If you read my last blog, you probably realized that it was not actually me typing, but my dad. He's great, love him! :)
Now it is really me and I am typing from my hospital bed. I'm hooked up to all kinds of things, so typing isn't really easy and this will be short.
I'm feeling really well now (who wouldn't be when you're being pumped with Morphine?). :) The fam is taking great care of me. I'll probably fall asleep soon as this has been quite an exhausting morning and jet lag is still having its effects.
If you are reading this from College Station, I'd LOVE it if you get a chance to come visit. (I'm at the Physician's Center, down University, across Hwy 6, almost to Hwy 30).
Thank you all for praying!
Friday, July 25, 2008
recovery time
It is about 10:30 on Friday morning. Since I am still asleep from the anesthesia, this blog entry will be pretty short. They rolled me in to surgery about 8:00 this morning. They had given me something to relax me before surgery, so I was a little sassy with the doctors and nurses. I was quite the talker. The anesthesiologist suggested that since I just got back from Africa a couple of days ago, I should consider putting this off to make sure I did not bring home a bug or amoeba. I told him that was not going to happen, so let's get this going. Then Dr.Briner came in and we talked for a few minutes, than they wheeled me on out to surgery. It took about 2 hours. Dr. Briner just went into my room and told my Mom and Dad and Kahler and my grandparents that it all went well. I should be waking up soon - they will wheel me into the room where everyone will be really glad to see me. I hope I am not too sick or groggy, because my Mom may not handle that very well. When I am good and awake, I will send someone out for ice cream. That will help me get well faster. I hope to be home by tomorrow, so you can come see me when you get a chance. Well, I should be waking up soon, so I will blog again when I get a chance.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
HOME SWEET HOME!!
It's 4:15am right now, but my body is telling me that it is 11:15am and refuses to sleep.
I know it will probably be several hours before anyone reads this, but I wanted you all to know that our plane made it to Houston at about 12:45 tonight (or this morning... I'm still not really sure how you say that).
I want you all to know that I did get an aisle seat on the 9 hour flight from London to Chicago. God cares so much for us, even about the smallest things!
Thank you all for praying. I cannot wait to see you all, the ones who have loved me so dearly and prayed for me so faithfully, in person. The last two months have been unforgettable!
Hopefully, in the next few weeks, I will update this again with a 'reflective' post, as the first question I am always asked is "What did you learn?". That is not a question to be answered at 4 in the morning (especially for someone who is as sleep-depraved as I am). I have a feeling that once I let myself stop, here in a few minutes, I will be asleep immediately. (And I am oh-so-excited to be back in my own bed!)
Keep praying for my surgery. :)
Love you all!
-kt
I know it will probably be several hours before anyone reads this, but I wanted you all to know that our plane made it to Houston at about 12:45 tonight (or this morning... I'm still not really sure how you say that).
I want you all to know that I did get an aisle seat on the 9 hour flight from London to Chicago. God cares so much for us, even about the smallest things!
Thank you all for praying. I cannot wait to see you all, the ones who have loved me so dearly and prayed for me so faithfully, in person. The last two months have been unforgettable!
Hopefully, in the next few weeks, I will update this again with a 'reflective' post, as the first question I am always asked is "What did you learn?". That is not a question to be answered at 4 in the morning (especially for someone who is as sleep-depraved as I am). I have a feeling that once I let myself stop, here in a few minutes, I will be asleep immediately. (And I am oh-so-excited to be back in my own bed!)
Keep praying for my surgery. :)
Love you all!
-kt
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Delayed...
Well, we didn't make it to London in time. (We didn't really think we would.)
The new plan is to arrive in Houston (still via Chicago) at 10pm on Wednesday. In reality, this is only 3 or 4 hours later than we had origianally thought. Not too bad.
We're both SUPER ready to get home, so pray for the rest of our traveling!
Thank you all for your prayers! Continue to pray for my back. (More specifically, you can pray that I get an aisle seat this time. I had a middle seat on our last flight and was only able to get up and move once during the 9 hour flight, so I'm hurting a bit now.)
Love and miss you all!
See you soon!
The new plan is to arrive in Houston (still via Chicago) at 10pm on Wednesday. In reality, this is only 3 or 4 hours later than we had origianally thought. Not too bad.
We're both SUPER ready to get home, so pray for the rest of our traveling!
Thank you all for your prayers! Continue to pray for my back. (More specifically, you can pray that I get an aisle seat this time. I had a middle seat on our last flight and was only able to get up and move once during the 9 hour flight, so I'm hurting a bit now.)
Love and miss you all!
See you soon!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
On our way...
We made it safely to Nairobi. We now have a 7 hour layover and then we will board for London. (PRAY for the London layover!) Until then, its milkshakes, sudoku and watching "forgein" people. :)
It was so hard to say goodbye, but now that we have left that red Rwandan soil, we're ready to see Houston!!
Keep praying. Love you and miss you all.
Getting closer to you every hour! :)
It was so hard to say goodbye, but now that we have left that red Rwandan soil, we're ready to see Houston!!
Keep praying. Love you and miss you all.
Getting closer to you every hour! :)
Monday, July 21, 2008
packing up...
So this is most likely my last post from Rwanda! We leave tomorrow afternoon at 1:55pm.
Last Friday, after I posted on here, we went back to the Ligue for Bible study. We talked about spiritual growth and taught them to share the Gospel using Gospel bead bracelets. The group gave us each a gift, of two small traditional Rwandan peace baskets and then they danced for us.
We had our regular Bible study with the women in Remera on Saturday. We did the same lesson (spiritual growth and Gospel bead bracelets). They also presented us with gifts. If you haven't noticed, gifts are a big part of their culture. They always tell us "This is so you cannot forget us." They don't realize that they have been such a huge part of my life that I could NEVER forget them. Saturday afternoon, we went to the market to do a bit of last minute shopping and get some fresh fruit (bananas, avocados, and passion fruit) for our last days here.
Yesterday was a very emotional day. It was our last day to attend church and the last time to see many of our new friends. I had to fight back tears throughout the whole service. At the end, they called us up to 'give a word' and tell the church goodbye. Again, they presented us with a gift from the church. Afterwards, we had a few of the women from our Bible studies stay around to video them talking about the studies. Esron translated for us and the things they said brought tears to my eyes (again). Thank you, for allowing this trip to happen. YOUR generosity has made an eternal difference in the lives of many people here.
We started packing this morning. I feel like we unpacked everything yesterday. As we were packing and deciding what to leave here, our friend who works at the Ligue (whose house we visited the first week for Bible study) was outside watering plants. I called her inside (she doesn't speak ANY English) and gave her a stack of my shirts and some candy and stickers to take to her children. She was SO excited she was about to cry (and Rwandans don't cry). She kept saying "Thank you! Ooh, Merci! Urokosay!" (Thank you in English, French, Kinyarwanda). To me, it was just a stack of old shirts I never wear anymore. To her, it was a brand new wardrobe. She was so sweet and so appreciative. It made me want to give her everything I had. Later, she wrote something in Kinyarwanda on a piece of paper and gave it to me. We had a friend translate it and she said, "Aww. Someone who has written this is very sad that you will be leaving her." I'm sad too. (And trying not to cry as I write this!) We had lunch one last time at the Emerald today and will eat dinner with Esron later tonight.
Here's how you can pray:
-That the seeds that have been planted would GROW
-That we would be comforted today and tomorrow as we prepare to leave
-Safety in traveling home (Also- we have a 1 hour layover in London and it will be VERY tough to get on our plane... PRAY!!)
-Of course, my surgery.
I've really begun to miss my friends and the people who have sent me here. I can't wait to see you all. (This may mean you have to come see me in the hospital or when I'm recovering. I won't be able to get out for a while.) The time has flown by, and every minute has been a gift from God! Again, THANK YOU for being a part of this trip.
Next stop: NAIROBI!!
(I'm not done updating yet!)
Love you and miss you all.
SEE YOU SOON! (I've waited 2 months to say that!)
Last Friday, after I posted on here, we went back to the Ligue for Bible study. We talked about spiritual growth and taught them to share the Gospel using Gospel bead bracelets. The group gave us each a gift, of two small traditional Rwandan peace baskets and then they danced for us.
We had our regular Bible study with the women in Remera on Saturday. We did the same lesson (spiritual growth and Gospel bead bracelets). They also presented us with gifts. If you haven't noticed, gifts are a big part of their culture. They always tell us "This is so you cannot forget us." They don't realize that they have been such a huge part of my life that I could NEVER forget them. Saturday afternoon, we went to the market to do a bit of last minute shopping and get some fresh fruit (bananas, avocados, and passion fruit) for our last days here.
Yesterday was a very emotional day. It was our last day to attend church and the last time to see many of our new friends. I had to fight back tears throughout the whole service. At the end, they called us up to 'give a word' and tell the church goodbye. Again, they presented us with a gift from the church. Afterwards, we had a few of the women from our Bible studies stay around to video them talking about the studies. Esron translated for us and the things they said brought tears to my eyes (again). Thank you, for allowing this trip to happen. YOUR generosity has made an eternal difference in the lives of many people here.
We started packing this morning. I feel like we unpacked everything yesterday. As we were packing and deciding what to leave here, our friend who works at the Ligue (whose house we visited the first week for Bible study) was outside watering plants. I called her inside (she doesn't speak ANY English) and gave her a stack of my shirts and some candy and stickers to take to her children. She was SO excited she was about to cry (and Rwandans don't cry). She kept saying "Thank you! Ooh, Merci! Urokosay!" (Thank you in English, French, Kinyarwanda). To me, it was just a stack of old shirts I never wear anymore. To her, it was a brand new wardrobe. She was so sweet and so appreciative. It made me want to give her everything I had. Later, she wrote something in Kinyarwanda on a piece of paper and gave it to me. We had a friend translate it and she said, "Aww. Someone who has written this is very sad that you will be leaving her." I'm sad too. (And trying not to cry as I write this!) We had lunch one last time at the Emerald today and will eat dinner with Esron later tonight.
Here's how you can pray:
-That the seeds that have been planted would GROW
-That we would be comforted today and tomorrow as we prepare to leave
-Safety in traveling home (Also- we have a 1 hour layover in London and it will be VERY tough to get on our plane... PRAY!!)
-Of course, my surgery.
I've really begun to miss my friends and the people who have sent me here. I can't wait to see you all. (This may mean you have to come see me in the hospital or when I'm recovering. I won't be able to get out for a while.) The time has flown by, and every minute has been a gift from God! Again, THANK YOU for being a part of this trip.
Next stop: NAIROBI!!
(I'm not done updating yet!)
Love you and miss you all.
SEE YOU SOON! (I've waited 2 months to say that!)
Friday, July 18, 2008
'tis bittersweet
So, we're counting down the days until Bush Intercontinental (July 23).
I can't explain my emotions right now because they are so contradictory.
---Part of me wants to stay here, forever, and love on these precious people.
---The other part of me misses my family and friends, who I cannot wait to see again.
ALL of me knows that this trip has been God's plan for my summer and I can only pray that this experience has helped me become more like the person He created me to be. Pray that I will trust God with the next few days, knowing that, just as it was His will for me to come on this trip, it is also His will for me to return.
As always, a brief update:
We had a larger group of youth show up on Tuesday than Monday. We started at 10, teaching the youth (and whoever else showed up) at the church. We taught the Gospel and then had them make Gospel bead bracelets. We let them all make 2 and challenged them to go and share what they had learned. When we came back from our break, they were all very excited as many of them had gone and shared the gospel and given their 2nd bracelet away.
Wednesday was a long day, but it was also one of the best days so far! We talked about "the green bead", spiritual growth. We talked about many things that Christ commands us to do once we believe in Him. After the youth teaching, we had a break until 3. During our break, we went out into the village a little to buy Fantas and mendazi (small fried cakes) to give to the women during Bible study. Before we start our meeting, they sing and pray. While they were singing, they began a 'traditional Rwandan dance' and insisted that Melissa and I learn and join them. It was hilarious. (We had Kezia videotape it and, if you are lucky, you might get to see it when we return... ha.) We were laughing and they were laughing so hard they could barely sing. It was a sweet, sweet time! We made Gospel bead bracelets with them. They were very excited to go and share what they had learned. At the end, we told them we have learned a bit of Rwandan culture and that when you appreciate and honor someone, you give them Fanta and mendazi. They laughed and gladly accepted the snack. Before we left, they gave us gifts they had gotten us. We each got a purse made of banana leaves with a pen and card inside. This group of women has been such a blessing. The love they have for the Lord and for each other has taught me so much!
On Thursday, we went with Kathleen and Bruno (the Canadian Baptist missionaries) to visit a hospital. It was quite far from the city and a pretty long (and beautiful) drive. We went on a tour and got to see all their different units. Of course, my favorite was their Pediatric Malnutrition ward. I don't want to make this too long, but I will say that I know that God had that trip planned for me. As I mentioned earlier in the trip, I have had doubts about studying nutrition... until now. God taught me a lot and I'm going to have to trust Him with how I will use my education in the future... and I am SO excited to see what He will do!!
This morning (Friday), we visited the Dorcas project and helped them work. And by 'work', I'm not kidding. When we got there, they wrapped us up in long skirts and head wraps so that our clothes and heads would not get dirty. Then, they showed us how we would carry buckets of dirt on our heads from one place to another to prepare a place to plant flowers. Then we had to run some errands and now we are about to head back to the Ligue for our last Bible study with Mary's group of ladies.
-Continue to pray for our last days here- for safety and health and for God to work through us, every minute of every day.
-Also, continue to pray for my surgery. It is a week from today and I'm begining to get a little nervous!
I cannot thank you all enough for the emails. I have been so encouraged by them.
I cannot wait to see you all. Love you and miss you!
I can't explain my emotions right now because they are so contradictory.
---Part of me wants to stay here, forever, and love on these precious people.
---The other part of me misses my family and friends, who I cannot wait to see again.
ALL of me knows that this trip has been God's plan for my summer and I can only pray that this experience has helped me become more like the person He created me to be. Pray that I will trust God with the next few days, knowing that, just as it was His will for me to come on this trip, it is also His will for me to return.
As always, a brief update:
We had a larger group of youth show up on Tuesday than Monday. We started at 10, teaching the youth (and whoever else showed up) at the church. We taught the Gospel and then had them make Gospel bead bracelets. We let them all make 2 and challenged them to go and share what they had learned. When we came back from our break, they were all very excited as many of them had gone and shared the gospel and given their 2nd bracelet away.
Wednesday was a long day, but it was also one of the best days so far! We talked about "the green bead", spiritual growth. We talked about many things that Christ commands us to do once we believe in Him. After the youth teaching, we had a break until 3. During our break, we went out into the village a little to buy Fantas and mendazi (small fried cakes) to give to the women during Bible study. Before we start our meeting, they sing and pray. While they were singing, they began a 'traditional Rwandan dance' and insisted that Melissa and I learn and join them. It was hilarious. (We had Kezia videotape it and, if you are lucky, you might get to see it when we return... ha.) We were laughing and they were laughing so hard they could barely sing. It was a sweet, sweet time! We made Gospel bead bracelets with them. They were very excited to go and share what they had learned. At the end, we told them we have learned a bit of Rwandan culture and that when you appreciate and honor someone, you give them Fanta and mendazi. They laughed and gladly accepted the snack. Before we left, they gave us gifts they had gotten us. We each got a purse made of banana leaves with a pen and card inside. This group of women has been such a blessing. The love they have for the Lord and for each other has taught me so much!
On Thursday, we went with Kathleen and Bruno (the Canadian Baptist missionaries) to visit a hospital. It was quite far from the city and a pretty long (and beautiful) drive. We went on a tour and got to see all their different units. Of course, my favorite was their Pediatric Malnutrition ward. I don't want to make this too long, but I will say that I know that God had that trip planned for me. As I mentioned earlier in the trip, I have had doubts about studying nutrition... until now. God taught me a lot and I'm going to have to trust Him with how I will use my education in the future... and I am SO excited to see what He will do!!
This morning (Friday), we visited the Dorcas project and helped them work. And by 'work', I'm not kidding. When we got there, they wrapped us up in long skirts and head wraps so that our clothes and heads would not get dirty. Then, they showed us how we would carry buckets of dirt on our heads from one place to another to prepare a place to plant flowers. Then we had to run some errands and now we are about to head back to the Ligue for our last Bible study with Mary's group of ladies.
-Continue to pray for our last days here- for safety and health and for God to work through us, every minute of every day.
-Also, continue to pray for my surgery. It is a week from today and I'm begining to get a little nervous!
I cannot thank you all enough for the emails. I have been so encouraged by them.
I cannot wait to see you all. Love you and miss you!
Monday, July 14, 2008
The begining of the end...
As of tomorrow, we will refer to the days as the 'lasts'. For example, tomorrow will be our "last Tuesday". Crazy, eh?
This past week has flown by. (I feel like I say that every time I update this thing!)
As you know, last week was our last week in the school. Their holiday started last Friday. We gave each class bananas and played games. We were able to leave a lot of school supplies and recreation things with the school and they were very grateful.
We were scheduled to meet with the Dorcas project on Friday, but we found out that they were not meeting when we got there. "Maybe next week." Instead, we used our time to plan out our last days here and get some errands done.
We had our usual Bible study at the church in Remera on Saturday. It went very well. The women are much more comfortable with us now and ask some really good questions. These women are amazing. They have been through so much and their lives are so hard, yet they make time to fellowship and fall in love with others AND the Lord. THEY are the ones teaching us so much!
We woke up at 6 yesterday (Sunday) to leave at 7 for a village outside of Kibungo. It took a little over 3 hours to get there (the last hour was down a small trail through banana trees). I forget how much I enjoy going out into the villages- this country is so beautiful! We finally got to the church and they took us on a hike to visit some land that they hope to build a secondary school on. Right now, there is only a primary school in that area, so once children complete primary school, there is very little hope of further education. We went back to the church, where there were women (and of course, some children) from different areas meeting for a conference. Church lasted about 5 hours. We shared the gospel and gave 'a word' (encouragement). I love village people. They are so kind and welcoming. After church, they fed us a big African meal. After a long ride home, I fell asleep before 8:00.
We went to Remera this morning for the first day of the youth conference we're doing. We arrived at 9 and noticed that there were no people around. We found Vincent, the pastor who is translating for us, and he said that we would have to wait for the youth to arrive. He told us that since this is the first full week of their holiday, they were probably sleeping. (I found that very funny and told him we do that in America also!) We started around 10, with only 6 people (including our translator). As we were singing, Melissa and I decided to change our cirriculum a bit and teach a different lesson that seemed more suitable for the occasion. (TIA: this is Africa!) We ended up teaching about prayer and Christ's example and how we pray. It went well. By the time we finished, we had around 15 people. We changed the time for tomorrow and are going to start at 10 so that the youth can sleep in a little more!
Now that I can look in my planner and actually see the end of our trip coming, I cannot imagine leaving this place. (I get pretty emotional and try not to think about that too much!) This place has become my home this summer and these people have become my family and dear friends. It is so hard to realize that I don't know if (or when) I will come back to this place. However, GOD IS GOOD and gives comfort. I know that I will see my Rwandan brothers and sisters on the other side!
(However, I'm begining to miss my family, friends, and the familiarity of home A LOT! It will be hard to leave, but once I get on that plane, I'll be ready to see Houston!!)
Pray for the rest of our week, that God would use us to teach who HE wants.
Pray that when we are done with this week, we will feel that we have made the most of every opportunity and have no regrets.
Pray that we would listen to the Lord in the next few days as we will be making some big decisions about the finances we have left to leave here.
Also, as the end is drawing near and we are quite ready to see our families and friends, pray that we would soak up every minute of the amazing adventure the Lord has put us in!
Thank you all for your comments, emails, and PRAYERS! I miss you and love you all dearly!
This past week has flown by. (I feel like I say that every time I update this thing!)
As you know, last week was our last week in the school. Their holiday started last Friday. We gave each class bananas and played games. We were able to leave a lot of school supplies and recreation things with the school and they were very grateful.
We were scheduled to meet with the Dorcas project on Friday, but we found out that they were not meeting when we got there. "Maybe next week." Instead, we used our time to plan out our last days here and get some errands done.
We had our usual Bible study at the church in Remera on Saturday. It went very well. The women are much more comfortable with us now and ask some really good questions. These women are amazing. They have been through so much and their lives are so hard, yet they make time to fellowship and fall in love with others AND the Lord. THEY are the ones teaching us so much!
We woke up at 6 yesterday (Sunday) to leave at 7 for a village outside of Kibungo. It took a little over 3 hours to get there (the last hour was down a small trail through banana trees). I forget how much I enjoy going out into the villages- this country is so beautiful! We finally got to the church and they took us on a hike to visit some land that they hope to build a secondary school on. Right now, there is only a primary school in that area, so once children complete primary school, there is very little hope of further education. We went back to the church, where there were women (and of course, some children) from different areas meeting for a conference. Church lasted about 5 hours. We shared the gospel and gave 'a word' (encouragement). I love village people. They are so kind and welcoming. After church, they fed us a big African meal. After a long ride home, I fell asleep before 8:00.
We went to Remera this morning for the first day of the youth conference we're doing. We arrived at 9 and noticed that there were no people around. We found Vincent, the pastor who is translating for us, and he said that we would have to wait for the youth to arrive. He told us that since this is the first full week of their holiday, they were probably sleeping. (I found that very funny and told him we do that in America also!) We started around 10, with only 6 people (including our translator). As we were singing, Melissa and I decided to change our cirriculum a bit and teach a different lesson that seemed more suitable for the occasion. (TIA: this is Africa!) We ended up teaching about prayer and Christ's example and how we pray. It went well. By the time we finished, we had around 15 people. We changed the time for tomorrow and are going to start at 10 so that the youth can sleep in a little more!
Now that I can look in my planner and actually see the end of our trip coming, I cannot imagine leaving this place. (I get pretty emotional and try not to think about that too much!) This place has become my home this summer and these people have become my family and dear friends. It is so hard to realize that I don't know if (or when) I will come back to this place. However, GOD IS GOOD and gives comfort. I know that I will see my Rwandan brothers and sisters on the other side!
(However, I'm begining to miss my family, friends, and the familiarity of home A LOT! It will be hard to leave, but once I get on that plane, I'll be ready to see Houston!!)
Pray for the rest of our week, that God would use us to teach who HE wants.
Pray that when we are done with this week, we will feel that we have made the most of every opportunity and have no regrets.
Pray that we would listen to the Lord in the next few days as we will be making some big decisions about the finances we have left to leave here.
Also, as the end is drawing near and we are quite ready to see our families and friends, pray that we would soak up every minute of the amazing adventure the Lord has put us in!
Thank you all for your comments, emails, and PRAYERS! I miss you and love you all dearly!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
we're not slowing down!
Thank you all for your faithful prayers. God is answering them daily!
Since I updated last Thursday, we have been busy planning out these last 2 weeks. (I cannot believe that we will be getting back on a plane 2 weeks from today!)
Last Friday, we all celebrated American Independence Day while we also celebrated Rwandan Liberation Day. Since the whole city pretty much shuts down for holidays, we went to the American Embassy 4th of July party and had hamburgers! It was nice to be with some other people who also spoke English.
Saturday was Election Day. Apparently, voting is a very long (and important) process here. Again, the whole city shut down Saturday morning. We had a meeting with Esron Saturday afternoon about these last 2 weeks. It went VERY well and it looks like we will be quite busy.
We did not go to church Sunday because I woke up sick. (Not to worry- it only lasted the day and I am feeling much better now! Pray for our continued health.) Also, pray for Esron as he left on Sunday and will be traveling for a while.
Yesterday started the last week of school before their holiday. The teachers are giving exams in the mornings and we are spending one last hour in each class each day. The children, like children anywhere, are extra energetic this week, as it is the last week before their break. Not only do the children have extra energy, but I've felt a little wired myself! (And by this point in the trip, that is a blessing! Thanks for praying.)
Today, after school, we went to the home of a teacher who has been out sick for several weeks. From what we understand, she had a miscarriage and has been in the hospital and is now recovering. Please pray for her (her name is Providence). She is such a sweet, sweet woman and cares deeply for her students. Melissa and I have grown to love her. It was very good to see her and visit with her. She is doing much better now, its just hard for her to travel. She made us a huge lunch and for 'desert', we were each given a cereal bowl full of peanuts. We both ate until it hurt and she was very happy.
Here is a little summary of what we THINK the rest of our trip will look like. (Of course, TIA: "this is africa!")
In the school tomorrow and Thursday, like usual.
Wednesday: Women's small group, like usual.
Thursday: Bible study with Mary (We saw her yesterday and she is doing much better. We are looking forward to meeting with these women again.)
Friday: Bible study with Dorcas (It has taken 4 weeks, but we are scheduled to work with them!)
Saturday: Bible study in Remera, like usual.
Sunday: Visiting a women's conference with Kezia (Esron's wife) in a village not too far from Kigali. (We are very excited about this.)
Mon-Wed: Teaching Bible studies at a youth 'conference' in the mornings at Remera.
Wednesday: Small group
Thursday: Bible study with Mary
Friday: Dorcas Project
Saturday: Bible study at Remera
We also have many 'last minute' things to do (such as meeting with Esron again, telling people goodbye...) that we will be working into this time as well. Pray that we stay energized and focused on our purpose! God is so good!
Love you all!
-kt
Since I updated last Thursday, we have been busy planning out these last 2 weeks. (I cannot believe that we will be getting back on a plane 2 weeks from today!)
Last Friday, we all celebrated American Independence Day while we also celebrated Rwandan Liberation Day. Since the whole city pretty much shuts down for holidays, we went to the American Embassy 4th of July party and had hamburgers! It was nice to be with some other people who also spoke English.
Saturday was Election Day. Apparently, voting is a very long (and important) process here. Again, the whole city shut down Saturday morning. We had a meeting with Esron Saturday afternoon about these last 2 weeks. It went VERY well and it looks like we will be quite busy.
We did not go to church Sunday because I woke up sick. (Not to worry- it only lasted the day and I am feeling much better now! Pray for our continued health.) Also, pray for Esron as he left on Sunday and will be traveling for a while.
Yesterday started the last week of school before their holiday. The teachers are giving exams in the mornings and we are spending one last hour in each class each day. The children, like children anywhere, are extra energetic this week, as it is the last week before their break. Not only do the children have extra energy, but I've felt a little wired myself! (And by this point in the trip, that is a blessing! Thanks for praying.)
Today, after school, we went to the home of a teacher who has been out sick for several weeks. From what we understand, she had a miscarriage and has been in the hospital and is now recovering. Please pray for her (her name is Providence). She is such a sweet, sweet woman and cares deeply for her students. Melissa and I have grown to love her. It was very good to see her and visit with her. She is doing much better now, its just hard for her to travel. She made us a huge lunch and for 'desert', we were each given a cereal bowl full of peanuts. We both ate until it hurt and she was very happy.
Here is a little summary of what we THINK the rest of our trip will look like. (Of course, TIA: "this is africa!")
In the school tomorrow and Thursday, like usual.
Wednesday: Women's small group, like usual.
Thursday: Bible study with Mary (We saw her yesterday and she is doing much better. We are looking forward to meeting with these women again.)
Friday: Bible study with Dorcas (It has taken 4 weeks, but we are scheduled to work with them!)
Saturday: Bible study in Remera, like usual.
Sunday: Visiting a women's conference with Kezia (Esron's wife) in a village not too far from Kigali. (We are very excited about this.)
Mon-Wed: Teaching Bible studies at a youth 'conference' in the mornings at Remera.
Wednesday: Small group
Thursday: Bible study with Mary
Friday: Dorcas Project
Saturday: Bible study at Remera
We also have many 'last minute' things to do (such as meeting with Esron again, telling people goodbye...) that we will be working into this time as well. Pray that we stay energized and focused on our purpose! God is so good!
Love you all!
-kt
Thursday, July 3, 2008
JULY!
We finished our fourth week in the school today. This was our last time to teach at the school. Next week, we will go back and spend a day in each class. We plan to observe during the first part and have a 'party' during the last part. We'll buy them bananas and cookies and play games.
As I recap the last week, I'll try to give the "Reader's Digest Version" (from what I understand, that means I'll make it as short and informative as I can).
Last Friday: We went to the market and bought some food. It was such a neat experience. There were countless tables piled so high with fresh fruits and veggies that they were falling onto the floor. We bought some zucchini, avocados, passion fruit, and a strange red fruit that we couldnt figure out the English name for.
Saturday: That morning was a 'National Work Day', something the Belgians started. Everyone in the country helps with service projects and isn't allowed to do anything else. Cars aren't even allowed on the roads until noon. (So, naturally, we didn't have Bible study. We didn't help clean up the country either.) We took Esron out to eat lunch and have a 'meeting'. He is such a busy man that we don't get to sit down and talk to him often. After lunch, he helped us run some errands. That night, we took his family out to eat pizza and gave his kids presents that we had bought them. He has a wonderful family.
Sunday: We visited Pastor Andre's church, up the road from the Ligue. We have worked with Andre and his ministry on past trips. We had lunch that day with some Canadian missionaries that Melissa and Kristen met last year. We spent the afternoon and evening resting and preparing for this week.
Monday: First day teaching in the last class. This is the oldest and largest class. We have taught Jesus' death and resurrection along with shape and color words in English. When we left the school, we told Theophile that we would see him tomorrow and he said, "no, tomorrow is a holiday." (ah, this is Africa!) We had a snack at the Emerald after school and then went on a little hike to find a place with an internet connection. We heard about this Catholic compound that has a 'cyber-cafe'. That is where we emailed from on Monday. The connection was really slow, so we didn't get to do much.
Tuesday: As Theophile told us Monday, Tuesday was Rwandan Independance day. This country takes holidays pretty seriously. There was nothing going on. Sarah and Sylvain called us (knowing that we would have nothing to do that day) and invited us to go to a Rwandan Champions League soccer game. It turned out to be the playoffs for the "4th of July Cup" and we stayed for both games. We had a really fun time!
Wednesday: We taught that morning and rested in an empty classroom until our Bible study at 3. While we were waiting, Theophile's wife brought us lunch again. This week, we had the same meal as last week, PLUS cabbage, PLUS potatoes, PLUS bananas. I think my stomach still hurts from the amount of food I put in it yesterday. Bible study went really well. We talked more about the Lord's Prayer this week and then applied it with a group prayer modeled after the way Christ taught us to pray. It was really neat. The women said they have been learning a lot and clapped for us when we had to leave. It was very humbling, to say the least.
Today: We finished teaching the last class this morning and are taking a good bit of time to email this afternoon. We will not have our Bible study with Mary until next week. We saw her yesterday in the office at the Ligue, but she is having a very hard time getting around. We found out that she was actually bitten by a snake (sometimes its hard to get the right story around here). She is healing. Thank you all for praying.
Tomorrow: Another holiday, for us Americans and the Rwandans. It is Rwandan Liberation Day (yes, we've had 3 holidays in the span of a week). If things get slow, there is a 4th of July party at the American embassy that we might go to. Who knows, it could be interesting.
-We talked to the Canadian missionary, Kathleen, on Sunday and she said there is still a chance that we would be doing a Bible study with the ladies from the Dorcas Project. Pray that God will work out the details there.
-Mary is healing. Continue to pray.
-Both Melissa and I are doing very well. We have both been so blessed with good health.
-The team from Michigan that we met last week returned to Kigali safely and is on their way home.
Pray:
-That we would simply be vessels of God's love and His work here in Rwanda.
-That Melissa and I would make the most of every opportunity given to us.
-That we would continue to have rest, strength, and energy through the last 19 (yes, we're already in the 'TEENS') days.
-That the details of our last week here would be worked out.
-For our families, who, by now, must be missing us terribly! :) (as we are missing them as well)
Well, it didn't turn out all that short. Thanks for reading!
Love you all!
-katy
ps- if you get a chance, i would love emails from home!!
As I recap the last week, I'll try to give the "Reader's Digest Version" (from what I understand, that means I'll make it as short and informative as I can).
Last Friday: We went to the market and bought some food. It was such a neat experience. There were countless tables piled so high with fresh fruits and veggies that they were falling onto the floor. We bought some zucchini, avocados, passion fruit, and a strange red fruit that we couldnt figure out the English name for.
Saturday: That morning was a 'National Work Day', something the Belgians started. Everyone in the country helps with service projects and isn't allowed to do anything else. Cars aren't even allowed on the roads until noon. (So, naturally, we didn't have Bible study. We didn't help clean up the country either.) We took Esron out to eat lunch and have a 'meeting'. He is such a busy man that we don't get to sit down and talk to him often. After lunch, he helped us run some errands. That night, we took his family out to eat pizza and gave his kids presents that we had bought them. He has a wonderful family.
Sunday: We visited Pastor Andre's church, up the road from the Ligue. We have worked with Andre and his ministry on past trips. We had lunch that day with some Canadian missionaries that Melissa and Kristen met last year. We spent the afternoon and evening resting and preparing for this week.
Monday: First day teaching in the last class. This is the oldest and largest class. We have taught Jesus' death and resurrection along with shape and color words in English. When we left the school, we told Theophile that we would see him tomorrow and he said, "no, tomorrow is a holiday." (ah, this is Africa!) We had a snack at the Emerald after school and then went on a little hike to find a place with an internet connection. We heard about this Catholic compound that has a 'cyber-cafe'. That is where we emailed from on Monday. The connection was really slow, so we didn't get to do much.
Tuesday: As Theophile told us Monday, Tuesday was Rwandan Independance day. This country takes holidays pretty seriously. There was nothing going on. Sarah and Sylvain called us (knowing that we would have nothing to do that day) and invited us to go to a Rwandan Champions League soccer game. It turned out to be the playoffs for the "4th of July Cup" and we stayed for both games. We had a really fun time!
Wednesday: We taught that morning and rested in an empty classroom until our Bible study at 3. While we were waiting, Theophile's wife brought us lunch again. This week, we had the same meal as last week, PLUS cabbage, PLUS potatoes, PLUS bananas. I think my stomach still hurts from the amount of food I put in it yesterday. Bible study went really well. We talked more about the Lord's Prayer this week and then applied it with a group prayer modeled after the way Christ taught us to pray. It was really neat. The women said they have been learning a lot and clapped for us when we had to leave. It was very humbling, to say the least.
Today: We finished teaching the last class this morning and are taking a good bit of time to email this afternoon. We will not have our Bible study with Mary until next week. We saw her yesterday in the office at the Ligue, but she is having a very hard time getting around. We found out that she was actually bitten by a snake (sometimes its hard to get the right story around here). She is healing. Thank you all for praying.
Tomorrow: Another holiday, for us Americans and the Rwandans. It is Rwandan Liberation Day (yes, we've had 3 holidays in the span of a week). If things get slow, there is a 4th of July party at the American embassy that we might go to. Who knows, it could be interesting.
I am begining to get used to life here. Everything is SO layed back. It takes a huge effort to do the smallest things (such as going out to eat, going to the store, the bank, or checking our email). We are accepting the differences and really starting to adjust. We're getting used to dirty hair, our 'street kid feet', and the red dust that covers EVERYTHING. I'm going to miss it.
Praise:
-We talked to the Canadian missionary, Kathleen, on Sunday and she said there is still a chance that we would be doing a Bible study with the ladies from the Dorcas Project. Pray that God will work out the details there.
-Mary is healing. Continue to pray.
-Both Melissa and I are doing very well. We have both been so blessed with good health.
-The team from Michigan that we met last week returned to Kigali safely and is on their way home.
Pray:
-That we would simply be vessels of God's love and His work here in Rwanda.
-That Melissa and I would make the most of every opportunity given to us.
-That we would continue to have rest, strength, and energy through the last 19 (yes, we're already in the 'TEENS') days.
-That the details of our last week here would be worked out.
-For our families, who, by now, must be missing us terribly! :) (as we are missing them as well)
Well, it didn't turn out all that short. Thanks for reading!
Love you all!
-katy
ps- if you get a chance, i would love emails from home!!
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