always sunrise somewhere

Happy New Year!

2009-01-04T13:21:00.000-08:00

I was running errands with my dad yesterday here in Longmont, Colorado, and it is really nice to run errands in this town because a lot of stores are actually within walking distance. What a treat...no driving! So Dad and I took a long walk to the hardware store yesterday.

Our walk was really nice, but it was SO windy....kind of like the Santa Ana winds in southern CA, only since it's mid-winter in Colorado, these are not warm winds! This didn't affect us so much on the way TO the hardware store, because the wind was at our back. But on the way back? Whew. It was a battle. We put our chins down and pressed hard into the wind.

At one point, I made some sort of exclamation about the cold hard wind, and then Dad did something really touching. "Tell you what," he said. "Why don't you walk right behind me, and let me shield you from the wind a little bit?"

I took him up on it, and sure enough, the strength and bitterness of the headwind was significantly reduced. I still felt an awful lot of wind, but it wasn't nearly the way it had been.

And we walked this way for a while, all the way home in fact, the wind whipping around both of us, practically deafening. A lot of the way, I was thinking what a great dad I have.

And then I was thinking about God, suddenly, and what a good Father He is to us, too. Why am I sharing this? I am anticipating the new year....there happen to be a lot of personally exciting things coming up in 2009 for me. But I have some sorrows too, and I also realize that this year promises to be a challenging one for many people. Economic woes, increased global poverty, other circumstances...maybe it's not going to be the easiest year for many of us. But through it all, we have a Father Who says, "Tell you what. Why don't you walk right behind Me, and let Me shield you from the wind a little bit?"

May your new year be blessed and better than you ever could have imagined -- even if it's a little bit windy. We've got such a great Father, and He's asking us all the time, I think, if we'd like to step behind Him, follow Him home, and experience a little shielding from the winds.

---------------------

And just a quick update: I plan to get back out to CA by the end of next week. Bear and I will be driving my car out from CO, and he arrives today here in CO. I am so so sorry if I haven't returned your emails lately -- it's been a busy time with family here. I so look forward to connecting with you once again when I am out in CA. Thank you for all you've done for me this year -- it is so hard to believe it's over!!

crazy antelope

2008-12-23T03:00:00.000-08:00

Becca e-mailed this to me from Kigali a few days back....I am cleaning out my in-box and thought you might enjoy. It totally made me laugh....

Vive l'Afrique....

side note about passports....

2008-12-23T02:08:00.000-08:00

To be filed in the "in case you're interested" file, as I exited South Africa last night I inquired about the passport issue that delayed me for two days in Nairobi -- see two posts below.

The customs official I spoke with last night looked at my passport and said that the US Embassy had actually sent their customs desk a letter, a couple of months ago, that authorized the S. African customs officials to put visas on blank endorsement pages. Endorsement pages are at the back of your passport....different than visa pages; I didn't know this, and never paid much attention, and it turned out to be the reason I wasn't allowed to board the flight to S. Africa. I was told there that endorsement pages could not be used for visas, and therefore I had to stay behind in Nairobi and get blank VISA pages inserted in my passport before I could go. Mind you, I had SPACE for visas in my passport....just no completely blank visa pages left. I did have two blank endorsement pages.

The customs agent last night said that they don't talk to the airlines to inform them of this type of update, and most airlines still think that those endorsement pages can't be used for visas. Yes, I told her, I had experienced that first hand! She said eventually the airlines will realize. Great. And in the meantime? :)

The funny thing in all of this -- or maybe the normal thing, depending on how you look at it -- is that I was prompted several times to simply thank God for the circumstances and leave it at that. Admittedly I didn't FEEL very thankful. I was so disappointed to be left behind! But I did stop and thank Him. it's weird in circumstances like this -- I automatically think I did something wrong, or haven't been listening to God or obeying Him like I should, and so God was trying to punish me. And that's so NOT like God, to dole out random punishment and expect us to figure out where we're not quite hitting the mark. It's also SO like me, to fall into this pattern of thinking that God is some celestial Scorekeeper and I didn't quite meet His expectations, so He needed to give me a nice little 'shape-up-or-else' wrist slap in the form of a missed airplane. Now, THERE's something to be very thankful for, that God IS NOT like that -- I have to (sometimes continually) remind myself that it's not so much about circumstances themselves as it is knowing God's presence (or at least, believing God's presence) in the midst of the circumstances. Anyhow, I'm rambling now. I mentioned below that when I was telling Bear this story, he was really great; after very kindly empathizing with me he suggested maybe this is just preparation for a possible future of international travel. And then he said, "At least you got to visit JP & Clementine!" Which is true - I missed visiting them on my way into Rwanda last year b/c of the post-election violence, and I do wish to point out one more time that they totally rescued me in Nairobi. This was wonderful of them, and all went smoothly, and I am so so thankful to them for their kindness. (Thank you both again, for your hospitality....!)) I am here in Nairobi all day today, but they are in Rwanda, so I would have missed them completely had it not been for the passport problem.

I read an advent devotional the other day, about the cost of worship -- what it cost Jesus to worship (obey) His Father by coming to earth to die, and what it may cost us to worship, too. Worship is sometimes painful, the author pointed out. Maybe someday I will be a little quicker to worship in whatever circumstances I find myself in. And in the meantime, I am very grateful today that God is a whole lot bigger and better than I often remember.

Merry Christmas everyone! I can't WAIT to see you....

anyone got a donkey? or a goat will do....

2008-12-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

Since I have time here in the Nairobi airport, I am catching up on emails, and this made me smile.

A little background: I am included on a big email list of ex-pats in Rwanda, and a variety of requests, announcements, prayer requests, etc., come through on a fairly regular basis. I hope I can stay on the list even though I have departed, because it will keep me connected to the happenings there for a little while longer.

Anyhow, here's the email -- and Kay is totally serious:

Hi everyone,
I wanted to send out a request about a donkey.

My Sunday school class is planning a drama for the end of March or early April and we are in need of a donkey to use as a prop for just a few minutes at the beginning of the play. Does anyone have a tame donkey we could use? Or do you know someone.

The biggest problem is the owner would need to get the donkey to the church on time and then have someone to take care of it and take it home, so I know this is a BIG request, but I think it would make it nice for my kids in my class.

If not a donkey, then I guess we could use a goat. Did they travel with goats during the periods of the Judges????? This will be a play about Ruth and linked to Easter as Jesus is our Kinsman-Redeemer.

Last, I am attaching the Bible memory verses as two people have asked for them. They are a Word document.
Thank you again,

Sincerely,
Kay

There were probably very few people in Rwanda who received this email who thought it was odd -- in fact, probably no one thought twice about it. And Kay will probably find someone who's willing to loan their donkey for her play.

I am going to miss Africa!

travel woes!

2008-12-15T06:28:00.000-08:00

I am supposed to be in Zambia right now with my dad!

Unfortunately, on Saturday night, the same day we left Rwanda, I got stopped at our gate here in Nairobi as we were boarding our plane to South Africa because apparently I didn't have enough blank pages in my passport.

I was aware of the fact that I needed at least one or two blank pages in my passport to get into South Africa, the airport we had to fly through to get to Zambia (which we also had to exit, because our flight arrived late at night and our connecting flight left the next day, so we were spending the night in S. Africa). The last time I'd checked, I had had three blank pages (I thought) but two were Amendment/Endorsement pages, which apparently aren't accepted as blank pages. Wow, I wish I had known....!

Oh, it was a horrible moment. The plane was boarding, and the flight attendants wouldn't let me get on the plane until I got more passport pages. It was Saturday night, and I of course couldn't get to the US Embassy till Monday (today), and then there was no guarantee I'd get extra pages right away, and then there was no guarantee I would get back on a plane to Jo'Burg on Monday night...... In the meantime, my dad had arranged this great trip together....just horrible.

The worst part is, right now you don't actually need a visa to get in or out of South Africa (at least not as an American). So there is no reason why functionally I needed more pages in my passport; it's just a general rule for visitors to S. Africa. Argh!

Anyhow, I told Dad to go on ahead, enjoy the trip to Zambia (sniff!) and I would figure it out and catch up with him. I have amazingly wonderful friends in Nairobi, thankfully, and (although I wasn't so sure how I could contact them, and I hated to bother them) I assured Dad of this and told him I'd be okay. He hesitated and then went on, particularly when the flight attendant told him he'd incur stiff penalties for re-booking his flights. He's actually having a good time there (we've been in touch by email), which makes me happy.

Honestly, God has taken great care of me here -- my friends in Nairobi were leaving on Sunday to go to Rwanda, but they blessedly and generously rescued me on Saturday night, gave me the keys to their house, hooked me up with a friend of theirs so I could even go to church on Sunday (Nairobi Chapel is GREAT!), and then hooked me up with a driver so that I had someone reliable and trustworthy to take me to the Embassy this morning and then back here to the airport. Thank you SO much, my dear friends, if you are reading this - JP & Clementine, you are the best, and I hope I can return the favor one day!! I don't know what I would have done without you....

I was able to successfully get visa pages this morning and am now booked onto the flight tonight. Lord willing, I will meet up with Dad tomorrow. I am now in de-adrenal mode and am getting very tired waiting for my flight!

What a crazy experience. I haven't handled it all that well! I sat down and cried after Dad boarded the plane and I was waiting for the ticket agent to direct me toward the appropriate customs agent. You know, I would like to say that after this time overseas, I would have a little perspective -- after all, far worse things can happen, and are happening, to people all over the world -- but self-absorption really runs deep, I'm afraid!! Bear was really sweet when I told him what happened, and after some email empathizing (he's still in central Asia right now) said that maybe this is just training for overseas work. :) If that's the case.....please pray for me! Ha, I have a long way to go.

Christmas is coming!

2008-12-13T06:52:00.001-08:00

This video caught my attention (thanks, Laura J!). Have you seen it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVqqj1v-ZBU

After being over here for a year, this video makes my heart break.

My dad arrived in Kigali three days ago (tangent below). After our travels together in Rwanda over the past few days, he remarked that what struck him the most was how things that seem so important back home suddenly seem so unimportant.

We went off the beaten path a bit, out into the rural areas and villages, and I had forgotten how uncomfortable it can be, how unsettling....Dad was great, smiling and waving, conversing with locals when we stopped the car, speaking some new Kinyarwandan words and trying out his French (which, charmingly, he has been studying for the past few months in preparation for this trip). But he still expressed that he was a little apprehensive to be so far from paved roads, and familiarity, and anything resembling the structures and systems of safety and security from back home. He mentioned how he couldn't imagine living ten miles from the nearest paved road, like the countless villagers we were bouncing past, over the dirt roads.

And then there were other things that were surprising, too. While we were out on the back roads, we stopped to verify directions. Nobody speaks English out there, so I just said "Musanze?" (our destination) and the villagers crowded around the car and pointed in the right direction (thankfully there's only one way to go, out there). Before we took off again, we offered a lift to a woman with three children, one of them an infant ("Lifty?" is the word I used to ask her if she wanted a ride, in case you wondered). What startled Dad was that, a ways down the road, when the woman indicated to me that it was time to drop her off, I stopped the car but she didn't know how to open the car door. She started hitting the inside of the door with the palm of her hand. I had to lean over the seat and lift the handle so she could get out.

I am curious what you think of the video....

(tangent, from above: Yay!!! It's Dad's first time ever to Africa! He actually got delayed for over 12 hours in Nairobi, and as a result got upgraded to first class for his flight into Kigali. To top it off, he sat two rows in front of Mia Farrow, whom he recognized but didn't harass too much, he says. She asked him what he was doing in Rwanda and he told her he was coming to visit me....but to the frustration of everyone in Kigali to whom he related this story, he didn't have a chance to find out what she was doing in Rwanda because he was in the way of other passengers, being in the aisle and all. Anyhow. End of tangent.)

PS: I am writing this post from the Nairobi airport, and I'm hoping to post more in the coming days. Dad and I are traveling a little bit together through different parts of Africa before we return home to Colorado right before Christmas. Thanks so much for your prayers. And also, thank you for your prayers for help to wrap things up well here in Kigali! It was so sad to leave today, and it also didn't quite seem real....I'll have to write more about that later, though, as our flight is about to take off. I can't wait to see many of you really soon!!

Crazy (blonde?) antelope / travel update

2008-12-13T06:52:00.000-08:00

Dad and I met up just fine in Johannesburg last week, and had a wonderful time together traveling! I am back in Nairobi airport now, on my way home (yes, this is beginning to feel like my second home...especially because I am here for 16+ hours today!!). But no complaints...at least I am booked on a flight, got through passport control okay, etc., etc. I am missing Rwanda but so looking forward to being home with my family for Christmas (Lord willing, if weather permits. I hear there are bad storms in the northern/central US....). We'll see!! Nothing I can do about it, so I am determined to enjoy the journey at this point.

I'll try to post some photos from our trip on Facebook, as soon as I can free up enough space on my hard drive to download my photos from my camera (!). In the meantime, in the spirit of African safari, here's a short video that Becca forwarded me from Kigali about a week ago. I laughed out loud when I saw it -- I think I watched it here in the airport, actually:

It means even more now, because Dad and I saw lions, and giraffe, and impala (kind of like African antelope) over the past few days....we even saw a snarling lion pride fight one another as they tore into a fresh kill (a water buck). Wow, what a show. But we didn't see any blonde antelope. Maybe next time. :)

a practical side of hope

2008-12-10T00:26:00.000-08:00

I was talking with my twin sister yesterday, and she asked if I was going to update this blog and tell about my "wrapping up" activities here in Rwanda.

I wish I had time!! It has been a whirlwind few weeks trying to tie up loose ends, mostly at work, and even now there are a few of those loose ends still flapping in the breeze of goodbyes.

I will try to write more later on tonight, and post some photos of the really special good-bye parties that have been happening here (it's in the culture, to have goodbye parties, and it does really make you feel special, wow).

Talk to you soon. I hope. :)

World AIDS Day - taking action

2008-11-30T22:12:00.000-08:00

Please join World Relief in commemorating World AIDS Day today, December 1st.

For more information about what World Relief is doing around the world to join in the fight against HIV/AIDS, please check out the links below:

Winning the battle against AIDS in Cambodia: http://community.wr.org/Page.aspx?pid=1306

HIV/AIDS in Livingstonia: http://community.wr.org/Page.aspx?pid=1313

Abstinence pledges soar in the face of AIDS: http://community.wr.org/Page.aspx?pid=1312

And here are two simple ways for any of us to take action:

The Alive Campaign - Now is the Time to Act
Add your name to Integral's message to the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon. World Relief is asking all of its staff to participate. For more information and to sign, click here.

And pray!! God hears, especially on behalf of the poor and suffering. Please join me today in taking a few minutes to pray for those who are suffering from HIV/AIDS. It's a disease that has many faces.

I have a dear friend in California, Austin, who is an actor and humanitarian worker and aspiring nurse, and who is HIV+. He has the privilege of living in the USA and embracing life and living it to its fullest, and he lives his life with a strong faith in a loving God, and he's an inspiration to us all! But I know it's not always easy for him.

Then I think of the widow Christine that I met here in Rwanda, the one who was dying of AIDS and was facing incredible hardship, but whose face shone in the darkness of her little mud hut when she talked about the goodness of her Jesus.

Then, there are thousands of children every day, innocent children, who have either been born with HIV or who will lose a parent to the disease. Children. How can they understand that it's not their fault, that they're not forgotten, that there is still a God who loves them very much??

Thank you for your prayers for each and everyone, and that God would dwell near to each hurting heart.

Happy Thanksgiving from Kigali!

2008-11-27T02:57:00.000-08:00

It's Thanksgiving! Not really, here in Rwanda, but I feel nostalgic today for family and pumpkin pie and Cool Whip and Thanksgiving Eve services at Ev Free, and (yum) candied yams...

So in honor of Thanksgiving-that-is-happening-half-a-world-away, I am sitting here during my lunch hour thinking about how much there is to be thankful for. And honestly, I'm getting a little overwhelmed, and even beginning to feel a little uncomfortable because I know I have been blessed with so much.

Then, I remembered a great conversation I had with one of my dear friends and beloved mentors, Sue, back in June.

I was sitting in her living room and telling her how I felt so completely blessed and humbled at this season in my life by God's goodness, and I just was trying to think about what I could do to thank Him, to try to show Him just how thankful I felt.

She smiled a little bit, and said, "Yes, we often do want to DO things for God, don't we, especially those do-ers among us."

(If you don't know, that's me, a possibly textbook do-er. Sometimes I try to hide it, but it's true. Sue, of course, knows this very well.)

Then, with a voice full of warmth and compassion that I've come to love and cherish, she said, "Maybe He just wants you to receive His blessings with a thankful heart. And just be blessed. Maybe that's what He wants."

Her wisdom, like it always does, sailed into my heart like a deep breath in a wide open space. There's nothing wrong with doing things for God. It's just, sometimes, it's not what's required, is it? There's plenty of time for turn-over of blessings, for us to seek to bless God, to seek to bless others. But it's okay to let it happen when it happens, and not force it to happen. It's okay sometimes just to delight in His blessings. It's okay sometimes to just...be....thankful. Sometimes that's more than enough.

Sometimes I can hardly believe that's God.

You know, I love stars. I really do. I actually have some personal history with stars, even....embedded in the story of my past, there's something important in there about stars. Now whenever I think about the stars, they remind me of God, and His power and greatness and BIGness. But for some reason as I've been writing this quick entry, I started thinking about the stars, and it suddenly hit me that the stars don't DO anything. They're just...stars. And that's enough to inspire praise, and thoughts about God, and thoughts about God's goodness.

So this Thanksgiving, while my natural bent is to, well, DO something, instead I'd like to just...be...thankful. And my God, I pray that in this, You will be glorified.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

(PS: I love you, Sue!)

Thanksgiving....

2008-11-26T00:26:00.000-08:00

I know it's a day early (and we don't even celebrate it here!) but I wanted to express my thanksgiving for a beautiful friend of mine here in Rwanda.

Baraka (whose name means "blessing" in Swahili) is really an exceptional person, committed from her heart to serve the needy around her. (And in case you're wondering, she doesn't usually wear a red head covering like the one above! It was a gift from Bear when he was here.)

Before I left to go see Bear, Baraka was collecting clothes from anyone who wanted to donate them, and then she held a type of yard sale in her village, selling the clothes at a very inexpensive price.

For those who could not afford to come buy clothes, she made an offer to others to make a donation to the yard sale, and then she would give that donation to needy people in the community to use toward buying clothes.

The purpose of the sale was to raise money to pay for health insurance for needy children in her community (the government has a national health insurance plan that costs about $2/year for a child....but some families can't quite afford that, or have too many children to pay for all of them). It turns out that Baraka raised enough money to cover the cost of insurance for several children in her community....I'll find out how many exactly on Sunday. Awesome!! I was especially happy because the research findings from earlier this year showed that the number one reason families don't take care of their sick children in a timely manner is because they don't have health insurance.... Baraka, you are wonderful!

I also want to request prayer for Baraka's fourth lay counseling training this year, being held this week. As part of her ministry, Gate of Hope, she has been hosting a series of trainings for 15-20 Rwandans who want to learn to help others work through psychological needs, trauma, etc. This training week is always a busy but fruitful week for her....I know she would love your prayers. Here's a photo of her from the training back in May:

Baraka, thank you for being an inspiration to us and for serving those around you -- you are a blessing to us all.

there and back again

2008-11-25T02:23:00.000-08:00

If living in developing countries is going to be a big part of my future, I do wonder if it will ever become less strange to board a plane in a place like, say, Kigali, and get off a plane in a place like, oh, London.

The contrast is always kind of baffling. I have to prepare myself for it in my head, on the plane, somewhere in the airspace above the developed nation I'm about to visit, or I just get a little overwhelmed when I take steps outside customs and I can suddenly do something crazy like actually use my credit card (not an option in Kigali, in case you visit). And then, there are all these stores....I can buy a toothbrush (in case I, um, happened to leave it behind - why do I always do that?) or a bag of chips or a magazine in English, or a KitKat. It's so....bizarre.

It was no less bizarre this time (and yes, I did in fact forget my toothbrush, yet again, and was grateful that they are easy to come by in Heathrow!). From London I headed north on the train to a place called Shropshire, where I was to rendez-vous with Bear and his recently evacuated colleagues. There was a serious security incident in the country he was working in, targeting his org and people in his org, so the board ordered everyone out. The whole group, including board members, had gathered for a debrief and planning-for-the-future retreat there in the UK.

It was an honor to meet all of Bear's colleagues -- families, singles, older, younger -- who had simply been seeking to serve the less fortunate in a way that would honor God and bring blessing to others. It wasn't an easy time for them, as many were making decisions about their futures in ways they had never foreseen when they had started their journey of service. But there was a definite sense of God's presence and it seemed that we could just feel that many were praying for the group. It was a total privilege for me to be there, and I'm thankful for the opportunity. And I guess it goes without saying to say that it was completely wonderful to see Bear, and what's more, in a relatively safer place than he's been for a while! It was so sweet to be with him there.

After the retreat, Bear and I spent a little time on vacation (I had the time set aside already at work, as I had been planning to visit Bear for a while....just not in the UK!). I confess I felt a little bit guilty for taking this vacation, but it was really good to do it....it was a good time to process things through a little, and just spend time together after a fairly stressful month.

We found inexpensive flights to France and spent some time in Normandy, a region featuring Calvados, brie, William-the-Conqueror chateaus, and Mt. St. Michel. It's also a countryside shadowed in memories of D-Day. (Incidentally, there is a really lovely new museum at the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach. If you're in the area. The stories of heroism and honor are beautifully told.) Here's the cemetery close to sunset, and a photo of the main monument from the direction of the new museum:

The nice thing about Normandy in November is that it is relatively inexpensive for a European vacation. If you're wondering, we somehow managed to bypass Paris (tres cher, even in November)! But Bear found out I am secretly waiting for him to kiss me under the Eiffel Tower so hopefully some day, maybe post-marriage, we can arrange that....

We shot through London again on our way back to our respective countries (Bear is going back to central Asia until the end of December, actually, just not to the same country) and Sunday morning we were able to attend a service at Westminster Abbey (which was lovely, if not a bit...drafty! I got really cold!). But besides that, it was really a beautiful place and the chaplain spoke about who rules our lives, or what rules our lives, and how the world might be different if Love Incarnate truly did rule our hearts. Before leaving London, we managed to eat fish and chips and a drink a pear cider (for you, Dad) at an appropriately monikered place near the London Tower called "Hung, Drawn, and Quartered." Mmm, British humor. I mean, humour.

I am back in Africa now for my final 3 weeks, and I have hit the ground with both feet running. Actually, I need to get going as my lunch break is over!! I need to email many of you and will try to do that today and tomorrow (thanks for your emails!). Also thanks for continued prayer for Bear and others from his org, as well as a specific prayer request from Bear for the in-country nationals who were left behind in the country that his team had to leave. May the work multiply now. Thank you!

checking in!

2008-11-05T22:08:00.000-08:00

It has been, I confess, a difficult three weeks here...but it has also been, at times, encouraging, fascinating, heartbreaking, and exhilarating. I haven't posted regularly for so many reasons, but here is a run-down of the goings-on around here lately:

It's hard not to start with a tragic and sorrowful event that has colored the last few weeks in a singular way and has been somewhat alarming at a personal level....except for I can't really write much about it here on this blog! Security issues. Bear has had to leave the country he was working in because of a senseless tragedy that occurred to one of his co-workers. Please do send me an email if you'd like more info. And thank you all so much for your prayers during this time...I can't even begin to tell you how you've encouraged me. It's been kind of scary.

I was supposed to go visit Bear next week where he was working (a planned trip for quite some time), and now instead I will go and join him and his co-workers in the UK, where they've evacuated and are doing debrief. In fact, I am en route as we speak, typing this in the Nairobi airport and hoping that in a minute I can catch up on some personal emails I owe some of you.... I am SO looking forward to seeing him and also meeting the people he's been working with, although I confess I wish it were under different circumstances.

Another difficult situation has arisen in the past 10 days just across the northwest border of Rwanda, about two hours from here by car, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Hundreds of thousands of refugees have been fleeing their villages and trying to survive in makeshift camps as fighting has broken out between rebels and government soldiers in this area. But, like many other African conflicts, "rebels" might actually be a mis-nomer, as this group of fighters claim that they are actually protecting their people against Hutu militants whose antics the government forces have allegedly failed to adequately address. There is a long and complicated history here, and Rwanda is involved in a unique way because of the ethnic component to the conflict. For more information, here are two news articles:

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/05/labott.foreign.policy/index.html
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/05/afghanistan.civilians/index.html?iref=topnews

We have been praying a lot for an end to this conflict, and supernatural intervention seems to be the only hope at this moment. WR has an office and staff in Goma, a town very close to the fighting, which adds a personal element to the unfolding tragedy. Last week, we actually were able to host at our house a family of girls from Goma whose father, Amos, a WR accountant, had to travel to Uganda. Amos knew it wasn't safe to leave the girls behind while he traveled, so he brought them down to Kigali.

With much laughter (which was either a defense mechanism or simply non-cohesive emotional response, or maybe both?) the young woman told us stories of how they had been hiding under the kitchen table for two days while they heard shooting and grenade explosions not far from their home. They said they were scared, but they would sing and pray and then stop when they heard explosions, and then they would start again.

Beyond the terrible circumstances that led them to us, they were a delight to get to know and to spend time with. Here they are singing the Congolese version of Happy Birthday to Phil:

In other news, something I haven't shared yet on this blog, the results of the PhotoVoice activity from a few months' ago is proceeding in a new direction. From the start, I really hoped and desired that these young people would take ownership of the results of the initial project, especially since my time here is up at the end of this year. Perhaps about 6 weeks ago I was able to help the young adults select a leadership committee and then I went through a foundational lesson about relief vs. development with them. I also explained that since I wouldn't be in the country long-term, I wasn't going to be able to lead any more activities, but I could help out where I could.

Well, how many ways can I say that I am SO proud of them? They have completely taken the initiative, arranged to meet together weekly, and have come up with a project involving all of the young adults at their church. Their plan is to help 20, and eventually 40, of their most impoverished neighbors plant home gardens, so that these families will have fruits and vegetables year-round.

What's more, they wrote a letter to Interior fellowship back home in CA requesting funding for fruit trees -- the young adults here wanted to give one fruit tree to each poor family as a gesture of good will. The very cool thing was that in one night, Interior raised almost twice as much money as was requested for this project....yay Interior! Of course, that's the very generous and giving spirit of that group; I guess I can say safely that I'm not too surprised! But if you are from Interior and reading this, on behalf of the young adults here, I'd like to say THANK YOU. :)

We started planting seedlings together last week, and (don't laugh, please) I got another chance to hoe. You might remember the last time I did some hoe-ing was in the Philippines, and everyone laughed at me, I have no idea why.

The good news is I think I'm actually getting better. Honestly. Perhaps I'll be a farmer.

....And here are some of the young people showing me how it's REALLY done....

More shots of the day:

In the past three weeks, there have also been some positive developments in the work I've had the privilege of being involved with this year. The research project has been successfully terminated, the key behavior change message workshop yielded a whole set of what we hope and believe are culturally sensitive behavior change messages about child health issues, and now (via the MOH) WR has been tasked with taking the lead on the application of the messages in the community. This basically means creating training modules for community-based health workers. There's a lot of work but it's been interesting so far (my role has been to work on counseling cards, which are simple tools for community workers to use with their neighbors). What a year -- I've learned so much and feel very thankful.

Okay...over and out. I don't know when I will be able to blog next, but I'll do my best. I am looking forward to getting caught up in person with many of you, in just a couple of months! Wow! Take care for now... - C

Inspiring story

2008-10-18T02:58:00.001-07:00

Hi - I just saw this great story about an East Africa refugee on CNN.com (link below), and it reminded me about the power of forgiveness. This woman didn't let herself be poisoned by unforgiveness, and instead saw a miraculous chain of events unfold when she chose to forgive...

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/10/16/heroes.sarandon.mapendo/index.html

I read these types of stories and always want to ask myself afterward if I'm holding on to any unforgiveness in my life, you know? Letting go of past hurts and anger can be hard, but not nearly as hard as carrying them around with us, I think.... and nothing is impossible with God.

Encouraging news about child survival in Rwanda....

2008-10-15T23:04:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I was down in Kibogora again (this time for work, although yes, I missed Bear not being there!). I snapped the above shot on Tuesday morning, during a child nutrition meeting for mothers. The mothers in the background are washing their hands and the hands of their children in preparation for eating the (nutritious, balanced!) meal they had prepared in the house behind them. Props for handwashing, and for mothers' nutrition meetings! Here these gatherings and habits can actually be life-saving practices.

Related to this, while I was in Kibogora I was also working on my final report for the research project results, and I read some exciting news while I was going through the hot-off-the-press, newest version of the Rwanda Demographic Health Survey (DHS). The Rwandan government puts out a new DHS every two to three years, and the survey examines the most pressing health needs in the country.

Here's the hopeful news: while in 2005, 1 in 7 children here in Rwanda were dying of preventable disease (malaria, pneumonia, diarrhea, etc.), in early 2008 (the survey was conducted from January to April), only 1 in 10 children were dying of preventable disease. So the child mortality rate has now dropped from 14% to 10% for children under five years old; that's the lowest rate since 1992, pre-war days, and the rate appears to be dropping even more.

There are lots of factors contributing to this drop; country-wide health interventions such as the one pictured above are just one factor among many. And of course there is MUCH work still to be done (1 in 10 children is still an unacceptably high rate....). But here in the child survival community, we are delighted to see the numbers moving this way. Thanks for rejoicing with us!! I was reminded to thank God for the ways He has and is answering prayer on behalf of the most vulnerable children in this country.

about the ring, and a few other things

2008-10-05T06:03:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone --- first, I just want to thank you SO much for your sweet comments and your emails of encouragement....I feel so so so blessed by you. Wow, thank you. :) I will try to respond to each of you personally very soon...thanks for your patience as I am battling somewhat spotty internet and trying to catch up with work (Bear left today...so it is back to work for me!).

I forgot to tell you more about the ring (photo above)!! (Jen D and Chris B, thanks for the first reminders...just what I would expect from stellar wedding photographers!).

After we talked about it, a ways back, Bear and I had decided that a diamond alternative was the right thing for us, and an aquamarine turned out to be our stone of choice. The significance of an aquamarine is partly geographical (it's a popular and precious stone in the country where Bear works), partly financial (it's affordable while still being beautiful) and partly symbolic (an aquamarine symbolizes faithfulness, courage and friendship, three qualities we pray characterize our marriage and future life together).

The symbolic meaning of the color blue also has a Biblical meaning symbolizing heavenly grace...something that we have been given over-abundantly, can never do without, and know we need lots of!

And finally, the aquamarine is named from "aqua marina," which means "sea water," and in folklore the aquamarine was a symbol of security and safety during travel (across the seas). So even though we don't travel BY sea today, the significance was still, well, kind of appropriate, we thought, for overseas travel.

The band itself was custom-made in the US (isn't it pretty? wow!) and it actually crossed the Atlantic twice (because of re-sizing) before it was tucked in a pouch around Bear's neck and made the journey into Africa. This ring should have frequent flyer miles attached! (If you happen to be reading this and you were a ring courier along any part of the way...thank you so much!). The stone too saw some mileage; it was mined in Bear's country and then shipped across the border for polishing before coming back, only to be shipped off to the US for ring completion.

So, that's the ring story. :) I have some traditional Rwandan marriage-related conversation that you might find to be interesting, but that will also have to wait for another post. For instance, engagements don't happen here the same way they do in the West, so when I tell Rwandans that "I got engaged" this week they aren't nearly as excited as westerners are. Anyhow, more on that later.

Again, I do regret that we haven't been able to touch base with each of you personally to share our news...thank you so much for understanding!! After a few days of rest (and the proposal!) in Kibogora, we headed north to visit some good friends and colleagues, and when we got back to Kigali we had a rushed few days of visits and socializing with friends here before going north to spend quality time with some mountain gorillas (pictures to follow in a later post). We finished off our trip as the very blessed guests of Baraka and her family, and Vic got to meet some precious friends at church this morning in Gasabo. All this to say that we haven't been very close to internet (and therefore, skype) very often...the fastest way to share our news was to blog and go the un-preferred route of the email blast...

I look forward to catching up with each of you....thank you again for your notes of encouragement! xo

Yego means Yes :)

2008-10-01T08:09:00.000-07:00

After a crazy crazy busy month here (hence the lack of recent posts!), Bear came for a 10-day visit!! Actually, he's still here. And I am so excited to share....we are engaged!!

We spent a relaxing four days out in Kibogora at one of my favorite places in Rwanda, a quiet and lovely mission compound with a beautiful view of Lake Kivu and with a rich history of compassionate missionary activity spanning back at least 70 years. It's always fun to see old friends there (you probably know I've been out there several times already this year because of work that WR does in that region), and it's a fun place to be to meet new people who are staying on the grounds (there are a few different houses where guests can stay).

Bear and I arrived at the mission compound on Thursday, and for a few days spent time relaxing, catching up with one another, enjoying the scenery, and spending time with other guests as well as with Sheila (a British woman who runs the mission and who's been there for 25 years!). It was such a nice time to unwind from a busy work schedule and just spend time together.

On Sunday Bear and I took an early-morning walk to watch the sunrise, something I've never done in Rwanda. It was a beautiful, clear morning, with a slightly cool breeze. We walked through the nearby village of Kibogora and up a hill at the end of the road, where we had a great view of the hills across the valley over which the sun would come up. The sky began to lighten and brighten in front of our eyes, and we chatted and took photos as we waited for the sun to appear. I found out later that Bear had planned to ask me to marry him then, just as we watched the sun poke out over the hilltops across the way. But Bear noticed (and I had noticed also!) that our hilltop watch also happened to be the location where the villagers came to fill their jerrycans every morning with water from the nearby water pump, and the line for water was getting longer every minute. And while they waited to get water, they began to form a semi-circle around us, out of curiosity to see what these two muzungus were doing there! So for the sake of privacy Bear changed his mind and decided to wait!

After watching the rays of sun peek over the horizon, and after snapping a few more photos, we headed back to the mission compound for a quiet and peaceful breakfast on the back porch of the place I was staying on the mission compound. Our view looked down out over the lake, and as the sun began to shimmer in the waters and the world around us continued to stir and awaken, we reminisced about the way God has led our friendship and our relationship, and talked about the future ahead.

I remember thinking, 'Wow, I hope he asks me now....this would be perfect.' But then it actually got a bit more perfect, as Bear took my hand and began to pray, thanking God for His leading and blessing, and praying for God's guidance for the future. And then he got down on his knee, took out a beautiful, delicate aquamarine ring (more on that in a minute), and asked me to marry him... I paused, just taken up with the moment and a little bit awed at how this was really happening, so thankful for all God had done and was doing..... And then I said yes! A lot of times. In a few different languages. :)

So, that is the story. Bear is an amazing man and I feel so blessed to be with him. We didn't have good internet connection for three days after that, so we couldn't tell any of our far-away loved ones (you!) right away. And we would also have preferred to tell you individually! But thanks for letting us share the news this way. And we are so excited to share the news! I have to go right now to dinner but I will share more later.... Thank you all for your love and support!

IRS is not what I thought

2008-08-26T09:47:00.000-07:00

I am swamped with data analysis from the research during the past few weeks, and I am in the midst of preparing for our upcoming week-long workshop (we'll be using the findings from the research to develop appropriate messages targeting the communities). BUT I wanted to share with you a few photos from the past few days (this may be it for a while, until I am un-swamped!):

First of all, due to limited staff availability I was tapped to attend the annual IRS launch in a nearby health district. (I admit that it was a little tough to be pulled away from my desk and workload...but this is for the team!) At first I thought, IRS? What? But here, IRS stands for Indoor Residual Spraying, and is part of the (US) President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) to reduce malaria incidence in countries where malaria is endemic. (Rwanda is one of those countries.) The Rwandan Ministry of Health also has a malaria-reduction program, so together the governments have aggressively been tackling the problem. IRS is one component of the approach used to reduce malaria incidence here; it's pretty self-explanatory, i.e., homes are sprayed with an insecticide, so mosquitoes carrying the malaria virus are killed when they land on walls that have been sprayed. The IRS program is one example of our US tax dollars at work, and it is exciting to report that since 2005, malaria prevalence here in Rwanda has been reduced by 40%! In addition, while only a year ago 40% of overall caseloads in the health centers were related to malaria, today only 15% of health center caseloads can be attributed to malaria. Yay!! This means fewer child deaths too, of course, as the majority of malaria deaths in Rwanda occur in children 10 and under.

Here are a couple of photos of the event yesterday, which included a big ceremony and then the inaugural house-spraying (pictured). While the chemical spray (a DDT derivative) is harmless to humans once it's been sprayed (and it's environmentally safe, for those of you who wondered), it's still toxic while being sprayed, so the sprayers are well-protected:

Here's the house that was sprayed:

Secondly....this is a random shot from last week, out in Nyamasheke. There was a huge vaccination campaign in Rwanda last week, in fact. You will be happy to note that twice a year the government has been sweeping the country, vaccinating every child, administering Vitamin A and Mebendazole (anti-worm medicine), and counseling families about family planning methods. Here are moms and children proudly displaying their vaccination cards:

Finally, the President of WR is here in town, staying at Phil and Becca's, and the other night some WR-Rwandan staff were over for dinner. Becca decided to serve Chinese food, for fun, and the staff learned how to use chopsticks. Some had never used them before, and they were very fast learners (they didn't want to eat with their hands!):

Talk to you again soon, I hope...I'll do my best to keep in touch here! Hope all's well back home....

PhotoVoice (thanks, Interior!)

2008-08-23T05:18:00.000-07:00

I was going to write about culture shock today, but I think I'll leave it till later. In case you wondered if I ever experience culture shock here, I do....and as I recently came to realize, sometimes I don't even realize it! But maybe that will be tomorrow's post.

Today, I want to share how the PhotoVoice activity has been going at Baraka's church.

PhotoVoice is a community development tool I learned about while earning my MPH. The activity itself is simple: send small teams of community members (usually youth) out into their local communities with disposable cameras. Instruct them to take photos of both the needs they see in their communities, and the strengths in their communities (also known as community assets).

This is a quick tangent (if you prefer to track the main point of this blog entry, please skip to the next paragraph, where the main point continues!): whenever I see the word "asset," I have to smile, because it reminds me of Bear. This is because one of the first movies we went to together was the third Bourne movie (Ultimatum? or Supremacy? I can never quite keep them straight) where one of my favorite lines was, "Eliminate the asset." And now I can't see or write or say the word 'asset' without thinking of that movie, and then thinking of Bear, and then smiling. It's like a little gift from God, that word.

So. Back to the main point. Where were we? Assets. (Smile.) After the youth take photos of the strengths and assets (smile) in their community, the photos are developed and handed back to the teams. The teams then use their photos to create a presentation about the needs (and assets!) they discovered in their community in the course of taking the photos, and then all the teams share their presentations with one another. Finally, the groups brainstorm together ways that they can help meet the needs in their community (using their community's assets[!], where possible).

There are layers of purpose to the activity: besides just a tool to raise awareness and reach out to serve the local community, the activity is also designed to empower young people to believe they can make a positive difference in the world around them.

We did the PhotoVoice activity together in Baraka's church this past month (while I was home on weekends I helped introduce and facilitate the activity to a group of young adults, and while I was gone during the weeks, they forged ahead, taking photos, creating presentations, etc.). Right now, we are at the brainstorming stage; the young adults have finished presenting their photos to one another and are now thinking and taking time to pray (their suggestion!) about what needs God would have them to prioritize in their community, because they discovered a lot of different needs.

I want to thank the Interior adult fellowship at Ev Free Fullerton for providing the disposable cameras for this project....you have played an important role in a project that is still growing, here in this Rwandan community. Special thanks to Baraka who didn't think twice about doing all the translating necessary in order for the project to go forward. And thank you all for your continued prayers, that God would continue to use the young adults in this church to impact the world around them and make a positive difference in the lives of their neighbors. I feel certain that God smiles at this, as He sees these wonderful, motivated, and amazing young people being light to a dark world.

Here's a photo of the young adults at the first meeting:

Here are a few shots of some of the teams, with their cameras. Each of the groups had a team leader and they each had a team name (I don't have the list of team names with me, but they had names like "The Good Samaritans" and "The Five Brothers")

Here are a few shots of the teams presenting their photos to one another:

The needs that the young adults identified in their community ran the gamut. One group took this photo, explaining that this was an unmarried woman who had three children, by three different men. All she wanted out of life was to find another man and have more children. The group identified "family planning" as the need, stating that it wasn't good to birth children you couldn't care for, but they also understood that this woman was looking for love in all the wrong places. Understanding the love of God through Jesus' love for her could dramatically alter this woman's whole pursuit in life:

Another group identified the reaaaaaally dusty main road as a big community problem:

Still another saw that child labor was a big issue:

Other needs listed were: weeds everywhere, lack of care of grounds/property, drunkenness, young children taking care of even younger siblings, street children (b/c of single mothers), one-room home (for 7 children plus the goats), men over-eating while their hungry children stood behind and watched, two men fighting while others stand around to watch and clap, wasting food instead of giving it to others who are hungry, no graves for the poor -- just for the rich, too much food of bad quality, a local beggar who is dirty and eats anything, local people who have disabilities, smoking, no latrines, malnutrition, stagnant water that encourages the mosquitoes, cooking from dirty pots, inadequate facilities for pre-school, and mis-use of water by those who have too much of it.

The assets (smile, sigh) in the community were: kids in the community playing sports together, kids coming to church together, small businesses succeeding in the community, children washing themselves, and children working well together to solve problems.

Thanks again for your prayers of support....I am looking forward to seeing how God will be using the young adults at Baraka's church to address some of these needs that they have identified. During our last meeting, we talked about how God Himself, and His love and power, were HUGE assets(!)....much opportunity lies ahead to change the world around them for the better. :)

Back in Kigali....

2008-08-22T01:05:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! How've you been??! Hope you're all doing well and enjoying the last few weeks of summer. You might be like me, asking yourself where in the world the summer has gone to.... I think that's either a sign that we've been working too hard, or playing too hard....or maybe both! Here, I think it's been both.....

It's been a month since I've had time and/or working internet connection to blog! But thank you for your prayers while I've been out on the field for research...everything went fairly smoothly (and when it didn't, God opened other doors!). I had a great time getting to know the researchers better (there were 24 of them), and together we learned some interesting things about care-seeking behaviors for children, among Rwandans. I'll blog about it a little more later....I really want to share some of the things I learned with you all. We're analyzing data now to prep for the next step of the project.

While I've spent much of my time out on the field in the past five weeks, I have been 'home' in Kigali on weekends. However, three of those four weekends, my good friend Jennifer from the USA has been in town and so we were busy running around Kigali and getting caught up on life in general...it was great to have her here. :) She was a blessing with some research she's conducted here as well, in child abuse (some sad stories emerged from her research...I'll tell you about this later on, too). I've also been busy on weekends with a PhotoVoice activity with the young adults at Baraka's church....again, I'll write an update soon! But thanks again to Interior at Ev Free for facilitating this project...yay!!

Many of you have asked about Bear. He is doing great, working on language learning, enjoying mid-day tea and political debate with the locals (also a good way to work on language!), and starting in on some medical work and clinic supervision as well. He's got another wave of community development trainings coming up later on in the fall. Bear is adjusting really well to his new life there and his balanced perspective about serving and working overseas in his conditions really encourages me. (Not to sound like a broken record, but) more on that later, too.:) Thanks for your continued prayers for him.

Mainly I wanted to just give you an update that I'm back in Kigali. Hope you're doing well there, too! Thanks for your encouraging emails and notes; it is always great to hear from you. And just for fun, here's a shot of Jenn and me and the young adults from Baraka's church involved in PhotoVoice....they are great!

bear update & photovoice

2008-07-19T00:41:00.000-07:00

I wanted to thank you all for praying for Bear. Bear said thank you too! He is doing really well; he had a great week facilitating a training-of-trainers workshop, and he's diving headlong into language lessons now. He's planning on doing a little bit of travel in the upcoming days, just a little bit east of where he's living now, with the head of the organization he's working with.

A funny thing happened at a get-together here last night, at a friend's house. I ran into a family that I'd met back in March (haven't seen them since; their daughter is here in Rwanda, and we don't cross paths too much because of our busy schedules; her parents live back in the States and happen to be visiting her again).

When I met the family in March, the mom had told me about her husband, how he had lived for a while in the same central Asian country where Bear works, and how there's a whole support network in the USA for workers in that country. I had forgotten about it until recently, but maybe last week I remembered our conversation and was interested in knowing more. I had even gone to Facebook this week to try to contact their daughter and find out more info from the mom....and then what do you know, I end up at a party with the mom herself last night. :) Do you believe in coincidences? Me neither.

At any rate, it was great to get connected with the mom again (and the rest of the family, too, actually....they are quite an interesting family). Through her I hope to connect up with the support network in the USA, who actually has yearly meetings all over the country.

Today I am looking forward to hanging out with the youth from Baraka's church for a few hours...we're going to do PhotoVoice together! My adult fellowship back home, Interior (shout out to this awesome Ev Free Fullerton gang!) supplied disposable cameras for a group of teenagers here. So today, after we go through the good Samaritan story together (the teens will do a mini-drama for one another), the teens will receive a camera. We'll talk about camera care and photography etiquette (and also just basic picture-taking skills, since many may have never used a camera before). Then they'll go out into the community in small groups and take photos of the various needs they see. They'll also take photos of things that they're proud of in their community, and thankful for.

Once the photos are developped, we'll get together again and the teens will sort through their photos and present their work to one another. Then all together, they'll decide on how they can help to meet some of the needs that they identified in their community, how they can show mercy and compassion in a tangible way, to serve those around them on behalf of the One Who has showed us so amazingly how to serve. Thanks for your prayers!! And thanks again to Interior for supplying the cameras!! I'll keep you posted.

praying for Bear

2008-07-15T01:45:00.000-07:00

I am really thankful for all of the people out there who read this blog (and pray) and stay updated on my life over here in Africa. What a huge blessing. :) It is encouraging to get your notes of support and to hear you say that you've read the blog and are praying. Thank you thank you.

So, because you are a faithfully praying crowd, I wanted to request prayer for the 'significant other' in my life, a really incredible guy, who from now on I'll refer to as "Bear" on this blog. I'm calling him Bear instead of his real name because (as many of you know) he's working in a volatile place overseas, and taking precautions about identity-protection is a necessity. In fact, I've removed previous blog pages that refer to him here. Many of you know him, or have met him....and if you haven't, I do hope you will sometime soon.

Notwithstanding, Bear needs prayer! (Oh, that rhymes. Smile.) Last week, Bear was traveling from the US out to the country where he'll be working in central Asia for the next six months (email me and I can tell you which one exactly if you don't know already). He was scheduled to arrive there the same day that our research training began, and toward the end of the training, I got a text from him telling me that he had safely arrived in the capital...and that he'd supposed I'd heard already about the bombing that morning, in that same city, where over 50 people were killed.

Honestly, I almost started crying and then realized I couldn't really cry at the training. It was kind of a weird feeling. No, I hadn't heard about the bombing, although I was glad he was safe in his residence, and so happy he'd contacted me himself before I'd read about it online or something. Now, he's been in-country for about 10 days, and during that time there have been at least four other altercations with associated casualties that I've been reading about, mostly in the southern part of his country, so not close to where he lives, but still. And kidnappings there, even in the capital, especially of foreign workers like Bear, is not uncommon.

So thank you for your prayers! There are so many needs in his country, and unfathomable social and cultural complications and conditions. Together with nationals and expatriate workers alike, he is essentially doing community development work, making himself available to make a difference in the lives of those who are most vulnerable, especially mothers, children, and the poor. But we know that ultimately prayer is what will make the biggest difference. Would you please pray for him? Please pray that he would be a vessel to bring love and hope into the hearts of people who have little reason to believe in love or hope anymore. Please pray for his safety in-country, for him and for all his co-workers. I'll find out if he has any other specific requests for you too. THANK YOU again for your prayer....

4th of July in Rwanda

2008-07-14T23:30:00.000-07:00

I meant to post this over a week ago: here's an evening photo of the brand new (as of February) US Embassy here in Kigali:

There was a reception on the evening of July 3rd at the Embassy for NGO leaders and other in-country Americans, to celebrate the 4th of July. Then on the 4th, there was a big picnic on the Embassy lawn for Rwandans and Americans alike (again, Rwanda celebrates Liberation Day on July 4th, so it is a dual-holiday for Americans living in Rwanda).

The Ambassador is giving a speech in the photo, at the podium, and while I don't know what exactly I was expecting from his speech, I ended up being really encouraged by all he shared regarding how Rwandans and Americans are partnering together to help the country grow....everything from harvesting methane from Lake Kivu (which would ensure Rwanda's energy independence), to building a gas pipeline into Rwanda from Nairobi, to investing in real estate, to just simply building relationships between individuals from both countries.

After reading Darrow Miller's "Discipling the Nations" last year, I had to smile to see how God-given concepts like "freedom," "independence," "hope," and "future" were all evident in the Ambassador's speech as he described the spirit of the work going on here in this country. In spite of all the struggles here, a sense of hope does pervade the country, and there are many wonderful things happening, at many levels of society. The spiritual aspects of development embedded in the social aspects are striking at times. All the same, I continue to pray that while Rwanda develops as a nation in a way that honors God, the poor and destitute here in the country will not be forgotten. There are still so many needs that go unmet, so many children that go to bed hungry, so many people sleeping on a dirt floor at night and barely scraping by. Thank you for your continued prayers!! And may God get the glory.

research update

2008-07-13T22:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much to all of you for your prayers! Last week was a blur but I was so proud of our team of 24 Rwandan researchers and all that they accomplished! By the end of the week, we had completed a refresher training in qualitative research, tested three different types of questionnaires in three different health topics, and (in twelve teams of 2 researchers) conducted 72 interviews with community members about child health. Whew. :) We have a break now for a week (a break from research, not from work!) and then we pick up next Monday in Nyanza (south), where a team of 12 of us will conduct another 72 interviews. The following week we'll be going north, to Musanze (near the gorillas!).

Here are some of the researchers playing a game during the training on Monday (Fidel, the one leading in the center, is the king of little games to keep everyone alert and focused):

Here are Chantal, Anitha, and Esron reviewing their questionnaires:

Here are Beatrice and Eduard at a local health center interviewing a mother about newborn and maternal health care practices:

Thank you again for your prayers...they made all the difference! "Unless God builds a house...." (or energizes a research project...) And I so appreciate your continued prayers for the upcoming weeks. We have A LOT of work to do, will be doing much traveling, and will need much favor from leaders and help to find the right people to interview. Thank you for your prayers for God's protection, guidance, and leading. And again, overall, please pray that God might use the study results to impact child health here in Rwanda to His glory.

I am in Kigali all this week and I hope to post a few more items. Talk to you soon....

work update from Rwanda...

2008-07-06T04:07:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I have written an update on how the actual research is going for the child survival program (the original reason I came here!). Perhaps now is the time!

You may or may not know this, as I have shared with many of you in person how things are going, but my original research project morphed from a focused study on newborn health into a more broad, "formative"' research project inquiring into cultural and social norms surrounding child health in general. It's a long story how this happened exactly (the morphing of the research project) but the short story is that the World Relief child survival program that I work with is working in partnership with the Rwandan Ministry of Health (MOH), and the MOH needed this formative research project completed. Because I was here this year, already doing research, and because the MOH research encompasses newborn health research, and since the MOH research helps to achieve certain goals of the World Relief child survival program this year, and since it was a great opportunity for me and for the World Relief child survival program, it made a lot of sense to give up the original plan for research and switch to this project. I am so thankful for the way things worked out, actually, and am hopeful that, by working with the MOH, the research results will have a broader impact than originally planned.

Quick background: there is a national strategy here in Rwanda to mobilize health workers at the community level, using volunteers where possible, to help prevent child deaths (particularly deaths caused by preventable disease: malaria, pneumonia, diarrhea, and malnutrition). However, the Rwanda MOH wants to have a standardized set of key behavior change messages for community health workers to be able to disseminate to their communities. The Rwandan govt wanted research to be conducted to specifically address the barriers (as well as facilitators) of appropriate health behavior in the rural poor communities (i.e., find out why parents DO take care of their children properly, and why they do NOT....is it ignorance? just pure poverty? traditional beliefs about caring for children? social constraints that prevent prompt care?).

The research I will be conducting will seek to find out what these barriers and facilitators are, here in Rwanda in a rural impoverished setting. Then, using a standard public health behavior change framework, my team and I will be devising key messages to deliver to these rural poor communities that will be targeted to fit the social and cultural norms, based on the research results. God willing, these messages will be used by the MOH's partner organizations (like World Relief, for example) in future child survival programs.

Thank you for your prayers for this research! I have been planning this for a while now, and there have been some considerable logistical delays, but tomorrow I begin with conducting a training (in French, yikes!) for 24 Rwandan researchers, and then Melene and I will be busy through the middle of August, traveling all over Rwanda, to collect data and then to design the messages.

I would love your prayers that the research team and I would be able to conduct the project ultimately to God's glory (i.e., with excellence, professionalism, kindness, compassion)....and that in the end, children would be positively impacted by the work. Would you also pray that the design of the messages would be very useful, in a practical way, for organizations like World Relief to use in the future here in Rwanda? Thank you so much. :)

I will try to keep you posted on how things go with the research, although I'm not sure what my time constraints will be, nor my email access! But I so appreciate your prayers!!

Also, there is a lot going on with so many of you this summer! Many of you are traveling, some are changing jobs or taking on new responsibilities....others are encountering new challenges (or the same challenges!) of day-to-day life! I am praying for you too and am so thankful for you all. I love getting your emails and would love to hear from you if you have a chance. xo

two Rwandan holidays this week

2008-07-02T23:56:00.000-07:00

Awareness that America is not the center of the universe came slowly for me.

I think the first time this really sunk in was when I was a teenager...and it happened during an experience related to holidays.

I had moved to Canada right after I turned 17, and for a while I didn't notice any big differences between Winnipeg, where I was living, and, say, North Dakota (which I had driven through). Really, Canada was almost exactly like America, the way I saw it at first...

But then, my ignorance intersected my first experience with national holidays that weren't my own. Thanksgiving comes early in Canada, in October if I remember correctly, and it is celebrated on a Monday, not a Thursday. And there's no football. A month or so later that year, American Thanksgiving sailed right on by the Canadians....nobody stopped working, nobody ate turkey, nobody passed out from tryptaphane.

That's when I began to feel like an outsider.

July 4th was similar: nobody in Canada stopped working, had watermelon in the park with the extended family, or rushed to fireworks shows. But they didn't need to: they celebrated their own way, on their own day (July 1). They didn't need to celebrate July 4th too.

Growing up with a love for holidays (and holiday traditions), these shifting holidays and celebrations made me think about things I had never thought about before: different countries have different histories, different stories, than my own country's. What an epiphany. And as I came to this realization, I also became a little embarrassed... Why hadn't I realized this before? It was kind of a signpost for me, an understanding that the world was bigger than I had imagined up to that point.

Rwanda has her own story, and this week two national holidays are being celebrated: Independence Day (July 1) and Liberation Day (July 4).

Independence Day dates back to 1962, and was established to celebrate Rwanda's liberation from Belgian colonization. Belgium colonized Rwanda at the turn of the century, and was responsible for many of the ethnic tensions that resulted in some of Rwanda's national scars and tragedies of post-colonization years.

Liberation Day (tomorrow) marks the end of the 1994 genocide, and the end of the 3-month mourning period. I asked one of my Rwandan friends which holiday was more significant, and they said July 4th, "because it is more recent. The other is old."

Like every country, Rwanda's holidays open a window into her history. Thank you for your continued prayers for the hope and the future of this nation.

jogging, digressions, and Henri Nouwen

2008-06-27T07:36:00.000-07:00

A friend (thanks, J!) emailed to me a book passage by Henri Nouwen right before I left to go home (already over a month ago, wow), and I was thinking about it this morning when I was jogging.

Before I continue, however, a small digression: I do want to share something that I always have meant to share about what it's like to go jogging in Kigali. When I was here two years ago, I wouldn't have felt comfortable going jogging, mainly because I was living out in a rural area where it was completely obvious that nobody jogged and I didn't want to create one MORE difference between me and the people I was living amongst (skin color difference: check; hair color difference: check; language difference: check....that, and more, was enough for one summer). I have since learned that there are many muzungus like me who live in rural areas who go jogging every day, and think nothing of it, but it just wasn't what I felt like doing. Maybe if my trip had been longer than six weeks I would have tried to figure out something.

Anyways, I am digressing from my digression (Victor and I call this "the web." Victor speaks linear-ly, in straight lines, and it is very easy to follow along, straight to the point he is communicating. I, on the other hand, speak tangent-ially, hitting one tangent, then another, then another, and finally will sometimes make it back to my main point. Maybe. Victor is a wonderful listener and I would like to publicly give him a ton of credit for patiently following along my web of thoughts, although I admit there are certain appropriate occasions when he very kindly tells me that he needs me to make my point. I asked him to do this, actually, and every so often he does, and that is just another thing I really appreciate about him. It's better than just tuning me out, which is the alternative, right? In fact, some of you right now, especially you Henri Nouwen fans, are wishing he were helping me write this blog entry, I know it.) Where was I? Oh yes. Digressing from the digression.

So, back to jogging. While I chose not to jog way out in rural Rwanda, here in the city of Kigali there are many joggers, and most of the ones I see are Rwandan. (And when I say "many" joggers, it's all relative: I will pass, perhaps, two joggers on average on any given morning, usually urban Rwandans). What I wanted to share is this: it is very encouraging to jog in Kigali, because whenever you pass a Rwandan jogger, s/he will usually do one of two things (and usually both):

1. clap both hands, applauding your jogging efforts. This is usually accompanied by a smile, a wide Rwandan smile that is just really hard to find anywhere else; and/or
2. shout, "Courage!" in French (which sounds like cour-AH-ge!!). The meaning is "great job!" or "keep going!"

So it's very nice. Especially when I first got here and was gasping for air, trying to adjust to the 6000 ft altitude, a little applause and a 'bon mot' went a long way to keeping me on track with my exercise plan. I wonder where the Rwandan jogging community picked up this nice encouraging habit. Imagine me doing this back in America? [Me to jogging passerby: "Courage!" with applause. Jogger: startled stare and silent look of "Freak!"] Jogging is so much more civilized in Rwanda, you know?

Alright, I just wanted to share that little slice of (urban) Rwandan life. And....I'm back to my original point. When I was jogging this morning, I was thinking about Henri Nouwen.

At first I wasn't thinking about Nouwen, exactly. I was puzzling out something in my head, kind of mulling it over and asking for guidance from God. It had to do with adventure, and God, and how much adventure He wants us to have, and what happens if we choose easy things instead of adventures. And whether or not we sometimes even use adventures to get out of things we should be doing instead. And how would we know the difference, anyways? I know, these are random things to think about, but I was wondering. Does anyone else ever have thoughts about not wanting to waste this one life we've been given? I think it's so easy to choose the safe thing sometimes; I see myself doing it over here at times. Kigali can actually be a very safe place (in the negative sense of "safe") if you make certain choices. But sometimes, "safe" is also boring, so sometimes we run from the safe when maybe we need to stay put and follow through with things sometimes. So, the bottom line of my train of thought, although I didn't realize it at the time, was "What will God think of me, and how will He treat me, if I don't do the right thing: i.e., if I choose the easy way out sometimes instead of the tough way? Or choose the tough way because I think the safe way is boring even though it might be the right choice?")

Anyhow, suddenly, a clarifying and helpful thought about this popped into my head, which is because of the Nouwen passage from my friend, copied below. And I suddenly had a measure of peace that I hadn't known a moment before...kind of like an it's-all-going-to-be-okay sense of peace. So, without further ado. Here's the passage:

“It is not so difficult to see that, in our particular world, we all have a strong desire to accomplish something. Some of us think in terms of great dramatic changes in the structure of our society. Others want at least to build a house, write a book, invent a machine, or win a trophy. And some of us seem to be content when we just do something worthwhile for someone else. But practically all of us think about ourselves in terms of our contribution to life.

But although the desire to be useful can be a sign of mental and spiritual health in our goal-oriented society, it can become the source of a paralyzing lack of self-esteem (the God-given understanding of our value as humans). More often than not, we not only desire to do meaningful things, but we often make the result of our work the criteria of our self worth.

When we start being too impressed by the result of our work, we slowly come to the erroneous conviction that life is one large scoreboard where someone is listing the points to measure our worth. And before we become aware of it, we have sold our souls to the many grade-givers. That means we are not only in the world, but of the world. Then we become what the world makes us.

We are intelligent because someone gives us a high grade. We are helpful because someone says “thanks”. We are likeable because someone likes us. And we are important because someone considers us indispensable. In short, we are worthwhile because we have success. And the more we allow accomplishments -- the results of our actions – to become the criteria of how we view ourselves, the more we are going to walk on our mental and spiritual toes, never sure if we will be able to live up to the expectations which we created by our last successes.

But to live a Christian life means to live in the world without being of it. It is in solitude that this inner freedom can grow. Jesus went to a lonely place to pray, that is, to grow in the awareness that all the power he had was given to him; that all the words he spoke came from his Father; and that all the works he did were not really his but the works of the One who had sent him.

In solitude we can slowly discover in the center of our own self: that we are not what we can conquer, but what is given to us. In solitude we can listen to the voice of Him who spoke to us before we could speak a word, who healed us before we could make any gesture to help, who set us free long before we could give love to anyone. It is in this solitude that we discover that being is more important than having, and that we are worth more than the results of our efforts.

In solitude we discover that our life is not a possession to be defended, but a gift to be shared. It’s there we recognize that the healing words we speak are not just our own, but are given to us; that the love we can express is part of a greater love; and that the new life we bring forth is not a property to cling to, but a gift to be received.”

Henri Nouwen

Okay, me again. Not too much to add to that...although there are many thoughts in there that hit me.

"All the works He did were not really His, but the works of the One Who sent Him."
"We are not what we can conquer, but what is given to us."
"Being is more important than having."
"We are worth more than the results of our efforts."
"Life is not a possession to be defended but a gift to be shared."
"The love we can express is part of a greater love."
"It is in solitude that this inner freedom can grow."

What do you think?

child survival program launch - Nyamagabe, Rwanda

2008-06-25T11:12:00.000-07:00

A lot has been happening since I've been back....including some good news that a research project I'll be doing has a firm start date, about 10 days from now. Yay!! I am very thankful. More on that in a future post.

One huge event that took place last week was the official launch of the child survival program I'm working with. (You may wonder why the program is launching now, since the program is currently in its 18th month of implementation. I asked the same question, and someone explained to me that there needed to be some established activity underway in order to have something meaningful to present to the community. In case you wanted to know.)

While the mortality rate is improving (i.e., going down) in Rwanda amongst children under five, research still indicates that 1 of every 7 children dies from a preventable illness. And more children in rural areas (i.e., poor areas) are dying than children who live in urban areas. The purpose of the child mortality program is to help educate communities so that children will stop needlessly dying of sickness that could be avoided with a little hand-washing or an early trip to the health clinic.

"Launches" may be different everywhere, but here the launch was a well-planned event ("more planning than a wedding!" my colleagues told me). Program staff have spent hours and hours over the past month planning and prepping. The community health workers put together a program of singing and dancing, as well as staging a drama about how to prevent and treat malaria, and the children who are the beneficiaries of the program participated as well. A small "army" of children did a marching routine, at one point, and everyone was charmed! There was hired entertainment (drums, dancing, and singing), and the songs revolved around child illnesses and how there is hope for all children to be healthy. There were also speeches by the program director, organizational directors, and government officials.

The event was a success! Here are a few shots:

The name of the program is "Kabeho Mwana" in Kinyarwandan, which means "Life for a Child." There were a lot of children involved in the event, and they wore their t-shirts proudly (above).

The culture here is one of singing, dancing, drumming....it's awesome! Here's a shot of some of the hired entertainment performing a "basket" dance where the women move in extraordinary ways without ever toppling the baskets from their heads:

After the event was over, while I was waiting for the local media to finish interviewing Melene, I had a digital camera and was showing a crowd of children their pictures. They rarely get to see images of themselves; most probably don't have mirrors in their homes. It's strange to think that these children may not even really know what they look like! So it is easy to become the Pied Piper as long as you don't forget your Canon 470:

the graciousness of uncertainty

2008-06-23T08:57:00.000-07:00

One aspect of living in a developing nation is that there is a revolving door of expatriates. There are always people coming, always people going, always people in transition. While change is a universal experience, it seems to be magnified here.

For example, I was hanging out with several friends this weekend, and the majority of them will be either leaving the country soon because their term of service is up, or if they're staying they're transitioning jobs. For me, my uncertainties revolved around whether or not I can carry out my upcoming research project with the excellence that is expected, and also the uncertainties that lie beyond some imminent certainties. I know my life will be changing soon...that's certain. What will come after those changes....I don't know!!

So, in the midst of our conversation about how change is never easy, especially when the immediate specifics of the future seem so uncertain, I excused myself to use the restroom and found the following excerpt from Oswald Chambers posted next to the bathroom mirror:

THE GRACIOUSNESS OF UNCERTAINTY
"It doth not yet appear what we shall be." 1 John 3:2

Naturally, we are inclined to be so mathematical and calculating that we look upon uncertainty as a bad thing. We imagine that we have to reach some end, but that is not the nature of spiritual life. The nature of spiritual life is that we are certain in our uncertainty, consequently we do not make our nests anywhere. Common sense says - "Well, supposing I were in that condition . . ." We cannot suppose ourselves in any condition we have never been in.

Certainty is the mark of the common-sense life: gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, we do not know what a day may bring forth. This is generally said with a sigh of sadness, it should be rather an expression of breathless expectation. We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God. Immediately we abandon to God, and do the duty that lies nearest, He packs our life with surprises all the time.

When we become advocates of a creed, something dies; we do not believe God, we only believe our belief about Him. Jesus said, "Except ye become as little children." Spiritual life is the life of a child. We are not uncertain of God, but uncertain of what He is going to do next. If we are only certain in our beliefs, we get dignified and severe and have the ban of finality about our views; but when we are rightly related to God, life is full of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty and expectancy.

"Believe also in Me," said Jesus, not - "Believe certain things about Me." Leave the whole thing to Him, it is gloriously uncertain how He will come in, but He will come. Remain loyal to Him.

(Me again.) Now, that is just like God to put His two cents into a casual evening conversation between friends. :) They were definitely words of wisdom and also comfort. When I re-joined the conversation out in the living room, I mentioned the restroom revelation to the group, and the girl whose home it was (and who had posted it in her bathroom) went and got Chambers' book, My Utmost for His Highest, to read the passage to everyone.

"To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways..." What do you think?

a happy trip home....

2008-06-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

I have been back in Rwanda for a little over a week now, after a totally fun, totally whirlwind trip home (my sister got married!!!)! This delay in blog posting is mainly because I've had a lot of trouble posting photos since I've been back. For those of you who have been checking the blog, thank you for your patience and sorry for the delay!

There's so much to say about the trip, and maybe my thoughts will surface on this blog in the coming posts, but mainly I just wanted to thank all of you who are reading this who made the trip so special. After the wedding, I had the blessing of driving to CO with my parents (I love road trips and some quality time with Mom and Dad was great) and then I got to go to CA for even MORE fun times! There are countless moments that are etched into my memory...

...sharing a caramel apple with Vic on a mall bench (there are no caramel apples in Rwanda...and worse yet, no Vic in Rwanda! So it was a happy day)...
...enjoying Hyman's in downtown Charleston with 12 other extended family members I rarely get to see ("who doesn't love Hyman's?")...
...spending some quality time at the beach...
...seeing my beautiful big sister get married to a fantastic man (yay!!! See photo, above)...
...experiencing a fabulous Southern wedding reception on a boat(!)...
...devouring a huge and tasty steak with my parents in Kansas (in Bob Dole's hometown, in fact)...
...para-sailing (more stories to come...!)...
...being blessed by friends at a brunch at home (thank you!!)...
...getting caught up with the ladies at lunch...
...enjoying Interior and even an Africa Hope prayer meeting...
...being surprised by apple fritters from a friend (Kim, you're awesome)...
...having some of the best hosts ever in CA (here's a shout out to Brad and Leslie, who wondrously accommodated the continuous 80 mph pace of the visit)...
...watching Vic's brother get married to a lovely lovely woman (more yays!! See photos below)...
...experiencing another fabulous wedding reception (this time boat-less, but still absolutely gorgeous)...
...meeting so many fun and new people at the reception...
...eating octopus, sushi, and kim-chee with Vic's extended family...
...spending an evening with the Odendaals et al. in Lake Forest (thanks again!)...

It was a fantastic trip. I am happy to be back in Africa too, but it has been a super busy week, so I'll have to catch you up later on. But in the meantime, here are some photos of the trip:

More of the bride (and groom):

Bride and proud proud bridesmaids.... (This is at the reception. We did cry at the wedding, but not too much! We were having too much fun! Way to go, Al!!)

Meet the parents, looking sharp:

Then it was on to CA, for Vic's brother's wedding. Here's an "exclusive" shot of the back of a wedding guest's head with the beautiful couple in the background (and yes, I do need to learn how to take photos, you're absolutely right...JenDiz, help!):

Here's the happy couple in football jerseys:

Here are my two lovely friends who hosted a brunch for me in CA (totally sweet of them):

Another shot from the brunch (thanks to George W. for the great photos!)

There are more photos, but I want to get this posted!! See you again soon.

bold prayer

2008-05-25T07:32:00.000-07:00

I wasn't sure when I would blog next, but I have 2 hours of internet time here at the airport (yay!). I am en route, checking my email at Washington/Dulles (after a 16+ ride in an EthiopianAir jet...whoa, what a trip!). Thank you for your prayers...

And speaking of prayer, I just picked up an awesome email from my friend Janet that I wanted to share with you. This story was written by a doctor who worked in South Africa.

(Isaiah 65:24 'Before they call, I will answer')

"One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died leaving us with a tiny premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive; as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator).

"We also had no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in.

"Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates). 'And it is our last hot water bottle!' she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways.

"'All right,' I said, 'put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm.'

"The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died.

"During prayer time, one ten-year old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. 'Please, God' she prayed, 'send us a water bottle. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon.'

"While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, 'And while you are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?'

"As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say, Amen ? I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything, the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever received a parcel from home. Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator! Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door.

"By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there, on the veranda, was a large twenty-two pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children.

"Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box. From the top, I lifted out brightly colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of buns for the weekend Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the.....could it really be? I grasped it and pulled it out - yes, a brand-new, rubber hot water bottle. I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could. Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, 'If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly too!'

"Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted!

"Looking up at me, she asked: 'Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?'

"That parcel had been on the way for five whole months. Packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child - five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it 'that afternoon.'"

God bless you all today. I think my favorite part of the story was the prayer of the little African girl. "Lord, you know tomorrow will be too late because that baby will be dead. So please send the water bottle this afternoon." It reminds me how sometimes God wants us to reason with Him, not for His good (He already knows all about the details/whys/wherefores of our needs) but to ultimately increase our own faith when we see Him answer our prayers. :) Hope you enjoyed as much as I did. Talk to you again soon.

murabeho for now...

2008-05-23T06:51:00.000-07:00

I have been out of town and really busy this past week...I keep meaning to post pictures from the community health worker evaluations from two weeks ago, and other things, but haven't had time!!

But this is just a quick note to let you know that I'll get back to blogging after a two-week respite; my sister is getting married in South Carolina next weekend, and so I'm traveling over there for the wedding! (Congratulations, Alice & Mark!! Yay!! I can't wait to see you!!)

Then Victor's brother is getting married the following weekend in CA (Congratulations, Pat & Patty!!), so I will get to celebrate with his family as well as see my friends (can't wait, on both accounts)!!

If I can, I'll post along the way....otherwise I'll get back to you when I am back in Kigali. "Murabeho" (goodbye) for now....

a blog makeover

2008-05-23T06:35:00.000-07:00

WOW.

My good friend Starshine (starshinereport.blogspot.com) updated the look of her blog a couple of weeks back, and I loved it!

So, since imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I thought about updating the look of my own blog.

I know what you're thinking: what "look"? I definitely had the plainest blog on the block. I know. I have to confess, I have TRIED to make design changes and upload photos, etc., onto the homepage of my blog, ever since I got here. I don't know if it's a bandwidth issue or what, but I have never been able to make a single change, even after waiting for over an hour for a photo to load. So I gave up, resigned to my low-maintenance (read: boring) white background.

Then I saw Starshine's blog, and thought how nice it would be to add some color to mine....but promptly dropped the idea because I didn't want to waste any more hours waiting for photos and backgrounds to squeeze through the bandwidth.

However....I did shamelessly ask Starshine if she would give my blog a makeover too, and much to my delight, she accepted! Graciously! And this is the result!!

Starshine, thank you for brightening my blog, and my day....you are wonderful!! :)

spotted on CNN

2008-05-16T02:09:00.000-07:00

I've been in Kibogora over the weekend, working on a grant application for a project we have going there. I'll post more about that later, but in the meantime I saw this article as a featured headline on CNN and wanted to share:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/05/15/amanpour.rwanda/index.html

The headline was, "Woman befriends husband's murderer's wife, murderer"

I would be interested in your thoughts...

gate of hope ministry - lay counseling

2008-05-15T01:34:00.000-07:00

Back in February, Baraka's ministry, Gate of Hope, sponsored the first of a four-phase lay counseling training program here in Rwanda. The purpose of the training is to equip local Rwandans who are working with children with tools to help address trauma and other psychological and emotional issues that children might face here.

This past Tuesday, along with the Vice President of Gate of Hope, it was a total blessing and privilege to help "open" the second phase of the training. It is not so common in the States to have formal "openings" and "closings" of events and workshops, but here in Rwanda it is the standard modus operandi. Depending on the event, "openings" usually consist of a few formal statements of welcome and short speeches to welcome the participants; "closings" usually entail distribution of training certificates or participation certificates, as well as accompanying short speeches and encapsulation statements. The formalities lend an air of importance to any event, and are expected by all.

Here's a photo of Baraka and the Vice President, as Baraka was officially opening the training:

I shared briefly about how friends back home at Ev Free were praying for the group, and had been praying for a long time for both the physical and emotional needs of Rwandans, particularly for those who have been traumatized. Gate of Hope ministry is, in many ways, an answer to these prayers! I also told the group how encouraged I was that they were willing and able to be equipped to help break cycles of destructive emotional pain in the lives of children in Rwanda. Baraka is helping to build the capacity of these lay counselors to interrupt these cycles of pain with important Truths: the Truth of God's love, the Truth of the inestimable value and worth He places on each and every life, and the Truth of His healing and forgiveness.

Here is a picture of, from L to R: Louise (from the Child Development program at WR....you'll recognize her from the pizza party postings a few weeks back!), Domatille (a facilitator in the training), and Baraka (leader extraordinaire):

Baraka has been working really really hard to organize the training and make it the very best it can be, so that the group of attendees (17 people in all) will leave with honed skills to meet the emotional needs of the children with whom they work. Thank you for your prayers for her during this week; the training will end tomorrow (Friday). During the morning I took some video footage of Baraka, and one of the things she emphasized was that this type of counseling work really has to be empowered by God Himself, for true healing to occur. So she is thankful for your prayers! Here is a picture of (almost) the whole group of Rwandans being trained (and I snuck in the photo too):

scratch paper

2008-05-14T04:41:00.000-07:00

At the office today, Melene wanted to make some notes on a piece of paper.

"I need some....what do you call this....to make notes on?" she asked as she reached into her desk for some scratch paper.

I knew she was asking me to clarify the English term, so I replied, "Scratch paper."

Melene offered one of her priceless quizzical looks. "Scratch?" she asked. With furrowed eyebrows, she asked, "How do you spell that?"

I spelled it for her and then made a scratching motion on a mosquito bite (an actual one) on my arm. "Scratch," I repeated.

"Ah!" she nodded thoughtfully for a moment, familiar with the word in that context. And then the quizzical look returned. "Hmm. Scratch." She didn't say anything more, but I think she was wondering why we would ever call it scratch paper. I never thought about it -- and I suppose that 'scratch' is somewhat of an odd word choice for someone who's not a native English speaker.

Just an example of one of many odd-but-fun little conversations that color our days here together! I have my moments of quizzical looks too (like the hyena weddings, for instance...oh, and spelling! Kinyarwandan spelling is a mystery to me, with all of these silent 't's and 'd's).

Advertising is another. There's a huge billboard (for, uh, beer), on the drive from the EIP office to the WR office. "Hehe Intoyoka!" it proclaims in bold letters, with golden beer coloring the entire three square meters of the board. I know that "hehe" (which is pronounced "hey-hey") means "where," because one of the first phrases I learned that has come in totally handy, especially in the villages where nobody speaks French, is "Hehe wese?" (hey-hey way-say), which means, "Where is the restroom?" In the village, this has to be interpreted by the villagers as "Where is the pit latrine?" but it works. Anyhow. I asked Melene what "intoyoka" meant, and she said, "Thirst." My puzzled look prompted further explanation, which is, in a nutshell, that "Hehe Intoyoka" is slang for "No thirst!" or "Where did your thirst go?"

These kinds of things are a fun part of cross-cultural experiences, though; they remind me of what a many-splendored world we live in, with all of the nuances and intricacies of what we term as "culture." There are difficult moments too, of course (some of which I would relay, but I never quite know who is reading this, and I don't want to offend anyone). Shoot me an email if you'd like my take on the dark side of cross-cultural experiences.... :) Honestly, though, it's fun most of the time.

On to other topics, I had a fantastic time yesterday witnessing Baraka begin the second phase of her training of lay counselors....I'll post photos shortly....

nothing is impossible with God

2008-05-12T10:25:00.000-07:00

A few posts back, I shared an email forward, about....well, about how difficult conditions in Africa can be.

Well, today I got another email forward, this time from my sister back in the States, who received it from her almost-mother-in-law (3 more weeks!).

I enjoyed the story (thanks Lauretta, and Alice!), and wanted to share it here with you.

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD

"Have you ever felt the urge to pray for someone and then just put it on a list and said, 'I'll pray for them later?' Or has anyone ever called you and said, 'I need you to pray for me, I have this need?' Read the following story that was sent to me and may it change the way that you may think about prayer and also the way you pray.

"A missionary on furlough told this true story while visiting his home church in Michigan 'While serving at a small field hospital in Africa , every two weeks I traveled by bicycle through the jungle to a nearby city for supplies. This was a journey of two days and required camping overnight at the halfway point.

"On one of these journeys, I arrived in the city where I planned to collect money from a bank, purchase medicine, and supplies, and then begin my two-day journey back to the field hospital. Upon arrival in the city, I observed two men fighting, one of whom had been seriously injured. I treated him for his injuries and at the same time talked to him about the Lord.
I then traveled two days, camping overnight, and arrived home without incident....

"Two weeks later I repeated my journey. Upon arriving in the city, I was approached by the young man I had treated. He told me that he had known I carried money and medicines.

"He said, 'Some friends and I followed you in to the jungle, knowing you would camp overnight. We planned to kill you and take your money and drugs. But just as we were about to move into your camp, we saw that you were surrounded by 26 armed guards.'

"At this, I laughed and said that I was certainly all alone in that jungle campsite. The young man pressed the point, however, and said, 'No, sir, I was not the only person to see the guards, my friends also saw them, and we all counted them. It was because of those guards that we were afraid and left you alone.'

"At this point in the sermon, one of the men in the congregation jumped to his feet and interrupted the missionary and asked if he could tell him the exact day this happened.

"The missionary told the congregation the date and the man who had interrupted told him this story: 'On the night of your incident in Africa , it was morning here and I was preparing to go play golf. I was about to putt when I felt the urge to pray for you. In fact, the urging of the Lord was so strong I called men in this church to meet with me here in the sanctuary to pray for you. Would all of those men who met with me on that day stand up?'

"The men who had met together to pray that day stood up. The missionary wasn't concerned with who they were, he was too busy counting how many men he saw. There were 26!

"This story is an incredible example of how the Spirit of the Lord moves in behalf of those who love Him. If you ever hear such prodding, go along with it."

recent events

2008-05-07T06:53:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to post these photos all week long, but have had a difficult time with our internet connection! Usually I don't have too much of a problem, but this week it was verrrrry slooooow....

Anyhow! Here's just a taste of life here in the past 10 days.

On May 1st (time flies!!) it was Labor Day here in Rwanda (I heard it was Labor Day in China too, so it makes me wonder if there is some connection, only because there was a heavy influx of Chinese laborers here building roads, about 10 years ago). Anyhow. It was Labor Day, so it was a holiday, and Baraka stayed the night at my home this time (remember last time I went to her place). Then in the morning, we had a group of our ex-pat friends over for fun and french toast. Most of these ladies are working in an NGO or as teachers at an international school.

(Check out the maracuja juice, otherwise known as passionfruit juice, on the table....people drink maracuja juice here like we drink orange juice in the USA).

Another event of the past week was that Erica, my researcher buddy from Johns Hopkins working in the child survival program, left to go back to the States after being here for eight months! She laid the groundwork for a lot of the research methodology that I will be using when my own project begins, so I am thankful to her for that. And I will miss her friendship! Here's a photo of the child survival program staff, at her goodbye party (from L to R, back row: me, Erica, Melene, Eliane, Clemence; front row: Josef, Bernard, Laurent). Rose, the child survival program director, took the photo.

As a final goodbye to Erica last weekend, we took her out to dinner at a local Rwandan place. Here's a photo of our friend Natasha eating a common local dish, "ugali", which is ground-up-then-steamed cassava (manioc). It reminds me a lot of a big ball of tofu. It doesn't taste like anything and is best with salt and sauce; in that way it also reminds me of grits, only it's usually not eaten for breakfast and it's a lot stickier!

Last Tuesday, I was out in the field all day for a community health worker evaluation session....I'll post more photos soon of that trip....it was really interesting. And last night (Saturday), Kigali was one of about 100 cities all over the world who participated in "Pangaea Day," which you can look up on the net if you like. Essentially there was a simultaneous broadcast of 24 short films and performances from all over the world, in an effort to promote world peace. It was nighttime here, but I have a shot of that as well that I'll try to post soon....I think the Kigali community felt honored to be on the guest list.... :)

interesting website

2008-05-07T06:49:00.001-07:00

A quick post:

Someone alerted me to this website today. It's one of the best websites I've seen giving detailed and up-to-date information about Rwanda. Hope you enjoy!

http://www.rwandagateway.org/

fwd: a local call

2008-05-07T05:49:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share this fwd I received in my in-box a few days ago, from a Rwandan colleague in the child survival program:

"Three individuals of American, British and DR-Congolese nationality die in an accident and end up in hell.

"After some time the American, wanting to know if bin Laden was finally caught, sought the opportunity to make a phone call to America. The devil accepted, and as soon as the 3-minute phone call was completed, he charged the American 3 million USD. The American pulled out his cheque book and paid his debt without raising his eyebrows.

"The Brit in turn sought the same favour, to ascertain the health of the Queen Elisabeth. The devil accepted, and as the 3-minute conversation concluded, he charged the Brit 4 million pounds. The Brit was quick to pay.

"Then it was finally the turn of the Congolese man. Although hesitant because he was a man of few means, the Congolese still decided to seek permission to call Africa to receive news of the continent. Satan accepted. So the Congolese began a long telephone conversation during which he learned that a civil war raged in the DRC, that Rwandans continued to make the law in the east, that Ruberwa and Mbemba were 2 of 4 vice-presidents and Junior Kabila replaced his father, while AIDS rates continued to rise across the continent. He learned that the Congolese were facing only a facade of peace while famine and locusts were rampant in Burkina Faso and Mali, just like in Niger, the same it is every year, etc. ... etc. ... etc. ...

"The conversation finally ended after three hours! The Congolese hardly dared to look at the devil, and stuttering, asked him the price of the phone call.

"The devil, dispassionate, answered: Oh, for the three hours it will cost you three dollars.

"Surprised, the Congolese asked, But how ..... how .... how can this be?

"The devil replied: Well, Hell to Hell is a local call!!"

A little taste of African humor. But it's not really so funny....not really. Thank you for your prayers for this continent and its people, that God would bring peace out of strife, light from the darkness, calm from chaos.... Thank you! :)

2005 revisited

2008-05-02T05:48:00.000-07:00

It was a privilege to be here in 2005 with an awesome group of people from Ev. Free; we had a short service trip, where we helped to construct homes for widows, and we also visited local churches to help minister where we could.

One special Rwandan person on that trip was Fidele, who drove one of the vehicles that our team used to get around rural southwest Rwanda. His dream was to go to seminary and help plant churches.

Well, it is a joy and privilege to report that, nearly three years later, Fidele is in the midst of seminary (while holding down a full time job and raising a pretty large family at the same time) and is part of a small group of leaders from the Apostolic denomination who have planted eight churches in Rwanda in the past 18 months.

I went to visit Fidele's family last weekend (they live very close by!) and nearly all of the Apostolic church-planting team happened to come to Fidele's house at the same time! So I met them all. Here's a picture of us in Fidele's yard:

Then on Sunday, Fidele invited me to one of the eight churches, way outside of Kigali (two mutatu rides and a moto trip, to give you an idea). It was so much fun, a very interesting experience, and a very lively church. It reminded me of 2005!

Of course, as you can imagine, the eight churches have many needs. Thank you for your prayers for them as they have started these churches on minimal resources and are praying for God's provision for their needs.

go badgers (rwanda edition)

2008-05-02T04:05:00.000-07:00

It happened that UW-Madison Spirit Day coincided with Africa Malaria Day (April 25). I saw on an alumni email update that UW-Madison was holding a photo contest for Spirit Day, and there were prizes for, among other things, the "Badger furthest from the UW campus."

While I may not be the furthest Badger from the UW campus, Rwanda is still pretty far from Madison. So in the hopes of winning some unknown prize, I asked some of my verrrry nice colleagues to pose for a photo outside the Kirehe Health Center last Friday, where bednets were being distributed for Africa Malaria Day (see post below). Go Badgers!

From L to R are: Naissan (Care Group leader in Kirehe), me, Clemence (assistant to WR's Director of Programs), and Leonard (child survival program Manager of Quality Assurance). It's hard to read the signs, maybe, but they say "Africa Malaria Day: Kirehe, Rwanda" and "Badgers: 1; Mosquitoes: 0." Please notice that I am wearing red (a requirement of the contest). And yes, I am a nerd. But you know that already.

I mentioned that the woman in the hat in the previous blog post is Ashley Judd, who attended the event and was greeting the children. Here is proof that the woman is, in fact, Ashley Judd (and not just a woman in a wide-brimmed hat):

And then, here are some of the children...the real future of Rwanda!

Africa Malaria Day

2008-04-29T07:48:00.000-07:00

When I first started writing this blog entry, on Tuesday, it was National Mango Day in Malawi. I wouldn't be writing about it now, except for that as I was listening to the news story, I got a shock.

BBC was interviewing a mango-seller in Malawi who was selling three fresh ripe juicy mangoes......for the equivalent of 14 cents. 14 cents! Even after buying fairly cheap tropical fruit here in Rwanda, I confess I was stunned, and then angry at how unjust that is. I think about how much I pay for a mango back in the States, and while I'm sure there's some economic supply-and-demand theory that could explain why this woman who probably lives in a hut and struggles to put her children through school is only earning less than a nickel for selling a single mango, I confess I don't want to hear it. My prayer is that there are people who are much smarter than me who are working to solve this major problem of inequity. That is about the only way I can get through my day sometimes.

Thanks for listening...and for praying for the mango-sellers! Not to stray further from the topic of this post, which is supposed to be Africa Malaria Day, but writing about economic theory makes me think of my good friend Jennifer C., who (props) just got a tenure-track position at Orange Coast College as an economics professor!! Way to go, Jenn!! Very exciting news. (Maybe you can help me understand the mango-seller dilemma...!!).

Okay. Africa Malaria Day!! Last Friday (a week ago now...time flies) Rwanda celebrated Africa Malaria Day, and for the first time since the conception of Africa Malaria Day (which was a decade and a half ago, here in Africa), Friday was also Global Malaria Day (sponsored by the WHO and UNICEF). The theme of the day was "Malaria: A Disease Without Borders" to underline that malaria is not just an "African" disease, but impacts impoverished populations all over the world.

Here in Rwanda, malaria is still one of the top three killers of children under five, although with diligent effort, education, and behavior change in the population, it may yet lose such an infamous title in the coming five or ten years. In the meantime, Africa Malaria Day was celebrated at a national level out in Kirehe (east Rwanda).

With several friends here from both WR and the child survival program, we attended the festivities. Along the way, we stopped to visit a Care Group, though (one of the community volunteer groups that World Relief helps to sponsor...Care Group volunteers teach their neighbors about good health and hygiene and sometimes distribute simple medicines and other health tools):

Following the visit (which was a lot of fun...Care Group volunteers are always so friendly and fun to hang around), we proceeded to visit the home of a Community Health Worker (CHW). A CHW is an elected community member who is the point-person for simple distribution of pre-packaged medicines for basic and common health care problems in the community. CHWs are part of the government's nation-wide strategy to implement community-based primary health care (and yes, there is a lot of overlap between Care Groups and CHWs, the primary difference being that Care Groups take the initiative to go to their neighbors to present preventive health messages, whereas the community members seek out the CHW if they have a health problem):

Mom asked a good question when I was talking to her about the CHW system: is the CHW a nurse, or a doctor? I explained to her that he/she is neither a nurse or doctor, simply a community member who is trained to fight illness so that more children (and adults) can receive treatment for basic health problems. The CHW was very knowledgeable and hospitable, and this photo shows him explaining how he treats a child who is brought to him, using a government-issued kit and instructions.

Following the CHW visit, we attended an ITN (insecticide-treated net) distribution for malaria prevention, and then ended up in a big field, flanked by hundreds of schoolchildren and local community members, where there were speeches, poems, and dramas about fighting malaria. This photo below is of Ashley Judd (who, as the spokesperson for Population Services International, an NGO, attended the event) is shown greeting some of the schoolchildren after the celebration.

I have a few more photos to post in a following entry....

go bears (rwanda edition)

2008-04-28T02:55:00.000-07:00

It's official - they've infiltrated the world.

I spotted this fellow on my way to work today, on a busy road while I was waiting to make a lefthand turn. When I leaned across the car and asked him if I could take his picture, he was startled and asked me a (reasonable) question in return: "Why?"

I of course had to make that left-hand turn, so I quickly tried to explain to him I was from California (there wasn't enough time to explain any more than that...although there was a time when I would not have even noticed a Cal shirt coming down the street).

The young man looked at me blankly, as if to say, Cal-i-what? He did let me snap his photo, but my guess is he didn't know the difference between a Cal bear and a grizzly bear. I'm sure there are some who don't mind that, though...according to some, this might be cultural imperialism at its best.

At any rate. Go Bears. :)

update: how things are going

2008-04-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've written an update on anything work-related....but I did promise, so here we go...

Most of you probably know that I'm here doing public health research related to newborn health, in conjunction with the WR child survival program (in association with Concern Worldwide and the International Rescue Committee). I have the total privilege to do work here in Rwanda owing to my church's (Ev Free F'ton, let's hear it!) partnership with the Africa Great Lakes region. It was through Ev. Free's partnership that I first came here in 2005 on a short-term team, was able to return here the following summer for my internship, and then was blessed to be able to return again this year on a research fellowship.

The last time I gave an update, I shared how I had been able to network with several other NGOs and local organizations that are also doing work in the arena of newborn health here in Rwanda. Nearly 40% of all children under 5 who die before they turn 5 years old are under 28 days old, so addressing special needs of newborns is critical in fighting preventable child deaths.

Well....wow, so much has changed since then. :) But if it all went the way I thought it would....well, it wouldn't be a true cross-cultural experience, as I was reminded by my Philippines friend Wendy recently.

Essentially, I have been asked to change the focus of my study by the government, with whom the child survival program partners. So the project has broadened to address other child health issues (not just newborn health, but also malaria, diarrhea, pneumonia, and malnutrition, all top killers of children and all preventable, which is so sad, but that's another topic). This new project involves doing a rapid assessment / qualitative research throughout the country (rapid as in 8 weeks) and then using the research results to work with Rwandans to create health behavior change messages for national standardization, in partnership with the Ministry of Health.

It's a wonderful opportunity, for which I was thankful...and the whole project was supposed to be entirely completed last week. As things stand, the project is still going through the proper approval process in the halls of the Ministry of Health. There were some important advances last week, but there are still two more steps it has to pass through before we can begin. Thank you for praying that the project will pass through SWIFTLY...it has been a long wait!!

In the meantime, besides preparing the project and working on organizational and coordination details, I have the privilege of overseeing some sustainability work in southwest Rwanda, in the former child survival program (where I did my thesis). I am currently working with a totally brilliant Harvard public health student to try to get some more funding for the excellent community health work that WR did out there (Rach, I know you get this on RSS feed....I'm almost done with the proposal draft but I needed a break! I'll send it to you tomorrow!). I also am trying to learn the ins-and-outs of the EIP, and helping with some of the compilation of reports that they have to do (tedious, and in French, but really really helpful for me in terms of learning about what's happening out on the field, and necessary to the advancement of the project, so I hope I can do a good job for them).

So that's the update (if you made it this far!). I am loving it, even with all the attending challenges....what a blessing to be here, and I feel very sustained by your prayers. There are lots of opportunities every day to share God's love, either by a smile, or showing patience, or lending a listening ear (there is sometimes a lot of venting in high-stress situations...there is tons of work and few laborers, it seems!). Sometimes I even get to use words to share His love. You are such an important part of what's happening here, through your friendship, words of encouragement, and prayers, and I just want to thank you.

More than anything, my desire would be for this work here to be a vehicle for God somehow to reveal Himself and His character to a hurting people, and to the impoverished and poor. I am completely powerless to accomplish that. But your prayers can do that. Thank you so much for praying. :)

And maybe the best part about being here is getting to interact with amazing, dedicated, fun people (mostly Africans) who serve and sweat and laugh and cry, trying to give dying children a fighting chance to live...live up to their God-given potential. The work I described above really becomes secondary to what I learn from the heroes here who put in long grueling hours at times, just to make sure trainings get planned and carried out, or reports get submitted to people who will pay the next vital budget installment, or that medications get out into the hands of the community health workers who will administer them to needy children. Thank you for your prayers for them too.

more on Rwandese worship

2008-04-21T23:03:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I posted photos of church in Kigali. Here are a few more photos of the other church I attend (outside the city) where Baraka's father is the pastor.

This one is a shot of the youth choir practicing at a gazebo outside of Baraka's "office." Even though they're called "youth," they're actually young adults, from teens to mid-twenties. They essentially help lead worship every Sunday, singing several songs with often-choreographed movement. There is one synthesizer and sometimes drums, but otherwise the instruments are just their beautiful voices:

Here is Baraka during the church service leading the children's choir in a song:

And I know this photo looks a little scary, but not to worry! It's a drama that the children put together...they did a great job, too! Can you guess what Bible story they're acting out?

It's the Abraham and Isaac story....in this photo, Abraham is about ready to kill Isaac! And then from outside a nearby window, we all heard the Voice of God (sounding suspiciously like a Rwandese boy) telling Abraham that He would provide a lamb to sacrifice instead of Isaac....

I enjoy my church families so much. Last week three friends from Kigali came along, and we had a blast (not to mention a very warm welcome). If you come visit me here, I'll bring you out here to meet my new friends.

pepperoni, anyone?

2008-04-16T22:54:00.000-07:00

I had grand plans to bring pizza to Baraka's home last week, for dinner...and then discovered that (due to mourning week) all the pizza places around town were closed! So I grabbed two large-ish baguettes and a big wheel of cheese (gouda is about all that's affordable here) and headed out to her place -- the plan was to have modified baguette pizzas, along with Baraka's own yummy garden fare.

It was a treat for me to be able to hang out with Baraka! She invited me to stay overnight because her parents were out of town (most Rwandese women live with their parents until they're married....it's not common to see single women living off by themselves here). And when I showed up at her place, Louise was there too! Louise runs the Child Development program here at WR (and does a fantastic job too).

When I showed Baraka my plan, to make baguette pizzas, she was ethusiastic but explained, "We don't have an oven!" The electricity in their home in Gasabo is solar, in fact....isn't that cool? They weren't even trying to be environmentally friendly (I don't think?)...it's just more economical.

At any rate, it is admittedly difficult to make baguette pizzas with no oven. So Louise came up with this idea to cook the pizzas over coals outside. And so sure enough, it worked! Here are Louise and Baraka, pizza-chefs extraordinaire:

Here's a shot of me fanning the coals, to keep them nice and hot:

When the pizzas were done, they were added to Baraka's feast of rice, vegetables, beans, fresh papaya, and an assortment of other yummy things. It was a super fun evening...

1000 hills are alive with the sound of music

2008-04-15T01:44:00.000-07:00

I asked a very cool guy the other day if he had ever seen The Sound of Music, and he said, "Oh, maybe once, or twice....or fifteen times." :) So my guess is most everyone out there who reads this blog has heard of the VonTrapps, and remembers Kurt ("I'm incorrigible!"). And of course you know that the musical was based on the true story of the VonTrapp family who escaped Nazi-occupied Austria during World War II.

Well....Kurt's grandchildren live in Montana now (you might be interested to know that Kurt's name wasn't actually Kurt, it was Warner. And Leisl was Agatha in real life. Or so I was told last Saturday night). Kurt, er, Warner's grandchildren have also ably carried on the family legacy and form a singing quartet that now performs all over the world.

Last Saturday night, I was hanging out with some friends here in Kigali, and who should walk in the front door, but the VonTrapps themselves! They have been in Rwanda for a few weeks, and they are good friends with a roommate of some of my friends. They were scheduled to sing the Rwandan national anthem the next morning at President Kagame's Council meeting, so they rehearsed for us a little bit....it was great! And then they broke out into a chorus of "The Hills Are Alive..." No kidding. Thank you, VonTrapps, for making our evening so memorable....

further prayer requests

2008-04-13T23:23:00.000-07:00

There is so much emphasis here in Rwanda on healing and reconciliation, but there is continual need for prayer. At the end of last week, there were two incidents highlighting that ethnic tensions still simmer beneath the surface of government efforts to maintain peace. One incident took place just down the road from where I live, at the genocide memorial, which made it all the more real. Read more here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7342866.stm

Thank you for your continued prayer for peace in this country. Rwanda has come so far since 1994 -- it's amazing! And there is much reason to have hope for the future. But even in my own life, I can see that if I let myself harbor any kind of bitterness or resentment in my heart, even (especially?) if I have been wronged, it's like poison (I am actually borrowing these words from a wise and beloved friend). So if I can see this in my own heart and life, how much greater would harbored bitterness and resentment be, on a country-wide scale? What might wait beneath the surface to uncoil and strike, at the opportune time, or when it just can no longer be contained?

I think this is why prayer is so important: on the surface here in Rwanda, most days everything looks the way it should....the nation appears to be embracing development. But God looks beyond the surface and into the heart of things, and He is the One Who knows what truly needs attention. He is a big and powerful God, and able to do what benevolent and wise governments and well-meaning humanitarians cannot do!! So it is not a fruitless task to pray -- in fact, it is critical. Thank you again for praying! And I believe we will see God continue to provide answers in ways we could never imagine.

14 years is not really that long

2008-04-11T07:14:00.000-07:00

"There is a well-known verse in Psalm 30 that says: 'Weeping may last for the night.' The Hebrew words say: 'Weeping comes in at evening to lodge.' In the years following the genocide it sometimes seemed that the dark night of weeping had lodged for a lifetime, but God's compassion is bringing a dawn to light that casts its warming glow on a beautiful country and a beautiful people." -Callum Henderson, "Beauty from Ashes: Journeys of Recovery from the Rwandan Genocide"

Henderson's book is full of horrific descriptions of violence perpetrated during the genocide....but it is filled with stories of hope, healing, and restoration. If you can get your hands on a copy, it's super instructive about the nature of man and the nature of God, both, in the most difficult of situations.

This morning at WR's weekly chapel service, there was a time to share testimonies of the past, and to share words of hope for recovery, restoration, and the future. What I saw was painful, as terrible memories surfaced amongst my co-workers. One of my other colleagues, an American, commented to me afterward that when she thought back 14 years, there were some formative memories that she still remembered clearly. How much more so, something traumatic, dramatic, horrible. It takes a long time to heal from something so hurtful.

And yet, healing is happening. There are accounts of radical change in the face of great evil. Thank you for joining in prayer this week for Rwandans as they reflected together on the past. And thank you for your continued prayers....

a few easy ways to help - the short list

2008-04-07T23:28:00.002-07:00

In the midst of this national week of mourning, many are asking how they can help heal a hurting world.

If you happened to be looking for some practical suggestions, here are a few ideas:

1. Did you know that as our global climate changes, those who live in extreme poverty in developing nations will be the ones to suffer the most? Taking small steps today, in your home and your neighborhood, can impact those suffering around the world, for a lifetime and beyond.

For easy and practical ways to prevent adverse effects of climate change, go to this website and click on the links at the bottom of the page: http://www.nphw.org/nphw08/default.htm

2. Do you like art? How about art-for-a-cause? AJ Picard has donated a painting of a Rwandan girl, entitled "The Empty Cup", to raise money for child survival on an online auction. Please go to http://www.worldrelief.org/auction to place your bid! (Or just to read more about it.) Here's a picture of the painting:

3. Looking for a way to impact thousands of people living in poverty? Do you have experience in organizational/financial management and administration? Tired of traffic and concrete (i.e., Want to move to gloriously beautiful and peaceful southwest Rwanda for a year or two?)? You might be just the person for the volunteer position open at Kibogora Hospital. See http://www.wr.org/joinin/volunteer/internationalministries/internationalopportunities/view.asp?id=20039896

another Kinyarwandan proverb

2008-04-07T06:52:00.000-07:00

"Kugera kure siko gupfa."

Literal translation: Reaching the depths of despair is not dying.

Cultural translation: Despondency is not the end of the world.

As a Westerner, I don't know how I feel about the above proverb....the psychological streak in me, uneducated as it may be, whispers, "This is simply denial...you must respect your pain before you can move beyond it." But, there is something in my heart that signals a gentle reprimand and reminder: this is not my culture, my language, my worldview. Perhaps survival depends on this proverb. Perhaps here, if you give in to despndency, you will literally starve. I don't know all the answers.

But notwithstanding....today, the first Monday of April, the nation of Rwanda has a day off (not really a "holiday", so I can't say that exactly). The purpose of the day is to commemorate the start of the genocide in 1994, and the upcoming week is also filled with various related conferences and other commemorative events.

Depending on who you talk to, this is both a helpful and a harmful week. One Rwandan told me that many people are simply re-traumatized during this time. Would you pray that God might bring restoration to the hearts and minds of those who have been traumatized and are captive to re-experiencing such pain, year after year? Would you pray that this would be a year of healing for these?

Thank you also for your prayers that, as a foreigner to this country and as a foreigner to this tragedy, I could be a blessing to those around me who are hurting. I think most foreigners working here seek to identify with the Rwandan people, to some level or another, but (with a few exceptions) most of us can't begin to comprehend the magnitude of what many are feeling here as they reflect on the past. Please pray that we would be enabled to weep with those who weep and show heaven's compassion. Thank you....

Finally....would you pray that God would continue to turn despondency to hope? That His Spirit would continue to stir in the hearts of all here, that a spirit of grace, forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration would fill this place? Prayer is what will make the difference.

kinyarwandan proverb

2008-04-04T02:46:00.000-07:00

"Buhoro buhoro nirwo rugendo."

Literal translation: Slowly, slowly, the journey is completed.

Cultural meaning: Every step forward is advantageous in taking you to your destination. (Or so I'm told.)

Stay tuned for more proverbs.

Also: please be in prayer for Rwanda in the coming week: it is an official week of mourning here, where the nation remembers the genocide. There are several events and conferences of remembrance for Rwandan citizens. Please pray for healing, reconciliation, and true, inner peace for individuals and for the nation. It is a time of renewed trauma for many people; please pray that many would come to know the comfort of the God who weeps with those Who weep and Who saw His own Son killed in a terrible way. Thank you for your prayers....

presidents, best-selling author-pastors, and...Melene!

2008-03-31T23:48:00.001-07:00

In Rwanda today (Kigali), there was a White House Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (FBCI) meeting held at the Serena Hotel. Speakers included Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Rick Warren, and....Melene! Yes, our Melene: WR's Child Survival Program Manager of Community Mobilization.

Along with two other WR staff, Melene shared with the 250+ audience about how health initiatives by faith-based organizations (FBOs) can make a difference in the lives of children. She also demonstrated in her presentation how FBOs can effectively work in partnership with other NGOs and national governments.

Melene's first language is Kinyarwandan, her second is French. English is either her third language, or maybe even her fourth language after Swahili. She speaks English well, but it's not easy to give a presentation in a third (or fourth!) language! And she did SO well!!

The picture here is from a distance....but if you look close you will see Melene is at the podium on the left.

The man on the right (with his back to my camera), is Rick Warren, the author and pastor, listening intently. He took a lot of notes.

Congratulations, Melene, for a job well done!!

where in the world is....John Bradsford!

2008-03-31T06:19:00.000-07:00

This is a special post for 20-something/Interior people at Ev. Free....

Imagine my surprise this morning, showing up at a local hotel for a conference here in Kigali (see above post), and turning around to see....John Bradsford!

Now, on second thought, it's not so unusual, I guess. John and his wife Jenny moved to Kenya last September. John is the TC (Technical Consultant) for Bethany Kids, a faith-based organization (FBO) that helps to serve the needs of disabled African children. The conference this morning was for FBOs in east Africa. So John being there made a lot of sense.

Nonetheless, it was still a surprise to see him! It is funny coming all the way across the world and running into people from your hometown. John says hi to all back in sunny southern CA!

on request...

2008-03-30T23:48:00.000-07:00

A few summers back I went on a trip to North Africa with some friends from back home, including Geoff and June. Geoff recently wrote and requested that I share about what it's like to worship here with the local Rwandese....

It's an interesting question, because here in Kigali, for the first month or so, I attended English-speaking services at a few different churches (expat friends from work invited me to go). It was a lot like worship back home in America....similar songs, similar worship style, same language (!), etc. There were a lot of Rwandans in the congregation, even more than expats, but everything still had a westernized feel to it.

After about a month, I visited some Rwandan churches here in the area. For the time being, I have decided to alternate Sundays at two of these more-traditional Rwandan-style churches in the Kigali-area. These churches both happen to be Ev. Free churches. (I am alternating Sundays, rather than attending one church only, because of what I would call burden-of-translation issues. While Rwandans are always very welcoming, and always ask me to return, I think it may be difficult to receive a visitor like me because someone feels obligated to translate for me. I admit I appreciate this a lot, but it's a tough job for the translator! So I try to give the translators a break...)

One of the churches I am attending is the church that I've told you about already, just outside of Kigali, that Baraka's father planted. It's a small-but-growing church, and is really a help to the community out there. The other church is within Kigali city limits where a team from Ev. Free Fullerton built two school buildings in the summer of 2004.

And yes.....worship is similar at both churches that I attend....and it is VERY different than back home! Not better, nor worse....I think God is the Author of wondrous diversity and receives with grace and enjoyment ANY worship offered from a sincere heart. It's just....very different!

I attended the Kigali-city church this past Sunday, and right as things were getting really exciting, with congregation members spontaneously joining the choir up front, dancing and singing at the top of their lungs, I was thinking how it was amazing that this church was the same denomination as my church back in the US! :)

I don't know the words to the songs, so at the moment I can't join in too well.....maybe next time I should at least join in on the dancing! I think Rwandese very much understand what it meant that David danced before the Lord! Baraka, in all her sweetness, purchased me a hymn-book, so maybe I can learn at least a song or two in Kinyarwandan....

Another difference in worship styles is that worship services are long here, with the worship time itself lasting at least two hours, with choir(s) and group songs and prayers and praise. Then worship is always followed by a message (sermon) and then announcements, and then a bit more singing, usually, so it's a good three or more hours of time together.

A final difference is the theme of worship. The photo above is of the choir in the background, joined by joyful congregants in the foreground, all singing about how God showed the way out of Egypt, through the desert, and into the promised land, and it won't be long before we all get to the promised land, because of what God has done for us by sending us Jesus as the Great Guide. So many songs center around the glories of heaven, the promises that await, the hope that we can have even in sorrow and suffering....there is a profound understanding here, it seems, that life isn't good and it isn't fair but that faith in Jesus offers comfort, help, and hope for an eternal future where there will be no more tears. It's really perspective-altering, in many ways.

That's it for now....if I can think of any more major differences (besides maybe....I don't know, different clothes!) I'll keep you posted....

idioms and expressions

2008-03-27T08:23:00.000-07:00

It is pouring rain now in Kigali, which is normal -- it's the rainy season! From now until early May, they say. The storms here are incredible, full of lightning and thunder and power. No rainbows lately, however -- hyena wedding season must be over (see an early post from January if you're not sure what I'm talking about).

Speaking of pouring rain, I came in today to the office and mentioned to Melene, "Wow, it's pouring!" She looked at me blankly. "Pouring? What is it?" I smiled and explained, and knowing how fast Melene catches on to things, she'll be using the expression during tomorrow's storm.

Explaining idioms or expressions to one another is an almost-daily part of office life here. When I drove to the child survival office for the first time last week (thank you again, Ev. Free, for the car!), the Quality Assurance manager here greeted me joyously from his office window with an expression I didn't understand...."C'est le temps d'arroser!" Literally, it means, "It's time for the sprinkling," as in, sprinkling the lawn or sprinkling the flowers. From my own blank face, I'm sure, he proceeded to explain: it's time to celebrate, i.e., "sprinkle" the champagne! A new favorite expression. :)

An acquaintance here was struggling with some "higher-ups" in his organization who were working through some conflict with one another. "Quand les éléphants se battrent, les herbes sont détruite," he said with a laugh. Literally: "When the elephants fight, it's the grass that gets destroyed."

A Rwandan proverb I've heard a couple of times goes like this: "The coming of visitors is like a good rain. So you must come again." Rwandans love visitors -- they say this often -- and it is a nice feeling to be welcomed.

Another Rwandan proverb came up yesterday during chapel (we have a chapel service every Friday morning at WR), where the speaker was sharing about accountability. He started out by talking about order, and how it's important to know who (in this case, Who) is in charge. The proverb was, "Too many hunters confuse the dogs." :) I like that one!

I'll try to keep you posted as they come up...

we are all rwandans (part 2)

2008-03-27T05:01:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to finish telling the story about the short film, "We Are All Rwandans", that I saw on Sunday (see Monday's post). The director of the film, I've since found out, is the great-grand-daughter of one of the first missionaries in Rwanda. She spoke briefly before the film began on Sunday, relating how there may be financial backing to create a full-length film from these initial efforts (which resulted in a 25-minute film). Coming soon to a theater near you! (hopefully)

The film recounted the history of a social studies teacher at a boarding school for secondary students in Kibuye, in 1997. Kibuye is in the west of Rwanda, and there were exiled Rwandan militants who at this time were coming back into Rwanda and trying to stir up further trouble, especially in that region. The film begins with the narration of the school teacher, talking about what he taught the teenagers (of mixed ethnicity): that love is stronger than hatred, and unity would conquer chaos. He taught the students that each of them had a high calling: to value every human being as someone who was created in God's image. He taught them that there was something more important than ethnicity, and that was humanity.

The first part of the film briefly chronicles his classroom interaction with students, and their response to what he taught. The teens wanted to believe in peace, but still struggled with trauma and pain from the recent war. They wrestled with, but saw the importance of, forgiveness and trust.

The second part of the film shows the unfolding of a militia plan to invade the school and kill all those of Tutsi ethnicity. The soldiers successfully enter the school compound, where students are attending night classes, and demand that the students separate according to ethnicity. The students, who are terrified, nonetheless refuse, repeatedly. When one Hutu student is singled out and pressed to identify her Tutsi peers, she pauses, and then declares softly, "We are all Rwandans." It is the last thing she says before she is gunned down, along with her classmates. The film ends with a tribute to the courage of the students who confronted evil by standing in unity -- even though it cost them their lives.

We talk a lot in the public health arena about "cost benefit analysis." This means simply, "are we maximizing the use of our money?" Sometimes hard decisions have to be made, because the decision to spend money to benefit 1000 children may mean that 100 children elsewhere lose out. I bring this up because, from the point of view of "cost benefit analysis," the student in the story above could have saved half her classmates (not to mention herself) by identifying the Tutsis in the room. But she didn't. And neither did any of her other Hutu classmates.

I am pausing for a moment, thinking.

Saving one life is a courageous act. Saving many lives is heroic. But maybe at times there's a higher calling than preventing one more death.

At the start of the film, the social studies teacher taught his class that they didn't have to fear anybody, least of all those who were killers. He didn't know about the coming attacks on the school, but he knew to teach his students not to fear men, even evil men. And I only know of one way to escape that kind of fear, because Jesus taught it to His students too: fear (revere) God....God, Who knows all about self-sacrifice, even to the point of death.

------------------

I Jn. 3:16 By this we know His love, that He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.

we are all Rwandans

2008-03-24T00:23:00.000-07:00

Rwanda has a film festival! It's in its fourth year, in fact!

The festival is here in Kigali and lasts a week, right on the heels of the nation-wide, two-week long "Hillywood" Film Festival, where huge inflatable portable screens are set up out in the villages so that movies can be shown to those who might never have access to film otherwise. Amazing!

This year, the Film Festival is featuring the opening of the Canadian-produced film, "Shake Hands With the Devil," about Dallaire, the UN General who was overseeing UN troops during the genocide. I happened to be here in 2006 when they were filming this movie, right up the road from WR's offices, so I'm looking forward to seeing it (hopefully tonight....Becca and I have plans to go).

My friend Erica invited me along with her to the Film Festival's opening yesterday at the Serena Hotel, where there were five short films being shown. One of the best features there was called, "We Are All Rwandans," and chronicled the story of secondary school students in a boarding school in Kibuye (western Rwanda), three years after the genocide.

There was a social studies teacher at that school who taught the teenagers (of mixed ethnicity) that love is stronger than hatred, and unity would conquer chaos. He taught the students that each of them had a high calling: to value every human being as someone who was created in God's image. He taught them that there was something more important than ethnicity, and that was humanity.

I don't have the opportunity right now to finish the rest of the story! But it's good! More later....

thank you, Ev. Free Fullerton!

2008-03-20T05:21:00.000-07:00

I wanted to thank all of my friends back at Ev. Free Fullerton, who helped to purchase a vehicle for World Relief that is designated for my use this year. I have been managing to get around town by scamming rides and taking taxis (as well as the occasional moto....don't tell Mom), but the vehicle arrived yesterday, and I was so happy! It's such a blessing to have. Within the next few weeks I will be out in the field much more frequently (Lord willing) and I can't tell you how grateful I am for this car. Thank you thank you thank you!!

The car is a blue RAV-4 (I'm not sure what year) with about 30,000 miles on it. Thank you again!! :)

musanze retreat...and other news!

2008-03-20T03:36:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy and full week! Partnership meetings (see post below) were carried out all last week, at a retreat center in Musanze. Musanze is close to Ruengheri, in the northwest part of the country near the gorillas and volcanoes. I had the privilege of going up to the retreat center one day to share about WR's child survival program on a panel about health. The meetings as a whole went well, I heard (I wasn't there the whole time because of work in Kigali), and I can't wait to get to Musanze again! It was gorgeous!

In other news, over the weekend I was able to attend a Kigali-based Ev. Free church! it was so fun! But I don't have any good photos. This church is where a short-term team from Ev. Free Fullerton built school rooms in 2004....now there are 200+ schoolchildren attending school every day there on church grounds! Next time I go I'll get a better picture.

There is also a small clinic at the church, where medicine and nursing care is provided, sometimes free of charge, to the community, and an income-generating internet café is being built right on the property. I was able to share briefly during the Sunday service, and told them about how our church in California had been praying for them for a long time. It was really so encouraging to see all the things happening at that church!

A fun thing happened too, the first three days of this week: a CHE (Community Health Education) seminar was held at the Kigali Ev. Free church! CHE is the community development approach that I spent two months this summer learning more about in the Philippines. Here at the Kigali Ev. Free church, about 18 Rwandese pastors (and a few Rwandese health workers from the church clinic) were learning about practical ways to reach out to the community around them by integrating physical and spiritual health, and in so doing to help people know and understand God's love in meaningful ways.

I was able to participate in a small portion of the training, and it was so great to connect with the facilitator, a Congolese doctor, whom I had heard so much about from some friends in the Phillippines this summer. The seminar went well and I look forward to hearing about the next steps the pastors will take...and maybe how I can get more involved.

learning Acronym

2008-03-13T07:35:00.000-07:00

Alert: this is a nerdy blog entry. I couldn't help it. I will post more soon about the goings-on of the past few days (there's been a lot going on!) but here is a portion of my world here that I wanted you to know about.

When I came here, I knew I would be expected to speak French at times. What I didn't anticipate, however, was how much I would end up speaking a language I never heard of till I got here: Acronym.

I have had to learn quickly that Acronym is the only way to get by in the world of non-govt organizations (NGOs). Every organization here goes by an acronym. My theory about why they do this is because NGOs are forever writing documents (ironically these are acronym-named documents), such as detailed implementation plans (DIPs) and memorandums of understanding (MOUs) and terms of reference documents (TORs), and NGOs get tired of writing their full name over and over in these documents, ad nauseum.

So World Relief in Rwanda is WRR: World Vision is WV; Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Program is CHAMP; Food for the Hungry is FHI (the "I" being for "International"). Etc., etc. It's not a bad plan, and it's convenient for most people. However, contrary to the popular saying, it's not WHO you know here, it's whether you know their acronym.

Further, to give you an idea of how confused my head can get sometimes, the child survival program (CSP) that I work with at WRR is actually called the EIP (Expanded Impact Project)...not to be confused with the EPI, the Expanded Program of Immunization (a Rwandan vaccination program). Besides doing general work in the context of C-IMCI (Community-based Integrated Management of Childhood Illness, which more frequently goes by its French acronym, PCME-C, Prise en charge des Maladies d'Enfants dans la Communauté), WRR is partnering with CW (Concern Worldwide) and IRC (the International Rescue Committee) to help implement HBM (Home-Based Management) in the context of the PMI (President's Malaria Initiative), using PNILP (another French acronym, no less, Programme Nationale Integrée de Lutte contre le Paludisme, or in other words, the National Integrated Malaria Control Program, or NIMCP).

And on it goes! I am not sure a day goes by when I don't ask Melene or somebody, What does (insert-acronym-of-choice) mean again?

One last thing on this topic: in some ways, I am oddly comforted by speaking Acronym because I realized this week I speak it at home, particularly with close girl friends. If you know what GS, YL, RR, ATL or DL is, you speak Acronym! (If you don't know what they mean, shoot me an email, and I'll fill you in.) Talk to you soon! :)

visiting friends from CA & more Baraka news

2008-03-11T04:36:00.000-07:00

Starting last Saturday, visitors from all over the USA started arriving in Rwanda in preparation for the church partnership meetings that began here at HQs on Monday. There are many churches who are deeply interested and invested in the well-being of Africans here in the Great Lakes region of the continent (including Burundi, eastern Congo, and Kenya), and it has been fun and inspiring to interact with everyone. There are also several visiting representatives from the various field offices in Burundi, Congo, and Kenya, so it is an international fling...languages are especially fun, with people praying and giving greetings in Swahili, French, Kirundi (from Burundi), English, or Kinyarwandan. It's crazy fun!

You may recognize here three of my favorite visitors:

Brad & Leslie and Bob arrived on Saturday, and only one piece of luggage amongst them was lost, so that's not too bad! :) (And the luggage was recuperated the next day, so all in all it could have been worse....) I was so happy to see them, and it has been fun getting caught up on goings-on in CA (lots of rain) and at church (construction projects and other updates).

Another fun thing was that they all bore gifts. As well as bringing various "comfort" items (including candy corn, wow!) they also hand-carried several letters to me from friends back home. If you wrote one of those letters, thank you so much...it was such an amazing encouragement to receive them! On Sunday morning, the day after they arrived, I mentioned something about the letters, and Brad or Bob asked, "Did you read ALL of them?" When I nodded, they laughed...it's hard to explain how nice it is to receive "mail" over here, but once I started opening letters I couldn't finish till I'd reached the end. :) Thank you again!

All four of us ended up spending the weekend with Baraka and her family (including Baraka's father, Pastor Abel), and we visited different aspects of Baraka's ministry (Gate of Hope) as well as Pastor Abel's village church that I had visited last week. Baraka is not only doing counseling activities for traumatized children, but she is also helping to train the mothers of some of those children in income-generating activity (sewing).

Here is the entrance to Baraka's "office":

Isn't it cool? It is a brand new ministry, but she's doing so much good already. Our church sponsored a recent lay counseling training that she did with 20 participants; it was a week-long training, and we were able to meet one of the women that she trained at a local orphanage. Baraka is really multiplying her skills as she trains those around her to help hurting children.

Here she is with a group of children, in front of her church (many are involved in her ministry):

I will post other pictures of Baraka as the months go on, I'm sure! I had a great time at her place, again, and I learned a great Rwandan proverb: "A woman is never a guest anywhere." This means I get to help with the dishes and set the table, which makes me feel like part of the family. Maybe next I'll learn how to cook tilapia and cassava leaves (isambe)!

international women's day

2008-03-11T02:12:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy several days, and I'm a little behind in posting. Saturday, Brad and Leslie Rose and Bob Alexander arrived from California, and we had a fantastic weekend with Baraka and her family! I'll post some photos in the next entry.

The day before they arrived, however, World Relief celebrated International Women's Day at our weekly chapel service.

Technically, IWD is on March 8th (Saturday), but the women went all out at our office, a day early. They decorated the chapel beautifully, planned the morning's ceremonial singing and dancing, and even made pretty proverbs-laden bookmarks with verses (...a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised....) to distribute. Every woman on the staff participated, including housekeeping (this is Colette, who is so kind to me and often brings me tea on the days that I work at the WR office):

Joie Claire, who capably runs HR here at HQs, is the one who made sure that I had appropriate attire and could participate in the festivities! I had a great time, especially dancing (thanks, Joie Claire!). I wish I could remember the Kinyarwandan name of this formal dress, but I can't (I've gotta find someone to write it down for me...lots of u's and a's). Below is a photo of a small group of us during the celebration (Louise, Chantal, Sarah, and me, L to R...Louise works in Child Development, Chantal works in HIV/AIDS programs, and Sarah is Director of Programs):

If you've never heard of International Women's Day, go to: http://www.internationalwomensday.com (where else, right?). The Americans I spoke to on Friday had never heard of IWD (myself included), but apparently it has been widely celebrated here in Rwanda for a couple of decades. Victor confirmed on Saturday that at least some countries in central Europe celebrate it every year as well. I learned from the website that IWD began in Copenhagen in 1911. Who knew? And where has the US branch of Hallmark been all these years, missing out on another potentially windfall-greeting-card-selling opportunity??

The joke is, of course, that there is this one day set aside for women....and the other 364 belong to the men.... :)

a few more photos from last weekend

2008-03-05T07:15:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share a few more photos from last weekend... Baraka's home (and her church) are about 20 minutes outside of Kigali, in an area where there is a big mental health hospital. She says that when she tells people that she lives there (I can't remember the name right now) they all look at her a little funny. She has to explain that, no, she just lives in the region, not in the mental health hospital!

Although the area is not too far from Kigali, it's fairly rural in comparison. Baraka's father is a pastor, and he retired here a couple of years ago. Every Sunday Baraka's family would drive into church in Kigali, and pretty soon they were taking some neighbors with them, and after a while they had to organize different shifts of visitors so that everyone had a turn to go in to church in Kigali. Finally Baraka's father thought maybe God was telling him something....so he started a new church out in their neighborhood! It's a great and growing church (it already outgrew its first home and moved into a second!). However, somebody (an American, is what the rumor is) bought the land where the current church is standing, so they will have to move again. They are praying now for a location and a building, or money for a building.

Here's a lovely woman that Baraka and I met on the road, walking home from church to her parents' home. The baby is only 1 month old! This is a common and convenient way to transport a baby over here.

Baraka asked this woman if she went to church, and she said no, so Baraka promptly invited her to come next Sunday and the woman seemed very pleased. Baraka went on to explain to me that many people here don't go to church, since the genocide; many people still remember that often people were trapped and killed in churches. She said that instead, people often visit what she called "prayer rooms," kind of like fortune-tellers with church-like language. This has become a big problem for many people.

After church, I had the privilege of having lunch at Baraka's home (she lives with her mom and dad), and afterward I felt just like a member of the family because I got to sort beans! Baraka's mom poured three huge baskets of beans onto the table and we pulled out the bad ones. I explained to them how it reminded me of how I used to sort through puzzle pieces with my mom (back in the day, wow), pulling out the edge pieces. They all laughed, but then I wondered if they'd ever really seen a puzzle. I should bring one to them if I can find one someplace!

Here's a shot of an adorable little kiddo outside the church. He was so cute!! Like my friend Hilary says, I just wanted to put him in my pocket! :) (Hi Hil!)

Finally, in the "travel-halfway-around-the-world-to-meet-your-neighbor" category, here is a photo of the other muzungu (white) house guest at Baraka's family farm on Saturday night: his name is Dan Prince, he was a guest of JP's, and --although we had never met -- he is a member at my church back home in CA! The fact we had never met was hilarious and unheard-of to the others in this photo (next to me is Baraka, then Dan, then Baraka's sister Mary Paul, then JP). The farmhouse, behind us, has been reconstructed over the past several years, and it's very comfortable and welcoming. Dan and I had a great time catching up; he knows several of my friends (yay!). He's been helping JP out in Nairobi for about a month, while things are settling down from the crises there.

Thank you, Baraka, for a great weekend!

wisdom on the wall

2008-03-04T05:33:00.000-08:00

I had a wonderful time this weekend visiting Baraka's family and church outside of Kigali. Besides being a lovely woman with a heart for God and a wonderful ministry for orphans, Baraka is a beloved "adopted" sister/daughter/friend of many back in my home church in CA. So I felt especially blessed being able to spend time at Baraka's ministry site (which is also the farm of her older brother, JP, another "adoptee" of my home church), as well as at her own home and her church.

As I was leaving the farm on Sunday morning, just before church, I noticed this sign on the wall:

In French, it says, "He who has lost his money has lost nothing. He who has lost his health has lost something. He who has lost his courage has lost everything."

Baraka's family has lived here in Rwanda for a long long time. Her father is a pastor and her mother is a farmer; her brothers and sisters are serving God in various capacities around the world, literally. But as I read that wisdom off the wall, I couldn't help but think about what this family has seen, the sorrows and struggles, perhaps untold horrors. Some family friends had joined us for dinner the previous night, and in inquiring about how the families knew one another, they said they went waaaay back....even running for their lives together during the genocide, they said, and laughed. And then the conversation turned to other things. Baraka remarked in passing the next morning how there had been an enormous house on the farm property that was completely destroyed during the genocide. It is always slightly surreal to hear people speak about their pasts here, because even if they are smiling, it becomes evident there are shadows across their hearts, shadows that I could never begin to understand.

I remember reading a definition of courage, once: it is not the absence of fear, but faith in the face of fear. And so it was a privilege to see such courage displayed in this humble family this weekend...they have not given up nor given in, but chosen to serve a hurting world. Courage. I think God is smiling.

weighing children to save their lives....

2008-02-27T06:42:00.000-08:00

If you are a mom or dad (or if you remember going to the doctor when you were a toddler!) you know that a routine part of a doctor's visit for a child is for him to be weighted and for his size to be charted. Weighing a child is a way of monitoring her growth, and discovering whether or not she's healthy.

Here in Rwanda (Kibogora), as recently as five years ago, children were generally not weighed. This was not because of ignorance but because of poverty. There were scales at the health centers in scattered villages, but the concept of a "regular check-up" for a child is laughable in a community where the average person makes $2 a day. In the meantime, children would die of malnutrition (and other illnesses made worse by malnutrition).

This changed about four years ago, when WR's child survival program instituted community growth monitoring, a monthly program to weigh children at neighbors' homes, right in the villages, in order to prevent malnutrition and monitor low-weight children before they became severely (and life-threatening-ly) ill. The scales are the kind you can hang from a tree or a beam in the roof....here's a photo from the Mbande Clinic:

Malnutrition rates in Kibogora were reduced since instituting growth monitoring and introducing malnutrition programs in local homes. Awesome!

interesting facts about sub-saharan africa

2008-02-27T02:33:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! A friend here in Africa forwarded these to me today with the comment, "No wonder this continent is in need of some child survival...." I thought I'd share it with you here. Just reading the list through is a geography lesson...I had to go find Mauritius and the Seychelles on a map.

FYI, further down the list, there are little indicators that say (MDG #). MDG stands for Millennium Development Goal, goals set by the United Nations in 2000, to be achieved by 2015. For more info, please see: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/

Here's the list:

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
Source: Africa Development Indicators (ADI) 2007

South Africa uses the most electric power per person (4,884.8kW/h); Ethiopia uses the least (32.7 kW/h).

Burundi has the highest proportion of women in its labor force (90.5% 2005); Sudan has the lowest (22.5%).

Niger has the highest proportion of men in its labor force (95.1%); Namibia has the lowest (62.7%).

In South Africa, the poorest 20 per cent have 3.5% of national consumption; in Ethiopia they have 9.1%. (MDG 1).

Thirty three percent of children who start first grade reaches grade five in Chad; in Mauritius 97% reach fifth grade. (MDG 2).

The lowest net primary enrolment ratio is found in Djibouti (33.3%); the highest is in Sao Tome and Principe (96.7 per cent). (MDG 2).

In Swaziland more than one in every three 15-49 year olds has contracted HIV (33.4%); the rate is six in every thousand in Mauritania.

Mauritius has the highest life expectancy (73 years); Botswana has the lowest (35 years).

In the last decade Rwanda and Uganda have made the greatest gains in live expectancy: 12 and 7 years respectively.

Conversely, life expectancy has decreased 21 years in Botswana, 17 years in Lesotho, and 16 years in Swaziland.

The Seychelles have the highest adult literacy rate (92%); Mali and Burkina Faso have the lowest (24%).

In Seychelles 92% of women are literate; the figure is 13% for Chad and 15% for Niger.

In Mauritius there are 22 children per primary school teacher; there are 72 in Ethiopia.

Mauritania has the highest gross enrolment rate in secondary education (88%); Namibia has the lowest (7%).

In Sierra Leone two women die for every 100 live births; in Mauritius 24 die per 100,000 live births. (MDG 5)

In Burundi, 56.8% of children under the age of 5 are short for their age; in Gambia it is 19.2%.

In South Africa, 2.5% of population are below the minimum dietary energy consumption; in Eritrea, 75% are below.

Nearly one child in two under the age of five is underweight in Burundi (45.1%); in Swaziland it is one in 10. (MDG 4)

In Ethiopia, 22% of the population has access to a safe source of water. In Mauritius, it is 100%. (MDG 7)

South Africa has 724.3 mobile phones per 1000 people; Ethiopia has the least with 5.8 per 1000 people.

In Chad, 9% of the population has access to improved sanitation facilities; in Mauritius 94% have such access.

In Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Niger 2 persons out of a thousand are Internet users; there are 249 in every thousand people in Seychelles, which also has 189 computers per 1000 people. (MDG 8).

In 2004 the poverty headcount ratio at $1 a day was 41% of population from 47% in 1990.

In South Africa 10.7% of the people live under $1 per day (PPP); 70.8% do so in Nigeria. (MDG 1, IDA 1)

In Sierra Leone 165 out of 1,000 children die before the age of one; in Seychelles the rate is 12 per 1,000. (MDG 4)

In Sierra Leone 282 children per 1,000 die before the age of five; in Seychelles, the rate is 13 per 1,000. (MDG 4, IDA 2)

Skilled personnel attend 5.7% of births in Ethiopia; they attend 99.2% of births in Mauritius. (MDG 5, IDA 4)

Liberia has three phone lines per 1,000 people (0.28); the Seychelles has 93 per 100 people. (MDG 8, IDA 8)

For more interesting facts (and for data sources) see http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/0,,contentMDK:20563739~menuPK:1613741~pagePK:146736~piPK:146830~theSitePK:258644,00.html

an effort at transparency, thanks to Kristin

2008-02-23T07:15:00.000-08:00

My good friend Kristin has a blog at http://girlmeetsohio.blogspot.com. A few weeks back she wrote an entry about transparency. One thing I like about Kristin is she always did have the courage to be transparent.

So, strengthend by her example, and prompted by a British preacher, here is my effort at a little sliver of e-transparency:

On Saturday, the entry from Oswald Chamber's famous devotional "My Utmost for His Highest" included the following paragraph:

"If our devotion is to the cause of humanity, we will be quickly defeated and broken-hearted, since we will often be confronted with a great deal of ingratitude from other people. But if we are motivated by our love for God, no amount of ingratitude will be able to hinder us from serving one another."

(If you'd like to read the whole entry...and it's a good one....please go to http://www.rbc.org/utmost/index.php)

I share this because, when I'm honest, I can't always feel certain about my motives for being here. What's really in my heart? If I felt unappreciated or unsupported, would I be so eager to be here? Maybe time will tell. Or maybe it will always be a mystery. They say at four months all the excitement of being in a new place wears off, and then the proverbial rubber hits the road. I'm at week...let's see...week 7 right now, I think, and everything is still fresh and exciting. But reading this devotional entry was a good reminder to examine my heart and get a little prepared for what likely lies ahead. I'll have to keep you posted.....

visiting Prez and mandatory meetings

2008-02-23T03:21:00.000-08:00

Hi all! Just a quick update on how things are going this week, and random related thoughts! I am hopelessly behind in email so if I owe you one, I apologize....I will try to get to it as soon as I can.

Melene and I arrived back in Kigali on Tuesday and hit major traffic snarls on our way into town. Come to find out, the President (as in, George W) and his wife were visiting Rwanda for the day. We knew they were coming, we just weren't sure which day, and since we were in Kibogora all last week, we were extra in-the-dark. Anyhow. The Bushes just completed a five-nation tour of Africa, and they were very well-received here (and safely received, as well...I have never seen such a high ratio of policeman to street corners, ever). I heard from Becca, who's friends with the wife of a US Embassy official, that in addition to AirForce One, another plane accompanied the President and his wife around Africa, carrying all the vehicles of their entourage as well as a fleet of secret service agents and guard dogs. The guard dogs arrived here on Monday, apparently, and did quite well overnight in the Novotel. In case you were wondering.

That evening we eagerly watched CNN for presidential coverage in Rwanda...surely there would be at least a little clip of Bush outside the new Embassy, or shaking hands with Kigalians, or something like that. Sure enough, a few minutes into the broadcast, President Bush appeared on the screen, in Kagame's administrative chambers, sandwiched between two Rwandan flags, talking about.....Castro. Of all the days for the dictator to step down, he had to pick the same day that Bush visited Kigali. :) Ah, well. There's always next time. Oh, wait....

At any rate! That was Tuesday. The rest of the week has been a whirlwind; my focus here has shifted for the moment, from newborn health to overall child survival, and I'll explain why and how, etc., the next time I write. I am very busy with some new work, though (which hopefully will clear the way for me to return to newborn health....we'll see). I'm loving what I'm doing, though, and although I often feel in over my head I'm learning so much every day. It's crazy and fun! I have some good friends at home to thank for keeping me grounded...you're the best. :)

Friday a fun thing happened: at about 1:00 pm I got an email that said, "Did you hear about this afternoon?" from one of the WR staff people. I thought for a minute, in case I had actually heard whatever it was, but had forgotten I'd heard (does anyone else do this??). But I finally concluded that no, I hadn't heard anything about the afternoon. I responded as such.

Well, it turns out that everyone was being told to close down shop for the afternoon---like, the whole city---and all Rwandan citizens were to report to the city stadium at 2 pm for a logistics meeting about new identity cards, driver's licenses, and the upcoming elections (not for President, but for his government). Wow! An afternoon off! And with no advance notice whatsoever!! Apparently the news had been circulated late in the morning.

(In case you're wondering, I didn't go home....too much work to do! But it was a nice thought.)

I'll post this while I still have a strong internet connection. Talk to you again soon!

the earth is still shaking

2008-02-14T23:16:00.000-08:00

(Hi everyone! I've been in Nyamsheke for the past eleven days, in southwest Rwanda, and I wrote the following entry while I was down there, thinking I could get online and post it. That's what I get for thinking! While we actually did have internet connection, it was very slow, and we lost electricity for three days, even. Anyhow, I'm back in Kigali now...will write more soon...in the meantime, here's news from Nyamasheke:)

For the last two nights in a row, I've been shaken awake in my bed as aftershocks from the earthquake continue to pulse through this region. It was especially disconcerting two nights ago, when the bed was actually jumping. Just when I gained enough foggy awareness of what was happening and decided to rush for a secure doorway, the quake stopped. I went back to sleep, my heart racing. Phew. Never a dull moment!

A small team of us (Melene, Melanie, and I) have been down here in Nyamasheke since last weekend, facilitating a training in the Care Group model of community health outreach. Care Groups are groups of organized members of the local communities committed to teaching a specified number of households about health-related issues. The Care Group model was very successful in helping reduce child deaths and illness here in Nyamasheke during World Relief's previous child survival program. A small group of Congolese health workers joined us here in Nyamasheke to work on a plan to implement Care Groups in Bukavu, Congo. Here are some of our Congolese friends:

You might remember that I was in Nyamasheke a year and a half ago to complete my thesis research. It is great to be back! At that time, the hospital was under construction, but it is now finished. (And what a great job they did!) Below are two photos: the top is a "before" picture from 18 months ago, and the photo below depicts the new state of affairs.

Yesterday I was startled by the load this woman carried, out on the road. It's a common mode of transport for various goods, but this is a bigger load than most!

More later....

off to nyamasheke

2008-02-09T00:24:00.000-08:00

Hello again! I'll be in southwest Rwanda with Melene for the next ten days....not sure if I'll have internet connection or not, but I'll try to be in touch the best I can. I still owe many of you emails!

We'll be conducting two different trainings in the community related to child survival; one of the trainings is with a partner organization in the Congo.

Thanks for your prayers for safety in travel (a five hour drive, one way) and that our work would be effective and honoring to God. And thank you all for your continued emails....it is always so great to hear from you!

Talk to you soon! -Christine

a month in review: newborn health in Rwanda

2008-02-08T21:51:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe it's been one month since I got here....it flew by! Thank you for your prayers and support along the way; I have really appreciated your emails and notes of encouragement (and owe some of you a reply!!). I will try to catch up on my correspondence ASAP.

Until then, I wanted to give you an update on the work project here.

Did you know that the World Health Organization estimates that 10 million children under the age of 5 die every year from preventable causes? Things like pneumonia and malaria, even diarrhea, are killers of children in developing nations. It's hard to imagine something much worse than watching your own child die of something that should be simple to cure....

Of those 10 million children who die, nearly 40%, or 4 million, are less than one month old. Newborns the world over require specialized attention and care, and in developing nations, several factors combined inhibit the provision of such care. Sometimes it's ignorance, sometimes it's harmful but traditional cultural beliefs about newborn care, sometimes it's the lack of trained personnel to handle complications, and sometimes it's environmental factors, like little or no access to water. Oftentimes, it's a combination of all these factors.

My role here for the year is to explore the factors surrounding newborn health that are specific to Rwanda. While I am working with a pre-existing child survival program (run by three non-government organizations who are partnering together), I've spent the last month getting the lay of the land, not only learning where the child survival program has been working here and what they've been doing so far, but also meeting with other organizations in-country (like UNICEF) who are also working in newborn health, and attending meetings about child health at the Rwandan Ministry of Health.

After all these meetings and orientations, my role has been distilled and refined, and in collaboration with the Ministry of Health I will be conducting research over the next several months to explore the social and cultural norms surrounding newborn health here in Rwanda. I'll be trying to uncover why and how mothers and families and community health workers and health facility workers perceive and care for newborns in the ways that they do. Then, armed with that information, we'll be able to develop health messages specific to the Rwandan culture and environment regarding how to best care for newborn babies.

If you like pictures better (like me), here's a picture that the US Agency of International Development put together to describe the process of development in an international setting. My work can be placed in the second column over, the "product development" column, doing research as a basis for a future "product" (forming relevant health messages).

(Sorry, the picture is supposed to go here, but it can't load!! I'll work on it.)

I am really excited about doing the research because it means I get to go out into the villages and work with child survival program staff and interact with villagers. I will essentially be conducting trainings (in French, yikes!) for the staff and then overseeing collection and compilation of data. I am madly trying to fill in all the gaps in my French vocabulary (newborn health has a whole dictionary of its own terms, it seems...), and I appreciate your prayers for that! And I am continually thankful for your prayers for health (physical, spiritual, emotional, all)....what a blessing. :)

My prayer is that my focus in all of this work would be on the One Who purely loves and delights in all newborn babies, and Who (amazingly) knows Himself what it is to be born in very unfavorable conditions to parents with minimal resources.

Catch you again soon!

the earth is shaking

2008-02-04T21:50:00.000-08:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7225896.stm

Please follow the above link for BBC news about the earthquake that hit southwest Rwanda on Sunday. I am very sad to report there were casualties and many injuries (not to mention damages to churches and homes) down in Nyamasheke, the area where I lived in 2006. WR currently is working in child survival in Nyamasheke as well.

World Relief is mobilizing volunteers and helping to organize the relief effort right now; thank you for your prayers. World Relief staff and families are all safe.

Thank you for your emails of concern; we did feel the earthquake here in Kigali but it was nothing serious. I'll keep you posted with any further developments.

i am not a gorilla

2008-01-30T04:37:00.000-08:00

Some who are reading this blog might remember how I shared about Rwanda at an elder board meeting one time at my church. Unbeknownst to me, I accidentally started talking about Rwanda's mountain gorillas as I brought up a slide of Laura Bush (who at that time had recently visited Rwanda). The whole room erupted into raucous laughter, and I remember wanting to disappear into the carpet. I thought people would forget all about it, after, say three years (it's almost been that), but no! Someone brought it up when I ran into them a month ago at church. Ah, the embarassment!

So you might understand why I am a little wary now to talk about gorillas, but I'll give it my best shot. If you ever come visit Rwanda as a tourist, you may be told to go straight to the northern part of the country; one of the most tourist-friendly destinations in the country is Virunga Volcano National Park, home to the mountain gorillas.

One of the only places in the world that you can trek into the wilderness, led by a guide, and have a close encounter with the renowned mountain gorillas in the wild is located in this national park. The park spills over into the Congo and Uganda, but I have heard nothing but rave reviews from people I've known who have entered the park from Rwanda. Without exception, everyone I've talked to has seen several gorillas at close range, and speaks enthusiastically about the experience. One visitor even told me how her group watched a very heated exchange, from just a few feet away, between a male silverback gorilla, who wanted to lead his gorilla family one direction into the forest, and two big female gorillas, who wanted to go the other way. (In the end, the females won the argument, apparently. Not a fair fight, perhaps.)

The 1980s movie, Gorillas in the Mist, took place in Rwanda, chronicling the life and death of the anthropologist Dian Fossey who was working to protect the endangered animals. Today, there are only about 350 such mountain gorillas. It is very common to find the gorillas traveling together in groups, usually one lone male, two or more adult females, and all the offspring. A clear hierarchy is marked in the group: the silverback gorilla (or, oldest male) is typically the leader, and then the females fall into line behind him according to how long they've been part of the group. The children are usually ranked by age.

Tour guides here are very sensitive to the lifestyle of the gorillas, and tour groups are kept to a minimum, limited to small groups for short periods in the early morning hours. If you'd like more information, please visit http://www.rwanda-gorillas.com

Give me a heads-up if you think you might be interested in coming over to see the gorillas...I'd love to see you! But be sure to save your pennies. The cost of visiting the mountain gorillas for one hour in the misty morning is $500 for non-Rwandan residents. (And $40 for Rwandan citizens.)

(Thanks to Matthew Ayers for this photo, taken in the Rwandan forest where the gorillas reside)

pandemonium in kibera

2008-01-30T02:54:00.000-08:00

This is an interesting Reuters photo that went out on international wires a couple of weeks ago. The setting of the shot is at a food distribution effort at the edge of the Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya (Kibera is the largest slum in Africa and is home to one out of every three residents of Nairobi).

As you know, Kenya has recently been stricken with political/tribal issues, and we need to pray much for this land. The death toll is climbing, words like "ethnic cleansing" are being used, and there are whispers of civil war. At the same time, there are many stories of the church being mobilized to help stem the violence and provide much-needed relief. The photo above tells an interesting and realistic story about this effort.

Due to the calamities, there are thousands of hungry people all over the country. Kibera is no exception. In the photo, the man with the orange head sash was part of a security line at the food distribution, helping to keep order by keeping the crowds away from the food trucks. When the masses of people saw that the food was running out, they rushed the security line (that's when the photo was taken). The "muzungu" in the photo (muzungu = white person) is the country director of WR-Rwanda, Phil, who was helping to distribute food along with the WR-Kenya staff, other aid orgs, and lots of other church volunteers. When the security line was breached, Phil was knocked over, and the guy who looks like he's biting Phil's shoulder is actually just trying to grab a bag of food that Phil toppled onto.

Phil says that five seconds after this shot was taken, he was flat on his back, looking up into five or six media cameras snapping his downfall in the midst of the chaos. One of the security guys reached down to help him up, and the whole distribution team had to get out of there. All in a day's work.

Thank you for your continued prayers for peace in Kenya.

PS: I just read in Ev. Free's Newsbreak about Dan, a volunteer from the church who's headed out to Kenya in February to assist in reconciliation and relief efforts...please pray for him too....

a strange kind of liberty

2008-01-29T07:04:00.000-08:00

If you received my updates while I was in-country in 2006, you may remember a situation I wrote home about regarding what many perceived as false imprisonment of two men for genocide-related crimes. Without getting into all the details, I wanted to joyfully report that one of the men was recently released, freed to go home to his family after spending over a year in jail. Fantastic news!

The other man, however, remains imprisoned. Friends of mine recently visited him, hoping to encourage him by bringing him some food and some words of hope.

The imprisoned man, who still maintains his innocence, ended up being a strong encouragement to my friends instead... He talked about how he was able to share the hope and love of God with other prisoners, and was able to minister to others in prison. He didn't shake a fist at God for allowing him to be imprisoned, but instead saw his imprisonment as an opportunity to serve and comfort those around him.

There are some things that bars just cannot contain.

the tutor's wedding

2008-01-24T06:29:00.000-08:00

I may start learning Kinyarwandan (the local language), and a tutor came by today to introduce himself. As we talked, it turns out that he's getting married next month! And wow, marriage traditions here in Rwanda are very different than back home. My older sister is getting married in May (yay!!) and so this potential tutor and I exchanged information about cultural expectations. He was just as surprised at mine as I was at his:

1. If you like a girl in Rwanda, you pretty much decide right away if you want to marry her or not. Dating, at least traditionally, isn't very common here. (I write this with the caveat that as western culture infiltrates the country, this particular practice is changing a little bit.) Essentially if you start spending exclusive time with a woman here, everyone will ask almost right away when the wedding is.

2. Once you decide you want to marry a girl here, you give her parents a dowry, usually cows. Now, my soon-to-be brother-in-law (in the USA) is a great hunter, so he's given my parents some good steaks and such. But we're talking about real live cows. My tutor gave two good milking cows to his fiancee's parents (and now there are four milking cows, so the engagement must have lasted a while so far...I forgot to ask). Cows are highly valued in Rwanda. The tutor quickly explained, lest I should misunderstand, that the cows were not PAYMENT for his wife-to-be, but rather a gift of thanksgiving for such a wonderful girl. "Her parents made her," he explained with a smile, "for me."

3. The groom-to-be and bride-to-be are equally responsible for planning the wedding here. The groom is particularly responsible for "preparing the house" for his bride, preparing the meal for all the guests, and one other sizeable task that I can't remember right now. I told him that although in some cases there is a lot of involvement from the groom, traditionally brides in the US did the bulk of the wedding planning. He thought this was pretty odd.

4. Here in Rwanda, the bride and groom split the costs of the wedding; no parents of either party are involved in ceremony or reception costs, and in fact, the couple will generally present a gift of some kind to the parents during the ceremony (more cows?). When I told the tutor that generally the parents of the bride foot the bill in America, he was so surprised. "Why is this?" he asked, taken aback. I had never really thought about it, and so I told him my guess was that traditionally, the bride lived with her parents until she lived with her husband, and so the parents were responsible for her expenses (and for hosting the party) up until the point they handed her over to her groom at the wedding ceremony. (Anybody know about the tradition? I really have no idea where that comes from...just took it for granted.)

5. Last, it is apparently very common to invite everyone and their brother to the wedding, here. Nobody is excluded. I found out about my tutor's upcoming wedding as I was being extended an invitation to attend....after a five minute conversation about Kinyarwandan lessons. Apparently limiting the guest list is, literally, a foreign concept here....or at least it is in my tutor's case.

Interesting stuff! Never a dull moment, that's for sure. It has been a busy two weeks and I will give you an update soon about how child survival and newborn research is progressing....talk to you again soon!

umasambe (ooh-mah-sohm-bee)

2008-01-23T22:02:00.000-08:00

Allow me to introduce you to Umasambe, the crested crane that serves as watch-bird at Phil and Becca's house.

I know nothing about crested cranes, so feel free to enlighten me if you have time to check out wikipedia. What I DO know is that this particular crested crane doesn't like strangers and will crow at people. I also know that at one point it was legal to domesticate crested cranes and keep them as pets here, but it isn't any longer. Of course, if you obtained a crested crane while it was legal to do so, you're permitted to keep it now...you just can't get any more. Unfortunately for Umasambe, he could really use a friend, so the law is somewhat inconvenient.

The name "Umasambe" actually means "crested crane" in Kinyarwandan, the national language of Rwanda. So, it's kind of like naming your dog, "Dog." (Except for Umasambe sounds cooler.) Umasambe will eat bread from your hand if he trusts you, but he does have a pretty sharp beak, so you have to watch your hand. He's about four feet tall, good-sized.

Stay tuned for further Rwandan wildlife updates...

embassies, meetings, and first birthday cakes...

2008-01-21T07:25:00.000-08:00

The rest of last week flew by! I did make my first trip to the US Embassy here on Thursday (and got a great security briefing...it turns out Rwanda is one of the safest places to be in East Africa right now. They say!).

I also made my second trip to the US Embassy the very next day, on Friday! This time, it was to pick up a big box of research materials that I had sent ahead of me; I received a message Friday morning to come pick it up. The Embassy closes at 1 pm on Friday, however, which I didn't know, and I arrived at about 1:20. Thanks to some very accomodating Rwandan guards, and the chief security officer who was still in his office, I managed to get the box anyhow.

This might seem like a small thing, but I was thrilled....not only is it inconvenient to make multiple trips to the Embassy, but the matter was complicated by the fact that there is a new US Embassy building being built in Kigali, and they are moving to their new home starting this week. My box would have disappeared into Embassy oblivion for who-knows-how-long, had I not been able to recuperate it on Friday! So I was very grateful. :)

I also had a meeting at the BASICS office last Thursday. BASICS is the other organization with whom I'm working while here, associated with the Rwandan Ministry of Health, and focusing on newborn care. Then on Friday I was in meetings much of the day at World Relief; the theme for the year at World Relief-Rwanda is "Complete Transformation," and the meeting centered around identifying organizational objectives. My own personal objectives are to finish formulating a research and project approach for the year! I have meetings this coming week with UNICEF as well as with USAID, and we'll see how things go.

The WR office here is short-staffed right now, due to loaning of personnel to the WR offices in Nairobi to assist in the recent crisis there. Please keep the situation in Kenya in your prayers, as it is still volatile.

In other news (and answered prayer!): I will be living with Phil and Becca during my time here in Rwanda! They were very generous to offer me a room for the coming months. I am so comfortable there at their home and will be looking forward to the steady stream of international guests that they are constantly hosting. Also, Hilde from Holland is living there right now too, so I am learning lots of fun stuff about social life in Kigali and all the fun places in town to hang out.

On Saturday night, Becca and Phil invited their friend Innocent to a birthday dinner. Innocent is an orphan from Burundi, finishing high school here in Rwanda and living with a Rwandese family. Innocent's birthday was today, the 21st, and Becca baked a carrot cake for him to celebrate! Here's a picture of the cake:

Here's a picture of Phil and Becca (and two of Innocent's "adopted" family) singing Happy Birthday to him (Innocent is holding the cake):

As we sat down to enjoy the cake, we discovered that this was Innocent's first birthday cake! Hard to imagine not having a birthday cake before your 22nd birthday... I guess we all have many things to be thankful for!

Talk to you again soon....

the hyenas have a wedding

2008-01-17T21:28:00.000-08:00

On those rare meteorological occasions when the sun is out while it's pouring rain, my first response has always been to look for the rainbow.

Not here.

Yesterday I was working at the World Relief offices in Kigali, mainly looking up recent research articles about newborn health. Sarah (who's an American) happened to be in the office I share with Melene when the rain started to come sheeting down from the sky while the sun was shining brightly across the valley. (I am even posting a picture here of the view, looking out from the World Relief offices...see how hard it's pouring!!) "Oh," Sarah said, "the hyenas are having a wedding. That's what they say here."

What?

Melene (who of course is Rwandan, and was sitting right there too) confirmed that what Sarah said was true. Instead of indicating the need to look for rainbows here, this kind of weather prompts certainty about hyena weddings.

Hmmm. That's...different! So I asked Melene where that story came from. She just laughed and said she didn't know.

So, the next time the sun is shining when the rain is falling...you'll know that hyenas are being wed somewhere nearby. Don't forget you heard it here.

a much shorter blog entry

2008-01-16T03:35:00.000-08:00

Hello again!

Just a quick note; I'm back in Kigali again and had a great time in Butare with Melene and Erica (see post below--I wrote that entry on Monday night but couldn't post it until just a few minutes ago). The training went well and I will hopefully be able to build off what Erica has begun when I return to Butare in the future.

Also, Phil's back from Nairobi, sunburnt and a bit weary from distributing food to crowds of people in the slums, but otherwise doing well (again, see post below). He says to keep praying for peace in Kenya because there is supposed to be a new set of (outlawed) demonstrations today.

Next time I write I'll do my best to post photos! And a snapfish account has been graciously bestowed to me (that's an online photo album for anyone who may not know) so I will be able to post lots of photos there. Right now I don't have too many, but I will make an effort to carry my camera into more places! Have a great day--talk to you soon---

a very very long blog entry

2008-01-16T03:10:00.000-08:00

Greetings from Butare...

[I hope you all are well! I started an entry in this blog two days ago but felt if I waited a little longer I could give you a more interesting update about what's going on over here. And then I moved cities at the last moment today (Monday), so who knows when I'll have internet access to post this entry! But I'll go ahead and write it, and post it when I can. Thanks for your patience!]

It seems like a long time ago now, but my plane ride(s) over here to Rwanda last week went really smoothly. I had the opportunity to go to Haarlem in Holland during my 14-hour layover there (it's an easy train ride from the airport if you should ever find yourself in the same situation). I went to Haarlem specifically to see the Corrie TenBoom house/museum after Vic and I had listened to the radio drama in the car on the way up Hwy 25 from New Mexico. It was really moving to take a tour, hear the TenBoom story again, and actually see where the family and their "guests" lived during WWII. (If you don't know the story, please do google it...it's a great true story about sacrifice and doing the right thing, no matter the cost). I will post some photos of the house when I can; there is a shot of the actual room where the Jews hid in the TenBoom home. While the story is tragic in many respects, it also is a story of hope, of forgiveness, and healing, and I was so glad to have the opportunity to visit this place on my way into Rwanda. It reminded me that even in the darkest times, and the most difficult times, God's power and love is accessible and can heal even the deepest hurts.

I arrived in Kigali after a very safe 3-hour stay in Nairobi's airport, and some friends from World Relief surprised and delighted me by their presence at the Kigali airport (Melene and Baraka included, whom many of you know...they send their greetings!). My luggage arrived intact...no missing suitcases, although I confess for a few minutes while I watched the baggage carousel I had flashbacks from the Philippines last summer. :) Thank you for your prayers; it is SO nice to have all my stuff with me!

I was taken straight to my temporary quarters at the Smiths' home (Phil and Becca Smith, that is; Phil is the WR country director of Rwanda, and Becca is his wife). I have been very comfortable there over the weekend, and because they live in a very safe, heavily expatriate community in Kigali I can even do things like (imagine!) go jogging. :) Which I did do, on Sunday afternoon; who knows how much longer I can take advantage of this! I actually haven't seen Phil yet, as he has been helping the WR Kenya staff in Nairobi with food distribution and relief coordination in the slums; he is scheduled to return tomorrow morning (Tuesday). Becca very kindly took me to get a SIM card and exchange money on Saturday afternoon; I've enjoyed chatting with her about everything from Cape Town excursions to where NOT to buy groceries in Kigali to how to take care of a "watch-bird" (in lieu of a watch dog, that is...the Smiths inherited a beautiful and noisy crested crane when they came to their current residence). Again, I'll post photos when I can! While the Smiths' hospitality is fantastic, I don't want to wear out my welcome and am looking for a more permanent place to live...would very much appreciate your prayers in that regard. :)

The night I arrived (Friday), the director of programs at WRR (World Relief Rwanda), Sarah, hosted a welcome dinner at her home, which was such a nice way to start out here in my new country-for-a-year (thank you!). And Saturday night, it was great to join some other volunteers and expatriates here who are serving in a variety of ways around the country; we had Mexican dinner at a local restaurant, and narrowly missed our chance to try out the new karaoke room (it's not quite finished yet). Maybe next weekend. :) There are some really great people here seeking to make a difference in the lives of Rwandans, and it was fun to meet some of them.

Sunday I attended church with Sarah and her roommate Audrey; it was a pretty big church in Kigali, and while the service was filled with Rwandans and other Africans, it was conducted in English, which was very different from any other experience I've had here. Being based in urban Kigali (as opposed to, say, rural Kibogora) is going to be a different experience all around, I'm beginning to see! Afterward, Sarah and I met up with a former staff member from WR with whom I initially had contact regarding the Fulbright, way back last spring. She's here with a different child survival project right now, and over lunch, I was able to get some orientation from her and Sarah about the direction I will likely be able to pursue regarding the research and work that I'll be doing here during the year pertaining to newborn health.

Then this morning (Monday), I had a meeting with the program officers of the actual WR child survival program (known as the EIP, the Expanded Impact Project) -- I'm beginning to think I should put an acronym key in this blog!. We continued the dialogue about what needs they see in the context of the EIP regarding newborn health, and what they see as feasible projects for me during the year. While everything is still in the formative stages, it looks as though I'll begin by developing and conducting interviews with women in the EIP communities who have lost babies in birth or due to illness in the first month of life; in doing so, I'll be able to examine at an individual level what are common care-seeking practices and perspectives regarding newborn health, which in turn will help the EIP to know how to develop appropriate interventions for mothers and newborns. Thank you also for your prayers as I begin this work! It will take time and input from many others in order to carry out the first part of this project in a culturally sensitive and appropriate manner.

After the meeting this morning with the EIP officers, I left Kigali for 36-48 hours (not sure how long yet) to go with Melene and another volunteer here (Erica) to Butare, where Erica is carrying out a training for EIP workers in diarrhea research. Diarrhea is one of the top three leading causes of death in Rwandan children under five years old. That's unacceptable, particularly since (as you know), diarrhea is entirely preventable. I am looking forward to seeing Erica's approach at the training (tomorrow (Tuesday) and meeting some of the EIP staff in Butare, with whom I will hopefully be working in the coming months. I didn't know this little trip was even a possibility when I left the Smith's this morning, but hey, this is Africa and it's fun times. I jumped at the opportunity to come along. I am writing this, sans internet connection, from a guest house run by nuns, close by to where we'll work tomorrow. It's very comfortable, quiet, and DARK in the hallways. Thank you, Vic, for making sure I have flashlights. :)

Okay, normally I won't give you a blow-by-blow like this! But I just wanted to bring you up to speed on how things are going here so far. I'll keep you posted on housing situations and project goings-on as they unfold. Thank you for being a blessing to me! :) I'll touch base again soon.

safe arrival

2008-01-11T07:50:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to let you know that after an uneventful trip (uneventful in the best sense of the word!) I arrived here in Kigali with both my suitcases and am settling in to my temporary quarters at Phil and Becca's home (Phil is the World Relief country director). Thank you all for your prayers! I'll give you a more detailed update as soon as I can. Hope you all are well!

quick update from CO

2008-01-08T07:56:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to let you know that I'm here in CO now...Victor planned the whole trip, did an amazing job, and everything went so smoothly! Thanks so much for your prayers. And here's a quick priceline.com plug: Vic got 2 rooms for $90 total at one of the nicest hotels in Albuquerque (the Hyatt)...it was great! I even had time for one last jog on the treadmill at the hotel fitness room before we went to church on Sunday at a big local place Vic found online. If anyone needs a trip planner, Victor is your man. :)

On the way across country (about 18 hours total) we listened to two different radio dramas, Les Miserables and The Hiding Place. You may be happy to know I only cried a few times per drama. We highly recommend them both!

Favorite quote from Les Mis: "The highest justice allows for mercy."

Favorite quote from THP (Corrie's father speaking to her): "Corrie, remember that you are just a little girl, and I put a train ticket into your hand just before we step onto a train, no sooner than that. And so it is with your heavenly Father: He will give you just what you need in the time that you need it, but oftentimes no sooner than that..."

I wanted to thank everyone out there who was able to spend some time with me sometime in the past couple of weeks before I left, including those who were able to attend the super encouraging going-away party at Ev. Free (special thanks to the hosts-extraordinaire, Dave & Jenn...you guys are awesome!). I am really really humbled by the awesome family God has placed me into at Ev. Free. I have been shaped and impacted by you.

Gotta go for now! Packing up here is a whirlwind! I will have a skype number pretty soon and I'll let you know by email what it is. Blessings to you in the meantime...the next time I write will likely be from Africa....

(P.S.: Thanks for the comments!! It is great to know you are there.)

Adventures await....

2008-01-03T11:21:00.000-08:00

When I have a few more spare moments, I will upgrade this blog a little bit...I need pictures and other blog links, and all the rest of the stuff that comes with blogs! But until I find those spare moments, in the midst of all the packing and visiting and goodbyes, the plain white look will have to do... :)

Thank you for coming to this blog...my guess is that if you're here, you probably know by now that I am embarking on an adventure and journey and start of a new vocation in life, and I am so glad you're here to join me! Over the next year I'll be in Rwanda working in a child survival program with World Relief (and their partners, Concern Worldwide and the International Rescue Committee), focusing on newborn health. Did you know that an estimated 4 million children under the age of 30 days die every year in developing nations, primarily of preventable causes?? World Relief and friends are working all over the world to help prevent such un-necessary deaths, and I have the privilege of joining them for the next 10-12 months in Rwanda. I'll write more about my specific role there as time goes by.

In the meantime, my head and heart are full of so many thoughts and emotions as I pack up my life here in California, mostly thoughts full of gratitude to God and thankfulness for so many amazing people here who have impacted my life and helped me to see God's love and care in ways I never could have imagined. And while I anticipate the future, and feel such peace about heading out there for a year, I am also burdened as I say goodbye, because...it's hard! I will miss everyone so much.

Please feel free to drop by anytime to catch up on how things are going with me in Rwanda...and please drop me a line to let me know how you are doing too! It will make my day, guaranteed.