First Day Jitters!

The First Full Day

Today was a day of firsts. This morning/afternoon we headed over for the first day of teaching at the primary school. Today, I taught divinity and morality to one class of 5th graders for a 40 minute block. Going in, I was very excited, nervous, and curious as to how the day would go. 

Since my methods clinical has been over, I have really missed hanging out with students every day. The fact that I was with 4th graders all day every day kept my life busy, and the time that has passed since my last day with them has felt so odd. As soon as I stepped into the classroom, everything fell back into place.

Something that stuck my mind was how alike and different the schools and students in the United States and Rwanda actually are. 

In terms of things that are alike…..

• Kids are Kids, no matter where you go. They want attention, they want love, the love to play, and the always surprise you. 
• If you give a student marker and paper, they will draw instead of listening. 
• One smile from any child can really just steal your heart.

Differences?

• It was so interesting to see the level of respect that the students in Rwanda had for teachers or guests. As soon as I entered the classroom, every student stood up, and in perfect harmony the stated, "Welcome visitor." They also stood up whenever they gave a response to a question, and only spoke or moved when they were given permission. 
• I have never seen children so happy to be inside class. While I was talking to students after school, the spoke about loving mathematics and reading, and that they really enjoyed coming to school.
• The class day is also set up a bit differently. School actually ends at 1:00 p.m. each day, and they have school Monday - Saturday.

I was so blessed to be working with these beautiful and loving children, and blessed to hear their answers through our discussions. As I taught divinity today, I decided to focus our content on loving our neighbors, with an emphasis on who our neighbors are, and how to show our neighbors that we love them. 

When I asked about ways we can show love to our neighbors, I expected the typical answers of…. sharing, being nice, don't hit, etc… I was partially correct. I did receive these answers, but I also got answers like, have patience for others, be merciful with others, pray for others. Once they gave these answers, the largest grin appeared on my face, and I was reminded about how  loving others encompasses all these things. I realized that I need to make sure I am patient, and that I forgive, and that I am praying for others as well.  Automatically, Colossians 3:13 comes to mind. It reads, "bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." If we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, this scripture should prick our hearts to forgive others no matter what they have done to us or others. While he walked on this Earth, Jesus showed forgiveness and love for his fellowman in everything that he did. He showed us that we can forgive others, and honor God’s authority when it comes to judgment and wrath. We are within God’s will if we forgive. We are not in God’s will if we do not forgive. This was something big that continually poked and prodded at me all day. 

Once we were done with the primary school, we had lunch and headed over to the tech school. This week, they are remembering the genocide, and while this happens, there is a program three times a week where they go over the history of the genocide, along with placing emphasis on it "never again" happening, but at the same time remembering the lives that were lost. We were blessed with the opportunity to sit with students at the school before and during the program. We were able to make solid connections, but also had the program translated for us by the students. I met with a young woman named Nancy. Nancy is 17 years old, and is studying so that one day she may go to university and get a degree in electrical engineering. She has such a passion for education, learning and helping others, and loves theater, journalism, and debating. Automatically, we hit it off, and I am so proud to say that I have a new good friend that I can't wait to meet with more as this journey continues! 

It has been quite a long day though, so I am going to head out for the night. I will try to keep you updated! Hope all is well! 

With my love, 

Leah

Muzungu

Today was filled with adventure, insight, and lots of reflecting. We started out our day by going out for breakfast at the African Bagel Company, otherwise known as ABC. It was the best breakfast of bagels I have ever had! Once breakfast was done, we traveled to the Muslim part of Rwanda. While there we stopped at two different markets. The first was almost made me puke due to the smell, and it was so hard to be there. My heart went out to each person, as they worked hard, but it was so hard to see them struggle. They all smiled at us with their grins missing teeth, and I felt horrible. There I was with my Toms, straight teeth, clean clothing, and small backpack, while they had nothing. There joy and passion for greeting us was well accepted, but it was hard to understand how someone could be so happy and warm while we stopped by. The second market was an adventure. Left and right, all that we could here the people say was "Muzungu," which basically means "white person." I had finally known and felt how it is to be the minority. In a sea of people in the market, there were 7 muzungus, seven people out of the hundreds we saw. I could feel their eyes follow us, and there stares made me feel uncomfortable, and I felt like I have way more than I will ever need. This is something I think I need to start working on; I need to realize that I am so blessed, and that I have EVERYTHING that I need. 

After the market, we drove all over Kigali. We stopped at a third market, and boy, this market was huge. We were able to take some pictures while there, and I loved the busy atmosphere! The people were so kind, and there were so many smiles and words exchanged. Once we were done with the market, we headed to Cards From Africa. Cards From Africa is a company in Kigali that makes cards, and all products help families affected by AIDS and genocide. It was really cool to watch the process of making the paper, dying it, and then using it to create beautiful cards. We then had lunch, and after lunch came the longest drive of our day, and possibly one of the hardest moments to comprehend. 

Today we also went to two genocide memorials. Both of the memorials were at churches that people had sought out for refuge, but were actually killed. It was really difficult to walk through and see thousands of bones, the old bullet perforated and machete slashed clothing of the victims, and the remains from bullets and grandees that had gone off. Today was a day that I will never forget, and seeing these memorials really brings to life everything that we have researched. 

Tonight we are all spending some time reflecting and taking things in. Tomorrow we will be working on our material for teaching, and then taking some times for ourselves as well. I will talk to all of you soon! 

-Leah 

Nziza - beautiful

I woke up around 5 a.m. this morning to crashing thunder, and the noisiest rain of my life. I know can say why they bless the rains down in Africa. It was so freaking loud though! I tried to fall asleep, but it just wouldn't work. I think I laid in bed for an hour with my eyes closed without being able to fall asleep. Part of the loudness is due to the tin roofs though, which makes a whole lot of sense. The rain seemed perfect though, and really cooled things down :) Throughout our whole day, the rain came and went, but it was such a blessing.  

Today I had a lot of fun soaking up Rwandan culture. We went into down-town Kigali. The walk to the bus station took about 30 minutes uphill. The altitude made this feel like forever, and but it was a beautiful walk. It was weird to have so many people looking at us and  pointing. It is weird being the extremely small minority. I could feel the eyes of everyone on us when we walked on by. The as soon as we reached the bus, it was hilarious trying to get on. The bus was pretty small, and at one point I could not help but grin from ear to ear when this Rwandan man's cell phone started blaring Poker Face by Lady Gaga! It was so funny to hear some of the same music I have heard over here in Rwanda! It just shows how small of a world we actually live in. The drive was beautiful, but also scary at some points because everyone here drives like crazy! People dart in and out of traffic on foot, motorcycle, bus, car, etc. Fast and Furious! It was exciting though. 

We then entered downtown Kigali where we exchanged money so we would have the Rwanda Francs. Then, we went to our first market. I had a blast, and found some really cool items that I can't wait to bring home! After market, we walked to lunch, and made a pitstop at Hotel Des Mille Collines, the hotel Rwanda hotel. We were able to take a few pictures, but it was weird being at a place where I knew that so much had happened. We then ate lunch at a Rwanda buffet, pretty interesting, and then continued on our way. 

Our next stop was the camp Kigali Memorial. Camp Kigali is where ten Belgian UNAMIR peacekeepers who were sent to guard the house of Prime Minister Agathe Uqilingiyimana, were executed brutally by the Presidential Guard, on the first day of the genocide. The location is now a memorial, but it was so touching/eye opening. The house still shows the bullet holes, and the shrapnel marks from a grenade. There is also a memorial garden  that has ten stones, each representing a peacekeeper, with the initials of the soldiers carved into the base of the stone, and horizontal slashes indicating the age they were. It was very emotional, and it took a while to take it in. I can't even image what it will be like tomorrow when we go to memorials of the many victims of the genocide. 

After the memorial, we continued walking, and walking, and walking, and stopped to have coffee as a group. Rwandan coffee could take out Starbucks any day! We finally finished off the day by taking a van ride back to where we started. The one van had 20 people in it! It was so crazy, and I laughed so hard as soon as it was done. What an adventure!  

We finally ended our day by going to the Inema Arts Center. This center is a collective of Rwandan creative artists. It provides space for residence to work, and specializes in African Arts, Crafts, Music, and Dance. At Inema, there is the Nziza Workshop, that started in 2010. In kinyarwanda (the language spoken here) Nziza means beautiful. The Nziza workshop trains and employs Rwandan craftswomen. The on-site workshop that they have is busy daily with women sowing, beading and finishing bespoke pieces, and creating all types of art pieces. They also have the Art with a Mission program, which works with orphans, offering them an opportunity to discover and use there talents. It was such a blast to see how art and creativity was playing such a role in the lives of many.

Today was such a busy day, but I am excited for what tomorrow has to offer and bring. 

With my love,

Leah 

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!