It happened on day 3! The birds of Rwanda finally woke me up. In all my other trips to Rwanda I have stayed with my missionary friends. And in the room I would stay there must have been a nest of birds right outside the balcony because these birds would sing and wake me each morning. I don’t know why, but I have always LOVED that sound. It is odd because I’m not a real big animal lover, or lover of nature. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike these things, but I am not passionate about either of them so it seems strange to me that the sound of these birds is something I miss when in the states and look forward to when I do get to come to this incredible place. The first morning here, while these accommodations are wonderful, I didn’t hear the birds in the morning and after not being able to see the landscape from the plane as we flew in due to darkness, this was just another bummer for me. This morning it happened. I heard the birds and even though I have only slept about 5 hours, I am out on the balcony overlooking Kigali listening to the birds and thinking about some men we met yesterday that have impressed me.
There is a man called Emah that volunteers at the Home of Purpose and Home of Innocence. He has a job doing IT at another ministry and yet in his evenings he teaches computer skills and english lessons to the girls and boys. Every night. Volunteers. This man is so full of joy and love that it just pours out of him and it is impossible not to notice. When making the crafts with the girls, he was so eager to help them and was enjoying it almost more than they were. He even asked if he could make one for one of the girls that is at boarding school. Earlier in the day, when chatting with John we were asking him many things about the culture here and Juliet asked about saying “l love you” and if that was common here and he explained that it is ok within marriage but very unusual and maybe even slightly inappropriate otherwise. Emah’s spirit was so precious and Anne apparently forgot her social etiquette and told Emah that she loved him. We joked about that last night and since I am the one saying all sorts of things that is keeping the team entertained with my stupidity, this is my way of getting just a bit of revenge for the constant teasing. (Love you Anne!)
Then there was Robert. He is one of the boys that Ten Talents has sponsored for several years. He is now being supported outside of the home as he gets ready to attend university. He is living with another of the boys that is also almost ready to be self sufficient. This other young man has just completed driving school and is looking for employment. They still come back to the home for visits and to help out with the younger boys. Robert even asked if it would be ok for him to come help us paint since he did not have classes or anything else to do, he would love to serve with us. How many 18/19 year olds do you know that would volunteer to serve with a group of strangers doing manual labor? I am looking forward to getting to know him better today. the sun is almost blinding today and I can’t wait to see what another day in Rwanda has in store for us.
Remember I told you how John, our translator, shared his story with us yesterday? Well, it deserves to be heard. John has one artificial eye, a missing thumb and I imagine some scarring on his abdomen. When he was younger he was trying to create some electricity for his home and the device he was using exploded in his hands and damaged his eye, tore off his thumb and ripped open his stomach. He spent 2 months in the hospital. The authorities investigated as they thought it was a bomb that was being hidden and going to be used against the militia, so they put his father in prison. Not once did John say, I don’t know why God let this happen to me? Not once did he seem angry at the injustice done to his father. He only spoke of gratitude and the faithfulness of God for seeing them through their difficult time. Oh to be more like him when I face a “trial”. He also shared how he and his wife came together. She was an orphan from the genocide and lived with her siblings that also survived. When they met she was sharing her story and John described that he felt a “hurt” inside for her and he said that he could not do anything about her past, but he could take care of her in the future and he said that is when God grew his love for her. They are now married with a baby boy. That is redemption. That is God using people to change the history of his servants just like the song spoke of last night. His life is an example of full reliance on God’s provision. He had a school where he taught English (among other languages) that has now closed due to a paperwork issue and he is struggling to make a living for his family. A man he knew heard about his school closing and has offered him very cheap rent until he finds work. He just learned that the place he is living in is going to be destroyed soon due to the land being taken over for another purpose, so he is on the verge of being homeless again and yet, you could not detect an ounce of fear or anxiety in him. He is completely confident that God will make a way for them. This is not a “worry” for him, just a way for God to redirect his path and John is ready for whatever God has next.
I
No comments:
Post a Comment