Sent to Rwanda

To become a financial partner, click on this picture and download the attached form and mail to: ROC Partners 2604 NW 113th Oklahoma City, OK 73120.   I am so honored to have been asked to serve under the Rwanda Outreach and Community Partners (ROC) and I humbly ask for your support today.  ROC is an Oklahoma-based, non-profit organization dedicated to investing in people through faith, community development, and education. After taking two trips to Rwanda, I believe that God has been grooming me through ministry and work opportunities to be able to serve with the ROC Partners, and I need your help.  I ask for your prayers for me and for the work that God is blessing in Rwanda.  And I also need your help to allow me to do this important work and am asking for financial support to be able to begin working in Rwanda by June 2011. My first trip last year was about three weeks long; I was asked to lead the middle school missionary kids in a sort of VBS at Camp Ku...

Well, it's about that time. I'm pulling my suitcases out tomorrow, will start thinking about packing things away and heading back to the US this weekend. Summing up my trip is the hardest thing for me. It was difficult last year and even tougher this year. Everyone wants to know what I did while I was here, what did I see, eat, etc. So, I tried to share bits of that in previous blogs. As a summary, I would like to share what I have learned. When I was preparing to teach the youth class on the Holy Spirit, I re-read the book of Daniel. I'm not sure what was different, but that book impacted me in a very different way than ever before. I read of God's power, how He sent the Holy Spirit to illustrate His power to the unbelievers.  Through Tuesday Bible study, I learned that I have to ask for God to reveal Himself to me...and He will. I learned from the babies at the orphanage that bananas and hard boiled eggs smashed up together is pretty good in the afternoon. And, I ...

Today, I start my day with Ladies Bible Study. It is quite a collection of women from various parts of the world and backgrounds all studying God's Word. We start with a bit of fellowship and then move into the Bible study. First, in a group. Our leader goes over the Scripture and makes us start thinking about what the author is trying to tell us. Then, small groups. We number off, which felt a little awkward the first day, but is fun now because you never know who is going to be in your group. I like to think that God picks the groups. Then we discuss and pray. It goes about two and half hours. As we have been moving through the book of James, my favorite book in the Bible, we have been talking and reflecting on our own lives. The question today: Do we honestly live our lives as if God is in control? There was so much discussion about the will of God and there were some really good insight that I wanted to pass on: -Wherever you go, be in the will of God. -It is not we who wait ...

I was having a conversation with one of the KICS teachers about acceptable inconveniences in Rwanda. These are things that go wrong or do not happen as expected (mostly to our American standards) and here we just shrug our shoulders and go on. I mentioned earlier about the restaurants here. Service is horrible and slow. Someone will almost always get something they didn't order or an order will be messed up. And you ALWAYS double check your bill, because it is rarely correct. In America, there is NO WAY we would wait 45 minutes just to get our drinks. We would get up and leave and tell the manager how bad the service was and that we will never return AND tell our friends...something like that. Here, that is just the way it is. You can complain and remind them, but it won't help much. And the only fast food option is the homemade samosas (which are kind of like beef rangoon) and chapati (kind of like tortillas) at the gas station. But they are both really good and I eat them! ...

When we left the orphanage yesterday, Keli says that she prays that they will feel our arms all through the night. I thought that was a pretty good prayer for them. There were a few that were crying really hard. Instead of the baby massages, I choose to just hold and walk around with the crying ones. One little girl was crying so hard, so I just held her tight, sang to her and rocked back and forth with her until she finally gave up and went to sleep. I held onto her while she slept because I was afraid she would wake and because I wanted to snuggle on her a little longer. I don't know her name, but she was a sweetie. Out of habit, I say things like "It's ok. It's going to be ok" to them. But I catch myself thinking that I don't know what their future will hold, so I just said prayer for God to watch over them. Finally, I laid her down and she was so tired she barely budged. There was one little girl who had a herniated belly button, so her bell...

Well, for me it is already nighttime, for you it is probably around lunchtime. I laugh because it is only 7pm here and already I am very tired and getting ready to settle in for the evening. It gets dark at 6pm, so you feel like it is later than it really is. The missionaries say that 9pm is "missionary midnight" here. I'm not going to lie...I like going to bed early here because the days start so early. As I sit in my 2 stacked blue plastic chairs (we use 2, because 1 is not sturdy enough to hold a "well-nourished" Westerner, like myself) using the Internet in the promenade area of the Kigali International Community School, where I am staying, I am quietly listening to the sounds of Kigali. There are nighttime bugs that sound like Oklahoma nights, cricket-sounding bugs and occasionally this sharp kind of squeaking noise that Jane says are the lizards. I'm a big fan of the lizards. I'm thinking of letting some geckos go in my house in OKC when I get ho...

As of tomorrow, I will have been away from Oklahoma for one month. It is funny the things that I have really noticed that I missed, besides my family, of course. I told Keli Shreck that I would pay 100,000 francs for a Dr. Pepper (that is the equivalent of $200, by the way). I repeated the same sentiment later in the day to Bryan, who went into his cupboard and no kidding pulled out a bottled Dr. Pepper (which I haven't seen in one WHOLE month)--funny thing was that his youngest had drank about 3/4 of the bottle and when he opened it, it didn't even spew.  I told him it didn't count because it was flat, whew! I also miss my car, not just my little Fit, but the convenience of being able to jump in my car and go to a fast food restaurant or Wal-Mart to go pick something up. There is a convenience factor that I really miss. When we go to a restaurant to eat, I know it will be at least 2-3 hours. And you can't go to one store to get what you need. Over the counter medicin...

I'm sorry my writings have become more sparse that is due to a lot of things. Internet options changing frequently and also having a little bit of writer's block. With the Internet, I can use it at various places--the courtyard, the wall by the fence to our property, a local Internet cafe, etc--but it gets pitch dark here by 6pm and sitting outside in the dark leaves my legs mosquito bitten. I really don't want malaria just to use the Internet, so I'm writing when I can. =) There is something that has been running through my mind, so I wanted to share. It may not be a new idea for many, but for me it is a bit of an epiphany. Earlier, I pointed out some of the differences of Rwanda. Now, I am seeing some similarities. In America, we have created generations who are dependent on governmental assistance programs (which I am not bashing). Families have become so dependent upon these programs that to change them would dramatically affect so many lives and not in a positi...

I have been thinking how I am supposed to describe the images I saw yesterday and I'm going to do the best I can, so bare with me. We can't take pictures, so I will do my best. After 3 attempts, we were finally able to spend time at the orphanage. This orphanage was set up through the Catholic church because it is ran by nuns (P.S. they are so cute). They have visiting hours that people can come and spend time with the children everyday but Thursday. Wide-eyed, Amy and I followed Keli to a locked gate where we could see a lower level where children who were around 3-5 years old were playing. One little girl in a striped shirt and navy skirt saw that we were waiting by the gate for visiting hours to begin, she looked up at us excitedly and turned to run away. She was alerting the others that there were guests. Within a minute, about 20 or 30 small children came running up to us. They were chanting something in Kinyarwandan. The gate was opened and we were able to continue do...

I know I have mentioned the crazy moto taxis, but let me just reiterate. There is no comparison to anything like a moto taxi in America that I have seen. As you are driving along, these crazy komacazie drivers come out of no where on a dirt bike. People actually pay to ride on these things. So today, I had a Reese Witherspoon moment from Sweet Home Alabama, but instead of a baby in a bar...it was: You have a baby...on your back...on the back of a moto. So what did I do? Tell Keli to hold on so I could get a picture. Enjoy!

I have made a declaration among my friends here...I have decided that I have been spending 80% of my time working and 20% playing, as of Friday, October 1 that changes. I am still in the process of completing a couple of projects that I am mostly finished with, but am waiting on data from others. My first day upon declaring my freedom started with a trip to Furleps (I think that is the spelling). Keli Shreck and the boys picked up me and took me to have fun. We spent a great deal of time looking at some really awesome handmade items--some of which will be joining me on my return trip home. Next, to lunch. As I was putting my treasures in the car, a small child walks up to Keli and I saying, "Mzungu" with his hand out. He is one that breaks my heart to see coming. They wear torn clothes and many have no shoes. This group has been taught that white people have money and that he should beg from us. Keli's little guys were standing there watching him; he stood ab...

  This is a picture of my knee five days AFTER handball. Good thing I'm recovered so I'll be ready to go for this Sunday night. *evil smile*

I mentioned that last week I went to a Bible study consisting of women throughout Kigali from many Christian faiths. It was so amazing that I couldn't wait to go back this week. Moving on through the book of James, we studied chapter 2:14-26. The ever-controversial passage, faith vs. deeds. I wanted to share a few thoughts that came out of this study of believers. Faith without deeds is dead, does nothing, is useless, incomplete, no witness, and can't save. But if you have faith, it will manifest into taking care of physical needs of those less fortunate. It was emphasized to start with your own believers. Righteousness was a gift, or "credit" from God, but Abraham fulfilled it by acting on it, which justified what was given to him. Grace saves you, we respond w/faith, deeds are the result. We are not saved by good works, but saved to DO good works. (that was one of my favorites) I love the book of James, it is such a walk the walk kind of book. James, who sch...

So...on Sunday night, after all the chairs have been moved out of the "auditorium" at church...the rumble begins. "CCR Roller Derby", as some may call it. Yes, we roller blade in the church building--my parents will be so disappointed. Some of the local missionary kids have been invited to roller blade at the church and they graciously invited me. I was foreseeing a leisurely roll around the building and that is what is was until someone said, "Let's play handball." Handball is a game that has been created by these kids and is a combination of basketball/soccer/roller derby. They put two tables up against the walls facing each other and pulled out the basketball. I'm not as strong as I once was on rollerblades and am definitely out of shape on them, so I volunteered to be "goalie" because I could do it with my running shoes on. Little did I know what I was signing up for. These young, sweet missionary kids turn into ravage beasts once t...

I shared this with my mom on email and decided it was worth a share here too. I was preparing some carrots today, pealing and cutting off the ends...and soaking them in water with a tiny bit of bleach to kill the germies. As I was going about this process Jane walks in with these super fresh-looking, right out of the ground kind of carrots. Let's just say if we were comparing restaurants--I was eating McDonalds and she was eating Outback--you get my point. Jane saw my little pathetic carrots and gave this silly grin and said, "How much did you pay for those?" I knew this was a set up, but I responded 750 francs, which is about $1.50--I didn't think the price was that bad. Then I ask her, "How much did you pay for yours?" By the way, she had about double the amount that I had. She laughed and quietly said, "200 francs", which is about $.40. What??!! Not only did I get the junky carrots, I paid 3 times what she paid. It's hard being a "Mzung...

There are many things that are different in Rwanda that you must get used to..some harder than others for me. I will start with something that is still hard to stomach...milk that you buy in a box, on a shelf. Only after you open it do you put it in the fridge. So the first time you open it, you pour it over your cereal at room temperature. That just doesn't seem right?! Bugs and birds are different. I have mentioned the mosquitoes, ants and roaches, but I did not tell you about a moth that Kassidy Shreck found in one of the cabinets at the church. I took the picture so that you can compare it to the size of the glue sticks below it. As you can see, it is the size of a small bird! Next, I would like to show you two of my favorite differences in Rwanda. Bananas and avocados..mmmm   The avocados are HUGE! They are so rich and have such a fabulous flavor. One has the insides of about 2-3 that I could buy at the grocery store back home. The other night, I made an avocado salad ...

I know I wrote last year about Fanny…I don't think I have mentioned her yet this year. Fanny is one of many workers on the KICS property. In my opinion, she is one of the hardest workers there! Fanny works hard from the time she arrives to the time she leaves at the end of the day. She quietly goes about her business making sure everything is spotless.  It is hard to tell age, but I think she is probably a little younger than I am..maybe early 20s. The first day I moved into the guest house, Fanny came walking through..she smiled and put her hands on her face. I was so excited to my Rwandan friend who I can barely talk to! Everyday, we try to converse, in our complicated way. Yesterday, I was trying to ask her where I should by Avocados, which in Rwanda are called, Avacots (not sure on spelling). She told me, "Supermarket", which is down the street. I knew I could walk down there later in the day, so I wasn't too concerned. She pointed to herself and said, "I...

For those of you who know me…really know me…you will totally get how hard my heart broke on Tuesday. But first, let me back up. First thing in the morning, we have a Bible study hosted at the Jenkins' house including many women missionaries or "expatriates" (non-locals). It was very interesting, as I am sitting in a room with many Christian faiths, studying the second chapter of James--one of my favorite books. There were pretty much only Americans and Brits. It was very, very fascinating. Ok, so the heart break story…Jana and Keli were going to take me to the orphanage, but as soon as we arrived so did another rain and hail storm. We sat in the car and finally decided to "rain" check for another day. No, the orphanage is not the heart break story. On our way back home, I noticed something small on the sidewalk near the Jenkins' house. As we got closer, I noticed it was moving a little. As we got even closer, I realized it was a puppy!!! Lonely, sitting ...

It has rained quite a bit since I have been here. Everyone here is very glad because they have been on somewhat of a drought for quite a while. Twice, I have driven by this one particular puddle and the children have their yellow buckets waiting to fill them from the puddle. The buckets are about 2 gallons, I think, and the children are around 5-7 years old. I close my eyes and picture my oldest nephew waiting in line to fill his drinking water bucket out of a puddle...then I open my eyes and realize that is not his reality, but it is for many here.

The first night I was in Rwanda, I kept hearing this little buzzing noise around my head. I quickly realized…mosquitos. So I slept with a sheet covering my face, so I could sleep. The next night, I turned on the fan to help keep them away. I felt like Simba the first night…Jana was explaining to me how there are lizards everywhere that eat the mosquitos…and that is the circle of life, Simba. As I looked around the screened-in porch where we were sitting, I noticed one gecko over my head and another on the other side of the room. He wasn't there to sell me insurance that for sure. The ants here are black and quite large, I think about the size of a fire ant. And they walk around everywhere. To find Brett Shreck's office, all I have to do is follow the ant trail and they lead me almost right up to his office door. And the roaches--at the Alligator store that I take my nephew to in Oklahoma City, there are large cockroaches in a glass aquarium called Hissing Cockroaches--I hav...

Requirements: Must be willing to work 7 days a week Relocation to another site Must sacrifice comforts of home Must be willing to do jobs that have nothing to do with your degree or field of expertise Communication will be a problem because there will be many who have no idea what you are saying Compensation will be less than you have ever made and you must ask other people to pay it Duties: Anything and Everything as needed No job too big or too small I am not sure that missionaries see this job description prior to hearing the call. My education for the day: Missionaries work HARD…all the time. At least this group in Rwanda. I ask you, what do you think missionaries do all day? Walk around smiling and shaking hands? If this is your picture, please delete that idea. I have watched our group of missionaries here in Rwanda, who are in charge of running a school and a church from top to bottom. Yes, they have teachers and some of them are teachers. Some of them are ministe...

I'm not sure why I am so fascinated with the prison system in Rwanda. Perhaps because it is more visible than our correctional facilities in America, or perhaps because I work with many ex-offenders. I was taking a quick trip to the store with Holly and Bryan who pointed out, "Look, it's a prison…a women's prison." There stood many women in pink and orange. The women who are about to be released are in orange and everyone else wears pink. I noticed just on the other side of the wooden fence there were children running around and playing, surely there wasn't a school next to a prison?! I asked Holly and Bryan who responded, "The children must go somewhere. Many of the women who are in prison have to have their children staying in the cell with them." I slumped back into my seat as if the air had been deflated from my chest. What kind of life were these children being exposed to and what future will they have? Then I remembered from last year learn...

I have been staying with the Jenkins because my friend, Jane, who lives in the guest house has been in Israel. She and a group of friends have been touring many of the sites of Christ. The Jenkins didn't want me having to stay by myself for the first days I was here, so they welcomed me into their home. No one has known exactly how long Jane would be gone, but they thought it would be through the end of the week. Just after lunch on Thursday, Bryan gets a call from Jane saying that she has arrived at the airport and needs a ride. So, I ran with Bryan to the airport to pick up my friend. On the way back to the guest house, Jane told us about her trip. She explained that they are 100% sure where certain things are and a small percent sure they know where other things are. But the tour guide, who was Muslim, explained that they are 100% sure they know where Jesus was born, so they were able to see that. Then she smiled and excitedly said, "I got baptized in the river Jordan....

So, I ate lunch at KICS, which was stroganoff, but of course, didn't resemble the stroganoff I have eaten in the states. Still, it was good and I was starving. The staff of CCR, Christ Church Rwanda--the church started under ROC, met to pray over prayer requests and other events, which they do every Wednesday. Then off to the meeting at the mayor's office. Dave wasn't really sure what the meeting was about, but invited anyone who wanted to come. Brett Shreck and Eddie, who is one of the pastor's at CCR, joined this small adventure. On the car ride over, Eddie explained to me that he works with kids who have trauma, mostly relating to the genocide. Because I have just completed my thesis on the Rwandan genocide, I was excited to ask questions about the ripple affect that he was dealing with. (I wish I could've finished my thesis after my trip to include so much more information…o well, it's done). He explained that the children of the genocide, whether perpetra...

Dave Jenkinds had told me Tuesday night that he had a meeting at the mayor's office and it might be interesting for me to tag along. So Wednesday morning, I put on my skirt (thanks to Missy B, I know own two dressy skirts) and my dressy clothes and was ready to start the day. Tuesday night, the Jenkins explained their Internet source is a mobile card that has the speed of about dial-up. So I was on a mission. Jana said that I would be able to run up to Bourbon, which is like Starbucks with a full menu, to use the Internet. We ran a few errands-exchanging money and so forth and stopped at the place where Bourbon was, where we were told that it is closed and will be for two weeks, still no Internet. We ended up at KICS, the Kigali International Community School, which is a part of the ROC Partners, Rwanda Outreach and Community Partners (the non-profit I am volunteering for). When I came last year, it was summer, so even though there were kids hanging around, it was so cool to se...

I will be staying with the Jenkins family, one of our missionary families, for about a week.Then will be moving into the guest house at the Kigali International Community School where I stayed last year. My travels were great, I didn't have some of the long lay-overs that I did last year, so I was running from gate to gate. We had a short delay in Newark because of the weather; all flights were grounded which caused a delay once we were actually able to board the flight because all the planes were taking turns trying to get out of the airport. About one hour and 25 planes later, we were off. I made it into Brussels with about 40 minutes to navigate where in the world I was supposed to be, go back through security and jump on a bus to be transferred to the area the flight was about to leave. Finally at around 7pm on Tuesday night, I made arrived in Kigali. My heart raced and I nearly ran from the plane to the airport (there are no walking tunnel things in the airport). Okay, I did...

In church this morning, Bible class and the sermon were discussions of Luke 2:41-52, specifically the meaning of verse 49, "And He said to them, 'Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?'" The question was brought up, "What is our Father's business?". In both discussions, "our Father's business" was defined as being the hands and feet of our Father. In class, we realized that we need to know God to know what His business is. One girl said that God gives us opportunities to get to know Him more by obeying some of the small requests that He gives us and as we follow those, He will give us insight to who He is. She continued to say that God is not a vending machine for us to dispense what we need when we need, but we have to take the time to get to know Him, so He can give us what we need to glorify Him.  (I'm paraphrasing, sorry if I butchered that Natalie). In a few short hours, I will leave t...

In one week, I will be arriving in Kigali for my Rwandan adventure. Please keep all the flight staff in your prayers for safe travels.