Remember the Kids from Last Sunday?

Remember the kids that we gave a ride to church last week?  Well, by Tues... they called and asked if i would meet them at their school.  It was a about a mile walk... (Bruce had the car).... but when I got there they weren't there.  I called them and they said.. oh no... we want you to come to our village!  So, i walked on down the road another 1/8 of a mile or so and was greeted with open arms and open hearts.

This is William and Synthia in Synthia's house. ( pronounced santia)
He is 13.  She is 12.  This is the little girl that prayed so beautifully.
They both speak English and they both love the Lord! 

This is Patrick... He is 11 and doesn't know much of what we say
but he is always close.

Denise is about 10 and is literally right next to me all
the time..at church and here, too! 

 Patrick, Synthia, me and Denise at the entrance to her house.
William insisted on pictures!

Then he had Synthia take one of him with us.

 These two are simply edible!  I just want to eat them up!  They are so cute!
 The one on the right is
Synthia's little brother. I don't know the little girl. 

 More of the kids in the village (of about 5 houses).

Then we went to William's house to meet his GREAT grandma..
She is about 85...and in great health.  William lives with his grandparents and great
grandma since neither of his parents are living. 

 The lady on the far left is William's Grandma!
Grampa is a pastor in a small country church... but William
prefers to come to Christ's Church where he has been coming
for over 4 years.
-----------

In Kigali.... people interchange their r's and l's so folks say
"Kigari" for instance.... So I asked William what he wanted to be when he grew up and he said very proudly, "a pirate"!  I said, a what?  Like the guys who steal stuff from other boats?
He said.. "OH NO.. i want to be a pirate.... you know, the one who flys the airplanes."
It was only then that i remembered about the r's and l's and we had a good laugh.
I actually think he will be a pastor!  ( no r's or l's)!!!

Yes, I know this picture is fuzzy but they were just so cute.
They just wandered in while we were all talking... or attempting to talk to each other.
And when their Mom called and told them to come home..They just started
crying... I guess they wanted to stay. 

Now the cool thing is before we left William's house the kids said.. We have to pray!
And then we had a prayer and blessing from two of the children..  So dear!  Trust and obey for there's no other way....  They live this!

The older kids wanted to walk me home.  I wasn't sure about this idea on many levels.
But the hardest part was Synthia's little brother didn't want her to leave. So i just held him a little bit and he calmed down...Couple more minutes and he would have been asleep! ha!

It took us about 40 minutes to walk home and i didn't know what the kids would think when we got to our house.  I told them we were just renting this house and it was quite a bit bigger than our house in the US.  They didn't care... We had so much fun talking and then we had drinks when we got to our house and or course, William asked Innocent to take a picture of us.  

 I'm the one without the tan!  They went home after a bit but NOT
before we all circled up and prayed again.
I have a vague recollection of Dad, Claude and/or the pastors doing this at our house when we would would be parting ways with friends or family.
   It brought back lots of memories.

The sad news of the day is that Synthian is going back to boarding school
and will be gone for 3 months.  We met her mom when we drove the kids home from church this morning... and her mom asked if we would like to go with her to see her at school when she can have visitors.  I'm so glad!  This is a dear young girl.  I don't know which baby she picked up to comfort! 

This is the street that turns into the village.
 Synthia's house is the pink one.

 This is William's grandparent's home!

The sermon today was on HOPE!  Looking at some of the situations here, Hope is not the
first word that enters my mind or heart.   But then, when you talk to people... they see and have so much hope for the future.  It makes me feel ashamed at some of things i complain about.  These children are so happy and content in the Lord and all the blessings He has given them.   I hope to discover what is underneath all that
Hope.. There are lots of layers here in people's hearts and minds and I pray that i will be able to know someone well enough that they can articulate their hope to me--when they appear to be in a hopeless situation.

I know their hope is in the Lord and i know they trust Him with their future... but I still wonder if there is more.... something deeper.  Or is it pure and simple trust in their Savior and His love for them?  I suspect it might be just that....

Please remember them in your thoughts and prayers!

love you all,
margie

Exercise and Open Air!

One day last week I was out talking to some folks at our gate when along came a woman  walking her beautiful golden lab.  We spoke and then started talking.  Turns out she is a pastor's wife and they have been living in different parts of Africa for years.  But they've been in Rwanda now for 2 years.  She invited me to a Bible Study on Tues. morning,
told me about a place that she goes to exercise 3 days a week AND informed me about an International Women's Club that meets to do service things and fun things.  WOW!  All that in one conversation.

So, on Mon I went to the step aerobic Class and on Wed the toning class.  Friday is Thebo?
They are very strenuous but very good!  Each class led by a different instructor.
But this is where we have our classes!

They are held at the Manor Hotel in a large open-air room.
By day... we exercise there.. by night it is an Indian Restaurant.
Not sure I'd ever eat here. Ha!

 View from behind instructor.

Off to the other side

This is Shannon (the Mon. instructor from US) and Jan, my new friend.

 Wed. the instructor for the toning/aerobic class was Barbara from Hanover, Germany

And today.. Friday..we had a Thebo class with a Rwandan man, named, ???  I forgot. 

He was tough and all day since then i've been hungry and tired! ha!

Great setting for a class, huh?

After the initial workout then we do floor exercises.

 Jan asked me to take her picture to send to her kids!

 Views from today... Friday. a little clearer. This is actually shooting
in the direction of our house... except it is beyond the furtherest hill.

That tall white building is the Telecom House -Where B's office is.

Looking downtown and I understand there is a new library
that opened Mon. off to the right.

 This is the area we had our "coffee on Wed"... not in the pool but in the grassy area. 
I met a woman who has run a Tea Plantation here for 16 years.  She and her husband are retiring.  She was from SriLanka and will be returning there... but it was funny...She kept telling us that she was a Christian and not a Buddhist.  She came back less than a year after the Genocide.  They had run the tea plantation before the war.  I asked her what it was like upon their return...  She said..Well, the tea factory was gone, destroyed and there were NO people walking anywhere...unlike now.. there are 100's of people, especially out in the rural areas walking up and down hills, through fields, etc.  She has been here and is astonished at how much as been accomplished.  She had many stories!

Let's see these women re present: Sweden, the Netherlands, Bolivia, Albania, 

Japan, Taiwan, Iran, France, Rwanda, Kenya, India, the US, SriLanka, Germany and a couple others that I've forgotten.  Some of these women are believers and others are not.  So the Int. Womens' Club will be a great place to get to know a lot of folks from around the world and listen to their world views and find out about their faith!

I made it through one week and can still walk.  Today was a little rough on the ankle... but i'm still standing.  I have 2 accountability friends to make sure I keep going.  It is actually wonderful... most things are when you have time!

 
Our Rwandan pastor and his wife and family are coming over for dinner
so i need to get going.... before i do run out of time.
love and hugs..
margie

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY GRANDSON WYATT, TURNING 6 TODAY!  

Contrasting Markets: No Bulls and Bears... But Elephants and Chickens!

Just so you don't think the only place I shop is the outdoor market I want to share
a little bit of what the other markets look like here...  They are very Western and very expensive compared to the outdoor market... but here are a couple shots.

Notice i only shop at the Republican stores!  HA!

Bruce is way ahead of me..... on the look for lightbulbs.
Food is on this level along with Books, Clothing,
Hardware, House and Garden.
Lower level is Furniture, Bed and Bath
and all the Electronics you would ever need! 

And party stuff.. we were getting for
Innocent's Birthday Party on Sunday
There is a clerk to help you in EVERY aisle
and sometimes two or even three. 

Oatmeal, Weetabix, Cereals looks just like the States!

And of course, something to put it all in. 

AND NOW WE WILL GO TO THE CONTRASTING MARKET!

Thousands of lbs..no kilos of rice on the left
This is just one of 100's of little stores this size not
only in the market but also all over town.
And it is ALWAYS cheaper in these stores.
I've learned to look!

I am not a fish fan... but maybe from these two stores Fish might have better flavor! Apparently, Tilapia comes from Rwanda and Uganda so it is everywhere.. Someone needs to teach me how to prepare it.  Never was good with the slimy creatures and they come whole and very, very large here.

BUT THIS TOOK THE PRIZE THIS WEEK AT THE MARKET 

SHHHHH... DON'T TELL PETA!!!!

We were walking out of the market to head home and this man opened this bus

(one just like the city busses) and here is what was inside!  There must have been

100-200 chickens---LIVE CHICKENS-- stuffed, hung, draped or running freely in this bus. 

When they open the doors they started pulling them out from under the seats, first.... and they just kept pulling and pulling...Once in awhile there would be one that died from fright and they'd throw it over in a pile.  I was so stunned by this seen that it just made me laugh that anything like this would be done... The driver was out of the bus by this time and he
was amused that I was amused.... and his little one came to see me, too. (2 pics down)

This puts a whole new definition on Chicken Stuffing!

 Isn't he adorable?  Maybe it's a she... I can never tell here because they all have
their hair cut short and seem to wear clothes interchangeably.
 Either way:   A beautiful child!!!

And then there is this guy:  Mr Rooster --- Foot Loose and Fancy Free
Check out all the chicks... they are bound and draped over the seats... 3-4 in
each "legging"!  Some of the girls were free, too.. But for the most part it was just the roosters who were given the rule of the roost!
Each seat of the bus was like this.. I sure hope they don't
convert this back to a city bus... WHEW!
(I think this picture needs a real caption, don't you?)

And then it was found.. I watched the guy pull out the egg that some hen must have
been "dying" to get rid of.  He even laughed!!  He handed it to this girl and she let me take her picture.  Can you imagine a chicken laying an egg upside down... and it wasn't even broken?
I hope it turns out to be her golden egg! 

Right across the street from the chicken bus....is this clothing store.  We had a girl for dinner the other night that is studying here and she said.. "Oh.. see that red dress?  My roommate just bought that and wore it home the other day"!  So, people really do
shop in all these little stores.
But when you do.....There is nothing to put your purchases into.  You must bring your own paper bags for your items and also have large cloth bags to carry all your things.
Once in a while some person will have bags, but not most.

So what's the "take away" from these two markets???

Nothing deep or spiritual....just all the things that anyone needs!
 No matter where you shop you can find just about anything for different prices$$$

At the Western Store---A box of cereal---$5-8.00
A pint of ice cream --$6.00
4 oranges-- $8-10.00
6 Tomatoes--  $3.50

At the Market 1 kilo of beans at the market--$1.00
1 doz. eggs- $1.10
Tomatoes-1 kilo  ( that's 2 1/2 lbs)  $4.00
6 oranges--$3.00

And on and on... Can you guess where I get most of our fresh food?
But just in case you are wondering... NO, i don't buy chicken at the outdoor market!

Have a great week and enjoy your grocery shopping... no matter where you go?

love,
margie

CMU/Rwanda Part II

OK!  

Are you ready for the surprise that Bruce found when he got back from 

the States?  Here it is!

 The little square pictures hanging high on the wall
are made of cow dung and then painted.  Very Cool!
Basket woven hanging piece in center.   

New plants and a candy dish

 Pictures of the grandkids and a new woven mat
in back.... symbol of peace and another woven circle.
Plus the "signed by Bruce's graduate students" CMU
cap they gave him.

Africa and giraffes designed with banana fibers.

Another plant and planter, woven piece and map on wall
of the East African countries.

 The wall behind the desk is my favorite.  Found this map
of Rwanda rolled up on a shelf.  A worker in the building said...
"Why don't you let me make you a frame for it?"  So he did..
It weighed a ton...

This is the Rwanda Crest.  It is beautiful.  The colors are so warm.

This is a fun story.  When Emmanuel went to hang this map he was just going to
put 2 nails into the concrete and sort of hook it on the frame.
 No hardware was on the frame and no way to really hang it.  

After much cajoling on my part to hang it with a wire stretched across the back... They did.  The guys found a plastic coated electric wire and proceeded to strip the plastic back with their teeth!  I gasped and they laughed.....It was incredible because they striped both ends back about one and a half feet!  I don't know why their teeth just didn't fall out.  They striped it back... wound the wire around the screw and drilled it into the frame.   I sure hope it holds and that their teeth won't fall out in the next few days!  They thought it was really funny that i was stunned by what they did.  Tools aren't too plentiful here. 

More cow dung pictures under the air conditioner!
The round "power' table was already there.. but
i did add a basket later.

And finally... what it looks like to Bruce as he sits at his desk and
looks out the window.  It is a beautiful setting for an office.  

 Remember the pics from April 10?  Well, these were taken 5 days later.
This was also a surprise for Bruce to come back to.... I have to go tomorrow and take
some more pictures since it has been another week already! 

Progress is happening with the opening now 6 weeks away.

This worker asked me if i would take his picture.  He was
so proud of what they were all doing.
At this point in time---we are running out of time to get to the airport
to pick Bruce up so we go rushing home.... only to find this march
going up our hill and we can't get home. 

 This Walk of Remembrance was one of the last things i saw
in honor of the Genocide Families.  We did back down the hill and
followed someone else who knew how to take a short cut to our street.

We made it to the airport.

But Bruce didn't find his office until the next day!

I guess he liked it because one of his colleagues asked his wife why she
didn't do that for him in his office!  Ha!
Well, they say your office is your home away from home and since you spend so
much time there it should have a pleasing environment.

I hope Bruce finds it pleasing!   But not too pleasing... I do want him to come home, too!

love,
margie