This weekend our Burundian friends came to visit. We had a great weekend showing them around.
On Saturday we were walking down to the taxi park to grab a mutatu (bus) into town. Buses cost around 30 cents, so it's our transportation of choice. We weren't quite to the station and a guy pulled up to an intersection and offered us a ride asking, "Where are you going?" My immediate response was, "No thanks, we don't need a taxi." He told us he wasn't a taxi and was just offering us a ride into town. If we had been going to town we would have probably declined still, but we had decided to venture off the beaten path to a part of town (up a huge hill) where buses don't go. The four of us hopped in and met Arthur, a Rwandan man who was living in Dallas, Texas since the genocide, but returned 6 months ago. We found out that he manages the Union Trade Center (the most high end retail building in Rwanda)... so he's clearly doing well. He was happy to take us up the crazy hill and drop us where we needed to go. We got out of the car amazed that we had just experienced our first free ride from a stranger.
Fast-forward 8 hours past all of the shopping, bartering, walking, coffeeing, and taxiing we did, to the other side of the city and the nicest Italian restaurant in town. As we finished up dinner we made our way to the very busy street (that Parliament, all embassies, and various government ministries occupy) to flag down a cab home. We waited and waved our hands, but only motorcycles were stopping (no thanks). Finally a car pulled a u-turn around the median and pulled over. "Can I help you?" the man said through the window. "Are you a taxi?" I asked. "No I'm not a taxi, I'm just offering to help you."
What? Twice in one day?!?! This is crazy.
We weren't going to turn this one down since there was no prospect of catching a cab. We shook Antoine's hand and told him where we were going. After a brief stop at the pharmacy for some aspirin, Antoine informed us that he works for the UN in the area of water resource management. I basically flipped out in the passenger's seat since the busines I'm working with is struggling to solve its water issues. I asked if he does anything with irrigation. He told me he specializes in irrigation and swamps (again, exactly what the business is dealing with). He was happy to give me his number and offered to give any advice that would be helpful. Then he informed us that on the side of his UN work, he has written computer software to help businesses calculate VAT (sales tax)........ yet another issue we're in the middle of solving.
I told him I think God wanted him to pick us up. That's when he flipped out. "You Christian? I am Christian. I'm saved," he informed us.
Twice in one day, no thumbs were ever pointed into the street.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Culturisms #8, 9, and 10
Culturism #8-Modesty
In Rwanda, it is immodest for a woman to show her knees. It's no problem, however, to nurse your child in public, during meetings or during a church service (without any covering). Children are fed this way for as long as possible, and it's common, especially as you get out into the countryside, to see kids who are walking around still nursing. They just walk up to their mom, lift up her shirt, and start in on their meal. I know this because I've seen it myself.
Culturism #9-Rain
When it rains here in Kigali, it is a great excuse to stay put. Yesterday, I had only two students show up to class because it was raining, and these two work at the school. I asked one student why Rwandans are afraid of the rain, and he said that when he was in primary (elementary) school, he remembers his teacher telling the students to never go out in the rain. He thinks it could be to keep clothes nice (See blog post with Culturism #6-Clothes). All I know is that I have to have an alternate lesson plan on rainy days because I know I will have many absent students.
Culturism #10- Dogs
Many, many Rwandans are afraid of dogs. As a result, dogs make great guards. Within our small compound there are four dogs. The Thomases have two dogs, and the school has two. Rwandans who need to speak to the Thomases will often stand outside the gate/fence because they are afraid of the dogs barking. Once, when our internet was down, a man came to fix it. He came into the house, and we left the door open. The man just stared out the door at the dogs and wouldn't move until we closed the door. Another time, a friend needed to speak to the Thomases, and I told him to go over to their house because I thought they'd be home. He said, "But, they have dogs!" I tried to assure him that the dogs wouldn't harm him, but he wasn't convinced.
In Rwanda, it is immodest for a woman to show her knees. It's no problem, however, to nurse your child in public, during meetings or during a church service (without any covering). Children are fed this way for as long as possible, and it's common, especially as you get out into the countryside, to see kids who are walking around still nursing. They just walk up to their mom, lift up her shirt, and start in on their meal. I know this because I've seen it myself.
Culturism #9-Rain
When it rains here in Kigali, it is a great excuse to stay put. Yesterday, I had only two students show up to class because it was raining, and these two work at the school. I asked one student why Rwandans are afraid of the rain, and he said that when he was in primary (elementary) school, he remembers his teacher telling the students to never go out in the rain. He thinks it could be to keep clothes nice (See blog post with Culturism #6-Clothes). All I know is that I have to have an alternate lesson plan on rainy days because I know I will have many absent students.
Culturism #10- Dogs
Many, many Rwandans are afraid of dogs. As a result, dogs make great guards. Within our small compound there are four dogs. The Thomases have two dogs, and the school has two. Rwandans who need to speak to the Thomases will often stand outside the gate/fence because they are afraid of the dogs barking. Once, when our internet was down, a man came to fix it. He came into the house, and we left the door open. The man just stared out the door at the dogs and wouldn't move until we closed the door. Another time, a friend needed to speak to the Thomases, and I told him to go over to their house because I thought they'd be home. He said, "But, they have dogs!" I tried to assure him that the dogs wouldn't harm him, but he wasn't convinced.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Simplicity: Food
The idea of living a life of intentional simplicity has been on my mind lately. I don't have it anywhere close to figured out (and I'm sure I won't ever have it all figured out), but I have been thinking about how Michael and I can live more simply. It begins with the following, in regards to food:
For the first time Michael and I have chosen real New Year's Resolutions. The purposes behind them are many.
The first Resolution is to not eat meat. While in in Philadelphia last year we began to toy with the idea of becoming vegetarian. Now, I could go into the multiple reasons and thoughts behind this with all the statistics to back it up, but I won't. I will give an overly simplistic reason, and that's that a lot of resources go into feeding cattle, specifically and especially in the United States beef industry, and these resources could spread a lot further to feed a lot more people if they weren't used on cattle. As we began looking at this idea, I also began to read about the meat industry in general, and the slaughterhouses, chicken farms, and even pig farms, and I was, frankly, disgusted. Again, I'll spare you meat-lovers the details (for now), but I am just not convinced that eating meat from these places is being a good steward of resources, let alone the issue of treating not only animals humane (which is a big argument for many vegetarians, but truthfully is not something I'm as convicted about), but the people who are working for minimum wages in absolutely horrific conditions in places like American slaughterhouses.
Because of the way meat is raised here in Rwanda, and the low levels of meat that are used, we have chosen to eat meat when it is presented to us and not be legalistic about this personal choice. We do plan to stick to this no-meat regimen when we return to the States.
Our second Resolution is to not eat desserts...all year. Yes, we are crazy. Actually, there are specific reasons behind this choice as well. I am a sweet tooth. A HUGE sweet tooth. And, I have realized that when it comes to most foods, but especially sweets/desserts, I have virtually no self-control. I just can't stop eating them and daily, sometimes hourly, crave sweets. In the past few years I've attempted to give up sugar and/or sweets at various times, but have always failed. I usually give up after a few days, deciding it's not necessary or that I can just try to limit my consumption, or that I can't do it when my husband is eating Tillamook ice cream in front of me while I'm watching and drooling and trying to abstain. This inability to give up sweets began to convict me that maybe I really do have an issue with self-control, almost as a spiritual issue. I began to see it as more like a fast, where I give it up to practice a spiritual discipline. So, this time, Michael has agreed to join me on this quest for self-control. We have made it almost three months without eating a single dessert, though the opportunity has presented itself to us many times. Of course, the health aspect is an added bonus, but not the main purpose for this fast.
So, as we have been processing what it's been like to not eat meat or sweets, I have also started to be convinced that there are many issues revolving around the types of food we eat and how to be better stewards of food. I recently came across a cookbook put out by the Mennonites, called "Less is More." It has many articles about the over-consumption of food, especially processed food and sugar, and how it is really poor stewardship to be hooked on convenient packaging and quick "easy" meals that cost a fortune compared to buying in bulk, planning, and preparing meals that are healthy and don't require a lot of ingredients. I even thought recently that something as simple as not taking seconds or eating appropriate portions of food is not only healthier, but better stewardship of food resources as well as money (having enough leftovers for another entire meal saves money, food, and time).
I'm still working out some of these issues, but I'm thinking about them. And, I am looking forward to buying this cookbook when I get home. If you're interested in any of this, I definitely recommend this cookbook. Besides recipes, 1/3 of the 1976 cookbook is devoted to explaining these issues and the Christian responsibilities of eating simply. As the website says, the book was, "written to challenge North Americans to consume less so others could eat enough."
For the first time Michael and I have chosen real New Year's Resolutions. The purposes behind them are many.
The first Resolution is to not eat meat. While in in Philadelphia last year we began to toy with the idea of becoming vegetarian. Now, I could go into the multiple reasons and thoughts behind this with all the statistics to back it up, but I won't. I will give an overly simplistic reason, and that's that a lot of resources go into feeding cattle, specifically and especially in the United States beef industry, and these resources could spread a lot further to feed a lot more people if they weren't used on cattle. As we began looking at this idea, I also began to read about the meat industry in general, and the slaughterhouses, chicken farms, and even pig farms, and I was, frankly, disgusted. Again, I'll spare you meat-lovers the details (for now), but I am just not convinced that eating meat from these places is being a good steward of resources, let alone the issue of treating not only animals humane (which is a big argument for many vegetarians, but truthfully is not something I'm as convicted about), but the people who are working for minimum wages in absolutely horrific conditions in places like American slaughterhouses.
Because of the way meat is raised here in Rwanda, and the low levels of meat that are used, we have chosen to eat meat when it is presented to us and not be legalistic about this personal choice. We do plan to stick to this no-meat regimen when we return to the States.
Our second Resolution is to not eat desserts...all year. Yes, we are crazy. Actually, there are specific reasons behind this choice as well. I am a sweet tooth. A HUGE sweet tooth. And, I have realized that when it comes to most foods, but especially sweets/desserts, I have virtually no self-control. I just can't stop eating them and daily, sometimes hourly, crave sweets. In the past few years I've attempted to give up sugar and/or sweets at various times, but have always failed. I usually give up after a few days, deciding it's not necessary or that I can just try to limit my consumption, or that I can't do it when my husband is eating Tillamook ice cream in front of me while I'm watching and drooling and trying to abstain. This inability to give up sweets began to convict me that maybe I really do have an issue with self-control, almost as a spiritual issue. I began to see it as more like a fast, where I give it up to practice a spiritual discipline. So, this time, Michael has agreed to join me on this quest for self-control. We have made it almost three months without eating a single dessert, though the opportunity has presented itself to us many times. Of course, the health aspect is an added bonus, but not the main purpose for this fast.
So, as we have been processing what it's been like to not eat meat or sweets, I have also started to be convinced that there are many issues revolving around the types of food we eat and how to be better stewards of food. I recently came across a cookbook put out by the Mennonites, called "Less is More." It has many articles about the over-consumption of food, especially processed food and sugar, and how it is really poor stewardship to be hooked on convenient packaging and quick "easy" meals that cost a fortune compared to buying in bulk, planning, and preparing meals that are healthy and don't require a lot of ingredients. I even thought recently that something as simple as not taking seconds or eating appropriate portions of food is not only healthier, but better stewardship of food resources as well as money (having enough leftovers for another entire meal saves money, food, and time).
I'm still working out some of these issues, but I'm thinking about them. And, I am looking forward to buying this cookbook when I get home. If you're interested in any of this, I definitely recommend this cookbook. Besides recipes, 1/3 of the 1976 cookbook is devoted to explaining these issues and the Christian responsibilities of eating simply. As the website says, the book was, "written to challenge North Americans to consume less so others could eat enough."
Friday, March 20, 2009
Goma Pictures
I finally posted a few pictures from our trip to Goma, DRC for the wedding we went to. Click here.
We're still here
I've been feeling slightly guilty about not writing on our blog in a while. There have been a lot of things that I've thought to write about, but then we don't have internet for a few days, or Michael has to use the computer for work, or I have to plan lessons, and it just hasn't happened as intended.
So, I will have to settle for a general update for now.
We leave Rwanda three weeks from yesterday. The time is drawing near quickly, and we are experiencing a whole range of emotions:
Anxious. We are anxious because as of now, we have absolutely no idea what we will be doing when we return to Oregon. We have no housing lined up, and we're unsure of where to settle. I can immediately return to subbing in the Newberg/Sherwood area, so that's the one piece we sort of have figured out.
We are also trying to discern longer-term plans, jobs, where to live, etc., and at this point have no real news to share. We'd love to share with you our processing individually if you are interested.
Sad. At times teaching English has been tough, especially with little materials to use. Thus, at times I've been looking forward to being finished with teaching. But, this week I've realized that I will really miss my students and my daily interactions with them for the past two and a half months. I'm TERRIBLE at saying good-bye and I always cry. It will be sad to leave a place that has become comfortable in its own way. Saying good-bye here also means facing the unknowns of the future.
Busy. Because our time here is ending, we have loose ends to tie up. I have been working on gathering what lessons I have taught to pass on to the new teacher who will be replacing me. A woman from Kenya will be taking over my class, and I'm still working to convince my students that they can learn English from an African, as they are hesitant to believe they can learn English from someone other than a white person. Next week is my last week of teaching both at the missionary school and English.
Torn. We are trying our best to stay present to where we are now, that is, here in Rwanda. Though there are a lot of details to work out for a few weeks from now, we don't want to ignore the next few weeks of work and ways God will continue to speak to us here.
Looking forward to rest. After our final week of school this coming week, our friends from Burundi, Jim and Karri, will be visiting us for a couple days. Then, we will leave for Kumbya for the week. We are excited to have a week to slow down, rest, process, and reflect on our time here in Rwanda and how we feel the Lord is speaking to us. After Kumbya we will have a few days to pack and prepare to leave. It also happens that the week we are leaving is the Genocide Memorial week, so it will be interesting to be here for that. (From what we've heard, this means no celebrations of any kind can happen, and many speeches and rallies take place at the National Genocide Memorial here in Kigali).
We leave Rwanda on April 9, and will spend a few days in Germany visiting friends from college, Stephanie and Luke. We arrive back in Portland on Monday, April 13.
Blessed. The other day I was reflecting on all the support we have. We have been overwhelmed at times by the love and support, the prayers, and of course the financial blessings that have allowed us to spend this time in Rwanda. We have over 90 individuals or couples who have invested in us financially, and many more who've invested time to pray for us and our time here. We are so thankful for each of you and your involvement in this life-changing experience.
I've been thinking a lot about some of the lessons I know we've learned since being here, but I will have to save those for other posts. We realize that we will continue to discover ways that the Lord has used this time to teach us for a long time to come. At least, this has been our past experience.
Our prayer for the next 20 days is that the Lord would give us clarity regarding our future, and that we would continue to trust Him and be open to what He wants to teach us while we're still here.
So, I will have to settle for a general update for now.
We leave Rwanda three weeks from yesterday. The time is drawing near quickly, and we are experiencing a whole range of emotions:
Anxious. We are anxious because as of now, we have absolutely no idea what we will be doing when we return to Oregon. We have no housing lined up, and we're unsure of where to settle. I can immediately return to subbing in the Newberg/Sherwood area, so that's the one piece we sort of have figured out.
We are also trying to discern longer-term plans, jobs, where to live, etc., and at this point have no real news to share. We'd love to share with you our processing individually if you are interested.
Sad. At times teaching English has been tough, especially with little materials to use. Thus, at times I've been looking forward to being finished with teaching. But, this week I've realized that I will really miss my students and my daily interactions with them for the past two and a half months. I'm TERRIBLE at saying good-bye and I always cry. It will be sad to leave a place that has become comfortable in its own way. Saying good-bye here also means facing the unknowns of the future.
Busy. Because our time here is ending, we have loose ends to tie up. I have been working on gathering what lessons I have taught to pass on to the new teacher who will be replacing me. A woman from Kenya will be taking over my class, and I'm still working to convince my students that they can learn English from an African, as they are hesitant to believe they can learn English from someone other than a white person. Next week is my last week of teaching both at the missionary school and English.
Torn. We are trying our best to stay present to where we are now, that is, here in Rwanda. Though there are a lot of details to work out for a few weeks from now, we don't want to ignore the next few weeks of work and ways God will continue to speak to us here.
Looking forward to rest. After our final week of school this coming week, our friends from Burundi, Jim and Karri, will be visiting us for a couple days. Then, we will leave for Kumbya for the week. We are excited to have a week to slow down, rest, process, and reflect on our time here in Rwanda and how we feel the Lord is speaking to us. After Kumbya we will have a few days to pack and prepare to leave. It also happens that the week we are leaving is the Genocide Memorial week, so it will be interesting to be here for that. (From what we've heard, this means no celebrations of any kind can happen, and many speeches and rallies take place at the National Genocide Memorial here in Kigali).
We leave Rwanda on April 9, and will spend a few days in Germany visiting friends from college, Stephanie and Luke. We arrive back in Portland on Monday, April 13.
Blessed. The other day I was reflecting on all the support we have. We have been overwhelmed at times by the love and support, the prayers, and of course the financial blessings that have allowed us to spend this time in Rwanda. We have over 90 individuals or couples who have invested in us financially, and many more who've invested time to pray for us and our time here. We are so thankful for each of you and your involvement in this life-changing experience.
I've been thinking a lot about some of the lessons I know we've learned since being here, but I will have to save those for other posts. We realize that we will continue to discover ways that the Lord has used this time to teach us for a long time to come. At least, this has been our past experience.
Our prayer for the next 20 days is that the Lord would give us clarity regarding our future, and that we would continue to trust Him and be open to what He wants to teach us while we're still here.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Burundi
We got back on Monday from long weekend visiting our friends Jim and Karri in Bujumbura, Burundi.
It was a 7 hour bus ride from Kigali to Buja, but the bus was pretty nice. I mean, it was titled Belvedere Bus Lines, you can't get much classier than that.
We had no troubles at the border, and since we had made friends with a group of people on the bus, we know that if we had had problems, they would have had our back. This group was hilarious. At one rest stop everyone piled off the bus to get roasted maize (corn cobs) and goat shish-kabobs, at 8:00 in the morning! When they got back on the bus the leader of the group walked up to Melissa, snapped off half of his roasted maize, and handed it to her. They clearly wanted to take care of the white folk.
Bujumbura is located on the shore of a huge lake. When approaching the city you are driving in the windy hills, and then suddenly everything flattens out and you see the city on the edge of the lake. It is the flattest piece of land I've seen in East Africa.
We arrived at the station to find Karri waiting for us. Karri was in my cohort at Eastern, and since there was only 11 of us in the cohort, we got to know each other real well. It was really good to see her. We walked to their local coffee shop to meet up with Jim, and then on to their offices. It was great to see what life has looked like for them for the last 6 months. Karri and her husband, Jim, both work for World Relief. Karri works in their microfinance bank, Turame. And Jim works with them doing various ministry-related jobs, teaching music, preaching, working with youth, etc.
We caught a cab to their house, freshened up, and then headed out to Khana Kazanas, an unbelievable Indian restaurant that just relocated to Buja from Kigali. I ordered some sort of green goo (on the owners recommendation) and it was to die for.
Saturday we went to the beach and played volleyball ALL AFTERNOON... it was glorious. There were about 30 expatriates that had gathered to play a tournament. These people were from the U.S., France, Austria, England, Spain, Australia and plenty of other places. It was shocking to be around so many white people in one place. I suffered a bit of reverse culture shock (Why aren't there any Africans around like I am used to? Why is so much English being spoken?) but then settled in as the tournament began. The team Jim and I were on came in third, just beating out Melissa's team. We had a blast.
That night we ate at a very cool new restaurant on the beach overlooking the water. A thunderstorm rolled in over the lake and we got to just sit and experience the storm while we waited for our food. It was a great night.
Sunday we went to church with Jim and Karri and we got to hear Jim preach. He gave a great and challenging sermon and Melissa and I really appreciated worshiping there with that group.
After church we went out for some amazing pizza (something we really miss) and then crammed 9 people into a Toyota Camry (plus a guitar) to get home. We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening talking and catching up with Jim and Karri. It was so great to just chat late into the night.
We grabbed some tea and croissants early the next morning and hopped back onto the trusty Belvedere for our trek home. Besides the 30 minute delay due to a roadblock (caused by a car that was lodged under a semi), we had a smooth and uneventful ride home. And stopped again at the same place for maize and goat kabobs... this time we expected it and bought some Fanta.
We had a great time with some great friends, and fortunately they are coming in a couple of weekends to visit Kigali.
It was a 7 hour bus ride from Kigali to Buja, but the bus was pretty nice. I mean, it was titled Belvedere Bus Lines, you can't get much classier than that.
We had no troubles at the border, and since we had made friends with a group of people on the bus, we know that if we had had problems, they would have had our back. This group was hilarious. At one rest stop everyone piled off the bus to get roasted maize (corn cobs) and goat shish-kabobs, at 8:00 in the morning! When they got back on the bus the leader of the group walked up to Melissa, snapped off half of his roasted maize, and handed it to her. They clearly wanted to take care of the white folk.
Bujumbura is located on the shore of a huge lake. When approaching the city you are driving in the windy hills, and then suddenly everything flattens out and you see the city on the edge of the lake. It is the flattest piece of land I've seen in East Africa.
We arrived at the station to find Karri waiting for us. Karri was in my cohort at Eastern, and since there was only 11 of us in the cohort, we got to know each other real well. It was really good to see her. We walked to their local coffee shop to meet up with Jim, and then on to their offices. It was great to see what life has looked like for them for the last 6 months. Karri and her husband, Jim, both work for World Relief. Karri works in their microfinance bank, Turame. And Jim works with them doing various ministry-related jobs, teaching music, preaching, working with youth, etc.
We caught a cab to their house, freshened up, and then headed out to Khana Kazanas, an unbelievable Indian restaurant that just relocated to Buja from Kigali. I ordered some sort of green goo (on the owners recommendation) and it was to die for.
Saturday we went to the beach and played volleyball ALL AFTERNOON... it was glorious. There were about 30 expatriates that had gathered to play a tournament. These people were from the U.S., France, Austria, England, Spain, Australia and plenty of other places. It was shocking to be around so many white people in one place. I suffered a bit of reverse culture shock (Why aren't there any Africans around like I am used to? Why is so much English being spoken?) but then settled in as the tournament began. The team Jim and I were on came in third, just beating out Melissa's team. We had a blast.
That night we ate at a very cool new restaurant on the beach overlooking the water. A thunderstorm rolled in over the lake and we got to just sit and experience the storm while we waited for our food. It was a great night.
Sunday we went to church with Jim and Karri and we got to hear Jim preach. He gave a great and challenging sermon and Melissa and I really appreciated worshiping there with that group.
After church we went out for some amazing pizza (something we really miss) and then crammed 9 people into a Toyota Camry (plus a guitar) to get home. We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening talking and catching up with Jim and Karri. It was so great to just chat late into the night.
We grabbed some tea and croissants early the next morning and hopped back onto the trusty Belvedere for our trek home. Besides the 30 minute delay due to a roadblock (caused by a car that was lodged under a semi), we had a smooth and uneventful ride home. And stopped again at the same place for maize and goat kabobs... this time we expected it and bought some Fanta.
We had a great time with some great friends, and fortunately they are coming in a couple of weekends to visit Kigali.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Goma
Two weekends ago we traveled to Goma, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), to attend a wedding of a f/Friend of the Thomases. It is a 3 hour drive from Kigali to the North. The northern province of Rwanda is beautiful, it is where Akagera Park is (where the gorillas live) and where you can catch a glimpse of some impressive volcanoes.
We arrived in Gisenyi, a Rwandan town that is on the border, and met up with the group of pastors that we would travel to Goma with. We walked across the border (with no problems) and got picked up on the DRC side by someone from the wedding.
Goma, even though it directly borders Rwanda, is a very different place. It was clearly more impoverished. It was a dirtier place, and was constantly bustling with chaos. I noticed myself become physically uncomfortable once we crossed the border. It made me see how safe I have come to feel in Rwanda.
We first went to the legal/civil ceremony. This was held at some government offices and it was a communal gathering of about 7 couples. We waited there for hours, just watching some drunk old women play a drum and sing, all while being watched ourselves by at least 20 children standing less than a foot away from us. It was an interesting experience.
Then we made our way to the church for the religious ceremony. We got hauled up on stage to sit with the pastors. It was very interesting being the "guests of honor," even though we knew no one, especially the bride and groom. They even had us stand up and say hello from America. So America, you have now said hello to 150 people in Congo.
After the ceremony (which was full of dancing, drumming, sermons, and yet again, staring children), we walked to a school nearby for the reception. We were served a meal (just the white people and the pastors). After we ate we watched the bride and groom cut the cake, pour Fanta in each other's mouths, and then play "Simon Says" with the DJ. It was all very surreal mix of Western and African customs.
We had to hurry back to get across the border before it closed for the night. We had no problems getting back across and we were thankfully back in Rwanda.
We stayed in a great guest house that night and visited Gisenyi Friends Church the next day (and yet again, were asked to sit on stage).
The trip to Goma was a great experience. It is a place that has always intrigued me since it has been in the news so frequently over the years. I'm just glad we made it home to Kigali safely.
We arrived in Gisenyi, a Rwandan town that is on the border, and met up with the group of pastors that we would travel to Goma with. We walked across the border (with no problems) and got picked up on the DRC side by someone from the wedding.
Goma, even though it directly borders Rwanda, is a very different place. It was clearly more impoverished. It was a dirtier place, and was constantly bustling with chaos. I noticed myself become physically uncomfortable once we crossed the border. It made me see how safe I have come to feel in Rwanda.
We first went to the legal/civil ceremony. This was held at some government offices and it was a communal gathering of about 7 couples. We waited there for hours, just watching some drunk old women play a drum and sing, all while being watched ourselves by at least 20 children standing less than a foot away from us. It was an interesting experience.
Then we made our way to the church for the religious ceremony. We got hauled up on stage to sit with the pastors. It was very interesting being the "guests of honor," even though we knew no one, especially the bride and groom. They even had us stand up and say hello from America. So America, you have now said hello to 150 people in Congo.
After the ceremony (which was full of dancing, drumming, sermons, and yet again, staring children), we walked to a school nearby for the reception. We were served a meal (just the white people and the pastors). After we ate we watched the bride and groom cut the cake, pour Fanta in each other's mouths, and then play "Simon Says" with the DJ. It was all very surreal mix of Western and African customs.
We had to hurry back to get across the border before it closed for the night. We had no problems getting back across and we were thankfully back in Rwanda.
We stayed in a great guest house that night and visited Gisenyi Friends Church the next day (and yet again, were asked to sit on stage).
The trip to Goma was a great experience. It is a place that has always intrigued me since it has been in the news so frequently over the years. I'm just glad we made it home to Kigali safely.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Visit to Burundi
Tomorrow we are taking a seven hour bus ride to Burundi to visit our good friends, Jim and Karri, who have been there since last fall working with World Relief. Karri was in Michael's cohort at Eastern last year, and we had a lot of fun with them. We are really looking forward to seeing them and seeing another country. We will return on Monday.
Culturisms #5 , #6, and #7
#5 Shoes
We've noticed how important it is to have clean, freshly polished shoes. At the wedding we went to last weekend, everyone had to make sure their shoes were polished and shiny. People here may have one nice outfit that they wear on special occasions, but, they will always have shiny shoes. Our roommate, Mel, said that the other day she was going into town with her language helper, and her language helper asked her why she hadn't cleaned her shoes before they left. She was a bit taken aback.
#6 Clothes
It is important to dress well here in order to show your worth. For example, when we were in Kumbya a few weeks ago, there was an entire team of people from EMI (Engineering Ministries International). All but one were North American (we egocentric citizens of the USA want to say Americans, but we must include Canadians here). Because we were on a lake, and the team had to tromp around in the woods and work in a rustic cabin, they were always dressed in casual clothes, usually jeans and a t-shirt. The one man from Uganda was dressed every day in nice slacks, a collared shirt, and shiny shoes (we would call it business attire). It was pointed out to us that in this culture you must dress well to prove you are intelligent and capable. The North Americans did not care about dressing nicely, they dressed how they needed to to get the job done. This is not to say that dressing well and/or expensively is not important in America. It is often seen as important, often to show wealth, but, it seems to be on another whole level here.
#7 Cell phones
Along with nice shoes, cell phones are prized possessions. Most of the missionaries here have old, beat-up phones, while many of the Rwandans have new, shiny phones. In America some of the poorest people have televisions. Here, it seems that most people we come into contact with have a cell phone. Granted, some of the very poor in the countryside don't have phones, but it seems like most people have them. We've even seen Rwandans cleaning their cell phone battery, something I've never done in the almost ten years that I've owned a cell phone. Most Rwandans will call and try to talk for as short of a time as possible, so they don't have to pay for extra minutes. Many times they will call a mzungu (white foreigner) and hang up before anyone answers, hoping and expecting the person to call back. Some have been known to call multiple times, to try to get you to return the call. We heard recently that there is a new verb in Swahili that means "to beep," which is the action of calling and hanging up before someone answers.
We've noticed how important it is to have clean, freshly polished shoes. At the wedding we went to last weekend, everyone had to make sure their shoes were polished and shiny. People here may have one nice outfit that they wear on special occasions, but, they will always have shiny shoes. Our roommate, Mel, said that the other day she was going into town with her language helper, and her language helper asked her why she hadn't cleaned her shoes before they left. She was a bit taken aback.
#6 Clothes
It is important to dress well here in order to show your worth. For example, when we were in Kumbya a few weeks ago, there was an entire team of people from EMI (Engineering Ministries International). All but one were North American (we egocentric citizens of the USA want to say Americans, but we must include Canadians here). Because we were on a lake, and the team had to tromp around in the woods and work in a rustic cabin, they were always dressed in casual clothes, usually jeans and a t-shirt. The one man from Uganda was dressed every day in nice slacks, a collared shirt, and shiny shoes (we would call it business attire). It was pointed out to us that in this culture you must dress well to prove you are intelligent and capable. The North Americans did not care about dressing nicely, they dressed how they needed to to get the job done. This is not to say that dressing well and/or expensively is not important in America. It is often seen as important, often to show wealth, but, it seems to be on another whole level here.
#7 Cell phones
Along with nice shoes, cell phones are prized possessions. Most of the missionaries here have old, beat-up phones, while many of the Rwandans have new, shiny phones. In America some of the poorest people have televisions. Here, it seems that most people we come into contact with have a cell phone. Granted, some of the very poor in the countryside don't have phones, but it seems like most people have them. We've even seen Rwandans cleaning their cell phone battery, something I've never done in the almost ten years that I've owned a cell phone. Most Rwandans will call and try to talk for as short of a time as possible, so they don't have to pay for extra minutes. Many times they will call a mzungu (white foreigner) and hang up before anyone answers, hoping and expecting the person to call back. Some have been known to call multiple times, to try to get you to return the call. We heard recently that there is a new verb in Swahili that means "to beep," which is the action of calling and hanging up before someone answers.
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