episode 2!

episode 2!

projects! i'm not quite sure how all of it works, but i'll give the basics. redeemer (my nashville home church) is a sister church of st. peter's here in kibungo. so redeemer helps fund st. peter's projects. it's all a part of the anglican mission - the anglican mission in the americas.

we met with several widows of the church to see the homes that have been built, goats and cows that have been purchased, crops that are grown and harvested…. very practical ways of showing God's love and provision for these kind people. redeemer has also funded the purchase of several cows, so that the pastors can focus on caring for his parish, instead of working 2-3 jobs to provide for his family.

we met father nathan, his family, his 2 cows and baby calf, and a rooster that stalked me the entire time. it was so cool to see the offerings of people in america literally have life right before us, far from home, in rwanda. we also saw gardens, and how sorghum is harvested, dried, and ground up for flour. this is where i met mima, who held my hand the entire time we were there. she's the one in the pic up top.

we met a family. a woman with five children, babe in arms to 13 yrs old. they lived in a home no larger than 8x6 ft. one room. 6 people. a shack made of mud and aluminum sheets. support funds enabled the church to provide a sturdy mud home, 3 rooms, all of which were a delightful 10 degrees cooler than outside. no furniture, just mats to sleep on. she cooks outside, and one of the older children walks miles to get water for cooking and cleaning. one of her twin sons kept stroking my shin in confusion. i imagine he was trying to figure out why my skin felt like his when it was a different color? he kept putting his tiny, dirty, hobbit foot next to mine for comparison.

i think of my griffineer friends who are most likely sweating it up at bonnaroo. i'm glad i'm sweating in africa, and not at a festival!!! who told me it was not going to be very hot here? only 75 degrees? liar liar pants on fire! so much sweating…. so much sunblock… i can't even pretend to be a dainty flower when my shirt is stuck to my lower back. i shall, however, sing the praises of lorac's publicity stunt mascara. it doesn't move. takes several coats, but it does not stray!

slightly disheartened i have yet to see The Grand Vision For Melanie's Life. i need to learn to slow the heck down. (if you are surprised at my impatience…. hi, i'm melanie, have we met?) when we were climbing up the mountain the other day, i noticed all of us plowing along at warp speed. passing out was becoming a distinct possibility. i noticed the rwandans were taking their time. it's the same way in town. we plow ahead, they take it easy. i move like one of those wind up toys - full speed and crash. full speed and crash. trying to learn to enjoy african time, which contains a lot of "-ish".

random adventures! learning to make change at the bank, and how their queue system works. they don't split cafe bills here, and some places won't make change. the emmy lou harris song, red dirt girl, is always on my mind because my feet are constantly tinged red from dirt. wonder if i'll be permanently stained…. went to market! wednesdays and saturdays, vendors set up and sell on "tables" made of nothing but sticks and twine. the lucky ones have cloth. to our great delight, there were carrots, tomatoes, and lots of other veggies. rows and rows of clothing, cloth, sewing machines (the old singer kind with the foot action) food, shoes, and lots of unidentified objects. several vendors offer cloth - you choose your design, and they sew it up for you right there. i may try it.

really miss having animals around. i am so accustomed to my zoo at home and didn't realize how much they add to my life. pretty sure violet makes me a better person.

fun & funny customs:

think nashville drivers are nuts? here they use blinkers to tell the driver behind them if they can pass or not. and they use their horns to announce their presence to other drivers and to warn pedestrians before zooming past, just inches away.

to show respect, they place their left hand over their upper right arm when they shake your hand in greeting. their handshakes is an enthusiastic slap with a quick, dead fish handshake. that was hard to acclimate. also very humbling to be shown respect by a church elder upon being introduced.

the little kids are excited to try english and are delighted when you respond. younger adults have a cool disdain most of the time. adults and the older generations seem delighted when we speak to them in kinyarwandan, and respond heartily. there are even more delighted when we know proper responses beyond the initial greeting.

this afternoon, we go back to the school to learn traditional dancing. won't be able to post video since the internet is too slow. gee, am i upset about that….. (not so much)

i didn't really edit this too much, so the grammar police better let me go.