Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Kigali

The more I travel around Africa the more I realize how much I love belonging to one place. It was great to have the adventure of a $12 bus ride across the boarder into Rwanda, finding a guest house before the sun set which was $6 per night, and wondering around the city for the weekend, but it’s good to be back in Buja where things are familiar.
It was an amazing Easter weekend. Stephanie and I had one goal, relax. We strolled around the city being tourists. It was great to have the freedom to just look and shop. Kigali is more developed than Buja and so we kept asking ourselves, “where are we?”
We connected with a friend who is living there and she took us to her workplace. It is a house for 20+ boys that she rescued off the streets. It was great getting to lead an Easter egg hunt. Children will be children, when allowed, no matter where you go. It was wonderful to see their faces as they raced out of the house searching in the bushes for the hidden eggs. They we so proud when they found an egg and got to present it to us in exchange for a piece of candy. After the hunt one boy took me around the back of the house and showed me the rabbits that they are raising. I asked if the rabbits were for eating and the boy proudly said yes and grabbed some grass clippings and fed them to the rabbit. I don’t think he understood so the jury is still out about the destiny of the rabbits. It was great to have one on one time with one of the boys. I was trying not to be overwhelmed by the reality that 2 years ago all these boys were on the street with no future and no hope. The fun and excitement was halted when one of the workers told us that they needed to go because it was time for church. What a great moment where the value of church was such a priority. These boys now can access that hope that they were lacking before. As we left the boys stated in their best English, “See you tomorrow.” I had to explain “Edgo jewe Burundi” (tomorrow me Burundi). They were sad to see us go but Burundi is where I belong. It’s where my ministry is. I must be faithful.

2 comments:

  1. It's so nice to hear how Burundi is becoming "home" to you, and to see that you have a place that you belong and where God is using you. What a gift, though, to be able to spend time with those precious boys!

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  2. You said you didn't want to go to far away from home to college and you made SPU your home. Now you are making Burundi your home. Glad to hear you feel that way. That means you will be showing us your home not a place you are just visiting for a year. God is good. All the time

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