an impact you have on someone else's life ever. And that's ok. I embrace the impact they've had on me and trust that if my spirit and personality was warm and gracious to them they'll have taken what they wanted and learned what they wanted to learn.
I wish my words could do justice as to how I'm feeling about it all. I wish my smile could do justice to how joyful I am that these children were in my life - in my memories forever. I wish my spirit could show just how significant of an impact they've had on me. I guess you'll just have to see it for yourself when I'm home (which is in 3 weeks and 6 days).
I know that this is my second last blog while in Rwanda - probably even in Africa. I leave my new family and new home on August 2nd and take off for Uganda bright and early that Tuesday morning. Our travel plans go as follows and I tell them to you so you could pray for safety, protection, health, growth and laughter:
Bus to Uganda on Tuesday and spend a night or two on an island in Lake Bunyoni just inside the border. We then bus to Kampala to spend a couple days touring the markets and whatever else fancies our interest. Followed by another bus ride is Jinja where the TRUE Ugandan excitement lies! Whitewater rafting in the source of the nile, possible quad-bike riding in the jungle/along the river, bungee jumping if my budget and fears allow (don't tell mumsie), and whatever else our adventurous sides call us to. Step 2: boating to Tanzania. We're aiming to catch a ferrie to Mwanza, crossing Lake Victoria, and possibly stay a night there before we bus to Arusha. Arusha will be a complete free for all as our main aim of Tanzania is to make it to the Ngorongoro Crater - animals GALORE!! Which means safari! Finally! I've been craving a safari since the word 'Africa' was in my vocabulary. After a couple days in Tanzania and accomplishing our safari we'll be bussing to Kenya to check out the Massai Mara National Park, the tribe, more animals, markets and experiences. I'm pulling out my rebellious card and skipping my Kigali flight to Kenya - we're taking the long way and just catching up with our flights in Kenya after we've traveled. By the way, did I mention this is all done by backpack? We'll be carrying three months of our lives on our backs while traveling East Africa. I don't mean to sound excited... oh wait, yes I do! Be excited with me :) These plans aren't set in stone and I predict many of them will fall through, however, something new will arise to fill the gap.
That is all for now my friends!
Thanks for the love and prayers,
-Steph
I'm really hoping all of you are doing well! I miss everyone a great deal and (although I've said it many times) truly am reminded every day at how blessed I am to have such amazing people in my life. Thank you for being you!
Well, the day has come... the last day of school was today. It was such an odd feeling. I remember talking with Milijana and Naomi in the middle of our time here about how hard it would be to say goodbye to these children. They have become our 'babies' if you will. They greet us, they hug us, they chase us, they bug us. They laugh with us, they laugh at us, they drag us to their classrooms, they make funny faces at us. They make us dirty with their rowdy-ness and lack of care about the huge amount of dust on their playing ground. They bring joy to my life. They have taught me so much and have truly stretched my heart to grow when it comes to learning how to love all children. Moment of honesty here, prepare yourself: at the beginning of my placement (mind you, I was still overwhelmed with everything, tired and hungry ALL the time, so that probably added to this emotion)I thought to myself multiple times a day, "Wow.. I really don't like kids." Don't judge! These children were terrors at the beginning! However, now it seems that the ones who gave me nightmares have wiggled their way completely into my heart and are the ones I was most fearful of saying goodbye to.
I tried for no tears - really, I did. I knew I'd have to come to Rwanda just to turn around and say goodbye. A big part of me was really scared that I wouldn't make an impact in their lives the way they have made in mine. However, their tears showed me otherwise. Many of them clung to me as if they wouldn't let me go. "Teacha, you come back to visit again?", "Teacha, who will teach us computers if you are gone?", "Teacha, no, you can not go. You come back next term!" Each phrase made my heart tug in many different directions.
You may never fully know how big of an impact you have on someone until it's time to say goodbye. I pray that this isn't the last time I see these kids - that I can come back one day and laugh and play with them again. You may also never fully understand how big of an impact you have on someone else's life ever. And that's ok. I embrace the impact they've had on me and trust that if my spirit and personality was warm and gracious to them they'll have taken what they wanted and learned what they wanted to learn.
I wish my words could do justice as to how I'm feeling about it all. I wish my smile could do justice to how joyful I am that these children were in my life - in my memories forever. I wish my spirit could show just how significant of an impact they've had on me. I guess you'll just have to see it for yourself when I'm home (which is in 3 weeks and 6 days).
I know that this is my second last blog while in Rwanda - probably even in Africa. I leave my new family and new home on August 2nd and take off for Uganda bright and early that Tuesday morning. Our travel plans go as follows and I tell them to you so you could pray for safety, protection, health, growth and laughter:
Bus to Uganda on Tuesday and spend a night or two on an island in Lake Bunyoni just inside the border. We then bus to Kampala to spend a couple days touring the markets and whatever else fancies our interest. Followed by another bus ride is Jinja where the TRUE Ugandan excitement lies! Whitewater rafting in the source of the nile, possible quad-bike riding in the jungle/along the river, bungee jumping if my budget and fears allow (don't tell mumsie), and whatever else our adventurous sides call us to. Step 2: boating to Tanzania. We're aiming to catch a ferrie to Mwanza, crossing Lake Victoria, and possibly stay a night there before we bus to Arusha. Arusha will be a complete free for all as our main aim of Tanzania is to make it to the Ngorongoro Crater - animals GALORE!! Which means safari! Finally! I've been craving a safari since the word 'Africa' was in my vocabulary. After a couple days in Tanzania and accomplishing our safari we'll be bussing to Kenya to check out the Massai Mara National Park, the tribe, more animals, markets and experiences. I'm pulling out my rebellious card and skipping my Kigali flight to Kenya - we're taking the long way and just catching up with our flights in Kenya after we've traveled. By the way, did I mention this is all done by backpack? We'll be carrying three months of our lives on our backs while traveling East Africa. I don't mean to sound excited... oh wait, yes I do! Be excited with me :) These plans aren't set in stone and I predict many of them will fall through, however, something new will arise to fill the gap.
That is all for now my friends!
Thanks for the love and prayers,
-Steph
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
3 weeks.
Hello my dear friends,
Yesterday told me that I have exactly 3 weeks in Rwanda left and tomorrow tells me I have exactly 5 weeks until I am home. Oh my golly! Time has come and gone as if I blinked when someone smacked a hammer. It's an odd thing, realizing how little time I have left. On one hand, yes, my time here seemed to be going quite slow near the beginning. But now that I know I only have 3 weeks in my new home I feel as though I've been here only a week.
This past week has been excellent. I've been at the school more than expected because exams are next week and us three girls from Canada are the only ones who can type them up. Small problemo though - there is usually only 1, maybe 2, working computers. Exams are hectic... especially the ones that are in Kinyarwanda, Swahili and French. They take twice as long and add twice and much stress to me. However, when I go outside to play with the children during break, the stress is releaved and I am once again full of joy and excitement. These children will never dull me.
Yesterday while waiting for class to end, one of my favourite girls, Alliana, came up to me all sad and pouty. "Teacher.. you leave us tomorrow?" I have no idea where that idea came from, but being a not so nice person I went along with it and casually said, 'yea, we go to Canada tomorrow'. Well...I of course felt bad. The tears started to show and I immediately corrected myself. "No no! Teacher was just being silly. We leave at the end of exams. Three more weeks!" That didn't seem to stop the sadness as she kept frowning and showing her tears. What a tiny taste of what saying goodbye to these students is going to be like. I don't think I've completely realized that I'll be saying goodbye to new pieces of my heart - to new smiles, new friendships, new love. I have spent an amazing 2.5 months with these children so far and now have to say goodbye to them in just 2 weeks (the last week is our free week since the semester has ended). I am already praying that my heart is prepared for what is to come and I can be ready to say goodbye to these students. (However, a 'see you later' would be much better). This blog is short, I understand, and quite pointless, maybe, but I am asking if you could please pray for the hearts of the students as they say goodbye to three new friends and as we say good bye to a school full of memories. I would truly appreciate it!
Thank you in advance!
Give someone an extra smile today - you'd be surprised at how far it goes
-Steph
Yesterday told me that I have exactly 3 weeks in Rwanda left and tomorrow tells me I have exactly 5 weeks until I am home. Oh my golly! Time has come and gone as if I blinked when someone smacked a hammer. It's an odd thing, realizing how little time I have left. On one hand, yes, my time here seemed to be going quite slow near the beginning. But now that I know I only have 3 weeks in my new home I feel as though I've been here only a week.
This past week has been excellent. I've been at the school more than expected because exams are next week and us three girls from Canada are the only ones who can type them up. Small problemo though - there is usually only 1, maybe 2, working computers. Exams are hectic... especially the ones that are in Kinyarwanda, Swahili and French. They take twice as long and add twice and much stress to me. However, when I go outside to play with the children during break, the stress is releaved and I am once again full of joy and excitement. These children will never dull me.
Yesterday while waiting for class to end, one of my favourite girls, Alliana, came up to me all sad and pouty. "Teacher.. you leave us tomorrow?" I have no idea where that idea came from, but being a not so nice person I went along with it and casually said, 'yea, we go to Canada tomorrow'. Well...I of course felt bad. The tears started to show and I immediately corrected myself. "No no! Teacher was just being silly. We leave at the end of exams. Three more weeks!" That didn't seem to stop the sadness as she kept frowning and showing her tears. What a tiny taste of what saying goodbye to these students is going to be like. I don't think I've completely realized that I'll be saying goodbye to new pieces of my heart - to new smiles, new friendships, new love. I have spent an amazing 2.5 months with these children so far and now have to say goodbye to them in just 2 weeks (the last week is our free week since the semester has ended). I am already praying that my heart is prepared for what is to come and I can be ready to say goodbye to these students. (However, a 'see you later' would be much better). This blog is short, I understand, and quite pointless, maybe, but I am asking if you could please pray for the hearts of the students as they say goodbye to three new friends and as we say good bye to a school full of memories. I would truly appreciate it!
Thank you in advance!
Give someone an extra smile today - you'd be surprised at how far it goes
-Steph
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Oh My Word...
Hello dear friends!
I hope everyone is happy and healthy and that their summers are treating them well! As per usual, Rwanda is treating me very well and I am happy as a clam (never really understood that expression). I'd like to take the next few minutes to tell you about my most interesting long weekend here. This past Friday was Independence day and the following Monday was Liberation day from the genocide. We don't work on Thursdays so we were able to travel more of Rwanda from the Thursday to Saturday. Please, indulge in this past adventure with me:
Thursday morning was an early wake as we wanted a head start to our weekend. Our goal plan was to reach Kibuye, but in order to get there we were informed to bus to Gisenyi and take a leisurely and lovely boat ride to Kibuye. So, that's what we aimed to do. Off to Gisenyi we went where we spent a beautiful day on the beach. Beautiful was the weather, not so beautiful was the company. It was even more 'papparazi'd' than before. Men with cameras, boys with picture phones, creepers with other devices, etc, all surrounded us. 'Sista, regarder ici!!' 'Sista, look here!!' Pedestrians stopped by the road and stood on the fence to peer at us as we relaxed on the shore. I can only describe it to you as an animal in a cage at the zoo being watched by people stopping by. Oh my word.
After feeling like we received more than enough sun (I went all BA and wore no sunscreen...don't tell mum), we took off to find out where we could catch this boat. After walking all over Gisenyi and asking almost everyone who spoke English we soon realized there was no boat... It was either a 7 hour ferrie ride that wasn't even up for taking people or bussing to Kibuye which was 5 hours away. Not really knowing what our next step was going to be, we headed to town to ask about the busses. We were told to come back in an hour and catch the bus to Kibuye because that was the only one leaving for the rest of the night (it was about 4pm). We decided to go eat some food before catching this long awaiting bus. "We have an hour, that should be long enough to get some food in us." An hour and a half later our food ARRIVED. It's safe to say we missed our bus. Oh my word.
Next step: bus to Kigali and then Kigali to Kibuye. We bought our tickets to Kigali, hopped on our bus at 6:30pm and were off. However, we soon realized that we were passing right through our home town on the way to our destination. Thursday in a nut shell - what was supposed to happen: go to Gisenyi to beach, boat to Kibuye and settle in. What actually happened: went to Gisenyi to beach, caught a bus that took us right back home, then kept going to Kigali. Oh my word.
We're in Kigali. We headed for a cheap and nice-ish hostel that we knew of that was a taxi-moto ride away, just outside the heart of Kigali. I bet you can guess what happened next... we got inside only to be told they were booked for the night. Ya.. we had no place to stay. Trying to act cool, we went and sat outside on a step while we tried to decide where to go. We didn't have enough money to stay at a hotel and nobody spoke English to tell us where a cheap hostel was. Oddly enough, I had complete peace. Praying that an option would be provided and help would be given, I was totally answered. A minute after that prayer, a man who spoke English came up to us saying he wanted to help and walked us down the road to a hostel. Mind you, the hostel was down a dark alley and the place was the opposite of clean and past dirty. But, it was cheap and we were all together. I could tell you another story about our sketchy room neighbour who invited us over to drink a bottle of wine with him.. but you can probably use your imagination. Oh my word.
Friday! Finally! Bussing to Kibuye (after Naomi's phone was stolen and retrieved again) we got there safely and checked into paradise - Home St. Jean Hostel with an almost 360 degree view of Lake Kivu. It was phenomenal. We headed off to the shore to catch a boat (that actually came this time) to Amahoro (Peace) Island. Boating was surreal as the view was amazing, the people were great and the smells of the water and land reminded me of my cottage back home. The island was amazing - saw a real Rwandan monkey, relaxed on hammocks, ate some food and just listened to the water. Oh my word.
Unfortunately we had to take off the next morning so we woke up early (again, to the most amazing view I have ever seen), ate fresh fruit for breakfast and headed to town after relaxing for most of the morning. Bussed to Kigali, waited for a couple of hours for our next bus to Musanze and headed to the bus station again. Watching everyone jump on a bus, we assumed it was ours and jumped on too. Right before it was pulling out the ticket man came and asked for our tickets.. "You're going to Musanze... this bus is going to Gisenyi." Oh drat. Off the bus we ran and onto the next bus we crammed in the worst seats possible. We arrived late at night and walked home after quite the adventful weekend of travel. It was full of memories, new experiences, a few scares, but mostly laughs and outstanding views. My phrase of the weekend - oh my word.
-Steph
I hope everyone is happy and healthy and that their summers are treating them well! As per usual, Rwanda is treating me very well and I am happy as a clam (never really understood that expression). I'd like to take the next few minutes to tell you about my most interesting long weekend here. This past Friday was Independence day and the following Monday was Liberation day from the genocide. We don't work on Thursdays so we were able to travel more of Rwanda from the Thursday to Saturday. Please, indulge in this past adventure with me:
Thursday morning was an early wake as we wanted a head start to our weekend. Our goal plan was to reach Kibuye, but in order to get there we were informed to bus to Gisenyi and take a leisurely and lovely boat ride to Kibuye. So, that's what we aimed to do. Off to Gisenyi we went where we spent a beautiful day on the beach. Beautiful was the weather, not so beautiful was the company. It was even more 'papparazi'd' than before. Men with cameras, boys with picture phones, creepers with other devices, etc, all surrounded us. 'Sista, regarder ici!!' 'Sista, look here!!' Pedestrians stopped by the road and stood on the fence to peer at us as we relaxed on the shore. I can only describe it to you as an animal in a cage at the zoo being watched by people stopping by. Oh my word.
After feeling like we received more than enough sun (I went all BA and wore no sunscreen...don't tell mum), we took off to find out where we could catch this boat. After walking all over Gisenyi and asking almost everyone who spoke English we soon realized there was no boat... It was either a 7 hour ferrie ride that wasn't even up for taking people or bussing to Kibuye which was 5 hours away. Not really knowing what our next step was going to be, we headed to town to ask about the busses. We were told to come back in an hour and catch the bus to Kibuye because that was the only one leaving for the rest of the night (it was about 4pm). We decided to go eat some food before catching this long awaiting bus. "We have an hour, that should be long enough to get some food in us." An hour and a half later our food ARRIVED. It's safe to say we missed our bus. Oh my word.
Next step: bus to Kigali and then Kigali to Kibuye. We bought our tickets to Kigali, hopped on our bus at 6:30pm and were off. However, we soon realized that we were passing right through our home town on the way to our destination. Thursday in a nut shell - what was supposed to happen: go to Gisenyi to beach, boat to Kibuye and settle in. What actually happened: went to Gisenyi to beach, caught a bus that took us right back home, then kept going to Kigali. Oh my word.
We're in Kigali. We headed for a cheap and nice-ish hostel that we knew of that was a taxi-moto ride away, just outside the heart of Kigali. I bet you can guess what happened next... we got inside only to be told they were booked for the night. Ya.. we had no place to stay. Trying to act cool, we went and sat outside on a step while we tried to decide where to go. We didn't have enough money to stay at a hotel and nobody spoke English to tell us where a cheap hostel was. Oddly enough, I had complete peace. Praying that an option would be provided and help would be given, I was totally answered. A minute after that prayer, a man who spoke English came up to us saying he wanted to help and walked us down the road to a hostel. Mind you, the hostel was down a dark alley and the place was the opposite of clean and past dirty. But, it was cheap and we were all together. I could tell you another story about our sketchy room neighbour who invited us over to drink a bottle of wine with him.. but you can probably use your imagination. Oh my word.
Friday! Finally! Bussing to Kibuye (after Naomi's phone was stolen and retrieved again) we got there safely and checked into paradise - Home St. Jean Hostel with an almost 360 degree view of Lake Kivu. It was phenomenal. We headed off to the shore to catch a boat (that actually came this time) to Amahoro (Peace) Island. Boating was surreal as the view was amazing, the people were great and the smells of the water and land reminded me of my cottage back home. The island was amazing - saw a real Rwandan monkey, relaxed on hammocks, ate some food and just listened to the water. Oh my word.
Unfortunately we had to take off the next morning so we woke up early (again, to the most amazing view I have ever seen), ate fresh fruit for breakfast and headed to town after relaxing for most of the morning. Bussed to Kigali, waited for a couple of hours for our next bus to Musanze and headed to the bus station again. Watching everyone jump on a bus, we assumed it was ours and jumped on too. Right before it was pulling out the ticket man came and asked for our tickets.. "You're going to Musanze... this bus is going to Gisenyi." Oh drat. Off the bus we ran and onto the next bus we crammed in the worst seats possible. We arrived late at night and walked home after quite the adventful weekend of travel. It was full of memories, new experiences, a few scares, but mostly laughs and outstanding views. My phrase of the weekend - oh my word.
-Steph
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Living Simply
Hello my dear friends,
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Yes, I am still alive.
hello my dear friends!
My deepest apologies for being so MIA within the last few weeks. Life here has been quite busy so I haven't had time to sit down and write a good blog. But, here I am now so I'll do my best to fill you in!
These past few weeks have completely flown by. I feel as if it was just yesterday I was writing about being away for one month, when I have now surpassed the halfway mark and am only 9 days short from being away for 2 whole months. I have seen many new experiences, felt many new emotions and have been tested in brand new ways.
What I really desire to share with you is this past weekend - Kwinta Izina - the annual Gorilla Naming Ceremony in Kinigi, Rwanda. This ceremony (as you can probably tell by the name) happens every year and is a celebration of the naming of the new baby gorillas that have been born within the Rwandan Volcano National Park. After taking a 20m bus ride, we followed the crowd down a road, passing a sign that said we'd be there in 3km. 3km is a long way when it's all uphill and in the sun! So, being crazy and adventurous Canadians, we spotted a path that cut down a field and said, 'why not?' Thankfully, the path was a wonderful shortcut that got us there in no time. Arriving at the location of the ceremony, we were immediately separated from the Rwandans. They had to go through security and be frisked - we did not. They were told to go in one direction - us in another. They had to sit in a giant crown behind a fence in the sun - we were put in a VIP tent that was muzungu town! I still don't know what to think of this situation. Because we are white, even without a VIP invitation, we sat under a huge tent, were given free food and drink, and had front row access to the ceremony. The thing that got me the most was that I actually felt like a tourist. Being surrounded by hundreds of white people for the first time since being here really caught me off guard. I felt like I wasn't at home but that I was just categorized as another white tourist who comes and goes whenever they please. For the most part I was very unhappy with this feeling, but a small part of me did enjoy getting a glimpse of what home looks like.
After the ceremony everyone who was in the VIP tent was encouraged to attend the cocktail party after - free drinks (alcoholic, non-alcoholic), food and conversation. The men mostly took advantage of the free drink (at least to my observation) but I did help myself to a glass of wine... which I gave away after 2 sips because I remembered that I despise the taste of wine.
An amazing thing though - I recognized two girls I played volleyball against in high school (the high school that one of the girls I'm here with went to, so she knew them well), and another guy from UWO. Small freaking world, hm? We chatted with them and found out that they are here through a french program from main campus and are living in a hostel in Kigali for a few more weeks. After that weird shock surpassed, we met some new friends (one from Sweden originally and the others from Kigali) and had a lovely lunch at one of the guys Auntie's house. Small world again because the Aunt's daughter is a student in one of my computer classes.
Overall, the ceremony was a wonderful experience and I am so thankful that I was in Rwanda at the time of it's occurrence. I love meeting new people and making new friends so I felt the weekend was a success since many new friends were made. One void I definitely feel that has been missing is the consistency of having conversation. Back in Canada, everyone I know speaks English and would be able to have a sit-down conversation with me at a regular speed. Even though Naomi and Milijana (two girls from Canada I'm with) speak English and I see them almost every day, it's nice to vary up the individuals who I converse with. I miss my relationships at home and am craving to have coffee dates with many individuals. I will, however, keep making use of this amazing trip and am not looking forward to the date of my departure.
I do apologize that this is such a short and impersonal blog post, however, much has happened since being here and I feel I wouldn't do anything justice even if I tried to dig deeper into some life altering experiences. I am currently in Kigali with Karyn Makins again, being blessed with the chance to stay an extra two days longer than expected. It is so odd to hear her talk about leaving this Thursday when I still have another 6 weeks in Rwanda alone. I pray that I will keep drinking in all my experiences and my new life here - always being faithful and remembering to trust.
Your friend,
-Steph
My deepest apologies for being so MIA within the last few weeks. Life here has been quite busy so I haven't had time to sit down and write a good blog. But, here I am now so I'll do my best to fill you in!
These past few weeks have completely flown by. I feel as if it was just yesterday I was writing about being away for one month, when I have now surpassed the halfway mark and am only 9 days short from being away for 2 whole months. I have seen many new experiences, felt many new emotions and have been tested in brand new ways.
What I really desire to share with you is this past weekend - Kwinta Izina - the annual Gorilla Naming Ceremony in Kinigi, Rwanda. This ceremony (as you can probably tell by the name) happens every year and is a celebration of the naming of the new baby gorillas that have been born within the Rwandan Volcano National Park. After taking a 20m bus ride, we followed the crowd down a road, passing a sign that said we'd be there in 3km. 3km is a long way when it's all uphill and in the sun! So, being crazy and adventurous Canadians, we spotted a path that cut down a field and said, 'why not?' Thankfully, the path was a wonderful shortcut that got us there in no time. Arriving at the location of the ceremony, we were immediately separated from the Rwandans. They had to go through security and be frisked - we did not. They were told to go in one direction - us in another. They had to sit in a giant crown behind a fence in the sun - we were put in a VIP tent that was muzungu town! I still don't know what to think of this situation. Because we are white, even without a VIP invitation, we sat under a huge tent, were given free food and drink, and had front row access to the ceremony. The thing that got me the most was that I actually felt like a tourist. Being surrounded by hundreds of white people for the first time since being here really caught me off guard. I felt like I wasn't at home but that I was just categorized as another white tourist who comes and goes whenever they please. For the most part I was very unhappy with this feeling, but a small part of me did enjoy getting a glimpse of what home looks like.
After the ceremony everyone who was in the VIP tent was encouraged to attend the cocktail party after - free drinks (alcoholic, non-alcoholic), food and conversation. The men mostly took advantage of the free drink (at least to my observation) but I did help myself to a glass of wine... which I gave away after 2 sips because I remembered that I despise the taste of wine.
An amazing thing though - I recognized two girls I played volleyball against in high school (the high school that one of the girls I'm here with went to, so she knew them well), and another guy from UWO. Small freaking world, hm? We chatted with them and found out that they are here through a french program from main campus and are living in a hostel in Kigali for a few more weeks. After that weird shock surpassed, we met some new friends (one from Sweden originally and the others from Kigali) and had a lovely lunch at one of the guys Auntie's house. Small world again because the Aunt's daughter is a student in one of my computer classes.
Overall, the ceremony was a wonderful experience and I am so thankful that I was in Rwanda at the time of it's occurrence. I love meeting new people and making new friends so I felt the weekend was a success since many new friends were made. One void I definitely feel that has been missing is the consistency of having conversation. Back in Canada, everyone I know speaks English and would be able to have a sit-down conversation with me at a regular speed. Even though Naomi and Milijana (two girls from Canada I'm with) speak English and I see them almost every day, it's nice to vary up the individuals who I converse with. I miss my relationships at home and am craving to have coffee dates with many individuals. I will, however, keep making use of this amazing trip and am not looking forward to the date of my departure.
I do apologize that this is such a short and impersonal blog post, however, much has happened since being here and I feel I wouldn't do anything justice even if I tried to dig deeper into some life altering experiences. I am currently in Kigali with Karyn Makins again, being blessed with the chance to stay an extra two days longer than expected. It is so odd to hear her talk about leaving this Thursday when I still have another 6 weeks in Rwanda alone. I pray that I will keep drinking in all my experiences and my new life here - always being faithful and remembering to trust.
Your friend,
-Steph
Friday, June 3, 2011
Don't worry about this heart of mine.
Hello my dear friends,
Congratulations to us!! We have officially survived one month of being away from one another. Hugs and high fives all around. I want to thank everyone for their meaningful words, encouragement, prayers and wonderful thoughts. You all, truly, mean a great deal to me. Since I have been out of Canada for exactly one month, I thought I’d write down much of what I have felt, thought and tried to soak in. So, grab a beverage, perhaps a light snack (or heavy, whatever you’re feeling), change into comfy clothes and indulge in my words because this one is going to be a doozy.
Friends – I am in love. I truly have joy in my heart which has only been given to me after prayer and faithfulness in God. If you read my blog post, ‘star gazing,’ you may recall that my first week here was extremely hard. I was scared, I was missing home, I was missing my friends and I was missing the familiar. However, I knew what I was getting myself into before I left, so prayer, faithfulness and time were my only hope. How grateful I am to be loving and serving such a wonderful God. Joy is the best way to sum up how I am feeling. Joyful, joyous, joy. I have become familiar with my town, with the people, with the school and with the scenery. Again, I am in love.
Let me introduce you, in more detail, to my family. Consolee (“mama Kellia” because she is the mother of Kellia) surrounds me with hugs, laughter, food and comfort. She is always asking if I am happy, what she can do to make me happier and if I am a good temporary family. She makes me laugh. Hard. She is trying to teach me a traditional Rwandan dance; however, I feel I am letting her down. Papa Kellia bought me powdered milk and powdered chocolate so that I can mix them together to get chocolate milk. What a gentle and kind man - he is very thoughtful and always makes sure I am at the highest of comfort levels. Kellia (7) always snuggles with me before bed time and asks to play with and braid my hair. Since physical touch is my second love language there is never a time when I say no. Every time I hear, ‘sister Stephanie,’ my heart lights up and I want more and more to take her home with me. Kelly (6), is so quiet that half the time I forget he is there. However, when he smiles his toothless smile at me, I can’t help but give a small laugh at his soft goofyness. He usually clings to my left or right arm while Kellia plays with my hair. Kenney (4) pushes himself through the crowd and always manages to piece himself perfectly in my arms. He is my personal African teddy bear. While he sits in my lap he rubs my arms, rubs my face and makes my hands clap together. The thought of leaving him already brings tears to my eyes. Kenneth (2, yes his name is the same as Kenny’s, just the full version), is a child from the devil himself (I mean that in the nicest way possible). His cute way of mimicking me when I first got here has disappeared, and now I only see him as the child who pees on the floor. Yes, you read that correctly. He will literally just pee on our concrete floor. His parents laugh and say, ‘ah, he is so stubborn’. Negative parentals … he is spoiled. He gets what he wants, how much he wants, whenever he wants it. Oh boy, God give me eyes and a heart to see and love him like Jesus.
The scenery is a whole other world and I am afraid no picture will ever do this town justice. Running is my new favourite thing here as I feel as though I am running around the world. When I run down the hill from my house, I imagine that I am running through the hills of Thailand. Although, I have never been to Thailand… I can imagine! It’s distracting while I run, so I end up running into people, into bikes, off the road and even into goats. But…I get a spectacular view out of it so it doesn’t bother me. Running up the hill is bittersweet. Although every muscle in my legs burn, the thought of running straight towards the giant volcano motivates me to keep going. “Run until you touch it” is all I say in my head. Last night I went for an hour run and it was an hour of heaven. Hills, people, animals, action, peace, corners – everything. My heart is pounding not only from the physical activity but from all the emotions I am feeling at the same time.
I know I shouldn’t admit this, but my heart has been stolen. I have a favourite student and I don’t care who knows it – I’ll shout it from a mountain! Her name is Lea, she is 7, and if Nala from the Lion King was a human being Lea would be her. Her lioness eyes hypnotize you the instant you make eye contact and her energetic, outgoingness and adventurous heart only hooks you without giving you hope for survival. She clings herself to me every day and lays upon my lap at break time. My life is a better place with her in it and she encourages me to grow in certain areas of my life. I know that may sound odd that a 7 year old girl could be encouragement to me, but I can’t fully explain how much she has benefited my life already.
Now, since I have told you all about the people and things I have fallen in love with, I feel it is only appropriate I mention someone else... his name is Petey. People told me before I left to not come home engaged, married or in love, however, I don’t call the shots in this crazy thing called life. Petey came into my world a few weeks ago…and boy did he come in with a great first impression. As I was cleaning my room one Sabbath Saturday, Mama Kellia called to me saying I had a visitor. Walking out of my room to the back door, my eyes first gazed upon this African man. His fur necklace and all. Yes, my dear friends, you heard me right. Actually, it was more of a fur choker he wore around his neck, with fake hair hanging from it. I hope you didn’t think it was ME who fell in love with Petey! Most definitely not. Petey heard their was a muzungu in the neighbourhood so he wanted to come over and speak English with me. His conversation quickly led to his desire to find a white wife and support her even though he currently has no job and money. Most of our conversation was a daze because I was so distracted by the “beautiful” piece of art attached to his neck. Petey… what a guy. I can only hope our paths don’t cross again in the near future. Other than Petey, I have been offered 20 cows as a dowry (10 for Consolee, 10 for mumma in Canada), but my most recent upgrade was 2 gorillas!! Wowza was I flattered. But, no need to fret my friends, I will be coming home just as I left: single and happy. That is a promise.
My friends, I am full of joy, I am safe, I am laughing and I am healthy. There is no need to worry about this heart of mine for it is strong and looking forward to what is ahead.
I hope you have enjoyed my first month of Africa as much as I have. I’m missing you all, loving you all, and want to say thank you again for all the messages and love.
Congratulations to us!! We have officially survived one month of being away from one another. Hugs and high fives all around. I want to thank everyone for their meaningful words, encouragement, prayers and wonderful thoughts. You all, truly, mean a great deal to me. Since I have been out of Canada for exactly one month, I thought I’d write down much of what I have felt, thought and tried to soak in. So, grab a beverage, perhaps a light snack (or heavy, whatever you’re feeling), change into comfy clothes and indulge in my words because this one is going to be a doozy.
Friends – I am in love. I truly have joy in my heart which has only been given to me after prayer and faithfulness in God. If you read my blog post, ‘star gazing,’ you may recall that my first week here was extremely hard. I was scared, I was missing home, I was missing my friends and I was missing the familiar. However, I knew what I was getting myself into before I left, so prayer, faithfulness and time were my only hope. How grateful I am to be loving and serving such a wonderful God. Joy is the best way to sum up how I am feeling. Joyful, joyous, joy. I have become familiar with my town, with the people, with the school and with the scenery. Again, I am in love.
Let me introduce you, in more detail, to my family. Consolee (“mama Kellia” because she is the mother of Kellia) surrounds me with hugs, laughter, food and comfort. She is always asking if I am happy, what she can do to make me happier and if I am a good temporary family. She makes me laugh. Hard. She is trying to teach me a traditional Rwandan dance; however, I feel I am letting her down. Papa Kellia bought me powdered milk and powdered chocolate so that I can mix them together to get chocolate milk. What a gentle and kind man - he is very thoughtful and always makes sure I am at the highest of comfort levels. Kellia (7) always snuggles with me before bed time and asks to play with and braid my hair. Since physical touch is my second love language there is never a time when I say no. Every time I hear, ‘sister Stephanie,’ my heart lights up and I want more and more to take her home with me. Kelly (6), is so quiet that half the time I forget he is there. However, when he smiles his toothless smile at me, I can’t help but give a small laugh at his soft goofyness. He usually clings to my left or right arm while Kellia plays with my hair. Kenney (4) pushes himself through the crowd and always manages to piece himself perfectly in my arms. He is my personal African teddy bear. While he sits in my lap he rubs my arms, rubs my face and makes my hands clap together. The thought of leaving him already brings tears to my eyes. Kenneth (2, yes his name is the same as Kenny’s, just the full version), is a child from the devil himself (I mean that in the nicest way possible). His cute way of mimicking me when I first got here has disappeared, and now I only see him as the child who pees on the floor. Yes, you read that correctly. He will literally just pee on our concrete floor. His parents laugh and say, ‘ah, he is so stubborn’. Negative parentals … he is spoiled. He gets what he wants, how much he wants, whenever he wants it. Oh boy, God give me eyes and a heart to see and love him like Jesus.
The scenery is a whole other world and I am afraid no picture will ever do this town justice. Running is my new favourite thing here as I feel as though I am running around the world. When I run down the hill from my house, I imagine that I am running through the hills of Thailand. Although, I have never been to Thailand… I can imagine! It’s distracting while I run, so I end up running into people, into bikes, off the road and even into goats. But…I get a spectacular view out of it so it doesn’t bother me. Running up the hill is bittersweet. Although every muscle in my legs burn, the thought of running straight towards the giant volcano motivates me to keep going. “Run until you touch it” is all I say in my head. Last night I went for an hour run and it was an hour of heaven. Hills, people, animals, action, peace, corners – everything. My heart is pounding not only from the physical activity but from all the emotions I am feeling at the same time.
I know I shouldn’t admit this, but my heart has been stolen. I have a favourite student and I don’t care who knows it – I’ll shout it from a mountain! Her name is Lea, she is 7, and if Nala from the Lion King was a human being Lea would be her. Her lioness eyes hypnotize you the instant you make eye contact and her energetic, outgoingness and adventurous heart only hooks you without giving you hope for survival. She clings herself to me every day and lays upon my lap at break time. My life is a better place with her in it and she encourages me to grow in certain areas of my life. I know that may sound odd that a 7 year old girl could be encouragement to me, but I can’t fully explain how much she has benefited my life already.
Now, since I have told you all about the people and things I have fallen in love with, I feel it is only appropriate I mention someone else... his name is Petey. People told me before I left to not come home engaged, married or in love, however, I don’t call the shots in this crazy thing called life. Petey came into my world a few weeks ago…and boy did he come in with a great first impression. As I was cleaning my room one Sabbath Saturday, Mama Kellia called to me saying I had a visitor. Walking out of my room to the back door, my eyes first gazed upon this African man. His fur necklace and all. Yes, my dear friends, you heard me right. Actually, it was more of a fur choker he wore around his neck, with fake hair hanging from it. I hope you didn’t think it was ME who fell in love with Petey! Most definitely not. Petey heard their was a muzungu in the neighbourhood so he wanted to come over and speak English with me. His conversation quickly led to his desire to find a white wife and support her even though he currently has no job and money. Most of our conversation was a daze because I was so distracted by the “beautiful” piece of art attached to his neck. Petey… what a guy. I can only hope our paths don’t cross again in the near future. Other than Petey, I have been offered 20 cows as a dowry (10 for Consolee, 10 for mumma in Canada), but my most recent upgrade was 2 gorillas!! Wowza was I flattered. But, no need to fret my friends, I will be coming home just as I left: single and happy. That is a promise.
My friends, I am full of joy, I am safe, I am laughing and I am healthy. There is no need to worry about this heart of mine for it is strong and looking forward to what is ahead.
I hope you have enjoyed my first month of Africa as much as I have. I’m missing you all, loving you all, and want to say thank you again for all the messages and love.
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