Finally in Gitarama!

Well, I arrived in Rwanda finally. JP, Theresa, and Val were all at the airport to greet me with huge hugs. It is soooo good to be here! It looks so familar, from last year. We drove past where we stayed last summer and we also visited the "Muzungu Mall" for some ice cream. We went in to Kigali and got cash exchanged for me. We then headed to Gitarama. The house we are staying in is perfect. It is lined along the road, filled with lots of activities - shops, other houses, and streetkids. This breaks my heart! We didn't spend much time on the street yet, but will starting tomorrow. The house is large and will be a great base for us to live at. We will be visiting the boys tomorrow and I am so excited! I am a bit wiped now, so I am looking for a good nite sleep. Oh, and another thing - I have my own bedroom, which is great. Lots of time for me to spend with God and processing through this amazing journey I am on. Ok, that's all the energy I have for now. Gotta head home for dinner and sleep for tomorrow :)

In Ethopia.

hello folks! hope you are doing well. just wanted to give you a quick shout from addis ababa. i stayed here overnite at a motel and fly to kigali in an hour. my flights have been good so far, no delays or anything. i was majorly bummed though because i left my bible on the airplane. that will bless someone else though. (so maybe when jonathan comes he can bring me one, wink wink). i am so excited to land in kigali soon! i met an american (from ia) who is on his way to tanzania to oversee a building project of a 18-cottage orphanage. he is a structural architect who also runs a child sponsorship program at an orphanage in haiti. so, it was so great to chat with him and talk about how he does things. we were both sharing stories with each other about our experiences in our respective countries. it is so refreshing to talk with him since he has the same heart, burden, and holy discontent that i have. i love it here! all the sounds and sights. addis ababa looks very much like kigali does. ok, i must run. thanks for all of the prayers and thoughts. talk to you soon :)

God's Call is All Worth It.

I just got off the phone with my good friend Theresa, who is currently living in Rwanda doing a variety of things like community health assessments, teaching English, and working and playing at the Boys' Home. It was the first time I have spoken to her since she has been there, and it was glorious. She sounded so good and absolutely loves it there. When I called her, she was having lunch with the boys at the Home. The boy that I sponsor, David, was right next to her and told her to tell me that he loves me.

Even though I didn't speak to any of the boys, I could hear the rumblings and the sounds. I could hear loud noises and voices of Rwanda, voices that are largely the cause of my holy discontent, my burden, my heart. I am moving to Rwanda because God has connected my heart to them in a way I cannot explain. I can't communicate with them very well or carry on a conversation. When I arrive there in 9 days I won't have much to say. Which is ironic because my heart feels and says so much about them. But it is not just them that makes the Spirit inside me yearn to go, it is that I am in the midst of God's calling. And there is nothing I would rather do than to follow what God is calling me to. Although it is extremely difficult to sacrifice all that this trip is asking me to give up, it is all worth it.

I Am Heartbroken

I had a cry tonite about my move to Africa. I leave in 10 days. I am heartbroken. I feel as if a piece of my heart is dying. There is so much transition now and I am having a difficult time with it. Just this past week I left my position as Director of Administration, a job that I have occupied for 5 years. I am giving up my car tomorrow because the 3 year lease is up. I am in the process of packing up my house I have owned for almost 2 years. All of these things have proven to be consistent and routine for me, stability in the midst of 2 1/2 years of rockiness, pain, and uncertainty. And for someone who thrives on routine and predictibility, I am very challenged now.

One of the things that I am dreading is saying "goodbye" to those people most important to me. Now, I know that it is not really a "goodbye" but a "see you later." I have every intention of coming back from Africa in December. I will even get to see some of the people who are so near and dear to my heart when they come over to Africa during my stay there. What I am so fearful and anxious about when I do say my "goodbyes" in 10 short days is that I will not be able to convey in words and actions, what I feel in my heart. I have led a pretty remarkable and extremely blessed life over the past two years, a life that I never thought possible. And to a large extent I have my amazing family and friends to thank for this. I want to be able to tell them what they mean to me, how they have blessed my life in ways they hadn't even considered, how it breaks my heart to leave them.

Amongst the empty dresser drawers and the half-packed storage bins, from the empty shelves to the empty carport, there is an even greater emptiness and void that remains in my heart. A heart that is crying itself to sleep tonite.

New blog for Global Capacity.

I have opened a new blog, to be used solely for Global Capacity. This will be the temporary site until we have a permanent one in place. Stay updated in Global Capacity here.

Reconciliation among Genocide survivor and killer.

This is an amazing story about the reconciliation and forgiveness of one genocide survivor and the killer of her family:

Click here!

Donations and Discounts!

Global Capacity has been offered dental supplies and discounts on outdoor gear and electronics to be used in Rwanda:

Dental supplies. Dr. Donald Marks, my local dentist, has donated 108 toothbrushes and 24 tubes of toothpaste for me to bring to Rwanda! I have also scheduled a training session with him, at his request, to learn about how to teach the Rwandese people about dental care.

Discounts on Outdoor Gear and Electronics. Two vendors, Mt Nittany Outfitters and Appalachian Outdoors, have offered me substantial discounts on gear and electronics, which I will use in Rwanda. Products include a large hiking backpack (to be used as my luggage), hydration system pack, padded backpack for my laptop, GPS System with African maps, and videocamera.

If you are interested in donating any supplies to be used in Rwanda, please email me at heinzmatthew@gmail.com.