There is a part of missions that is very attractive. You travel, you meet people, you help people. It leaves you satisfied and wanting to do more. Then there is a part of missions that is different. I don’t want to say the sole contributor to the distinction I’m making is the time of the trip, but it is definitely a huge factor along with things like where you are, where you stay etc. This part of missions is something else. It is challenging. There aren’t immediate fruits. It can be trying.

I say all that because I’m beginning to experience something a bit different. Something that, to say the least will be stretching. I arrived in Gacundezi yesterday after a 3 hour bus ride, switching to a rented truck, picking up a bed and table from an FH office, then driving another hour. The town is small and it is rural. Unfortunately yesterday I started coming down with something. I think it’s just a cold, but it has been a small thorn in the side in the midst of my travels. When I arrived in Gacundezi I was shown where I would be staying. It is a small building on the main street (don’t think U.S. Main St. think the alley ways that separate houses in Phoenix)…it’s just a little road. The building has two rooms with a partial wall separating them. It is cement floors and cement walls with some yellow paint. There is no power, no water, no plumbing. In fact as far as plumbing goes there really isn’t a toilet. In the back there is a, well I’m not sure what to call it, maybe an incomplete outhouse. It is a small wood shed with a cement slab and a “squat hole” in the middle. That doesn’t bug me so much but there are probably a hundred spiders in there, so that makes it tricky (mostly daddy-long legs but that doesn’t make them any less distracting). In my room there are air vents at the top of the walls to the outside, but they have no screens. So, I bought some bug spray and fumigated my place and when I sleep I tuck my mosquito net into the mattress so that I am completely screened. This seemed to work well last night; unfortunately I didn’t sleep very well due to this head cold and the fact that it was pretty warm.

All that said, I know this will be challenging. I am being pushed outside of my comfort level. I should say that I have another option right now. There is a sector called Nyagitare that is about 20km away. If I wanted I could stay there in the Blue Sky Motel, this is where the Highlands Team will be staying. It isn’t a Marriott by any standards but it does have basic amenities. I already paid for the first 2 weeks of my room right now (which was 15,000 Rwandan Franks, or $30 U.S.) so I could switch to the Blue Sky for my second two weeks if need be. I don’t think I’m going to stay there though. Before this trip I wanted to allow myself to be stretched by God, it’s funny how so often that means taking us away from the things that bring us comfort. For me the previous two weeks I’ve had comfort from listening to music, or watching a movie on my computer, or going online and touching base with people. These things allowed me to stay connected to the things that I’m away from. But here, I will not be able to do that. I asked for this, but I know it will be challenging.

So you may be wondering how I’m online right now. Well, I rode to Nyagitare with Paul (the FH member I’m working with right now, on the back of his moto. I’m hoping to come over hear at least once a week. There is an internet cafe, that’s where I am now.

Now that I have briefed you on that, here are a few things I’ve noticed since being here so far:

·     No power means no lights at night, which means the sky is exploding with stars…awesome!

·     Not many white people make it out here, I’ve literally had people just stop what they are doing and stare as I go by.

·     Kids either smile, wave and run towards me…or get scared and hide in mom’s dress!

·     I miss American food.

·     Using lanterns at night make me feel like I live in the old west.

·     God is good!

As I said in my previous post I’ll be meeting with various people each day trying to better establish the best way for us to help with development out here. In two weeks, around the 7th or the 8th of May, I will return to Kigali for a few days to meet with Dwight. After that, as far as I know, I will be returning to the East to continue preparing for the Highlands crew which comes the 31st of May.

Thank you all for your prayers and comments. It makes this equally  more difficult/easier. Difficult because I’m reminded of all the amazing people I miss, but easier in knowing how much support I have. Your prayers are felt and heard.

May you each be blessed, as you continue to go out everyday, and shine the light of Christ on the world around!

This entry was posted on Monday, April 27th, 2009 at 3:43 am and is filed under FH, Rwanda, Story. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.