This day began with us preparing our hearts and minds for worship in a little Methodist Church in Gitarama. Our hearts were so warmed by what God unveiled for us today. Here are the reflections of sister Betty and brother Andy:
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It was a good day as the group visited the United Methodist church which was the equivalent of about 8 blocks from the children’s home. All roads are dirt and are in rough shape. No one drives; very limited in Urukundo, pretty much off-road 4X4 driving in the US, good thing Nate didn’t bring his skateboard. So here are the highlights:
1. Arlene Brown, what a little fireball she is. She is very direct and it’s easy to be in awe of her and the strength it must have taken for a white woman to do what she has done in an African American culture. Today she invited the ministers from the local UM church to come by and meet with us. She really gave us the run down on what we need to know about associating with the church at this time. She is a good person but you know if she isn’t tough with people things will go south.
2. Food, we are really blessed to get three meals a day and the rice and cabbage is excellent. There is no ketchup or milk. We do have good old bottled Coke and Fanta but no diet drinks; it’s hard enough to afford regular soda, a soda costs about $.75 and is in the old time pop-top bottles. It is so much better than spending an hour in the convenient store deciding on a beverage, we like simplicity.
3. We do a lot of walking. It’s easy to see why America is such an obese nation and I have yet to see a fat Rwandan. They stay active and only have 1 TV station, plus they live on what their local land produces. I have never slept this well in years due to a combination of factors. The simplicity of life here is so inviting, I am such a spoiled American. I hope I never ever leave uneaten food on my plate and order dessert on top of that. Please watch Betty when you eat out with her and just say “Thank you for caring”.
4. Church, small brown church made of concrete and stone and a wood roof and packed to the gills. There were 4 pastors and a lot of dancing and singing. Paul did his thing and threw down the fire of the gospel, and then they responded with their own lesson. Everybody was dressed in their best Sunday clothes (not saying much for us, due to limited fashion apparel. Later the pastors joined us to state their case for the type of help needed to promote programs for aids, music, facilities, etc. It was fun but I would have rather been playing with the kids who were killing a soccer ball on their playground which we did until a storm approached and rained down on us.
5. Dinner, choice of starch and some singing, we ate with the girls who are taking more to us as are all the kids. It will be hard to leave them on Friday, they are tougher and greater than anything we Betty and I could ever hope to be.
Well got to go, Domino’s pizza just knocked with our order
Oh yeah, please tell Mary Jane that Ed lost his loofah (can’t spell)! This is one of those wish you were here letters.
1. Arlene Brown, what a little fireball she is. She is very direct and it’s easy to be in awe of her and the strength it must have taken for a white woman to do what she has done in an African American culture. Today she invited the ministers from the local UM church to come by and meet with us. She really gave us the run down on what we need to know about associating with the church at this time. She is a good person but you know if she isn’t tough with people things will go south.
2. Food, we are really blessed to get three meals a day and the rice and cabbage is excellent. There is no ketchup or milk. We do have good old bottled Coke and Fanta but no diet drinks; it’s hard enough to afford regular soda, a soda costs about $.75 and is in the old time pop-top bottles. It is so much better than spending an hour in the convenient store deciding on a beverage, we like simplicity.
3. We do a lot of walking. It’s easy to see why America is such an obese nation and I have yet to see a fat Rwandan. They stay active and only have 1 TV station, plus they live on what their local land produces. I have never slept this well in years due to a combination of factors. The simplicity of life here is so inviting, I am such a spoiled American. I hope I never ever leave uneaten food on my plate and order dessert on top of that. Please watch Betty when you eat out with her and just say “Thank you for caring”.
4. Church, small brown church made of concrete and stone and a wood roof and packed to the gills. There were 4 pastors and a lot of dancing and singing. Paul did his thing and threw down the fire of the gospel, and then they responded with their own lesson. Everybody was dressed in their best Sunday clothes (not saying much for us, due to limited fashion apparel. Later the pastors joined us to state their case for the type of help needed to promote programs for aids, music, facilities, etc. It was fun but I would have rather been playing with the kids who were killing a soccer ball on their playground which we did until a storm approached and rained down on us.
5. Dinner, choice of starch and some singing, we ate with the girls who are taking more to us as are all the kids. It will be hard to leave them on Friday, they are tougher and greater than anything we Betty and I could ever hope to be.
Well got to go, Domino’s pizza just knocked with our order
Oh yeah, please tell Mary Jane that Ed lost his loofah (can’t spell)! This is one of those wish you were here letters.
Love in Christ- Betty & Andrew
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Regarding the pictures: our meeting with the local Methodist pastors, the entrance to where we are staying (the Guest House), Rwandan beef....NOT, the children who greet us each day in the street, the beauty of Rwanda as seen from our walk to church, folks walking to church (regardless of the fact that most streets are dirt, men and women dress beautifully in very nice attire), Arlene and the Pastors from our service-Pastor Joe was the leader of this charge and he the left holding the transponder, picture of the church with Andy showing the children a digital picture, Pastor Joe with the Responder, the four local Pastors, a picture from inside the church, a picture with the Urukundo kids, Arlene, Etienne, John, and the team, a picture of the team ready for church!
Praise the Lord!! He is GREAT!
Ed
