Rwanda Survey Log Part 2

I had to squeeze that last Christmas post in there, so I didn’t get stuck in the Rwanda re-counting and not talk about  anything that has happened in December!  Here is part 2 of what we did on our survey trip while we surveyed the country of Rwanda during the end of October/beginning of November.

Tuesday October 28

I was still feeling pretty awful from the malaria, but we were able to get our things packed up and loaded onto the top of the land cruiser, along with the Millers’ bags.  Our two families loaded up school bus style to set off for 5 nights in the town of Ruhengeri in the northwestern /central part of the country.  During David’s survey trip in 2005, this is the area where Matt, David, Murphy, and Marty felt that God was leading our team of families to live in Rwanda someday.  The trip felt relatively short to all of us, compared to the 9 hour drive to Accra when we’re in Togo.  I was very thankful for the brevity of the drive as my fever spiked off and on the whole way there and I longed to lay flat and still in a bed.  Caleb seemed to be doing better on this day, but was a day ahead of me on treatment.  

We arrived in Ruhengeri at the ACH guesthouse operated by the Anglican church and soon after it began to rain.  We settled into our rooms and then went out for dinner to a nice restaurant in town.

Wednesday October 29, 2008

BRRR!  We shivered as we ate breakfast in a covered area of the hotel, but still out of doors.  Drinking fresh warm milk mixed with drinking chocolate was quite a treat for all of us!  (There is no fresh milk in Togo).  We headed out on a walk to the market in town.  We realized after walking about 10 minutes down the road that we were headed in the wrong direction.  Matt took a bicycle taxi back to the hotel, picked up the land cruiser and then we drove back the way we had come towards a huge outdoor clothing market in the center of town.  We split up as families and explored the market.  This was when we realized that most people didn’t speak French or English.  Everyone speaks Kinyarwandan in this country.  Why would they need either of the other languages?  This was a big reality check for how important it will be for all of us to learn to speak Kinyarwandan.  Our family was done with the market before the Millers so we explored a little more around town.  We noticed a steep path up a beautiful hill just outside the market so we decided to climb it.  The view was amazing and we decided to come back for lunch to have a picnic.  After the Millers were done in the market we found a small grocery store and bought some things for lunch.  Our family headed up the hill and had a wonderful picnic and took some photos of the town of Ruhengeri, surrounding Verunga mountains, and of ourselves.

In the afternoon we had an appointment to meet with Bishop John Rucyahana.  He is the author of a book entitled “The Bishop of Rwanda” and is a man who has seen and done much towards reconciliation within the country of Rwanda.  He gave us good counsel and feedback on areas where we are needed as workers in Rwanda.  We also went to quickly look at a couple of houses and then headed to a hotel in town to eat dinner. Here is a picture of one of the many that are being built in Ruhengeri right now.Much to our delight there was a group of expat visitors there who had arranged for traditional dancers to perform during dinner that evening on the lawn.  We watched in amazement as both men and women danced, played drums and performed with incredible energy and movement.  For such soft spoken people, I was floored by the amount of emotion and jerkiness in their dances!  This, incidentally, is often the opposite here in Kabiyeland.  People are much more loud and outspoken but their dances are much more rhythmic and controlled.  Even our children got to get out and dance!

Thursday October 30, 2008

 Andrea and I headed into town with Abby , Hannah, and Asher to check out where grocery stores, vegetable market, and other important things were to be found.  We priced items and searched for the kinds of things we buy in Togo to see what things are available and compared prices.  Wow.  Almost everything in Ruhengeri was quite a bit more expensive than it is in Kara at the grocery stores.  At the vegetable market, however, things were MUCH cheaper!  We decided to take bicycle taxis back to the guest house which was fun and a bit thrilling.  We don’t have these in Togo.  You sit on a seat welded to the back of a bicycle and someone peddles you to your destination.   Dave, Matt, and the other kids took a short drive outside of town and saw a nice little lake while we were “shopping”.  

After we met back at the guest house at 10, we all piled into the land cruiser and headed off to visit a village in the area.  We used our normal strategy….drive and turn a few times until we’re out in the bush, get out and start trying to talk to people!  When the school teachers in this village saw the Muzunga (white people) they let the kids out of school and we were instantly surrounded by almost 500 children.  Whew!

We met a man who took us to his house and introduced us to his mother, and then we headed to Lake Burera for a picnic lunch.  What beauty!! We found crawfish and all had a great time wading around.  Of course, my boys got soaking wet, but it was still fun!

After we arrived back in Ruhengeri, we went to the Kinigi guest house for dinner.  It was very chilly and we explored the grounds looking at all of the beautiful flowers!!  It began to rain and we took our refuge inside where a worker lit a nice roaring fire in the fireplace.  Wow!  I was cold in Africa!

Friday October 31, 2008 

We took off to visit neighboring Gisenyi, just an hour or so west of Ruhengeri.  We stopped half way at a clinic supported by the Anglican church in Ruhengeri.  David and I were able to interview the doctor there and he gave us a quick tour.  We asked what the needs were and he informed us the whole region has a high need for health education, nutrition services, and they are needing water run to the hospital.

We hung out at the Kivu Serena hotel in Gisenyi (formally known as the Kivu Sun).  We had a delicious lunch, kayaked in Lake Kivu, waded in the lake, and had a restful time.  Our family also drove along the beach toward the border and saw beautiful houses and gardens.  It was a different world!  As we hung out on the beach we saw UN planes flying in the distance into the Congo, bringing troops in to help with the conflict that had broken out earlier in the month.  It was kind of surreal to know that just over the border there was trouble and people fleeing for their lives, but where we sat was calm and resort-ish.  TIA (This is Africa!)

Saturday November 1, 2008

I took Aidan and Elijah into town and finished pricing things in the morning.  We rode bicycle taxis back to the guest house again.  In the afternoon we attended Bishop John’s daughter’s traditional/legal wedding on the grounds of their home.  It was absolutely beautiful and so different from anything I’ve ever seen. 

Our family ate dinner that night at the guest house and met a nice man from S. Africa. who sat and ate with us.  I can’t remember his name.  I wish I’d written it down.

Sunday November 2, 2008

We went to the English worship service at the Angelican church because it was the earlier service and we needed to get back to Kigali quickly so David could take the Millers up to Uganda where they were to meet their friends, the Garners, and take a short trip to Queen Elizabeth Game Park.  We arrived in Kigali and stayed with the Dolingers.  Our children enjoyed the whole first season of Gilligan’s Island and playing Wii over the next few days!

Monday November 3, 2008

We headed up to KICS (Kigali International Community School) to see where Brian works as headmaster and Christy as Librarian.  It was, of course, great with our two sweet friends having done so much with their many talents and hard work ethic.  There are children who attend there from over 20 nations preschool through 12th grade.  Pretty cool!

Tuesday November 4, 2008

Hanging out with Dolingers, lunch with Caleb and Jenny Beck, Badminton games in the back yard, rest and lots of good conversations

Wednesday November 5, 2008

The Millers returned from Uganda, we ate lunch at the  Becks, I went  shopping with Christy, and we had worship at Dolingers.  This is their community worship so half those who came were Rwandan.  We escalated the Muzunga population with our two families that evening!  We sang songs in Kinyarwandan, English, Swahili, and even Kabiye!  After worship time I walked with Amy Crocker and her husband over to the house they share with one of our former interns, Caleb, and another guy teacher from KICS.  It was great to see where they live and to take a walk at night in the dark and feel safe.  So many oxymorons…

Thursday November 6, 2008

We left Kigali and flew to Ethiopia where we hung out until 1am

Friday November 7, 2008

We sang Happy Birthday to Gabriel in the airport just after midnight and boarded our plane just before 2am.  We arrived in Accra at 5:15am and you can read more about those days on my post about Gabriel’s birthday.

 

It was a wonderful survey trip, even with all of our sickness at the beginning.  God confirmed many things in our hearts during and after our time there about His calling of us to the country of Rwanda some time in the next few years.  More later on my emotional and spiritual reflections about this country and our place there.  Thanks for reading!