Amakuru!

Today was our first full day in Rwanda. We were quiet busy, and we did so much! 

When I first woke up this morning, it was unbelievably humid out. I felt as if I was walking around in a wet towel for the first part of the day. But even though my body felt sluggish and tired, my heart felt joyful, blessed, and excited for what was to come. 

Today we were awfully busy, and started off the day of events after breakfast was completed.  First was our tour of SOS. We spent a majority of our time meeting the staff at SOS, and really getting to know the surroundings. Rwanda is absolutely beautiful. I wish I could freeze Rwanda in my mind, bring it back to the United States with me, so I could see the same sight every morning when I wake up. Honestly, breathtakingly beautiful. Rwanda is known as the land of 10,000 hills. Although it is so beautiful, the altitude also makes walking up these beautiful hills quite…fun? I can't wait to see how well my lungs work as soon as I am back to a "normal" altitude. 

Once we were done with meeting the staff, we met the house Mommies and Aunties. SOS believes that it is very important to provide orphaned children with a family setting, and having a woman who acts as the mother is one of the ways they do this. We were able to sit with them in their homes, and talk to them before moving on to our next activity. 

The next part of our day was my FAVORITE part of the day. We walked down the road to the Primary School. As soon as the children say us, they ran over!  Shouts of "Muraho" and "amakuru" filled the air, and the students all swarmed around me with hugs and smiles. I felt the tears of happiness start to flood my eyes, but I managed to choke them back and smile at all the beautiful children surrounding me. Automatically, one little girl clinged to my hand, and wouldn't let go. My heart automatically fell in love with her, and at that moment, I knew that leaving these children is going to be one of the hardest things I will ever have to do. 

After we were done with the primary school, we also visited the tech school that we will be working at. It was awesome to talk to some of the students, and I am very thrilled to see what the relationships we build will be like. We then came back for lunch, and had the afternoon to really relax and enjoy ourselves. 

Side note…. my favorite food so far? Passionfruit. I LOVE it, and wish that I could bring a ton of it back with me. I could honestly eat it all day. 

Tomorrow we will be venturing into town, and I can't wait to write all about it. Hope all is well, and I will try to upload some pictures as soon as I can! 

Love you all,

Leah :) 

We finally made it!

(This blog was written on Wednesday, May 8th. We didn't have internet connection right away, but I wanted to jot down some of my initial thoughts.)

At Last… We finally made it, and it has been quite the adventure! This Wednesday, we departed from the Brussels airport for our last flight to Kigali, Rwanda.

The plane was great, and the flight seemed to take quite a shorter amount of time than it did when we were flying into Brussels, even though the actually flight time was about the same. As we were about to land, I felt an enormous amount of butterflies conquer my stomach. I felt as if my heart was in my throat, and the thought that I would finally be landing in Africa, my life long dream, brought so much enthusiasm! 

As soon as I walked off of the plane, so many things hit me; emotions and physically feelings flooded me. I had finally reached Africa; my dreams were coming true! Physically, the humidity overwhelmed me as my glasses fogged up, and the smell was so different, not in a bad way. Everything around me was different, and the opportunities that are going to come excited me. 

We then met our drivers who took us to SOS, they will also be our main drivers during this trip, and the car ride presented itself with more feelings. Being the cautious driver that I am, the traffic in Kigali gave me a few heart attacks. It was crazy that people were darting in and out on their motorbikes, and even on foot! There was so much noise and confusions, and so many things to see! There were people cramming into taxi buses, literally cramming, music playing, and so many different buildings and surroundings. 

Finally, we reached SOS, the main place that we are staying, at 8:30p.m.. Even though it was dark, the sun goes down very early here, I could tell that it was beautiful. There was and is just something about this place; I can hear the crickets and bugs making noise, and can see the starts so clearly. We were all brought to our rooms, which was just the beginning of new things. We all have our own rooms while we are here, and each room contains our bedroom, a closet, a sink, and a shower. For me, the bathroom is right down the hallway. The first thing that stuck out was the large mosquito net hanging above my bed. This would be the next part of our night. 

We met as a group to go over a few basics, and we learned how to really set up our beds with the nets. As I write this portion of the blog, I am currently under my net, surrounded by my computer, a bottle of water, and my bible. For some reason, I feel as if I am 6 again, "camping" under this net/tent that I assembled myself. I love it though. :)

My first thoughts? Wow. I think I am going to love it here. Everything is so different, and I think that at this point in my life, a trip like this is really going to put some things into perspective. It will also allow me to grow in so many areas of my life, especially in my faith and relationship with God. I am so curious to see how I will change. Other thoughts? umm…. I totally forgot how much I hate humidity… let's be real. It is kind of sticky here, but I will get used to it eventually, or so I hope. I do really miss some things already, like being able to chat with my family, my boyfriend, and friends on the drop of the hatch, but it helps knowing that they support me in my decision to be here. I can't wait to come back and share my story. 

Well, It is time for me to head out to sleep. I miss you all!

The Big Day

Well.... Today is the day I have been waiting for. This afternoon I will be boarding the first of 3 flights that will be taking me to Rwanda.

I am so blessed to embark on this journey, and I can't wait to see how this journey will change and influence my life. Before I leave, I just want to thank everyone who has prayed for, and is praying for me through this experience. I hold you all so dear and close to my heart, and I can't wait to share my stories, photos, and experience with you when I get back.

While in Rwanda, I am lucky to have some internet access. My hope is that I can post a blog with photos every couple of days. I know how much I have enjoyed this in the past when my friends have done the same thing, and I hope to give you a glimpse into this journey.

If you would like to stay a little more in the loop, I am going to post a few links that might be helpful!

Although it has been an awkward spring here in Minnesota, the weather in Rwanda stays pretty consistent. It is the rainy season while I am there, so we can expect a lot of rain, but also some solid sunshine :) Here is a link to a great site with a ton of information about the weather!
http://www.wunderground.com/weather-forecast/RW/Kigali.html

Even though there is not a ton of new breaking news coming out of Rwanda, here is the link to what is happening. These will most likely be things that we are talking about, and if you want a little more insight, you can check out this website.
http://www.worldtimeserver.com/RW_in_the_news.aspx

This link is the link for the primary orphanage we will be working at!
http://www.sos-childrensvillages.org/where-we-help/africa/rwanda/kigali/Pages/default.aspx

Something that might be fun to check out is what the radio stations are like! Radio has played a big role in the history or Rwanda, but also during the genocide that happened there in the early 90's. Luckily, the radio that once spewed hurt now gives music, sporting events, etc. Here is a link to the Rwandan Bureau of Information. On the left side of the page there are a few links to create a pop-up radio player!
http://www.orinfor.gov.rw


Today is the day! I can't wait to see and talk to you once I get back! I love you all :)

2 More Sleeps!

As the fourth grade class I was working with would say, "Only two more sleeps until Africa!" I can't believe how fast the time has flown by. Friday, I moved back home in order to have a few days with my family before I depart on the journey of a lifetime.

Before I leave, I want to make sure that I mention a few people who deserve some thanks.

First, I want to thank my family for their support. When I first mentioned going to Rwanda, my parents had a few different reactions. They were nervous, anxious, enthusiastic, and excited for me, all at the same time. They have been with me every step of the way, and have really helped me work toward this trip. I can't thank them enough for all they do. They were both pretty nervous about my safety, but as the months have passed, they know that I will be safe, which is good! :) My sisters have also been extremely supportive. Although I feel horrible about missing Sarah's graduation, multiple softball games, and many memories, I know that they are enthusiastic about my journey, which starts to fuel my excitement as well. I only wish that they could join me on this adventure!

Second, I want to thank all of the friends and family that are helping me make this trip possible. Many people have helped me out through donations, and I will forever be grateful. There are thanks to be said to the people who donated items to take to and work with at the orphanage that I will be staying and working with. The children I am blessed to work with are going to love all of these donated items. I thank each and every person who made a donation. I don't know what I would do without you all.

Third, I want to thank the other 5 wonderful ladies that I am about to embark to Rwanda with. In preparation for this trip, we have spent countless hours together learning about the culture, social justice, and about each other. I cannot wait to grow closer during the long flights, and layovers, the new food we will be trying, our good days, and our bad days. You are all beautiful young women, and I am so blessed to have this opportunity to get to know you better.

I can't believe this time of preparation has passed by so quickly. I am so blessed to have this experience, and I can't wait to see how my life will change. 2 more sleeps, and I will be on my way!

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 :) 

So close, but yet so far away...

15 days. Wow. I really can't believe it. 

Today we had our last group meeting to divide some of our supplies up, and to just go over a few last things. It just seems so unreal. I have been able to tell people that I'm going to Rwanda, and now it is happening in 15 days! 

I would be lying if I said that I wasn't freaking out. Let's be real... I totally am. But, with this, I know that things will be ok. As it reads in Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  He is in control of everything, I have nothing to fear. I am so glad that I can put all of my burdens, my fears, my uneasiness into the hands of the Lord. Everything will be ok! It will! 

I have really worked on preparing mentally the past few days. I will move home in two weekends, pack my bags, say my goodbyes, and then leave. I think that is what I am most uneasy about. Saying goodbye to my family, my boyfriend, and my friends will be so hard. I will be able to email them every so often, and perhaps skype them once or twice, but 6 weeks is a very very very long time. I know that I will not be alone though. In church today, we heard a sermon on Mark 3: 20-21; 31-35. For those of you who might need a refresher, here is a link to the verses. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+3%3A20-21%2CMark+3%3A31-35&version=ESV

 One aspect of the sermon that hit me was the point that God's family is open to all. Whoever does the will of God is someone who is in my family. Those who trust and obey the word of the Lord are my sisters and my brothers. Although I will be 7887.7 miles away from my "blood" family, I will be in the presence of my family in Christ. Wow. It really hit me. At the time where I was worried and stressing, the word that was preach was exactly what I needed. This started to excite me even more for my trip. I am so curious to see how those relationships will be formed, and I can't wait to see what this journey does for my faith and my relationship with God. 

Although these last 15 days in the United States will be a bit stressful, busy, full of packing, tears, and goodbyes, I need to remember to give it all up to God. Matthew 6:31-34 says, "Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Time to go do some packing! Love you all, and will be in contact soon!

-Leah :) 

(p.s. Does anyone have any awesome book recommendations? At night we will have some down time, and I am a big reader! Let me know!)

30 days!

Hello everyone!

I hope you had a splendid Easter break. I know it has been a few weeks since my last post. I have been really busy lately with trip preparation, Easter break, and working through my education practicum. Life has been spinning with excitement lately, and the countdown to my trip keeps getting smaller and smaller. I am officially about a month away from departing, and the excitement is evident! :) 

Like I said before, I have been working through my education practicum, which I have loved! I am currently with a class of 4th graders that I work with every day. They are full of curiosity, joy, and a crazy large passion for life. They ask me daily about my trip, and multiple students have asked if they could come with me. My school kiddos want to know what I am doing every day on my trip, but are also begging to know what the kids over in Rwanda are like. 

The passion for learning that my students have make me excited to see what the kiddos in Rwanda will be like. I think that the love for learning students have, and their natural curiosity serves as a way to communicate. It is almost as if there is an unspoken happiness that comes from students, especially the younger ones, and those relationships can just grow and flourish through time talking and teaching. I can't wait to make the connections between the kiddos in Rwanda, and my fourth graders here. 

Education is something that I am so passionate about in life, that really propels and drives me forward in life. I can't wait to see how this trip will also change my views surrounding education, and how I will use these experiences in my future classroom with my future kiddos. :)

If you would like more information on education in Rwanda, feel free to check out the UNICEF website. Here is a link : http://www.unicef.org/rwanda/education.html Who knows, maybe some day I will end up back in Africa teaching :) Only time will tell! 

Hope all is well!

Love, 
Leah :)