Still here!

Hey folks. I just wanted you to know that I am still here! It's been awhile since I updated my blog. The past two weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind, with Yonatani and Sam being here, as well as the 12-person team from my church. Yonatani and Sam flew out yesterday. It was such a good trip and I will tell you about it soon.

I also have been sick. A few days ago I got a nasty 24-hour flu. It kept me in bed and unable to do things with Yonatani and Sam, which was really frustrating. And then yesterday I developed a cold, which is not as bad as the flu but still sucks. I would appreciate prayer for healing and wholeness so I can be at my best and fully contribute to the team.

Thanks for the patience as I deal with the changes in my life here. I promise I will get a post up soon about the past two weeks. They have been really encouraging and life-giving. Tough at times, but still good. Connection points.

Know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge.

I have been reading and praying Ephesians 3 for the boys at Umuryango, particularly verses 17-19:

"So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, and that you may be rooted and established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God."

I am praying that in all that we do, the boys can comprehend the love that God has for them. Some times it is difficult to explain to them why we are here, what we are doing, when we can't speak to them in description. I pray that our actions will speak to their spirits and they will be able to comprehend why we are here, why we spend time with them, why we choose to be here in Rwanda.

Siliac is back at Umuryango :)

I am so thrilled to say that Siliac is now back at Umuryango! Last nite he saw Theresa and Sam on the street in Gitarama and came running up to them and said he wanted to go back to Byimana! What a tremendous blessing and an answer to prayer!!! We think he realized how much worse his life was on the streets, as it was pretty cold the two nites he was there. It seems as if he might be staying for good now. Thanks for all of the prayers for him. We were talking about how his experience reminded us of the story of the Prodigal Son. We were devastated when he chose to walk away from Umuryango. In spite of all of the blessings and love he received (from us and others) at Umuryango, he chose the path to leave. Yet, we were able to receive him back with open arms and joyful hearts.

Yonatani and Sam are here! Oh, and some challenging days have come.

Yonatani (Jonathan) and Sam arrived on Friday, and it has been so good to have them with us. We have done a lot with them so far and I think they are a bit worn out, to say the least. They delivered lots of treats from our families and we are so thankful for everyone for sending their blessings and hugs our way. Yonatani and I have a full schedule when he is here, with lots of Global Capacity planning and some meetings.

The past few days have been extremely difficult also. Heartbreaking. Siliac, an eight year-old boy who lives at Umuryango, has chosen to go back to live on the streets. Siliac is the newest boy at the home, having moved in just two months ago. He is an amazing boy, adorable, sweet, and very influential. Everybody loves him. However, streetboys are extremely complicated and although moving to Umuryango seems like an amazing opportunity, some times the boys don't understand the long-term benefits. On the streets they come and go as they please and don't have any responsibility. They don't have any superior to listen to, no chores to complete, no work to do. At Umuryango they are given a daily schedule to follow, superiors to obey, and chores to do. Plainly, they are given structure. It is so hard to understand how a young boy would choose a life on the streets after they he has been given a warm bed, food, school, new clothes, and lots and lots of love. But, as any mother can attest to, boys are complicated beings and this is certainly true for streetboys too.

It was especially difficult last night because we saw Siliac on the street. Yonatani and I were walking to a restaurant and Siliac was there, with one of his friends. It broke my heart to see him, knowing that just two short days before, I was holding him at Umuryango. He asked him how he was doing and he said "well". I hope to believe that he is. And I also hope to believe that God will change his heart in such a way that he will want to return to Umuryango one day. In the mean time, I will also pray that God protects him and that he continues to understand that God has an enormous and unimaginable amount of love for him. Something he has never gotten at home but something we have tried to give him.

Cow in the street.

Funny sight when I was on my way to the internet cafe this morning. There was a cow running wild in the street. And there were two men running after it with ropes trying to catch it. Now, in Gitarama there is one main road, that's it. And there is lots of action on it - taxis, motorbikes, and people crossing the street. And this cow was running in to the traffic. One car had to stop and wait for it to run around it. The cow proceeded to run further up the road, with one of the men flipping off his shoes and chasing it. Unfortunately the road curved and I wasn't able to see them anymore. But, the way they were running is the way to get to Bukamero and the boys' home, so maybe later on I will see the cow there. I must admit that it was really nice for the cow to be the center of attention and to be the one stared at, and not me. Let's hope for more cows running wild on the street.

Sponsor Letters.

Today started off somewhat frustating but then it got better. I tried to grab a taxi to Byimana so I could visit the boys. I asked one driver how much it would cost and he said 400 francs. This makes me angry because the drivers tend to overcharge us abazungu (white people). The boys tell us that when they take a taxi to Gitarama from Byimana they are only charged 200 francs. Usually we are charged 300, which we accept, so when a driver wants 400 I am really angry and frustrated. Frustrated because I need to get to Byimana, and the taxis are the only way (well, I could walk, but that would take about an hour. I may hop on a motorbike the next time). Anyway, I refused his 400 franc charge and walked away. I waited till that taxi left and I went up to another taxi waiting to go to Byimana. I asked him how much and he also said 400. I demanded 300, and he answered right back with a "oya, 400!" I decided to give in and take his offer. As I sat in the taxi and waited for it to be filled up with people, I seethed with anger. How dare he take advantage of me, just because of the color of my skin. I sat and thought about it, and slowly came to peace. I was getting upset over 100 francs, which is equivalent to a measly 20 cents. Then the overcharge did not seem so huge. 20 cents is such a small amount of money for me to get so upset about!

We took off and I arrived in Byimana with a better attitude and excitement for the day. I am planning a project for the Umuryango sponsors. I am going to be taking pictures, both posed and candid, of the boys as well as a short video. I think this will be a good way to update the boys' sponsors about what they have all been up to. I packed my digital camera and video camera so I can begin my work. I arrived at Umuryango and the boys were busy. There are just a handful since it is holiday. I communicated with Jean Pierre and Ndahimana that I wanted to get a haircut, so they took me. This was one of the highlights of the day. We spoke to each other the whole way to the barber, both in English and in Kinyarwanda. I was proud that I could carry on somewhat of a conversation. They asked me why I want to get my head shaved and I told them I am balding on the top and don't like to show it - "oya imisatsi (no hairs!). They thought that was quite humorous. We got to the barber and they told the man what I wanted. I have Ndahimana my camera and he took pics of my hair shaving as well as of Jean Pierre and himself. This barber is where the boys get their heads shaved, so I am going to become a regular customer. Plus, it is cheaper than the salon in Gitarama I had gone to.

When we returned back to the home, I showed them some files I had on my computer dealing with their sponsors. I had a letter from Ndahimana's sponsor, which I had just received this morning over email and I showed it to him. He was greatly blessed by it, and he and Jean Pierre each wanted to learn how to use my computer and write their sponsors a letter. So, I sat next to each of them and they typed away. The most precious part was watching each boy help the other and show him how to type and find the letters on the keyboard. Jean Pierre switched back and forth between Kinyarwanda and English and Ndahimana stuck to English. Then they asked me to proofread their work. It was such a blessing to read their letters because they are so incredibly thankful for their sponsors and their generosity. After we were all done, Ndahimana said tomorrow we will focus on writing my family a letter.

I also was able to take some nice candid photos of the boys...Siliac and Nyandwi coloring, Jean Pierre on the computer, Theophile marking his arm with a fake tatoo.

When I was ready to leave, Jean Pierre walked me to the taxi stop. I was able to get a taxi back to Gitarama for 300 francs. I would have paid 400 though. I was thankful for the wonderful day that God had given me.

Routine.

For those of you whom know the DiSC Personality Test, you will appreciate this. I am finding out how much of a S type I am. I need routine and predictability. I need a stable and consistent schedule. I have now been here for almost two weeks and have had a somewhat unpredictable and inconsistent schedule. And I have not liked it. I thought I would be able to change and handle the inconsistency better, but I haven't. I am being stretched, which is great, but it also is difficult. I am trying to alternate days of staying in Gitarama and going to Bukamero.

When I stay in Gitarama for the day my ideal schedule is: eat breakfast, go to the internet cafe, buy lunch, go home, study Kinyarwanda, eat lunch, read my Bible and pray, take a nap, do Global Capacity work, study more Kinyarwanda, go back to the internet, come home, lay on the front porch, eat dinner, and go to bed. I get so tired here that I tend to go to bed around 9! When I go out to Bukamero I am usually gone from about 9 am - 7 pm or so. It is a long day and afterwards I don't feel like doing much other than eating and going to bed. Hopefully when I get internet in the home (which was supposed to be today but it didn't happen) I will be much more efficient with my time, and can talk to you all more.