RWANDA!

Muraho! That is "how are you?" in Kinyarwandan, and pretty much one of the only words I know in the language. Hopefully I will be learning more soon... but it is not coming easily!

So, for those of you who don't know, I am teaching English as a Second Language at an international school (www.isk-rwanda.org). I'll be working with elementary and middle school students, and they are literally from all over the world... South Korea, Italy, Tanzania, Oman, etc. It's located in the capital of Rwanda, Kigali. It's so much different being in the city. There are way more options for food (which I am quite happy about... there's even pizza!), there are a lot more "mzungus" (white people) around, people don't normally say hi on the streets, and there are even stop lights!

first Rwandan sunset... mmm, so beautiful!

Here is what I love so far about Rwanda:

• I wake up to perfect weather every day. Of course, there's the occasional thunderstorm a few times a week, but who doesn't love a good thunderstorm?!
• I live in the mountains, and it's beautiful. I'm hoping for some good hiking opportunities throughout the year!
• When I go on a run through the village, I have at least 10 kids join me, giving me high-fives, running along side me, and shouting "mzungu! How are you? I am fine!" It's just like in the movies.
• The city is SUPER clean. They even have a national "holiday" once a month called "Umuganda". All the stores close, and everyone goes out to the streets to clean!
• The city is super safe. At dusk, all the police line the streets and stay through the night... so there's a very low crime rate.
• I walk EVERYWHERE. Well, let's be honest, sometimes I hate this. But for the most part, I love it.
• speaking of walking everywhere... so many times when I'm walking, a couple kids will come up to me and ask to practice their English... which then proceeds to an improptu English lesson. Gotta love it.   
• People are SO welcoming. All you have to do is go to church, and you'll get invited to someone's house. Not to mention get 10 new phone numbers. If only church was like this in America!  
• I joined a "cell group" (Bible study) at the church, and it has been SO wonderful to have such sweet fellowship with people from all over the world. When we spent time in prayer together, I just started crying. It was so powerful to hear their reverant voices lavishing praises before the King of Kings.
• My neighbors have PET MONKEYS in a cage in their backyard! I have yet to meet these neighbors, but one of my goals this year is to hold one!
• I have my own bathroom and hot water... sooo blessed by this! Given, my bathroom is about 3X5, and I even succeeded in flooding my entire bathroom and bedroom the first time I showered. But, it still is a luxury I'm so grateful for.  

Our nice house that is right across from the school!

the bathroom that I am SO thankful for!

my bedroom

and once again, my bedroom

I wish you could see it better because it is so pretty, but this is the view of the city outside our house!  

 

So far, teaching has been fun! I've enjoyed all my students a lot... they're really good kids. It is easy to feel like you're in a western bubble at the school though. So I'm hoping to get plugged into some Rwandan ministries while I'm here... whether it's an orphanage, IJM, Living Water International, or some other organization. I'll keep you updated! I will be working with Educate Rwanda (http://www.mgefc.org/Educate_Rwanda.ihtml?id=444395), which is an organization started by some people from my home church in Minnesota! Once a week, I'll be teaching English to a group of teachers from Rwanda. Recently, the government has mandated that all schools must teach in English. The problem is, most of the teachers don't know English themselves. So hopefully, I will be able to teach them some English once a week.  

This is my classroom! A lot of work left to be done... but we'll get there :)


"You keep him in perfect pease whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock." -Isaiah 26:3-4

Smile Africa

Smile has been as wonderful, chaotic, beautiful, and awful as ever. Kids fighting, kids dancing and singing, kids using my body as a jungle gym, kids crying, kids yelling with joy over bubbles, and kids that are sick... that’s just a little piece of Smile. I’m so thankful I had the chance to revisit the kids there, and I look forward to doing so in the future during my breaks from school.

so happy to have their wudje (porridge)!

reading a book about bnguni (heaven)

Abuchay and Roberto

One of the most heartbreaking things when at Smile is the babies. Their mouths are covered with filth, they have a hacking cough, they are constantly swarmed by flies, they sit in their pee with no diapers, and they just sit/sleep on the cement with no one looking after them. Now, I do want to say that some of them have older brothers or sisters that take care of them. And if the babies weren’t at Smile, I don’t think they would be alive at all. Yet I think the majority of them have to fend for themselves and have a very hard life. I’ve been struggling with what I should do about it. Compassion moves you to action. Pity makes you feel sorry for them for a while before you more onto your everyday life. I want to have the same compassion that Jesus showed to us. Yet, I just don’t know what to do about it… especially when I’m only at Smile in short increments. Please pray for protection for the kids at Smile and that they would all experience the love of the Father.

sweet baby Sarah... so tiny!

Something really awesome that has been going on at Smile is that they created a boys’ soccer team. There was a group from the states that donated soccer jerseys, and the team has been playing in tournaments and doing quite well. In a lot of their spare time, they practice, and they practice with such passion, excitement, and hope. I was talking with Andrew, their soccer coach, about it, and they can get scholarships to school if they’re good at soccer. This has given a lot of the boys purpose and hope for their future, and they work all the harder to do well. If anyone has old soccer cleats or shin guards that they would like to donate, let me know! Especially shoe sizes 7, 8, 9, and 10. I can guarantee you the boys would be thrilled and that they would put them to good use.

This is Eric. Both of his parents died, and he was living on the streets before Pasor Ruth found him and invited him to Smile. He says playing soccer has changed his life, and he wants to help people by training them to play soccer.

This is Alepel. He is an awesome soccer player! Both of his parents died, and he was left to fend for himself on the streets when Andrew found him. Alepel says playing soccer has helped him to heal and forget the painful memories of the past. He wants to play professional soccer in the future!

gotta love playing soccer with the boys... in a skirt.

Abuchay knew it was my last day at Smile, and when I left to go back to the Crystal hotel, he ran up and took my hand. Thinking maybe he was going home, I asked him, “Abuchay, where are you going?” He said, “America!” I smiled and said, “Where is your home?” All he would say was “America!” I felt so bad, but I kept letting go of his hand and saying, “Abuchay, I love you, but you need to go home.” But then he would re-grab my hand and keep walking. Finally, I had to get on a boda (motorcycle), and once again I told him that I loved him but that he needed to go home. He just stood there, frozen in place until I couldn’t see him anymore. I felt like I was one more person in their life who had abandoned them. I hate that.

Alupot and Abuchay... Love these boys SO much!

This is Dennis. When I asked him what he wanted to do after his studies finished, he told me he wanted to be a preacher. Then, he plunged right into a full one hour sermon! He has so much passion for the Lord and such a heart to tell others about him. I can only imagine God is going to do great things through him!

That night, I went to the internet café. While I was there, a little boy named Isaac hung out with me. I let him listen to music on my headphones, and he played with my hair. His mom came and told me I was a “good woman” and then proceeded to ask if I would take her son with me to America and take care of him. Now, this same thing happened on Sunday. I found about five boys from Smile on the street. They hadn’t eaten all day, so I got them each a chapatti. The man making the chapattis told me he had two sons and then asked if I would take them in. I don’t know if this was done out of love for their children because they honestly cannot provide for them or if they just want to get rid of their children. After talking with Pastor Ruth, it sounds like both reasons are quite common for the parents in Tororo, especially among the Karamajong tribe. So so sad.

This is Abay... such a cutie!

And, I am officially in Rwanda after a crazy day of traveling. More Rwanda updates to come later...

God bless! 

Back in Uganda!

Hello from Uganda!

First of all, I just want to say I had SUCH a good last few weeks in America, spending time with so many wonderful people. Thanks to everyone who made it such a great few weeks. I am going to miss you all a lot!

After a long few days of traveling, I finally made it safely back to Tororo, Uganda. It has been quite the adventure, and I have been completely overwhelmed with God’s love and His providence over this whole trip. In even the smallest things, He has been SO faithful. For instance, one of my friends from Iowa visited me before I left. I accidently left my camera in her purse, and she went back to Iowa just a couple days before I headed out. She shipped it as fast as she could, and we started praying that I could get it in time. I by no means should’ve gotten it, but a lady from the post office hand delivered it to my house literally as I was leaving for the airport. Then, when I got to the airport, I was supposed to pay $400 for my luggage being overweight, but the guy decided not to charge me. Every time I felt at my breaking point, God showed up and provided. He NEVER fails.

Honestly, on the flight over, I was terrified. Two thoughts stuck with me though:

• Romans 8:28- “And we know that those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” I don’t know if this year is going to be hard or wonderful… probably a mixture of both. But I do know that God is going to use it all for His glory, and that He is going to use it for good. No matter what this year brings, it will all be worth it if I can just bring glory to God.
• The story of Peter walking on the water keeps coming back to me. Jesus is saying “come” to me right now, and I have to step out of the boat. It’s completely terrifying if I focus on the waves and the wind around me… but if I keep my eyes on Christ, it enables me to get out of the boat and have an incredible “walking on water” experience. I’m so excited to see God at work this year, and I know He is going to do amazing things.

It was quite different coming to Tororo on my own. I felt pretty alone, and I missed being able to share the experience with others. It’s been so cool though to see how God fulfilled me, and then provided for me. I came back to the Crystal hotel and was greeted by my dear friends who work at the hotel, George and Martha. Then, today I met a Jewish Israeli woman. We ended up talking for quite some time about Christianity, Israel, and Africa. She invited me over for lunch, so I went over to her house and ate with her and her husband. I ate fish, eggplant with humus, and foods I have never even heard of before (nor remember their names). For those of you who know me… this was quite a stretch. All for the sake of the Gospel!

my new Israeli friends!

Afterwards, I got to go to Smile. It was such a happy moment… I may have even teared up a little bit. They even remembered my name! I didn’t expect them to at all. I know it’s not important that they know my name, but more so what I taught them about Jesus. But it was definitely an extra little blessing that they did J Then, tonight, I met three other girls who are serving at Smile for the week. They’re all so sweet and invited me to be a part of their team for the week. The Lord provides. Once again, I am just so overwhelmed by His love… He cares even about the little things.

Sweet, sweet Alupot. SO happy to be able to hold him in my arms once more!

Sandy! Awesome girl. So good to reconnect with her.

Abuchay was pretty happy with the pictures I gave him from last year!

“He who calls you in faithful; He will surely do it.” -1 Thess. 5:24

Intentional Living

This is a poem written by Amy Carmichael, who was a missionary in India. It's a poem that haunts me and reminds me of the desparate need to preach the Gospel wherever I am.  

The tom-toms thumped straight on all night, and the darkness shuddered round me like a living, feeling thing. I could not go to sleep, so I lay awake and looked; and I saw, as it seemed, this:
That I stood on a grassy patch, and at my feet a ravine broke straight down into infinite space. I looked, but saw no bottom; only cloud shapes, black and furiously coiled, and great shadow-shrouded hollows, and unfathomable depths. Back I drew, dizzy at the depth.

Then I saw forms of people moving toward the edge. There was a woman with a baby in her arms and another little child holding on to her dress. She was on the very edge. She lifted her foot for the next step... Then, to my horror, I saw that she was blind. Before I could say anything she was over, and the children with her. Their cries pierced the air as they fell into the inky blackness of the ravine!

Then I saw more streams of people flowing from all quarters. All were blind, stone blind; all walked straight toward the edge. There were shrieks as they suddenly knew themselves falling, and a tossing up of helpless arms, catching, clutching at empty air. But some went over quietly, and fell without a sound.

Then I wondered, with a wonder that was sheer agony, why no one stopped them at the edge. I could not. I was glued to the ground, and I couldn't even yell; though I strained and tried, only a whisper would come out.

Then I saw that along the edge there were sentries set at intervals.

But the intervals were too large; there were wide, unguarded gaps between. And over these gaps the people fell in their blindness, unwarned; and the green grass seemed blood-red to me, and the ravine yawned like the mouth of hell.

Then I saw, like a little picture of peace, a group of people under some trees with their backs turned towards the ravine. They were making daisy chains. Sometimes when a piercing shriek cut the quiet air and reached them, it disturbed them and they thought it was a rather crude noise. And if one of their group started up and wanted to go and do something to help, then all the others would pull that one down. "Why should you get so excited about it? You must wait for a definite call to go! You haven't finished your daisy chain yet. It would be really selfish," they said, "to leave us to finish the work alone."

There was another group. It was made up of people whose great desire was to get more sentries out; but they found that very few wanted to go, and sometimes there were no sentries for miles and miles along the edge.

Once a girl stood alone in her place, waving the people back; but her mother and other relations called, and reminded her that her furlough was due; she must not break the rules. And being tired and needing a change, she had to go and rest for awhile; but no one was sent to guard her gap, and over and over the people fell, like a waterfall of souls. Once a child grabbed at a tuft of grass that grew at the very edge of the ravine; it clung convulsively, and it called - but nobody seemed to hear. Then the roots of the grass gave way, and with a cry the child went over, its two little hands still holding tight to the torn-off bunch of grass. And the girl who longed to be back in her gap thought she heard the little one cry, and she sprang up and wanted to go; at which her friends reproved her, reminding her that no one is necessary anywhere; "The gap would be well taken care of!", they said. And then they sang a hymn.

Then through the hymn came another sound like the pain of a million broken hearts wrung out in one full drop, one sob. And a horror of great darkness was upon me, for I knew that it was "The Cry of the Blood".

Then a voice thundered. It was the voice of the Lord, and He said, "What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground."

The tom-toms still beat heavily, the darkness still shuddered and shivered about me; I heard the yells of the devil-dancers and weird, wild shrieks of the devil-possessed just outside the gate.

What does it matter, after all? It has gone on for years; it will go on for years. Why make such a fuss about it? God forgive us!

God arouse us! Shame us out of our callousness! Shame us out of our sin.


There are a lot of people who think that I'm doing an amazing thing in going to Africa. I'm not. If there's one thing I've learned this summer, it is that you have to live intentionally no matter where you're at. Going to Africa means nothing if I don't choose to live each and every moment fully surrendered to Christ and fully obedient to His voice. As I leave in 9 days (yikes!), I want to "make the most of every opportunity" by being intentional in conversations, loving well, being constant in prayer, and following the voice of the Holy Spirit. No matter where the Lord brings me in the coming years, I want to live intentionally... choosing to follow and obey Him with all of my heart.

9 days!!!     

Returning

As stated in my last blog post, the last few months, I have been aching to go back to Africa. Many times, I cried out to the Lord, begging Him to let me return soon. Somehow, I thought the answer would be "wait," but much to my surprise, He said, "Now!"

All this year, I had been planning to stay in Minnesota for the upcoming year, working, and paying off student loans. However, all the plans I had made started to crumble. Pretty soon, multiple opportunities started popping up: jobs in Minnesota, Iowa, Florida, and Africa. My prayer during this whole season was for the Lord to open and close doors as He willed. Once again, God showed Himself SO faithful, and it became clear that He was opening the door wide and clear for Africa.

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." -Proverbs 16:9

This next year, I will be teaching English as a Second Language at Kigali International School (http://isk-rwanda.org/) in Rwanda. I'll be working with students from 1st-8th grade. Rwanda is conveniently located right by Uganda, so I hope to visit the precious kids at Smile on my breaks.

isn't it beautiful?!

As much as I'm excited to be returning, I am also terrified. A year is a long time to be away from my home, my family, my friends, my church, and (lame as it is to admit it) my cute new puppy! (Check out this video by Kelly Martin to see just how cute she really is: https://vimeo.com/42816225) Trusting Jesus isn't always easy, but it truly is such an incredible adventure. Over and over again, I see that He more than enough for my every need. He satisfies and fulfills, and His grace is always sufficient. I know fully that this is a promise that I can cling to this year, and for the rest of my life for that matter. Thank you Jesus!

I'll be working up at Camp Shamineau this summer, and then heading to Rwanda in mid-August. I am so excited to see what the Lord is going to do this summer and this upcoming year in Rwanda. I would love for you guys to join me in this journey!    

    

Aching...

It's hard to believe that I have now been home for almost 5 months now. I thought that the ache would ease as time went on. I was wrong. Each day that passes is a day that puts more distance between me and the precious kids that I have come to love, and I ache for them more than I have ached for anything in my life. But I do hope that each day that passes brings me closer to going back again one day, Lord willing. I do sense all the more that the Lord is calling me to missions. I don't know when, where, or how, but I'm excited to see where He leads me in the coming years.

It's funny. A lot of the things the Lord taught me in Africa, He is now teaching me once again, only in a different context. As much as my heart longs to be in Africa, I know that God has me here for a reason. All over again, He is lovingly teaching me how to trust Him in new ways, love others through His strength, and to live as a missionary right here in Minnesota. It's been so awesome to see how He's opened up opportunities for ministry right here. The Lord is at work here, in Africa, and all over the world. We serve an awesome God.

I thought I would share some extra pictures and videos that I wasn't able to upload while in Africa. These videos still have the power to make me laugh and cry, and I hope that they bless you :)

Through the Wardrobe

So, I apologize beforehand, but this is going to be a lengthy blogpost... hopefully you guys can bear with me! I am now writing from America, and it is hard to believe that last week at this time, I was in Africa. It already feels so far away.

So, my time at the beach was absolutely wonderful! I had an amazing time reading books, spending time in the Word, journaling, taking long walks on the beach with the Lord, swimming in the ocean, and eating really good food :) It was such a blessing to have that time with Him where I had nothing but time to soak in His presence.

One day, as I was walking along the shore, a guy approached me and asked what I was doing. I was rather annoyed (as this had been about the 10th man that had approached me... confessing his love for me or asking for my contact information), but I told him that I was talking with God. Curious, he said, "So you are a Christian?" I told him I was, and he proceeded to ask me to tell him more about Christianity. Before I came to the beach, I had prayed that I would have opportunities to share the Gospel, and our God is so faithful... what a perfect opportunity He gave me! I shared the Gospel with him, and he seemed intrigued. He didn't have a Bible, and I just so happened to have an English/Swahili Bible on me, so I gave it to him. He left me right away to go read it. Once again, it's such a reminder to me that missions is everywhere I go... it's all about having a heart that's ready and willing to be used by Him. It's a great thing to be reminded of as I was about to head back to the States :)


my little hut that I stayed in!

 



some of my favorite things: Bible, journaling, the beach, and a bottle of pop :)



SO beautiful!! What an incredible reminder that we serve a God who is faithful and who fulfills ALL His promises!



the moon one night... pictures do not do it justice!



the view right outside my beach hut!

 

so this is me and the Lord on one of our many walks on the beach :) Haha, there were definitely Africans laughing at me when I took this picture... I don't even want to know what they thought!



the resort... such a beautiful place!

While at the resort, I had a lot of time to look back on my journals and reflect on what the Lord has taught  me these past 4 months. I know that the Lord will continue to reveal to me more of what He's taught me in Africa throughout the next months/years... but here are some of the major things that I have already learned from experience:

• Humility- I am weak, but God is strong and I must depend on Him for His strength. 1 Corinth. 3:7 is my theme verse for the past months: "Neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow." I must be faithful in planting and watering, but trust God to make things grow... and to give Him all the glory when things do grow!
• In order to love my neighbor as myself, I must give of my time, energy, and money.
• Hospitality is a means through which the Lord works powerfully.
• I need Christ to love through me. I need to see each person as a person for whom Christ died, and I am to love them as such.
• Loving Jesus comes first. Serving Him comes second and as a result of my love for Him.
• Missions is everywhere. All I need to do is have a heart that's willing and obedient to whatever He asks of me.
• In order to further the Gospel, I have to forfeit my "rights"... "rights" to a warm shower, to having clean clothes, to have my own personal space, etc.
• Overall, I have just fallen so much more in love with Jesus, and I am ever learning what it looks like to have a heart that is completely taken up with the realities of who He is and eyes that are captured by His majesty.

The plane ride back was long and tiring, but on the positive side, I had a 6-hour layover in Amsterdam, so I took a little boat tour of the city! Who knew that Amsterdam was a little Venice?! It was beautiful, but definitely a stark contrast to African culture. All of a sudden, people on the streets didn't ask me how my family, my home, and my life was. Actually, eye contact was completely avoided. And instead of paying the equivalent of 25 cents for a pop, I had to pay about $4.00 for a pop (Amsterdam is ridiculously expensive).

so charming, isn't it?

all the architecture reminded me of Orange City :) Our own little Dutch town in the middle of America!

It was such a happy moment to be met at the airport by my wonderful parents and to spend the weekend with some of my amazing friends. It's actually been a rather easy transition... I feel like I've been in America forever. But every once and a while, I am just overcome... with ache for Africa and the kids there, with the realization of how incredibly blessed I am, or with a disgust of some of the luxuries that we have in America. Last night, I was just hit with the fact that my bedroom is 3 times the size of a house that 4 people live in in Africa... not to mention that I have a bed, clothes in my closet, food in the refrigerator, and a car in my driveway. I am so grateful for these things, but sometimes I'm not sure what to do about the disparity I see between my life and theirs. I am fully confident that the people in Africa are happy and that the answer doesn't lie in putting carpeting in their house or putting an extension on their house. However, I do want to make sure that I'm not spending money on luxurious things for myself when some of my new friends can't afford to send their kids to school or feed their family. I'm definitely still processing things, and I hope to continue to struggle with these things and continue to be impacted by my time in Africa.

so happy to be back with these girls again! Thanks for coming up to visit!!



so good to be back with my sister again!

Thank you all so much for your prayers and encouragement these 4 months. I am SO thankful for it!