9 to go!

A short little note for today :)


Today was a big day in my life of preparation for Africa. I am officially going to Africa in less than 10 days! I can't believe it! For months I have prepared, told everyone that I was going to Rwanda, learning more about the country... and now it is finally here. In nine days I will boarding a plane that will take me to Chicago. From Chicago, I will be traveling to Brussels. Then.... Brussels to Kigali.

If any of you are curious as to where I might be when... here is a peak into the flight schedule!

Monday - May 6th

• Leave from Minneapolis, MN at 2:30 p.m. Arrive in Chicago, IL at 3:55 p.m.
• Leave from Chicago, IL at 5:40 p.m. Arrive in Brussels, Belgium at 9:00 a.m. (Tuesday)

Tuesday - May 7th

• Leave from Brussels, Belgium at 10:50 a.m. Arrive in Kigali, Rwanda at 7:00 p.m.

This will be my longest flight ever, and I am eagerly awaiting this adventure. 

I would be lying if I said I wasn't slightly nervous, because let's face it.... I totally am. It is going to be so much fun though. I'm a little nervous about the flight, and missing my loved ones and their big life moments, but I have been blessed to have such an opportunity as this. 

This afternoon I spent and pretty solid chunk of time hanging out with my friend Brittany, who is also going on the trip. It was reassuring to know that she was nervous/freaking out as well, and we had a great afternoon of lunch and Starbucks to talk things out, quadruple check our packing lists, and talk about the life changing journey that is quickly approaching. I can't wait to see how we both cope being so far away from home, but also to see how this trip changes the both of us as we are going into our senior year this upcoming fall. 

Well, I should probably go do some more packing. I love you all, and can't wait to share more within the upcoming days and my journey. 

Love,

Leah :) 

I Bless The Rains Down in Africa

Muraho!

           

            If you were to ask me my freshman year what I would be doing in the May of 2013, I would probably respond with something like, “Oh you know.... probably just hanging out in New Ulm, working a basic summer job.” Then, if you were to ask me what I would think about traveling to Africa, I would most likely say, “Well, I could finally sing the song “Africa” by Toto, and I think it would be great to relive the experience my parents had in Tanzania when I was in third grade.” Toto and Tanzania. (If you haven't heard the song, I really recommend you check it out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWfY9GRe7SI )

            Well, I have grown up a bit, and now if you were to ask me the same questions I would say....

1.     I am going to the small country of Rwanda on a service trip from May 6^th to June 12^th with 5 other amazing women and a professor.

2.     I still love the classic Toto song, I mean who can’t not jam out when that song plays on the radio?!? But, I am also thrilled to go abroad to meet new individuals, have new experiences, to be changed, and also to be an active servant of Christ through serving others.

            While in Rwanda, my group will be staying at the SOS Children’s village outside of Kigali. We will spend the mornings teaching English to kindergarten and trade school students, and during lunch we will be sharing our time with the housemothers at the orphanage. In the afternoon we will be working with the primary school teachers, establishing relationships with them, sharing experiences, and helping them with their English skills. One weekend we will be taking a trip to Butare, which is in the southern part of Rwanda. While there, we will be spending some time learning about the culture of Rwanda, especially focusing on the history and how it has effected daily life in the country. We will also be traveling to Musanze where we will be working with more students and teachers. This trip promises to be life changing, and filled of opportunities to learn, teach, and to share God’s love with our brothers and sisters in Rwanda.

            Before traveling there are obviously a lot of different steps and processes. I have immunizations to get, money to be raised, history to be learned, and languages to try and tackle. As I prepare to leave for this trip, I hope to share some of my questions with you, and also what I have learned before I leave. Periodically I will post other interesting articles, books, videos, etc. that I have read/found, so you can get a little taste of what I am going through. While I am in Rwanda, I really hope to blog my experience to share the amazing work we will be part of, but also how this experience has changed my life.

Thank you for all of your prayers, love and support!

Blessings,

Leah :)