Teaching 6th Grade English.

I will be teaching sixth grade English at Bukomero Primary School for an hour/day, starting on Thursday. Valerie has been teaching this class, but she is leaving on Friday to live in Kigali for two months with her missionary friends' children. So, I am taking over for her. Today I sat in Theresa's classroom as she taught and it was really fun. We talked about what the kids did on their holiday and reviewed what they did in class before holiday. I led us in a few games of Heads Up Seven Up, when lots of kiddos cheated and looked to see who was tagging them. They also wanted to sing a song, so I led them in Jesus Loves the Little Children. Turns out that repulsion to tone-deafness bridges the cultural divide, as I caught some kiddos grimacing in the back in response to my singing.

I am excited to teach at the school so I can become acquainted with the students and faculty. Global Capacity is using Bukomero Primary School as the pilot school to implement its programs at first, so it will be good to become familiar with it and to gain rapport there. African children are also so darn cute, and it is such a sight to behold 1600 students, each in his uniform, prancing about.

The students take the national exam for entrance to secondary school in November of 6th grade, so I will be helping them to prepare for the English part of it. They are in their last trimester of the year, which ends in the middle of October. So, my daily weekday schedule until then will look like this:
7:30 - 10 Work at house
10 - 11 Take taxi to Byimana
11 - 12 Teach at Bukomero Primary School
12 - 1:30 Walk back to Umuryango and eat lunch
1:30 - 2:30 Take a taxi back to Gitarama
2:30 - 5 Work at house

Since I am quite a good friend to Consistency and Routine, I think I am going to like this schedule.

Olivier and Emmanuel are at home :)

Well, I am so elated to say that two of the streetboys are now at Umuryango Boys' Home! It has been an incredible experience to be part of. In the morning Theresa, Jean Paul, Jean Pierre, and I went to breakfast at a restaurant. Jean Pierre was home from secondary school because he had to get some more money. So, to celebrate his being home we took him out for breakfast. When we were eating, we saw Olivier sitting outside. Theresa and I asked Jean Paul if we could bring him home and he said "yes." So, we invited Olivier in and ordered him some food and we chatted with him. Jean Paul asked him questions about his life before he came to the streets and about life on the streets. Through the years of bringing in streetboys, Jean Paul has learned to make sure each boy would fit in well at the home. There are twenty other boys at the home and the last thing we want to do is disturb the family environment that has been built there. Olivier is a very bright twelve year-old boy who is very well-behaved and obedient. He would fit in very well at Umuryango, so we invited him to live there. I will never forget his smile; it went from ear to ear.

As we were finishing up eating we saw Emmanuel, another boy we have gotten to know. We invited him in to eat as well. Jean Paul asked him the same sort of questions, and he also seemed like an ideal resident for the family. So, we invited him too, and he was very happy as well. Emmanuel is a bit younger in age, 8. After breakfast we said goodbye to Jean Pierre. Having him at breakfast was very interesting, as he had once been in the shoes of Olivier and Emmanuel as a streetboy. To contrast that life with his life now - a secondary school student with good grades. He has also been appointed the chief of his dormitory by the officials at the school, which means he is like a Resident Director to 115 boys. We are very proud of Jean Pierre for coming such a long and difficult way.

Jean Paul took Olivier and Emmanuel to Umuryango while Theresa and I shopped at the market for new clothes and shoes. Unfortunately Theresa was not feeling well, so I went out alone to the Boys' Home to meet the new boys in their new family. And they fit right in. It didn't take long for them to play well with the boys. Some of their old friends from the streets of Gitarama are there - Siliac, Jackson, and Lamazani. And soon we hope to bring in some of their other friends from the streets.

It's days like today that I am so thankful to be doing what I am doing; to be part of taking boys from the streets, boys who worry about how they are going to eat and where they are going to sleep, boys who have been given a rotten lot in life, boys who have so much potential in them that it is bursting from their veins. I am so thankful for the sponsors of the boys at Umuryango for providing the means to continue to bring more and more boys in.

IM me!

I have been able to get on Instant Messenger quite frequently. The internet connection is too slow for video chat and the sound quality is lousy on Skype, so it looks like IM is the way to go. When I am at my computer working away, I try to have IM signed on. So, if you want to chat, make sure I am added to your list (GSSMatthew, AIM) and send me a message. I am on Gmail chat some times, but lately it has been very spotty and goes in and out. So, IM is the best way. Ok, I will be chatting with you :)

Education and Global Capacity.

So, I am really, really excited about the recent developments in the life of Global Capacity. Most of you know that development work for Global Capacity is the main reason I am in Rwanda. My company started this non-profit a few months ago and I am here researching different opportunities we can get involved in, in the area of community development and betterment. Having been here for 6 weeks, I am starting to understand that education is one of the most important and critical avenues in Rwanda. It often guarantees a successful and happy life. Education has a cost to it and many children cannot afford it, in spite of being very intelligent and passing the national secondary school entrance examination. Helping to provide financial assistance to students may be in the works! More to come later, but I wanted to share the exciting news!!! We will see what develops...

Here is an article from a conference about Education in Rwanda.

Pictures and videos!

I am slowly adding pictures and videos to my new public photo page. I am using Mac's service because Picasa is so slow here. I will not be posting pics on Facebook much, so your best bet is to go to my photo page. I am going to also be adding captions so you know what is going on. That will happen in time. In the meantime, use your imagination! Have fun:

http://gallery.me.com/heinzmatthew

Eight boys.

In the past few days I have been spending a lot of time with eight certain boys, two sets of four to be exact. One of the sets is the four Umuryango boys who are in secondary school - Jean Pierre, Ndahimana, Thierry, and Daniel. They left for school yesterday and I miss them a lot.

Getting to know them has been so pivotal for my experience here so far. They know English the best out of any of the boys, so I have had some great chats with each of them. Their stories are so inspiring because they have come from misery and tragedy. Three of them don't have parents and the other one does, but they are extremely poor. I was listening to the song "Beauty From Ashes" last nite and thinking about these four spectacular boys - well, men. Thinking about where they have come from. I didn't know them when they were living on the streets, but I see other streetboys and can only imagine these mature men in that predicament - begging for food, shivering, imagining a bleak future or not one at all. Getting to secondary school is very difficult and only about 10% of Rwandans get in. Of those 10%, not all attend because of the expense. So, for these four to get in is very remarkable.

I contrast these four men with the four streetboys whom we have had the privilege of getting to know - Fies, Hasane, Olivier, and William. They are always around in Gitarama when we are out, asking for food or water. Two days ago Fies and Hasane came to the house because they had each been sliced with a razor by one of their other friends. They wanted medical care and Theresa and Valerie were both out, so Hadija (our housekeeper) and I tended to them. Hasane had a 3 inch gash on his forehead and nose and Fies had one on his wrist. When I opened the gate to let them in, each one of them hugged me so tightly that I felt as if he was my son whom I hadn't seen in a long time. It was glorious. As Hadija and I tended to them, I couldn't help but think about the difficult life they had - to be slashed by a razor by one of their friends because he wanted the little money they had acquired by begging, to be wondering when the next meal will come from, to hope that it won't be another cold night under the open air. Hadija gave them our leftover dinner from the night before, they ate up, and I let them out.

The next morning they came back so Theresa and Valerie could have a look at their wounds. Hasane's wounds were infected, so Theresa re-treated them. I held Hasane as she put hydrogen peroxide on his open wound, and he was in so much pain. He wrapped his little arms around me and held on to me so tightly, and whimpered for a bit. As they left, I thought about how incredible it would be for them to turn out like the four secondary school boys. They will most likely be moving to Umuryango in the next month or so, and will have the opportunity to attend school. I thought about the song "Beauty For Ashes" and how I am so thankful that God acts in the lives of all of his children to make beauty out of misery, tragedy, and ugliness. Below are the words to Beauty For Ashes:

He gives beauty for ashes
Strength for fear
Gladness for mourning
Peace for despair

When sorrow seems to surround you
When suffering hangs heavy oer your head
Know that tomorrow brings
Wholeness and healing
God knows your need
Just believe what He said

He gives beauty for ashes
Strength for fear
Gladness for mourning
Peace for despair

When what youve done keeps you from moving on
When fear wants to make itself at home in your heart
Know that forgiveness brings
Wholeness and healing
God knows your need
Just believe what He said

He gives beauty for ashes
Strength for fear
Gladness for mourning
Peace for despair

I once was lost but God has found me
Though I was bound Ive been set free
Ive been made righteous in His sight
A display of His splendor all can see

He gives beauty for ashes
Strength for fear
Gladness for mourning
Peace for despair

Goodbye Party.

On Friday we had a goodbye party for the boys. Well, the team from Calvary did. I am happy to say that I didn't have to say goodbye to the boys just yet, not for a little over 4 months. We wanted to really bless the boys, so we had them over to our house in Gitarama. They arrived at 11 am or so and we hung out the entire day. We decorated the house with streamers and balloons. Most of us had African shirts or dresses made, so we wore those. Inside the house we had my iPod filled with dance music and speakers, so music was blaring the whole day. The boys absolutely love to dance, so an all day long dance party was perfect. Even the older folks got into it and shook their bon bons. For lunch we had lots and lots of food.

One of the biggest highlights was having four of the streetboys over - Hasane, Olivier, William, and Pasfik. They helped carry corn for us, and we let them stay. It was so wonderful. They played so well with everybody. They enjoyed hanging out with Siliac, who used to live on the streets with them. They played futbol in the front courtyard, drew with chalk on the driveway, threw water balloons at each other, swung on the hammock, and played the puppets. They were boys. They were able to play with toys they normally don't get to, or have ever, played with. Some of the four boys, hopefully all of them, will be moving to Umuryango when the new home is built, so it was such a relief to see them play so well with everyone. I shot some wonderful footage of them playing and also talking about themselves. After dinner I had my videocamera and David was next to me and he began to interview each one of them, voluntarily. I don't know what David asked yet, as I haven't had a chance for Jean Paul to translate yet. But, I think they each spoke of their pasts and their current lives. I can't wait to
hear what they said.

For dinner we made a treat they don't have very much at all - meat. We served beef shishkabobs, corn, rice, beans, fruit salad, and Fanta. It was such a blessing to serve them food that they covet and desire. I wondered when the next time will be that Hasane, Olivier, William, and Pasfik eat this way.

This was quite a party. There were about 45 people present! It was a gift to celebrate with some of Jean Paul's family members too. His mother attended, as well as some relatives I hadn't met. Also present were some of the relatives who help at Umuryango - Muja, Francine, Damascene, and Hadija ofcourse.

When it got near the time for all of the boys to leave, our group shared in communion together. It was so special to share in the Lord's Supper with them and see that most of them have made a commitment for Jesus Christ. Jean Paul and his family also presented the team with lovely plaques and baskets.

It was a perfect ending to the two weeks that Calvary spent here and I know that everyone - each team member, each Umuryango boy, and each streetboy will cherish it in their hearts for a long, long time.

5 Days With No Shower.

I just beat my record for days without a shower here in Rwanda. The last time I took one was on Monday afternoon. It is now Saturday afternoon. So, that is TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, and SATURDAY. And each day we were walking at least 2 miles in red dirt and playing lots with the kiddos. Yum.

I have no teeth.

So, yesterday we did another medical clinic in Bukomero. My duty was to give the families hygiene kits that we had assembled. The kit contained some toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, and soap. I was especially excited to give them away because the dental supplies had been donated by my dentist and some others. Before I handed the kits to each family I gave a very short training on dental care. In the beginning things ran smoothly because Jean Paul was available to translate what I was saying. However, as the day continued Jean Paul got busy and he was not around for translation. I started to train just by hand motions, which actually worked well and seemed to be comprehended. At one point a very sweet old man (who said he was 125 years old) came in and sat down. I went over to him with a hygiene kit and began showing him how to brush and floss his teeth. He seemed very agreeable at first. After I was done he opened up his mouth to show me something. What did he show me, oh, an empty mouth. This man had no teeth! He was very humored by my attempt to train him in brushing the teeth he didn't have.

The Eyes of Fiece.

I will not be able to get the eyes of Fiece out of my head. Ever. He is a streetkid here in Gitarama and he has the most telling, big, brown eyes. He is very close to my heart and I am hoping he will become a resident of Umuryango one day soon. Fiece belongs to a group of streetboys who have become very close to us. When we are in town they have learned to spot us from a mile away. It is amazing how quickly they appear and find us. Sure, most of the time they run to us so we can give them food or water. Some times we do.

The set of Fiece's eyes that I cannot get out of my head are not the eyes of satisfaction and pleasure, after we give him some some nourishment. His eyes that are engrained in my head are the ones of desire, of want, in all actuality, of need. They are they eyes that I see when he asks and pleads for food or water. I would like to provide him with these modes of survival as much as possible. However, I know that I cannot. I know that I can't give him these things every time he asks for them. If I did, every streetkid in Gitarama would be at my side, expecting these too. And Fiece would learn that he can get anything when he wants it. Saying "no" to him when he asks for food or water is so incredible difficult for me, but I know it is necessary. It is those with eyes like Fiece, that draw me to be here in Rwanda and to do the work that I am doing.

The past month - Part 1.

So, this past Wednesday marked my one month stay here. At times it feels like I have been here for much longer, and at other times it doesn't. I have learned very valuable lessons about myself, which have been so important in understanding who I am. Things I knew about myself in the States, but have been reiterated here in Rwanda, about how I act, about who I naturally tend to be. It has been challenging at times, but have caused me to grow and say "ah ha". The following is a list of things I have learned about myself:

1. I naturally fall behind and follow when given the opportunity to lead with a natural leader.
2. I need consistency and routine in my life more than I thought I did.
3. I do not keep in contact with the States very well.
4. I can tend to rely on technology too much.
5. I think people's expectations of me are higher than they actually are.
6. I have a fear of failure.
7. I am creative, decisive, and intentional in my actions but I need time to process through the thoughts that lead to them.
8. I am not a good pioneer and initiator, but rather prefer maintaining and following through.
9. I am not as dependent on people from the States as I thought I was.
10. I have cried a lot less than I do in the States.

One of the unexpected parts of being here is that I do not love it. I was expecting to step off that plane and love every aspect of living here. Not the case. Don't get me wrong - I love some aspects. I love the boys at Umuryango and getting to know them better and watching them grow and develop in to men. I love the village of Bukomero and streams of kiddos who run up and grab my legs for a hug. I love the opportunity I have been given to help improve the life conditions here. I love the house and the community we live in. I love the four or five streetkids in Gitarama we have been able to get to know (whom we will be inviting to live at Umuryango in two weeks). I love walking in to a store and paying 60 cents for lunch. I love watching the many persons visiting us from America do life here.

As I said, I love a lot of aspects of life in Rwanda. As I sit and type this list up, I realize that I may not ever love every aspect of living here. Does anyone ever love every moment of every day of their life? I don't know why I expected it here. I didn't love my life back in the States. It was challenging, and difficult, and hard at times. But I still did it well. And I think I can do my life here in Africa well too. If life was easy and painless and dearly loved all the time, there would not be a need for a relationship with God. I know it is a cliche, but it is the difficult times in my life in which I have recognized the need for God; to cry out to Him, to rely on Him, to realize that He will never leave me.