It began Saturday with a pleasant walk up Mt. Kigali with our Rwandan friends, Emmanuel, Christian, Felix and Thaddeus. After getting dropped off at the nearest matatu stop, we all hiked to the top of the one of tallest hills of Kigali. Half of the hike was through the village that was established there, which gradually became wilderness near as the peak approached. Not only did we get great views of Kigali and the country beyond, but we had the privilege to interact with the local children as well, who became our tour guides. They all requested a sip of water from my bottle, so after teaching them the word "please," I pour sips of water down their throats as they tilted their head backs, mouths opened wide. Nearby, Aaron also requested a sip, assuming the position that the children had adopted. I smiled. Unable to resist, I took the opportunity to splash water all over his face and shirt. The children laughed.
After our walk though, us interns and our other friends at the guesthouse called it a day. I spent the afternoon reflecting on my experience thus far and writing a song about my struggles. As I prayed, thought and wrote, I felt that I made some true connections with God through the song. I am excited to share it with everyone once its completed. I think its my best one yet. : ) However, all of deep-thought needed to be countered, so Saturday night found me watching Beauty and the Beast. Say what you want, but it was wonderful.
Sunday morning church was a blessing, especially during the praise and worship part of it. However, I still yearned for more spiritual nourishment, so Aaron, Nathan and I went to go see a speaker that was advertised through a text message on our phones. We arrived at 3pm in a huge inflated meeting space that probably seated a couple thousand. Selecting seats near the front with ample leg room, we waited until 4pm, at which time there was standing room only. Preceding the renown speaker, whom I am sure you all will recognize, there were three praise bands. The first was my favorite, sharing a Jamaican-style version of "Here I am to Worship" and "Lord I Lift Your Name on High." Ja mon, praise da Lord mon. The other bands were good too, singing songs primarily in Swahili. Ugh, if only the Alma College chapel band could pull all that off.
Once everyone was energetic, the speaker was introduced, who was none other than Rick Warren, author of A Purpose Driven Life. Now, I have never read his books, but just the thought of seeing Rick Warren, in Rwanda of all places, was an experience I wanted to have. Rick shared with us that after reading his book, President Paul Kagame called him up and told him that he thought Rick could help in the reconstruction of Rwanda. What an extraordinary outreach opportunity for him! So Sunday night, in the presence of First Lady Kagame, the mayor of Kigali, over a thousand Rwandan youth and a handful of muzungus, Rick Warren talked about purpose, God's love and leadership. Overall, I felt that the message was too repetetive and watered-down for me, but for the youth of Rwanda, it was perfect. When him or his wife spoke, the room was attentive, unlike the Rwandans at the Liberation Ceremony during Kagame's speech. He also provided great explanations to concerns about God's love in relation to the genocide, which I feel is an underlying question for all Rwandan Christians. And though it was a bit repetitive, I certainly gained insight as well. Funny how we sometimes forget the basics.
The next surprise arrived Sunday night, when I was informed that someone found my driver's license, which I lost on the beach in Hawaii, and was nice enough to mail it home to Michigan. Phew! I thought the ocean had swallowed it. Considering I did not have time to reapply for a new one, I was very much relieved to hear this. This way, when I return a few weeks, I will be able to drive. Woo-hoo!
Returning the office Monday, I kept myself busy research subjects for Stephen, including the agriculture technique of double-digging, the benefits to using particular plants as green manure and the newly established Alliance for the Green Revolution in Africa. Thrilling, I know. But truthfully, I learned a lot from this experience and picked up a few new online sources that I will be able to use at school. Moreover, I also took the day to plan out some interviews with other international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), such as World Vision, in order to write a research paper on NGO management. Though I have little time to complete this field research, I am confident that I can gather enough information to learn about the different techniques and frameworks used in operating an NGO and evaluate their effectiveness.
After working hard on Monday, a group of us from the house decided that we need to take a day off, but do not worry, we had Dwight's permission. A FHI/R vehicle was heading to Burundi and was able to provide us free transport to the Rwandan National Museum in Buture. Unable to foresee a better time to go, we all piled into the vehicle and drove a few hours to museum. Once we reached our destination, I excitedly began to read the displays and learn about African history, which is fascinating when you are still able to see remnants of it today. However, about one-fifth way through the museum, the English display information stopped, and we were left with text in only French and Kinyarwanda. This was a major disappointment, a negative surprise if you will. We continued to look at all of the artifacts, but much of the learning was lost. Aaron and I have concluded that if we do not know a second language by the time that we are thirty, we will never be successful in doing development work.
And as a final surprise to a busy and complete couple of days, I just found tonight that my security clearance with the state department went through, meaning that I am all set for my second internship at the United States Mission to the United Nations in Rome in the fall! That internship, of course, will also be covered in the blog as well, hence the two cities mentioned in the title. Being that my information arrived late, I was truly worried about the security clearance process, but God has delivered graciously, as he does with all things.
This is the city from on top of Mt. Kigali. I love the way the sunlight bursts through the clouds. Thank you very much for reading. God bless!
No comments:
Post a Comment