There are many phrases and gestures that I have noticed I have picked up from living here. But one of my favorites is saying: Oh, sorry. Let me explain. On my first trip here, I realized that when I would drop something, the nearest Rwandan would say, "Oh, sorry". I would laugh and say, "I dropped it, why are you sorry?". Or I would smack my funny bone on something. Again, "Oh, sorry". "But you didn't do it, it was me who smacked my own funny bone." I didn't get it. Oh, sorry isn't an admittance of guilt here. It is a sympathy gesture. For example, I'm sorry you dropped your phone and the battery just flew across the room...again. Or, I'm sorry you are coughing your brains out and you seem to be in pain. I believe that the short phrase "Oh, sorry" or "I'm sorry" has so much more meaning to me now than ever before. It is taking a moment to empathize with someone. Stopping to realize that the stra...
One of the things that will pull a tear from my eye faster than lightning is when the traditions of Rwandan culture are displayed. Rwandan weddings unfurl like a stage play with a script and costumes. The long flowing dresses shimmer with prisms of color. The men shine in their best suits. The beautiful dancers swirl while the drummers thrum steady and sure. All the while, the emcee keeps the flow smooth throughout the day. Yes, day . They are extravagant events that stretch from morning until late into the night. They start with the negotiations, the bride price. How many cows would a husband’s family need to give the bride’s family in order to purchase this woman? (My feminist eyes roll a little, but it’s all in good present day fun. No cows are actually exchanging hands .) Then they must verify the cows are healthy milk producers. A lot of humor and bantering are involved in this process. “Are the cows good and fat?” “ Isn ’t the bride worth more than 100 cows ?” When...
Last weekend was Easter and many families have many traditions on celebrating our risen Lord. For the last 15 years or so, my family has attended the Leadership Training for Christ (LTC) conference. We started attending the Dallas, TX conference when I was a freshman in high school and moved into the Tulsa, now Rogers, Ark. conference. I was immediately drawn to it because it gave me an outlet for the talents that God had placed deep within me and I was shown how to develop those talents to bring glory to God. And you get medals. (I was am a fairly competitive person, so it was a motivator.) People in our church would sign up as coaches to help guide us through events like drama, chorus, speech and so many more! They were mentors to us; guiding our unique talents that God had put deep inside of us. I'm sure sometimes they felt like they were herding cats! Some events were group events and some were individual; allowing us to share our talents with each other and also giving us ...
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