Being in Miss Faith and Mr Roger's Neighborhood!!!

Saturday morning Innocent and I had gotten up early and started

planting a lot of flowers that we had gotten on Friday.  We worked for 2 hours and then 

headed to Umaganda.  It is the last Saturday of the month and everyone

works in their own neighborhood to make some improvements. Sort of like a mission

trip... one day a month!! 

So we headed down our long street and started moving and leveling

dirt over the giant and tiny potholes.  It is very hot these days, too

so the work really took a lot of energy out of us.  

We worked with about 20 others.. mostly houseboys, a few other men.

I am always the only female but Philip when along and another 

young Korean boy came, too.  They helped a lot but we were worn 

out when we finished.  

We had planned to go visit Faith and Roger at their 

Fish Farm and I could barely stay awake on the drive there.  

When we finally got there I sat down in a cushy chair and after we had talked 

for a while--- fell sound asleep.  That heat and fresh air did me in.

   

But after a short nap I was ready to roll again.  Faith had a cold and took

a nap too... while the guys took a walk all over the farm with some of the kids. 

This is the view from just outside their door.
They have built this place to live here, develop their fish farm
and to provide over 18 children with a wonderful  home.  Before Faith and Roger none these children didn't have a place to live.  The Lord has given Roger and Faith an extra amount of love to share with these great kids--Their big family!

A 'Tree Tomato' Tree!  This is a special tree that grows 
the tree tomato fruit.  It is blood red inside and is a bit 
tart but makes great jelly.

Getting to be late in the afternoon but Faith said.... "Come on.. I want to show you something".  So off we went. 

And THIS is what she showed me.... This little family of ducklings
had just been born the day before.  And I couldn't stop taking pictures of them---and they couldn't stop moving!

Following Mommy.. all in a row!

Can't you just feel the fluff?

They were hard to capture motionless... because they were busy little babies..
but i did get a couple in focus.

This one seemed to be a leader.

Mommy 'cricken' her neck to see what I was doing
and making sure her babies were ok.

There were other ducks in the pen and even a little pond.

Here they all are! 

They stayed so close to mommy all time we were watching them.

But then Mommy decided to take them into the shed for the night. 

That was when these renegades hit the water.   They got in but couldn't get out.
After clapping close behind them and scaring them they finally got up over the edge and back with their clan.  Highlight of the day for me.

This is Faith!  And her perfect house for 20 in the background!!!!
This is one special friend and lady!!
May you all be as fortunate to have a Faith in your life!

This was another house... Roger and Faith's first house they built on the property.
but not big enough for all the children so now it is the guest house!

They designed beautiful flower gardens and atmosphere on the
property.   It is wonderful.

This is the kitchen/laundry... sorry about the sun.. but it was setting.  They
just screened it all in where they cook.. so the help will love that!
Right next to this place on the right there is another small home that
Faith had built for her mother to live there with them...and she had
until last fall when she went to be with the Lord.
That space will now eventually become Faith's studio for her art work.

Yes, it is this gorgeous.  A writer or painter's haven.

These golden trees are all over Kigali and are blooming right now..
Have no idea what they are... except pretty! 

The kids and the Roger and Bruce got back from their walk all over the farm.
It is a huge fish farm, but with all the children to feed... they also have turkeys, chickens, pigs, cows, etc....Check out their dog all the way to the left with the soccer ball in her mouth!  oops! 

Isn't it wonderful?  But a LOT of WORK!!!  Oh and did I mention they don't have any electricity?  They did get a generator that they use after the sun goes down for about
an hour before everyone goes to bed.
The sun goes down... never later than 6:30!! 

They have a different life here but it is an amazing life.  This
is taken just before the sun wnet down and before Saturday night
movie night starts! 

 So, Roger set the lap top up and turned on Stuart Little #2.
Note:  Matoni... the little girl looking at the camera,
just came to them this last year.  She stays here all the time.. But the rest of the children rotate during the school year.  This was the "boys" weekend to be with Faith and Roger.  The girls are in nearby village this weekend
with nannies but will be on the farm next weekend.
Also Note just how large this living room is.

Their furniture is coming from the States in a container.  They used to live in America
but moved back to Rwanda and have now sold their place in Calif....
All their belongings from there will arrive soon. 

And that isn't the only thing that might arrive soon.  Electricity is making its way to the village now that is near them... and then it will arrive at their house.  We saw some of the poles up and being wired to the houses.  What a difference that will bring to their lives.  A refrigerator?  A microwave?  A toaster?  Hair dryer?  and on and on...  Just  think of all the things you do with Electricity and you can imagine the conveniences they have been living without.  Well, we don't even call them conveniences... We call them
necessities!!!  They will feel like they are living in paradise when they "get wired".

 This picturesque place is about 1 hour southeast of Kigali...and we stayed to long and it got dark before we left.  Driving home in the dark was an eye-opening experience, as well.  I grew up in the country and i know it gets dark without street lights, etc  BUT
when there are NO lights anywhere across the countryside it is really dark.  So, as we left their house... families were still sitting outside in the dark...folks still walking home, or just walking in the dark... who were thrilled when our car lights would brighten their path.  Every once in a while you would see the light of a cell phone.... Yes,  almost everyone has one of those... THEY are a necessity here... There is no other way to communicate--There are no land lines.  I have just learned that there are "charging stations" where there is electricity... so folks go there and get their phones charged.
                                    We take so much for granted, don't we?

Anyway.... one little candle would be the only light in each little village house as we drove back to the main highway.... Many homes had "camp fires" behind their little block houses.  I would imagine not only for light but to also keep mosquitoes away.  Everyone would still wave and smile as we drove by and the kids would still chase the car and ask for plastic bottles.  It was a picture I will long keep in my mind.

Our electricity has been very spotty over the last month and yesterday the "electrician" came back to "fix" the doorbell which is located outside on the wall near the gate.  So, last night, after digging up 1/2 the yard to find where the wires went... none of the outlets in the house worked downstairs.  ha!  So, although we do have electricity here in the  city... it does have a mind of its own and when you tamper with it.... your guess is as good as mine about what will work or not work next!   This is what we found last night!
Something happened around this area to send our electric plugs for a loop..( a new electrical loop)  Can you imagine?

Just tear the mortar out... maybe we could find it that way....
oh, and leave the live wires exposed, too... just for fun.

 Note the brick work and how much mortar
has been removed to put wires "in"...

I'll let you know soon what the end result of this giant experiment is... I'm sure we haven't heard or seen the end of it yet.  Never a dull moment.

May your day be Electrifying!

love,
margie