A Sunday At Urukundo Children's Home!

Sunday morning a week ago we left the house at 7:45 to go

pick up Tamon and Etienne so we could head to 

Mama Arlene's and the worship service with all the kids! 

Folks already out in the field working. 

 My favorite spot on the trip up!  Love these trees.. 

And then there is the view across this vast valley looking 
northward towards the volcanoes.  
No view of them today though due to the clouds!

We got there safely and just in time to take the little ones
to practice their songs for church.

    Thought i had a lot more of these dolls singing... but guess not.  

They were really sweet singing for Jesus.

Then Church Started....and the worship team
hit the drums and started singing. 

The CMU kids were sitting on both sides of the room

and right behind all the little ones.  Notice the back of the 

room isn't filled yet.  

The CMU students packed half of the room.

This is So-So.  I don't know how to spell his name but
he is one precious little boy.  He recently turned two! 

Claude jumped right into worship.. Claudine.. however,
next to him.... didn't like the "noise".  ha! 

 Mama Arlene in the blue dress... Claudine still not ready
to "listen".  She is the little one that was blind and not
walking when she arrived at age 3... Now after eye
surgery and a lot of loving care.... she not only sees but
she runs and jumps and loves life.... (just not loud things)

The service isn't full yet but the villagers are starting to
come now.  

 One of the Pastors on the left.. only speaking Kinyarwanda and Oscar on the
right who was interpreting in English.

 Then the kids got up to sing their songs..

Just got them singing ""....on their way out. 

The the Pastor asked the worship team to come up again.

After the 3rd round of singing, Mama asked Bruce to come
up and introduce the CMU students and leaders.
Next to Bruce (on his left) was Bob Reid...a prof
in Mechanical Eng. at CMU... He leads several
trips a year but this was their first trip to Africa.

Then Prof. Bob introduced and brought each student
 to the front of the church.  The back seats are starting to fill now.

Finally they were all up in the front.

After Bruce took a formal picture of all of them,
 they returned to their seats. 

Then all of the other people that usually come to the service each week
were asked to come to the front.
They gave sort of a welcome blessing to all the visitors.
It was very nice and quite warm and loving. 

Oscar was telling us what the blessing was...in English.

 Then before the sermon the last choir came up!

Baby Diana sat sucking her thumb with her runny nose all morning.

She just turned one! 

 Everyone up again and one lady came to release her
worship through dance.

Now you can see all the folks that have filled the church.
Between these two videos many people came forward to
give them testimonies about what God was doing their
lives... how He had blessed them or simply to praise Him!
It was very moving.... even though we couldn't always understand.
Most of he time Oscar would interpret, though. 

At the end of the service... after the Presbyteria preacher had 

a good sermon the worship team closed the service. 

Oscar and a CMU student outside afterward.

Some of the folks that had come from the village.

   

As you can see, the pineapple are growing... They

grow right out of the top of another old pineapple 

top placed in the ground.

 This is the project the kids will be working on.  As you can see
even before they have begun the Rwandese workers have
already torn out and rebased 3/4 of the basketball court.
The goal is to get it done and surfaced with new concrete.
( Does this remind anyone of a Long Island project?)

 Etienne and Mama on the court.
Etienne lived with Mama for several years. He is a dear young man and
now--- he is applying to do his master's work in IT at CMU/Rwanda!  Wow!

We walked Tamon down to the newest school...
(after looking at the pre-school building) to give him a tour
of all the things at the home! 

  Tamon and Etienne standing outside of the new primary center. This
is such a beautiful building!  After this they hiked up the hill to view Rwanda from the
most center point of the country. They got back just in time for lunch.

I didn't take any pictures during lunch but at the end..
this little one was the ONLY one left eating.

She was enjoying every bite.
A friend came over to help her finish. 

"No way. I'll take care of this", she implied as she pushed her helper
away.  She enjoyed it all to the end. Lunch was delcious!

Looks like Juan captured the kids...
but I think the kids might have captured him, as well!

Looks like Bruce is storytelling here... Cute picture, huh?

We had a great day all together and finally... after the CMU 

students left to go explore Gitarama and after we had 

sat and talked with Mama for awhile, we decided to head back 

to the city.  The kids were taking their naps and we needed ours, too!  

But what a wonderful Sunday it was!  

I think the CMU students are in for a super week filled with lots of joy 

from the children and being able to give them something 

really "solid" like a concrete playing area!  What a great gift they are

and will continue to be for the Urukundo Children!  

Just about back into the city we stopped to take a picture
of this place that we had seen on the way up!!
None of us could even imagine what this place is!
But it is a conversation started, don't you think?
I hope you can find a bull washing bar near you!!

All for now...
love,
margie