Trying to settle in...

Hello from Uganda!!

Sorry I haven’t been updating like I should, it’s just been a little bit crazy here…

After traveling to Rwanda the 9^th of August, staying there till the 19^th and then heading to Uganda, meeting up with my group on Tuesday the 21^st, moving in with my host family that same day, going through orientation and trying to settle in quickly before heading out that Friday for a trip with the USP to Rwanda. Traveling (Literally) all over Rwanda in a short span of only 8 days and then debrief time at Bunyoni Island in Uganda, and back to Mukono late afternoon Sunday, and starting classes Monday the 4^th, It’s safe to say I was a bit exhausted and busy with all that traveling.

   With the start of classes brought a whole new element to our already crazy lives. On top of living in a completely new culture, we now have to juggle classes and homework.

            It’s good though. Classes weren’t as bad as I thought they might be, and there is plenty of time for relaxing with our host families….. Relaxing, and more relaxing actually.

       A big thing here is “Presence”. It’s being with someone else, whether you are interacting or not doesn’t make any difference.

     I’m having a hard time with that.

      I don’t exactly know how to “relax”. At home in the states, if I’m not working, I’m doing homework, if I’m not doing homework, I’m planning some project, trip or something, or I’m hanging out with friends. I have to be constantly doing something, constantly making good use of my time from the minute I wake up until I go to sleep.

      My host family here loves to sit and just “Be”. Reading the Ugandan newspaper, watching Ugandan news, (In Lugandan) and just sitting in the living room after a day of work. It’s different than the American’s mindset of constant entertainment, of constantly going and doing things.

      

     It’s an experience, that is for sure.

     

      An experience I am excited to be in. To learn from, and to grow in.

      I will try to be better about updating now that things are getting a little calmer...

      I pray each of you continue to walk with me on this journey half way across the world.

      Love from Uganda,

                                          Jenn

In Memory of the Children lost

Before you read this, I’d like to give you a warning. I’m not writing this to be graphic. I’m not exaggerating this or trying to add to the gore to make it more appealing. I’m sharing my heart and sharing the memory of the children lost. For parents who can’t. They deserve to be remembered, and their story needs to be told so what happened in Rwanda will never happen again.

Rwanda. A country of a thousand hills. Beautiful. Peaceful. Children play in the streets. Women call out to each other in greeting as they pass. Men gather and relax after work at the local store. In a communitarian society, everything is shared, everyone is family. They love their neighbors children almost as much as they love their own.

It hasn’t always been this way. In 1994, Genocide cast a shadow over Rwanda and in the course of almost 100 days, over a million people were brutally murdered.

It has been 18 years since the beginning of the Genocide, April 7^th, 1994. Let us never forget.

I would like to share with you a few their stories. In memory of them.

At the Kigali Genocide Memorial Center, there is a room dedicated to children. Their pictures hang on the wall, given by a family member or a friend, in memory of their lives, however long or short they might have been. They were infinitely loved and made in the image of God and they deserve to have their story told.

This room breaks my heart each and every time I visit it. It becomes so much more personal when you get to know them, even the basics like their favorite food, their best friend, and favorite sport.....

**taken from the Kigali Genocide Memorial Center, Kigali, Rwanda**

Francine was 12 years old.

Favorite sport: Swimming

Favorite Food: Eggs & Chips

Best friend: Her big sister Claudette

Cause of Death: Hacked to death by a Machette at Nyamata

Fabrice was 8 years old.

Favorite Sport: Swimming

Favorite food: Chocolate

Best Friend: His Mom

Cause of Death: Bludgeoned with a club

David was 10 years old

Favorite Sport: Football

Favorite thing to do: Make people laugh

Dream: Become a doctor

Last words: “UNAMIR will come for us”

Cause of Death: Tortured to death.

Ariane was 4 years old

Favorite food: Cake

Favorite thing to do: Dance and sing

She was described as a neat little girl

Cause of Death: Stabbed in the eyes and head.

Chanelle was 8 years old

Favorite sport: Jogging with her dad

Favorite food: Chocolate

Favorite song: “My native land which God chose for me”

Cause of Death: Hacked by Machette

Irene and Uwamwezi – Sisters

Favorite toy: a doll they shared

Favorite food: Fresh Fruit

They were daddy’s girls

Cause of Death: A grenade thrown in the shower

Fabrice was 15 months old

Favorite food: Rice with milk

Favorite animal: Cat

Favorite word: “Auntie”

Cause of death: Killed at Muhoro church

Fillette was 2 years old

Favorite toy: Doll

Favorite food: Rice and chips

Best friend: Her dad

She was described as a good girl

Cause of Death: Smashed against a wall

Thierry was 9 months old

He was killed in his mothers arms.

- While these are only a few of the thousands of children killed, they represent the lost and the ones that were never even found.

I wish you could meet the little ones I have come to know and love in the villages. I wish you could see the smiles on their faces. Hear their laughter. Listen to their cries when they fall and hold them when they need comforting.

Those children that were killed are just like the ones I got to know. They are just like the little ones in America. Created in the image of God.

So many times we read something sad, think about it for a minute, and move on. I pray you remember. Remember so this can never be repeated. 

Never Again.

"When they said 'Never Again' after the Holocaust, was it meant for some and not for others?"

 

Church service- In Rwanda

·      August 26^th- Sunday church in a rural setting

·      From my Journal in Rwanda as I was unable to post anything until returning to Uganda

  Church today was in a rural Anglican church in a small town about two hours outside of Kigali. We (The Uganda Studies Program that I am with in Rwanda) split up into several small groups and headed off to our separate churches. After dropping the first group off at Church, we continued on our way…. And continued, and continued, deep into the rural area. About 45 minutes later we finally arrived amidst excited kids shouting “Muzungu”. As we walked through the doors a dance worship combo was taking place. About 30 youth and adults were “getting it”, praising Jesus with their voices and their dance. As we were ushered in, I thought the benches on the side were going to be our seats. Instead, we were brought up and seated on the stage, facing the congregation. Our group of seven were seated in a place of honor and presented to the congregation, a very excited congregation I might add. As more church members trickled in, several more songs were sung, complete with the traditional African dances done here in Worship. Three hours into the Church, and after a congregation wide dance that included some of the children grabbing our hands and pulling us onto the dance floor (aka, the stage) which was the most exhilarating experience. There may be a language barrier, and maybe all I can say in Kinyarwanda is “Hello, how are you” to the woman I am holding hands with, but we are singing praises to and dancing for the same Almighty God that created us both, and sometimes, that’s all that matters. That Sunday happened to be “Thanksgiving Sunday” and during the offering, people brought fruits, vegetables, and other things harvested in the recent harvest. Thanking the Lord for what he had provided and giving back a portion of that. Our group had prepared a couple of songs and a testimony. Revered Able explained to the church that we had only been a choir for two days, but we would do our best. It was an enjoyable experience. Overall, the service lasted over 3 and a half hours, and while long, was a beautiful experience and an amazing time of worship. It’s such contrast to Americans that keep so busy that church becomes just a blip on the radar.

Not always great

Here it is.

Rwanda.

The long awaited trip, the time spent with friends, time spent at the Widow's village, Star school, and around Kigali.....
Nope.
Well, not quite.
I arrived in Rwanda on Thursday evening, the 9th of August and had a good evening.
Friday morning I was sick as a dog. I pretty much slept/laid in bed starting Friday morning to Monday evening... Throw in a couple of super fun hospital visits where I thought I might actually be poked to death or bleed to death. It was crazy!

Word finally came on Monday-When I was starting to feel better, that I had pretty severe food poisoning and my white blood cell count was going down and I was on the mend.

Let me tell you. This experience was crazy.

Amidst the miserableness, I did have great caretakers, but some of the days they had super important commitments that they had to leave for and I was left home alone all day long with a house girl that speaks no English. Talk about difficult.
In the midst of all this I may have evaluated and re-evaluated my "crazy" plan of coming to Africa to spend the entire semester, and I may have wanted nothing more than to teleport myself back home and never leave the country again.

I had a lot of time to sit and think, and remember someone saying that I only loved Rwanda so much because nothing bad had ever happened, and when that happened, I wouldn't like it so much.
I remember thinking, what a horrible thing to tell someone who is heading out in a few months to spend the whole semester, but in the midst of my crazy sickness, I thought, maybe he was right.

No.

This is where I'm supposed to be.
I don't know what that looks like, and I don't know when or where or how even, but this is it.

Through this sickness I realized that yes, maybe I was living a fairytale of perfect-ness when I came to Rwanda in the past.
I had plenty of crazy good fruit and food, a nice bed with fresh towels, access to a vehicle to drive me around, and a shower with hot water.
This has shown me that while that isn't always real life, I can still push through and love what I do have, even if its not perfect. Because bad days will come, but so will good days, and I have to have one to truly appreciate the other.

So,

Things are better.
I'm better, life is great, and I'm heading to Uganda for my super crazy awesome, hopefully sick free semester on Monday!!!

Until I post again.....

-Jenn

7 days and counting.....

The final week.
It’s crunch time.
My room is empty back in Lynchburg as I will be heading to a new apartment on my return in January. My car is packed, and I've said goodbye to my friends in Lynchburg.
It’s Wednesday August 1st. I’m flying to Texas to spend one last week with my family in Dallas before heading out next Wednesday for my semester in Uganda. I’m not going to Uganda right away, instead I’m heading out two weeks early to spend some time in Rwanda.
- I. can’t. wait.
While I will miss my friends here, and my family, I feel like I’m not leaving home, but instead finally flying back home.
Rwanda, land of a thousand hills, and home to some of the most beautiful people on earth. My friends, my sisters and my brothers, and my African mom-Margret.

I saw a quote from Rick Warren once that said something along the lines of, If God calls you somewhere, you will be unhappy anywhere else.
While I know there is a time for everything, and my time is in Lynchburg finishing school, my heart’s desire is to pick up and move to Rwanda long term right now.

As I prepare to leave and be gone for the next 4 1/2 months, I covet your prayers. It is going to be a semester of growing and learning and it is my prayer that I will be open to learning, both in Rwanda and in Uganda.

Murakoze Cyane

Jenn

One month to go..

Hey guys!!

One month from today I will be in Rwanda spending a little over a week before heading to Uganda for a semester studying at Uganda Christian University just outside of Kampala.

One year ago I had no idea that I would be spending a semester in Africa.... In fact, one year ago, I didn't know that in the next year I would be in Rwanda twice, and working with my school to build a school for 40 beautiful Rwandan children that would have never been able to be in school.  (See the video on this about Restore Rwanda). But God is much bigger than we can ever know, and it is through Him that all this happened and is happening.

 The reality of this and what this means is starting to really hit me. This is going to be one of the most challenging, difficult, crazy semester I’ve ever had, but I feel as though it will be the most incredible, awesome, wonderful, growing and learning time I will have had as well.

I will be doing the Uganda Studies Emphasis route, where I will be staying in a dorm with other Ugandan students and engaging in university life. This semester includes two home stays of 2 weeks each, one close to campus and one in a more rural setting. I will also be spending 10 days in Rwanda with the study abroad group, spending more time in some different areas of Rwanda along with time in Kigali.

I hope to be able to update everyone on life in Uganda as regularly as possible, though I don't know yet what "regularly" actually means. I will have access to wi-fi, so email me, facebook me... I definitely would like to have some contacts over here still. =)

Preparing for the most epic semester yet!

In Him,

Jennifer

Something to consider..

"How can I refuse to forgive when I am a forgiven sinner as well. According to God's Word, I am called to forgive him, for I did not create this man. Even my family that he killed-I did not create them either. His crime was against God who created the people he killed. So I placed everything in the hands of God." -Rosaria, "As We Forgive" Documentary (See Trailer Here).

 

Wow.  Can you just take a minute and reflect on what this means?

17 years ago, during the genocide in Rwanda, Rosaria had taken her fourth and youngest child to Kigali because he had been sick and needed to go to the hospital. While in Kigali, a group of militiamen attacked and killed every one in the group Rosaria was with, including her son. Miraculously, Rosaria survived the brutal attack. It was some time later that she would find out that her husband, her three other children, her parents and each of her other siblings were all murdered, along with several nieces and nephews.

 

In the wake of such devastation, God gave her a gift. In the fall of 1994, Rosaria found out she was pregnant and giving birth to a little girl, named her Cadeaux, meaning "Gift" because she was the only thing she had left.

Some time later Rosaria was presented with a man who said that he was the one who had taken part in the killing of Rosaria's family. The very man who took his machete and ended their life, was now asking Rosaria for forgiveness.

Not just any killer, but a man who knew them. Knew her family... Maybe even had dinner with them on occasion. A neighbor friend. In a society where everyone works together, everything is shared among the villages, they were very close. Hatred and lies separated them and somehow led to the unspeakable act of murder.

Now. Look back upon what Rosaria said. She doesn't hold anger in her heart. She has given it over to God and fully forgiven him. The man who killed her family.

 

She said later "How can I refuse to forgive when my Heavenly Father forgave me".

 

Wow. Just, wow.

 

I hope you can think about what this would mean for you.

Maybe you don't have to forgive someone who killed your family. Maybe it's just that you haven't forgiven someone who cheated you. Maybe a family member really upset you about something and you haven't spoken to them in years. But we are called to forgive.

Mathew 18:21-22 "Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven."