A Great Day with My Boys: Bruce, Innocent and Lionel

It's Friday morning and Bruce wants to talk a walk with me in the neighborhood before
he goes to work so he can see things and meet people in the daylight!
These are pictures of some of the things we saw along the way.
We probably walked 2-2 1/2 miles. 

This young man is Container!  He lives next door across the street.

This is the container on the property that "Container" guards
Thus, his name..."Container" -- really, that is the truth!
Tonight he asked Innocent what i do with all the pictures i take!  ha!
I'll show him someday.

          

 This is the scaffolding they use to build these huge
beautiful homes. There are at least 20 house like this
being built right now.

.

These are the forms they use to pour concrete into.. that they mix by hand.      

This is the shoe tanner sitting right in front of the picture
above on the right.  He was so proud of his work!

 This must be the rooster we hear in the morning and his lady friend!

This is the Woodlands Grocery where we get our
water and other needs!

The walk up this hill to our place from the
grocery is about a 1 1/2 mile from our house. 

These culverts--for water run off-- are on both sides of every street
and are about 3 feet deep and 2 feet wide. No guard rails anywhere!!!!
I guess people just don't drive cars into them but some
are really close to the street. This one has a sidewalk in between, just a few inches. 

This builder was hammering into huge
bamboo poles.  Don't know what he is building. 

The fields across from our "neighborhood".  

 When I came (3 wks ago) all these acres looked like weeds everywhere.
Then the workers, mostly women hoed all of the fields
by hand... until they looked like this dirt.  Then
they planted each little section and now...

They look like this with beans and peas growing every where.

This little ray of sunshine in the middle of the field.

Isn't it beautiful?   And in the background is the city!  

 These two had just finished the wall behind them.
They were sifting the sand so they could mix the concrete to
finish the top of the shorter wall.  They too love what they
do and are very proud of their work. 

Then this man motioned and he wanted his picture taken, too!
After this we went home..  Great walk! 
THEN THE AFTERNOON STARTED!!!  

Lionel, our driver came and picked both Innocent and me up and off we went to run errands!

First Stop.... With the Locals and their shops.... Didn't take pictures of all the tiny little
shops that people have selling charcoal, fruits, veggies, paint supplies and cleaning products.
We bought a broom... and captured these dolls playing....


Found out a little later as we were driving out of this lot that there mommies
were watching and stopped to talk with us..  They all had their Bibles.
I think they had just had there Mom's Day Out with their Small Group!

There was a guy...a tall guy on the street waving and waving at us... i finally realized that he was one of
the clerks at the Woodlands Grocery store.. I waved backed, smiled and we drove the other direction.... to MY FAVORITE PLACE!
The MILL!!

To see the furniture that we are having made....

This is Patrick, the builder and he manages a whole
team of builders making tons of furniture.
I love the people here... There is some sense of
community here that i simply love!  The people are so great. It really warms your heart.

As we were leaving.....Innocent said.. "STOP.STOP....the old man is here with his instrument!"

What a great man!  He is totally blind and he plays this old Rwanda instrument ----a stick, a wire, a gourd and 2 small hammers.
His son or grandson... also sang along with him for a few coins.  His first song was about a girl.. must have been funny because the crowd that gathered was laughing.
THEN he sang the next song.... Scripture from the Sermon on the Mount and the Great Commission!  He was very good and everyone gathered to hear him.
All these happy faces... they have barely anything... but they are always so happy and willing to greet you.  We have so much and often are so miserable.  Be joyful in all things... They are!  They continue to teach me.

Most of the African babies between 1-2 are quite scared of me even saying hello to them. All the adults think it is funny.... Diane B.. you would say they are very smart to be leary of strangers... especially when there is always just 1 white stranger around..  BUT this little guy.... tied on his mommy's back... just giggled and giggled every time I would hold his little hand and kiss it.  He had everyone laughing because it was so cute.  He made my day!   I miss my grandkids so much i can barely talk about it.  

Isn't he adorable?  

After this time at the great sawmill.. i did some shopping for Rwandan Art,

and we stopped at Woodlands to buy water.  The clerk that we had seen

earlier was there.... grinning from ear to ear when he saw us again.  We had seen each other at the store before but we had never talked more than to say hello but today

he came to me and said... "You love Jesus, yes?"  I told him, "yes,

i certainly do"....and he said, "Can i ask a favor?  Could you get me a Bible? 

I don't have a Bible."

"In English or Kinyarwanda?" i asked.  He said "My English isn't so good

so please in Kinyarwanda, if possible.."  I told him i would...  

When we left the store he said good bye and then added, "please don't forget"! 

How could I?     

    Thank you for your prayers for us while we are here.

It is guys like this and days like this that make it all worth while. 

Saturday, tomorrow we leave Kigali to go visit the orphanage...

 I wonder what awaits us. 

love,

margie